Go on to Part Seven

Return home to Gentle Giant Tour History

Gentle Giant Tour History

*** Part Six ***

*** Still Plugging Away ***

(1976 - early 1977)

new information will be in RED

1976

After the success of FREE HAND, Giant felt poised to continue their commercial ascent. However, things did not go as smoothly as they would have liked. They kept on working and touring hard around the world, but they made no new headway and their rise more or less leveled off. Their star did not dim, but neither did it glow brighter.

Jan. 8 In this date’s issue of the Swiss magazine Radio TV, it was announced that twenty episodes of a new music television program called Music-Scene would air during 1976 over one of Switzerland’s German stations. One of the episodes was to feature Gentle Giant but which episode is not known, nor is anything about the musical content.

Jan. 28 A slightly edited version of the Stockholm show from Nov. 12 was rebroadcast over Sweden's Radio 3 on an episode of the Tonkraft program.

Feb. - Mar. The band's eighth album, INTERVIEW, was recorded at Advision Studios in London. They only had about three weeks to write and record the whole thing, taking from mid-February to March 12, so the band found this to be a difficult album to record. During the mixing process, they did have time to produce a quadraphonic mix, as well, but that was not released until a 2012 Chrysalis reissue of the album.

Apr. 23 Various notices in the UK press originally had the date for the English Chrysalis release of the INTERVIEW album as being April 30, with one source listing a date of May 2. However, it seems to have been pushed forward to Apr. 23, possibly to precede the start of the UK tour. This adjusted date did appear in later press advertisements. The album has always elicited mixed reactions from fans. Some have said that, musically, it was very much a pale rehash of FREE HAND. Others, though, find much fresh, satisfying material on this album.

INTERVIEW UK album release Apr. 23, 1976

Apr. 24 The group made lip-synched promotional films for the title song, Interview, plus the songs Give It Back and I Lost My Head from the INTERVIEW album. Contrary to earlier reports that these were made in Hannover, Germany, these were actually filmed at ITN House, a studio belonging to a major British news organization in London. All three films are now available on the GG AT THE GG DVD.

Gentle Giant found themselves back in the U.K. at the very end of April 1976 but they had, by now, become very disillusioned with the lack of progress they were making there, and it proved to be their last tour of their native land. From that point on, they decided to concentrate their live efforts in Europe and North America. Only one incomplete live 1976 recording from the UK tour has surfaced so far, so it’s impossible to verify everything that happened on stage at that time. Fortunately, many details of their setlist during early 1976 have been confirmed through written evidence and fan accounts, but other details on song order and arrangements are still a matter of conjecture. They did debut some material from their new album, but possibly the biggest surprise was the deletion of Funny Ways, played at possibly every previous concert since 1970. Plain Truth, another long-time staple of their live shows, was also dropped, though Ray's violin solo was not.

Films and slides synchronized to the music continued to be a notable part of Giant’s concerts in 1976. Examples were a pair of hands snapping fingers as Just the Same began, and a rainbow as pictured on the INTERVIEW album sleeve as the title song Interview was played.

TYPICAL SETLIST (Spring 1976)

Intro/Just the Same - The evening began with a portion of the album version of the song Talybont from FREE HAND. This segued into yet another prerecorded instrumental intro which appears on UNDER CONSTRUCTION, with the title Intro 76.

Proclamation/Valedictory - Proclamation was played in a slightly different arrangement that concluded with the tail end of Valedictory.

Interview - This one began with a pre-recorded section of the "interviewer" recording, similar to what was used on the new album. The voice was that of Sounds writer Phil Sutcliffe.

On Reflection

The Runaway/Experience - The “breaking glass” tape continued to be used as an intro.

So Sincere

Excerpts from Octopus - Starting in 1976, Yankee Doodle was no longer played on recorders as part of this. It would not return until 1980.

Give It Back - This tribute to reggae music was reportedly put into the set specifically to replace Funny Ways, of which the band had grown tired. Like Funny Ways, the live arrangement of this song included a solo on vibraphone by Kerry.

Timing - the new home for Ray's violin solo

Free Hand

Peel the Paint/I Lost My Head - It’s not been confirmed, but there’s a possibility that the entire I Lost My Head may have been performed as the encore in the UK in late April and May. However, at least by the Italian dates in late May, the encore was this mini-medley which included only the second half of I Lost My Head.

Chrysalis promotional window sticker with UK tour dates Spring 1976

At some point during this UK tour, Gary Green’s beloved Les Paul guitar suffered a tragic mishap. During So Sincere, while entering the stage to start singing, Derek tripped over a cable and knocked over the Les Paul, breaking the head off. In shock, Gary managed to finish the concert using his Telecaster. In one interview, he mistakenly stated this happened in 1975, but it actually occurred in 1976. Gary had just recently gotten married right before the tour and his new bride Judy was in the audience the night the guitar was damaged. It’s not known in which specific city this happened, but photos from the May 13 Sheffield gig show it must have happened prior to that. On subsequent nights, Gary was able to borrow another Les Paul from Bernie Marsden, formerly of Wild Turkey. He may have also had to rent a guitar part of the time to finish the tour.

Apr. 29 Derby, England King's Hall

CANCELED. This was, at one time, intended as the first gig of the UK tour with Solution scheduled to open. However, the gig was canceled for unknown reasons.

Apr. 30 Cambridge, England Corn Exchange

Solution opened the show. April 30 is indeed the date on which this Cambridge gig took place, even though several eyewitnesses swore it took place after the May 1 Southend-on-Sea gig. April 30 was a Friday and that is the only day of the week the Corn Exchange hosted concerts. The rest of the week, it served as a roller-skating rink. A partial tape of this concert has surfaced, the only known tape from an early 1976 show. Although it doesn’t answer every question about the band’s typical 1976 setlist, this tape does contain a couple unusual musical elements. The band played Experience as a stand-alone song instead of as part of a mini-medley. Immediately following this, the “breaking glass” pre-recorded tape was played as an intro to So Sincere, an unusual twist that appears on no other tapes. Being the first live show of the year, it’s quite possible that these ideas were abandoned early on, but it’s impossible to say for sure. All shows later in the year seemed to follow the typical setlist format listed above. Some 8mm film footage from Cambridge also existed at one point, but its present whereabouts are unknown.

