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{{:UK & Ireland magazines index}} | {{:UK & Ireland magazines index}} | ||
{{Bibliography article header}} | {{Bibliography article header}} | ||
<center><h3> Armed | <center><h3> Armed forces </h3></center> | ||
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<center> Allan Jones </center> | <center> Allan Jones </center> | ||
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''' The full story of Elvis Costello's calamitous 1979 American tour | |||
{{Bibliography text}} | {{Bibliography text}} | ||
From the outset, the ''Armed Forces'' tour of America seemed destined to draw fire, set tongues wagging. turn heads in its direction. Eyes, for a start, will have popped when they saw Costello and The Attractions rolling into town in their maroon-trimmed Silver Eagle tour bus, especially since the bus had "DESTINATION CAMP LEJEUNE" emblazoned across its front in letters a foot high. | From the outset, the ''Armed Forces'' tour of America seemed destined to draw fire, set tongues wagging. turn heads in its direction. Eyes, for a start, will have popped when they saw Costello and The Attractions rolling into town in their maroon-trimmed Silver Eagle tour bus, especially since the bus had "DESTINATION CAMP LEJEUNE" emblazoned across its front in letters a foot high. | ||
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This was obviously just bloody-minded provocation. Camp LeJeune was the United States Marine Corps training camp in North Carolina, and no one will have been greatly amused by Costello's smirking, smart-arse declaration that this was where he was headed. This was March, 1979. America was only four years out of Vietnam, and memories of that dreadful debacle were still raw; rasping echoes of the conflict and its consequences still hung in the air. The country was in no mood for caustic reminders of its recent military disasters. | This was obviously just bloody-minded provocation. Camp LeJeune was the United States Marine Corps training camp in North Carolina, and no one will have been greatly amused by Costello's smirking, smart-arse declaration that this was where he was headed. This was March, 1979. America was only four years out of Vietnam, and memories of that dreadful debacle were still raw; rasping echoes of the conflict and its consequences still hung in the air. The country was in no mood for caustic reminders of its recent military disasters. | ||
Costello's manager, the famously truculent Jake Riviera, nevertheless, was ruthlessly determined to pursue the aggressively militaristic promotional campaign he had devised for ''Armed Forces'' in the UK and followed it through now by dressing the entire Costello road crew in Army fatigues, giving them the look of a marauding squad of renegade commandos. This might have seemed like a grand joke to Costello and his entourage | Costello's manager, the famously truculent Jake Riviera, nevertheless, was ruthlessly determined to pursue the aggressively militaristic promotional campaign he had devised for ''Armed Forces'' in the UK and followed it through now by dressing the entire Costello road crew in Army fatigues, giving them the look of a marauding squad of renegade commandos. This might have seemed like a grand joke to Costello and his entourage, a bit of a lark, something to laugh at, wired, drunk, in desert motels and downtown bars as the tour dragged across the country. For less partisan observers, though, it was just another example of Riviera's belligerent insensitivity. There was another message being spelled out here, of course. "Nobody Fucks With The Marine Corps" was a popular military boast. The clear implication of the "Camp LeJeune" sign was that nobody better fuck with Costello and his people, either. The sign was a kind of mobile hands-off warning, a stark reminder to anyone even thinking about getting anywhere near them that they'd be better off keeping their distance. | ||
Fred Schruers made the connection vividly in a dramatic [[Rolling Stone, May 17, 1979|report]] on the tour for ''Rolling Stone''. "A mixture of paranoia and arrogance," he wrote, "made the ''Armed Forces'' tour party as mean and as squirrelly as any platoon of marines trapped behind enemy lines." Schruers was not impressed by Riviera's confrontational tactics, predicted nothing but grief for Costello if he didn't ease up. "By turns petulant and rabid," he observed, reflecting upon the generally unhinged behaviour raging around him. "Elvis and his troops did not seem equal to the grand military metaphors of the promotional campaign that preceded them: they seemed, rather, to be conducting a messy police action bound to make doubters and even enemies out of his strongest American partisans." | Fred Schruers made the connection vividly in a dramatic [[Rolling Stone, May 17, 1979|report]] on the tour for ''Rolling Stone''. "A mixture of paranoia and arrogance," he wrote, "made the ''Armed Forces'' tour party as mean and as squirrelly as any platoon of marines trapped behind enemy lines." Schruers was not impressed by Riviera's confrontational tactics, predicted nothing but grief for Costello if he didn't ease up. "By turns petulant and rabid," he observed, reflecting upon the generally unhinged behaviour raging around him. "Elvis and his troops did not seem equal to the grand military metaphors of the promotional campaign that preceded them: they seemed, rather, to be conducting a messy police action bound to make doubters and even enemies out of his strongest American partisans." | ||
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Given their highly-strung, combative mood, it came as no surprise to find Costello and his hyped-up wrecking crew quickly at war with the local civilian population. Hostilities broke out first in [[Concert 1979-02-06 Seattle|Seattle]], where the audience reacted violently to Costello's appearance at the Paramount Theatre. The Attractions were by now geared up to scorching 50-minute sets, intense, concentrated hit-and-runs. This sort of show had become standard in England, punk had seen to that, where there had been a rapid stripping down of performances after the indulgent spectacles of the early Seventies. The crowd in Seattle, however, weren't used to this routine. They just thought they'd been short-changed, and there was bedlam when Costello refused to return to add anything more to what had already been said, which he was convinced had been enough. Roaring their disapproval, the audience refused to leave the theatre until the Costello road crew turned up the amps and produced a multi-decibel shriek that drove the irate masses into the street, where they made a bonfire out of torn-down concert posters. | Given their highly-strung, combative mood, it came as no surprise to find Costello and his hyped-up wrecking crew quickly at war with the local civilian population. Hostilities broke out first in [[Concert 1979-02-06 Seattle|Seattle]], where the audience reacted violently to Costello's appearance at the Paramount Theatre. The Attractions were by now geared up to scorching 50-minute sets, intense, concentrated hit-and-runs. This sort of show had become standard in England, punk had seen to that, where there had been a rapid stripping down of performances after the indulgent spectacles of the early Seventies. The crowd in Seattle, however, weren't used to this routine. They just thought they'd been short-changed, and there was bedlam when Costello refused to return to add anything more to what had already been said, which he was convinced had been enough. Roaring their disapproval, the audience refused to leave the theatre until the Costello road crew turned up the amps and produced a multi-decibel shriek that drove the irate masses into the street, where they made a bonfire out of torn-down concert posters. | ||
There were similar scenes further down the coast | There were similar scenes further down the coast, at the [[Concert 1979-02-10 Berkeley|Berkeley]] Community Centre, where Costello was in a bitter, recriminatory mood. Maybe he'd been incensed by The Clash, Who were playing San Francisco the same night and had plastered the Bay Area with posters that proclaimed them as "THE ONLY ENGLISH BAND THAT REALLY MATTERS." This would have been enough to infuriate Costello at the best of times, but does little to fully explain the tempestuous ferocity of his performance. He treated the Berkeley audience to a scourging 40-minute set and split, rejecting the clamourous demands for an encore. The audience was livid. They howled for more, and when they didn't get it they started ripping out seats and stoned The Attractions' tour bus, smashing windows. With the crowd turning ''really'' ugly. Costello and his then-girlfriend. Bebe Buell, were whisked through the backstage area and made a hasty, heads-down exit. | ||
Greil Marcus, the distinguished American critic, was at the concert and managed to persuade Jake Riviera to escort him backstage for a word with Costello. Costello promptly ignored him, turned his back and stalked off. At which point, Marcus later claimed, Jake turned on him and hissed: "If you quote me. I'll kick your ass." Marcus duly reported the encounter in ''New West'' magazine. "The only reason I wrote it was that Jake threatened to do me bodily injury if I did." Marcus subsequently informed ''Rolling Stone''. | |||
