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Old 03-04-2019, 10:09 AM
DesertTwang DesertTwang is offline
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Default Marshall Tucker concert turned sour

After collecting all their albums, I was very excited to finally see the Marshall Tucker Band live. I was aware of the fact that only one founding member remains at this time (lead singer Doug Gray), and that this show might be one of those "aging rock 'n' roll band refuses to give up" kind of concerts, but since the original band will never be back together, I figured it'd still be the next best thing to the old line-up. I even packed my wive and baby in the car for a long weekend and we drove 100 miles to Phoenix so I could go to the concert.

Unfortunately, it was not a great experience. I ended up leaving before the concert was over, something I had only done once before in my 30 years of seeing live shows.

It wasn't Doug's voice - at 71 years old, I didn't expect him to still sing like he used to, so that didn't bother me.

After the first few songs, Gray turned to his sound man and said, "Pay attention, man, pay attention." I could tell something was bothering him about the sound. I had no idea what it was, since the sound coming out to the audience was great.

Then he went off stage while his band played a long jam of "Take the Highway." I thought that was odd, too. When he came back, Gray grabbed the mic, turned to one of the guitar players and said something about too much or too little low end. Still addressing the guitar player but speaking into the mic, he then nodded toward the sound man and said something that left me speechless:

"You know, I always wonder how these things can happen when we pay those guys so much money. Maybe he needs to have his *** kicked."

At first, I wasn't sure if he was making a joke, but he wasn't. I shouted, "Not funny!" which of course was totally lost in the audience's giggling.

After that experience, I found myself unable to enjoy the show. Their next song was "Fire On The Mountain," my favorite MTB song, which I have played often with my own band, and I had very much looked forward to the band playing it. To my surprise and disappointment, I barely recognized the tune and thought to myself, "Boy, I think we sound better when we do this tune with our band."

I grew listless, stayed for one more song and then decided to leave early and swing by a record store instead. Something else that struck me as strange was the fact that the merch table sold only T-shirts, no recordings of any kind, which made me wonder whether there might be legal stuff going on...?

What I'm wondering is this: Was my experience a weird, one-off occurrence or is there a pattern with this particular band/artist?
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Old 03-04-2019, 10:25 AM
mr. beaumont mr. beaumont is offline
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That's a bummer.

You do wonder what happened before he show...the soundcheck...could have been a lot of bad vibes already...

At 71, let's face it...cat's been doing this a LONG time. And his hearing might not be what it used to be...he might need a very specific mix to hear himself...and I'm sure he's dealt with engineers who CAN provide it. Might have lost his patience with a guy who couldn't.

It's tough to call. I mean, it also could have been a case of "I'm the star." But somehow I think the truth is somewhere in between that mentality and an inept soundman.
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Old 03-04-2019, 10:44 AM
guitarmac62 guitarmac62 is offline
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I saw them several years ago and was also disappointed. Gray was pretty drunk the whole show and rambled on between each song, usually just flirting with the ladies near the stage. I also left early.
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Old 03-04-2019, 11:03 AM
DesertTwang DesertTwang is offline
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Originally Posted by guitarmac62 View Post
I saw them several years ago and was also disappointed. Gray was pretty drunk the whole show and rambled on between each song, usually just flirting with the ladies near the stage. I also left early.
Funny you mention that. This time, he also made a joke about "swapping chewing gums" with a lady in the first row, who was sitting next to her husband. It was slightly awkward.
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Old 03-04-2019, 01:14 PM
12barBill 12barBill is offline
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Being a big fan of "the real" Marshall Tucker Band I have to say I'm sorry you had to drive 100 miles to discover all Doug Gray has been doing for too many years is pretty much destroy the legacy of a good band from Spartanburg, S.C.

The beginning of the end of the band was when Tommy Caldwell (bass player and actually the band's leader) was killed in a car accident in 1980. One month prior to that brother Tim Caldwell was also killed in a car accident. For four more years Toy Caldwell (principal song writer and player of all those great guitar parts) held on with the band, but in the words of his wife Abbie, Toy was there in body only. Toy had lost brothers Tim and Tommy within the span of one month. In 1984 Toy said he could not do the Marshall Tucker Band thing any longer. He did some solo things but his voice had become raspy.

I can understand wanting to hear those songs played live and relive some of the feeling, and I would enjoy that too, but in my humble opinion without Toy Caldwell there is no Marshall Tucker Band.