Cambridge flyer and ad Apr. 30, 1976

May 1 Southend-on-Sea, England Kursaal Ballroom

Solution opened the show. GG was originally scheduled to play at a University in Leicester, England on this date, but that show was canceled. The Kursaal Ballroom, actually part of a larger amusement complex, was originally built for ballroom dancing and had a sprung floor, which would bounce and give along with the movements of the audience. This gave the crowd the feeling of being on a choppy sea, but also caused concern for the road crew, as the PA system would wobble along with the crowd. Also on this night, the band had numerous technical problems, with the PA and monitors cutting in and out at times. The band was seen mouthing directions and making hand gestures to the crew in an attempt to work through these problems. At one point, while replacing an instrument of his own, Derek accidentally knocked two of Gary’s guitars off a wooden pegboard from which they hung. As roadies assessed the damage, the band had a quick huddle on stage then went straight into their five-man drum bash. Gary appeared quite angry and actually broke his drumsticks during the bash. Additionally, it’s believed that the song Proclamation, generally included in their set at this time, was not performed at this particular concert.

Southend-on-Sea ad and poster May 1, 1976

May 2 London, England Drury Lane - Theatre Royal

Gary and Ray were spotted in the balcony watching the opening act Solution. A Record Mirror review gave the impression that at one point in the middle of GG’s set, Kerry played a keyboard interlude of some sort while the rest of the band left the stage. During the concert, the band jokingly alluded to a Sounds article in which John Weathers had apparently been elevated to the status of a ”sex symbol”. Attendance reports for this show have been inconsistent, ranging from being quite packed down to only a third full.

London - Drury Lane review May 2, 1976

May ? INTERVIEW was released in America by Capitol in the month of May, possibly on either May 4 or May 10.

May 5 Norwich, England University of East Anglia

Solution opened the show. This date was not always included in the band’s promotional materials for this tour.

May 5 RAI Italian television broadcast a brief filmed interview with Gentle Giant. In the early evening, they often aired programs specifically geared towards younger audiences, featuring family fare, cartoons and some popular music performers of the day. One recurring program often aired at this time was entitled Incontri con la Musica Nuova and on May 5, that program included the interview. In it, all five band members, with the help of an Italian translator, discussed the British musical situation and the relationship between British and Italian audiences. It is unknown when or where this interview was filmed, though John Weathers can be heard stating that he had been in the band for "three years." This would imply that the interview was filmed sometime during the first half of 1975.

May 6 Coventry, England Warwick University - Rootes Hall

Solution opened the show. Rootes Hall was a residence hall which also served as a social center on campus, containing a restaurant, bar, billiard room, etc. Upstairs was a carpeted space called the Workroom which was used for events such as the giving of student exams. It was also used as a concert venue with the stage only six inches off the floor and the audience sitting on the carpet. The room was apparently too small for the band to use its array of back projected slides. A review in Melody Maker was unkind to Giant, criticizing the fact that the audience had to sit through a number of taped segues for long periods of time with nothing to look at. Attendance was poor at this gig, numbering only around 250, and the University lost money. In fact, all three of the University’s 1976 summer term concerts, Giant, Canned Heat and folk singer Pete Atkins, failed to break even.

Coventry ad May 6, 1976

May 7 Birmingham, England Town Hall

Solution opened the show. One report has the acoustics being rather poor in this venue. After the opening band finished, Roy Wood of the band Wizzard snuck into the Hall to watch. Kerry confided to an audience member after the show that Roy was indeed a fan of the band.

Birmingham ad May 7, 1976

May 8 Malvern, England Winter Gardens

This was a multi-purpose venue rather than an actual concert hall. Therefore, the audience stood for the entire performance, there being virtually no chairs. Because of this, the crowd was quite noisy. Solution opened the show. A press report published later in the tour revealed that the band was very unhappy with this gig. Apparently, frustrations had been building for a while, particularly concerning their lack of commercial headway in England and their feeling that the INTERVIEW album was somewhat of a musical rehash. Then they found themselves in this venue which they felt was beneath where they should be at this point in their career. The concert was plagued by difficulties, including a rowdy audience, as they struggled to get through what Kerry described as “the worst gig of our lives”. The band did not return for an encore and afterward, quite an argument ensued backstage. Visitors in the dressing room were asked to leave as the band members sifted through the problems and vented their frustrations among themselves. They actually considered breaking up but, fortunately, that did not happen.

Malvern flyers and advance sale ticket May 8, 1976

May 10 Oxford, England New Theatre

Solution opened this show, which was definitely not full.

May 12 Manchester, England Free Trade Hall

Solution opened the show. BBC personality Stuart Maconie was at this concert and claims that Derek introduced the band as Led Zeppelin. Sadly, Ray’s violin solo was cut short due to some electrical glitch. A roadie actually brought Ray a screwdriver on stage, but to no avail. Attendance was poor, a fan at the show recalling there being numerous empty seats. This venue is today an upscale hotel. Earlier, a gig in Manchester’s Palace Theatre had been advertised for the previous night, May 11, but it apparently was switched to this date and venue instead. Although a concert at the Palace did not take place, a photograph of the venue was used on the cover of the band's 1977 live album, PLAYING THE FOOL.

Manchester ad May 12, 1976

May 13 Sheffield, England City Hall

During Interview, the title song to the new album, Derek's microphone failed, so the song ended up being mostly an instrumental. One fan recalls them possibly playing Empty City, although this is unconfirmed. The City Hall was barely half full on this evening, pointing out once again the trouble Giant had gaining any real commercial success in the UK. Solution opened the show but, curiously, posters from the event listed folk singer Richard Digance as the opener. The same thing was true the following night in Newcastle, as can be seen in the listing below. Digance may have been planning to fill in on these occasions, but Solution ended up opening both gigs after all, as originally scheduled.

Sheffield - poster with wrong opener and Gary with borrowed guitar May 13, 1976

May 14 Newcastle, England City Hall

Solution opened this show. However, advertisements in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle demonstrate that exact details were slow in coming together. The earliest ad had the concert scheduled for May 11 and simply stated that the bill would be “Gentle Giant + Guests”. The following week’s ad carried the correct date but had the opener listed as folk singer Richard Digance, similar to what happened the previous night in Sheffield. Finally, closer to showtime, ads had both the correct date and correct opener. One audience member was quite impressed by the striped bass strap Ray was wearing at this gig which matched the colors on the INTERVIEW album cover.

Series of Newcastle ads May 14, 1976

May 15 Edinburgh, Scotland Usher Hall

Solution opened the show. Ticket sales were again poor so, as the show began, free tickets were being distributed to passers-by outside the venue in an attempt to lure more people inside. Still, attendance is thought to have been under 1,000 in a 2,000-seat hall.