"Jake's just a little thug," Marcus went on. "His commercial strategy has always been We don't need you,' and it's a perfectly decent strategy. The concert was meant as an insult and performed as such | "Jake's just a little thug," Marcus went on. "His commercial strategy has always been We don't need you,' and it's a perfectly decent strategy. The concert was meant as an insult and performed as such, and people caught on." | ||
The tour turned south, into Texas, still beleaguered, hounded by trouble and bad luck, Costello was hit by a stomach virus in Dallas. A week of shows was cancelled. There was, simultaneously, a growing disenchantment within the Costello camp with the way Columbia were promoting both the tour and the record, the feeling that the label wasn't flexing enough muscle to keep the momentum going flat-out. When a New York radio station received more than a quarter of a million calls for 1,200 free tickets they were raffling for a Costello concert in the city, Riviera had approached the record company for the financial backing to book Elvis into Shea Stadium. Columbia turned him down. Jake was typically furious. The next day, he sent a van-load of shovels to the Columbia office, addressed to its chief executives. There was a note, too. "If you really want to bury my act," it said, "I | The tour turned south, into Texas, still beleaguered, hounded by trouble and bad luck, Costello was hit by a stomach virus in Dallas. A week of shows was cancelled. There was, simultaneously, a growing disenchantment within the Costello camp with the way Columbia were promoting both the tour and the record, the feeling that the label wasn't flexing enough muscle to keep the momentum going flat-out. When a New York radio station received more than a quarter of a million calls for 1,200 free tickets they were raffling for a Costello concert in the city, Riviera had approached the record company for the financial backing to book Elvis into Shea Stadium. Columbia turned him down. Jake was typically furious. The next day, he sent a van-load of shovels to the Columbia office, addressed to its chief executives. There was a note, too. "If you really want to bury my act," it said, "I thought you could do with some help..." | ||
There were more problems in [[Concert 1979-03-06 St. Louis|St Louis]], Missouri. Columbia had agreed with the city's premier FM radio station, KSHE, that they could sponsor Costello's concert at the Kiel Opera House. As part of the arrangement, KSHE would broadcast the show. Before he went on stage, Costello had learned that KSHE had only given his albums moderate exposure, while their main local rivals, KADI | There were more problems in [[Concert 1979-03-06 St. Louis|St Louis]], Missouri. Columbia had agreed with the city's premier FM radio station, KSHE, that they could sponsor Costello's concert at the Kiel Opera House. As part of the arrangement, KSHE would broadcast the show. Before he went on stage, Costello had learned that KSHE had only given his albums moderate exposure, while their main local rivals, KADI, had been pumping out his music on their wavelength. KSHE were therefore horrified when Costello dedicated his first encore, "Accidents Will Happen," to "all the boys at radio station KADI." The KSHE people were even more stunned when Costello went on to introduce "Radio, Radio" with another unflattering broadside against their organisation. "Now I want to dedicate this song," he began, "to all the local bastard radio stations that don't play our songs... and to KSHE!" | ||
The KSHE bureaucracy were furious. Costello's records were dropped completely from their playlists. Columbia were also irate. The label was worried about dropped sales for ''Armed Forces'' as a result of the KSHE ban. Apologies were demanded, and it was left to Alan Frey, the head of Costello's US management company, to placate the offended programme controllers at KSHE. After four days of smooth-talking persuasion, KSHE backed down and Costello's records went back on the air. | The KSHE bureaucracy were furious. Costello's records were dropped completely from their playlists. Columbia were also irate. The label was worried about dropped sales for ''Armed Forces'' as a result of the KSHE ban. Apologies were demanded, and it was left to Alan Frey, the head of Costello's US management company, to placate the offended programme controllers at KSHE. After four days of smooth-talking persuasion, KSHE backed down and Costello's records went back on the air. | ||
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Stills had been a founder member of Buffalo Springfield, legends of West Coast rock in the mid-Sixties. He had gone on to form Crosby, Stills And Nash, whose winsome harmonies and melodic acoustic strumming had made them darlings of the Woodstock generation. With the subsequent addition of Stills' old Buffalo Springfield sparring partner, the maverick guitar brigand Neil Young, CSN&Y, as they became, went on to even greater fortune as one of the most popular American supergroups of the early Seventies. | Stills had been a founder member of Buffalo Springfield, legends of West Coast rock in the mid-Sixties. He had gone on to form Crosby, Stills And Nash, whose winsome harmonies and melodic acoustic strumming had made them darlings of the Woodstock generation. With the subsequent addition of Stills' old Buffalo Springfield sparring partner, the maverick guitar brigand Neil Young, CSN&Y, as they became, went on to even greater fortune as one of the most popular American supergroups of the early Seventies. | ||
Since the demise of that band, however, Stills career had only spluttered along | Since the demise of that band, however, Stills career had only spluttered along, beset by drug abuse and a general cantankerousness that made him increasingly difficult to work with. He was now muddling through a forlorn middle-ground, his music of no reasonable interest to anyone apart from die-hard nostalgists for a wiped-out era. Bramlett, meanwhile, was a hard-bitten former Ikette who had enjoyed some success as one half of Delaney & Bonnie, a husband-and-wife white soul act that had been briefly fashionable at the drag end of the Sixties. Following her divorce from Delaney and the collapse of their group, she had struggled through an undistinguished solo career and ended up a bedraggled alcoholic. Rehabilitated now, she had joined Stills for an appearance at the Havana Jam, two months earlier. | ||
Together, Stills and Bramlett will have represented everything that Costello despised about American rock — its self-indulgence, its corpulence and slothfulness, its abject worthlessness. When he accepted an invitation to join the Stills entourage for a drink, Costello must have known that he was tempting the devil. | Together, Stills and Bramlett will have represented everything that Costello despised about American rock — its self-indulgence, its corpulence and slothfulness, its abject worthlessness. When he accepted an invitation to join the Stills entourage for a drink, Costello must have known that he was tempting the devil. | ||
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The trouble started when a local fan started pestering Costello about his attitude towards America and Americans. | The trouble started when a local fan started pestering Costello about his attitude towards America and Americans. | ||
"We hate you | "We hate you," Costello snarled. "We just come here for the money. We're the original white boys and you're the colonials." | ||
This was an example of a heavy-handed line in provocation that had been patented by Jake and which had since become familiar to anyone who'd come across the Riviera-Costello circle during one of their more intolerant ranting moods. Most people, finding either Jake or Elvis on course for this kind of volcanic verbal onslaught, very sensibly kept their heads down until the storm blew itself out and conditions returned to normal. What you didn't do was show any visible sign of being upset. This only encouraged them. | This was an example of a heavy-handed line in provocation that had been patented by Jake and which had since become familiar to anyone who'd come across the Riviera-Costello circle during one of their more intolerant ranting moods. Most people, finding either Jake or Elvis on course for this kind of volcanic verbal onslaught, very sensibly kept their heads down until the storm blew itself out and conditions returned to normal. What you didn't do was show any visible sign of being upset. This only encouraged them. | ||
