From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Sunday 31st August):
Birth
1947. Pete Gage (Vinegar Joe) born.
On Tour
1991. Guns N’ Roses and support band Skid Row play London’s Wembley Stadium. Both bands were allowed to play after receiving written instructions banning them from swearing or leaving the stage at any time during their performances. At one point, Skid Row read out their letter from Brent Council instructing them not to perform the song, “Get The Fuck Out”. This prompts the crowd to chant the title repeatedly before the band do play it. Not to be outdone, Axl Rose lambasts the media for their reaction to the band and their poster campaign - “Guns N’ Fucking Roses, Wembley Fucking Stadium, Sold Fucking Out”. Brent council later say the bands would never have been allowed to play had they not given written undertakings to abide by their instructions. While the council refuse to say if they will now ban both groups, they do admit it will have an effect on license applications.
In Court
1989. Shane McGowan appears at Marylebone Magistrates Court charged with possession of cannabis. He pleads guilty and is fined £ 150. The court is told that the offence came to light when he was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly.
On The Radio
1990. The Cure try launching their own pirate radio station, Cure 94.8. Broadcasting to the London area. The station runs into a mass of technical problems, eventually starting more than three hours late with Robert Smith at the microphone. They soon give up after discovering that their signal is being swamped by BBC Radio 2 and shelve plans for any future broadcasts.
On Television
1990. The Word (Channel 4, U.K.) Guests include LL Cool J and Deee-lite. Musical guests: MC Tunes and 808 State; Movement 98 featuring Carol Thompson. Here’s MC Tunes vs 808 State with “Tune Splits The Atom”. 4m 50s.
Death
1947. Bluesman Son Bonds dies in Dyersburg, Tennessee from an accidental gunshot wound.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Friday 22nd August):
Birth
1945. Ron Dante (The Cuff-Links) born Carmine Granito on Staten Island, New York.
On Stage
1978. Sid Vicious stages his farewell party at The Electric Circus. He and girlfriend Nancy Spungeon are moving to New York. The party-cum-gig features Sid with a scartch band of Rat Scabies on drums, Glen Matlock on bass, Steve New on guitar and Nancy on backing vocals. Also there are Blondie, Captain Sensible, Elvis Costello, Joan Jett, The Rich Kids, The Slits among others.
In Hospital
1966. Two teenage girls threaten to throw themselves off a ledge on the 21st floor of a New York hotel unless they are allowed to hand a letter to Paul McCartney. Eventually, Patrolman Richard Powers manages to convince 16 year old Susan Richmond and her 17 year old friend Carol Hopkins to return inside the building after he and a colleague promise to see the letter is delivered. Afterwards the girls are taken to hospital for observation. An eye-witness said they just seemed to want attention. Strangely, The Beatles weren’t even in the hotel but were in another a block away and unaware of any problems.
In Church
1992. Sting and Trudie Styler make up for their low key wedding by holding a major bash for their blessing at St. Andrew’s Church, Great Dunford, Wilts. 150 guests are invited and The Police reform to play at the reception.
On Television
1998. Rockpalast (WDR, Germany) The Cure; Goldie; Guano Apes; The Deftones; The Afghan Whigs; The Notwist; Soul Coughing; The Toaster; Core; Funf Sterne Deluxe; Headcrash; Gautsch; Turbonegro; Mad Sin; Junkie XI (Bizarre Festival, Butzweiller Hof, Koln).
Death
1979. Bluesman John Lee Granderson dies of cancer in Chicago, Illinois.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Wednesday 20th August):
Birth
1948. Robert Plant (do I really have to say Led Zeppelin?) born in West Bromwich, England.
On Tour
1996. Whitney Houston gets £ 1.3 million for a 90 minute performance at a banquet held by the Sultan Of Brunei.
In Court
1981. Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy) appears at Kingston Crown Court to face three charges - possessing cocaine, possessing cannabis and cultivating cannabis. He’s found guilty of possessing cocaine and fined £ 200 but acquitted on both of the other charges. The court case follows a police raid on Lynott’s house in Kew Road, Richmond in November 1979. It took the jury two and three-quarter hours to reach its verdicts. Speaking to reporters outside the court, Lynott said he was very concerned about the effect the guilty verdict might have on his ability to tour the United States. Lynott had told the court that he’d given up smoking cannabis after the birth of his daughter, Sara, almost three years ago. he also said that he was unaware of possessing any cocaine. The jacket, in which two packets of the drug had been found, had been loaned to a friend and only returned the day before the raid.