Last edited by 12barBill; 03-04-2019 at 02:01 PM.
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Old 03-05-2019, 01:28 PM
DesertTwang DesertTwang is offline
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Thank you, Bill, you echo exactly what I had picked up browsing through some of the comments underneath YouTube videos of recent performances. Knowing this puts things in perspective, and most of all, it helps me rekindle my appreciation for the band and what it was. It also explains why I thought "Tuckerized" sucked in comparison to the previous albums. I'm looking forward to putting those old records on again!
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Old 03-05-2019, 02:28 PM
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Bob Womack Bob Womack is offline
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I saw them in 1977 at Soldier's and Sailor's Auditorium in Chattanooga, TN. Elvin Bishop and his band featuring Mickey Thomas opened. I was sitting around a couple of years ago jaw-jacking with a buddy of mine in the industry and mentioned the concert, and my opinion that Elvin blew the MTB off the stage. My big mouth. My buddy said, "Yeah, I was there. I was their lighting director from '74 to '93 when Toy died. I had to leave then because Toy and Tommy were like brothers to me and there was nothing left for me after Toy died. They treated me like family."

Bob
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Old 03-05-2019, 02:58 PM
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Default Speaking of "blown off the stage..."

in 1974, I saw Marshall Tucker Band as an opening act, in Nashville at the formal hall where the symphony played. They were ok- then the next act came out: a five piece band, fronted by a tall, clean-cut man dressed in white. He asked for a minute of silence. Giggles and murmurs rose, until some one yelled out "Whippin' Post." Once the full minute passed, the band erupted with power and fury like none of us had ever seen. So this was the "Mahavishnu Orchestra," eh? I was expecting Ravi Shankar, with strings!

From that day forward, jazz was my music, and rock was just something fun and handy to share with my friends.
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Old 03-05-2019, 03:39 PM
Tahitijack Tahitijack is offline
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I think the days of CDs at a merch table are numbered. I love to buy a disc or two at a show, especially when the artist is standing there to sign it. But with streaming those days will soon be a memory.
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Old 03-05-2019, 07:21 PM
Davis Webb Davis Webb is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Birdbrain View Post
in 1974, I saw Marshall Tucker Band as an opening act, in Nashville at the formal hall where the symphony played. They were ok- then the next act came out: a five piece band, fronted by a tall, clean-cut man dressed in white. He asked for a minute of silence. Giggles and murmurs rose, until some one yelled out "Whippin' Post." Once the full minute passed, the band erupted with power and fury like none of us had ever seen. So this was the "Mahavishnu Orchestra," eh? I was expecting Ravi Shankar, with strings!

From that day forward, jazz was my music, and rock was just something fun and handy to share with my friends.
Great story. Thanks for that! Mahavishnu made MTB sound like fake country AM bubblegum.
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Old 03-06-2019, 10:50 AM
12barBill 12barBill is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Davis Webb View Post
Great story. Thanks for that! Mahavishnu made MTB sound like fake country AM bubblegum.
Well, that may be your opinion and you have the right to express it.
It would not be my opinion, speaking of the MTB from 1973 - 1980.
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Old 03-06-2019, 02:29 PM
Birdbrain Birdbrain is online now
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Wink No comparison implied here...

Just a fun story. This was the kind of mixed-up double bill that Bill Graham loved to do, booking jazz artists opening for rock stars. Besides widening the audience for jazz, it actually changed the music directly, inspiring the rockers to go further, out there. Some say Cream wouldn't have played "Crossroads" that way without hearing Coltrane.

I think of MTB as a genial, sunny-day rock band. Like a Dixie-fried Pure Prairie League, or Skynerd dressed up for a date. Warm wishes to the band and its fans, but I wouldn't wish to watch a seventy-year-old sing them today, even well.
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Last edited by Birdbrain; 03-06-2019 at 02:30 PM. Reason: style, man!
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Old 03-06-2019, 02:46 PM
Birdbrain Birdbrain is online now
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Default Just by coincidence...

Fans, don't miss the surprise Marshall Tucker joke in Colbert's monologue last night!
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Old 03-06-2019, 02:53 PM
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saw them 5 times over '73/74...all front row and/or super close...loved them then...don't think i've ever seen em since...
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Old 03-10-2019, 09:14 AM
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I walked out of a Styx concert in 1978 when i was 16 years old. Not to go into any long story but I wasn't ever a fan of the band and didn't pay for the ticket.

Also...the only 2 times I ever saw Bob Dylan I wanted to walk out mid concert. Both times in the 80's. The last Dylan show I went to was really just to see the opening act Steve Earle & The Dukes. I LOVE the early Dylan (1961-75 era) and sadly never got to see him in his prime.
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