T. Rex (October 15, 1972) – “T-Rex Finds Its ‘Fans’” Feature – South Bay Daily Breeze.
Joseph Bensoua reports on T. Rex’s Southern California appearances at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and Long Beach Auditorium, contrasting the enthusiastic local response with the more apathetic reception encountered elsewhere on the group's American tour. The review concentrates on Marc Bolan’s performance, from the power of the opening numbers through an acoustic interlude and an extended closing rendition of “Bang A Gong.”
Publication: South Bay Daily Breeze
Date: October 17, 1972
Country: United States
Event Date: October 14–15, 1972
Under the headline “T-Rex Finds Its ‘Fans’”, staff writer Joseph Bensoua reflects on the closing Southern California dates of T. Rex’s American tour. The article states that after receiving apathetic responses at concerts across the United States, the group arrived at the Santa Monica Civic and Long Beach Auditorium over the weekend and encountered a notably stronger reaction.
Bensoua describes the Santa Monica opening as one of the finest sets the writer had seen that year, beginning with two selections from The Slider. After an energetic start, Bolan moved into a calmer section by unplugging for two acoustic numbers. The review notes that this part of the performance initially appeared out of place before the music developed into a looser jam.
The set then returned to familiar material through a medley of popular compositions before reaching its climax with a lengthy 30-minute performance of “Bang A Gong.” The review presents the bursts of audience excitement at the Civic as evidence of why T. Rex had attained superstar status in England.
Bensoua closes by returning to the question of the band's comparatively limited American success. Despite that difficulty, the writer argues that the T. Rex phenomenon was likely to continue growing and notes the devotion of local fans, including two Torrance attendees who presented Bolan with several dozen flowers at the Long Beach appearance.
CONTEXT AND NOTES
The clipping captures T. Rex at the end of an American tour that had generated mixed audience responses. The article explicitly contrasts less-than-packed venues elsewhere in the United States with the reaction witnessed in Southern California, allowing the review to serve as both a concert report and an assessment of the band's attempts to establish a larger American following.
The piece is particularly useful for documenting details of the Santa Monica performance itself. It records the progression from material from The Slider into acoustic numbers, a looser improvisational section, a medley of familiar compositions and the extended “Bang A Gong” finale.
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
Event: T. Rex concerts at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and Long Beach Auditorium
Era: 1972 – American Tour / The Slider period
Tone: Observational, critical and ultimately positive
Photography: None visible in the supplied clipping
WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS
• Headline: “T-Rex Finds Its ‘Fans’”
• Review by Joseph Bensoua
• Coverage of performances at Santa Monica Civic and Long Beach Auditorium
• Two opening selections from The Slider
• Acoustic section followed by a looser jam and medley
• Extended 30-minute “Bang A Gong” finale
• Discussion of T. Rex’s mixed reception during the American tour
• Local fans presenting Bolan with flowers at Long Beach
All newspaper scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non-commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.
Comments