After a long break, here we are, back in remembrance mode again!
There have been quite a few bands that I've been involved with in the past many months, (these I will mention in future articles) and as a result, have been away from the blogging side of the computer for a while!
Getting back to Louis and the Bad Boys - Downtown Johannesburg 1975.
Cannot remember the name of the club, but it was in the center of Johannesburg not far from The Carlton Center.
Having once again no gear, I managed, with the assistance of the club's manager, to hire an Organ, Amp. and Speaker. Unbeknown to me, the club manager had some dubious connections and if anyone refused his request....!!
So I had this Organ - can't remember the make - we rehearsed and played some serious renditions of Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Styx, Hendrix etc. etc.
The club gained popularity, and was eventually becoming "The Place to Be" - the band was cooking and becoming really tight.
One night, this guy - I can still remember his face - walked past the stage and handed each of us some tablets. "Take these Brother, they'll do good things".
Needless to say, they did good things! I remember going into the kitchen after the gig and ordering three plates of chips! and then drinking all sorts of rubbish! Not good, I tell you, and never again! (or so I thought)!
After a few weeks at this gig, I had an altercation with one of the manager's brothers. My jacket had been on the back of one of the chairs, and at the end of the gig, it was gone.
I started to complain, and the argument became heated about my missing jacket, next thing there was a gun in my face from this stupid testosterone infused gun wielding idiot! complaining that I was making a scene! - I decided, for health reasons, to forget about the jacket...
During the time we were there, we played now and then at a Hotel in a town called Vereeniging. There was this guy - enormous Afrikaans chap, I think his name was Mr. Brewaar, I might be wrong, anyway, he thought the band was brilliant. Could we please perform at his hotel.
Transport was scarce in those days. I didn't drive, the Bass player had a beaten up car, the Drummer's car was also in decrepit mode, so somehow, we managed to organize transport from Johannesburg to Vereeniging! (about 2 hours drive).
I still remember the band playing our heavy rock to this crowd of Afrikaners who had never heard of Styx! - Hendrix maybe...
Louis had the ability to slip into Afrikaans mode and play and sing an entire repertoire of rude and lewd Afrikaans folk songs - much to the delight of the public.
After which we did our Deep Purple routine and I was rocking this poor organ back and forth.
Long hair flaying, Louis flying, Bass and Drums thundering and before I knew what was happening, the organ, which by this time was tilted on it's side (while still playing it ), slipped, and next thing it had fallen off the stage, crashing to the floor!
The crowd thought this was brilliant! The organ was still groaning as I tried to salvage it - I must have been stronger in those days as I managed to pick it up and get it sorted for the remainder of the gig!
Somehow it never quite sounded the same after that...
The hire company were never quite sure why their organ looked a little strange and sounded a little different!
We were at the Johannesburg Club for about four months when we were offered a gig at the Skyline Hotel, Hillbrow.
This was the ticket - no more paying R11:00 a month for my Bachelor Flat!
We now had a contract for three months, with an option for a further three months - accommodation plus food, plus salary!! This was the one!
With stardom in mind, we signed the contract, only to discover that it was just another gig, albeit regular work. The accommodation was average, the food edible, the crowd ranging from okay to horrendous. One night, there was a fight on the streets of Hillbrow which tumbled into our gig. Next thing I'm ducking behind the organ as shots are being fired towards the stage!!
There was a Lebonese gang chasing after who knows what, and the fight landed in our gig -people ducking behind chairs and tables, me hoping the Hammond (I had a Hammond L100 by now) was bullet proof!
Eventually the cops arrived and the situation was dissolved. Fortunately, I never had the need to discover whether the Hammond was indeed bullet proof as the shots were fired wild and nobody or any instrument was hurt or disfigured!
This was not the Rock 'n Roll that I had dreamed about.
During our residence at The Skyline Hotel, we were invited to play at The Ellis Park Rock Festival.
This was a Rock Festival that featured a variety of bands.
All the gear was supplied - An enormous PA, monitors, Amps, Mikes etc. including a Yellow Hammond C3.
Who in their right, left or distorted mind paints a Hammond Yellow? or any colour for goodness sake!
We were booked for an afternoon slot to enable us to get back to the Skyline for our evening regular gig.
Prior to our performance, I had noticed the keyboard player from one of the other bands fiddling around with the keyboard of the Hammond. I thought nothing of it until later when we were playing.
When I used to play the Hammond, one of the tricks I used was where I would use the palm of my left hand and do a whoosh from left to right along the entire length of the keyboard, creating a really cool effect.
I had been doing it for years (with the Hammond of course - do it on a modern day synth and it would probably break the keys!)
We were playing probably "Smoke on the Water" and it was my keyboard solo coming up. I started the solo with the "Whoosh" and the entire keyboard turned red. I looked at my left hand and there was blood everywhere!
At this stage of the band's career, Louis had a rather interesting relationship with alcohol and other
substances and before we went on, we discovered that he was flying once
again!
I looked at him, held up my hand and he said play on! So there I was, bleeding profusely, playing on.
Next thing, this paramedic is bandaging my left hand whilst I'm soloing with my right!
I can never prove it, but I'm sure there must have been a razor blade inserted in between the keys of that Hammond - there is no other explanation as to why my left hand would cut open like it did.
Later that night, we are back at the Skyline Hotel, doing our regular gig. The wound is still oozing yet we're still playing!
The opposition party tells Louis that I need stitches - his response - he'll play the night!
To which I did another "Whoosh", this time on my Hammond, and once again there was blood everywhere!
Off now to the Emergency Unit at the local hospital - wound sorted!
This was the beginning of the decline of Louis and the Bad Boys. We, (the three of us) decided that we couldn't work like this.
Years later I sold that Hammond, but before doing so, stripped it down to check all the wiring and tone wheel generator were okay. When I removed the lower keyboard and discovered all these stains on the metal below, the memories of that dreadful event came flooding back.
My hand healed and it was a while before I did the dreaded "Whoosh" again!
One evening at the Skyline Hotel, we couldn't find Louis - went to his room, knocked on the door - nothing.
We went to the hotel reception and they sent one of the porters upstairs with a spare key to his room as we were getting a bit concerned.
We found Louis on the floor with the wire from the hotel room ceiling light wrapped around his neck and the light fitting half way out of the ceiling! He'd tried, unsuccessfully, to hang himself...
We received our first warning from management.
In retrospect, the three of us should have moved on then, but this was Rock 'n Roll and the band was really hot.
The second and final warning came a few weeks later.
Once again we're on stage, the place is packed and no sign of Louis. The hotel room routine was duly checked with no result.
At the back of the stage was a curtain and behind that, was an area used for storage.
One of us, I can't remember who, pulled back the curtain and there was Louis completely passed out!
None of us could wake him up, it was almost 8pm - time to start.
I came up with this brainwave - what if we short the stage power supply, then we can't play?
Nobody had heard of unplugged in those days...
We lifted up this cover that was on the floor behind the curtain and there were all the plugs. So very carefully we linked the earth with the positive and negative terminals, switched on a Bang! All the power went - not just the stage but the entire club!
The manager came along to inspect the power supply, discovered our handiwork, then saw Louis flat on his back - that was it - fired!!
The next morning we were packing, Louis said he was leaving the band, so there we were:
No gig, no guitarist - what now? And then along came Harry...