Stills and his party unfortunately fell for the whole routine and became immediately defensive. At which point, Costello upped the tempo and apparently dismissed the entire American nation as "just a bunch of flea-bitten greasers and niggers." This was bound to cause the uproar Costello was looking for, and of course it did. One account of the incident has a member of Stills' crew grabbing Costello by the scruff of the neck and telling him in no uncertain terms to keep his mouth shut, of which there was by now ''no'' chance. Costello had gone too far to back down. According to a report in the ''Random Notes'' pages of ''Rolling Stone'', Costello now turned his attention to Joe Lala and called him "a greaser spic." Stills is then supposed to have grabbed Costello and given him a good shaking before storming out of the bar, angry and disgusted, with Bruce Thomas yelling "Fuck off, steel nose!" after him — the latter remark being an ill-concealed reference to the surgery Stills was alleged to have undergone to repair his nose after a lengthy addiction to cocaine. | Stills and his party unfortunately fell for the whole routine and became immediately defensive. At which point, Costello upped the tempo and apparently dismissed the entire American nation as "just a bunch of flea-bitten greasers and niggers." This was bound to cause the uproar Costello was looking for, and of course it did. One account of the incident has a member of Stills' crew grabbing Costello by the scruff of the neck and telling him in no uncertain terms to keep his mouth shut, of which there was by now ''no'' chance. Costello had gone too far to back down. According to a report in the ''Random Notes'' pages of ''Rolling Stone'', Costello now turned his attention to Joe Lala and called him "a greaser spic." Stills is then supposed to have grabbed Costello and given him a good shaking before storming out of the bar, angry and disgusted, with Bruce Thomas yelling "Fuck off, steel nose!" after him — the latter remark being an ill-concealed reference to the surgery Stills was alleged to have undergone to repair his nose after a lengthy addiction to cocaine. | ||
[[image:1997-06-00 Uncut page 60.jpg|x120px|right|border]] | [[image:1997-06-00 Uncut page 60.jpg|x120px|right|border|Page 60.]] | ||
The argument now centred around music | The argument now centred around music, with Costello badmouthing most American acts he could think of, including Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly. Bramlett accused him of stealing and plundering from America's rich heritage of black music, citing James Brown and Ray Charles specifically. Costello then contemptuously dismissing James Brown as "a jive-ass nigger." | ||
This was insensible on Costello's part, and even in the depths of his staggering drunkenness he should have known that he was pushing it too hard, too far. But he blundered on, the hole he was digging for himself getting deeper and darker with every ill-considered remark. | This was insensible on Costello's part, and even in the depths of his staggering drunkenness he should have known that he was pushing it too hard, too far. But he blundered on, the hole he was digging for himself getting deeper and darker with every ill-considered remark. | ||
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"He's nothing but an ignorant, blind nigger." Costello seethed venomously, beyond legitimate defence now, mischief turning to malice, a litany of brutal abuse. Bramlett was appalled, and told him to keep his damned opinions to himself. | "He's nothing but an ignorant, blind nigger." Costello seethed venomously, beyond legitimate defence now, mischief turning to malice, a litany of brutal abuse. Bramlett was appalled, and told him to keep his damned opinions to himself. | ||
"Fuck Ray Charles." Costello allegedly roared, "fuck niggers | "Fuck Ray Charles." Costello allegedly roared, "fuck niggers, and fuck you!" | ||
This was too much for Bramlett. | This was too much for Bramlett. | ||
"Don't put the tongue on Ray Charles," she yelled, taking a swipe at Costello that according to one report dumped him arse-over-shoulder onto the carpet. Costello would later contend that Bramlett's punch was wild, didn't connect, that he was, in fact, set upon by no less than five of Stills road crew who beat him to the floor, at which point a full-scale brawl broke out. When the warring factions were eventually separated | "Don't put the tongue on Ray Charles," she yelled, taking a swipe at Costello that according to one report dumped him arse-over-shoulder onto the carpet. Costello would later contend that Bramlett's punch was wild, didn't connect, that he was, in fact, set upon by no less than five of Stills road crew who beat him to the floor, at which point a full-scale brawl broke out. When the warring factions were eventually separated, the Stills party was hustled out of the hotel to their waiting tour bus while Costello stumbled to his room nursing an injured shoulder. | ||
The next day, the ''Armed Forces'' tour moved on to Cleveland, where Costello turned up at a concert by country singer Nicolette Larsen with his arm in a sling; the result, he told fans, laughing it off, of a bust-up over a drink with Bonnie Bramlett. This was typical of his immediate reaction to the fracas in Columbus | The next day, the ''Armed Forces'' tour moved on to Cleveland, where Costello turned up at a concert by country singer Nicolette Larsen with his arm in a sling; the result, he told fans, laughing it off, of a bust-up over a drink with Bonnie Bramlett. This was typical of his immediate reaction to the fracas in Columbus, which he seems not to have taken terribly seriously. | ||
Talking to people he knew about what had just happened, Costello was determined to play it down, make light of the entire event. The photographer [[Special:WhatLinksHere/Roberta Bayley|Roberta Bayley]], who had known Costello since 1977 when she did a photo-session with him during the recording of ''This Year's Model'', clearly remembers hearing about the incident within 24 hours, from Elvis himself. He described it as a simple bar brawl, an insult match | Talking to people he knew about what had just happened, Costello was determined to play it down, make light of the entire event. The photographer [[Special:WhatLinksHere/Roberta Bayley|Roberta Bayley]], who had known Costello since 1977 when she did a photo-session with him during the recording of ''This Year's Model'', clearly remembers hearing about the incident within 24 hours, from Elvis himself. He described it as a simple bar brawl, an insult match," she later recalled. "He just said, 'I had a fight in the bar last night with these obnoxious people.' No big deal." | ||
For the first few days | For the first few days, at least, after the fracas in Columbus, Costello might well have believed that he'd got away with it, that there would be no public repercussions; that he wouldn't have to answer for what he'd said during his poisonous tirade, that his remarks wouldn't rebound on him in the most terrible way. If this was the case, Costello had reckoned without Bonnie Bramlett, who certainly wasn't prepared to forget what had been said, what had gone down in those awful drunken minutes in the Columbus Holiday Inn. What Costello didn't know, as the ''Armed Forces'' tour swung towards Boston and New York, was that this vengeful woman had already been calling virtually every newspaper, wire service and magazine on the East Coast, giving them explicit details of his outburst, branding him a racist and a bigot and demanding retribution. Costello didn't know it then, but there was going to be hell itself to pay for what he'd said. | ||
The first posters appeared in New York the week after the debacle in Columbus. "ARMED FORCES' LAND IN NY!!!" they shrieked. "WHERE WILL YOU SPEND ELVIS COSTELLO WEEKEND?" they wanted to know. There were two dates stencilled beneath a portrait of a typically brooding Costello: "MARCH 31/THE PALLADIUM. APRIL 1/NOWHERE..." | The first posters appeared in New York the week after the debacle in Columbus. "ARMED FORCES' LAND IN NY!!!" they shrieked. "WHERE WILL YOU SPEND ELVIS COSTELLO WEEKEND?" they wanted to know. There were two dates stencilled beneath a portrait of a typically brooding Costello: "MARCH 31/THE PALLADIUM. APRIL 1/NOWHERE..." | ||
The poster campaign was part of the graphic overture to what would soon become known as the "April Fool's Day Marathon" | The poster campaign was part of the graphic overture to what would soon become known as the "April Fool's Day Marathon." It was Jake's idea, of course, and the plan, as usual, was outrageous: six gigs in three days, starting with a concert at the Capitol in [[Concert 1979-03-30 Passaic|Passaic]], New Jersey, backed-up by two shows the next night at the [[Concert 1979-03-31 New York (early)|Palladium]] in New York, followed on Sunday, April 1, with three New York club dates, beginning at six that evening at the [[Concert 1979-04-01 New York (1st show)|Lone Star Cafe]], moving on for a performance at nine at the [[Concert 1979-04-01 New York (2nd show)|Bottom Line]], and ending with a midnight appearance at downtown club called the [[Concert 1979-04-01 New York (3rd show)|Great Gildersleeves]]. | ||
Jake had devised this unprecedented blitz as the grandstanding climax of the ''Armed Forces'' tour. It was essentially a massive publicity binge, intended to overwhelm New York, capture the city's imagination like nothing else in recent memory and grab every available headline for Costello. | Jake had devised this unprecedented blitz as the grandstanding climax of the ''Armed Forces'' tour. It was essentially a massive publicity binge, intended to overwhelm New York, capture the city's imagination like nothing else in recent memory and grab every available headline for Costello. | ||
