The Angels by Bob Yates & Rick Brewster & John Brewster

Author:Bob Yates & Rick Brewster & John Brewster
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780143782643
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia
Published: 2017-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

John: I went, ‘Well, all I know is that we finished up with a lot of debt from recording this album over there and we don’t want to put more good money after bad. We’ve finally paid it off. We don’t want to go into debt again.’ And I said, ‘That’s not me that’s saying that. That’s the band.’

At the next meeting Woodruff explained how they’d be keeping costs down by supporting Triumph, a major MCA band, on a tour playing arenas. MCA would supply a dedicated promotional manager to travel with them, and all touring expenses and wages would be covered against future album royalties – not their bank accounts. He’d also engaged a new booking agency who’d do a better job than William Morris at setting up a great run of top club gigs. He soothed their concerns and by the end of the meeting had talked them into going.

Ashley Howe met them at LA airport – a nice surprise but no sign of anyone from MCA. He gave them the latest gossip. There’d been a staff purge at MCA and most of the old brigade had gone, with a new team being installed. Irving Azoff had instigated another ‘roster rationalisation’ in his drive to get MCA back into profit.

It was unsettling news but Steve from MCA would be at the first gig and that was cool.

The following morning Doc was on location shooting segments for Australian TV while the roadies picked up hire cars and a small equipment truck. By day three they were heading to their first gig, the Golden Bear at Huntington Beach, accompanied by the TV crew and various LA friends. (‘You have how many on your guest list?’)

It was a small club and the show went well. A couple of hundred fans turned up as did Steve with some colleagues, all of them new to MCA. Steve said little and it was clear the others knew nothing about the band or earlier conversations and promises made by previously employed executives during the signing process. After the show they politely shook hands, said goodnight and left. Another guy introduced himself: Rob Kahane. He was from Triad, the new booking agency Woody had engaged. He came across as a smooth LA corporate type: besuited, tanned and manicured.

Next day they drove up to San Francisco for the first gig with Triumph. With them was Tom, an enthusiastic promo guy from MCA. Until Woodruff had mentioned them, the Aussies had never heard of Triumph, but Tom assured them they had a rock ’n’ roll following who’d love Angel City.

The show was at the 10,000-seat Cow Palace. Just before they went on, someone on the Triumph crew thought it amusing to play a Michael Jackson song through the PA. The booing and catcalls were still in the air when Angel City was announced. A very pissed-off band strode out and plugged in, intending to do a killer show. Instead, the audience attempted to kill them. Or at least a vocal minority down the front did, pelting them with coins and toilet paper.

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