THE agitated minder stood at the crowded bar and said emphatically, ''I need those drinks now. These people can wait, those guys back there are the main attraction,'' he told the head barman at the Ritz Carlton.
Images of temperamental rock stars complaining about the size of their sandwiches swept through my mind. A tricky interview looked likely. But nothing could have been further from the truth.
Gerry Marsden may be well-off, and he may have been protected from life's hassles like queueing up for a drink for the past 30 years, but he remains an absolute gentleman, just another lad from Liverpool who treats everyone as a friend, always ready witha grin and a laugh.
Gerry and the Pacemakers live, although only Gerry remains of the original line-up which got together in the 50s and had a string of hits around the world.
Royalties keep Gerry Marsden a wealthy man, he certainly does not need to play the Kowloon Cricket Club or the Mariner's Club. So why has he returned to Hong Kong for the fourth time to take people on a sentimental journey back to the 60s? Because he loves it - he doesn't know any other life than spending seven months of the year on the road and he is not ready to stop.
I'm an entertainer, I love to get on stage and shout, which I do. I enjoy it,'' explained Gerry. ''I get paid to go all over the world, stay in the best hotels, meet lovely people. People say to me, 'Why don't you retire?'. But what would I do? It would be crazy.