Today In Music, August 10th

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.

 

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Today In Music, August 7th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Thursday 7th August):

Birth

1949. Tim Renwick (Quiver, Mike & The Mechanics) born in Cambridge, England.

On Tour

1984. Death threats have been received by The Knoxville News Sentinel against Michael Jackson who is performing the first of two shows in the city tonight. The threats are taken seriously enough that the F.B.I. are called in. The F.B.I. think the threats are unfounded but organisers step up security all the same. Both tonight’s concert and another on the 9th pass off without incident.

In Court

1998. Bernard Ortiz, a homeless man who has been stalking Linda Ronstadt for three years, is sentenced to ten months in jail. It was his second time in court over the singer. He had previously been given three years probation and ordered not to contact Ronstadt or her family. He violated the probation after only three months, sending his “victim” a watch, candles and a letter on her birthday.

In Hospital

1997. Richard Marsh (Bentley Rhythm Ace) breaks his back during a parachute jump at Langar Airfield, Nottinghamshire. The jump was being filmed for the video of the band’s next single, “Bentley’s Gonna Sort You Out” but Marsh was caught by a gust of wind during landing and thrown heavily onto his back. He was taken to Nottingham General Hospital where doctors said he would make a full recovery but need three months rest.

On Television

1957. American Bandstand (ABC, U.S.A.) 3. Paul Anka; The Tassels. This was Paul Anka’s first network TV appearance in the U.S.A. Aged only 16, he performed his soon to be massive international number 1 hit, “Diana”. While I can’t guarantee this is the correct clip, it is the correct period and I’m a bit short of time today. 2m 13s.

Death

1978. Les Perrin, publicist for The Rolling Stones and others, dies.

Babble

There’s not a huge amount to report since yesterday. I spent another three hours in the Heritage Centre in Elgin digging through microfiche copies of the Northern Scot newspaper. So far I’ve compiled a list from 1966 to 1970 of the bands that played the Ballerina Ballroom in Nairn. 

Here’s a sample from July – December 1967:

July 07 – Cream plus Newton’s Theory with its Go-Go Girls. The gig was cancelled when the van carrying the band’s equipment failed to turn up.

July 10 – Cream return to play their concert.

July 21 – Pink Floyd

July 28 – Gino Washington and The Ram Jam Band plus The Copy Cats

August 18 – The Small Faces – concert cancelled.

August 31 – Zoot Money and his new group Dantalion’s Chariot plus The T-Set

September 08 – The Freddie Mack Show

September 15 – The Throb plus The Life N’ Soul

September 22 – Tony Merrick plus The T-Set

October 06 – The Who plus Gideon’s Few

October 13 – The Beatstalkers plus The Rebel Sound

October 20 – The Four Shades Of Blue plus The T-Set

October 27 – The Tamala Express plus The Beatroute

November 03 – The Rhubarb plus The Barons

November 10 – Clock-work Orange plus Last Chapter

November 17 – Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich

December 01 – The Delroy Williams Show plus Keith Taylor

December 08 – The Troggs plus The Throb

December 15 – Symon Dupree

December 22 – Cash Boutique Queen For 1967. Grand Final

December 25 – Aberdeen Students’ Charities’ Campaign present Their Xmas Beatnik Ball with The Circle plus The T-Set

December 29 – The 1967 Last Fling with The Middle Earth plus The T-Set

I have to say it’s been a bit disappointing. While I wasn’t expecting a weekly or monthly catalogue of household names, they’ve so far been few and far between apart from the period above. That said, it paints an incredible picture of the constant touring of small to medium sized bands. The names that have stood out are the likes of Writing On The Wall, My Dear Watson, Spiggy Topes and Archemedes Principle. Now what i’m trying to do is find photos and adverts for some of them.

I went back to the Ballerina and found that John Byrne had more or less completed the area that will serve as exhibition space and festival cafe. I’ll get up some images either later today or tomorrow.