In Hospital
1994. Sound engineer Tim Warhurst falls from a lighting gallery during rehearsals for Take That’s appearance at London’s Docklands Arena. He is flown by air ambulance to the Royal London Hospital where he is found to be suffering from head and spinal injuries that may leave him paralysed for life.
On Television
1975. Musikladen (ZDF, Germany) 20. 10cc; Bay City Rollers; Johnny Cash; Rubettes; The Cats; Paper Lace; ABBA; Roger Glover; Creedence Clearwater Rivival (Oldie); The Seekers. Here’s 10cc with “I’m Not In Love”. 4m 06s.
Death
1971. George Jackson, one of the Soledad Brothers, is shot dead by warders when he tries to escape from San Quentin Prison in California. Jackson, 29, had served 11 years for the theft of $ 70 and was currently in jail awaiting trial for the alleged killing of a prison warder during his sentence which was served at Soledad Prison. His court hearing was scheduled for August 23rd but he decided not to wait and escape instead. During the escape attempt, two other prisoners were shot dead by guards. Two prisoners had their throats slit by those escaping and a warder was stabbed to death. The event is captured for posterity by Bob Dylan in the song, “George Jackson”.
Music Paper From Today
New Musical Express from 20th August 1977. A copy taken from Rockmine’s almost complete run of U.K. music papers from the last 45 years.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Friday 15th August):
Birth
1951. Hard rocker (Captain Beyond, Armaggedon) turned one-hit balladeer (”What You Can’t Do For Love”) turned million selling songwriter (”The Next Time I Fall”) turned musical actor (”The Rat Pack”) Bobby Caldwell born in Manhattan, New York.
On The Road
1970. Derek McEwen, 32 year-old co-promoter of the Yorkshire Pop, Blues & Jazz Festival goes missing only hours after the event is abandoned because of bad weather. His car is spotted later in the morning on a Yorkshire/Lancashire motorway. Along with the other promoter, Brian Highley, it’s thought that McEwen shares a loss of £ 12,000 on the event. A police search is later mounted of the moors near Scammonden Bridge close to his last sighting.
In Chains
1967. 19 year old telephonist, Deirdre Meehan, arrives outside Buckingham Palace at 3.30 p.m. and proceeds to chain herself to the railings. She then tells onlookers that she doesn’t have a key for the set of handcuffs that she’s used. After 20 minutes standing in the rain, a police van pulls up and she’s quickly released before being ordered home. Deirdre and her 20 year old flat mate, Pat Cameron, have just returned from delivering a letter of protest to Prime Minister Harold Wilson while he was holidaying on the Isles Of Scilly. The girls are protesting at the order to deport two Australian members of The Bee Gees from the U.K.
In Custody
1997. Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian Rosenfield is arrested after breaking into the New York Yankees’ training camp at Legend’s Field in Tampa, Florida. He and his girlfriend, 23 year old Angela Roberts, are charged with burglary and grand theft after being caught on video trying to carry a large foam mat bearing the team’s logo to their car. The couple are released on bail of $ 7,500 each after spending 6 hours in jail. Rosenfield later explains that he’s been a life-long Yankees fan and while he’s sorry he did have a great time running around the bases. He blamed the prank on too much wine.
1984. Norman Petty, Buddy Holly’s manager and record producer dies in Lubbock Texas, aged 57. He ceased to be Holly’s manager in 1958 after disagreements over songwriting royalties (Petty claimed a percentage of all Holly’s royalties) and Buddy’s marriage. That didn’t stop him continuing to re-release material and milk the legend of his client up to his death.
Babble
It’s finally over! I gave up! After another fruitless day in Nairn trying to find last minute premises for my rock memorabilia exhibition, I realised it was turning into a waste of time.
By the time I’d got back to the office in the evening, I’d decided to get a new blog up. One for the Ballerina Ballroom and all the bands that played there. So far I’ve got a full listing for 1966 and half of 1967 along with period clips of some of the biggest names that played there. I say some because the real gem I discovered was a clip of The Poets from Shindig! A must-see if you’re even vaguely interested in the British Beat Boom of the mid sixties.
I’m hoping to add a selection of adverts and pics of the Scottish bands that gigged there. All I’ve got to do is get them scanned and up. What I really want though is feedback from the folk that went to the ballroom. That’s where the real social history in this lies. The blog’s late up today as I’ve been working on that and also flyers to get in the Ballerina during the film festival which starts this afternoon.
