Allan Holdsworth "Shallow sea" Roma march 23 1997

Holdsworth Novak Carpenter
In 1997 I approached Allan before a concert at the Big Mama in Rome. I told him: "I would like to record the show, I am a teacher in jail and I sometimes show music videos to the prisoners" Allan stared at me without saying anything for a long time, he was trying to read my eyes to check if I was trustworthy, then he looked carefully at the video camera and finally granted me his permission. I was very close to the stage and the concert was about to begin, the Big Mama manager ominously approached me and said dryly: "You can not record!" "But Holdsworth has just allowed me ..." “Don’t bullshit me, he never allows anyone to record his shows!” “Just ask him, do you think I am that idiot to hold a videocamera in front of him?” “No way, switch it off” Allan realized what was happening and asked the manager to come closer. He told him more or less “ He teaches to prisoners, he wants to show them the concert, I allowed him to shoot otherwise his pupils would torture me” Still doubtful the man stepped back and the amazing show could start.