 

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Today In Music, August 5th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Tuesday 5th August):

Birth

1959. Pete Burns (Dead Or Alive) born Pete Jozeppi in Port Sunlight, Merseyside.

On Tour

1980. David Bowie starts a three week run as “The Elephant Man” at Chicago’s Blackstone Theater.

In Rubble

1973. The Rolling Stones‘ producer, Jimmy Miller suffers the loss of at least £ 75,000 of studio gear when the Mercer Arts Center in New York (which houses Jimmy Miller Productions) collapses into a pile of rubble. The hotel next door collapses at the same time and although two people are killed, recent Rolling Stones Records signing, Kracker, who are staying there, escape unhurt.

In Court

1983. David Crosby is sentenced to five years in jail by Judge Pat McDowell in Dallas, Texas after being found guilty of possessing cocaine and carrying a gun into a bar. His lawyers lodge an instant appeal and he is released on bail.

On Television

1965. Where The Action Is (U.S.A.) The Byrds; Jewel Akens; Linda Scott; Steve Alaimo. Here are The Byrds with “All I Really Want To Do”. 2m 02s. The quality of this clip is probably the poorest I’ve ever included but its a real rarity.
Death

1978. Pete Meadon, The Who‘s first manager and writer of “Zoot Suit” dies of barbiturate poisoning at his parents’ home in London.

Babble

Regular readers will know I’ve been struggling since April to stage a rock and pop memorabilia exhibition at the Red Shoes Theatre in Elgin. In the 1960s it was one of Scotland’s busiest and best known venues for the hundreds of bands who constantly toured the U.K. The Beatles, The Who and Pink Floyd were among the star names that played there. I was in Elgin yesterday, fully intending to have one last go at rescuing the exhibition but ended up driving another half hour west to Nairn.

Nairn was home to another venue run by Albert Bonici, the Elgin promoter who’d put The Fabs and all the others on. The Ballerina Ballroom (as it was then called), which played host to The Who, Cream, Pink Floyd et al., has lain empty for years until recently when Nairn based Hollywood actress, Tilda Swinton decided to re-open the venue and stage a film festival there. The Ballerina Ballroom Cinema Of Dreams festival lasts 8 1/2 days, starting August 15th.

It was easy to find, driving off the main road to Edinburgh, turning left for the town centre and straight into the High Street. A few hundred yards later, I passed it. I found a parking space and walked back. The doors weren’t locked, so I just walked in. There I found Tilda’s husband, the artist and playwright, John Byrne. I explained my troubles with the Ballerina’s sister venue and he instantly showed me a huge ante-room off the main ballroom with large unobstructed walls and agreed it was a great idea and a perfect adjunct to the film festival.

So, now I’ve got 10 days to promote and create the exhibition. I’m heading back to the ballroom this morning with some of the pieces I’m planning to hang and get some images for tomorrow’s blog. My plan is to replicate the real exhibition with a virtual version online. Sadly, I’d spent a lot of time researching the bands who played the Two Red Shoes and now I’m going to have to redo that for the Ballerina. I loved the idea of boards with gig adverts, reviews and listings to spark the memories of those who’d attended them.

Anyway, enough of what’s to be done. I love ferreting through old newspapers, so I can’t complain. Click on the film festival link above for full details. For some background to the festival, there’s a really great article from The Independent dated July 23rd here.

 

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Today In Music, August 2nd

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Saturday 2nd August):

Birth

1941. Doris Coley Kenner (The Shirelles) born in Passaic, New Jersey.

In Politics

1963. Lord Sutch (real name David Edward Sutch) is officially nominated as a candidate for the Stratford-Upon-Avon bi-election on August 15th. The nomination wasn’t without problems. When he first arrived he had only £ 125 of the required £ 150 deposit. On his return it was discovered his proposer, a local taxi driver, wasn’t on the electoral roll. After his successful third trip with the correct money and a valid proposer, Sutch took sherry with the Town Clerk.

In Custody

1976. Keith Richards arrives at Newport Pagnell police station to be charged with possession of cannabis and cocaine. The charges date back to May when Keith drove his Bentley off the M1 motorway into a field. After the crash he was searched at Newport Pagnell police station where the drugs were found. At the time he asked for 10 weeks police bail so he could complete The Rolling Stones‘ tours of Europe and America. He is once again bailed and will appear in court next month.

