We got to the bookstore and there were a lot of people there. Apparently, Warwick's procedure during a signing is to close up completely at their normal time of 6pm and then reopen after rearranging the store. About 15 minutes before the scheduled start time, one of the employees came out started talking. I couldn't hear exactly what she was saying, but caught something about someone briefly talking before the signing started. I figured there would be some instruction on how the signing would proceed.
I was wrong.
Out walked Duff...
He had decided to come out and talk even though it wasn't scheduled. He took all sorts of questions. Everything from the current status of his bands Loaded and Velvet Revolver, to Guns N Roses getting into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The entire rockstar cliche does not apply to Duff McKagan. He is extraordinarily well spoken. My husband tells me that he has a degree in Finance, but I'm not sure if that's true. [I haven't read the book yet and I couldn't find a reputable source to confirm]. I do know that he writes several columns for several magazines, including ESPN, Playboy and the Seattle Weekly. He even started his own money management company to help other musicians with their finances.
He talked for about 20 minutes. Joked with a guy holding a video camera and how he needed to be careful with his answers because it was all going to end up on the internet somewhere.
For the signing, there were groups in A, B, C, etc. Each group had about 25 people in them and I did see at least one person with a D ticket. They sort of forced everyone outside, unless you were in the group that was up. After showing your ticket to an employee, they herded us to stand in between some velvet ropes. Another employee came by to write names on post-it notes for personalization.
They had Duff standing by himself in the middle of the store. There was another employee [who was trying to take "rockstar" photos for the company website but managed to make it look like she was giving a very painful thumbs-up] standing just in front of him. She faced the book and then handed it to him for signing. Each person went up one at at time to get the book signed and then get a picture and chat for a minute or so.
When it was my turn, he looked at my post-it note and said "I've never seen your name spelled like that and I've seen a lot of fucking names". I laughed because not only is it one of the best reactions I've had to my uniquely spelled name, but it's also nearly the exact same thing he told me at NAMM a few years prior. I told him that and it was his turn to laugh.
I got my book back and took a picture with him [he just grabs on and pulls you to his side]. He then shook my hand and thanked me for buying the book and spending my time at the event.
I waited for my husband to get his book signed and a picture and then we headed out of Duff's little velvet rope corral.
As we left, he loudly exclaimed, "Bye, Staceeeeeeeeeeeeeee".
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