California Bee
14th September 2003, 02:35
Just ran across this excerpt from a report on Dan Tana. It explains some of the Cameron Diaz-Brentford connection reports.
"The trouble with celebrity hangouts is that the night you go there's always a danger you'll get the extras from the daytime soaps or the obscure former tennis pro now coaching the stars. On the evening I go to meet Dan Tana a star-sighting looks unpromising. With only a few regular bar-flies and anonymous families in so far, the photographer is getting twitchy.
'Don't worry,' Dan reassures her. 'Someone will be in.'
Looking at the place, with its bizarre football decorations, and dimly lit booths, the photographer is sceptical. 'It's hard to believe anyone A-list is going to show. What do the stars make of all the soccer paraphernalia anyway?'
'About 25 per cent like football already. The other 75 have had to learn to like it. We get plenty of Brits in here - homesick for football. Sean Connery, Kenneth Branagh. Years ago Rod Stewart was in. I suggested he take up a contract to play for Brentford. He should have accepted. He could have been a real star then.'
Just then Dan raises a hand to acknowledge the arrival of a group of guests.
'Good evening.'
'Hi Dan. How are you?'
'I'm fine.'
'And how are Brentford doing?'
'Right now, they are doing very well thank you. They are top of their division.'
'That's great.'
The person doing the asking is Cameron Diaz. Is she a Brentford fan?
'Why not?' Dan says, before exchanging pleasantries with the rest of the Hollywood contingent of the Brentford fan club - James Woods, Benicio del Toro and Jim Carrey. (Tana remains a Brentford fan, though he resigned from the board in February. In his letter of resignation to club chairman Ron Noades he wrote, 'I cherish 30 years that I have spent with Brentford where I have learnt how to win and how to lose. For the rest of my life I will be a Bees supporter.')
While the photographer takes his pictures, Tana remains steadily himself: polite, natural, relaxed. A little later the barman explains his secret. 'All these stars come to Dan Tana's because of Dan Tana,' he says. 'Sure, the food is good, the atmosphere is good, but this place is about him. I think they know he's a man with a history. Sure, he's one of them; but he's different: he's lived a very different life.
'He knows there's a life beyond Hollywood. Look around. All the other joints in 'L' have signed pictures of stars on their walls. Dan could have a signed picture of just about any star you could name, if he wanted. But apart from that Vega$ poster, he's just got this soccer stuff. He's not obsessed with Hollywood. Sure it's helped him, but it's not the biggest thing in his life. That's why they all come here.' "
"The trouble with celebrity hangouts is that the night you go there's always a danger you'll get the extras from the daytime soaps or the obscure former tennis pro now coaching the stars. On the evening I go to meet Dan Tana a star-sighting looks unpromising. With only a few regular bar-flies and anonymous families in so far, the photographer is getting twitchy.
'Don't worry,' Dan reassures her. 'Someone will be in.'
Looking at the place, with its bizarre football decorations, and dimly lit booths, the photographer is sceptical. 'It's hard to believe anyone A-list is going to show. What do the stars make of all the soccer paraphernalia anyway?'
'About 25 per cent like football already. The other 75 have had to learn to like it. We get plenty of Brits in here - homesick for football. Sean Connery, Kenneth Branagh. Years ago Rod Stewart was in. I suggested he take up a contract to play for Brentford. He should have accepted. He could have been a real star then.'
Just then Dan raises a hand to acknowledge the arrival of a group of guests.
'Good evening.'
'Hi Dan. How are you?'
'I'm fine.'
'And how are Brentford doing?'
'Right now, they are doing very well thank you. They are top of their division.'
'That's great.'
The person doing the asking is Cameron Diaz. Is she a Brentford fan?
'Why not?' Dan says, before exchanging pleasantries with the rest of the Hollywood contingent of the Brentford fan club - James Woods, Benicio del Toro and Jim Carrey. (Tana remains a Brentford fan, though he resigned from the board in February. In his letter of resignation to club chairman Ron Noades he wrote, 'I cherish 30 years that I have spent with Brentford where I have learnt how to win and how to lose. For the rest of my life I will be a Bees supporter.')
While the photographer takes his pictures, Tana remains steadily himself: polite, natural, relaxed. A little later the barman explains his secret. 'All these stars come to Dan Tana's because of Dan Tana,' he says. 'Sure, the food is good, the atmosphere is good, but this place is about him. I think they know he's a man with a history. Sure, he's one of them; but he's different: he's lived a very different life.
'He knows there's a life beyond Hollywood. Look around. All the other joints in 'L' have signed pictures of stars on their walls. Dan could have a signed picture of just about any star you could name, if he wanted. But apart from that Vega$ poster, he's just got this soccer stuff. He's not obsessed with Hollywood. Sure it's helped him, but it's not the biggest thing in his life. That's why they all come here.' "