Thanks for voting, Wyatt! And you're right. It was definitely Body Count. The posters I found online only had Ice-T listed. Guess they did it for name recognition?
This is getting weird. You’ve tapped into my itinerary. I didn’t work the whole Lalapalooza Tour but I did do that show. I lived in Phoenix at the time and was home between gigs. I knew the owner of the company who was going to be providing security at the Compton venue and he asked if I could coordinate it. At the risk of boring you I need to insert context.
Compton Terrace is a huge complex just south of Phoenix. It’s on a reservation. I’ll explain why that’s important shortly. It was owned at that time by Stevie Nicks’ father. Anyway there’s a lake for boat racing, a track for drag racing, a course for off road races and the concert venue. The concert venue itself is large. For European context think Wacken, Summer Breeze, Hellfest, Mera Luna. Not exactly but you get the picture. Because it’s on a reservation the security is complex. An event would be secured by a local company but since the complex itself is on a reservation everything outside the event is controlled by the reservation police. For example, if you create a problem I will escort you to the gate and turn you over to the rez police. I have many stories about that but will spare you those.
So that being the first show of the first year of Lalapalooza they set up a couple days early. My company was responsible for securing the area during the setup and for the actual show itself. I went down about lunch time to check things out. Everyone was eating so I went in to grab a bite myself. I got my tray and looked around. The tables were all full except for the table where Ice Tea and Bodycount were sitting. I walked over and sat down. They stared at me and I stared back, then started to eat. No one said a word. They didn’t know I had seen them a couple weeks before in LA when they had their “coming out” performance. I actually liked them.
On the day of the show Ice Tea did his rap set, then performed with Body Count. Backstage after their set I ran into them coming off. They remembered me and asked me what I thought. I told them how much I enjoyed them. They were interested in a comparison to other bands I had worked with. I replied favorably. That turned out to be important later down the road when they came to perform in what could have been a racially charged show on MLK Day and they requested me to run the security. But I digress.
As far as the show itself the bands were pretty much what one would expect from them with one exception. Nine Inch Nails had equipment issues. Reznor flipped out and terminated the set. So if one of your readers selected them …wrong answer. The only other issue was Jane’s Addiction. During one of their songs Navarro tossed his guitar into the audience. Their manager asked me to retrieve it which I did reluctantly. He threw it a second time and I told the manager to “fuck off”. As far as I know some kid got himself a guitar. Then Farrell and Navarro got into a fight over that after the show. That’s why I couldn’t understand the big deal about their fight in Boston last year. They were always fighting. They hated each other.
Anyway the answer is Ice Tea. Sorry to turn this into a historical dissertation.
First off – WOW! What a fantastic comment! Thank you so much for taking the time to share these fascinating stories.
And you’re right, the coincidence is weird. I did a quick search for Lollapalooza posters and three came up immediately. I chose the one I liked the best. How odd that you have such a personal connection to the very date and venue!
I had no idea that Compton Terrace is on a reservation, or that it was owned by Stevie Nicks’ father. You did a magnificent job in describing the grounds, and I can only imagine what a logistical headache it must have been to secure. I bet those stories with the rez police are worth their weight in gold.
I laughed so hard at the visual of you joining Ice-T’s table I nearly choked on my coffee. Then I shook my head when I read the part about Jane’s Addiction. How typical of Perry and Dave. I’ve been a fan since the early days and can’t tell you how many times I wished they’d just shut up and kick ass with their music.
Thanks again for sharing such gems. Your comment has made my day.
I lived in Phoenix for awhile so did a lot of gigs at Compton, not only for concerts but also for the racing events. I learned very early that for me to be successful there I needed to establish a good working relationship with the police. They were the final authority. The rez is a land unto itself. For the rock shows I would always go out to the parking lots before the show looking for patrons who brought alcohol or drugs (both verboten on the rez). Sometimes I’d try to warn people that bad things would happen (see impounded vehicles) if they consumed around the police. If they were dicks I would impound it myself, along with drugs they might have. There were also merch dealers who would try to bootleg Tshirts or whatever. The Rez police would confiscate their stuff. I would meet the police later and exchange the alcohol and drugs I had for any merch they had. It was transactional and I knew if any crap went down they had my back. That’s an insider story for you. Those were some crazy days my friend.
