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The Doors headlined the Toronto Rock 'n' Roll Revival last Saturday night
With John Lennon watching from the front row, The Doors included part of "Eleanor Rigby" in their solo - Listen
The Doors closed out the Rock 'n' Roll Revival festival in Toronto last Saturday night. They finished their set at 1:45am after the 14-hour long festival.
The festival, aimed at reviving Rock 'n' Roll, featured John Lennon and his Plastic Ono Band, Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Alice Cooper and Jerry Lee Lewis among others.
On a side note, whoever it was that felt Rock 'n' Roll was in need of reviving must have been busy on the weekend of August 15th when The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Canned Heat, Janis Joplin and Joe Cocker were all playing at Woodstock.
John Brower, one of the event producers, admitted that it was a gamble to include The Doors at the reputable Toronto Pop Festival. "It was a case of the best reputation versus the worse reputation. We know what went down in Florida. It was an unfortunate way for Morrison to express his disappointment with the promoters of the concert. But that's show business. We're not going to demonstrate immaturity by demanding an anti-obscenity clause in the contract."
Morrison appeared at the festival clean-shaven and with his hair cut short. Possibly looking his best for his upcoming court dates.
According to Jack Batten from the Toronto Star;
"The Doors, who headlined the revival were in more characteristic form. Jim Morrison has so much presence, so much electricity, that he makes his rock contemporaries resemble a collection of wax dummies, and on Saturday he was powerful, evoking all the sexuality and violence that distinguishes the Doors music."
"None of it was thrilling or exciting. Not in the sense that most good rock is, but the entire set was utterly fascinating in the way that great theatre fascinates."
The Doors followed John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band to close the festival. Apparently, Lennon sat in the front row with the audience for The Doors performance, as he did at The Isle of Wight festival two weeks ago during Bob Dylan's set. Guitarist Robby Krieger must have spotted Lennon because during a solo in "Light My Fire" he played a part of The Beatles' 1966 track "Eleanor Rigby." Listen below at around 9:08.
Listen below to The Doors' latest album The Soft Parade, released in July this year.