Madrid show Summer 1976

[sueinhollywood]

Hello this is Sue from Hollywood I'm new here (only one person Christine welcomed me to the board) I guess I should have said I was from Israel ha ha.

I saw Cat in Madrid in June or July of 1976. It was not the Majicat tour, as that involved a large stage with musicians, etc. He was hugely popular in Spain of course and I was lucky to get into the show.

I remember getting a seat next to the people working the lights. Cat had broken his leg and sang the concert seated with his leg in a cast.

They told me he thought he could "fly" down a flight of stairs. I thought that was odd and remember asking "really?" and being told yes, really. They did give me the impression he was hard to work with, very demanding.

I do remember he was wearing red, pants maybe, and quite energetic despite having to sit. He didn't talk to the audience as I recall but then again it was a Spanish crowd and he speaks English.

This would have been a year after his almost drowning in the ocean off Malibu and probably one of his last shows prior to Greece. Does anyone know?

Thanks

Sue in Hollywood

[Chris]

Here you go Sue, these are the last few dates of the Majikat Earth Tour. Madrid is one of the last concerts Cat performed until the Year of the Child Concert, which happened in 1979.

Located towards the bottom of this page -- year to year time line

PALAIS DES SPORT - LYON May 24th

PALACIO MUNICIPAL - BARCELONA (fractured his leg, jumping down some steps) May 26th

REAL MADRID SPORTS PALACE - MADRID May 28th

KARAISKAKI STADIUM - ATHENS (CANCELLED) June 2nd

ALEXANDREON ATHLETICON - THESSALONIKI
(walked out during the 2nd show) June 5th & 6th

[Vivian]

Hi Sue, sorry I didn't get to welcome you to majicat. Sounds like quite an experience you had at the concert. Thanks for sharing it.

Peace,Vivian

[shunra]

Sue,did they seriously told you that he thought he could fly?It sounds like a kind of a joke...or maybe he was on something like Lsd...if not ,it is really odd ..

[sueinhollywood]

I distinctly remember speaking with an American woman who was part of the tour, she told me, but of course in the seventies people took all kinds of stuff, they didn't necessarily know was bad for them.

I know if you practice Transcendental Meditation there is a practice where supposedly you can fly. I suppose he was just high on something.

Lots of musicians were!

I remember his energy though. Same as on the DVD.

[shunra]

Sue, can you elaborate more on this" energy" you remember from the show, for someone who has never seen Cat in real life, only on the dvd, it's intriguing to know what it felt like ...how his energy and his presence felt like?

[sueinhollywood]

I wish I could but it was 32 years ago - he was bouncing all over the chair, I do remember that and you know how he likes to kick his legs up, well he had a cast on it .....

I remember hearing that he was going to play Madrid and making it a point to go down there.

I was lucky just to get into that show not having a ticket and all. I honestly don't remember any backup musicians, probably because I couldn't see them.

However I will say this.... I am so grateful a Majikat show was captured and that we can all enjoy it now because a DVD allows us a much more intimate look at a great performance.

[shunra]

I wonder, if he was so energetic, bouncing and moving all the time , why did he choose to sit on a chair, most of the time, in his concerts?

[downunder72]

I think his slow love songs were best suited while sitting on a stool. His head and shoulders never stopped to flow to the soft rythms, even while sitting. You could also see that his foot would not stop taping to the beat. His more up tempo songs were done standing,and he gave it all, thrashing it out, and bouncing about. But even on the piano while sitting he still moved and rocked with the music. It just depends on the feel he had for a song, and what was more comfortable for him to express his music.

[sueinhollywood]

Because it's hard work especially when you have to play the accoustic guitar. It's easier sitting down. He got up to play piano too. It's a lot of work.

[m@kansascity]

he is basically a folksinger

[sueinhollywood]

Folk-rock by the time he got to Majikat