Ian McLagen

1975-02-24 Rod Stewart & Faces / Blue Oyster Cult

Madison Square Garden

Rod Stewart & Faces at Madison Square Garden, 2/24/1975. In view here, Ronnie, Rod and Mac.

Rod Stewart & Faces at Madison Square Garden, 2/24/1975. In view here, Ronnie, Rod and Mac.

The Faces playing at MSG in front of a wall of Ampeg amps, similar to what the Stones’ 1975 tour set-up would look like.Ian McLagan looked kind of small sitting at his Steinway Concert Grand. Mac apparently couldn't get a clavinet in white to match …

The Faces playing at MSG in front of a wall of Ampeg amps, similar to what the Stones’ 1975 tour set-up would look like.

Ian McLagan looked kind of small sitting at his Steinway Concert Grand. Mac apparently couldn't get a clavinet in white to match the Hammond case, the Steinway and the candles. Kenny Jones is playing his plaid drum set on the riser.

Marcal-Faces-2.jpg
Rod and Ronnie singing together as Mac plays by candlelight. MSG 2/24/1975.

Rod and Ronnie singing together as Mac plays by candlelight. MSG 2/24/1975.

I had listened to many of the earlier Rod Stewart and Faces albums and singles .... I bought the "Coast to Coast" live album after reading a review in Circus magazine in 1974.  I saw them appear on "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert"  and "In Concert" on TV - these shows featured the hot bands in the early 70s - and I taped a radio broadcast (on the King Biscuit radio show) featuring "Twisting the Night Away" and “Sweet Little Rock and Roller" from one recent show.  The Faces were really big at the time and I looked forward to this day intensely for many months - it would be my first trip to the Garden in the big City without parental supervision.  A winter rain fell as we got there and went outside from Penn Station. I had brought my camera and telephoto lense with me, and don’t recall any problem getting them in.

In later years I would see both Ronnie Wood and Ian McLagan, who were then members of the Faces, play with the Rolling Stones, and would see Kenny Jones with the Who. 

Mac, 2 candles, an ashtray on a white Steinway concert grand, and Rod in satin with his mic stand. Rod Stewart & Faces at MSG, 2/24/74

Mac, 2 candles, an ashtray on a white Steinway concert grand, and Rod in satin with his mic stand. Rod Stewart & Faces at MSG, 2/24/74

And not to forget Blue Oyster Cult, I did get some photos of them with the dry ice smoke machines in full operation.. Much later on Will Farrow would play the cowbell to "Don't Fear the Reaper" on SNL. But even better, I would catch Dave Matthews Band when they played a version of the song at the 2011 DMB Caravan shows, with Tim Reynolds killing it on the guitar solo.

I shot some of these photos from the far side of MSG with my 200mm telephoto lense, shooting Kodak Tri-X film that I developed at home.

Blue Oyster Cult with the smoke machine going.

Blue Oyster Cult with the smoke machine going.

Marcal-BOC-2.jpg

Below: Tour Program:

2014-05-17 Wesley Stace's Cabinet of Wonders (with David Bromberg and Ian McLagen)

City Winery

The Cabinet of Wonders is a musical and literary variety show based at New York City’s City Winery hosted by Wesley Stace, aka John Wesley Harding, who I saw play several times with his own bands. Writers and poets join an eclectic group of musicians at these performances. This particular edition featured David Bromberg and Ian McLagen whose work prominently influenced so many people and looms large in my musical world. It was pretty amazing to see all these folks on one small stage. I would include a complete list of performers for this cabinet but Wes’ website no longer includes the archive of all Cabinet events.

I am grateful that I had this chance to see Mac on piano and takes some photos of him shortly before he passed away.

Below: Wesley Stace, Ian McLagen and David Bromberg performing with Cabinet of Wonders.


Slideshow below: Cabinet of Wonders, May 16, 2015