30 Aug 1972 show on Dime... with rockin' Danny Kirwan
 

On 30th August 1972, Mac played at Gaelic Park in the Bronx, and a good recording of this is now on Dime.

http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-d....php?id=371591

Danny is here, and I'm confused by this because I thought he'd been fired by this point, being the end of August 1972. While he sounds a bit off at times he's largely quite good, singing lead as usual "Black Magic Woman" and rocking on "'Trinity", in what is now my favourite version of the song.

Also of interest is the only version of "Green Manalishi" I've heard performed by the Kirwan/Welch lineup, with Welch obviously taking vocals as he did on later versions.

Contrasting almost all other boots from 1972 (at least the ones I've got), they skip "Tell Me" to open with a thumping "Homeward Bound" that surges into a groove as soon as they are introduced.

Everything I've read about Danny's dismissal only refers to "one night in August", never a date. Am I to understand then that all that drama went down the very next night?? Or oddly did all take place one night in September instead?

Thanks for the link. I'm seeding the show right now.

That IS strange about the conflicting dates.

John

I've never been able to pin down exactly where or when that gig took place where Danny refused to go onstage and was sacked afterwards. Mick has said it was Nebraska, and John has said it was San Diego. But I've never found any evidence of gigs at those places during August or any time around then.

First thing - I think the Gaelic Park gig was August 31, having been postponed on August 30. Deep Purple and Elf were both supposed to playing Gaelic Park on August 30, and both their websites say it was postponed and took place the following day. Mac were touring with Purple and Elf at that time. Purple and Elf then played a gig on September 1 in Norfolk, Virginia, but Mac weren't there - I have no idea if Mac were supposed to be there or not.

Mac, Purple and Elf then played Commack, NY on September 2 (postponed from August 26), and "A Change of Season for Labor Day" gig at the Empire Dragway, Leicester, NY on September 3. There's some doubt as to whether Elf played that gig, but Mac and Purple definitely did. This gig is the last one I can find that Mac definitely played in the autumn/fall of 1972. Mac were definitely there, because this guy saw them and says they were "mesmerizing" http://www.songkick.com/venues/61796-empire-dragway

So we can assume that Danny was actually playing in Leicester, because the gig that he refused to play must have been a pretty shaky show. Unless of course, this guy was so stoned that anything would have seemed mesmerizing to him.

After the Leicester gig, Deep Purple flew home and were playing gigs in the UK by September 13, so that US leg of the tour was definitely completed as planned.

According to Bob Welch (I emailed him a while back), after Danny was sacked, "We canceled the rest of the gigs....and flew home....At that time, we didn't consider going on as a 4 piece..." He also told me that they didn't even consider recording "Penguin" with just Welch on guitar. They recruited Weston and Walker, did some gigs in Scandinavia (according to Weston) and then hooked up again with Deep Purple and Elf in November for more US dates.

So the gig that Danny refused to play must surely have been in September, but when? If that US leg of the tour with Deep Purple was completed as planned on September 3, they must have gone on to more gigs elsewhere in the US, and it happened at one of those. But where were they? :shrug:

Is it possible to post it downloadable mp3 version. I don't do torrents.;) It seems like it's a very interesting and unique show. What was set list?

We have to remember that not all bootleg recordings are of the entire show (hence some thinking that they opened with "Station Man" during 1975 tour, when the first song "Get Like You Used To Be" was not included on the recording). Could they have actually opened with "Tell Me All The Things You Do" and the taper just didn't hit "record" in time? Maybe.

But, being as how they weren't the headliner, this one probably is complete since a few of the songs are a bit lengthy and the opening acts having a limited stage time. (I downloaded it a week or so ago, but haven't had time to get to listening to it yet)

Homeward Bound
Green Manalishi
Future Games
Morning Rain
Trinity
Black Magic Woman
Oh Well

I just wonder about the appropriateness of opening with "Homeward Bound". A song about being tired of the road to set the mood of the entire set? What were they thinking? (that's why I think that "TMATTYD" might've actually opened their set and just didn't make it on tape)...these & other thought provoking questions to be answered once I get around to actually LISTENING to the show. Ok...carry on.

Interestingly this is the only 1972 boot I'm aware of where you can clearly hear Mac introduced as they take the stage.

"Homeward Bound" starts with the thump-thump-thump -thump of Mick Fleetwood's drums before a voice announces "Ladies and gentlemen, here they are... FLEETWOOD MAC!" and the band surges into the song.

Most other shows from this period of course feature "TMATTYD", introduced with the riff from "Danny's Chat" without an introduction of this sort.

Have thought this "new" introduction might indicate an increased live popularity that came as the '72 tour progressed. I'd say most of the surviving '72 shows (especially the Paramount boot) depict a rocking and crowd-pleasing band with some pedigree putting on what must have been a good show. Would make sense their stock would have increased if they'd kept up such a reputation as they toured during the year.

However, it's apparent that some of the '72 boots reveal an occasionally inconsistent band in places. Danny evidently did jeopardize the band's repuation with his behaviour and performances-- exemplified by some of his erratic, careless and over-the-top lead guitar soloing on "Future Games" that are evident from some of these '72 boots.

Strangely I think he's usually quite solid on his own songs...was he perhaps already a bit angry with the band?

Dreadful to think that if Danny had kept his head and playing together, Mac's later breakthrough might have come far sooner... and included him.

Here it is in mp3. Setlist included:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2041240/fm1972-08-30.rar
:cool: