Posted by THE JIMMY WHITLEY on September 02, 1999 at 05:45:06:
In Reply to: '78 Tour and Peter Tosh posted by Mr. Ventilator on September 01, 1999 at 18:06:22:
: Just thought I'd take a moment and share my experience of the Stones '78 tour, which featured Tosh as an opening act..
: The show I saw was in Oakland Coliseum (outdoors, and was the last stop on the tour.
Mr. Ventilator!!
That Oakland 78 show was a really STRANGE time in general! I was supposed to be going to THAT show with my dad but he got into a fight with his girlfriend about her not going and next thing I know OUR TICKETS are destroyed.(as well as some of my dad's stuff. BUT ANYWAY...) His two best friends Rudy and I forget the other dude, (I was only 14,can't drive etc.) They go ahead with out us and told me a very similar story to yours! Rudy said they seemed to be elsewhere mentally and sort of walking through it etc. Bad Sound too.
What caught my eye about your account was the same thing Rudy had told me. At a certain point, due to all the BULLSHIT you all went through, the gig didn't really seem to be as big a deal as it should have been, almost a letdown. After the first third of the show being compressed up near the front of the stage, they left the field and went up to the upperdeck when people started bombarding the stage with all the junk being thrown. Rudy also said that somebody nailed Bill Wyman's sholder with, "what appeared to be a piece of Kentucky Fried Chicken." (?) After all was said I am glad I didn't go being so young etc.
Looking back on what transpired I have A THEORY!!! The gig was on Mick's Birthday June 26,1978. It's also the last gig of the tour. More Importantly though is this: KEITH'S PENDING TRIAL DATE 2 AND HALF MONTHS LATER! Let's face it with the charges,prior convictions,evidence etc. Keith could have been gone for 5-10 years? Not just possesion but intent to sell!! Fortunately the Stones have excellent legal council! I think this also why there was no Europe tour as well. Time was VERY TIGHT. In fact the very next week after the Oakland gig,(8/78) is when the Stones went back into RCA Studios in L.A. to lay down as much "Keith" stuff as they could. After all had it not been for that judge in Toronto, history could have been SERIOUSLY CHANGED. Tony mentioned that this was a very prolific period for songwriting. Your Damn Right!! As if they're futures depended on it! One more thing (cause I feel like I've been going on FOREVER) Keith did Run Rudolph and Harder They Come (among many others) during these Aug 78 RCA Sessions. He get's his sentence late October (Not going away for years/The Stones STILL EXIST) Keith's sentenced end of October and within 4 weeks the Rudolph/Harder They Come single's released. (point being they no longer need to stockpile "keith" tracks etc.)
I gotta bail. Later, JIMMY.
P.S. To W.M.S. (If you are reading this) How could you destroy a 14 year old's concert ticket? I understand MY DAD"S TICKET, But mine?......Sorry.....BAD flashback.... : - )