I’d like to think of the blog as a virtual fringe event. You can check it out for yourselves here.
Strangely, the highlight yesterday was probably sitting in a wine bar in Nairn with a guy who was giving the gossip on what REALLY goes on in this sleepy wee town in the North of Scotland. Trouble is, I’m not sure I believe any of it. Think I’ll stick to what I know - sex and dogs and rock ‘n’ roll.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Sunday 10th August):
Birth
On Tour
1967. The Bee Gees announce they are cancelling nightclub bookings in Germany this weekend. Two Australian members of the group have been ordered to leave Britain by the middle of September. If they were to leave the country before then it seems certain they would be barred from re-entering. Until the matter is settled, the group will not undertake any overseas concerts.
All At Sea
1965. An air-sea search is launched after a crewman goes missing overboard from a yacht chartered by Frank Sinatra. The singer is cruising the waters off New England with actresses Rosalind Russell and Claudette Colbert, their husbands and other guests. Among them is Mia Farrow, the 19 year old actress whose name has been romantically linked with Sinatra. The missing man, 23 year old Robert Goldfarb, is thought to have been lost when the boat’s dingy overturned.
In Court
1964. Mick Jagger is fined £ 32, and given two endorsements to his license, at Liverpool Magistrate’s Court for driving without insurance, being unable to produce a valid drivers’ license and driving at 48-50 m.p.h. in a 30 m.p.h. limit.
On Television
2003. The South Bank Show (ITV, U.K.) Tonight’s show features Nick Cave. Today’s clip will link to the other parts to give you the whole show. 10m 04s.
Death
2002. Guitarist Michael Houser (Widespread Panic) dies at his home in Athens, Georgia as a result of complications related to his pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife, Barbette and son, Walker. Houser (40) last played with the band on July 2nd. Since leaving due to his worsening condition, guitar duties have been taken on by George McConnell a longtime friend of Michael and the rest of the group. With the announcement of his death comes news that his family are setting up the Michael Hauser Music Fund “as a living memorial to Michael and his love of music”.
Babble
I’m back in Elgin today and heading to Nairn soon. The plan to stage a memorabilia exhibition seems to have run into problems. With entrance to the cafe area being open to ticket holders only, public access is the main concern. Needless to say with strict fire safety laws, the number of people allowed in the venue at any time must be strictly adhered to.
With that in mind, I’m hoping either to find a compromise solution or see if one of the vacant shops near the Ballerina Ballroom can be used to house the show as a “fringe” event. I will, of course, keep you updated.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Friday 8th August):
Birth
1958. Chris “Chrissie Boy” Foreman (Madness) born in London.
On Tour
1992. Metallica’s James Hetfield is seriously injured by a pyrotechnic on stage at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium. He is rushed to hospital where he is found to be suffering from second and third degree burns on the back of his left hand, and first degree burns on his right arm. Although he continues the tour as lead vocalist, he is unable to play guitar and a temporary replacement, Metal Church’s John Marshall is brought in.
The concert later ends in a riot when Axl Rose walks off after only twenty minutes suffering from throat trouble. Fans set fire to parts of the stadium, destroy seating, and ransack shops before leaving. Outside, they overturn cars and uproot street lights. Police regain control using tear gas. Two police officers are taken to hospital, 20 people are injured and 25 arrested.
In Custody
1983. Harold Melvin and three members of The Blue Notes are arrested on charges of possessiong cocaine in Atlantic City, New Jersey. They are bailed for $ 100,000.
In Court
1991. Eric Clapton is banned from driving and fined £ 200 at Guildford Magistrates Court. Clapton admitted speeding on the A3 near Wisley in Surrey in April. He had been driving his silver Ferrari at 103 miles an hour after visiting a friend to talk about the death of his son, Connor.
On Television
1994. Late Show With David Letterman (CBS, U.S.A.) Show #0210. Musical guest: Celine Dion with “River Deep, Mountain High”. 4m 33s.
Death
1975. Jazz great Julian “Canonball” Adderley dies of a stroke, aged 46.
Babble
As I said yesterday, I thought I’d give you a taste of what the exhibition space/cafe at the Ballerina Ballroom Cinema Of Dreams will look like. Here’s how it looked when I left on Wednesday:
I spent yesterday afternoon in Edinburgh grabbing some culture at the Festival and had a wonderful time at the city’s Fruitmarket Gallery. They were staging an exhibition called “The House Of Books Has No Windows” by Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller. There were six installations, each in their own room and it really was a delight. The highlight for me was “Opera For A Small Room”, a mixed media installation involving 8 record players, 24 loudspeakers and 2,000 records.