Edinburgh ticket May 15, 1976

May 17 Southampton, England Gaumont Theatre

At this 1,500 seat theatre, Solution was scheduled to open again, but did not. Instead, the New Zealand band Split Enz opened the show, this being their very first UK gig. In fact, they were introduced from the stage as having “just gotten off the boat.” After a slow start, this support act ended up being very well received and was granted an encore by the crowd, even though they had a problem with persistent feedback from the piano microphone. Nevertheless, Giant was impressed with the Split Enz set and subsequently lent a hand in helping them secure their UK record deal with Chrysalis Records. In fact, personnel from the record label were present to see the openers, meaning the gig served as an impromptu audition.

After the UK tour, the group headed into continental Europe for 2-3 weeks of dates in Holland, France and Italy. Prior to this leg of touring, all the members humorously agreed to wear white suits every day backstage, around town and wherever they went. The goal was to never have them cleaned and to see whose suit was dirtiest by the end of the tour. For this purpose, John bought a white denim suit but, as it turned out, he was the only one to do so. He wore it each day nonetheless and it did indeed go through some tough times and ended up quite filthy. In fact, when the European tour was over, he had trouble finding a dry cleaner who agreed to clean it.

Photos from these European concerts show that Gary was still using a borrowed Les Paul guitar, all the way through to the Italian dates.

May 21 Breda, Holland Turfschip

Dutch band Kayak was the opening band. They were also one of the support bands on Giant’s previous visit to this venue on May 5, 1974.

Breda poster May 21, 1976

May 22 Delft, Holland Stadion DHC

On a beautiful, sunny day, GG participated in this open-air event advertised as the "Oor Festival" or as “Popfestival 76”. This all-day concert was billed as including between nine and eleven hours of music. It took place in a large venue capable of holding more than 10,000, although the turnout was lower than expected with an estimated attendance of 4,000-5,000. Others sharing the stage with Giant included 10cc, Eric Burdon, Alquin, an English comedy rock band called Alberto y los Trios Paranoias, and Nils Lofgren who was added as a special guest at the last minute. Giant played second to last with 10cc closing the festival. One fan reports there were some technical problems with GG's sound this night. Press reviews for GG’s performance were mixed, with one newspaper singling them out as the highlight of the festival, while another believed that the subtleties of the band’s music were lost in an outdoor stadium, being better suited to an indoor venue. One other review bemoaned the fact that while Giant and some other acts were good enough to deserve an encore, they were denied that right due to time constraints.

Delft ad and poster May 22, 1976

May ? Paris France

UNCONFIRMED. The group played several shows in France but it’s known the exact itinerary there was unsettled for a while, with a couple dates switched around. One fan reports that a Spring 1976 show was held in Paris but an exact date has not been located. Likewise, the venue is not certain, but it may have been Pavillon de Paris. This concert is not confirmed as of yet, although the band did play Paris at the tail end of their INTERVIEW tour on Oct. 5, 1976.

May 25 Lille, France Le Palais Rameau

A fan joked that this show was played "in a glass house", since the building had lots of windows. The venue was said to be full and the sound at the show was described as "church-like".

Lille May 25, 1976

May 26 Lyon, France Bourse du Travail

originally scheduled for May 28 but moved ahead two days

May 27 Grenoble, France La Patinoire de Grenoble

This concert, the only one the band ever staged in Grenoble, was held in the smaller of two skating rinks used for that city’s hosting of the 1968 Winter Olympics. This particular rink, with a seating capacity of 3,000 to 4,000 spectators, had no official name, being simply known in the area as La Patinoire de Grenoble, translated as “the Skating Rink of Grenoble”. 2,000 to 3,000 fans enjoyed the concert, although it was raining outside that evening. One fan in attendance seems to think there may have been no support act.

May 29 Bordeaux, France Theatre de Alhambra

The May 1976 issue of Best Magazine announced this gig as May 28, but other sources and an existing ticket stub prove the date was May 29.

Bordeaux ticket May 29, 1976

John Weathers fondly recalls driving with the crew from Bordeaux, France to the next show in Torino, Italy. He describes it as a “marvelous experience” as they drove all across France and along the Riviera, arriving in Torino on the morning of the gig there. He especially remembers watching the sun come up over the Alps. The band had a total of seven dates lined up in Italy. However, unlike what happened in the Spring of 1974, when the band's time there was cut short due to riots and unrest, most of these concerts went on as planned. As usual, most of the Italian dates were held in their respective city’s sports facilities, commonly known as Palazzo dello Sport or Palasport. However, these are generic names translating simply as Sports Palace. Some of the venues technically had other more specific names but the generic names were usually used in advertising, as can be seen below.

Italian tour ads May - June 1976

May 31 Torino, Italy Palazzo dello Sport

Attendance was reported as 5,000. There is a rumor that a tape of this concert may exist.

Torino ad May 31, 1976

June 1 Brescia, Italy Palazzo dello Sport

The official name of this particular venue seems to have been Palazzo E.I.B.

June 2 Milan, Italy Palalido

CANCELED. While municipal authorities in other Italian cities were often slow to grant permission for the staging of rock concerts, Milan was even more reluctant than most.

June 2 As had happened on May 5, RAI Italian television again broadcast a segment on Gentle Giant during their Incontri con la Musica Nuova program, during an early evening time slot geared towards younger audiences. Whereas on May 5, only an interview was included in the broadcast, this episode was devoted entirely to Giant and was given the title of Baroque n’ Roll. It contained not only the earlier shown interview but live music as well, specifically a performance of Excerpts from Octopus filmed at the Mar. 16, 1974 London concert. The episode was broadcast in black and white in Italy, even though footage of the exact same live London performance was shown in color at other times in England and Germany. This entire Baroque n’ Roll episode now appears on the official GIANT ON THE BOX DVD.

Italian “Baroque and Roll” TV listing June 2, 1976

June 3 Cantu’, Italy Palazzo dello Sport

June 4 Reggio Emilia, Italy Palazzo dello Sport

The pre-recorded snippet of Talybont was definitely played to start the evening in Reggio Emilia.

Reggio Emilia ticket June 4, 1976

June 5 Rimini, Italy L’Altro Mondo

An existing tape of this concert documents an enthusiastic crowd watching the band play an equally enthusiastic show, even though it was quite hot in the venue. Ray got into another of his shouting matches with the audience during his Timing violin solo, while John playfully interacted with the audience frequently, even leading them in a short chant before bringing the band into the song Free Hand. On this night, John was introduced as “Giovanni Catastrophe” while Derek introduced himself as his old friend Elton John. Elton had briefly played with Simon Dupree back in 1967 while still going by his given name of Reginald Dwight. A band called Bingo opening for Giant at this gig, as confirmed by two separate members of that group. One of these members of Bingo recalls the members of GG being very complimentary to them on the quality of their opening set. He was also quite impressed at the sophistication of GG’s equipment and stage setup. He particularly points to the fact that the Leslie speaker for Kerry’s Hammond Organ was actually set up offstage with three microphones, so as to produce a cleaner sound at the mixing desk. Giant’s frequent use of this audio trick was also confirmed by roadie Dave Zammit who was operating the PA mixer at the time.