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"It was just incredible," recalls Kurt Loder, at the time a senior writer on ''Rolling Stone''. "When I first heard about what was supposed to have happened, it just sounded like a really put-up job. I couldn't imagine that Elvis would ever genuinely think that Ray Charles was a blind, ignorant nigger, but there were people, you know, who wanted to lynch the guy. | "It was just incredible," recalls Kurt Loder, at the time a senior writer on ''Rolling Stone''. "When I first heard about what was supposed to have happened, it just sounded like a really put-up job. I couldn't imagine that Elvis would ever genuinely think that Ray Charles was a blind, ignorant nigger, but there were people, you know, who wanted to lynch the guy. | ||
"I don't think anyone really believed all the stuff that was coming out. I don't think anyone really believed that Elvis hated niggers, blind or otherwise, but because of the attitude he'd had previously towards the press, he really set himself up. He should've known that if he said anything out of line, it was going to get blown up into a really big thing and that they'd really go for him. Which, of course | "I don't think anyone really believed all the stuff that was coming out. I don't think anyone really believed that Elvis hated niggers, blind or otherwise, but because of the attitude he'd had previously towards the press, he really set himself up. He should've known that if he said anything out of line, it was going to get blown up into a really big thing and that they'd really go for him. Which, of course, they did, and it hit him real hard. Because of who he was and this real hands-off attitude he had, there were some people, definitely, who were ready to push him on this one. | ||
[[image:1997-06-00 Uncut page 61.jpg|x120px|right|border]] | [[image:1997-06-00 Uncut page 61.jpg|x120px|right|border|Page 61.]] | ||
"What he said was stupid, but he was talking to burned-out people, Stephen Stills and Bonnie Bramlett, these real burned-out guys. You can imagine what they were like. He probably got so mad at them, he said these stupid things. I'm sure he was just trying to egg these people on, because they were just California garbage, full of bullshit. Hell, you can imagine it. Imagine being in a bar with ''Stephen Stills''. I'd probably get into a fight, too. The guy's terrible. But he should've known that people like Stills and Bonnie Bramlett, they needed publicity, they were bound to build it into a major incident. | "What he said was stupid, but he was talking to burned-out people, Stephen Stills and Bonnie Bramlett, these real burned-out guys. You can imagine what they were like. He probably got so mad at them, he said these stupid things. I'm sure he was just trying to egg these people on, because they were just California garbage, full of bullshit. Hell, you can imagine it. Imagine being in a bar with ''Stephen Stills''. I'd probably get into a fight, too. The guy's terrible. But he should've known that people like Stills and Bonnie Bramlett, they needed publicity, they were bound to build it into a major incident. | ||
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What had started out as a drunken exhibition of mean-mouthed malice in a bar in Ohio was now a full-blown scandal whose damaging momentum even Riviera couldn't control, rein in or wriggle out of. In fact, what was happening now was out of Jake's hands. The press was screaming for Costello's head, civil rights and anti-racist groups ware calling for a boycott of his shows, and the cranks were starting to crawl out of the woodwork, dangerous, anonymous, lunatic. Within a week of | What had started out as a drunken exhibition of mean-mouthed malice in a bar in Ohio was now a full-blown scandal whose damaging momentum even Riviera couldn't control, rein in or wriggle out of. In fact, what was happening now was out of Jake's hands. The press was screaming for Costello's head, civil rights and anti-racist groups ware calling for a boycott of his shows, and the cranks were starting to crawl out of the woodwork, dangerous, anonymous, lunatic. Within a week of arriving in New York, Costello had received around 150 death threats, some of them from people who sounded like they meant business. Jake at least took them seriously enough to hire armed bodyguards to provide Costello with 24-hour protection. | ||
"There were two guys with guns with him at all times," Roberta Bayley would subsequently recall, in an article in ''Spin'' magazine. "A car would backfire and everyone would hit the floor. It really was that bad." | "There were two guys with guns with him at all times," Roberta Bayley would subsequently recall, in an article in ''Spin'' magazine. "A car would backfire and everyone would hit the floor. It really was that bad." | ||
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Although they'd been given only two hours notice, there were more than 50 journalists gathered in the 14th floor conference suite of the Columbia building when Costello turned up to face them. Most of them had been waiting a long time for the opportunity to take a pop at Costello, and it was obvious they weren't going to back off now. According to Loder, the mood was hostile. These people hadn't come to listen to Costello's explanations, his excuses: they'd come to watch him squirm. | Although they'd been given only two hours notice, there were more than 50 journalists gathered in the 14th floor conference suite of the Columbia building when Costello turned up to face them. Most of them had been waiting a long time for the opportunity to take a pop at Costello, and it was obvious they weren't going to back off now. According to Loder, the mood was hostile. These people hadn't come to listen to Costello's explanations, his excuses: they'd come to watch him squirm. | ||
"This room," Loder goes on, was packed. "It was a panorama of every rock writer in New York." Richard Goldstein and | "This room," Loder goes on, was packed. "It was a panorama of every rock writer in New York." Richard Goldstein and Robert Christgau were there, representing ''Village Voice''; Chet Flippo and Fred Schruers were there from ''Rolling Stone''. Costello finally appeared, dressed in a garish polka-dot suit and tie with a lapel badge that pleaded "DESIRE ME." | ||
Most of the journalists were lined up on the far side of the room, in a pack. Kurt Loder was standing just behind Costello, with another ''Rolling Stone'' reporter, | Most of the journalists were lined up on the far side of the room, in a pack. Kurt Loder was standing just behind Costello, with another ''Rolling Stone'' reporter, David Fricke, whose tape recording of the press conference provides the basis for the account that follows. | ||
"You could see straight away how nervous he was," Loder says. "He was shaking, all clenched up, real tense, thinking,'' 'What am I doing here?' ''I felt a lot of sympathy for him at that point, because it was rear obvious from the moment he walked in, man, that whatever was gonna happen was gonna be just awful. And it was." | "You could see straight away how nervous he was," Loder says. "He was shaking, all clenched up, real tense, thinking,'' 'What am I doing here?' ''I felt a lot of sympathy for him at that point, because it was rear obvious from the moment he walked in, man, that whatever was gonna happen was gonna be just awful. And it was." | ||
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"I never... ''ever''... thought I'd be in this position," he begins, and it's clear from the start that this is not going to be one of his best performances. "''Hey'' — I tell you what..." He is talking to the photographers now, the whirring of motor-drives distracting him, flashlights going off in his face. "Do you think you could ''lay off'' the flashes until I finish talking, yeah? I don't mind if you take pictures when I finish speaking..." Trying to keep his irritation in check, he sounds merely lame, but at least he has the attention of the mob. | "I never... ''ever''... thought I'd be in this position," he begins, and it's clear from the start that this is not going to be one of his best performances. "''Hey'' — I tell you what..." He is talking to the photographers now, the whirring of motor-drives distracting him, flashlights going off in his face. "Do you think you could ''lay off'' the flashes until I finish talking, yeah? I don't mind if you take pictures when I finish speaking..." Trying to keep his irritation in check, he sounds merely lame, but at least he has the attention of the mob. | ||
"It seems," he says, and the words aren't coming easily to him, "that it's necessary for me to come here today to make just one statement, which is that I am ''not'' a racist. Now, in Wednesday's ''Voice'', I believe it was, there was a report of an incident which occurred in Columbus, Ohio ... an argument, or a brawl, whatever you want to call it ... between me and another artist, a group of artists. And the details of it were somewhat confused, understandably, and I was misquoted out of context in it. I don't really want to get into a trivial feud with another act, but I think it's necessary to point out in what context these remarks, which, although they weren't strictly correctly reported, were made ..." | "It seems," he says, and the words aren't coming easily to him, "that it's necessary for me to come here today to make just one statement, which is that I am ''not'' a racist. Now, in Wednesday's ''Voice'', I believe it was, there was a report of an incident which occurred in Columbus, Ohio ... an argument, or a brawl, whatever you want to call it ... between me and another artist, a group of artists. And the details of it were somewhat confused, understandably, and I was misquoted out of context in it. I don't really want to get into a trivial feud with another act, but I think it's necessary to point out in what context these remarks, which, although they weren't strictly correctly reported, were made..." | ||
