| rickmcgrath.com | ||||
| contact | home | ||||
 Psychedelic Advertising Handbills from the Retinal Circus Being a West Coast city, Vancouver's cultural scene was more strongly influenced by Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles than by Chicago or Toronto. And in the mid-60s, the music and art wafting north was psychedelic. Of course we inhaled deeply of this heady new culture. If I remember correctly, psychedelic music and art came to Vancouver just after the first signs of a hippie youth culture in San Francisco. By 1966 the connection was strong enough to influence Vancouver's popular culture, and the ensuing outflow of speed-, pot- and acid-enhanced psychedelia blossomed brightly but briefly, its final petals to a flower child falling to the rainforest floor at the end of the decade. There was a lot of psychedelic art around, but there were few psychedelic artists. The most famous is the Mucha-inspired Bob Masse, who still lives and works out of his Vancouver studio. Or maybe he's done the Saltspring Island retreat thing by now. Yowser. In the 60s Bob did psychedelic handbills for a club in Vancouver called Afterthought, but the club most famous for its psychedelic art had to be The Retinal Circus, a dopey basement dive on Davie Street that regularly booked psychedelic, blues, rock and rockabilly bands. At one time in my career I thought of writing a history of the Vancouver rock music scene, and I started off with this collection of Retinal Circus advertising handbills. That's as far as I got. But I still have the postcards, and they are superb examples of psychedelica at its two-colour best. These little mini-masterpieces were all done by Steve Seymour. Steve apparently is alive & well, and is peacefully lurking somewhere on Vancouver Island. A lot of this stuff came from Rob Frith, the meister of Vancouver venues, posters and rock memorabilia. You can check out lots more psychedelia at Rob's famous Neptoon Records in Vancouver. For an ultra-comprehensive look at every RC poster, postcard and advertisement, ya gotta check out Chicken On A Unicycle. They also have a detailed written description of every show here.  VELVET UNDERGROUND Here's Lou Reed, Maureen Tucker, Sterling Morrison and John Cale. They played the Retinal Circus July 30, 1968 and again from Oct 31-Nov 3, 1968. Click on pix for bigger image.  If you want to check up on any Vancouver groups, just head over to Pacific Northwest Bands. Here you will find info, pix, bios, lineups, notes, etc. for over 2,000 bands that existed between 1954 and 1979.  Reprinted below are emails I've received over the years from people connected with the mid-60s Vancouver music scene. Thus far I've received messages and info from: • Jennifer Levine, Roger Schiffer's sister • John Patrick Caldwell, founder of Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck • Jim Wilson of the Seeds Of Time • Alan Brackett of the Peanut Butter Conspiracy • Gloria Gribling of the Ecto Plasmic Assault light show • Johanna Chelmis and Kevin McCreavy from Addled Chromish • Richard Drumdee Patterson, the drummer for 3's A Crowd • J.P. "Jeep" van de Bundt, the drummer for Tomorrow's Eyes • John Bower, lightshow artist • Ron Macey, musician and lightshow artist • Craig Morrison, rock historian • Al Harlow, from The Seeds of Time, Prism, etc • Rocket Norton, drummer for Prism and the stars • John King, Lead vocals & guitar, My Indole Ring • Dave Tate, Lead guitar, Beau Jangs April 9, 2007 Hi Rick, I spent a lot of time at Retinal Circus in the 60's. Was at the July show of Velvet Underground, saw the Doors, Blacksnake Blues Band... those were the days. Actually had a hot night with some girl that was selling chocolate bars to the left of the stage... hah ha. Do you have any info on the Zappa concert at Kerrisdale Arena? 1966 or 1967? I was there. I believe it was a White Lightening Acid night. Frank adapted "Help I'm A Rock" to "HELP I'm the Mayor"!! (Tom Campbell) Boy, do I have stories about that night. We partied with The "Mothers" at some seaside house out in West Vancouver, actually gave the drummer a ride back to the BlueBoy Hotel at 49th and Southwest Marine. Dave Tate So I ask Dave if he has any pix, and here he is in 1966 with his Fenton Weill guitar. He was lead guitarist for the Vancouver band Beau Jangs.  March 15, 2007 Hi Rick I just found your wonderful site by chance (well actually, trying to avoid work here in my office in Toronto -- so many many miles and years away from Vancouver in the 60s). Roger Schiffer, who owned and ran the Retinal Circus, and who commissioned most (all?) of the posters on view, was my brother. As you probably know, he passed away in 1994. It is very moving to see the memory of those years (and my memory of Roger) brought to life again. I'm going to make sure his daughter knows about your site. All best, Jennifer Levine Wow! So I emailed her back, asking for more information or memories. She replied: I never worked at the RC, but I did go there. I also went to the venue on Hastings (pre-RC) and to the one on 4th. I'm going to stir around in my brain and see what I can come up with as far as specific story-memories go. What's burned in my mind are the light shows, which were always amazing. I was also a friend of Blaine Culling. He and Roger worked together for a while at the RC (early 70's I think, after I left Vancouver). He went on, apparently, to own a strip of clubs on Granville Street. Haven't seen him for years. Did you know him? (Where are you, Blaine?) Either he or Roger told me about an early morning they spent, after a particularly successful event, dumpster-diving for the ticket sales they'd inadvertently dropped in the garbage after a euphoric evening celebrating. Never found the cash. There were also some great concerts at UBC in the late 60's (Country Joe and the Fish and The Doors) which I'm pretty sure Roger organized, but I may be wrong. Also remember Vancouver bands My Indole Ring (was it John Cluff who sang for them?) and Papa Bears. What happened to their lead singer? He had an extraordinary voice. Harley Rothstein was also a friend. I think he played with John Cluff. I realize that I'm not giving you much beyond names. Will keep thinking. Here's one little factoid I remember: Roger told me that David Bowie, with whom he spent some chunk of time when he came to Vancouver -- though not I think to play at Retinal Circus -- was the smartest person he's ever met. The chunk of time may have been only a few hours, but I suppose long enough to "know". Maybe it was easier to know those things quickly then. Another memory is shuddering into my brain but not quite making it about some fracas at Customs and Immigration with a visiting SF band and a stash of dope... and a sold out RC audience waiting for their arrival. Hmmm. It'll come, eventually. I'll pass on your website to Roger's daughter, Cadi. It'll be neat for her to look at all the stuff you've collected. Roger passed when she was 13. I think I'll also contact Martin, the brother of Roger's first wife, Chrissie. They lived in the Retinal Circus building for a while in the late 60s, and Martin worked with Roger as a kind of junior assistant. He was probably only 17 or 18 at the time. Now he's a film editor in LA and London (where he was trained by, and worked for Stanley Kubrick). All best, Jennifer The Rocket's Revenge? Check this: Announcing the book they said couldn't be written (some said shouldn't be written)...  