In Court

1988. Nick Cave appears at Great Marlborough Street Magistrates Court in London charged with possession of heroin. Cave pleads guilty to possessing 884 milligrammes of the drug. Although it is his second offence he is given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay £ 15 court costs. The condition of his discharge is that Cave enters a rehabilitation clinic in two days time.

On Television

1969. Beat Club (WDR, West Germany) 45: Dave Clark Five, Steppenwolf, Marmalade, Rainbow People, Robin Gibb, Zager & Evans, Clodagh Rodgers, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Thunderclap Newman, Plastic Ono Band, Paul Revere & the Raiders. Here’s Thunderclap Newman with, “Something In The Air”.

Death

1976. Ex-Pink Floyd road manager, Peter “Puddy” Watts, dies of a heroin overdose in a house owned by the band in Notting Hill, London. He is one of the voices that can be heard on “Dark Side Of The Moon”. Although he was living in a house belonging to the group, he hadn’t worked for them for over a year following an argument.

 

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Today In Music, July 31st

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Thursday 31st July):

Birth

1958. William Thomas Berry (R.E.M.) born in Duluth, Minnesota.

On Tour

1972. Dundee’s Lord Provost, W.K. Fitzgerald, announces that Hawkwind are banned from performing in the city’s Caird Hall after a nude dancer (Stacia) appeared on stage for the climax of their show on July 26th. Fitzgerald said that there was “A standing order to the person in charge that if anything like this does happen, the lights will be put out immediately, the police will be called and a charge will be brought against the person responsible”. Unfortunately, the usual person was not present when the incident took place and the instruction was not carried out”. 1,100 people attended the gig.

In Custody

1990. Axl Roses files a complaint against the Los Angeles Sheriff’s department after 13 deputies arrive at his Hollywood home with batons drawn.

In Court

1967. The convictions against Keith Richards and Mick Jagger are overturned by three judges sitting at the Appeal Court in London. Richards, who was convicted of allowing his house to be used for the smoking of cannabis, had his 12 month sentence set aside. Jagger, who was sentenced to three months for possessing “pep” pills, was given a conditional discharge. Providing he isn’t involved in any trouble in the next 12 months, this will not be recorded as a conviction.

The three judges – Lord Parker (The Lord Chief Justice), Lord Justice Winn and Mr. Justice Cusack – ruled that session chairman Judge Block had erred in his summing up to the jury at West Sussex Quarter Sessions. Lord Parker said there was only “tenuous” evidence that a girl clad only in a fur rug had smoked cannabis and that Richards must have known about it. It would, therefore, not be safe to allow the conviction to stand. Jagger’s case was somewhat less clear cut. He had been taking the amphetamines with the full knowledge of a doctor but without prescription. Teenagers, armed with “Save The Stones” placards, who had queued from 6.30 a.m. for seats in the public gallery, screamed and gasped as the judges’ decision was announced. Jagger later said that he would only ever take “pep” pills again if prescribed by a doctor.

On Television

1985. Late Night With David Letterman (CBS, U.S.A.) Musical guest: Nina Hagen

Death

1964. Jim Reeves and his pianist/manager Dean Manuel die when the small plane Reeves was piloting crashes into woods outside Nashville.

 

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Today In Music, July 28th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Monday 28th July):

Birth

1949. Steve Peregrine Took (Tyrannosaurus Rex) born in London, England.

On Tour

2002. Rapper Ja Rule (real name Jeffrey Atkins), who’s appearing at Reggae Sumfest in Jamaica’s Montego Bay, is served with a summons to appear in court on the island tomorrow to answer a charge of using a profanity during last year’s Sumfest.

In Ecology!

1958. It’s official – listening to rock and roll on your car radio costs you more money. The findings of the Esso Research Center published today in “Billboard” show that the beat of the music causes drivers to fluctuate their speed subconsciously and thereby waste fuel.

