Post by darkstar3 on Jan 27, 2011 2:37:46 GMT
DINNER KEY ROCK SHOW BACKER SLAMS DOORS
March 5, 1969
(Miami Public Library Florida Collection)
When a University of Miami group tried to book The Doors, a rock group, into the Miami Beach convention hall about six weeks ago, the refusal was absolute.
"I know about The Doors," says Convention Hall Manager Duke Ducoff, "So do other auditorium managers across the country. I wouldn't let them in here.
You know what happened after that, Ken Collier, his brother, Jim and their partner Chuck Gross, operators of a teenage night club, booked The Doors into Dinner Key Auditorium.
What happened Saturday night is still the talk of Miami. Jim Morrison, The Doors specialist in obscene words and crowd excitement, apparently unzipped his pants, onstage, exposed himself and disgusted his youthful audience.
With The Doors' bad reputation - and it was publicized in Life Magazine several months ago - how did City of Miami property become available to The Doors?
It works this way. George MacLean leases the auditorium from the City of Miami, giving the city 10 per cent of the bookings he receives. MacLean said he had never heard of The Doors and when he was approached by Ken Collier he simply checked on Colliers' reputation as a businessman.
Both Collier's landlord and his attorney, former U.S. Attorney James Gullmartin gave Collier and his partners a good recommendation.
MacLean notified the City of Miami that he was staging a "pop concert" on March 2 and that 30 off duty police would be used for crowd control. He did not mention in his letter that The Doors were the performers, says City Manager Melvin Reese.
The above is merely an explanation as to how The Doors reached Dinner Key. Obviously, MacLean should have been more knowlegable, and City Manager Reese says steps will be taken to know the exact nature of performers appearing at Dinner Key in the future.
Many Miamians also are asking about the off-duty policeman. Why didn't they stop the performance when the language got rough? Were they acting as private guards or city policeman or both?
Acting Police Chief Paul Denham says a policeman is a policeman at all times and can never be directed by a private entrepreneur.
In the case of last Saturday's performance, says Denham, most of the 26 officers were trying to control the 2,000 youngsters outside the auditorium trying to get in. Those inside the auditorium only got a glimpse of Morrison’s lewd display. There is, however, enough information to file charges against Morrison says Denham.
Reese says he has reason to believe that the police acted properly in not seizing Morrison - that the performer was trying to get his youthful audience worked up into a lather and that the sudden intervention of police might have been the spark to trigger disorder.
As it was, 10,000 youngsters attending this performance behaved creditably. The general reaction seemed to be disgust rather than an automatic joining in with Morrison's behavior.
Was there reason to suspect there would be trouble?
It depends on who you talk to, MacLean says no. Acting police chief Paul Denham says he recommended that there be no more teenage concerts last year after a soul music deal resulted in fist fights at the auditorium and vandalism afterwards in Coconut Grove.
Chuck Gross, one of the three young partners who backed the show last Saturday, said the auditorium was left chair-less on the recommendation of police, who feared that chairs might be used as weapons.
Gross also contends first The Doors refused to go onstage at the last minute when they saw there were no chairs. “They figured we were trying to get more people in the auditorium and wanted more money” says Gross. It was a real hassle.
The Ashley Famous agency was trying to hit us for more money. We had guaranteed The Doors $25,000. We had to call in the union to arbitrate. I think Morrison (the one who performed the obscene act) was trying to get back at us onstage.
Gross’ partner, Ken Collier, states the case differently. “I signed the contract,” says Collier. “There was nothing like that. When Morrison got out of line, we jumped in and grabbed him.”
Collier says that his group booked The Doors because of University of Miami students’ interest in getting The Doors to Miami. “It was a case of whether the University would do it or private enterprise – and we have 50 weeks experience in crowd control without one arrest.”
Collier says his night club, The Image, is being much maligned in the wake of the Dinner Key show and that he considers it unfair. Collier says he’s thinking of running for Congress and thinks a lot of young people would back him.
Collier spews out a lot of four letter words himself when talking about older people, although he himself is 29. I can’t repeat what he said about Performer Morrison, without violating the libel laws, but Collier says he will try to block Morrison and The Doors from a scheduled appearance in Jacksonville Sunday.
Collier really would have fumed had he known what was going on across town at St. John The Apostle Church. A group of young people who sought advice from Father Seam O’Sullivan is planning a March 23rd Rally at the Orange Bowl to combat The Doors and similar groups which give a distorted look at young life.
“These young people are sick of being exploited by people trying to make money,” said Father O’Sullivan. “The decent young people are in the majority, the hippies in the minority. The decent kids want to speak up for a change.”
Father O’Sullivan said that Mike Levesque, leader of the young people would appeal to all youths in Dade County to show up at the rally. “He hopes he can get 100,000 kids there.
City Manager Melvin Reese, who is in the throes if making new policies for Dinner Key, groaned when he heard about the proposed decency rally. “Just what we don’t need – 100,000 kids in the Orange Bowl,” said Reese.
