T. Rex (October 21, 1974) – Pacific Coliseum Concert Review - The Vancouver Sun (October 22, 1974)
This sharply critical Vancouver Sun review covers T. Rex at Vancouver's Pacific Coliseum during the group's 1974 North American tour. Writer Don Stanley combines a retrospective look at Marc Bolan's rise from Mark Feld to international stardom with an unsparing assessment of the concert itself, describing a difficult audience response, compromised sound and a performance that failed to recreate the excitement associated with T. Rex's earlier success.
Publication: The Vancouver Sun
Date: October 22, 1974
Concert Date: October 21, 1974
Country: Canada
Under the headline “Faust versus the freaks - only the audience lost”, Don Stanley begins not with the concert itself but with a highly stylised account of Marc Bolan's early development.
The article traces the transformation from Mark Feld through the Mod years and ultimately into Marc Bolan, presenting the different stages almost as successive characters in a personal mythology.
Stanley then turns to T. Rex's breakthrough, specifically mentioning “Ride A White Swan,” “Hot Love” and “Get It On (Bang A Gong)”. The writer portrays these records as central to Bolan's rapid rise to British stardom before turning to his attempts to establish comparable success in North America.
The focus then moves to the previous night's concert at Pacific Coliseum, described as one of several North American tours undertaken by Bolan.
The account becomes considerably more critical at this point. Stanley describes Bolan as short, heavily haired and dressed in red velvet trousers, while noting an elaborate stage presence built around gestures, poses and direct interaction with the front rows.
Despite Bolan's efforts, the reviewer states bluntly:
“The audience didn't think so.”
THE PERFORMANCE
Stanley suggests that several factors worked against T. Rex during the concert.
The audience had already endured what the writer calls a “long, slow warm-up”, while the acoustics of the hockey arena are criticised for undermining the performance.
The review describes high backing vocals and Bolan's own sound being heavily affected by the venue, with the T. Rex recordings' normally effective studio sound turning into what Stanley characterises as dense boogie-rock sludge.
The audience reaction is also documented. A small group of younger fans near the front reached towards Bolan and responded enthusiastically, but elsewhere the response was much less positive. Stanley reports that some people were openly hostile while many others began leaving.
One particularly telling detail concerns the stage production. A white neon star illuminated behind the performance, but the reviewer uses the image negatively, suggesting that it appeared almost to mock the struggling show.
THE REST OF THE BILL
The review also comments on the other acts appearing that evening.
Holy Smoke receives an exceptionally negative assessment from Stanley.
Blue Öyster Cult are also discussed, with the writer describing them as a hard-rock band associated with a particular American rock culture. Stanley additionally notes their connections with rock critics and writers, including R. Meltzer.
Despite the article's wider coverage, its central narrative remains Marc Bolan's journey from British pop phenomenon to a performer facing a considerably tougher reception from a North American arena audience.
CONTEXT AND NOTES
Published on October 22, 1974, the article explicitly describes the Pacific Coliseum performance as taking place “Monday night,” establishing the concert date as October 21, 1974.
The review is valuable to the T. Rex archive precisely because it is not complimentary. It provides a contemporary record of the difficulties Bolan encountered during the 1974 North American tour and documents both the group's stage presentation and the response of an audience that was far less receptive than those associated with the peak years of Bolanmania.
Importantly, the article also places some responsibility on circumstances surrounding the performance. The Coliseum's acoustics and the lengthy preceding programme are both identified as contributing factors rather than every weakness being attributed to T. Rex themselves.
A large accompanying photograph shows a guitar-playing performer on stage and carries the printed caption “MARC BOLAN ... most hair on stage.”
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
Event: T. Rex at the Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver
Concert Date: October 21, 1974
Publication Date: October 22, 1974
Era: 1974 North American tour
Tone: Highly critical concert review
Venue: Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia
WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS
• Don Stanley reviewing T. Rex at Vancouver's Pacific Coliseum
• A retrospective account of Marc Bolan's development from Mark Feld to T. Rex stardom
• References to “Ride A White Swan,” “Hot Love” and “Get It On (Bang A Gong)”
• Description of Bolan performing in red velvet trousers
• Criticism of the Pacific Coliseum's acoustics
• A small group of younger fans responding enthusiastically near the front
• Other members of the audience described as hostile or leaving during the performance
• A white illuminated star forming part of the T. Rex stage presentation
• Holy Smoke and Blue Öyster Cult also appearing on the bill
All magazine 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