Rocket Norton Lost In Space It's a story born in the sixties, a story that booze couldn't drown and drugs couldn't squelch, a story obsessed with sex and unafraid to "do it in the road", or anywhere else for that matter. Author Rocket Norton says, “Aw, Hell with the lawsuits, it's a story that's gotta be told.” Or so it sez on Rocket's site. It's a fat 555 pages and just 40 bucks gets ya the book (autographed), a 14-song CD featuring the Rocket Man in his various group guises, and, ahhh, oh yeah: shipping! It's also available as a download as an ebook for cheap... Check it out on Rocket's site or Rob Frith's Neptoon Records.  Seeds Of Time. Photo: Jim Wilson Hello Rick: As a sometime Seed of Time, a drop of Paisley Rain, a Tree, a Segment 41 and later a member of Prism, I recall first-hand most events described on your website by contributors. It’s great to see such assembled recollections. My father, Steve Hawirko, was the head pressman at Vancouver Printers, where most, if not all of the psychedelic posters for the Retinal Circus were printed for Roger Schiffer. My Dad would bring home samples of both the full-size renderings, usually 11” X 17”, plus the smaller handbill versions, which would run four to six images on a single print sheet before being cut. I still have some of these, both pre-cut and final versions, the most memorable perhaps being the circular shape die-cut Muddy Waters poster from Aug 6 – 10, 1968. Hope your site stays up and running in perpetuity. Many thanks, Al “Harlow/ Horowitz” Hawirko www.prism.ca  Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck Rick, I'm John Patrick Caldwell, founder of Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck and I noted with interest your postcard collection. Our gig at The Retinal Circus was in 1968, and Papa Bear's Medicine Show was 1968. Thank you for helping to keep alive the music and the era.  My Indole Ring Hi Rick, I loved seeing the old handbills from some of our gigs. I was prompted to take a look for sites like yours by an article in the Vancouver Sun today on My Indole Ring. It stirred some memories I haven't entertained for quite awhile. I was half of the Ecto Plasmic Assault lightshow and I remember so many remarkable bands that never received a record contract. I would love to have that music today. About writing a history of Vancouver music or the Circus, I was considering the same thing at one point. Do it! I know there are alot of us who are ready to reclaim that time. Enjoyed the site; keep going. GJ Gribling  Hi Rick, I was browsing your site and reminiscing when I saw an email from a Kevin McCreavy - someone I have not seen since the sixties. I also helped out with the Addled Chromish Light Show when it first began, along with Jeff, Steven and Ron. The music was great, the innovations were brilliant, the sentiments and ideals sometimes superb, the hedonism monumental. Whatever happened to Doug Hawthorne of the Blind Owl, Psychedelic Phyllis, Criss Cross, or Goldie from the Last Chance Saloon, to name just a few. Johanna Chelmis PS. At the first gig at the Afterthought we didn't have those large petrie dishes so we used Pyrex pie plates for the colour swirls. I then asked her for more information, and she sent me this:  Johanna and Ron at the 1967 Easter Be-In. Hi Rick, The names of the originators of Addled Chromish were Ron Ulmer, Jeff Lilly and Stephen Pearce. Stephen had thought of calling the light show "The Undulating Saran Ubiquitous" because using saran wrap with the liquids created an interesting effect. We used pyrex pie plates because we did not have the large petrie dishes we needed when we were first hired to do the lights at the Afterthought in 67. The promoter and manager of the Afterthought was Gerry Kruz who is still alive and well and brought Country Joe McDonald to Victoria last year for all the aging hippies. He still has quite a collection of Bob Masse posters as well as many others. I remember dancing to Country Joe and the Fish at the Afterthought in 67. The security guards would not allow us to dance after a certain time (I think it was early Sunday am) but it was very hard to keep from undulating with the "undulating saran ubiquitous" when you were in that frame of mind.... feeding your head and all that. The security guards were kept pretty busy but must have been good sports because they did not close the place or eject anyone at least as I recall. Gerry Kruz also managed The United Empire Loyalists. Interestingly, psychedelic music and dance was filmed and labeled for the first time in Vancouver by CBC or CBS - back in 1966 at the Pender Auditorium. The media had sensed that "something was happening here" or about to happen. Shortly after this, I went down to San Francisco and when I returned, Flower Power was in full swing on Fourth Avenue. Ron and I along with Jim Wilson of Seeds fame all shared a house in Kits at that time. Ron Ulmer also helped organize the first Easter Be In in Stanley Park in 1967. I have a cool photo of this event with Ron looking a lot like Brian Jones in a hounds tooth jacket and a bright shirt with big polkadots on it. I think he was wearing purple boots too. I am in the middle of a joyful laugh. I wish I could remember why. All I remember that day was that it was spectacularly sunny and there were ducks everywhere. Roger Schiffer was a friend of ours and of course, we danced many times at the Retinal Circus which apparently had also been a dance hall in my mother's day although it was the big band sounds that she had danced to. There's a real continuity in all that. 1969 seemed to be the year of many outdoor concerts and very memorable for me because my daughter was born at the end of that year. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Take care, Johanna  3's A Crowd Hello Rick, I think we must know each other... nonetheless, I can verify (if you believe) the very first Retinal Circus postcard was the 3's A Crowd/Seeds of Time, March 1 & 2. The year... 1968. Prior to '68, the Circus was known as Dante's Inferno, and that was what the club was called when the legendary Doors performed there. Much of the psychedelic music scene rooted from Kitsilano in 1966, mushrooming in '67 at the Kits Theatre, aka Afterthought and White Rabbit, etc. Keeping the Seeds Of Time alive, Jim Wilson, yes, amazing. Hi Rick, I was doing a google search for old Vancouver nostalgia (specifically Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck) when I came across your excellent collection of the old psychedelic handbills. This much I know for sure about the date of your handbills: the one with The Collectors, May 10, and the one with The Velvet Underground, June 30, were both 1968. I have both these handbills in my photo album. I was disappointed with the Velvet Underground one that you didn't list La Troupe Grotesque who were a two man satire act that appeared with them on that gig. The act was comprised of Paul K. Willis and Michael Boncoeur. Great collection in any event. Maggie PS: we didn't think the Retinal Circus was grotty at all. Those of us who snuck in with our fake ID loved it. And Jerry Garcia said hi to me there.  Hi Rick, My name is Alan Brackett and I was in the Peanut Butter Conspiracy. I have the posters & hand-bill from our gig at the Retinal Circus. My reply: Hey, Alan... I remember you guys... what did you record? His response: We did an LP with the Chambers Bros called West Coast Love-In on Vault Records, two LPs for Columbia, an LP for Challenge Records and several movie projects - Angels From Hell, some Russ Meyer films, etc. The best CD out is called The Peanut Butter Conspiracy Is Spreading/The Great Conspiracy and contains both the Columbia LPs and three bonus tracks. It's on Amazon.com or pretty much anywhere. I remember staying with the Papa Bears while we were up there. I also have a couple of flyers with them on them. I'm working on a book - it's taking a long time because it's just one of my projects, but it's coming along. These days I live in Hollywood. I'm a propmaster in tv commercials. PBC was together for a few years. Three of us were in a group called The Ashes - Barbara Robinson, John Merrill and I - with Spence Dryden as our drummer. The Jefferson Airplane stole him away from us by turning him on to acid without his knowing and sweeping him away to SF. We stopped touring and pretty much fell apart after a tour in the northwest when we were traveling south near Tacoma. I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw our truck spinning on it's top down the five lane freeway! I'll never forget. We had a #1 record at the time in six western states and Columbia refused to push us in the rest of the country. After this accident, with three members in the band in the truck, I wrote Clive Davis and quit the label and touring - it wasn't worth it. At least we survived being rock and rollers! Can't say as much for a lot of our friends in the biz. Victoria, BC? - we played there- I remember taking an auto ferry - it was really beautiful. The University of Victoria had the reputation of the most beer consumption in Canada and it was evident at the concert. We went on once and then a local group went on - I remember being down below the stage on the left and this group was using our equipment (we were nice) and all of a sudden the lead singer started spinning the mic around his head like a lasso and threw it into the audience. The rest of the band went crazy and started jamming their instruments into our amplifiers and the drummer started kicking the drums off the stage. We went up on stage and pulled the plugs and stopped it as soon as we could. These guys were pretending to be the Who or something with our equipment! We assessed the situation and the condition of our equipment and had to anounce to this audience which by this time were well lubricated that we could not go on again and they went crazy! They started shouting things like, "they can't do that - let's get 'em" - I remember being on the edge of the stage with a mic stand in my hands and fending off people - luckily the stage was about seven feet tall. Security came in and the cops came and we were rushed out the back and away. Pretty frightening. Oh, the manager of that group came up to me and said she was sorry but I must understand, "They were on acid"! I'd been around that scene for years, but nobody ever freaked out like that with somebody else's equipment. Anyway, this is just one of many stories in my book. I played bass and sang and wrote half the songs. I was in folk music before that, played drums with Jan and Dean, bass with the Righteous Bros., produced Randy Meisner when he left the Eagles, have songs in about 100 movies and television shows. I'm going to need a publisher. The book has stories about huge stars I've known from Elvis, Little Richard, the Beatles, etc. Anyway, nice talking to you. Alan Brackett G'day Rick Great website with all the Vancouver music scene posters and promo. I was surprised to read that the 3's A Crowd was the first in the series. Not sure if you know much about the band? They got their start in Vancouver as a Peter Paul & Mary style folk group. They were two Vancouver lads -- Brent Titcomb & Trevor Veitch -- along with Donna Warner of Edmonton. Here is a link to the best bio/story on the band to date written by a British journalist/researcher Nick Warburton. When they landed in Ottawa the trad folk scene was going electric and the trio wanted to join the trend. That's when I joined as the group's drummer. Along with male lead vocalist David WIiffen, (a Brit) who had come to Canada with his family living in Toronto. He ended up in Ottawa playing in a Folk Rock band called The Children, with Bruce Cockburn, William Hawkins, Sandy Crawley, and myself. If your interested in any photos of the Trio, and the big band (six piece) I have loads. Once again love the collection. Richard Drumdee Patterson  Tomorrow's Eyes Hi Rick! My name is j.p. "Jeep " (pronounced like yape) van de Bundt and I used to play the drums for a few years with Tomorrow's Eyes in Vancouver back in the late 60's... I'm trying to find my old bandmates via the internet and your site was the first to pop up with the bandname! I had the time of my life with those guys and we toured all over Canada. So, here we are, 34 or so years later, and it's finally time to find my old buddies! I've tried earlier via