Two legendary practitioners of rock — one of garage rock and the other of hard rock — reunited after 51 years Saturday night at the rarely used 1,068-seat Palace Theater in downtown L.A.’s Historic Theater District on Broadway.
The pairing of the “Fathers of Garage Rock,” The Standells and Rick Derringer, marked the first time since 1966 that these two shared the stage (granted, singer-keyboardist Larry Tamblyn is the remaining Standell who performed that night, and Derringer led The McCoys at the time).
Attendance was down, possibly because boomers and seniors were unfamiliar with the theater and were leery of venturing to downtown L.A., and both performers gamely endured sound problems. While the sound problems were being dealt with, Tamblyn told amusing stories from the ’60s, while at one point a frustrated Derringer got on the mic and asked the sound engineer, “Are you the same guy who was at the sound check?”
Regardless, both The Standells and Rick Derringer performed excellent sets.
The Rick Derringer Band is a thundering power trio. The 69-year-old singer-guitarist, his colorful bassist of nearly 40 years, Charlie Torres, whose gray dreadlocks hang below his belt, and former Buddy Miles co-drummer Kenn Moutenot blasted through several key songs from Derringer’s half-century-long career, including his hits with The Edgar Winter Group, “Free Ride” and the instrumental “Frankenstein,” and his set opener, the title cut to his 1973 debut solo LP, “All American Boy.”
However, more than one concertgoer said the highlight of the set was his faithful, extended version of “Hang On, Sloopy,” which Derringer and The McCoys took to No. 1 in 1965.
Derringer ended the regular portion of his set with “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo,” which he wrote and scored hits with three times: first, in 1970 with Johnny Winter when he was with that group, then in 1972 with Edgar Winter’s White Trash (Johnny’s younger brother), when he was with them, and finally as a solo artist in 1973.
He came back for an encore, with a selection that was forgettable. He should have saved “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo” for last.
The Standells are a fun, rocking quartet. Tamblyn, drummer Greg Burnham, new bassist Martin Blasick (a fine fit with the group) and lead guitarist Mark Adrian, who can rip, delivered fan-pleasing versions of their mid-’60s hits, the show opener “Riot on Sunset Strip,” “Try It” (that was banned when released in 1967), and the irresistible “Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White,” before closing with their all-time garage rock classic, “Dirty Water.”
Had this bill been booked at some of Southern California’s better-known venues, such as the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, the Rose concert club in Old Town Pasadena, the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills or the Canyon in Agoura Hills, all of which are in what’s viewed as safer areas, I have little doubt that the show would have been jam-packed to the rafters (plus each of these venues has terrific, established publicity and promotion machines).
GILL JOINS EAGLES
The Eagles have recruited veteran country singer and guitarist extraordinaire Vince Gill and Deacon Frey, the 24-year-old son of the band’s late leader Glenn Frey, to handle the elder Frey’s vocals when the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers reunite for the two Classic West and East gigs this summer, the band announced.
Classic West is set for Dodger Stadium on July 15-16 with The Eagles, Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers on Saturday, and Fleetwood Mac, Journey and Earth, Wind & Fire performing Sunday. These same lineups will play Classic East on July 29-30 at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets in the NYC borough of Queens.
It had been reported earlier that former members Don Felder, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner would each be joining current members Don Henley, Timothy B. Schmit and Joe Walsh, but apparently this has not panned out.
Country Music Hall of Famer Gill, 60, who first found fame as the leader of country rock band Pure Prairie League in the ’70s, is a two-time Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year and has won 21 Grammys, more than any other male country music artist.
After the announcement was made, Gill, who has been married to pop, country and contemporary Christian music singer Amy Grant since 2000, said: “In my mind, I always thought I’d have made a good Eagle. But in a million years, I never would have seen this coming. It’s pretty surreal.”
Deacon, who sang his father’s songs at his funeral last year, refers to the trio of surviving Eagles as his “uncles.”
Tickets are on sale now and are only being sold as a two-day package — there are no single-day tickets.
PHIL COLLINS FIRST FULL COMEBACK CONCERT
The unretired Phil Collins is performing his first full concerts in a decade. The opening night of his five-night residency at the Royal Albert Hall was his first London gig in 13 years, reports Britain’s Guardian. He played a tune-up gig two nights earlier at the 11,000-seat Echo Arena in Liverpool.
It did not necessarily begin well. Images and video of a younger Collins were projected on a big screen as the aging 66-year-old former drummer and singer for Genesis walked onstage, “slowly, with a stick (cane).” He performed his entire show seated in a black leather chair next to a side table.
Watching his younger self dancing onscreen, after all his time away, the first words he said to the attendees were hardly celebratory: “That’s the last dancing you’ll get from me tonight. My legs are f***ed and I’ve had a back operation.”
