Your comments about Jake reflect his angry anti corporate side. He is bigger
than that under less stressful circumstances. I dont excuse his violent side.
Some gigs can be very demanding.

The truth is Jake and Nick are probably joined at the hip. The great book about
Pubrock by Will Birch really turns into the story of Jake and Nick after 1976.
Jake has great musical taste. Nick borrowed some of his amongst others.

When Nick had not a lot; Jakes drive was there. Nick needs Jake, Jake may need
Nick. Nick is a shy man (drink changes this), or at least quite reserved and
seemingly has very little financial drive. Sorry to say it but to survive in
music you need a bit of it. Bob Andrews is a fine musician but we aint following
him.

Remember that the Brinsleys broke up because of the lack of killer amongst them.
Ditto Rockpile?
They had it all ready to go but fell at the last. Jake didn't make them droop.
On the Born Fighters film its Nick and Dave fighting. Dave is a toughie and so
is Jake. Only fate or Nick has held Nick back, he was late for the biggest Radio
show in the UK once.

I concede Jake is not easy. The Pubrock book paints a fearsome early reputation.
That's well documented however I offer things have changed. I once spoke to Nick
who suggested I call Jake. I rang. He returned my calls, in fact he always does.
I ask about Nick and he tells me. I have never found him rude, just a little
startled at the interest.

At the London Borders gig Jake arrived with Nick. He was grumpy that Elvis C was
blasting out of the shop pa but soon settled. He was pleased to see Wreckless
Eric and others. They were warm to him. Not the reaction you expect from a man
with his reputation. He mentioned he played bowls.

At the recent (very ace) Brentford gig Jake was there with family (I think). A
warm reception ensued from some old mates. He was very protective of Nick, no
drawn out encores etc. Moaned they could have raised more money for the charity
etc.

The real issue here is with a wooly merchant like Nick you need somebody driving
the car. Nick has now made money so the pedal really is off the gas. Jake knows
that he needs to keep something going on or else it will wither on the vine.

Jake may be bettered by others (name any manager thats loved?) but Nick and he
go back so far, have come so far and reached so close to the top they probably
both think they are going to be safe in each others hands til the S.Tap home for
ex artistes.

Actually I like Jake. Demon was a demon record label. He gave us Stiff, he gave
us Nick. You probably caught him on a bad day. He is not one for the big boys.

Why isn't Nick a bigger deal? He doesn't want the hassle and I know what he
means.

Regards

Martin


-----Original Message-----
From: martinfoyle [mailto:martinlfoyle@...]
Sent: Friday, September 05, 2003 11:50 AM
To: nicklowe@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [nicklowe] Nick does NY, despite Jake.


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,96476,00.html

-Costello's Ex-Manager Goes Nuts

Maybe the smartest thing rocker Elvis Costello ever did in his long
career was fire his manager, Jake Riviera. During their time
together, Costello was considered difficult, unpleasant, and self-
defeating.

Since the two split, Costello has had nothing but success and good
relations with his record labels. Case in point is the excellent new
Costello release, "North," which will come out in a couple of weeks
through deals drawn up for him by his current manager, Danny Bennett,
and another Danny, Danny Goldberg, who brought Costello to Mercury
Records a few years ago.

Riviera has many enemies in the record business, not the least of
which is probably beloved rocker Dave Edmunds. He and Nick Lowe,
Costello's best producer, once had a popular band called Rockpile.
But after one album, Edmunds reportedly couldn't take Riviera's
interference and ended the relationships.

The last time I saw this failed amateur pugilist was in 1986,
backstage at the Broadway Theatre before a Costello show. He was as
advertised: rude, nasty, vulgar and violent.

Cut to last night, when Lowe, whom I've praised in this space in the
past, played an acoustic set at GQ magazine's big coming out party
for new editor Jim Nelson.

Lowe and behold, there was Jake Riviera, now white haired, but still
looking for a fight, cursing in his Cockney accent, baring widely
spaced teeth, looking very much like a rabid pit bull. Seventeen
years had not mellowed him.

Within minutes of our meeting he was tempting fate, barking and
inviting temporary restraining orders. At last -- here was an
explanation for Nick Lowe's lack of a career.

"You're just a corporate fu--," he screamed at me for no apparent
reason, "just like everyone else here!" Blood vessels popped under
his pasty complexion. "I'm sorry Nick, I shouldn't have let you play
here! I hate all these a--h----!" There was more, but it's not
possible to type it up. You get the picture.

Then Riviera sent his other client from a time warp, Richard Hell,
out to make some retro punk noise. None of it was pretty.

As for Lowe, he performed valiantly in front of an ardent crowd of
fans that included Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham and actor Peter
Gallagher, star of Fox's great hit show, "The O.C." Lowe also had
some good media heavyweights digging his scene, including Conde Nast
editor-in-chief James Truman and new Cargo magazine publisher Alan
Katz. Before the evening was over, actor Benjamin Bratt showed up --
sans Talisa Soto -- but with his pal, Paolo Mastropietro, husband of
pregnant actress Jill Hennessy.

"Why isn't he a bigger deal?" asked one of Lowe's happy fans during
the set.

Now I guess we know.