June 6 An interview with the band appeared on Scotland’s Radio Clyde on a program called Stick It in Your Ear, hosted by Brian Ford. This was a fairly experimental, cutting edge program in which portions of the interview were mixed in with snippets of the band’s music. Since it was not a live broadcast, the actual date of the interview remains unknown. Others appearing on this episode were Billy Swann and Bruce Johnston.

“Stick It in Your Ear” radio broadcast June 6, 1976

June 7 Rome, Italy Palazzo dello Sport

The band graciously donated their profits from this concert to relief efforts for recent earthquake victims in the Friuli region of northeast Italy. Even though the hall was allegedly packed and the acoustics were poor, L’Unita remarked that the audience was well-behaved and the concert was relatively uneventful, an unusual occurrence in the volatile Italian concert scene at the time.

Rome ticket June 7, 1976

The Bicentennial summer of 1976 found the band on tour in North America, a tour which, judging from early promotional material, underwent a number of date and venue adjustments before being finalized. Although they did headline some gigs, they still had to play a support role part of the time. During some huge stadium dates with Yes, they sometimes had to appear third or fourth on the bill. How well GG was accepted by the crowds at these stadium dates is in question. A number of reports have surfaced saying that there was much indifference and even booing at some of these shows. It is difficult to ascertain the truth in this matter but with the huge numbers in attendance, it is indeed possible, even likely, that segments of the audience did not appreciate Giant. It must also be remembered that Peter Frampton, who shared some of these bills, was riding a massive wave of commercial popularity at this time. It is reasonable to assume that large numbers of fans were not present to hear the progressive rock of Yes or Gentle Giant. These legions of Frampton fans may have had different musical tastes and this could explain the indifference found in areas around the venues. Logically, one could also assume that the progressive Yes/GG fans probably behaved similarly during Frampton’s set.

On a happier note, Gary Green finally had his own Les Paul guitar back in service when the group reached North America.

JEM Import Company flyer with North American tour dates Summer 1976

TYPICAL SETLIST (Mid 1976)

Intro/Just the Same - The portion of the album version of the song Talybont from FREE HAND, followed by the Intro 76 prerecorded tape, was always played first, before the concert began.

Proclamation/Valedictory

On Reflection

Interview

The Runaway/Experience

So Sincere

Excerpts from Octopus

Give It Back - played sporadically until late July, when it was dropped for good, never to return

Timing

Free Hand - During the first few weeks of the North American tour, many shows ended with this song, with no encore following.

Peel the Paint/I Lost My Head - This mini-medley was played as an encore at some shows during the first weeks of the tour, but more consistently by late July, after Give It Back was dropped.

June 17 Upper Darby, Pennsylvania Tower Theater

Starcastle was the opening act. Giant managed to draw around 2,700 fans to this show which was no small feat, considering that Yes was playing to around 100,000 in nearby Jersey City on the same night. Some early printed tour material had this gig incorrectly listed as being on June 19. The Tower was a venue with excellent acoustics in which Giant appeared several times during their career. At this particular show, Gary made an error during Excerpts From Octopus, causing the band to stop and start the piece over. It’s also been said that at one of those Tower Theater gigs, John Weathers appeared wearing only a huge diaper.

Upper Darby ad and press notice June 17, 1976

June 18 New York, New York Central Park - Wollman Rink

This was a general admission concert at an outdoor venue and was nearly sold out. It was part of Central Park's annual “Shaeffer Music Festival”, a series of summer concerts sponsored by Shaeffer Beer. Prior to the show, John Weathers was seen running down the line of people waiting to get in, eliciting much applause. Starcastle was the opening act and started their set about 25 minutes late. There are conflicting reports as to how enthusiastically they were received but the New York Times reviewer believed Starcastle was as well accepted by the audience as was Giant and had more rhythmic drive to their music than did the headliners. The intermission before Giant came out lasted an additional 55 minutes, making for a long evening overall. A tape of Giant’s full set exists. On this night, Derek introduced himself as Barry Manilow. One spectator in attendance recalls a humorous moment as the band members slammed into each other as they rushed to switch instruments during one of the songs. Reportedly, the PA system was a bit underpowered for this particular venue and there were several equipment problems during the show. For instance, there was a small glitch with the “coin spin” tape used to introduce Excerpts from Octopus. In the encore slot was the Peel the Paint/I Lost My Head mini-medley, not a common occurrence this early in the North American tour. Although it ended up not being needed, ticket purchasers were informed that June 20 was set aside as a rain date.

New York - “Shaeffer Music Festival” June 18, 1976

June 19 Ellicott City, Maryland Hollywood Palace

It's been said that this venue, just outside Baltimore, was really far from being a "palace", but was actually just a bar. The place had tables for around 150 patrons and a dance floor in front of the stage. Although not yet definitive, a couple sources indicate the poorly received opening act was a pop band, possibly the Pez Band, a group that often served as a house band for other events at the venue. However, several fan reports have Giant playing alone on this particular night. Apparently, the person in charge of the spotlight was having an off night, as Derek at times had to point at the person soloing who needed to be lit. Another fan simply recalls the band as being extremely loud in the small space.

Ellicott City ad June 19, 1976

June 22 Springfield, Massachusetts Civic Center

Here, Giant played second on a triple bill, following Derringer and preceding Todd Rundgren's Utopia. Derringer, which was Rick Derringer's group at the time, was only added to the bill about a week before the show. Rick lived nearby and was well known in the area, so he may have been brought on board to bolster lackluster ticket sales. Even so, the hall was far from full, with the Springfield Union citing a “modest crowd of 1,866” out of a possible 4,600. After Derringer's set, a black curtain was pulled back, revealing GG's stage setup. When the band began, things went very well but, when they began playing some of their softer material, certain portions of the crowd became a bit restless and the occasional call for ”rock and roll” could be heard. Some band members appeared annoyed at this, particularly Kerry. By the end, the audience was again responding well, but Giant's set was still relatively short. Then, the Utopia set was plagued with electrical problems towards the start, resulting in a lengthy delay. A local newspaper had earlier advertised that Derringer was to open for Giant at the Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island on June 22, but that’s not what happened.