Costello's voice trails off here, nervous, unsure, but he makes a quick recovery, desperate, from the sound of it, to get this over with. "In the course of this argument, it became necessary for me to ''outrage'' these people with about the most obnoxious and... ''offensive''... remarks that I could muster, to bring the argument to a swift conclusion and rid myself of their presence." He pauses here, not all sense of timing gone. "It worked pretty good," he says, setting up his punchline. "It started a fight." | Costello's voice trails off here, nervous, unsure, but he makes a quick recovery, desperate, from the sound of it, to get this over with. "In the course of this argument, it became necessary for me to ''outrage'' these people with about the most obnoxious and... ''offensive''... remarks that I could muster, to bring the argument to a swift conclusion and rid myself of their presence." He pauses here, not all sense of timing gone. "It worked pretty good," he says, setting up his punchline. "It started a fight." | ||
There is some laughter, but nothing too hearty, at this, and Costello continues briskly, taking advantage of the brief lull in the prevailing hostility, maybe thinking that some of these people are on his side, after all. And that was the main thing," he says, and it was at that point I did say some things | There is some laughter, but nothing too hearty, at this, and Costello continues briskly, taking advantage of the brief lull in the prevailing hostility, maybe thinking that some of these people are on his side, after all. And that was the main thing," he says, and it was at that point I did say some things, which, quoted out of context, appear ''really'' offensive towards the people, you know, whose names I was taking, I suppose you might say, in vain..." | ||
"What was the context?" someone asks simply, determined to draw Costello out on this, no one here really prepared to let him get away with anything as simple as a mere apology: they want the full story, nothing less will satisfy them now. | "What was the context?" someone asks simply, determined to draw Costello out on this, no one here really prepared to let him get away with anything as simple as a mere apology: they want the full story, nothing less will satisfy them now. | ||
"The context..." Costello starts to reply, and hauls himself back to the statement he has apparently prepared, safer ground for the moment than extemporised explanations, the muck chew and chatter of what went down that bleak night. "Well, let me just finish what I'm saying first of all..." And he begins again. "These people now seem to have chosen to seek publicity at my expense by making it a gossip item. And it's getting understandably confused and I expect it will get misquoted even further out of context as time goes on. And it worries me that people are gonna pick up on words that have been said and presume that is my opinion. It was in a context of an argument that I used certain words, and that is ''not'' my opinion and ''that's'' what I've come to say today. | "The context...," Costello starts to reply, and hauls himself back to the statement he has apparently prepared, safer ground for the moment than extemporised explanations, the muck chew and chatter of what went down that bleak night. "Well, let me just finish what I'm saying first of all..." And he begins again. "These people now seem to have chosen to seek publicity at my expense by making it a gossip item. And it's getting understandably confused and I expect it will get misquoted even further out of context as time goes on. And it worries me that people are gonna pick up on words that have been said and presume that is my opinion. It was in a context of an argument that I used certain words, and that is ''not'' my opinion and ''that's'' what I've come to say today. | ||
"I mean, as I said before, I don't want to get into a trivial feud with other acts. At the same time... ''I am sure''... that if any of the artists who were mentioned in the ''Voice'' article ever read about this, they might wonder what the hell was going on, because I'm sure everybody shares the high esteem towards Ray Charles and James Brown and anybody else that might be added to the list, which I'm sure there will be as it gets more and more out of hand. | "I mean, as I said before, I don't want to get into a trivial feud with other acts. At the same time... ''I am sure''... that if any of the artists who were mentioned in the ''Voice'' article ever read about this, they might wonder what the hell was going on, because I'm sure everybody shares the high esteem towards Ray Charles and James Brown and anybody else that might be added to the list, which I'm sure there will be as it gets more and more out of hand. | ||
"And also... I'm sorry," he continues, forcing out a reluctant apology, not wanting to be seen to be on the run, which, as far as he seems to be concerned | "And also... I'm sorry," he continues, forcing out a reluctant apology, not wanting to be seen to be on the run, which, as far as he seems to be concerned, would be a capitulation to the pressure brought upon him by Bramlett's disclosures, "if people got needlessly... uh, ''angry''... about it. And I'm sure there have been, because there's been already some picketing and phone calls to the clubs we'll be playing in the next couple of days. | ||
[[image:1997-06-00 Uncut page 62.jpg|x120px|right|border]] | [[image:1997-06-00 Uncut page 62.jpg|x120px|right|border|Page 62.]] | ||
"Really," and this sounds like he's said as much as he wants to say about the entire incident, "I've just come here to kill it stone dead ''now'', and say that I'm NOT a racist, and if anybody wants to ask any questions or wants me to clarify it any further, that's all I can say..." | "Really," and this sounds like he's said as much as he wants to say about the entire incident, "I've just come here to kill it stone dead ''now'', and say that I'm NOT a racist, and if anybody wants to ask any questions or wants me to clarify it any further, that's all I can say..." | ||
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"I haven't heard ''Armed Forces''," the prosecution admits blithely, his apparent ingenuousness fooling no one. | "I haven't heard ''Armed Forces''," the prosecution admits blithely, his apparent ingenuousness fooling no one. | ||
"What's your point?" Costello asks, sharply. | "What's your point?" Costello asks, sharply. | ||
"I said you have a history," the prosecution replies, unruffled, vaguely menacing. "This isn't something that just came up. You have a history of referring to'' 'niggers' and 'Johannesburg darkies'.''" | "I said you have a history," the prosecution replies, unruffled, vaguely menacing. "This isn't something that just came up. You have a history of referring to'' 'niggers' and 'Johannesburg darkies'.''" | ||
"I have a history of referring to ''lots'' of things," Costello says, and you can feel him starting to seethe. "I think that's really irrelevant." | "I have a history of referring to ''lots'' of things," Costello says, and you can feel him starting to seethe. "I think that's really irrelevant." | ||
"That's all I wanted to know," the prosecution concludes with a minor flourish, apparently convinced a major point has been scored here. "Thank you." | "That's all I wanted to know," the prosecution concludes with a minor flourish, apparently convinced a major point has been scored here. "Thank you." | ||
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"I talked to Bonnie Bramlett," someone announces, and Costello's heart must have sunk at the mention of her name, "who ''does not'' drink, and she said that basically everything that has been ''reported'' was true." | "I talked to Bonnie Bramlett," someone announces, and Costello's heart must have sunk at the mention of her name, "who ''does not'' drink, and she said that basically everything that has been ''reported'' was true." | ||
"Well, I dispute that," Costello offers, unconvincingly. | "Well, I dispute that," Costello offers, unconvincingly. | ||
"Well, that's what she told me," comes the inevitable backhand volley. | "Well, that's what she told me," comes the inevitable backhand volley. | ||
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"I have not yet finished with my question..." They're starting to close in from all sides now. "I still would like to know what was said, why, and to whom. Because you are asking us to discredit or not pay any regard to something that was in the ''Voice'', and that's fine, but I would like to see the other side of it so I can make a valid decision." | "I have not yet finished with my question..." They're starting to close in from all sides now. "I still would like to know what was said, why, and to whom. Because you are asking us to discredit or not pay any regard to something that was in the ''Voice'', and that's fine, but I would like to see the other side of it so I can make a valid decision." | ||