the Musician's Union and looking in phonebooks the few times I visited Vancouver, but no luck... If you or anybody who reads this can help me, great! Thanks for keeping some great memories alive with your website! I'm printing out the card; my first lead! All the best, J.P. (now living in Florida)  Bruce Allan and Sam Feldman flog their wares in the University of BC student newspaper. Rick, Found your site while surfing Kitsilano, Afterthought, Intermedia, Country Joe, Retinal Circus, etc. Looking at the posters and reading about people I have not thought about for 30 years started me reminiscing. I realized how formative those years were for me, and decided to write down some of what I remember. Some of the lights that you attribute to "unknown" were done by me and my friends. I was 23 in 1967, living in the West End, had attended the Tripps Festival at the PNE with lights by Sam Perry, and was hanging out with my friend, Vancouver School of Art student Ivan Stenson, who had returned from a trip to California where he had seen the light shows at the Fillmore. I was working as a photographer for the Vancouver Real Estate Board. The two of us began preparing a show which Ivan hoped to put into the Afterthought. The current show was being done by Doug who owned the Blind Owl headshop across the road on 4th Ave. The promoters, Terry and Roger, felt Doug's show was getting stale and gave us the gig. Ivan and I did the shows with the help of Keith Light, David Harpine and other friends and volunteers. Ivan was dedicated to pure light effects using neon tubes, strobe light and rotating mirrors. My part of the show was more image dependant, using multiple slide and overhead projectors superimposed on one screen and flickered at varying speeds. I also mixed in 16mm movie loops of natural phenomena. Of course we also used th usual liquid projections on the side walls because of their ability to cover large areas with vibrant colour mixtures like moving mandalas and to be manipulated by the operator according to whatever they were feeling when driven by the music. We all shared the bottom floor of a house on McDonald near 4th Avenue, around the corner from Joan Payne's craft shop, where we worked on media for the shows. One day a car showed up with three guys and a girl. They said they were a band and had just arrived from the east. The red-headed guy introduced himself as John Patrick Caldwell and he said they were going to call the band Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck. They stayed with us for a few weeks, John tried to get on a baseball team, hoping for a job at the sponsoring brewery, but then they connected with Cliff Moore who started promoting them. Keith Light and my friend Lewis Berry had been at school with Jim Wilson who ran a closed-circuit radio station out of his Kitsilano basement. Jim shortly became the manager for The Seeds of Time. Well, dates are a bit foggy, but I think we did the lights at the Afterthought for almost a year, probably from the spring of 1967 to the summer of 1968. The bands that I remember doing shows for were: The United Empire Loyalists, The Seeds of Time, Painted Ship, Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck, and Country Joe and the Fish. The crowd at the Afterthought began thinning out then, and one night after the show Terry and Roger told us that they were not able to pay us. David Harpine, who had undergone initiation into the Hell's Angels, took Terry into the back alley where he convinced him that there was enough money to cover our fee. Well, that was the end of that gig. I believe that the Afterthought closed shortly after that and that the scene shifted to Dante's Inferno at Davie and Burrard and soon became the Retinal Circus. Keith Light and I also did a big show at Kerrisdale Arena for Cliff Moore where the headliners were the Yardbirds. That was such a big venue to light that I asked Doug to bring in his show to help us with one screen. One memory stands out over all the others from that show. During the matinee performance, someone threw a sparkler into the circular screen above the Yardbirds heads. It caught fire and rained flaming vinyl and polyethylene onto the band. I couldn't find an extinguisher. Thanks to some roadies who had the presence of mind to drop the screen and stomp out the flames. Credit to the Yardbirds who kept on playing through it all. It was disappointing to have to do the evening show without the main screen. It would be great to hear from you or anyone who remembers me, my friends, or our shows. It was a wonderful time in Vancouver, and I treasure the memories of the people we met and the things we did. Regards, John Bower  Hi Rick, I forgot that I had a copy of this Bob Masse poster for the Yardbirds show at the Kerrisdale Arena in Vancouver. I think the year was 1966. My lightshow gets billing as Mind Machine at the bottom of the copy. Get a load of the ticket price: $2.00 !!! Can you believe that? Those were the days. John Hi Rick Love the website. I used to have just about every one of those fantastic Retinal Circus handbills, now I think I'm down to one or two... *sob*. Hanging around Gastown got me performing for Co-Op Radio -- I used to busk in the courtyard outside Bruce Allen's offices on Water Street (nice acoustics) and then I'd wander upstairs to record demos with Peter Thompson while the construction volunteers were still hammering the place together. They played one of my early tapes to test the transmitter so I wound up being the first official voice on the air. I also recall being on first at quite a few Easter Be-Ins (I think I was the de facto sound check girl...) and drinking a lot of peyote tea. Yum!  