Rolling with the rockstars

If you are a diligent fan of rock n roll, chances are you have heard about Sam Cutler. Sam has been a tour manager with some of the most famous and ‘notorious’ musicians including Grateful Dead and The Rolling Stones. He has been closely associated with few of the watershed cultural events in the history of rock n roll including the fateful night at the Altamont Rock festival, to the Hyde Park concert, two days after Brian Jones’s death.

Sam has recently published a memoir titled You Can’t Always Get What You Want: My Life with the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead and Other Wonderful Reprobates. He will be visiting the city to partake in Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest 2016.

How did your journey as a tour manager begin?
My first tour was with Alexis Korner, who is known as ‘the father of the British Blues scene’. We did a tour of U.S. Army bases in Europe. Alexis played solo guitar. It was an eye-opener for me, but I quickly learnt to sleep when time was available, and to eat whenever I saw food, as neither opportunities (for food or rest) were very frequent.

Please name some bands you have toured with. Which of them were most exciting to work it?
The Rolling Stones and The Grateful Dead. The Allman Brothers. Ramblin’ Jack Elliot. New Riders of the Purple Sage. The Band. Sons of Champlin, etc. etc. The most exciting to work with was Grateful Dead as one was never completely sure as to what might happen next!

The Grateful Dead

How was touring with the Grateful Dead different from the rest of the bands you toured with?
The legendary band the Grateful Dead was different to most bands in that they demanded that touring be (essentially) fun. They realised the ‘economic imperatives’ that were involved, that it was ‘important to bring home the bacon’ (as it were) but they insisted upon having fun. This led to an endless series of high jinks and teenaged mischief, which made for much laughter and hilarity and the band never taking things too seriously.

You had introduced the Stones as the “greatest rock band in the world”. Could you share the story of how you came up with it?
We were travelling to Denver and the first gig of the 1969 U.S.A. tour when Mick Jagger realised they had no-one assigned the ‘duty’ of introducing the band. That job fell on me and I was told a few hours before the gig, and thought no more about it as I was concerned with many other things. The moment arrived, I rushed on stage and (basically) said the first thing that entered my mind. Mick was not very pleased and came off stage after a very ‘ragged performance’ and demanded to speak to me. We went into a dressing room alone and he begged me, “Please don’t say that about the band! He thought it really too much to claim/say about The Stones and wanted a more ‘humble’ approach I guess, well I wasn’t having any of that, which I took as ‘false modesty’ on his part, though the band certainly wasn’t that good at this first concert, and badly needed further rehearsal. In answer to his “please don’t call us the greatest rock n roll band in the world”, I replied, well, either you are or you’re not. What’s it going to be? The subject was dropped then and there! The band went into intensive rehearsals and the ‘moniker’ stuck from that day on and they became ‘the greatest rock and roll band in the world’. Whatever it takes to be the best, that is what the tour manager aims for! Any way we can make it happen that is the road we chose!

Rock and rollers are tough to befriend. Are you good friends with any of the musicians you have worked with?
I am good friends with every musician I ever worked with! I loved them all, and only worked with people whose music I adored. I always told every musician I ever worked with — you cannot pay me enough to see this as a job. I do this because I love you. I remain dear friends with all of those whom I worked with who are still alive.

Sam Cutler

What are you currently reading and listening to?
I have just finished work on my novel. It is complete. It has taken two and a half years — in the midst of writing it I have had both lung cancer and colon cancer operations along with chemo and radiation treatments. Sometimes one has huge battles in order to compete the work. It is easy to say one is a writer. The work is everything. I live to write, I write to live for some thirty years now. It is my passion and the basis of my continuing existence. I have been very fortunate and both my doctors and my love of writing have given me life. I am eternally grateful to existence for being so kind. Because I have been writing I have refrained from reading... I find if I read whilst I am writing then subconsciously little bit of other authors’ styles creep into my own work. The ‘essence’ of writing is (of course) to discover one’s own voice and to write in that whilst remaining unpolluted by other influences as it were.

Have you ever been to India before? What are you planning to do in India apart from the festival?
I have been in India several times and adore the country and its religious traditions. I am a Buddhist for many years. I look forward to being in Mumbai with my wife for the Writers’ festival. It looks like we are going to be very busy, but I shall take the greatest pleasure from talking to ordinary Indian people whom we meet — I find Indian people to be richly rewarding in conversation and very welcoming and kind. I am prepared to be asked ‘what is your hobby?’ many times! (hearty chuckles)

I love India and hope to have time to get some clothes made in Mumbai. We live in Australia and Indian clothes are very good for our hot climate!

Do you like any particular Indian musician?
I love Indian music, and regularly listen to a morning raga to start my day. I have always loved and admire the music of Pandit Ravi Shankar, of Alla Rakha, and I love the ghazals of Ghulam Ali, amongst many other wonderful musicians.

Sam Cutler will be in conversation with Hrishi K about his experiences in a session titled All Access Pass on November 18 from 5 pm to 6 pm at NCPA