With that, the mood improved as, backed by his 16-year-old son Nicholas on the drums he can no longer play, Collins delivered a two-and-a-half-hour, 22-song set consisting of his solo hits and tunes from Genesis’ pop era (zilch from the classic progressive rock-era Genesis), beginning with “Against All Odds (Take a Look at me Now),” “Another Day in Paradise” and “One More Night.”
Later, he said he said that he had no plans to perform again, “but I missed you.”
He ended his show with his hit with Earth, Wind & Fire’s Phillip Bailey, “Easy Lover,” and “Sussudio” before encoring with popular English World War II singer Vera Lynn’s “If You Love (Really Love Me)” (the English-language version of French chanteuse Edith Piaf’s “Hymne a L’Amour”) and “Take Me Home.”
Collins’ “Not Dead Yet” comeback tour concludes with five shows later this month at the 19,095-seat AccorHotels Arena in Paris. At press time, no plans for any further shows have been set.
Update: Collins fell in his hotel bathroom late Wednesday after his third Albert Hall show and suffered what a statement on his Facebook page said was a “severe gash on his head close to his eye.” He was taken to a local London hospital where he had the cut stitched up and was held for a 24-hour observation.
His final two Albert Hall gigs were rescheduled for late November. In the meantime, he set a performance at London’s Hyde Park on June 30 that is expected to draw tens of thousands.
SEGER SURPRISES BY SETTING NEW TOUR
In recent years, Detroit rocker Bob Seger mused about retirement.
On May 6, Seger, a member of both the Rock and Roll and Songwriter’s halls of fame, turned 72 and few weeks later, he pulled a surprise by announcing a major North American tour with Heart’s guitarist-singer Nancy Wilson opening on select dates.
Thus far, 24 shows have been set on his “Runaway Train” tour beginning Aug. 24 at the 7,286-seat Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio. Shows in several major U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco are not on the schedule, but Rolling Stone says they’ll be added.
The tour coincides with the rerelease of his 1969 debut LP (as The Bob Seger System), “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” and his 1994 “Greatest Hits” 2-CD that has been certified as a diamond album with sales exceeding 10 million copies.
BAD COMPANY’S RALPHS RECOVERING FROM STROKE
Mick Ralphs, lead guitarist for Bad Company and Mott the Hoople who suffered a stroke last November, continues to make strides in his recovery, reports a representative for his Mick Ralphs Blues Band.
Ralphs suffered a stroke shortly after the completion of Bad Company’s British tour and was hospitalized. He is currently in an undisclosed care home in England.
Vintage Vinyl News reports that several sources say the 73-year-old Ralphs is apparently still unable to walk, but that he is in high spirits.
Last month, he was visited by Bad Company’s singer Paul Rodgers, who posted a photo of him with Ralphs secured in a wheelchair with the message, “Great to see Mick yesterday doing so well. Sharp as a needle and funny as hell.”
Last week. Rodgers again visited his bandmate, posting a photo of Ralphs in his bed playing a ukulele while Rodgers showed him an electric guitar given to the patient to aid in his recovery by Queen’s guitarist Brian May.
The representative’s update said, “He is now settled in his care home, and his boys are still very much in attendance. He is finding physio very tough, but is trying his best.” It continued, “He loves to hear how things musical are doing, and news of Bad Co. (former Mott leader) Ian Hunter, and his Blues Band are very welcome and brings a smile to his face. He’s determined to get back on his feet again, which is very hard for visitors to take, but we all stay very positive, and supportive.”
ELVIS’ JET SOLD
A jet once owned by Elvis Presley and his dad, Vernon Presley, has been sold for $430,000 by GWS Auctions in Beverly Hills, the company announced.
The custom jet, a 1962 Lockheed Jetstar, has been housed at an airport in Roswell, New Mexico, where it was a popular tourist attraction.
Elvis personally designed the jet’s interior and it included gold-tone hardware, custom woodwork and inlay, red velvet seats and red carpet.
Other rock and pop music items auction that day by GWS included a solid 14-karat yellow gold ring with a 4.5 karat diamond that he wore during his 1973 Hawaiian Tour ($20,000), handwritten notes from Brian Wilson’s personal memoirs ($2,500), a handwritten letter from Wilson to the Maharishi regarding Beach Boys frontman Mike Love ($850), and a two-piece sequined outfit (in a frame) worn by Liza Minnelli during one of her Broadway shows ($500).
Steve Smith writes a new Classic Pop, Rock and Country Music News column every week. It can be read in its entirety on www.presstelegram.com. Like, recommend or share the column on Facebook. Contact him by email at Classicpopmusicnews@gmail.com.