Springfield ad June 22, 1976

June 24 Moncton, New Brunswick Moncton Coliseum

Giant next scheduled several shows in Canada with Starcastle as the opening act. The first of these was originally slated for Chichoutimi, Quebec on the previous night of June 23, but that one was canceled. Early reports also had the band scheduled to play in Trois Rivieres, Quebec on this evening of June 24, but that was obviously changed as this Canadian mini-tour actually did start in Moncton. However, getting to this particular gig proved very difficult for Giant. Due to a Canadian air traffic controller strike, the band was unable to take the commercial flight they had originally booked. They ended up driving for two days to get to Moncton after the Springfield gig listed above. After the show, their promotor had to arrange for a private charter flight to take them to Quebec City for the next night’s gig, an additional expense for the band. This particular gig was a general admission concert held in a hockey arena. Conflicting attendance estimates have circulated, but a more official source places the number at 1,200. Floor seating appeared full while not as many sat in the higher seats. A couple fans remember that during the quadraphonic violin solo, Ray repeatedly pointed with his bow at the various locations within the hall where the next echoes would appear. On this night, a rumor circulated that an associate of the band, perhaps a roadie, died shortly before the gig. This supposedly necessitated the band performing with only half of their normal stage set-up at the show. When asked about this more recently, Gary expressed doubt that the band would perform with much equipment missing. He also recalls nobody connected to the band passing away.

Poster for Canadian gigs with Starcastle June 1976

June 25 Quebec City, Quebec Colisee

Starcastle was the opening act. Attendance was only 3,500 out of a potential 12,000. Troubles with having to book a charter flight from Moncton, as described above, made Giant late arriving at the hall, after Starcastle had already begun their set, so they did not have time for a proper soundcheck. Then, at the start of their own set, they had some audio issues that took a couple songs to sort out. They also experienced some lighting issues with spotlights often missing soloists and pointing at the wrong places. According to a review in Pop Rock Magazine, the band understandably appeared very tired and off their game, further compounded by a mixed response from segments of the audience.

Quebec City ad June 25, 1976

June 26 Ottawa, Ontario Lansdown Park - Civic Centre Arena

Starcastle was the opening act and was given a decent reception. Although possibly not full, it was nonetheless a very good sized crowd of about 5,000. One local newspaper reviewer was unkind to GG, using the headline “Gentle Giant: Boredom on a Colossal Scale”, while another was a bit more gracious, describing the band’s performance as “Tricky but Rewarding”.

Ottawa ad June 26, 1976

June 26 The VARA TV Network in the Netherlands broadcast a 50-minute Gentle Giant concert, more than likely a rebroadcast of the German ZDF-TV Sonntagskonzert program first aired on Aug. 10, 1975. VARA had already rebroadcast the program once in December of 1975.

June 27 Toronto, Ontario Massey Hall

Starcastle was the opening act. The venue was sold-out in advance, with a total ticket sale of 2,712. The audience was quite loud, lively and enthusiastic at this show. Ray picked up on the enthusiasm of the crowd and was quite playful during his violin solo, provoking them into an extensive back and forth shouting match. One happy fan kept yelling out to Gary, “are you an onion?” The exact meaning of this question isn’t clear, but it did elicit giggles from him. Some of the more rambunctious members of the crowd did get a bit carried away though, with one fan repeatedly gobbling like a turkey during quiet sections, annoying those around him. Another yelled out a derogatory insult just before the start of So Sincere and was roundly chastised by most of the audience before the song could begin. It was apparently quite hot in the venue, causing Derek to remove his shirt for the final encore. A tape of this concert is known to exist.

Toronto June 27, 1976

June 28 Montreal, Quebec Place des Nations

This was a general admission concert held in an architecturally futuristic outdoor open-air venue originally built for the city’s Expo 67 nine years earlier. One published review described the show as sold out, with between 10,000 and 12,000 in attendance. Although not needed, a rain date was planned for the next night. Starcastle was the opening act but played a somewhat truncated set, followed by quite a lengthy intermission before Giant took the stage. According to a newspaper report published the next day, things outside the venue got off to a rocky start. Just prior to the show, about 300 gatecrashers tried to violently force their way in. Bottles were thrown, while police wielded batons and used patrol dogs to restore order. There were several injuries as well as arrests. This did not seem to affect the proceedings inside as the band enjoyed a rapturous reception by the enthusiastic audience. The only difficulty GG faced was that, due to the unusual design and depth of the stage, they were not able to use their slides and back projections during and between songs. Unfortunately, there ended up being more unrest outside the venue as, while the band was performing, tragedy struck. The theft of a leather jacket led to the stabbing death of one young man and the injury of another. The band only found out about this afterwards but, although the police established the crime’s occurrence in close proximity to the concert was purely coincidental, the band was nonetheless quite distressed by the event. During a radio interview Derek did the next day on the city’s CHOM radio station, this unpleasant subject never came up. A tape of Starcastle’s set has surfaced, but not Giant’s, although it is rumored to exist.

Montreal June 28, 1976

June 30 London, Ontario London Arena

the last 1976 show for which Starcastle was the opening act. Starcastle has claimed to have very much enjoyed their concerts with Giant.

London, Ontario ticket June 30, 1976

July 1 Binghamton, New York Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena

opened for Todd Rundgren’s Utopia. They were well enough received to be called back for an encore. Attendance was reported to be around 2,500 which meant the venue was less than half full. A printed Todd Rundgren tour itinerary shows that Nils Lofgren was at one time also on the bill, but he did not appear.

July 2 Rochester, New York Masonic Temple - Auditorium Theatre

This show was a theater gig at which Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow headlined before about 1,500 people. Thin Lizzy was originally planned as Rainbow's opening act during June and July. However, due to illness, Thin Lizzy pulled out of the entire tour, causing Rainbow to sign various alternate support acts as they went along. On this night, Giant played in the middle of a triple bill, after Angel and before Rainbow. They were also well enough received to return to the stage for an encore or two. Their audience ovation continued even after the house lights finally went up. In a published interview in 1980, Ray recalled this concert fondly, proudly claiming GG upstaged Rainbow.

