Maybe the most memorable 20 minute performance by RE was held @ randalls Island in NY;Its located between the bronx,harlem & the east river;Parlament had gone off,nobody cared,we couldnt get into those diapers;There were more whites on stage than in the stands,RE came on ,the place went nuts;Home boyz all over RE,on stage w/ them;Pete was the coolest,he just sat there w/ a big grin;He later tolded me he was right @ home;They started playin,a young man was tryin to help Ray w/ some chords,LITERALLY.Anyway after HUM,Pete decided to split....if they wouldve got into Get Ready....that island may have sunked;I think Chaka Khan was next................she was too scared.I understand Soul Train extended an invite;Only RE could illicit that kind of response,will never 4get.
Most memorbale? I'd have to say it's "one of" in the band's career...the 1971 Marine Stadium @ Miami, 1972 Venezuela gigs, 1973 Arie Crown Theatre, 1974 CalJam, etc...
I recall readinf a lot about that 1970 gig/festival...a few gangs took over and the cops split.
There were a lot of bad vibes on Randalls Island because people who paid for front seats were pushed out by people who didn't. There was no security that we could see. It became a "free for all". As soon as we started playing, people came up on the stage and started joining in. At first it was ok, but in a couple of mins, people were surrounding my drums and I couldn't see Ray or Gill or anyone.... they were beating on my drums with their hands and I'm trying to play and thinking that I don't want to hit their hands with my sticks. I reached down a grabed a bunch of sticks and passed them out to everyone and they all started beating on my drums.....I stood up, located Ray and the rest and motioned to leave the stage. As we left, there was a 20 person drum solo going on. We got out of there just in time. There's no telling where the night was going to go from there. We found out later that everything on stage was destroyed, except for our equipment, which our roadies managed to salvage. Whew! What a night.....
I always considered the show at Randall's Island as the Rare Earth gig that wasn't. Could have been a phenomenal gig and another part of the bands legacy but it seems it just wasn't meant to be. Jocko
Ah,a NY thing.You guys dont understand;Tough love;Like Richard Pryor once said,about martians landin in NY;They would steal the spaceship & go 4 a ride,...Oh yeah!This ride is sweet.......Nobody cared bout parlament,RE came on,place went nuts.Hot as hell .
