12 Rock Around The World July 1977

Manhattan Madness—-

uptown

Willy DeVille

by Kris DiLorenzo

Every rock column worth its copy space has to mention Mick Jagger’s name at least once, so here it is: Mick has become almost a fixture in Manhattan since Keith’s Canadian indiscretions. Mick and Bianca have found a townhouse on East 72nd Street, and Mr. J. has been puttering about the Electric Lady studios with friends. He stopped in at Copperfield’s (a Village club that promises to revive the “Speakeasy” scene of London in the 60’s) to catch Mistress, a New York band.

Another recent Copperfield’s guest: Peter Frampton, a single man once again. Kiss (sans greasepaint) made the same pilgrimage one night after their recent Electric Lady sessions. Apparently Copper-field’s is the place to go for rock ‘n’ roll (that’s rock ‘n’ roll, not punk rock).

The New York debuts of Angel and Piper at the Palladium saw at least two semi-recognizable faces in the crowd: Joe Dube, Dali-mustachioed drummer for Starz, and Paul Stanley of Kiss. It’s amazing how many Kiss T-shirt wearers that night walked right by their idol without recognizing his much-photographed visage

au nature!.

Elvin Bishop

Mickey Thomas and

A party for Steve Gibbons before his Palladium debut was highlighted by the appearance of several extreme-looking punks with safety pins through their ear lobes, pop-top necklaces, plastic sunglasses and leather jackets. They turned out to be The Damned, stopping by to wish their fellow Anglos well before going on to their own CBGB’s date (and not such terribly forbidding lads after all).

Rick Wakeman and fellow Yes-man Chris Squire were in town not too long ago for a special press screening of “White Rock,” the official film of the Olympics scored brilliantly by Wakeman. Rick was his cheery self, recovered from his road accident in Switzerland and looking rather healthy with a much-diminished beerbelly. Yes will be touring this summer, but no complete itinerary is available yet.

Party of the Year (so far): MCA:’s elegant bash celebrating Olivia Newton-John’s Metropolitan Opera House concert on Mother’s Day. Her first-ever appearance in Manhattan attracted celebrities galore to the gorgeous Hotel Pierre Ballroom afterward for disco dancing -and fine food and drinks. Among the hallowed: Andy Warhol and entourage, actress Sandy Dennis, model Margeaux Hemingway, Robert Du-

Joan Armatrading

tioned showstoppers of opening week were Isis. Even hard-core punk fans of all ages and colors were rocking and rolling to Isis’ driving funk and rock. Leader Carol MacDonald debuted a new band with one of the tightest horn sections you’ll ever hear; the new Isis album (Breakin’ Through, United Artists) is only a whiff, but Isis live is a steambath, Comparisons? Oh, maybe Tower of Power, Santana in the o/d days, or even the Stones circa 1972-74. Onstage, they make the walls sweat. Now if they could only find the right producer (MacDonald?) …

The final word regarding Rolling Stone’s Keith Richard in Toronto story, from Chet Hippo, winner of the Purple Heart for Rock’n Roll Reporting Above and Beyond the Call of Duty: “you shoulda seen what they didn’t print!

New York City seems to be sprouting hot nights spots this spring; Trax, a new West Side music biz hang-out, was the scene of a semi-private Dave Mason performance that had people packed to the rafters and spilling out the front door, despite unseasonal monsoons.

Rock is back at the Beacon Theatre–maybe. Closed last fall during legal battles,

continued on pg. 14

Mickey Thomas and Al Kooper

vall, Helen Reddy, Sylvia Miles, Melba
Moore, Edward Vilella, Don Kirschner,
Andrea Marcovicci (Woody Allen’s co-star
in “The Front”), and Liz and Rick Derrin-
ger … Let’s see ya top that, Perle Mesta!
Chelsea’s Elgin Theatre, for years a $1
movie house where you could always catch

a midnight showing of “The Harder They Come” or some Marx Bros. flick, recently opened its doors as a low-priced rock venue. Its first acts, presented in marathon, were relentless punk and “new wave” hands, and upcoming performers include Patti Smith, Marbles and Blondie. Unques-

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