Brit Rock by the Bay: Archive

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BRIT ROCK BY THE BAY

The Man Who Invented the Business of Rock 'n' Roll

Bill Graham (1931-1991) was a prime figure in the musical history of the Bay Area. In the words of Pete Townshend, "Bill changed the way rock evolved." Starting locally in the 1960s, with small venues in San Francisco, he soon established himself as the leading promoter in rock 'n' roll. He was known to be hardheaded in his dealings, but he also raised the general standards of the business, and, above all, he always worked to further the interests of musicians. He actively nurtured the full potential of the music, taking great pride in providing an experience of high quality to performers and audiences.

From the early 1970s onward, Bill Graham continued to promote frequent shows throughout the Bay Area. After he closed the famous Fillmore West in July, 1971, Winterland became his main venue, with top bands appearing every weekend. (Bill Graham later described Winterland as "the first place where I was able to do things a little larger.") He also promoted shows at Berkeley Community Theatre. Major performers (George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Cat Stevens, etc.) who required a bigger venue usually appeared at the Oakland Coliseum Arena, the Cow Palace, or San Francisco Civic Auditorium.

The Heyday of the 1970s

A second wave of British musicians, following closely on the heels of the first British Invasion that began in 1964 with the arrival of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Dave Clark Five, The Animals, The Kinks, The Searchers, Freddie and The Dreamers, Manfred Mann, Herman's Hermits and many others, regularly passed through the Bay Area in the 1970s. For dedicated fans of British rock 'n' roll, it was an exciting time of golden abundance, when leading performers from the United Kingdom, from Humble Pie to Mott the Hoople to Traffic to Fairport Convention to Yes, all appeared on local stages.

During that singular period of broad musicality, when British musicians were keenly pursuing varied forms of tuneful expression, frequent offerings of hard rock, glam rock, prog rock, and folk rock came out of the United Kingdom and were esteemed, embraced, and enjoyed by open-minded audiences at venues in San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley. It all happened within the wider context of a youthful community that eagerly drew musical sustenance from a hip network of record stores and radio stations.

In those bygone days before music became little more than a shallow commodity, when Ticketmaster and Live Nation had not yet gained the upper hand in the promotion of rock 'n' roll, and unbridled greed had not yet become the only rule of the game, a ticket for a musical performance in the Bay Area could be purchased for less than five dollars. Aside from programs and posters, there was little merchandise for sale at shows. The music itself, in all its honest glory, was still at the forefront.

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