In Court

1966. Donovan (real name Donovan Philip Leitch) is fined £ 250 at Marylebone Magistrate’s Court after pleading guilty to possessing cannabis resin at his flat in Alexander Court on June 10th. His flat-mate, David John Mills, described as a musical director is fined the same amount on the same charge. Although the two men had attempted to stop police entering and had then jumped on their backs, no charges of assault were raised against them. Also in court was 20 year old Doreen Febienne Samuel who was found by police in a bedroom. She was put on 12 months probation. Donovan’s business manager, Ashley Cozac, appeared in court earlier in the day on charges of possessing cannabis and amphetamines. He was fined £ 100 on the first charge and £ 50 on the second.

In Hospital

1986. Keith Richards‘ wife Patti Hansen gives birth to a daughter, Alexandra Nicole Richards, at New York’s Lennox Hill Hospital. The 9lb 3oz girl is Keith’s fourth child and his second with Patti.

On Television

1979. American Bandstand (ABC, U.S.A.) 2378. Maxine Nightingale – “Lead Me On”. 2m 58s.

Death

1996. Margie Ganser (The Shangri-Las) dies from breast cancer aged 48.

Babble

At long last, Rockmine has a new front page! The previous one didn’t give nearly enough information and the main page had way too much. Hopefully this is a viable compromise. You wouldn’t believe how many pages needed replacing in order to give every entrance point the same look. If you find one that hasn’t been changed – please let me know.

Anyway, the new front page is here. The next problem I have is updating all the pages off that. The Beatles and Stones pages haven’t been touched for years and EVERYTHING needs a make-over. The new front page does now lead directly to the John Lennon Autograph, The Doors Tapes, Elton John’s Sotheby’s Catalogues and the Rock Film Posters – all of which are for sale. Needless to say, there’s also a link to Rockmine’s Garage Sale, although nothing new has been added since yesterday.

 

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Today In Music, July 24th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Thursday 24th July):

Birth

1935. Songwriter Les Reed (“It’s Not Unusual”, “There’s A Kind Of Hush” and many more) born in Woking, Surrey.

On Tour

1964. Britain’s biggest rock riot takes place during The Rolling Stones concert in Blackpool’s Empress Ballroom. Blackpool is besieged by drunken Glaswegians, in the city for their annual holiday. Unfortunately hundreds of them are amongst the audience of 9,000. Things turn sour when Keith Richards objects to Brian Jones being spat at by youths at the front of the stage. He retaliates with his boot, first standing on someone’s hands and then kicking another in the face. Within moments, the band are running for their lives.

It takes several hours for calm to be restored. By that time more than £ 2,000 worth of Stones’ equipment has been smashed, curtains in the hall are pulled down, seating is destroyed and the ballroom’s chandelier damaged. Two policemen and thirty members of the audience require treatment at Blackpool’s Victoria Hospital.

The band are booked in to spend the night at a hotel in Preston, twenty miles away and hastily arrange a round the clock police guard in case they’ve been followed.

In Custody

1996. Rapper Warren G is arrested at the Los Angeles gay and lesbian nightclub Peanuts following the discovery of a loaded 9mm assault weapon in his trunk. Police are called to a disturbance outside the club and notice the truck which matches the description of one used in an armed robbery last week.

The rapper later holds a press conference to admit that he was arrested at the club but insists he was there on a lesbian only night (?). He is released on $ 10,000 bail and will appear in court on August 16th to face charges of possessing a concealed loaded weapon.

In Church (well, almost)

1999. Following their civil marriage yesterday, Phil Collins, 48, and his new bride Orianne Cevey, 27, have a religious blessing at the Beau Rivage Palace Hotel in Lausanne, Switzerland. After the ceremony, a lavish reception is held in the hotel with guests including Eric Clapton.

During their stay at the hotel, Phil arranged for Jack (his Jack Russell Terrier) to have his own suite at a cost of £ 220 a night. Jack got a double bed, minibar, sunken bath and balcony. If that wasn’t enough, a dog-sitter was booked to take Jack walkies, whenever the need arose. Orianne’s mother didn’t fare so well. While Jack was living it up in a suite, she had to make do with a standard room!

