Ted, Tony Williams tribute band.

Hi, Ted,

Though I didn't attend, a musician friend of mine did go.
I talked to him today and asked him how the show was.
He said he was disappointed with the performance. The
show he said was very free form with very little structure
to the music. I kinda felt it would be this way after seeing
that youtube clip of the band performing in N.Y.

He also told me that the saving grace was when Carlos Santana
came out and jammed with the group. They did a blues shuffle
piece and it was the only source of any kind of real groove all night.
At the end of the show it was announced that there were 75 free
seats available for the second show and those who wanted to get
back in to see it should go outside and get in line. He said he and
the friend that was with him had, had enough and elected not to
see the second show...

He also told me that Cindy alone was worth the price of admission.

thanks for that Don. I still wish I could have gone !

Me too, sorta... Cause knowing me, if it was anything like my friend described,
I'd have walked out before the show was over. That would have been a waste.
But no more than sitting through a performance that I'm not enjoying. I did that
with a later version of the C.C. Electric Band..... WAS NOT FUN!

You know , I go and have gone to a great many concerts over the years - all kinds of music . I must honestly say there are two types of behavior I do not do at these events. I never boo a band, though I have been at shows where this has happened, and even have seen bottles thrown at the performer. And I have only walked out on a show one time. I will explain that one in a minute.

What I prefer to do is withhold my applause if I don't appreciate what's being played. And while the customer has every right to get up and leave if one wishes, I know what it takes for that performer or musician to get up on that stage in the first place. And I also know how I feel when I see people get up to leave when I'm performing somewhere. I try not to take it personally but it does make me question why .

The show I walked out on was at the Fillmore East in 1970. The first two acts had already played - a horn band called If and the American debut concert of Black Sabbath. Both bands were really good. Then came the headliners - Small Faces featuring Rod Stewart. They actually were playing very well considering they were swigging down Jack Daniels onstage like it was water. Ron Wood was on lead guitar and he actually fell over one of the monitors at one point. But hey, that's rock and roll. About 45 minutes into the show he and Rod came center stage to the main mic. They embraced and began to tongue kiss . Now, while I'm a pretty liberal guy about a lot of things, I did not wish to watch these guys swap spit onstage. If they want to do that offstage that's their business, but I did not pay to see that. So my friend and I left along with a sizable amount of other people.

But that's been it. Guess I've just been lucky.


Peace, TED

See, I'll get up and walk out before quick can get ready if I'm not enjoying a show.
I walked out on a Bobby and the midnights performance with Billy on the drums, I
walked out on a Ray Obiedo show with David Garibaldi on drums and I walked out
on a Narada show when he was wearing a wig and trying to be a pop star.

But understand this, If you don't like a show I'm on then I will walk you to
the door. As a matter of fact I would encourage you to leave. I don't want
anyone to stick around any of my shows if they're not enjoying what they're
seeing and hearing.

Get to steppin, cause that is exactly what I would do and have done!
I do not and will not Boo!

Now, Rod Stewart and Ron Woods bustin slobs, I would have paid good money
to see that!

"on a Narada show when he was wearing a wig and trying to be a pop star."



Must have been a bad wig -
as Al DiMeola's Hair looks so real, for example.


Maybe a Hat would have helped Narada.
I assume that was around '88


Are you aware he has a new CD
but no label as its Jazz -Rock music.
I wish he could do his own CD
sell it on babycd site or something.


__________________________________

Outtasight
Colin.

It was circa 92, Colin.

I didn't know he had a new jazz rock CD out.
I think Narada is one of the most underrated
drummers of all time. His work with his fusion
band "The Warriors" back in the mid 80's or so
was some of the best music I've ever heard.

Yeah, he was wearing a wig with a ponytail.
and trying to be hip.... "Yo, yo, yo" and all
that kind of stuff.

I didn't care about that, but the weak pop music
at a jazz club just wasn't doin it for me.

And yeah, it was a horrible wig.

Thanks for the laugh, Ted, quite a tale. And I laugh at your misfortune, that's the funniest part. But Sabbath's USA debut, very, very impressive, pretty sure you've shared that before. Rod had a new baby recently and lives a few miles away in Palm Beach.

Regarding booing people off stage, a subject worthy of its own thread, I was happy when the crowd booed John Cougar Mellencamp off when he was fairly unknown backing up Springsteen, though I wasn't part of the booing. But I definitely helped boo Billy Squire off stage backing up Alice Cooper. That was just pure sacrifice . . . the crowd just wanted Alice.

I have seen Billy Squire open up for Pat Benatar and he most certainly was not booed at all. I remember him as being pretty good.

But I guess those Alice Cooper fans are just maniacs. The one time I saw Alice Cooper , the opening act was called Clover - which was Huey Lewis and some of the guys from the News later on. They were the band I was referring to that had bottles thrown at them along with unimaginable booing.

I also remember Livingston Taylor, the folk singer , opening up with solo acoustic guitar and his voice , for Jethro Tull at the Garden. The crowd gave him a hard time and he left. But you know what. A few minutes after he left, a very angry Ian Anderson came out and gave the crowd a good scolding for what they had done . I've never seen that happen before , or since, and he threatened to not even play the show, that's how upset he was. He made everyone wait at least a half hour till he came on, though. Good for Ian !!!

But sometimes pairings are stupid. Like letting an acoustic guitarist open up for a heavy band. This guy named David Rea used to seemingly always open for Mountain the 3 or 4 times I saw them - the crowd knew who he was , and the poor guy would barely get even one song done !

One successful pairing of a folk singer opening for a heavy band though, was again at the Garden back when I saw Donovan open up for Yes. I had 9th row orchestra seats, and Donovan was really excellent ! But then again, everyone knew who he was and all his hits so it went over well.


Peace, TED