It was a celebration of the joy of being alone with a record collection and merged opera, the sounds of rain and a train, the footsteps of the mysterious inhabitant of the room and rock music. Set in a darkened space where often it was too dark to see where to move, it was a voyeuristic fantasy, constantly drawing you closer when the lights erupted. A doorway, several small windows and a large opening reminiscent of a recording studio window, allowed the viewer to glimpse the world of the inhabitant. Each viewing position revealed more quirky things illustrating the moods of the mysterious owner.
For any collector who struggles with piles and chaos it was a heartwarming evocation of life as we’d like to live it. Immersed, maybe even submerged within our collections, how much do we long to live our lives in the sounds we can manipulate? Definitely a must see.
1965. Slash born Saul Hudson in Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire. His father, Anthony designed album covers (Joni Mitchell’s “Court & Spark” amongst others) and his mother, Ola was a costume designer for “The Man Who Fell To Earth”.
In Church
1971. John Maus, better known as John Walker (The Walker Brothers) marries Julie Parker Cann at St. John’s Roman Catholic Church in Norwich. The event is kept secret to avoid an invasion of fans, and is only seen by a few passers-by. Miss Cann was formerly secretary to DJ Simon Dee.
In Custody
1977. Led Zeppelin run into trouble after their concert at the Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California. John Bonham, manager Peter Grant and crew members Richard Cole and John Bindon are arrested and charged with battery following a number of minor arguments with members of Bill Graham’s staff.
In Court
1976. George Harrison and Ringo Starr fail in their attempt to get a court injunction stopping Polydor Records from releasing “The Beatles Tapes”. The album is a compilation of interviews gathered by David Wigg from 1968 to 1973 for the London Evening News. The Fabs tried to stop the release claiming that the interviews didn’t reflect their current views and it might be construed as a genuine “Beatles” album. The judge refused the injunction saying such claims were “ridiculous”.
On Television
1980. Rockpalast (WDR, Germany) The Beat (WDR Studio-B Koln)
Death
1995. Two men die during R.E.M.’s concert at Dublin’s Slane Castle. One drowns while swimming across the River Boyne to get in for free. The other is accidentally pushed from a bridge into the river. The drownings happen despite a special river rescue team patrolling all weekend.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Thursday 17th July):
Birth
1949. Terry “Geezer” Butler (Black Sabbath) born in Birmingham, England.
On Tour
1998. Convicted murderess Pamela Keary escapes from prison in Minneapolis, telling fellow inmates she’s going to see The Smashing Pumpkins who are playing the city this evening. Police arrest the 17 year old at the gig.
In Court
1966. A Munich court rules that The Rolling Stones do make music and not just noise. The city authorities had hoped that the court would find against the group and they could claim back £ 1,270 tax relief for “musical performances” on the group’s concerts at Circus-Krone-Bau on September 14th last year.
In Politics
1985. Mr Barney Hayhoe, Minister Of State in the British Government, announces that the £ 190,000 in V.A.T., paid on tickets for Live Aid, will be waived. The tickets had not made it clear that the fee was voluntary and therefore would be excluded from the tax.
On Television
1976. Disco (ZDF, West Germany) 60. Silver Convention; Jürgen Drews; Rubettes; Bob Dylan (video clip); Peter Maffay; Martin Mann; Vicky Leandros; Smokie.
Death
1996. Chas Chandler (born Bryan James Chandler), member of The Animals, the man who “discovered” Jimi Hendrix and manager of Slade dies in hospital while undergoing tests for a heart aneurysm, aged 57.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Wednesday 2nd July):
Birth
1942. Leapy Lee born Lee Graham in Eastbourne, Sussex.
On Tour
1991. 60 people are hurt in the ensuing melee when Axl Rose jumps from the stage during a Guns ‘N’ Roses concert and attacks a member of the audience he spots videotaping the show. The venue outside St. Louis, Missouri is badly damaged in the near-riot which follows. Axl is charged with third degree assault and property damage but isn’t arrested by police for one year.
In Court
1997. Rick Danko (The Band) tells a court in Chiba, Japan that his wife sent him a package of heroin from America when he asked her to send him the prescription drug codeine. He’s quoted as saying, “I’m just surprised that she did anything so stupid”. Danko was arrested in May during a tour of Japan. Police raided his hotel room and found 1.25 grammes of heroin in a magazine that had recently arrived by post from the U.S. If found guilty he faces a jail sentence of up to two and a half years.
