In this episode of our series exploring the history of the MainMan Organisation, Tony Zanetta explains how after he met Angie and David backstage at the Camden Roundhouse, while he was appearing in the Warhol play ‘Pork’, Angie invited ‘Z’ to visit their home in Beckenham for lunch.
David and Angie lived in the ground floor flat of a suburban Gothic mansion called Haddon Hall in South London. On the day ‘Z’ visited David’s mother was there to help prepare lunch.
While they shared stories about their influences ‘Z’ explained the importance of The Playhouse of the Ridiculous in New York, while David described his earlier work with the mime artist Lindsay Kemp.
At the end of the visit they both agreed that when David was next in New York, they’d meet up.
So in September of 1971 when David travelled to New York with Angie, Mick Ronson and Defries to sign a new record deal, they called up ‘Z’ who joined them for the signing at the RCA office.
That night they all went out to a local restaurant called The Ginger Man to celebrate. At the dinner was Lou Reed, who was also signed to RCA. Within 12 months Lou, David and Mick would be working together in London on what would become the classic Transformer album.
After dinner the group went to legendary club Max’s Kansas City, where they met Danny Fields who had been managing Iggy Pop. Iggy was staying at Danny’s flat, so Danny rang Iggy and invited him to join the party.
Later that week ‘Z’ took David, Angie and Defries to meet Andy Warhol at The Factory, where David performed a mime, which was filmed and is now archived at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.
As ‘Z’ explains – on that very important trip to New York David signed with RCA and met Lou Reed, Iggy Pop and Andy Warhol, all of whom he admired greatly. The events of that week deeply impacted his artistic vision and his music changed dramatically…..
[…] Tony Zanetta ‘Z’ tells how he introduced David Bowie to Andy Warhol in New York in September 1971. Listen here […]
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