This is the pic Alan Katowitz took of me the very first time onstage at an open mic on Main Street --- I can't remember if it was the Kit Kat Klub or the Elegant Parlour, you would know which one probably, I do know it was on Main, summer of 1971 or 1972, around the time it morphed from strip club to coffee house. Speaking of strobe lights, our 1967 high school dance committee (Our Lady of Perpetual Help at 10th and Camosun) hired the United Empire Loyalists and a MASSIVE strobe light -- it may well have been that dangerous homemade job mentioned on the blog... it might have triggered temporary brain seizure: I fell madly in love with Tom Kolstee and never quite recovered. I think a coffee table book is definitely in order. All the best, Alison Hogan Living in Victoria and webbing at: www.alisonhogan.com Hi Rick I just bumped into your site and it's bringing back the memories. One memory that didn't make it onto a poster was the night The Animals wandered over from wherever they were playing (The Cave?), probably between sets, and played House of the Rising Sun. I don't remember whose instruments they used. I do remember Eric Burdon saying that they had come to play for "the people", as opposed to whoever was at their paying gig. That was a great time to be young. I've looked for posters or info on the Strawberry Mountain Rock Festival to no avail, I'd kinda like to know who I saw there. It's nice to see that Jim Wilson is still amazing. Thanks for the site. Brian Barnson Hey Rick: While looking for a club called The Light Fantastic on the web, I found your site and wanted to write in with some more history. The Light Fantastic was a short lived affair in North Vancouver at third and Lonsdale that lasted about as long as the Summer of Love. The club was started by Max Anderson and I believe Steve Dolman. I was one of the light show operators and designers along with Ken Kullberg and Clancy Gibson. Clancy also illustrated the posters for the club and I know they are extremely rare now. They were (are) amazing. The club was rather small and would only make money at the door and on soft drink sales; thus the short existence. Local acts were mostly booked. I do remember making great visual impact with the liquid projector. The club was three blocks up from the waterfront and Clancy and I went down and scooped up a few baby crabs one night. When projected on the walls they would appear absolutely gigantic. The kid's freaked (I know I did). Unfortunately the crabs made it back out to sea via the toilet. I don't know what became of Max or Steve but Clancy and I are still the best of friends. He lives in Vancouver and works as an illustrator and gallery artist. He is an amazing talent. Ken lives in Vancouver and sells liquor (works for the government pusherman). I live in Toronto and play in a band called the Skydiggers. The 'diggers are very part time now. After a good run of over a decade the band officially stopped touring about seven years ago. We mainly do charity shows and on occasion we will keep the die-hard fans happy by playng a low key show. Every Christmas for about 15 years now we do a couple of nights at the Horseshoe. It's our litttle tradition. Maybe see you there. It was interesting to recognise some names writing to you. One last curiousity: the last band I played in was in 1965-66 called Segment 41 with Al Hawirko (aka Horowitz, Harlow), Steve Renshaw and Frank Seabolt. All the Best, Ron Macey Hi Rick, I've cruised by your site a couple of times. I grew up in Victoria and saw lots of Vancouver bands there in the 1960s. You can read my story "I Was A Teenage Music Head In the Land of the Newly Wed and Nearly Dead" by clicking here. I am writing a book (for the University of Illinois Press) on West Coast Psychedelic Music. I've been researching it for quite a while and expect to have it done next year (I have two other books). I've interviewed Donnie McDougall from Mother Tuckers Yellow Duck, also Rob Firth of Neptoon Records, and dozens of musicians from Seattle, San Francisco, and LA. Rocking regards, Craig Morrison Montreal  Tomorrow's Eyes poster Hi Rick I was just wandering around in your web site. So much great stuff - all the photos, handbills, and interviews from when I grew up in Vancouver. I was too young to make it to the Retinal Circus etc. as I was only 12 in 1967 but I used to travel down to 4th Avenue to take it all in and devoured everything I could find about the local music scene that was written in the Georgia Straight and Poppin (I think I got the name of that magazine right). I also collected the posters and handbills as they were released, all of which are now long gone. I remember some of your interviews and photos from the Straight and the Terminal City Express, certainly the Beefheart interviews. You mentioned that you weren't sure if John Fahey opened for Larry Coryell or Van Morrison. I don't know about Morrison but Fahey definitely opened for Coryell, one of the best shows I have ever attended. I wasn't so crazy about Coryell but I thought Fahey was absolutely amazing. I believe that he played the entire long "Fare Forward Voyageurs" piece as part of his set, or at least that's what I deducted when I later bought the album of the same name. The concert was at the Gardens and around 1971 or 1972 as you indicated. I was still in high school at the time so it was before 1973, the year I graduated. I assume the photos of John Lee Hooker and John Hammond were from another great concert from the Gardens from that same period. Hooker was incredible. Maybe it sounds clichéd but he was as much a shaman as a musician that night. It all left me wishing that someone would do a documentary and/or a book about that era in Vancouver. Aside from the material in the documentary last night and your web site there isn't much about the Vancouver scene in the late 60s. We need someone to write a book like the one Joey Shithead did about DOA and the early Vancouver punk scene. In case you aren't aware of it, there is a description on the Grateful Dead web site of the Dead's experience playing the Trips Festival that was held in Vancouver in July 1966 at the Gardens. The Grateful Dead web site was recently revamped and now includes an Archives section which is where you'll find it - select 1966 on the timeline and click on the image of the black and white Trips Festival poster. The text will appear on the left of the image. On another topic, I wish I had gone to that Tubes concert from 1975 (or was it 76?). I kicked myself for not going after I read the review in the paper the next day. It sounded so twisted and fun in a wonderfully depraved kind of way. After seeing your photos I did a search on The Tubes and discovered that a documentary about the band is in the works. Check out the trailer at http://www.thetubesproject.com. All the best Bruce McLennan Ottawa Hey dude, I've just been wandering thru your site and reading letters, etc. What a trip to read John Bower's letter. I did liquids with John at the Afterthought and I was with Addled Cromish when I packed it in. John's story about the Yardbirds was particularly funny for me. I have a memory of a Yardbirds concert not at Kerrisdale, but at The PNE Gardens. I had a home-made strobe light that was built out of old neon tubes. The tubes were attached to a frame and the whole thing was hoisted over the stage. Now either the fire inspector had already been or else in 1966 maybe they didn't bother to inspect things too closely. It wasn't until about halfway through the opening set when