"I don't quite understand what you mean," Costello confesses, helplessly adrift of the question, but this reply is howled down, blatantly derided. Costello ploughs on, head down, getting further into it. "What I'm saying is, I made remarks... if they'd been art fans, if I'd said Toulouse Lautrec was a dwarf, you know, just to ''piss them off'' — do you understand me now? Am I making myself ''clear'' enough?" | "I don't quite understand what you mean," Costello confesses, helplessly adrift of the question, but this reply is howled down, blatantly derided. Costello ploughs on, head down, getting further into it. "What I'm saying is, I made remarks... if they'd been art fans, if I'd said Toulouse Lautrec was a dwarf, you know, just to ''piss them off'' — do you understand me now? Am I making myself ''clear'' enough?" | ||
"No, you're not," comes the awful reply, rueful, calculating. | "No, you're not," comes the awful reply, rueful, calculating. | ||
"Well, I'm sorry," Costello says, annoyed and showing it. "I can't make it very much clearer than that" | "Well, I'm sorry," Costello says, annoyed and showing it. "I can't make it very much clearer than that." | ||
Someone else wants to get specific about the use of the word "nigger" | Someone else wants to get specific about the use of the word "nigger." | ||
"How is that word used, if not to piss people off?" they want to know. "What would be a legitimate context to use that word?" | "How is that word used, if not to piss people off?" they want to know. "What would be a legitimate context to use that word?" | ||
"I don't think it ''has'' a legitimate context," Costello explains, carefully, patiently, wanting this to be made clear. "That's the whole point." | "I don't think it ''has'' a legitimate context," Costello explains, carefully, patiently, wanting this to be made clear. "That's the whole point." | ||
But isn't that what you're claiming? That the context makes it legitimate?" | But isn't that what you're claiming? That the context makes it legitimate?" | ||
[[image:1997-06-00 Uncut page 63.jpg|x120px|right|border]] | [[image:1997-06-00 Uncut page 63.jpg|x120px|right|border|Page 63.]] | ||
"No... no," Costello huffs wearily. "I'm not going to argue semantics with you." | "No... no," Costello huffs wearily. "I'm not going to argue semantics with you." | ||
"Isn't it a racist word ''whenever'' it's used?" | "Isn't it a racist word ''whenever'' it's used?" | ||
"Uh, no..." Costello knows he's losing this one. | "Uh, no..." Costello knows he's losing this one. | ||
"Haven't you made ''racist'' remarks?" | "Haven't you made ''racist'' remarks?" | ||
"NO." Costello pleads, crowded, swamped by this line of questioning. "I'd dispute that." | "NO." Costello pleads, crowded, swamped by this line of questioning. "I'd dispute that." | ||
"What made you so ''angry'' that night?" This is a question from the back of the crowd. | "What made you so ''angry'' that night?" This is a question from the back of the crowd. | ||
"Well, there's ''plenty'' of things that make me angry about America," he begins, and this is typical of Costello: losing the battle, he inadvertently starts another war. | "Well, there's ''plenty'' of things that make me angry about America," he begins, and this is typical of Costello: losing the battle, he inadvertently starts another war. | ||
"But that ''particular'' night?" the reporter insists, bringing Costello back to the original question. forestalling another potentially anti-American tirade. | "But that ''particular'' night?" the reporter insists, bringing Costello back to the original question. forestalling another potentially anti-American tirade. | ||
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"Could you give us a couple of specifics?" someone asks. | "Could you give us a couple of specifics?" someone asks. | ||
"NO," Costello snaps, angry, temper on the blink | "NO," Costello snaps, angry, temper on the blink, seeing red, "because I'm not here to criticise America. I've come here to explain these things because it's getting ''out of hand''..." | ||
Another voice enters the debate now, irate, outraged. | Another voice enters the debate now, irate, outraged. | ||
"There's a quote here saying, 'We hate you | "There's a quote here saying, 'We hate you,' referring to Americans, 'we just come here for the money.' Now is ''that'' TRUE?" | ||
"It can be true one minute," Costello replies, fighting his way out of a tight corner, "and not true the next, can't it?" | "It can be true one minute," Costello replies, fighting his way out of a tight corner, "and not true the next, can't it?" | ||
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"''I'' don't know," his current interrogator howls. "CAN it?" | "''I'' don't know," his current interrogator howls. "CAN it?" | ||
"Well | "Well, yeah," Costello says, not backing down. "It can." | ||
"In what respect?" the questioner wants to know | "In what respect?" the questioner wants to know, not satisfied by this response, still angry. When do you hate Americans, when don't you?" | ||
"When I'm made to feel that I'm only here for the money | "When I'm made to feel that I'm only here for the money," Costello answers. "Some days you feel great, and others you don't." | ||
"Excuse me | "Excuse me," and this is yet another voice, "in an interview in the ''New Musical Express'', you said you were not — I'm going to quote you exactly, but then again. I'd agree with them, you know — 'I'm not a balanced, mature person as far as I'm concerned.'" | ||
"Yeah," Costello is quick to point out, "but nobody says that to make records you have to have a certificate that says you're a nice and wonderful person." | "Yeah," Costello is quick to point out, "but nobody says that to make records you have to have a certificate that says you're a nice and wonderful person." | ||
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"I think I'm crazed all the time." | "I think I'm crazed all the time." | ||
"Oh, well | "Oh, well," the reporter says, somehow miffed. | ||
"How does the band feel about this?" David Fricke asks, trying to get the conversation back on track. | "How does the band feel about this?" David Fricke asks, trying to get the conversation back on track. | ||
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Kurt Loder pitches in now. "If you wanted to make somebody mad," he asks, "couldn't you find some other way besides insulting artists like James Brown and Ray Charles?" | Kurt Loder pitches in now. "If you wanted to make somebody mad," he asks, "couldn't you find some other way besides insulting artists like James Brown and Ray Charles?" | ||
This just lights Costello's fuse again. "I just ''told'' you," he explains | This just lights Costello's fuse again. "I just ''told'' you," he explains, "at the height of the argument, I picked the most offensive thing I could think of to say to them." | ||
Loder, again: "Wouldn't that be offensive to you, too | Loder, again: "Wouldn't that be offensive to you, too, if you heard somebody say that?" | ||
"''Plenty'' of horrible stuff is written about me, the same as it is about everybody else. I'm sure much worse has been said about people like that, and much more seriously. I mean, I've seen films of people talking about the nigger music, and all that. And those people in the Fifties, in Alabama, they ''meant'' it." | "''Plenty'' of horrible stuff is written about me, the same as it is about everybody else. I'm sure much worse has been said about people like that, and much more seriously. I mean, I've seen films of people talking about the nigger music, and all that. And those people in the Fifties, in Alabama, they ''meant'' it." | ||
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"'That's all Ray Charles is, an ignorant, blind nigger,' you ''did'' say. Either in context or out of context." | "'That's all Ray Charles is, an ignorant, blind nigger,' you ''did'' say. Either in context or out of context." | ||
"I've no idea whether I said those ''exact'' words," Costello says | "I've no idea whether I said those ''exact'' words," Costello says, and he sounds desperate. "Like I said, I tried to pick the most offensive thing I could think to say to them..." | ||
"Do you believe | "Do you believe," another voice asks, "in the saying that a drunken mind reveals what a sober mind conceals?" | ||
"No... no, I don't," Costello answers quickly. "But that was a good try." | "No... no, I don't," Costello answers quickly. "But that was a good try." | ||
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"Even if one accepted your explanation, which I'm in some ways inclined to do, one is left with the notion of the intensity of the hostility in this thing, and your anger. And, throughout your career, there have been ''innumerable'' reports of hostility. If that is true... to some extent true... does it bother you about yourself, your own self image, that there's so much anger?" | "Even if one accepted your explanation, which I'm in some ways inclined to do, one is left with the notion of the intensity of the hostility in this thing, and your anger. And, throughout your career, there have been ''innumerable'' reports of hostility. If that is true... to some extent true... does it bother you about yourself, your own self image, that there's so much anger?" | ||
