MATT BARRETT’S TALES FROM THE ROCK N ROLL CRYPT: Episode 11
The Gorilla
It was the beginning of January in 1974. I had just been kicked out of the American College of Greece. I couldn’t work legally in Greece and it looked like I was going to have to go back to America. But Dorian had a solution. I would take his place in Kosta Tournas’ band. Dorian wanted to leave so he could work on his own band but he had promised Tournas that he would
find a capable replacement. That would be me. A replacement but less than capable.
I knew I was not a good enough guitarist to replace Dorian in the band of one of the most popular rock stars in Greece. But Dorian convinced me that in 2 weeks he would teach me everything I need to know. I went a couple times to the Sofita club on the steps of Mniscicleos Street in the Plaka where Tournas was doing a show called Μηχανή του Χρόνου (Time Machine) 5 nights a week, from his somewhat futuristic album influenced by David Bowie as many things were in those days. Dorian gave me the album, taught me the chords, and I spent the next two weeks learning the songs.
I knew I wasn’t good enough to completely pull it off. I could play all the songs but some just barely. And if there were any songs in the show that were not on the album I was screwed. But I bravely put on my coolest clothes and with my Gibson Melody Maker got on the bus to go downtown for a quick rehearsal and then to do the show.
It didn’t go well. I was so out of my depth it was obvious before I even played a note. When Tournas walked in he greeted me (sort of) and got right down to business. He named a song. I didn’t know it. (I don’t think it was on the album). I told him Dorian hadn’t taught me that one. He named another song. This one I knew. Sort of. I stumbled into it and in about 10 seconds he threw done his guitar and shouted “Cancel tonight’s show. Fucking Dorian”.
I packed up my guitar. The other musicians were nice but it was obviously an embarrassing situation. I took the bus home. I guess that was it. I was going back the the states.
But Dorian had another idea for the next step of my musical career. I would be in his new band called Fos, which means light. It was a concept show he had written that he was going to perform at the Elatirion Club in Victoria Square. He had paid a friend to design and make these silky futuristic uniforms (the Bowie thing again) and he had written all the music. The show went something like this…
The band came out and played the first half dozen songs. Then while the musicians are busy doing the things musicians do between songs, George, the singer, reads a newspaper and says “Hey, did you see this article about the gorilla escaping from the zoo?” Meanwhile a gorilla has come up behind George and is reading over his shoulder until George turns, sees him, and runs away with the gorilla chasing him around the stage and attacking people in the audience.
By now you probably have come to the realization that this was not an actual gorilla but a person in a gorilla costume and that person was going to be me. This was my big break and the start of a career in show business.
“No fucking way”, I told Dorian when he presented the idea to me. But he continued. After a few minutes of slapstick comedy between George and the gorilla the band launches into an upbeat pop song called Gorilla which segues into a sort of anthem called Eleftheria, which means freedom. At this point the gorilla has joined the singing and holds up a big sign that says I AM FREE. Then he turns it around and it says ARE YOU?
At this juncture I would like to point out that this was during the dictatorship.
“Are you fucking crazy? This is my big break? To provoke the junta from the safety of a gorilla suit? They will throw me in jail!”
“No they won’t and even if they do they will take us all.” Dorian replied.
“Yes but you will go to prison in your silly colored costumes while I will spend the next 10 years dressed up like a gorilla.”
Needless to say I didn’t take the gig and I ended up going back to the states. But I saw the show a couple times and they actually did find a kid to wear the gorilla suit and even though he did hold up the sign he didn’t get arrested. A few months later the dictatorship fell. But I don’t think Dorian’s show had anything to do with it.