I read Robbie Robertson’s autobiography and he talks about the Rez and it’s not flattering. Growing up in Arizona I went to a smaller school and we played against the Indians in sports. The Phoenix Indian School was located in the heart of Phoenix... prime property! The students were fantastic, their families were the best fans but the Agency ended up screwing them out of the land (surprise surprise). I really enjoyed interacting with them while at the free throw line. By the way, they were damn good ball players... they run, run, and run even more. We had a game where there was a combined 168 points; 8 minutes each quarter, no 3-pt shot, and no dunking. We lost and we scored 78 points!!!
The Rez is definitely rough around the edges, but all of the people I met on my visits were very good to me. I’ve found that a bit of humility and respect will get you far in most places.
That basketball game sounds epic! Oh to be young again. I know the Suns could use the help. 😄
The first location was at Legend City , a theme park that was heavily promoted by Wallace and Ladmo (a local kids show that didn’t talk down to kids). It had it’s moments but moving it to the Rez was smart.
William Edward Compton shaped the music that Arizona listened to until his untimely car accident in the late 70’s. Better known as ‘Little Willie Sunshine’ back in his AM days, Compton was a pure genius along with Jess Nicks and Doug Clark.
During the 70’s, most bands made Phoenix their “pre-start” for tours starting from LA to the East Coast. Phoenix was small enough to run a practice show yet smart enough to know good talent when they heard and saw double billed performances such as: Billy Joel as an opening act for Roberta Flack (rip), Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen playing before the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band or Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt on the same bill while both used Jackson’s sidemen as Linda’s band got ill in Washington DC. Eagles, Bowie (Spiders from Mars Tour), the Kinks, Joe Walsh, ZZ Top, ELO, The Mothers of Invention, Springsteen (at least 5 concerts prior to’75)... and more.
It was great and the move to Compton Terrace kept the ball rolling and rockin’.
Thanks for the history. I moved to Phoenix in the middle 80s. I had been doing personal security for bands for a while and was living in Denver. Since where I lived didn’t matter when a friend moved there and raved about it I thought “why not”. It sounds like you must have been a “regular customer “.
Correct... the correction facility happened after’76, prior to being the womens place it was a Travel Lodge motel and the theater was called the Travel Lodge but when it became pretty much an exclusive venue it became the Celebrity Theater. A lot of the groups stayed there for the evening because it was cheap and the bands didn’t make even close to the money they make today.
That’s interesting. I did a lot of shows there in the middle to late 80s. I always really enjoyed the venue. If the show was slow or boring I would go outside and talk to the guys working the parking lot. There were some balcony structures on the side of the prison and we would try to get the ladies to flash us or put on a show. Great memories. Do you still live in the Phoenix area?
I've seen Jane's Addiction three times and Siouxie once...Rollins is tempting but I've never seen the Surfers and that's a fucking party...All the shows I've missed out on living outside the U.S. for so long...and about the only thing I've missed...the rock'n roll....okay, family too and good pizza
I'd like to see Living Colour, please!
Thanks for letting me know, AKM! Now if you’ll please approach the stage, Cult of Personality is about to begin…
Ice-T — which was really Body Count that summer.
Thanks for voting, Wyatt! And you're right. It was definitely Body Count. The posters I found online only had Ice-T listed. Guess they did it for name recognition?
Ice Tea performed his rap set, then finished with Body count.
I think the order was that they signed Ice-T, and the whole Cop Killer thing blew up and they were hot at that point if memory serves.
I never got to see it but I think Daniel's comment is correct in terms of how the set went.
This is getting weird. You’ve tapped into my itinerary. I didn’t work the whole Lalapalooza Tour but I did do that show. I lived in Phoenix at the time and was home between gigs. I knew the owner of the company who was going to be providing security at the Compton venue and he asked if I could coordinate it. At the risk of boring you I need to insert context.