In Business
1997. Berry Gordy sells a 50% interest in his Jobete Music group of companies to EMI for $ 132 million. He’s already sold Motown Records to Polygram but retained the music publishing company Jobete. The new agreement allows Gordy and his sister Esther Edwards to sell their remaining share in Jobete for up to $ 250 million within five years. The company owns the copyright to more than 15,000 songs including such classics as “I heard It Through The Grapevine” and “My Girl”.
On Television
1980. Sheena Easton gets her big break on the BBC TV series, “The Big Time”. Fronted by Esther Rantzen, the show gives ordinary people the chance to fulfill their dreams. In Sheena’s case, it’s to become a pop singer. We see her being groomed for stardom and recording her debut single (released in April). Her second single, “9 To 5″ capitalises on the publicity from the show, hits number 3 in the U.K. chart - and a star is born.
Death
1969. Sometime between 11.30 p.m. and midnight, Brian Jones dies in the swimming pool of his 15th century home, Cotchford Farm near Hartfield, Sussex. He had spent the evening with his girlfriend, 22 year old Anna Vohlin, Frank Thorogood (a builder employed by The Rolling Stones to repair their homes) and his friend Janet lawson, a State Registered Nurse. Brian suggested they all go for a swim, complaining of the heat. After being in the pool a while, the two women returned to the house. Mr. Thorogood followed shortly after. When Jones didn’t join them after a short while, Lawson went to check on him. She found him lying on the bottom of the pool. She called the others to help. They dived in and pulled him out while she called an ambulance. While she was on the telephone, Anna tried the kiss of life and at one point felt Jones’ hand grip hers. When the ambulance crew arrived they tried for half an hour to revive him but he didn’t respond.
Rumours about his death abound. One suggests Brian was visited by two drug dealers wanting payment of outstanding debts. To frighten him they put his head in a bucket of water but Brian suffered an asthma attack and stopped breathing. In panic the body was thrown into the swimming pool where he drowned. It’s a great story - and one of many conspiracy theories - but it doesn’t tie in with any of the pathological evidence. Look in almost any book and they’ll list Brian’s date of death as tomorrow but we’ve taken the time of death from the notes of the Post-Mortem Examination seen here:
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Tuesday 24th June):
Birth
1942. Arthur Brown (The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown) born Arthur Wilton in Whitby, Yorkshire.
On Tour
1999. The Summer Jam hip-hop concert at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey is locked down for a while before police arrive to clear a near riot. A crowd of fans without tickets tried to storm one of the entrances. Arena security responded by locking all entrances and exits while they waited for police to deal with the crowd. Order was restored with only a few arrests and minor injuries. The bands taking part were unaware of the problems outside and the concert was not disrupted. On the bill were Missy Elliot, Busta Rhymes, Nas and Q-Tip.
In Court
2002. Three Appeal Court Judges dismiss Sir Elton John’s appeal against a judgment in the High Court in the case he brought against Price Waterhouse accountants. Sir Elton had sued the accountants for a breach of duty in the handling of his affairs. The court found that this had not been the case and this verdict was upheld. Sir Elton had been seeking to recover £ 14 million in tour costs which he believes should never have been paid. It’s thought the High Court trial will have cost as much as £ 8 million without adding this appeal.
The twenty-page judgment makes fascinating reading and clearly lays out the complexities of touring and what companies needed to be involved. It also explains the cash flow of a tour and even the commission taken by Sir Elton’s management company, John Reid Enterprises Limited.
In Church
2000. Natalie Maines, 25, lead singer with The Dixie Chicks finishes her gig in Las Vegas and sneaks off to a Little White Wedding Chapel with actor Adrian Pasdar to get married.
On Television
1972. Disco (ZDF, West Germany) 17. The Tremeloes - I like it that way; Peter Orloff - Einer hat dich lieb; Deep Purple - Never before; Phil + John - Hello Mary-Lou; Nina + Mike - Was wird sein in sieben Jahren?; T.Rex - Metal Guru; Peter Maffay - Wo bist du?; Middle Of The Road - The Talk of all the USA, Samson & Deliah. For bands that Disco couldn’t get in the studio, they’d feature a video taped performance and would have a camera zoom in on a monitor on which the VT was playing. That’s the case with this clip of Deep Purple.
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