In my early 20s
I worked on-and-off in a bar-cum-live music venue in my tedious cul-de-sac of a hometown. Typically for the Essex/London dormitory belt, we didn't book new bands but stuck to a couple of dozen tried-and-tested, tired, middle-aged covers bands playing tired, out-of-date music for tired, out-of-date punters with sad eyes and old haircuts.

Many were hobbyists, a few session musicians looking for a bit of a laugh and some beer money. One band, however, were boastful of their pedigree - they had among their number ex-Iron Maiden guitarist [Dave Watson]. This was on all of their posters, prominently, several times, and for a while they advertised as [Band], ft. [Dave Watson]. Much of our clientele was of the long-haired, leather-jacketed persuasion, knew the 'Maiden back catalogue, and had never heard of him. As the other guitarist in the band was better than him and not at all famous, he was suspected of being either a liar or a fantacist.

One of our regulars bumped into Iron Maiden bassist and founder Steve Harris in a pub, which wasn't that hard as he lives somewhere round that way. He approached him politely, made small talk and then asked if he remembered a [Dave Watson], tipping him off about the claims, the posters and the band.

Steve Harris had to think about it for a while, but it turned out [Dave Watson] had been in Iron Maiden, over twenty years earlier (the late 70s), before they were signed. He was in the band for about six weeks, until they sacked him for being shit. Steve Harris couldn't even remember what he looked like.
(cs1ca, Sat 22 Sep 2012, 16:12, 1 reply)

Pfffft!
Priceless...
( Jabberwoc misses D.R. and Quinch, Sat 22 Sep 2012, 21:59, closed)