Rochester backstage pass July 2, 1976

July 3 Hempstead, New York Calderone Concert Hall

This show was broadcast live on New York City's WLIR radio as part of that station's Bicentennial celebration. It appears to be the longest broadcast the band ever did. At one point between songs, Derek joked that he would "make peace" with the Americans for "dipping the tea in the water" and "kicking Britain out of Boston". Following the usual encore of Peel the Paint/I Lost My Head, the band again returned to the stage and, as midnight approached, played In the Midnight Hour as a surprise second encore, during which Gary had a little trouble playing his part. This was followed by yet another surprise, a version of Happy Birthday, dedicated as a July 4 birthday tribute to the USA. Fan recollections originally conflicted regarding whether Happy Birthday was actually performed on this night, but it’s been confirmed by a partial audience recording that recently surfaced comprising just the three final encores, none of which were part of the radio broadcast. Early evidence indicated that the Mick Ronson Band opened this show with an unannounced set, mainly based on recollections from Ronson’s drummer. However, that has proved to be incorrect, as Ronson’s performance actually took place at the Feb. 28, 1977 Calderone show. In fact, although it is still uncertain, a number of people at this 1976 show have sworn that they saw no support act at all. Over the years, more and more music from this radio broadcast started to appear on official releases. Most, but not all, of the broadcast, was first released by Glass House on the IN’TERVIEW IN CONCERT CD in 2000 but that release is of notably inferior sound quality. Next, two songs were released on 35th anniversary CD reissues. Just the Same is included on the FREE HAND reissue, while the song Interview appears on the INTERVIEW reissue. In 2011, the Alucard reissue of OCTOPUS included Excerpts from Octopus from this gig as a bonus track. At last, an excellent quality source of the entire live broadcast was released by the band themselves in 2014 on the LIVE AT THE BICENTENNIAL CD. In 2022, this same excellent recording was again released, on vinyl only, as part of the FRONT ROW CENTER boxset. Not surprisingly, LIVE AT THE BICENTENNIAL and FRONT ROW CENTER both edited out spoken bits from the radio announcer but, for some reason, they also edited out the section where Derek introduces himself to the crowd as Donny Osmond.

Hempstead ads July 3, 1976

July 5 Elyria, Ohio The Joker

A tape of this show exists. Early ads listed Ethos as the opening act, but by the beginning of July, the opener was listed as a British band called Upp who were produced by Jeff Beck and were on their first American tour. The Joker was a low-ceilinged, low-stage cavernous space nestled among the off ramps of a freeway exchange. Earlier on, it had been a K-Mart Department Store.

Elyria ads - original and updated bill July 5, 1977

July 6 Columbus, Ohio Agora Ballroom

This gig was originally advertised as being held at the Ohio Theater but was eventually changed to the much smaller Agora Ballroom, a venue where GG had played twice before. This was probably due to insufficient ticket sales. In fact, it’s said that there were as few as 50 people in the crowd for this show, including those who spent the evening at the bar in the back. The opener was Felix Pappalardi with his band Creation. Creation was actually a Japanese rock band that Pappalardi met while in that country. He then brought them back to America to record with him and serve as his live backup band.

Columbus – original and final venues July 6, 1976

July 7 Chicago, Illinois Riviera Theatre

At this general admission show, Felix Pappalardi and his band Creation again opened the show for GG and, according to a press report, they were booed off the stage when they mistakenly returned for an encore. The Riviera is an old refurbished 1930's movie theater on Chicago's north side, seating around 1,800. Giant's set was recorded by Chicago radio station WXRT, eventually being edited and broadcast on January 16,1977.

Chicago ad July 7, 1976

July 8 Detroit, Michigan Ford Auditorium

UNCONFIRMED. There is a report that this gig may possibly have been canceled due to poor ticket sales. GG was again set to be supported by Felix Pappalardi and his band Creation, as well as by a band called Natural Gas.

Ad for unconfirmed Detroit concert July 8, 1976

July 9 Terre Haute, Indiana Indiana State University - Hullman Center

This was an event billed as a “Summer Jam” and was a general admission show. Giant followed Starz and Wet Willie, all opening for headliner Ted Nugent before 4,200 fans.

Terre Haute ad

July 11 Dallas, Texas Electric Ballroom

The Abilene Reporter-News noted that the audience for this show paid no admission. That was because this was one in a series of free Sunday night concerts sponsored by Dallas radio station KZEW. Even though many in the crowd were unfamiliar with Giant’s music, most were very impressed. At one point while the band was playing the Knots portion of Excerpts from Octopus, a large portion of the crowd suddenly rushed forward in delight towards the stage. This slightly startled the band, but they kept going with no problems. There were said to be two opening acts at this gig. The first is unknown, but the second was called Uncle Rainbow who were also well-received and were called back for an encore. Even though they were basically a pop band, they surprised the audience with an encore of Weather Report's Man In the Green Shirt. A curious fan report has the young West Coast band Van Halen booked originally to appear on this evening, before they were signed or terribly well-known. Supposedly, they had to cancel which led to Giant taking over the booking. This is, of course, unverified, although Dallas was not included in the band’s original tour publicity.

July 13 Austin, Texas Armadillo World Headquarters

The band has claimed that Austin was one of their favorite places to play and immediately after this show, Kerry, Ray and Gary told a fan that they thought this was one of their better played gigs. The audience was very receptive. The opening act was a band appropriately called Texas.

Austin ad July 13, 1976

July 14 Starting on this date, Giant and British musician John Miles were featured on American radio on an episode of the BBC Rock Hour, with added narration by BBC presenter Brian Matthew. Miles’ set aired first. This syndicated program generally presented live concert material originally recorded by the BBC to American audiences although, on occasion, they included interviews and even album tracks. This particular episode was unusual in that Giant’s set was actually recorded in America and although they were indeed a British band, the recording was not originally made by the BBC. It was actually a shortened, edited version of the Hempstead, New York performance originally broadcast from Ultrasonic Studios on WLIR Radio on Oct. 7, 1975. Included were Intro/Cogs in Cogs, So Sincere, Free Hand and Just the Same. As was normally the case with programs like this, individual stations were free to air the recordings at any time during a prescribed time period, with this episode reportedly first broadcast on Wednesday, July 14. However, many stations found it easier to air it at other times over the next couple weeks. As an example, the broadcast advertised below actually took place on Sunday, July 18.

“BBC Rock Hour” radio broadcast July 14 1976

July 16 Santa Barbara, California Arlington Theatre

A tape exists of this gig at which Giant played alone, with no support act. There was a brief power failure during the concert, but GG quickly recovered. There had been some dispute over this show’s venue, but it definitely was the Arlington Theatre, an architecturally dazzling venue which held about 2,000 people. Unfortunately, the concert had a poor attendance of only 800, possibly because southern California fans were gearing up the following night’s stadium gig in nearby Anaheim. The band also suffered from poor sound on this evening, but the crowd did give them a warm reception. Prior to the show, one of the ushers remembers watching some of the band’s soundcheck from the wings and says they ran through covers of a few classic rock songs, including some Beatles material. There’s also one unconfirmed report that, at the end of the show, the band came out for an encore of In the Midnight Hour but this does not appear on the live recording.

