Rob Phillips

there's an energy to rob
he's one of the greats
he plays it like he lives it
and he looks like the albums we grew up with

he saved our life once
in florida in the van
swerved calmly away from an approaching accident
i was in the front seat
it was telling

i met rob over the phone
des had suggested we check him out
we were down a guitarist for a dark side show in vancouver
des doesn't fly
i called rob
and he immediately instilled confidence
we met at the airport
he was wearing a big green parka with who logos all over it
cool
the show was great
he was fantastic
i immediately started plugging him into shows

at each show
the bar was raised a little higher
he did that
without saying a word
if rob's on the gig
you show up knowing your parts
or you're not on the gig

the hang is always smooth
the vibe is always cool
rob has a keen memory and a knack for voices
he can recite a great many things
with exactitude
it keeps us laughing

one night we're in orlando at the hard rock
and i'm eyeing the crowd
they're going bananas
the band finished their last song of the set
we're side stage confirming encores
i decide to pull 'echoes' in favour of 'have a cigar'
rob opposes me - strongly
no one has ever done this before
okay i say
echoes it is
it was the right call

he's a friend to us all
we're drawn to him
just like the audience is
it's such a gift to constantly be in contact with that kind of greatness

him and his wife play in a blues band together
troy plays drums
it's so cool
she's beautiful and you can tell that they love each other
and that's what it's all about
john lennon was right about everything
and rob mentors with john from afar

he's paid his dues with us
he's been in a ton of different situations
we've been through a lot together
he's the rock that guides us all through that difficult stretch of time
he keeps calm

one day some big rock star is going to snatch him up
i look forward to that
because i know rob
and no matter what
he'll always be playing
and we'll always keep a spot warm for him
always

craig
december 20, 2011
pinot grigio