On Television

1968. Kraft Music Hall (NBC, U.S.A.) 84. The Turtles – “Elenore”. 2m 33s.

Death

1972. Bobby Ramirez (drummer with Edgar Winter’s White Trash) dies in a knife fight in a back alley off Rush Street, Chicago aged 23.

 

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Today In Music, July 18th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Friday 18th July):

Birth

1946. Tim Lynch (The Flamin’ Groovies) born in San Francisco, California.

On Tour

1972. The Rolling Stones arrive in Boston but after a scuffle at the airport, Mick Jagger, Marshall Chess and film-maker Robert Frank are charged with obstructing police officers and Keith Richards is charged with assaulting a photographer and a journalist. With the band playing Boston’s Garden Theater tonight, the city’s mayor, Kevin White, bails them out of jail. The band hits the stage two hours late but no-one seems to care. The mayor is given a standing ovation by the audience.

In Politics

1972. Frank Sinatra appears before the U.S. House Crime Select Committee in Washington, D.C. and accuses it of irresponsibly letting a convicted felon “bandy his name about”. He told the packed hearing that it was “character assassination” and said they should have immediately refuted claims, made during the testimony of Joseph “The Baron” Barboza, that the singer was a front-man for the Mafia in the Fontainbleau and Sands hotels in Miami and Las Vegas. Joseph Phillips, counsel for the committee, said that Barboza made the allegations when he was being asked about unrelated matters, without any prompting.

In Court

1966. William Oliver Smedley, 54, an accountant and former vice-president of the Liberal Party, appears in court at Saffron Walden, Essex, charged with the murder of Reginald Calvert, 37, head of the Radio City pop radio station. Smedley is reported to have sparked the incident on the night of 19th June, when he and a boarding party visited the old wartime fort at Shivering Sands, where the radio station is based. They immobilized the transmitter and left some men to guard it. It’s thought the action was taken to stop the sale of the radio station to an American company. As a result, Calvert had visited Smedley at home on June 21st. Smedley said he feared for his life and admitted to police that he shot Calvert. Mr. Peter Palmes, prosecuting, said that the only weapon Calvert carried was a small tear gas pen. The hearing continues tomorrow.

On Television

 

 

1975. The Midnight Special (NBC, U.S.A.) 125. Host: Helen Reddy. Guests: Mac Davis; Minnie Riperton; Waylon Jennings; Steve Martin; Joe Simon. Here’s Minnie Riperton with “Lovin’ You”.

Death

1966. Bobby Fuller‘s body is found in his parked car in Los Angeles. He had been badly beaten and had been forced to swallow gasoline which killed him. Strangely, the police put the 22 year old’s death down to suicide and a coroner’s report, which ignored the bruising, agreed. It was only later after an investigation that details of the true circumstances were revealed. Rumours circulating at the time suggested that he’d been having an affair with the wife of a mafia gangster.

 

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Today In Music, July 17th

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.

 

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Today In Music, July 9th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Wednesday 9th July):

Birth

1916. R&B pianist Joe Liggins (The Honeydrippers) born in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

In Politics

1992. At the Democratic Party Convention in New York, Bill Clinton announces Al Gore will be his running mate. Frank Zappa, Luther Campbell (2 Live Crew) and Joey Ramone are among the musicians to condemn the appointment. In the main, the protests are not about Gore himself but his wife, Tipper, who founded the Parents Music Resource Centre which forced labels to put warning stickers on albums with content unsuitable for minors. Zappa, who crossed swords with Al Gore at a Congressional Hearing on Record Labeling in 1985 said, “I’ve been a registered Democrat my whole life, but I just can’t endorse this ticket”.

Meanwhile, Carter USM try and hi-jack the convention in their own way with billboards across New York carrying a smiling picture of ex-President Jimmy Carter and the wording, “The Unstoppable Sex Machine Coming Any Moment”. As if that wasn’t enough, Fruitbat and Jim Bob hand out postcards outside the convention hall in the hope they might actually meet that “other” Carter.

