The Examiner's Exclusive Interview with Bobby Long's manager Phil "Sweet Lips" Taylor

As always, my girl, Amanda, gets all the great scoops! She recently chatted up Phil Taylor, Bobby Long's manager and here's a little of what he had to say.

Speaking of Bobby Long, I asked Phil what he thought it was that drew him to Bobby back in 2006. He said that Up All Night Open Mic has “[f]or years . . . been the place people have gravitated towards once they want to play live. It is connected to my production company Up All Night Music, so people know that if I like them at the open mic, they will get offered other London gigs and maybe a festival stage or two. One night, Bobby showed up wanting to play, and he seemed a very genuine, humble, and calm person, so I got him on the list. (You have to know there are often forty-five people who want to play, so obviously not everyone is going to get on. I have gotten very good at spotting talent by talking to people.) As he played the two songs (“A Passing Tale” and “This Strange Love) that people get to play, I was immediately struck by just how good his whole performance was.” Says Taylor of Bobby’s performance, it was “[n]ot just his lyrics, or his delivery, or [even] his phrasing and general charisma, but all these elements had been put together in a well thought-out and rounded package, bursting with fresh energy.”

Continues Taylor, “[a]fter only a few moments, the whole room was silent, listening to this great music. Once [Bobby] had come off-stage, I had to chat with him and found out it was his first day or week in London and that he did not know anyone at all in the city. I walked round this room full of talented musicians with him, introducing him to the stars of the scene that we had created. It was then that I introduced him to Marcus and Rob amongst several others.”

About Robert Pattinson, Phil Taylor says, “I had no idea that Robert was an actor. I’ve still not seen any of his films. I just knew that he is a great musician and a very good singer/song-writer. I had probably known Marcus and Rob for about a year or so when I introduced them to Bobby.”

Swing by the Examiner to read all the great bits. And don't forget Phil will be on Vamp Radio tonight.