my brother informed me that the 50,000 volts running from the transformer to the strobe was also running through the railing on one side of the Gardens. We had wrapped this cable from the lights around the hand-railing. Fortunately nobody was hurt, but I find it pretty amazing some of the things we did. Kevin McCreavy Greetings Rick, Well as a Vancouver boy your site was certainly a trip down memory lane LOL! An avid reader of the Straight back in the day, I recalled many of the interviews you did and the gigs you reviewed. I have a question regarding Led Zep's appearance in 1973 which I attended. Someone from the Straight interviewed Plant the following day. It was from that interview that we first learned about the LSD spiking before the show. I was wondering if you happened to have conducted that interview or would know who would have? I also recall that 1971 Zep show when the doors were ripped off the Coliseum, it remains my personal favorite gig to this day. A buddy and I were located on the floor about 10 feet from the stage and felt the crush when the 3,000 or so fans outside were let in. I am presently living out in the East and was not aware of Roger Schiffer's passing. I was friends with the Seeds Of Time back in the day, (John Hall, Gary 'Rocket' Norton, Steve Whalley). As a result I was down at Retinal Circus quite often and knew Roger. He always looked the other way when I joined the LightShow crew to assist Ha Ha. I had a chum from High School by the name of John Cuff who did some writing for the Straight around the same time that Sir Bob Geldof was ontributing to the Straight. Did you ever happen to meet up with him? Well once again I thoroughly enjoyed visiting your site, and will drop in from time to time to see what's new. Sincerely, Larry J. MacDonald Rick, Wow, what a trip down memory lane your site is. I still have some Retinal Circus posters in my trunk. Think I will get them framed. Proud to say I saw the Velvet Underground and others there. Don't remember all that much.... the place was dark and smokey, and somehow magical with the air of anticipation that something unexpected was about to happen. The crowd was groovy and if I remember correctly, there was the lightshow before the music started. Friend of my brother, or so he said at the time, worked with the light show. I remember all those wavy, flowing colours of light. The feeling was very very smooth.... When the band came on stage, they seemed to blend right in with the whole atmosphere, and then the music started, this amazing trippy music. Ahhh such are the memories of a young woman, a long time ago.... Wish I remembered more. Some of the bands you mention, I had not thought of in years. Miss those old days, especially the Easter Be In. Despite the years, still a hippy girl at heart. All the best... Peace, love and happiness. Thanks for the memories…... Kathi Hey Rick, A good friend linked me to your site tonight and that walk down memory lane was great fun! 
In the mid to late sixties I founded and owned Rumble Records and produced records for some great local bands including "Are You A Monkey" with Winter's Green. We produced out of Aragon Studios which later became Mushroom. The original owner of that facility was Al Reusch and we took a ot of artists in their like The Self Portrait, Nikki Chugg and The Five Man Cargo. (That last group could bring back early memories for Bruce Allen.) John Crawford was my engineer for most of those sessions. He was a sweet man and had a golden touch. John was the chief audio engineer at CBC television in Vancouver in those days, (where I had my day job too), and many psychedelic sessions for late night TV were shot in Studio 41 down at Georgia and Albernie.Congrats to you and the crew at Neptune Records too for keepin on keepin on! We never forget. Wayne Sterloff Among collectors, I gotta tip the hat to Ross Hannan and Lawrence Birdsall, both of whom know what and who. And when. Reprinted below are emails I've received from both Birdsall and most recently, Hannan. Scroll down for Birdsall's history of the venue. In May, 2004, I got this email from Ross Hannan of Berkshire, UK. I've used examples from the Hannan Collection and have so noted where I'm missing the cards. Rick Sorry about the size of the attachment, it contains jpegs of all 34 Retinal Circus postcards and handbills. Quite a lot of effort has gone in to figuring out a full list of Retinal Circus shows for which handbills and postcards were produced and I am certain that this list is now complete. Regards Ross December 22 & 23, 1967 Mother Earth My Indole Ring United Empire Loyalists Lights: Addled Chromish Design: Eric Fisher [Magic Theatre Ltd] Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver December 26, 1967 Wildflower United Empire Loyalists December 27, 1967 Collectors Tomorrow's Eyes December 28, 1967 Collectors Papa Bear's Medicine Show December 29, 1967 Youngbloods Papa Bear's Medicine Show December 30, 1967 Youngbloods My Indole Ring Lights: [Probably] Addled Chromish Design: Eric Fisher [Magic Theatre Ltd] Location: [Probably] 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver Note: This card is nearly identical to the one for a show at Kinsmen Fieldhouse, Edmonton, Alberta December 28, 1967 Youngbloods Wildflower Pretty Broos Graeme & The Wafers Lights: Illuminata Lights by Burford, Baldwin and Douglas Design: Eric Fisher [Magic Theatre Ltd] Location: Kinsmen Fieldhouse, Edmonton, Alberta From here on, Ross's list basically repeats the established listing of 1968 gigs. (See below) UPDATE In January, 2005, Hannan updated his earlier report with this information: Well, Rick, this is turning in to the Retinal Circus saga. I was in agreement with your correspondent Lawrence Birdsall about the first show being that Peanut Butter Conspiracy show as advertised by Bob Masse. However, further research has raised some additional questions. We know that the Peanut Butter Conspiracy played the Retinal Circus on September 15, 1967 (and the entry fee was $2.50). Between September 22 and 29 the Retinal Circus published an apology in the University of British Columbia campus paper (The Ubyssey) that alluded to the Retinal Circus having run some Summer Dollar Dances. What I don't know is when these dances started, how many there were or who played. The primary research source for the autumn of 1967 is The Ubyssey, as the Retinal Circus used it for advertising. Unfortunately, with the students being on vacation during the summer months, the paper was not published. I can let you have my list of shows as it currently stands if you would like, and it can also be found online here.  