[[image:1997-06-00 Uncut page 64.jpg|x120px|right|border]] | [[image:1997-06-00 Uncut page 64.jpg|x120px|right|border|Page 64.]] | ||
"Well, ''no''," Costello replies, regaining some of his composure. "Because the press are not infallible, and nor am I. So I understand there's a certain amount of misinterpretation ... that's why... I mean, anybody here — I don't honestly know you all by name, I know some of your faces — but anybody in the music press, at least here, pretty much knows our history with the music press is one of pretty much not talking to you, for very good reasons. You must understand that it seems important enough for me to want to come here myself and not make a press statement that could then be misinterpreted again. That's why I'm here, so you can ask me questions about it." | "Well, ''no''," Costello replies, regaining some of his composure. "Because the press are not infallible, and nor am I. So I understand there's a certain amount of misinterpretation ... that's why... I mean, anybody here — I don't honestly know you all by name, I know some of your faces — but anybody in the music press, at least here, pretty much knows our history with the music press is one of pretty much not talking to you, for very good reasons. You must understand that it seems important enough for me to want to come here myself and not make a press statement that could then be misinterpreted again. That's why I'm here, so you can ask me questions about it." | ||
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"I was called down here to find out your side of the story," pipes up another correspondent. "You called this press conference obviously to explain what your intentions were | "I was called down here to find out your side of the story," pipes up another correspondent. "You called this press conference obviously to explain what your intentions were, even if it was out of context, no matter what you say it was about, it's still out of context to me personally, because I wasn't there... maybe it's trivial to describe the circumstances, but maybe you ''have'' to. Because I have to understand exactly what you meant when you said those things, so I can believe you..." | ||
Costello is already beyond this kind of burden. "What do you want me to ''do''?" he asks, fuming. "Recite the entire conversation as far as I can remember it?" | Costello is already beyond this kind of burden. "What do you want me to ''do''?" he asks, fuming. "Recite the entire conversation as far as I can remember it?" | ||
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This just starts the mob off on another round of familiar enquiry. | This just starts the mob off on another round of familiar enquiry. | ||
"Why were you so angry at Stephen Stills and Bonnie Bramlett? We haven't been told ..." | "Why were you so angry at Stephen Stills and Bonnie Bramlett? We haven't been told..." | ||
Costello must have felt like tearing out his hair. The answer floods out, a gush of words. | Costello must have felt like tearing out his hair. The answer floods out, a gush of words. | ||
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"And you were not available to comment when we tried to reach you!" This can only be Goldstein again. You ''made'' yourself unavailable!" | "And you were not available to comment when we tried to reach you!" This can only be Goldstein again. You ''made'' yourself unavailable!" | ||
"No. I did ''not'' make myself unavailable." | "No. I did ''not'' make myself unavailable." | ||
Goldstein is having none of this. "Don't blame it on the ''press''," he bellows at Costello, "which you've been doing all afternoon here. It's ''not'' the press, IT'S YOU!" Goldstein is shrieking now. "YOU said it, and you were unavailable to clarify it!" | Goldstein is having none of this. "Don't blame it on the ''press''," he bellows at Costello, "which you've been doing all afternoon here. It's ''not'' the press, IT'S YOU!" Goldstein is shrieking now. "YOU said it, and you were unavailable to clarify it!" | ||
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Chet Flippo sees an opening here. "What if someone called you a sawed-off limey poseur?" he asks nonchalant, but malevolent, a nasty edge to his voice. "What would you say?" | Chet Flippo sees an opening here. "What if someone called you a sawed-off limey poseur?" he asks nonchalant, but malevolent, a nasty edge to his voice. "What would you say?" | ||
Costello just laughs, nothing to be gained now by punching anyone out. "I think that was something that was said that night, actually ... I think there were several things along those lines ..." | Costello just laughs, nothing to be gained now by punching anyone out. "I think that was something that was said that night, actually ... I think there were several things along those lines..." | ||
"Would you insult ''Frank Sinatra'' like that?" someone wants to know. | "Would you insult ''Frank Sinatra'' like that?" someone wants to know. | ||
"I might do," Costello says. | "I might do," Costello says. | ||
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"If you ''did'', I don't think you'd be here right now," announces a wit in the crowd, and Costello responds to this with genuine amusement. | "If you ''did'', I don't think you'd be here right now," announces a wit in the crowd, and Costello responds to this with genuine amusement. | ||
"No... I probably wouldn't," he says, and there's more laughter at this, a feeling that everyone's running out of steam, and Costello is quick to follow it up with another point. "Like you said before, the lady down the end there, the things that have been printed are only the things about the black artists because they were the things that really annoyed them most of all. That makes good copy, right? That makes ''good copy''. They didn't print the things I said about Crosby, Stills And Nash ..." | "No... I probably wouldn't," he says, and there's more laughter at this, a feeling that everyone's running out of steam, and Costello is quick to follow it up with another point. "Like you said before, the lady down the end there, the things that have been printed are only the things about the black artists because they were the things that really annoyed them most of all. That makes good copy, right? That makes ''good copy''. They didn't print the things I said about Crosby, Stills And Nash..." | ||
"What did you say about ''them''?" comes the inevitable question, but Costello isn't falling for it. | "What did you say about ''them''?" comes the inevitable question, but Costello isn't falling for it. | ||
"I've said enough | "I've said enough," he answers, getting even more laughs. He can't, however, stop himself having one last dig at Bonnie Bramlett. "And they didn't," he snipes, "print the things where Bonnie said that all limeys are lousy fucks and couldn't get it up anymore." | ||
"How would she know?" David Fricke asks, deadpan. | "How would she know?" David Fricke asks, deadpan. | ||
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The ''Voice'' speaks up again: "How much damage do you suppose this has done to your career? Has it done any damage?" | The ''Voice'' speaks up again: "How much damage do you suppose this has done to your career? Has it done any damage?" | ||
"I would say it has | "I would say it has," Costello admits. "I mean, if the gigs are in jeopardy and if things get awkward enough — I don't want to have a million bodyguards and stuff if threats start coming in and things like that..." | ||
"How many threats have you had?" someone asks, concerned. | "How many threats have you had?" someone asks, concerned. | ||
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"Yes ... it is." | "Yes ... it is." | ||
No ... no," Costello protests, and he's had enough of these people now. "It's to prove the point. I ''told'' you what my point was. I AM NOT A RACIST. It's to apologise. I'm not afraid of using that word 'apologise' to Ray Charles or James Brown. To anybody that might read what I said and presume that was my opinion of them. Because I don't want them | No ... no," Costello protests, and he's had enough of these people now. "It's to prove the point. I ''told'' you what my point was. I AM NOT A RACIST. It's to apologise. I'm not afraid of using that word 'apologise' to Ray Charles or James Brown. To anybody that might read what I said and presume that was my opinion of them. Because I don't want them to think that's the ''truth''. Because it ''ain't'' the truth. And to anybody that has got unnecessarily wound up, anybody that's kicked in the TV or burned their copy of the ''Village Voice'' in anger, it's ''unnecessary''. | ||
"Because it ain't the truth," he says finally. "And that's ''all'' I'm gonna say." | "Because it ain't the truth," he says finally. "And that's ''all'' I'm gonna say." | ||
