On that day in 1976 - 24 July

I was still looking for someone to buy my Todd ticket; the gig was that night. It was at the Starlight Bowl in Burbank, and before that I wanted to see Robert Williams's band, who were playing in Griffith Park. (I'm not sure where!) That was a gig under the umbrella title Radio Free Hollywood, put on by The Dogs, The Pop! and The Motels; mentioned in this blog: Radio Free Hollywood I think the band that Robert was the drummer of was called Radio. Several years later he joined The Pop! That was the first time I ever saw The Pop! and I really liked them so I'm surprised I didn't write anything about them. But of course my focus was on Todd that evening. He did not play the west coast very often in the mid seventies and I had been waiting impatiently nearly two and a half years for his return.

Strange that on my very first day of being able to legally drive that I would drive across the county, all over Griffith Park and the hills above Burbank, and chase Todd's limo in the dark! I remember freaking Mary out on the way to Griffith Park as I would make the car "dance" every time "More More More" (I hated most disco, but did love that song) came on the radio, which was very often!

24 July 1976

Well, it's past 3:00 but I have to write about today. At 9:00 [this morning] Ava still wasn't sure about going, talked to Cathy, talked her into going till she found out when the show was. [Tonight!] Talked to Brent and neither he nor Peter wanted to go; then Ava finally said she wanted to, but I had already promised Mary. We went to look for Hollywood Spectaculars. [These giant sunglasses; I'd gotten some a couple years ago but they had broken.] I got Todd a little rhinoceros that says "You make me horny". [Good grief!]

So we went to Ava's where she wastes enough time; now she hates me. So finally we leave; got to Griffith Park and there was a sign where the bands were playing. But some other band was on. I was looking for the restroom when I thought this guy looked like Robert from the back and I was gonna grab him but I went to the front to make sure but he saw me. Plans foiled again! He said it was good I had missed them [his band] cause they had been awful. He said this girl was his girlfriend and I gave him a dirty look and then he said that she was just a girl who always come to see them play and not to think anything of it. Later he said he felt guilty, that he should be spending more time with me, that he didn't want me to get jealous. He told his friend that I was his other girlfriend.

Oh yeah, that guy in white! Robert said he was just a friend of the band. Robert always wears that shirt - PAPS San Francisco – 10 – and those same jeans; now they have a hole in the back. For a while he changed into shorts. He loved borrowing my camera. He put his cowboy hat on my head. He kept staring at me with sunglasses on; it was driving me crazy! Then one time he kissed me; I was a little surprised, then he goes, "You're horny enough; all I do is give you one little kiss and you're ready to jump into bed with me!" But he said he felt the same. I wish we could have – I mean just be alone for a bit - I got so turned on! And I think if I [first] saw him now I wouldn’t be infatuated with him. It's only true love. He was talking to the bass player in the other band.

That one band was weird, weird like Jonathan Richman. [No idea who this was.] So finally we were gonna go and I told Robert and he just squeezes my hand and I look at him and he goes, "I can't kiss you goodbye, my lips are chapped." Ha! I was pissed enough, wait'll he gets his present Tuesday! [??? I looked ahead and there were no clues to what I was talking about there.]

So we stopped for film and junk; oh, forgot to say that I bought roses from a street corner boy, gave one to Robert. So we got there and Man were on. They weren't anywhere as good as I thought they should be. I was so dumb, I forgot the film (and later found out I couldn't get it [from the car] anyway) but it's good I did try to get it or I would have probably stayed to see more of Man but instead we decided to wait for Todd to arrive. That was weird; like in my dream, that girl didn't know who Todd was!

Finally, after Journey had gone on, a limo drives up. I almost died. Mary was in the bathroom. I ran over there, and saw him. I really don't remember much, except Bebe was there, he gave some girl an autograph (I almost got one), and some girl kept saying, "I love you!" and I remember saying, "I love you too!" and holding onto his arm for just a fleeting second. The guards said he had to go in. I called his name but one of the guards said he'd give my present to him. Then I had the spazz attack of the century! I screamed, jumped up and down, hugged Mary, ran around and cried. I made such a scene; I was hysterical! Then I saw Sharon and Dawn [friends from school whom I had recently met and who were Todd fans] who I thought must have met him or something but ha ha. [I guess they didn't!]

Well, I couldn't stop crying or calm down for about five minutes. Then we went to watch Journey. They were really good, [Eh?! Did I REALLY say that?] especially the guitarist. Saw Jeff Lester and Bill Wood (bald now) [Jeff was a friend from high school but who was this Bill Wood dude?] and the Queen caterer [???] with some chick from our school, next to Mary.

Well, finally Todd came on. At first everyone went wild but not for long. the audience just wasn't like last time; there was no international feel. [It was all prog rock Utopia; the last show I saw, which was more than two years ago, featured almost two hours of Todd on his own, prancing about in a leotard and singing to backing tracks before the band joined him.] Todd can still move around, even with a guitar. He did some split jumps, windmills and a lot of kicking and jumping around. I swear he reminds me so much of Robert Williams. [???!!!] I never realized it before! The way he acts, moves around, talks, his sense of humor, everything! Mary said I act like him; Trudie says I dance like Robert Marlow. But he's enough like Todd, I mean R.W.! [I am completely insane.]

So first Todd did a new song, then "When the Shit Hits the Fan" (I wish it would! And SOON!) [You would need to know the lyrics to get that…] I stood up and screamed before and after every song; I don't care about everyone else. When he did "Seven Rays" I went crazy! Then he did a "mellow" song ("one of those new words" he said)… Why didn't I bring a tape recorder?! They wouldn't have known… I started crying during "The Verb to Love". After Todd did "Black and White" he goes, "What is mankind's greatest invention?" and before anyone else I yelled out "Todd!!"

I missed Todd running around but it was still funny; at the end he played his guitar like a machine gun. [I then go on to describe every detail of every single song of the set, but I'll spare you. And I probably should have cut more above!] The first encore was "Do Ya" and the second, "Just One Victory"; I had a super spazz then. (Earlier I had yelled that out and the girl behind me said, "Good idea!")

I didn't want Todd to leave – I love him so much! After it finished they went and played "Cause We Ended as Lovers". [Jeff Beck's instrumental version of this Stevie Wonder song was the last song played at the Rainbow each night and therefore held much significance to me. It always made me sad!] Sob!

The NES were fucked; first they make us move back, then go all the way down the driveway, then across the street!! The one guy was OK; he said he'd give my roses to Todd and tell him my name. So we waited and waited; talked to those guys – one didn't like Earle [Mankey - ??!]; that girl had got her Runt album autographed; about ten people asked me where I had got my shirt [this would have been a shirt I'd got from an ad at the back of Creem Magazine in 1974; I wore it last month when I went to see Todd and I can't believe I used to wear it to school as it is quite a revealing photo!] – that's weird that I was the only one with one like it; there was no one with my yellow Todd shirt either but a few people with the blue one. [I do not have these any more and can't even remember what the blue one was!] So finally we got my car and waited; finally they came and we followed. They were going pretty fast. It was fun; everyone was yelling "Todd!!!" out the window. We went about four miles then at a red light I lost them. Oh well. Then we went home. When I got home it was after 2:00 but I didn't get in trouble!