Copies of the ads from The Ubyssey can be found here. If your readers or Lawrence can shed anymore light on this I would be really interested to hear from them. I would also be interested in any comments they have on my list of shows. Feel free to publish my e-mail address. Kind regards Ross ross_hannan@btinternet.com Laurie Birdsall was the first to contribute info about the 1967 history of the venue, and supplied the first comprehensive 1968 listing of Retinal Circus postcards. Here's his contribution: Rick, Thanks for creating the site with the Retinal Circus post cards. As someone else noted, up until September 1967 the club was known as Dante's Inferno. The Retinal Circus primarily replaced the Afterthought, which was on 4th Avenue, as the city's major psychedelic ballroom (it was once the Kitsilano Theater, now it's the Russian Community Center). The Retinal Circus, located at 1024 Davie, was next door to the Elegant Parlour, an R&B club that often booked Bobby Taylor and The Vancouvers who at the time included Tommy Chong. In its Dante's incarnation it had shows by the Grateful Dead, the Doors, Canned Heat etc., as well as all the local bands such as the United Empire Loyalists, Painted Ship, Willam Tell and the Marksmen etc. I recently ran across a Retinal poster done by Bob Masse (his only Retinal poster) for a Sept 15, 1967, show with the Peanut Butter Conspiracy and the United Empire Loyalists. To my knowledge that is the first show at the Retinal Circus. Shows seemed to occur on an irregular basis throughout the fall of 1967. From Oct. 27-28, the PH Phactor Jug Band, Painted Ship and Seeds of Time played. Dec. 6-9 saw a show with Country Joe and the Fish, United Empire Loyalists and Papa Bears Medicine Show. There was a particularly great series of shows around xmas: Mother Earth, United Empire Loyalists, My Indole Ring played Dec. 22-23, and Wildflower, The Youngbloods, and The Collectors played Dec. 26-30. The weekly shows that were advertised by the Steve Seymour postcards began in March of 1968. Steve did these posters: March 1-2: 3's A Crowd Seeds of Time March 8-9: Papa Bear's Medicine Show Yellow Brick Road My Indole Ring March 15-16: Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck Hydro Electric Streetcar March 22-23: Country Weather Band Mock Duck March 28-30: Siegel Schwall Blues Band United Empire Loyalists My Indole Ring April 4/5/6: Notes From The Undergound United Empire Loyalists Paisley Rain Hydro Electric Streetcar April 11-13: Charlatans My Indole Ring Pacific Nation Mock Duck April 18-20: Papa Bear's Medicine Show Black Snake Blues Band Seeds Of Time Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck May 2-4: Mad River Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck Seeds of Time Paisley Rain May 9-11: Collectors Mock Duck Black Snake Blues Band My Indole Ring May 16-19: Collectors Grass Harp Hydro Electric Streetcar Pacific Nation Papa Bear's Medicine Show Yellow Brique Road May 23-25: Family Tree Tommorrow's Eyes Seeds of Time Mock Duck May 30 - June 1: John Handy My Indole Ring United Empire Loyalists Black Snake Blues Band (there is a Bo Diddley card for these dates but the show was replaced by John Handy) June 6-8: Allmen Joy Black and White Power Seeds of Time Pacific Nation June 13-15: Junior Wells The Paupers (don't believe they showed) June 20-22: Easy Chair Fast Freight Country Show Mock Duck Paisley Rain United Empire Loyalists July 6/9/12: Hydro Electric Floon Yellow Brique Road Winters Green My Indole Ring Genesis July 17/19: Black and White Power United Empire Loyalists Mock Duck Black Snake Blues Band July 25-27: Papa Bear's Medicine Show Winters Green July 29 - Aug 3: John Handy Good Shepherds August 6-10: Muddy Waters My Indole Ring August 13-17: Tom Northcott Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck August 20-24: Corky Siegel Blues Band Black Snake Blues Band August 27 - September 1: Allmen Joy September 6-8: Frumious Bandersnatch September 27-29: Collectors Graeme Waifer October 4-6: Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck Mock Duck October 25/26/27: Wanda And Bruce Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck Hydro Electric Streetcar Mock Duck United Empire Loyalists October 31 - Nov 3: Velvet Underground Black Snake Blues Band Cheers, Laurie Birdsall |
 Date: February 10 & 11, 1967 Performers: February 10: Martha Mushroom's Fantastic Sensations United Empire Loyalists February 11: Painted Ship Martha Mushroom's Fantastic Sensations Lights: Unknown Poster Design: Bob Masse Club: Afterthought Location: Kitsilano Theatre, 2114 West 4th  Date: February 24, 1967 Performers: Joe Mock No Commercial Potential Jabberwock Lights: Unknown Poster Design: Bob Masse Club: Afterthought Location: Kitsilano Theatre, 2114 West 4th  Date: March 17-19, 1967 Performers: Steve Miller Blues Band Collectors Lights: Unknown Poster Design: Bob Masse (signed) Club: Afterthought Location: Kitsilano Theatre, 2114 West 4th  Date: September 15, 1967 Performers: Peanut Butter Conspiracy United Empire Loyalists Lights: Unknown Poster Design: Bob Masse Club: Retinal Circus Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: October 27, 1967 Performers: PH Factor Jug Band Painted Ship Seeds of Time Lights: Unknown Poster Design: Bob Masse Club: Retinal Circus Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: November 17 & 18, 1967 Performers: Papa Bear's Medicine Show Lights: Addled Chromish Poster Design: Eric Fisher (Magic Theatre Ltd) Club: Retinal Circus (from now on) Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: December 1 & 2, 1967 Performers: Fat Jack My Indole Ring Lights: USU Light Show Poster Design: Eric Fisher (Magic Theatre Ltd) Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: December 22 & 23, 1967 Performers: Mother Earth My Indole Ring United Empire Loyalists Lights: Addled Chromish Poster Design: Eric Fisher (Magic Theatre Ltd) Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: December 26, 1967 Performers: Wildflower United Empire Loyalists Date: December 27, 1967 Performers: Collectors Tomorrow's Eyes Date: December 28, 1967 Performers: Collectors Papa Bear's Medicine Show Date: December 29, 1967 Performers: Youngbloods Papa Bear's Medicine Show Date: December 30, 1967 Performers: Youngbloods My Indole Ring Lights: [Probably] Addled Chromish Poster Design: Eric Fisher [Magic Theatre Ltd] Location: [Probably] 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver Note: This card is nearly identical to the one for a show at Kinsmen Fieldhouse, Edmonton, Alberta (see below). Card Courtesy The Hannan