So were back in the starting 1977 I'm seventeen and I don't remember how it appeared... I think my elder brother saw that in the French monthly music paper "Rock and Folk"... But suddenly the walls in the streets wore large yellow and red posters of Marc announcing a concert at the Macumba dancing club!
Imagine my excitement melted with fear (could it be real ? Marc, the Big Marc who played at Wembley, in Japan, Australia, the USA...playing in my own little town at a such small venue !) I had no car and the venue was 20 kms from home but a friend of mine had.
The ex-Macumba ( now L'Atlantide) in 1999
We bought the tickets in a clothes shop (?!) that seemed to be hold by the man who also held the club. We chatted and he was proud of this gig, telling me of what the band asked for playing : for money I dont know but they asked for details like taxis, eating, and so on. I started waiting hoping the concert was not cancelled. You must know that Nantes is not a big town for music. Great bands rarely play here ( though I saw David Bowie last year, and Bob Marley, Supertramp and U2 quite some time ago).
As I was 17 and studying for chemist my parents wouldn't let me go to another town to see T.Rex. That was really a sort of miracle ! The day before the gig Marc appeared on TV, in the afternoon miming to 'I love to boogie' and 'Telegram Sam'. He was interviewed by a silly guy who mainly asked him for what were the punks. Great to watch you Marc, although I understood only half of what you said !
Then it was The Day !
My friend drove 4 of us to the club. I was wearing a green Canadian wool jacket of which my wife, whom I met later, told me it was awful. One of us hid a mono tape recorder under his coat and was in without any problem. 0f course tape recorders and photo cameras were forbidden. That's why I took none. Foolish Pierre ! Surely Marc would have agree for the camera (and surely not for the tape recorder).
We had to wait, grooving on the dance floor while roadies were working on guitars amps etc...on the same floor. We were dancing among the material ! I noticed on amps and drumkit hand-written notes with the detail of the songs ( Jeepster, Visions of Domino, New York City, Soul of my suit, Groove a little, Telegram Sam, Hang-ups, I love to boogie, Dandy in the underworld, Hot Love and Get it on ). At that time I hadn't seen anything written by Marc but l'm now quite sure he wrote those... I took one to see it better but a roadie asked me to get off ! and I did, without the precious paper. The club wasn't made for concert. Armchairs were disposed with tables in front of the dancing floor. We took some and sat at the first row. In fact I think I was barely the only real fan present that night. Part of the audience was there only for dancing. We were few, perhaps 200.
After a long wait, hand clapping started. The band was coming to the stage walking through the audience ( you can't imagine that!) He was there. Oh God I was on a cloud, Marc in front of me 3 to 4 meters from me. He was wearing his green suit and had a black or dark cherry Les Paul.
The show started... It must have been very hard for the band. Applause was spare..
Nothing to do with T.Rextasy. I didn't dare make too much noise I was too shy...Marc rapidly seemed disappointed, he couldn't speak French and be understood by the people .l'm sure Marc would have loved the audience dance, but everybody stayed sat. The club had asked to do so, in order for everyone to see the show. It was a very polite, distant atmosphere. Marc said he was not really used to play in clubs...
The show was great, the band played tight. In fact it sounded very close to the forthcoming English shows of March. Once Marc lost his guitar, as the belt took off. The show must go on, Marc didn't stop to play the solo he was in, he kneed and hold the guitar on his leg. A roadie soon came and tied it again. At the beginning of 'Hot Love' I screamed and clapped. Marc grinned at me, said thank you very much and as I said "you're welcome" he laughed. It was heaven ! There was no encore ( more ) at the end of the show. The band parted the same way they came and waved goodbye.
lt had been so short !
I turned around with friends in the club, noticed what should have been English fans at the back but didn't speak well enough and was too shy to share with them. At a moment a friend of mine found the dressing room and came back to me to make me know. We stood at the door that was promptly closed while the band and Marc was changing clothes. Then a roadie let us in ! French often shake hands so naturally I gave my hand to Marc who shook it, grinning while I said I was very happy after waiting this time for so long. We shook hands with the entire band. Gloria was there too. Shyness had came back, didn't know what to say and didn't understand every answer. I remember asking Gloria if there was a new album soon out (I meant T.Rex album of course ) and she answering "Oh yes, it will be called ....( didn't understand : Vixen)".
In fact there were two rooms, one leading to the next. At that moment Marc was in the second one. He came with us, wearing his red jacket with leopard on shoulders. He invited me to share the cold chicken and boozes and I did with him. Later Marc returned to the hall and started waiting for what would appear to be a taxi. He had a grey or green coat laid on his shoulders, upon the red jacket. I was standing beside of Marc, Gloria was standing next. Because of the noise of the music around I had to lean to his ear in order for him to ear me. My nose met his hair. Woo !
I asked him if the new single out in England " to know you is to love you" was scheduled for France. He said yes and I told him of Caroline Coon who had badly reviewed it for the Melody Maker ( silly Pierre, couldn't you shut up ? ) Marc answered something like "she's aIl fuI of shit " or that's what I understood. Finally the taxi driver asked for Marc and Gloria. Marc waved goodbye and they disappeared.
Never did I think to get an autograph, or a photo. I went back to the dressing room where I took an hotel towel that had stayed here. A roadie asked me was I was doing and I said Marc gave it to me; that wasn't true of course buf I got the towel. I also cut the promo poster from the wall it was stuck upon many others.
These memories are the only souvenir apart from the audio tape I have from this wonderful night!
see the same page in French
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