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However sincere and contrite Costello might have thought he sounded by the end of his press conference, his performance didn't, as he had hoped, kill the controversy. The press wasn't that forgiving. The civil rights groups, still aggrieved, weren't satisfied by his explanations, were unmoved by his apologies. They confirmed they would picket his weekend concerts. What Jake Riviera had planned as a weekend New York would always remember had turned into something he was probably already wishing he could forget. | However sincere and contrite Costello might have thought he sounded by the end of his press conference, his performance didn't, as he had hoped, kill the controversy. The press wasn't that forgiving. The civil rights groups, still aggrieved, weren't satisfied by his explanations, were unmoved by his apologies. They confirmed they would picket his weekend concerts. What Jake Riviera had planned as a weekend New York would always remember had turned into something he was probably already wishing he could forget. | ||
[[image:1997-06-00 Uncut page 65.jpg|x120px|right|border]] | [[image:1997-06-00 Uncut page 65.jpg|x120px|right|border|Page 65.]] | ||
The "April Fool's Day Marathon" went ahead, starting at the Lone Star, where Costello opened with a wry aside to the audience. "This playing three clubs in one night is somebody's idea of an April Fool," he said, "and I think I know who the fool is." The New York chapter of [[Rock Against Racism]] picketed the Bottom Line, carrying placards that read, "KICK HIM AGAIN, BONN" and "SEND ELVIS BACK TO COMPUTER SCHOOL" | The "April Fool's Day Marathon" went ahead, starting at the Lone Star, where Costello opened with a wry aside to the audience. "This playing three clubs in one night is somebody's idea of an April Fool," he said, "and I think I know who the fool is." The New York chapter of [[Rock Against Racism]] picketed the Bottom Line, carrying placards that read, "KICK HIM AGAIN, BONN" and "SEND ELVIS BACK TO COMPUTER SCHOOL." Costello replied by starting his show there with a version of The Merseybeats' "I Stand Accused" and his own "Accidents Will Happen." | ||
With Costello still receiving death threats, security at the shows was tight. The first glimpse of a tape recorder, say, or a camera brought an usually immediate and vindictive response from a Riviera-inspired snatch squad, led by The Attractions' tour manager, Des Brown, whose job it had become to wade into the crowd, apprehend the potential bootlegger or photographer and bully them into handing over their tape or film, or else. This had become a nightly routine, and the consequences were sometimes unpleasant. | With Costello still receiving death threats, security at the shows was tight. The first glimpse of a tape recorder, say, or a camera brought an usually immediate and vindictive response from a Riviera-inspired snatch squad, led by The Attractions' tour manager, Des Brown, whose job it had become to wade into the crowd, apprehend the potential bootlegger or photographer and bully them into handing over their tape or film, or else. This had become a nightly routine, and the consequences were sometimes unpleasant. | ||
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There were more shows in America after New York, but the heart had gone out of the tour; everybody now just wanted to get home. | There were more shows in America after New York, but the heart had gone out of the tour; everybody now just wanted to get home. | ||
Jake could only make sure there were no further disasters and count the cost of the damage already done, which was plenty. The day after the Columbus dog-fight, March 17, ''Armed Forces'' had climbed to Number 10 on the ''Billboard'' album chart. With a lot of sales presumably still to come, the Costello camp must have been confident of a Top Five final placing. By the end of April, however, ''Armed Forces'' was already out of the US Top 30 and sinking fast. The tour Costello was completing | Jake could only make sure there were no further disasters and count the cost of the damage already done, which was plenty. The day after the Columbus dog-fight, March 17, ''Armed Forces'' had climbed to Number 10 on the ''Billboard'' album chart. With a lot of sales presumably still to come, the Costello camp must have been confident of a Top Five final placing. By the end of April, however, ''Armed Forces'' was already out of the US Top 30 and sinking fast. The tour Costello was completing, which should have been the start of a massive Stateside clean-up, was the end of a brief commercial supremacy, not the beginning of the popular domination Riviera had envisaged. Costello would not sell as many copies of a single album in America again. It would be another 18 months in fact before he even toured there again, and longer still before he began to recover fully from the dire consequences of that drunken night in Ohio. | ||
As late as 1982, in a long [[Rolling Stone, September 2, 1982||interview]] with Greil Marcus in ''Rolling Stone'', he was still clearly haunted by what had happened. | As late as 1982, in a long [[Rolling Stone, September 2, 1982||interview]] with Greil Marcus in ''Rolling Stone'', he was still clearly haunted by what had happened. | ||
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"It's become a terrible thing, hanging over my head," he reflected. "It's horrible to work hard for a long time and find that what you're best known for is something as idiotic as ... this. | "It's become a terrible thing, hanging over my head," he reflected. "It's horrible to work hard for a long time and find that what you're best known for is something as idiotic as ... this. | ||
The first thing that a lot of people heard about me was that incident. I think it outweighs my entire career — which is a pretty depressing prospect. | "The first thing that a lot of people heard about me was that incident. I think it outweighs my entire career — which is a pretty depressing prospect. | ||
"Fred Schruers wrote a piece about it — a sort of 'tenor of the tour' piece. He said it was like an exercise in paranoia. To an extent, it was. The anti-journalist thing we were doing, the anti-photographer thing, had reached an almost excessive level by that point. Schruers said that the press were looking for something to crucify me with, and I fed myself to the lions. There were words to that effect. I remember them distinctly. And I couldn't help but agree, to a certain extent, looking — aside from the incident itself — dispassionately at the effect of what happened. | "Fred Schruers wrote a piece about it — a sort of 'tenor of the tour' piece. He said it was like an exercise in paranoia. To an extent, it was. The anti-journalist thing we were doing, the anti-photographer thing, had reached an almost excessive level by that point. Schruers said that the press were looking for something to crucify me with, and I fed myself to the lions. There were words to that effect. I remember them distinctly. And I couldn't help but agree, to a certain extent, looking — aside from the incident itself — dispassionately at the effect of what happened. | ||
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"What actually happened was this," Costello went on, after all this time still trying to explain himself, make himself clear in a way he'd been unable to at his 1979 press conference. "We were in the bar — Bruce Thomas and I were in the bar after the show in Columbus, Ohio. And we were ''very'' drunk. | "What actually happened was this," Costello went on, after all this time still trying to explain himself, make himself clear in a way he'd been unable to at his 1979 press conference. "We were in the bar — Bruce Thomas and I were in the bar after the show in Columbus, Ohio. And we were ''very'' drunk. | ||
"Well, we weren't drunk to begin with — we were reasonably drunk. And we started into what you'd probably call joshing. Gentle jibes between the two camps of the Stills Band and us. It developed as it got drunker and drunker into a nastier and nastier argument. And I suppose that in my drunkenness, my contempt for them was probably exaggerated beyond my ''real'' contempt for them. I don't think I had a real opinion | "Well, we weren't drunk to begin with — we were reasonably drunk. And we started into what you'd probably call joshing. Gentle jibes between the two camps of the Stills Band and us. It developed as it got drunker and drunker into a nastier and nastier argument. And I suppose that in my drunkenness, my contempt for them was probably exaggerated beyond my ''real'' contempt for them. I don't think I had a real opinion. | ||
"But they just seemed in some way to typify a lot of things that I thought were wrong with American music. And that's probably quite unfair. But at that exact moment — they did. And I said the most outrageous thing I could possibly say to them — that I ''knew'', in my drunken logic, would anger them more than anything else." | "But they just seemed in some way to typify a lot of things that I thought were wrong with American music. And that's probably quite unfair. But at that exact moment — they did. And I said the most outrageous thing I could possibly say to them — that I ''knew'', in my drunken logic, would anger them more than anything else." |
Revision as of 22:52, 4 January 2024
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