It's Downright Lousy

 Ex-Beatle Concert: It's Downright Lousy

By Frank Suraci

The Daily Breeze

November 14, 1974

    George Harrison's three concert appearances at The Forum this week had all the makings of a blockbuster. His two-day stay was part of the first US tour by an ex Beatle. Everyone was anxious for a chance to hear the man who helped fashion so-called Beatlemania. 

    Harrison surrounded himself with accomplished entertainers like Billy Preston, Ravi Shankar, and other lesser notables; at least a glimpse of what transpired at the concert for Bangladesh was expected, and George was finally getting his opportunity to show he didn't need John, Paul, and Ringo. That the umbilical cord was severed and that he could please a live crowd coming solely to hear HIS music.

     Press conferences with Harrison even were used to bait the Southland public. The pre billing sounded more than attractive, but the patrons who paid $9.50 for tickets could hardly call the concert worthwhile. More accurate descriptions would have included disappointing, embarrassing, tedious, and downright lousy.

     There are more than a few disappointments Tuesday night. In fact, there were barely that many bright moments. Harrison's voice sounded like it had been giving four concerts a night for about five months. Actually, his troupe barely had undertaken the first week of its tour. His material reflected bad selections as he opted for upcoming releases. Unfortunately, they hardly compare with his first solo effort, and Harrison was obviously lethargic in his role as a spotlight performer, his dozen or so numbers merely filled the gaps between other stage offerings.

     He often sounded awkward and unnatural, as if reading lyrics from cue cards. Not only was Harrison ultra-passive on stage, but so was everyone else. There was about as much movement involved as on an oil painting. George's lethargic performance was apparently catching.  Ravi Shankar, who basically confined himself to conducting, also was less impressive than in recent times. 

    Much of the audience squirmed in their seats as they waited for Shankar's troupe to trudge its way through a host of numbers, and his style raises serious questions about mixing rock and Indian music in the first place. Somehow the two blend as effectively as oil and water. 

    There was a bright moment or two, but the highlights can be summarized in two words: Billy Preston. He apparently was aware that the concert was collapsing and did everything he could to salvage it. Preston was highly arousing when given the opportunity. The crowd sensed his efforts and rocked with him until the spotlight shifted, and the concert again stumbled to mediocracy at best.

     Harrison, meanwhile, still considers himself a performer in his own right, but without his association with the Beatles, he would have a difficult time packing a high school auditorium. George needs to seriously evaluate his music, stage performance, and the direction of his professional career.