Compton Terrace is a huge complex just south of Phoenix. It’s on a reservation. I’ll explain why that’s important shortly. It was owned at that time by Stevie Nicks’ father. Anyway there’s a lake for boat racing, a track for drag racing, a course for off road races and the concert venue. The concert venue itself is large. For European context think Wacken, Summer Breeze, Hellfest, Mera Luna. Not exactly but you get the picture. Because it’s on a reservation the security is complex. An event would be secured by a local company but since the complex itself is on a reservation everything outside the event is controlled by the reservation police. For example, if you create a problem I will escort you to the gate and turn you over to the rez police. I have many stories about that but will spare you those.
So that being the first show of the first year of Lalapalooza they set up a couple days early. My company was responsible for securing the area during the setup and for the actual show itself. I went down about lunch time to check things out. Everyone was eating so I went in to grab a bite myself. I got my tray and looked around. The tables were all full except for the table where Ice Tea and Bodycount were sitting. I walked over and sat down. They stared at me and I stared back, then started to eat. No one said a word. They didn’t know I had seen them a couple weeks before in LA when they had their “coming out” performance. I actually liked them.
On the day of the show Ice Tea did his rap set, then performed with Body Count. Backstage after their set I ran into them coming off. They remembered me and asked me what I thought. I told them how much I enjoyed them. They were interested in a comparison to other bands I had worked with. I replied favorably. That turned out to be important later down the road when they came to perform in what could have been a racially charged show on MLK Day and they requested me to run the security. But I digress.
As far as the show itself the bands were pretty much what one would expect from them with one exception. Nine Inch Nails had equipment issues. Reznor flipped out and terminated the set. So if one of your readers selected them …wrong answer. The only other issue was Jane’s Addiction. During one of their songs Navarro tossed his guitar into the audience. Their manager asked me to retrieve it which I did reluctantly. He threw it a second time and I told the manager to “fuck off”. As far as I know some kid got himself a guitar. Then Farrell and Navarro got into a fight over that after the show. That’s why I couldn’t understand the big deal about their fight in Boston last year. They were always fighting. They hated each other.
Anyway the answer is Ice Tea. Sorry to turn this into a historical dissertation.
First off – WOW! What a fantastic comment! Thank you so much for taking the time to share these fascinating stories.
And you’re right, the coincidence is weird. I did a quick search for Lollapalooza posters and three came up immediately. I chose the one I liked the best. How odd that you have such a personal connection to the very date and venue!
I had no idea that Compton Terrace is on a reservation, or that it was owned by Stevie Nicks’ father. You did a magnificent job in describing the grounds, and I can only imagine what a logistical headache it must have been to secure. I bet those stories with the rez police are worth their weight in gold.
I laughed so hard at the visual of you joining Ice-T’s table I nearly choked on my coffee. Then I shook my head when I read the part about Jane’s Addiction. How typical of Perry and Dave. I’ve been a fan since the early days and can’t tell you how many times I wished they’d just shut up and kick ass with their music.
Thanks again for sharing such gems. Your comment has made my day.
I lived in Phoenix for awhile so did a lot of gigs at Compton, not only for concerts but also for the racing events. I learned very early that for me to be successful there I needed to establish a good working relationship with the police. They were the final authority. The rez is a land unto itself. For the rock shows I would always go out to the parking lots before the show looking for patrons who brought alcohol or drugs (both verboten on the rez). Sometimes I’d try to warn people that bad things would happen (see impounded vehicles) if they consumed around the police. If they were dicks I would impound it myself, along with drugs they might have. There were also merch dealers who would try to bootleg Tshirts or whatever. The Rez police would confiscate their stuff. I would meet the police later and exchange the alcohol and drugs I had for any merch they had. It was transactional and I knew if any crap went down they had my back. That’s an insider story for you. Those were some crazy days my friend.
