A Fiasco of the Black Arts

A Fiasco of the Black Arts

The Mike Quatro-Russ Gibb Black Arts Affair, co-sponsored by the recondite Mike Keener and WABX, drew over 14,000 people to Detroit’s Olympia Stadium on Halloween. The event was plagued by adversity from diverse areas; the fact that it was a disaster on all levels can hardly be ignored.

To begin with promoter Quatro advertised the MC5, Bonzo Dog Band, Pink Floyd, Arthur Brown, Alice Cooper, Bob Seger and the ubiquitous Kim Fowley, none of whom, for one reason or another appeared. (It seems Quatro has a discernable habit of advertising acts before he has a signed contract in his possession.)

The show originally scheduled would, at any rate, have run until arbund 9 a.m. Saturday had all the projected talent appeared.

Quatro also staged the show. He obviously is in dire need of a watch. Due to the time hassle, when the Olympia staff finally pulled the plug (in the midst of the Savage Grace set) two of the bands who had shown up, the Amboy Dukes and the Frost, had not yet performed. This left 14,000 people and two groups of musicians extremely frustrated. This is, by the way, the third time the Amboy Dukes have been unable to perform at a Quatro-instigated extravaganza; in each instance the reason has been a lack of time.

Credit for part of the time loss should be given to the nefarious Detroit Fire Marshall, who delayed things for 45 minutes in order to clear three aisles through the massed bodies on the rink floor. Mighty Mike (Quatro, not Keener; Keener chose Halloween to make himself invisible. Since no one seems to know who he is anyway it doesn’t matter) cleared the aisles himself with the eminently able assistance of the greyhaired, underground rock financier Gabriel Glantz.

The Olympia staff itself caused more than its share of problems. Being accustomed to hockey, basketball and an Ice Capade a year, they became overwrought at the high concentration of dope and cheap wine, the prolific dope dealers and, in general, the multitude of freewheeling freaks not pinned to their “reserved” seats.

Ultimately, the plug had to be pulled at 1 a.m. because the Detroif police, operating under the assumption that there was at least one seventeen year-old present, enforced the city curfew.

The Olympia staff, with the able assistance of Michigan’s fundamentalist Baptists, managed to halt appearances by Tim Leary and the Coven. Quatro was told by the arena’s owners that Leary “had been in jail” (a crime in itself), was an “undesirable person” and that if he appeared on stage the show would be stopped immediately.

The Michigan State Association of Baptists mounted a massive campaign of 250 letters to assure that Leary and the Coven wouldn’t wreak any voodoo with the masses. The letters protested Satan, witchcraft and hippies (not necessarily in that order). It would hardly seem fair to blame Quatro for Satan and witchcraft; and he can only be accused of soliciting the hippie trade. Due to the strength of the Christian pleas for understanding and cooperation by the true believers the Coven was prevented from performing their most holy sabbat ritual, the Black Mass. It was announced however, that the Coven and Leary could be seen the following evening at the Grande/Riviera for only an additional $2.50. (They show did go on at the Grande/Riviera; Leary was heard singing/chanting with Detroit’s Orange Crush, who were previously unknown as the Orange Fuzz. The Coven performed an abridged and stylized Black Mass with a breathing Jesus on the cross.)

According to one’s source, Jerry Lubin, WABX disc jockey and master of ceremonies’ either cooled things out or made them worse near the end. Chaos erupted at any rate when Jerry said, “Well, they pulled the plug. Wanna hear a drum solo?” The crowd did and so the savage drummer, with enviable grace, began the evening’s unscheduled entertainment.

After introducing Ted Nugent and Dick Wagner (of the Amboy Dukes and the Frost, respectively) to the crowd, Lubin did ask the crowd to leave. But with cries of “We want more!” Filling the stale arena air, Nugent decided it was time to once again play the part of provocateur. Grasping a long rope dangling above the stage (presumably used to haul ailing goalies from their nets) Nugent swung out over the audience, dragging his feet over heads before he was coerced by the mismanagement into stopping his rope solo. He received a standing ovation. While this went on, several members of the audience were under the illusion that the light bulbs swaying back and forth on their lanyards were actually falling. The scene was charming; Nugent never looked better than with his face painted green and black.