Santa Barbara ad July 16, 1976

July 17 Anaheim, California Anaheim Stadium

The stage was set up in center field of this baseball stadium. Fans filled the grandstand plus the entire infield was filled with more fans sitting on blankets. Some estimates had as many as 70,000 in attendance, but figures printed in Billboard indicate that 55,000 tickets were sold. In fact, this general admission show was sold out ten days in advance. Even American President Gerald Ford’s son Steve was in attendance, as was Danny Bonaduce of the Partridge Family. Giant played first, with a couple reports having them beginning quite a bit before the scheduled 4:00 start time, even as early as 3:00. They were followed by Gary Wright, Peter Frampton and headliners Yes. Interestingly, weight-lifters, high wire performers and skydivers were used to entertain the crowd between the different musical sets. A reviewer for the Anaheim Bulletin had nice things to say about all four of the musical acts but, of the between-set entertainers, only enjoyed the skydivers. Kerry thought the experience of being part of such a large event, easily one of the band’s biggest gigs ever, was incredible. On the other hand, Ray seems to recall not enjoying the show very much and Gary says he was a bit intimidated by the huge crowd, even though the group’s early start time supposedly had them playing while many seats remained empty. Derek joked with the crowd, starting off by announcing, "if you know us, we're Gentle Giant, if you don't, then we're Pink Floyd” and at another point telling the crowd to “pretend we’re Led Zeppelin”. Considering it was very hot during Giant’s set, the crowd was reportedly well-behaved, with the exception of a few people who booed and even threw things at the band. One report has the drum bash during So Sincere being very well accepted by the audience. On the other hand, Giant was the only act not called back for an encore. Parts of Frampton's set this night were filmed, but there’s no evidence that Giant’s set was. This was the first of several large stadium shows in which Giant participated in July of 1976.

Anaheim July 17, 1976

July 18 San Diego, California Balboa Stadium

opened for Gary Wright, Peter Frampton and Yes on a hot, sunny day. Being first on the bill, GG hit the stage around 3:00 P.M. and the entire concert went on for a full seven hours. During the approximately two hours’ worth of intermissions between acts, the crowd was again treated to a pastiche of circus acts, including skywriters and a skydiving exhibition by a team of 12 parachutists. Not only was the 35,000-seat venue sold out, but the press reported that an additional 4,500 fans were milling about. Police had a difficult time keeping order, as there were many reports of vandalism, as well as more than 90 arrests and multiple injuries, including three policemen. An existing tape of this gig shows that they included no INTERVIEW material, instead relying on their more familiar songs from previous albums. This is one of the shows for which different fan reactions have been reported. Some say GG endured their share of heavy booing during their set, while others disagree. The band did have problems with feedback and an uncooperative PA system that certainly did not help. Whatever the case, the band themselves perceived their reception as being unfavorable, a point that Derek commented on the next time they played San Diego on Mar. 30, 1977. A local television station aired a news report the next day, concentrating on the rioting and vandalism, but it also included a couple brief clips of Giant playing a bit of Knots from Excerpts from Octopus. A film of a portion of Gary Wright’s set is also known to exist but, oddly, no film of headliners Yes has surfaced.

San Diego backstage pass and GG under Yes’ massive rig July 18, 1976

July 19 Fresno, California Selland Arena

Yes was not on this bill, so Giant opened just for Peter Frampton. One person in attendance claims Giant was booed quite a bit by some of the Frampton fans at this show, as well. Over 7,000 fans were in the crowd for this sold-out show, which was reported to be the earliest Fresno major rock concert advance sellout up to that time.

July 20 Daly City, California Cow Palace

opened for Yes again to a packed house of 14,500, the show being sold out in advance. Giant came out for a somewhat obligatory encore at this show, which would normally imply a very positive reaction from the crowd. However, two fan reports have the band being booed yet again. This could partially be explained by the fact that crowds at the Cow Palace traditionally could be heard “mooing” at many concerts, in honor of the venue’s odd name and history of hosting national rodeo events. Unfortunately, on this night, it appears there truly was some discontent in the crowd, a fact pointed out in an absolutely horrific, scathing review published in the Stanford Daily. Phrases like “fell flat on its face”, “worst synthesizer music”, “bizarre songs”, “overly contrived”, “unimaginative”, “inaudible” and “repetitive” run through what has to be one of the worst GG concert reviews to surface so far. Of course, the reviewer’s credibility must be called into question, seeing as how he also stated that Phil Shulman played bass at the show. It is known that the sound for the band was sub-par this night, with their overall volume coming in considerably quieter than what Yes produced. There were equipment problems, as well. It took a roadie quite a while to get Ray’s bass working properly as the band began their set. At another point in the show, John went to play the vibraphone, only to find the instrument's microphones were dead. He held his sticks up in frustration. There’s even a report of the mouthpiece coming loose on Kerry’s recorder at one point, causing a roadie to run out and assist, while the rest of the band cycled through their parts until he could join in. Derek told the audience that the band felt crowded on stage, indicating this may have contributed to their problems, but the reviewer even took offense at this. Apparently, the audience felt quite crowded, as well. This was a festival seating gig and a fan in the front row recounts how the pressure from the crowd behind him became so intense during Giant’s set that the wooden barrier in front of the stage collapsed at one point, spilling him and several others under the stage. When Giant finished playing, promoter Bill Graham had to come out and ask the audience to move back a bit so carpenters could repair the barrier. As it turned out, Yes had its own share of troubles on stage. Bassist Chris Squire had considerable problems with his instrument, causing him to actually throw it backstage in anger at one point. It's believed that Yes was originally planning on playing in nearby Oakland, California on this particular night and there was discussion of Giant playing at a different venue altogether, but that is not how things transpired. The bands did share the bill, although Giant was the only opening act, unlike most of their other dates with Yes. There is a rumor that Yes’ set may have been filmed but, once more, there are no indications that GG’s set was.

