New York Rocker, November 1980: Difference between revisions
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After twelve hours of heat, dust and sweat, no wonder Talking Heads came as a breath of fresh air when no less than ''nine'' musicians took the stage. It was an astonishing performance, with the four originals Heads (including a mini-skirted Tina Weymouth, hopping from bass to synthesizer, and a dancing David Byrne displaying his best falsetto chops) complemented by guitarist Adrian Belew (ex-Frank Zappa and David Bowie), keyboardist Bernie Worrell (of Parliament/Funkadelic), bassist Busta Cherry Jones, ''and'' a female backing vocalist (Nona Hendryx) and extra percussionist. When the band's churning funk/reggae/Latin rhythms brought a surprised and delighted audience to its dancing feet, It made Heatwave worth every minute of waiting. A fierce "Life During Wartime" ended the set, followed by an encore of "Take Me To The River" that sent 50,000 hearts into 50,000 throats. | After twelve hours of heat, dust and sweat, no wonder Talking Heads came as a breath of fresh air when no less than ''nine'' musicians took the stage. It was an astonishing performance, with the four originals Heads (including a mini-skirted Tina Weymouth, hopping from bass to synthesizer, and a dancing David Byrne displaying his best falsetto chops) complemented by guitarist Adrian Belew (ex-Frank Zappa and David Bowie), keyboardist Bernie Worrell (of Parliament/Funkadelic), bassist Busta Cherry Jones, ''and'' a female backing vocalist (Nona Hendryx) and extra percussionist. When the band's churning funk/reggae/Latin rhythms brought a surprised and delighted audience to its dancing feet, It made Heatwave worth every minute of waiting. A fierce "Life During Wartime" ended the set, followed by an encore of "Take Me To The River" that sent 50,000 hearts into 50,000 throats. | ||
No wonder Elvis Costello appeared tense | No wonder Elvis Costello appeared tense and helpless as he faced the crowd and shouted "Hello, We're the Clash." Despite solid renditions of "[[Accidents Will Happen]]," "[[Watching The Detectives]]," and "[[The Beat]]" (among other favorites), Costello's performance just didn't cut deeply enough — it was more than competent, but lacked real excitement. Nonetheless, he and [[the Attractions]] were called back for three encores in the festival's final musical moments. | ||
From the viewpoint of most listeners, Heatwave was a success. The massive sound system functioned smoothly and clearly, and the refreshment stands provided food and beverages in fresh and ample quantities. Despite the heat and debris, the festival medical service treated only some 200 fans, mostly for minor complaints such as dehydration, cuts and heat exhaustion. The only acts of violence appeared backstage, when various members of the press collided with massive bodyguards intent on making sure that no one got what they wanted. Planned press conferences with the performers and promoters were never held, and relations between the promoters and their financial backers appeared cool — understandable in light of the announcement by a production company executive that Heatwave had come close to $1,000,000. As Costello/Rockpile manager Jack Riviera confided to a CBS ___ officer "...the lack of organization and ____ shit going on here is ridiculous. I'm just ____ we're getting good money for it." | From the viewpoint of most listeners, Heatwave was a success. The massive sound system functioned smoothly and clearly, and the refreshment stands provided food and beverages in fresh and ample quantities. Despite the heat and debris, the festival medical service treated only some 200 fans, mostly for minor complaints such as dehydration, cuts and heat exhaustion. The only acts of violence appeared backstage, when various members of the press collided with massive bodyguards intent on making sure that no one got what they wanted. Planned press conferences with the performers and promoters were never held, and relations between the promoters and their financial backers appeared cool — understandable in light of the announcement by a production company executive that Heatwave had come close to $1,000,000. As Costello/Rockpile manager Jack Riviera confided to a CBS ___ officer "...the lack of organization and ____ shit going on here is ridiculous. I'm just ____ we're getting good money for it." |
Revision as of 05:53, 28 May 2014
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