Collection  Date: December 28, 1967 Performers: Youngbloods Wildflower Pretty Broos Graeme & The Wafers Lights: Illuminata Lights by Burford, Baldwin and Douglas Poster Design: Eric Fisher [Magic Theatre Ltd] Location: Kinsmen Fieldhouse, Edmonton, Alberta Card Courtesy The Hannan Collection  Date: March 1-2, 1968 Performers: 3's A Crowd Seeds Of Time Lights: Addled Chromish Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: March 8-9, 1968 Performers: Papa Bear's Medicine Show Yellow Brick Road My Indole Ring Lights: Addled Chromish Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: March 15-16, 1968 Performers: Fat Jack Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck Hydro Electric Streetcar Lights: Addled Chromish Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: March 22-23, 1968 Performers: Country Weather Band Mock Duck Lights: Addled Chromish Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: March 28-30, 1968 Performers: Siegel Schwall Blues Band United Empire Loyalists My Indole Ring Seeds Of Time Lights: Addled Chromish Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: April 4-6, 1968 Notes From Underground Performers: United Empire Loyalists Paisley Rain Hydro Electric Streetcar Lights: Addled Chromish Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: April 18-20, 1968 Performers: Papa Bear's Medicine Show Black Snake Blues Band Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck Seeds Of Time Lights: Ecto Plasmic Assault Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver Card Courtesy The Hannan Collection  Date: April 18-20, 1968 Performers: Papa Bear's Medicine Show Black Snake Blues Band Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck Seeds Of Time Lights: Ecto Plasmic Assault Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: May 2-4, 1968 Performers: Mad River Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck Seeds Of Time Paisley Rain Lights: Ecto Plasmic Assault Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver Card Courtesy The Hannan Collection  Date: May 9-11, 1968 Performers: The Collectors Mock Duck My Indole Ring Black Snake Blues Band Lights: Addled Chromish Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: May 16-19, 1968 Performers: The Collectors Grass Harp Hydro Electric Streetcar Pacific Nation Papa Bear's Medicine Show Yellow Brique Road Lights: Ecto Plasmic Assault Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: May 23-25, 1968 Performers: The Family Tree Tomorrow's Eyes Seeds Of Time Mock Duck Lights: Ecto Plasmic Assault Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: May 30-June 1, 1968 Performers: John Handy My Indole Ring Black Snake Blues Band United Empire Loyalists Lights: Addled Chromish Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: June 6-8, 1968 Performers: Allmen Joy Black & White Power Seeds Of Time Pacific Nation Lights: Addled Chromish Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: June 13-15, 1968 Performers: Junior Wells The Paupers Lights: Addled Chromish Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: June 20-22, 1968 Performers: Easy Chair Fast Freight Country Show United Empire Loyalists Mock Duck Paisley Rain Lights: Ecto Plasmic Assault Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: June 27-30, 1968 Performers: Velvet Underground Seeds Of Time Black Snake Blues Band My Indole Ring Papa Bear's Medicine Show Don Thompson Trio La Troupe Grotesque Lights: Addled Chromish Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: July 6, 9 & 12, 1968 Performers: Hydro Electric Streetcar Floon Yellow Brique Road Winters Green My Indole Ring Genesis Lights: Addled Chromish Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: July 17, 1968 Performers: Black & White Power Mock Duck United Empire Loyalists Black Snake Blues Band Lights: Ecto Plasmic Assault Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: July 25-27, 1968 Performers: Papa Bear's Medicine Show Winter's Green Lights: Ecto Plasmic Assault Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: July 29-August 3, 1968 Performers: John Handy The Good Sheperds Lights: Ecto Plasmic Assault Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: August 6-10, 1968 Performers: Muddy Waters Blues Band My Indole Ring Lights: Ecto Plasmic Assault Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: August 13-17, 1968 Performers: Tom Northcott Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck Lights: Addled Chromish Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: August 20-24, 1968 Performers: Corky Siegel Blues Band Black Snake Blues Band Lights: Unattributed Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver Card Courtesy The Hannan Collection  Date: Aug 27-Sept 1, 1968 Performers: Allmen Joy Lights: Addled Chromish Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: Sept 6-8, 1968 Performers: Frumious Bandersnatch Lights: Unattributed Poster Design: Unattributed Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: Sept 27-29, 1968 Performers: The Collectors Graeme Wafer Lights: Unattributed Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: Oct 4-6, 1968 Performers: Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck Mock Duck Lights: Unattributed Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: Oct 25, 25 & 27, 1968 Blues Festival Performers: Wanda And Bruce Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck Hydro Electric Streetcar Mock Duck United Empire Loyalists Lights: Ecto Plasmic Assault Poster Design: Steve Seymour Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver  Date: Oct 31-November 3, 1968 Performers: Velvet Underground Black Snake Blues Band Lights: Ecto Plasmic Assault Poster Design: Frank Lewis Location: 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver Card Courtesy The Hannan Collection  Not a Retinal Circus Card, however this concert was promoted by Roger Schiffer, RC's owner. Date: September 21, 1968 Performers: Tiny Tim Country Joe & The Fish The Collectors Venue: Vancouver Pacific Coliseum READ MY EARLY ROCK STAR INTERVIEWS: Elton John April, 1971 Van Morrison February, 1971 Led Zeppelin August 19/20, 1971 Fleetwood Mac February 1971 Chicago Transit Authority April, 1970 Savoy Brown September, 1970 Pentangle May, 1970 Gordon Lightfoot October, 1970 Captain Beefheart September, 1971 Captain Beefheart March, 1973 Crowbar August, 1971 Crowbar March 10, 1971 Mitch Ryder July, 1970 Lamya October, 2002 Al Neil December, 1972 Red Robinson January, 1972 High Flying Bird May, 1972  McDog Bootleg Music & DVD Trade List  Classic Rock Concert Pix  Early Beatles Fan Magazines |
|||