Crazy indeed. I’ve been to a couple of reservations in Canada. It’s like stepping into a different world.
👍
I read Robbie Robertson’s autobiography and he talks about the Rez and it’s not flattering. Growing up in Arizona I went to a smaller school and we played against the Indians in sports. The Phoenix Indian School was located in the heart of Phoenix... prime property! The students were fantastic, their families were the best fans but the Agency ended up screwing them out of the land (surprise surprise). I really enjoyed interacting with them while at the free throw line. By the way, they were damn good ball players... they run, run, and run even more. We had a game where there was a combined 168 points; 8 minutes each quarter, no 3-pt shot, and no dunking. We lost and we scored 78 points!!!
The Rez is definitely rough around the edges, but all of the people I met on my visits were very good to me. I’ve found that a bit of humility and respect will get you far in most places.
That basketball game sounds epic! Oh to be young again. I know the Suns could use the help. 😄
Totally agree... we are all wishing to attain identical goals with respect to peaceful, harmonic, and understanding of each other.
Glad you brought some history to Compton Terrace!
The first location was at Legend City , a theme park that was heavily promoted by Wallace and Ladmo (a local kids show that didn’t talk down to kids). It had it’s moments but moving it to the Rez was smart.
William Edward Compton shaped the music that Arizona listened to until his untimely car accident in the late 70’s. Better known as ‘Little Willie Sunshine’ back in his AM days, Compton was a pure genius along with Jess Nicks and Doug Clark.
During the 70’s, most bands made Phoenix their “pre-start” for tours starting from LA to the East Coast. Phoenix was small enough to run a practice show yet smart enough to know good talent when they heard and saw double billed performances such as: Billy Joel as an opening act for Roberta Flack (rip), Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen playing before the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band or Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt on the same bill while both used Jackson’s sidemen as Linda’s band got ill in Washington DC. Eagles, Bowie (Spiders from Mars Tour), the Kinks, Joe Walsh, ZZ Top, ELO, The Mothers of Invention, Springsteen (at least 5 concerts prior to’75)... and more.
It was great and the move to Compton Terrace kept the ball rolling and rockin’.
Thanks for the history. I moved to Phoenix in the middle 80s. I had been doing personal security for bands for a while and was living in Denver. Since where I lived didn’t matter when a friend moved there and raved about it I thought “why not”. It sounds like you must have been a “regular customer “.
I tended bar at Celebrity Theater, it’s capacity was 2300 and furthest row was 28.
That was a circular structure if I remember correctly. It was situated next to a woman’s prison.
Correct... the correction facility happened after’76, prior to being the womens place it was a Travel Lodge motel and the theater was called the Travel Lodge but when it became pretty much an exclusive venue it became the Celebrity Theater. A lot of the groups stayed there for the evening because it was cheap and the bands didn’t make even close to the money they make today.
That’s interesting. I did a lot of shows there in the middle to late 80s. I always really enjoyed the venue. If the show was slow or boring I would go outside and talk to the guys working the parking lot. There were some balcony structures on the side of the prison and we would try to get the ladies to flash us or put on a show. Great memories. Do you still live in the Phoenix area?
Hard to choose between In Living Color and Jane’s Addiction . I’ve seen the Surfers and Henry Rollins in various forms over the years.
Do I put you down for Living Color, or did you already vote for Jane’s Addiction?
I already voted for Jane’s Addiction.
Living Colour
You got it, Dave. Thanks for voting!
Siouxie and the Banshees, all the way. The eighties were much more instrumental in my musical tastes than the nineties.
It's certainly starting to look like it's the 80's vs the 90's. Siouxsie and Nine Inch Nails are currently in a dead heat!
I've seen Jane's Addiction three times and Siouxie once...Rollins is tempting but I've never seen the Surfers and that's a fucking party...All the shows I've missed out on living outside the U.S. for so long...and about the only thing I've missed...the rock'n roll....okay, family too and good pizza
Living Colour - everyone loves you when you’re Bi…
Living colour
Right on, Singleton. Thanks for voting!