Pete Townshend, Traffic and the Coventry Theatre 1967

Pete Townshend, Traffic and the Coventry Theatre 1967.

by Pete Clemons

When they appeared in Coventry during 1967 The Who had already gained a reputation. Also on the bill and not so well known were Traffic. Formed a few months earlier, during this incredibly important year for music, Traffic were the surprise act, on this their second major tour having just completed one with Tomorrow and The Flowerpot Men.

Some of the notes below are from a first hand account of the Coventry gig: A pop star smashed footlights, spotlights and his guitar when the final curtain came down in mid act at the Coventry theatre and God Save the Queen was being played. He was 22 year old Pete Townshend of the bill topping group, The Who. He and lead singer, Roger Daltrey, were left standing in front of the curtain when it was lowered.

Townshend shouted for the curtain to be raised, threw his guitar to the stage and kicked angrily at the footlights. Then he picked up a footlight and used it to hammer the floats (shielded lights). Finally he swung at the lights with a microphone stand.

He said afterwards 'If I did any damage I will have to pay for it. But I do feel it was justified. Our act was cut to two numbers in Sheffield the night before, and bringing the curtain down on us tonight was just too much. The show was over running but we wanted to give the kids their money's worth'.

The curtain was lowered on the instructions of the touring show's manager when the show – delayed by much amplifier trouble – over ran by 20 minutes and there were only 10 minutes to go before the second house was due to start.

It was a violent climax to a star studded two hours that included The Marmalade, , The Herd, Traffic and The Tremeloes. Despite being cut short The Who played most of their hits and threw in some exciting revivals of rock 'n' roll numbers like 'Summertime Blues' – though the late Eddie Cochran would hardly have recognised it. It was thrilling, violent music even without the light smashing episode.

The musicianly Tremeloes vied with them for audience reaction. But the surprise highlight of the evening were Traffic. Four first rate musicians who, having disposed of their hit 'Hole in my Shoe' launched into a superb 15 minute pop/jazz/blues number of changing moods.

Traffic came together during April 1967 when organist Stevie Winwood, still with the Spencer Davis Group, decided he wanted to step outside the confines of that particular band. Dave Mason worked as a roadie for the Spencer Davis Group. Guitarist Dave, along with drummer, Jim Capaldi, were also members of the Worcester based 'The Hellions'. Art student and flute/saxophone player Chris Wood knew Stevie through his sister who designed clothes for the Spencer Davis Group.

The quartet jammed together at a popular club with Birmingham musicians called The Elbow Room. And it was there where the idea for Traffic was formed. Steve Winwood recalled; 'We all used to go to this drinking/gambling club where Jim used to play, and like we used to get up and play with him and jam. And we just got together'.

With Dave Mason and Jim Capaldi eager to form a new band with Steve Winwood, Chris Wood also agreed to join the partnership. Dave Mason later admitted; 'Everyone realised that we were going to get a certain amount of success because Steve was in the band'.

In fact, with several hit singles, a critically acclaimed debut album and high profile radio sessions 1967, in many ways, belonged to Traffic.

Back to the concert and the chartbusting Herd acquitted themselves well as did the up and coming Marmalade whose smoking amplifier turned out to be, not another psychedelic effect, but an electrical fault and the catalyst to the events at the end of the second house.