1974 RICK WAKEMAN SAN FRANCISCO CONCERT TICKET STUB JOURNEY TO CENTRE OF EARTH

Description

YOU ARE BIDDING ON A
ORIGINAL VINTAGE
YES
CONCERT TICKET STUB
FROM SEPTEMBER 28, 1974
AT THE SAN FRANCISCO CIVIC CENTER
IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
David:
When my friends and I saw Rick Wakeman perform his epic
Journey to the Centre of the Earth
at the San Francisco Civic Center, it was more of an event than a regular concert. Rick Wakeman had achieved a status playing keyboards that was usually given to guitarists like Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page.
There was no opening act. Unlike Winterland or the Cow Palace, it was a seated venue. When the lights dimmed, a spotlight followed Rick Wakeman across the stage to his keyboards. He was wearing the same long white robe that he wore as a member of Yes. He immediately started the concert with a piece from his first solo album,
The Six Wives of Henry VIII
. It was familiar to the audience and received loud applause.
He would talk to the audience between songs. At one point he said that touring across the country meant having to sit in hotel rooms and watch TV. He explained that he saw a lot of American TV shows and commercials that were not shown in England. So to pass the time, he put together a piece of music that was made up of commercial jingles strung together. That gave the show some levity. I enjoyed the sense of humor that Wakeman displayed on his albums and in concert.
The show took a turn when a spotlight focused on a man seated in a big chair on the stage. He announced in a booming voice, "Journey to the Centre of the Earth!" There was an orchestra and a chorus, but not as large as on the live album. It was interesting to see two male lead singers. There were other musicians on the stage, but Wakeman was generally in the spotlight.
During the concert I saw that people were walking up to the stage and taking photos. I left my seat and walked to the front of the stage, and took a few closeups of Wakeman. He was very difficult to photograph, buried behind a fortress of keyboards. I did get a chance to photograph him as he spoke into a microphone. The bright spotlights reflected off his pale complexion and his shiny white outfit, so he was almost washed out in the photos.
At some point during the performance of
Journey to the Centre of the Earth
, I became aware of something moving to the left of the stage. It turned out to be a dinosaur that was being inflated like a balloon. It towered over the musicians and gave another bit of levity to the show.
We waited outside after the show to meet Rick Wakeman. He finally appeared with an entourage, which included my friend, Dan Cuny! After I was over that shock, I got to speak with Rick Wakeman. He was very friendly and easy to talk to. I am a fan of early Strawbs music, and I asked him, "Whatever happened to Tony Hooper?" He told me that Tony Hooper was running a record company or production company. I don't recall his exact answer, but I was glad that he was willing to respond to my question and give me an autograph. Rick Wakeman was a great showman, but also very down-to-earth.
THE TICKET STUB SHOW WEAR, BUT WOULD LOOK AWESOME
FRAMED WITH PHOTOS OR OTHER MEMORABILIA.
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