In retrospect Lubin says he feels some regret for not having “pressed the issue” and either cajoling the kids to “burn the fucking place down” or force the promoters to refund the gate.

But, there were several hundred of Detroit’s Protestors of Liberty present and, anyway, what would the Red Wings have done?

Parts of the show (including SRC’s strong set) were certainly entertaining and a lot of kids had a good time for several hours. The causes of the fiasco lie with the promoters, the arena officials and the city fathers. But, as usual, the people are the ones to suffer.

The final crushing blow delivered to Detroit rock was the cancellation of the Day of Peace event, which would have featured all Michigan acts including a rare appearance by the Funkadelics with the Parliments. Scheduled for Veterans Day, neither the Day of Peace of any other festival type, general admission events will be held at Olympia in the future. But of course the $8 a head, Quatro-run Rolling Stones concert goes on. Right on.

Quatro, of course, wasn’t present to see what damage his incompetence had wrought; and his cohort, Russ Gibb, was out, by his own admission, being drunk. According to Mighty Mike he left as soon as the plug was pulled (at 12:52 a.m.). But other sources would have it otherwise.

By Saturday the shit had begun to fly. Larry Benjamin’s Off the Wall Productions, which had planned a Day of Peace concert for Veterans Day (which would have featured all Michigan acts, including the Funkadelics) was informed that there woul be no more general admission, non-sit-down concerts at the huge home of hockey. Other rock events, nice polite ones where the people are chained to their seats (just the way rock was meant to be listened to, huh?), will of course continue; Quatro’s $8 a head Rolling Stones bash, for instance.

To attempt to make amends Quatro offered a free concert with the Amboy Dukes and the Frost at some future date. But that was effectively squelched on Monday by an angry Dick Wagner . ... Djck told Creem that “I wouldn’t do anything to help Quatro make himself look good.”

Things got heavier. Jerry Lubin and WABX did a super-number on the Grosse Pointe pitchman. Their entire edition of “Rock and Roll News” was devoted to the Black Arts affair. It featured Fred Smith (MC5 guitarist) informing the people that the MC5 had never agreed to play, Benjamin and SRC Productions head Pete Andrews revealing that the Olympia staff had sent out a press release well in advance of the fiasco that stated that the concert could not run beyond one a.m. and Quatro vainly but valiantly attempting to defend himself.

Asked why he had advertised acts that didn’t appear, Quatro said, “Everybody we advertised showed up”. Lubin asked, “What about Kim Fowley?”. “He didn’t make it in from California”, said the diminutive promoter. “Looks like you’ve caught yourself in another one”, boomed the gleeful disc jockey. Quatro sputtered and the show went on.

Russ Gibb, as usual, was unavailable for comment. Even his fellow disc jockey Dan Carlisle was unable to reach him Monday afternoon when he was talking, on his show, to Pete Andrews. Russ was “sick”. Get well soon, Unc.

WABX concluded by promising its listeners that it would be more careful, in the future, about what concerts it promotes.

Even more strangely than everything else, Mr. Quatro might be selling his booking agency to Mr. David Leone, of the Groove Shoppe. The alleged ruse is, of course, now people won’t be aware of what promotions Michael is running.

The assessment of blame for the fiasco rests with three sources — the promoters, the arena officials and the city fathers. But as usual the people are the ones to suffer. It’s been worth it, though, if they’ve learned from it. If they’ve learned what the Jefferson Airplane have to say “We are forces of chaos and anarchy/Everything they say we are we are/And we are very/Proud of ourselves”. It’s about time the audience and the bands showed some of that pride.

Barry Kramer and Dave Marsh

Or: thanks a lot, Mike.