In Court

1999. After a 12 minute hearing at the High Court in London, Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall’s lawyers issue a joint statement announcing that they have “amicably and formally agreed to separate after more than two decades as a couple and seek an annulment”. Although it was thought there would be a long and drawn-out divorce case, Jagger’s lawyers had contested that their 1991 Hindu wedding in Bali was not legally binding in Britain. Jerry Hall’s solicitors had been quite happy to fight the case believing that even if the marriage was declared invalid, after such a long period their client would be entitled to the same settlement as a wife. Hall had been seeking a settlement in the region of £ 30 million. Although the actual amount agreed has not been divulged, her solicitors, Mishcon de Reya, described it as a “mutually acceptable legal and financial settlement”. After the settlement was announced Jagger and Hall flew to their French Chateau for a family holiday.

In Hospital

1969. Marianne Faithfull collapses in her suite at the Chevron Hotel in Sydney, Australia. She’s admitted to the intensive care unit of the city’s St. Vincent’s Hospital in a coma. Mick Jagger, who’s in Australia filming in the title role of “Ned Kelly”, told a press conference at the hotel that his girlfriend had not taken an overdose. He said, “Marianne is not seriously ill. She’s a delicate woman. The trip was hard for her. She’s a lot of work to do and we want to make sure she’s alright”. According to the hospital, she is under observation and will remain at least overnight.

Despite local reports that officers from the local drug squad were waiting to question Faithfull, a police spokesman said no action would be taken unless hospital authorities told them it had been an overdose. They confirmed that two containers had been removed from Marianne’s room but refused to say what they contained. After interviewing Mick, police removed a further two containers and several capsules from his room. A spokesman for Jagger said the singer would be travelling to Melbourne for the filming of the hanging scenes at Pentride Jail. These have to be shot now as the Victoria State Government has only made the jail available for a limited period.

On Television

2001. Late Show With David Letterman (CBS, U.S.A.) Show #1636. Musical guest: Jonatha Brooke with “Linger”.

Death

1993. R&B saxophonist Red Prysock (born Wilbert Prysock) dies in Chicago, Illinois from a Heart attack.

Babble

On Saturday night I was at a 1973 party watching a video of Roland Petit’s Pink Floyd Ballet and last night I found myself in Forfar watching Scottish Ballet dancing to Radiohead. It’s strange how little things change. 35 years and yet ballet companies still find inspiration in the work of rock musicians. Back in 1972, when Petit’s ballet was first performed, the music still had the air of the avant-garde about it and in many ways little has changed. Last night’s venue was a public hall in Forfar, that seemed locked in a time-warp of some bygone gang-show age. Probably less than half full, the audience looked to have drawn every young girl from every dance class in the area, along with their mums. The first half of the programme was a lavishly costumed production of Othello set to Franz List: a real crowd-pleaser in the traditional classical ballet idiom.

The interval provided a breathing space that would have been far too difficult to bridge without a break. The house lights went down and the lights came up on a stark, empty stage bathed in an eery glow. The dancers had eschewed their tights and shoes and their steps had taken on a visceral connection to the music. We were treated to two excerpts from “Ride the Beast”, which debuted to critical acclaim at last year’s Edinburgh Festival – “Fitter Happier” and “Creep”. The elderly ladies who had spent their interval marveling at the mastery of the first half could almost be heard wincing behind me.

Choreography suffers from a limited vocabulary of movement, much as music is limited to a finite number of notes. Many of the moves were the same and yet the combination of music, lighting and lack of costume had turned it into an avant-garde experience that shocked as much as it challenged. At the end of the evening, the ladies behind me were still buzzing about the first half, and planning their next trip, to see “Sleeping Beauty” in all its classical splendour. Maybe for them, the music of Radiohead had fallen on deaf ears but there were many who whooped and cheered this young company taking their art out of the great venues and into the towns around Scotland. The dancers, who had gathered for their bus by the time I’d left the venue, have much to be proud of.

 

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