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CLIMAX BLUES BAND Get It Right!

Backstage at the Royal Oak is a cement tunnel lined with pipes (remembrance of air raid drills past). The purpose of my journey into this summer night was to be entertained and, I hoped, enlightened, by a bluesy band known as Climax. Although none of the four members claimed to be the spokesperson, I chose to stick close to lead vocalist and sax/clarinet player Colin Cooper.

October 1, 1977
Linda Barber

CLIMAX BLUES BAND Get It Right!

Linda Barber

Backstage at the Royal Oak is a cement tunnel lined with pipes (remembrance of air raid drills past). The purpose of my journey into this summer night was to be entertained and, I hoped, enlightened, by a bluesy band known as Climax.

Although none of the four members claimed to be the spokesperson, I chose to stick close to lead vocalist and sax/clarinet player Colin Cooper. Maybe it was his deep, gravel-throated voice that made me feel at ease—or the Apache headband tied around his chestnut-colored shoulder-length hair. He looked wise. I felt safe.

He slouched in the straight-backed chair in the small dressing room. “Weve played Detroit before," he said. “We played Masonic twice and the Michigan Palace twice. And each time we played here, we got a whole bunch of problems." He sank back into the chair and inhaled on his cigarette. A faint smile came to his lips. “But not tonight."

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