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On the chairlift with Micky Dolenz
Micky DolenzWHEN MICKY DOLENZ ANSWERED an ad announcing auditions for a new TV show about an American rock ’n’ roll band, he had no way of knowing he was going to become part of a cult pop-rock quartet that would go on to sell 0ver 65 million records worldwide.
The Monkees debut single which featured Micky on lead vocals, Last Train to Clarksville, entered the charts on the 10th September 1966 and rocketed to number one. Two days later, their television show, about a music group trying to hit the big time, debuted on NBC and was an immediate hit. That same year Micky took to the slopes for the first time, beginning a life-long piste infatuation.
Following the success of huge hits like Daydream Believer and I’m a Believer, Micky pursued his acting career when the Monkees broke up in the 1970s. He continues to act in TV shows and films, walks the boards, produces and directs for the BBC and in 1997 played a Monkees reunion to a sold out Wembley Arena, twice.
Despite being born and bred in the US, you also graced our fair isle with your presence for many years, why was this?
I landed a role in Harry Nilsson’s West End musical The Point in 1977 and imagined I’d stay for three months. I was still here 12 years later working as a producer-director for the BBC.
Where did you first ski?
Salt Lake City, aged 21. I had to use these terrible leather boots. It felt as if my skis had been bolted to my ankles. It was a truly horrible experience.
Do fans often ski up to you on the slopes to say hello?
No, because I’m usually covered from head to toe in a bizarre 20-year-old brown one-piece suit and a Canadian Mounty’s hat with floppy earflaps. I look like a total freak, but I don’t really care as long as I’m warm and comfortable.
You’ve a reputation as a rock ’n’ roll crazy man. Do you have the same sort of lunatic attitude on the slopes?
Not at all, I’m very conservative. The only time I go down a black run is when I’ve made a serious mistake. I was once dragged to the top of Cervinia in Italy by my ex-wife, who is an expert skier, and she said I’ll see you at the bottom. I essentially had to walk down the Matterhorn. I brought it up in the divorce hearings as evidence of spousal abuse.
How would you compare skiing a black run to performing for tens of thousands of fans?
The fans are much, much easier. I definitely don’t like moguls unless they’re in the record industry. I prefer long, smooth, fast schusses, and I don’t like turning much. In another life, I would have been a downhill racer rather than a slalom guy. I learned to ski the old way, doing stem-christie turns on long straight skis, it was always so tiring and painful. Curvy parabolic skis have been a real revelation to me. Just point and go.
When you head out for après ski are you ever tempted to jump up on stage and join the band?
Not really, unless it’s some long haired weirdo singing folk songs from the Sixties. That might get me up there.
What’s your best Alpine experience?
In Cervinia my ex-wife and I went over the top of the mountain and down to Zermatt in Switzerland, where we stopped for a fantastic fondue. That was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in the mountains. It was something I forgot to mention in the divorce case.
Do you prefer on piste or off piste? Or do you just like to monkey around?
It’s on piste all the way for me. I haven’t a clue what I’m doing in powder.
What’s your favourite destination for après?
I tend to like it quiet rather than rowdy, and generally I prefer European style to most American places, although I love Deer Valley in Utah.
Would you ever consider getting the band back together again for a mountain resort concert?
I haven’t thought about a reunion for years, although I never say never.