March 5, 1969
(Miami Public Library Florida Collection)
When a University of Miami group tried to book The Doors, a rock group, into the Miami Beach convention hall about six weeks ago, the refusal was absolute.
"I know about The Doors," says Convention Hall Manager Duke Ducoff, "So do other auditorium managers across the country. I wouldn't let them in here.
You know what happened after that, Ken Collier, his brother, Jim and their partner Chuck Gross, operators of a teenage night club, booked The Doors into Dinner Key Auditorium.
What happened Saturday night is still the talk of Miami. Jim Morrison, The Doors specialist in obscene words and crowd excitement, apparently unzipped his pants, onstage, exposed himself and disgusted his youthful audience.
With The Doors' bad reputation - and it was publicized in Life Magazine several months ago - how did City of Miami property become available to The Doors?
It works this way. George MacLean leases the auditorium from the City of Miami, giving the city 10 per cent of the bookings he receives. MacLean said he had never heard of The Doors and when he was approached by Ken Collier he simply checked on Colliers' reputation as a businessman.
Both Collier's landlord and his attorney, former U.S. Attorney James Gullmartin gave Collier and his partners a good recommendation.
MacLean notified the City of Miami that he was staging a "pop concert" on March 2 and that 30 off duty police would be used for crowd control. He did not mention in his letter that The Doors were the performers, says City Manager Melvin Reese.
The above is merely an explanation as to how The Doors reached Dinner Key. Obviously, MacLean should have been more knowlegable, and City Manager Reese says steps will be taken to know the exact nature of performers appearing at Dinner Key in the future.
Many Miamians also are asking about the off-duty policeman. Why didn't they stop the performance when the language got rough? Were they acting as private guards or city policeman or both?
Acting Police Chief Paul Denham says a policeman is a policeman at all times and can never be directed by a private entrepreneur.
In the case of last Saturday's performance, says Denham, most of the 26 officers were trying to control the 2,000 youngsters outside the auditorium trying to get in. Those inside the auditorium only got a glimpse of Morrison’s lewd display. There is, however, enough information to file charges against Morrison says Denham.
Reese says he has reason to believe that the police acted properly in not seizing Morrison - that the performer was trying to get his youthful audience worked up into a lather and that the sudden intervention of police might have been the spark to trigger disorder.
As it was, 10,000 youngsters attending this performance behaved creditably. The general reaction seemed to be disgust rather than an automatic joining in with Morrison's behavior.
Was there reason to suspect there would be trouble?
It depends on who you talk to, MacLean says no. Acting police chief Paul Denham says he recommended that there be no more teenage concerts last year after a soul music deal resulted in fist fights at the auditorium and vandalism afterwards in Coconut Grove.
Chuck Gross, one of the three young partners who backed the show last Saturday, said the auditorium was left chair-less on the recommendation of police, who feared that chairs might be used as weapons.
Gross also contends first The Doors refused to go onstage at the last minute when they saw there were no chairs. “They figured we were trying to get more people in the auditorium and wanted more money” says Gross. It was a real hassle.
The Ashley Famous agency was trying to hit us for more money. We had guaranteed The Doors $25,000. We had to call in the union to arbitrate. I think Morrison (the one who performed the obscene act) was trying to get back at us onstage.
Gross’ partner, Ken Collier, states the case differently. “I signed the contract,” says Collier. “There was nothing like that. When Morrison got out of line, we jumped in and grabbed him.”
Collier says that his group booked The Doors because of University of Miami students’ interest in getting The Doors to Miami. “It was a case of whether the University would do it or private enterprise – and we have 50 weeks experience in crowd control without one arrest.”
Collier says his night club, The Image, is being much maligned in the wake of the Dinner Key show and that he considers it unfair. Collier says he’s thinking of running for Congress and thinks a lot of young people would back him.
Collier spews out a lot of four letter words himself when talking about older people, although he himself is 29. I can’t repeat what he said about Performer Morrison, without violating the libel laws, but Collier says he will try to block Morrison and The Doors from a scheduled appearance in Jacksonville Sunday.
Collier really would have fumed had he known what was going on across town at St. John The Apostle Church. A group of young people who sought advice from Father Seam O’Sullivan is planning a March 23rd Rally at the Orange Bowl to combat The Doors and similar groups which give a distorted look at young life.
“These young people are sick of being exploited by people trying to make money,” said Father O’Sullivan. “The decent young people are in the majority, the hippies in the minority. The decent kids want to speak up for a change.”
Father O’Sullivan said that Mike Levesque, leader of the young people would appeal to all youths in Dade County to show up at the rally. “He hopes he can get 100,000 kids there.
City Manager Melvin Reese, who is in the throes if making new policies for Dinner Key, groaned when he heard about the proposed decency rally. “Just what we don’t need – 100,000 kids in the Orange Bowl,” said Reese.