Detroit Rock City (28 page)

Mark Farner, 1969 Grand Funk Railroad publicity photo. Farner: “I always wanted to create this atmosphere where the only thing going was the music. That's why it was important to play really loud. I don't want people talking while we're playing.” (From the collection of Jack Bodner)

MC5, 1969, Michael Davis, Wayne Kramer, Rob Tyner, Dennis Thompson, Fred “Sonic” Smith. Dennis Thompson: “We grew up with the same working class ethic, the same outlook and attitude towards music. It needed to have passion. It needed to have an emotional message. I think these were things that we understood well before our age.” (Lee Short, from the collection of UHF Music Royal Oak)

SRC on Tubeworks 1968, Glenn Quackenbush, Scott Richardson, E. G. Clawson, Al Wilmot, Gary Quackenbush. Gary Q: “The cool thing about SRC was that we were always playing good shows for good money. For two years we grossed over a hundred thousand dollars a year. So that would be worth a quarter mill now or more? And we didn't put it up our nose.” (Robert Matheu)

Rob Tyner with Davison Township Police Chief Ed Boyce, MC5 show at Sherwood Forest, October 1969. John Sinclair: “Tyner was a guy who went way beyond music. Music was his basis, but I mean he had a huge mind. We were a great pair, just flying mentally in the same orbit.” (From the collection of Peter Cavanaugh)

The Frost playing the Grande Ballroom. Bobby Rigg, Donny Hartman, Gordy Garris, Dick Wagner. Bobby Rigg: “We recorded our second album there. It was 96 degrees outside. There was no ventilation in the Grande Ballroom. The roadies were pouring water over me.” (Photo courtesy collection of Dick Wagner)

Brownsville Station. Tony Driggins, Michael Lutz, T. J. Cronley, Cub Koda. Lutz: “We had a van for the equipment and we bought a limousine from the old Cadillac Hotel down in Detroit. The limo was great for traveling in because it rode great. The four of us would ride in that and then our two road crew would be traveling in the van.” (Lee Short, from the collection of UHF Music Royal Oak)

Goose Lake, Detroit's Woodstock, August 7–9, 1970. Freak flags flying high. Michigan Governor William Milliken: “I do not oppose rock festivals, but I do oppose and will fight drug abuse such as took place at Goose Lake.” (Lee Short, from the collection of UHF Music Royal Oak)

Ted Nugent leading the Amboy Dukes at the Eastown in 1971. Nugent: “Tune in drop out, but I got news for ya, if what you're doing is causing you to drop out, you're not tuning in.” (Robert Matheu)

Alice Cooper carries old school Michelob bottle and Glen Buxton carries bottle and SG to stage, Cobo Arena, 1972. Alice: “We were driving along to rehearsal one day and CKLW's pick hit was ‘I'm Eighteen' and we stopped the car, and just sat there and listened to it and went ‘Well even if that's the only play we ever get, we heard it on CKLW and a lot of people heard it.'” (Robert Matheu)

Detroit with Mitch Ryder. Left to right, Steve Hunter, Johnny Bee, Mitch Ryder, Ron Cooke, Brett Tuggle. Shot at local Channel 62 in April 1972. Mitch: “To start the band Detroit, I think somebody just fucking opened the prison doors.” (Leni Sinclair)

Suzi Quatro center stage at Olympia, opening for Alice Cooper in 1975. Suzi: “We used to practice at the Alice Cooper farm when the neighbors got pissed off around our place.” (Lee Short, from the collection of UHF Music Royal Oak)