Daly City - horrible Stanford Daily review July 20, 1976

July 22 Vancouver, British Columbia Pacific Coliseum

opened for Yes. A tape of this gig exists and, once more, one fan remembers GG being booed, although another report has this behavior not being rampant, with most people enjoying Giant’s set. According to one fan at the show, Yes singer Jon Anderson was also impressed with GG’s set, commenting from the stage that they were a tough act to follow. The local press agreed with this in their review, stating Giant was “well received”. Ray commented to this reviewer that, although the band preferred smaller audiences, they were currently trying larger places such as this one to “see what happens”. This particular venue was a 15,000-seat hockey arena but Giant had a very cramped space on stage in which to perform. Attendance was officially reported as 11, 901.

Vancouver poster and ad July 22, 1976

July 23 Seattle, Washington Seattle Center Coliseum

opened for Yes before 15,000 fans at this sold-out show. While in town for one of the band’s Seattle gigs, John and Gary actually did some shark fishing from their second floor hotel window. They caught one and kept it in the bathtub for a time. This odd behavior mirrors that which was first immortalized on an earlier Frank Zappa recording in which he refers to fishing out the window of Seattle’s Edgewater Inn, possibly the same hotel Giant occupied while in town. According to John, GG’s fishing expedition took place either on this date, or when they next were in Seattle on Mar. 26, 1977.

Seattle July 23, 1976

July 24 Portland, Oregon Memorial Coliseum

opened for Yes. A couple different print sources placed the official attendance at 7,871 but the local Oregonian newspaper reported a “sellout of 11,000”.

July 25 Spokane, Washington Spokane Coliseum

Around 6,500 people saw Giant open for Yes. Pockets of the audience were quite obnoxious to Giant. Booing began after their second song, and things were being thrown on stage on stage by the third. Two Spokane newspapers printed reviews the following day, but neither mentioned Giant. One did comment, however, on how hot and uncomfortable it was in the Coliseum.

July 28 Denver, Colorado Auditorium Arena

opened for Yes. A member of Yes’ road crew claimed disappointedly that only 3,000 tickets were sold in this large arena. However, that would be very unlikely at this point in Yes' career. A fan in the audience remembers the crowd being much bigger than that, although the arena may not have been sold out. On this night, there have been no reports of GG being booed. In fact, although Giant did not perform an encore, their reception by the crowd was reportedly strong enough to merit one.

Sep. 3 On this date, the RTB TV network in Belgium rebroadcast the German ZDF Sonntagskonzert program originally shown on Aug. 10, 1975. The live performance was actually filmed right in Belgium.

A fall 1976 European tour was next. In an interview published in July, Derek said the group hoped to take the unusual step of working into this tour a concert in Poland and another in Israel, but these plans never came to fruition. This was not the first failed attempt at performing in Poland, the group having tried to schedule a mini-tour there in June 1972. Ultimately, the tour outlined below went ahead with very few setlist changes from the summer tour. However, Give It Back was deleted and, as it turned out, all songs from the INTERVIEW album disappeared from concerts by the next year.

TYPICAL SETLIST (Fall 1976)

Intro/Just the Same - Some of the European shows may have begun with a shortened Intro 76 in which the portion of Talybont was again left out.

Proclamation/Valedictory

On Reflection/Interview

The Runaway/Experience

So Sincere

Excerpts from Octopus

Funny Ways - This crowd favorite was put back into the set.

Timing

Free Hand

Peel the Paint/I Lost My Head

The Italian band Banco was brought on board and was scheduled to open at many, if not all, of the shows on this European tour. So far, it’s been verified that they had to cancel a few appearances early on, but did open at all the German shows and at least two others.

During this European tour, Giant recorded four of their concerts with the intention of sifting through the tapes and compiling a live album. Music from these four concerts made up the 1977 PLAYING THE FOOL live album. Originally, all four of these concert recordings were complete but, through the years, portions were erased. All remaining source material was compiled and included in the UNBURIED TREASURE boxset in 2019.

Sep. 16 Oslo, Norway Chateau Neuf

One report has a full house of around 1,200 fans attending this concert, while the Dagbladet newspaper states around 800. Banco was scheduled to open, but it’s unknown if they did.

Oslo Sep. 16, 1976

Sep. 17 Gothenburg, Sweden Konserthuset

A tape of this concert exists. Banco had again intended to open this show, but it is known they had to cancel. The newspaper reviews after the concert were lukewarm, at best, although one paper did note that the hall was “packed”.

Sep. 18 Stockholm, Sweden Konserthuset

Again, Banco was the scheduled opener but, again, they canceled.

Stockholm ticket Sep. 18, 1976

Sep. 19 Lund, Sweden Olympen

held before approximately 700 fans in a concert facility managed by the University of Lund but not located directly on campus. Posters of the event listed Banco as the intended opener but, again, they canceled. A tape of the entire concert was released in 2002 by Glass House with the title of ARTISTICALLY CRYME. This recording shows that the band seemed to take their time on the songs, making this a longer than usual performance. Peel the Paint/I Lost My Head from this gig can also be found on the MEMORIES OF OLD DAYS compilation.

Lund Sep. 19, 1976

Sep. 20 Kiel, Germany Audimax

Banco opened the show. One fan remembers seeing the band at some point at Ball Pompos, a different venue in Kiel, though there is no proof of this.

German tour dates Sep. 1976

Sep. 21 Hamburg, Germany Musikhalle

Banco again opened the show. According to a review in Hamburger Abendblatt, about 1,400 fans were in attendance, making the show not quite sold out. The reviewer also claimed the playing was technically precise but lacked feeling, causing a less than enthusiastic response at times from the fans. A member of the audience has also pointed out that the group’s PA system was noisy and uncooperative at this gig, with the quadrophonic system used during Ray’s violin solo not functioning properly.

Hamburg ad Sep. 21, 1976

Sep. 22 Berlin, Germany Philharmonie

CANCELED. The band was scheduled to appear at this gig with Banco, but they encountered problems getting equipment across the border between West and East Germany. The members of Giant did manage to arrive in Berlin and were even interviewed for a local music newspaper, but they were unable to perform. The venue hastily arranged a classical orchestra concert in the band’s place.

Sep. 23 Dusseldorf, Germany Philipshalle

Banco opened the show. This was one of the four concerts from the fall of 1976 that Giant recorded for a potential live album, the other three being the Munich, Paris and Brussels gigs. When the PLAYING THE FOOL album was released, it included Intro/Just the Same, Proclamation and On Reflection from Dusseldorf, but other material from this concert has also seen official release more recently. The songs Interview and Timing, as well as Intro 76 from this show, appeared on the UNDER CONSTRUCTION album. The mini-medley of The Runaway/Experience from this show appears on the 2000 CD reissue of IN A GLASS HOUSE. This same mini-medley is also included on the 2005 35th anniversary CD reissue of the same album, where it's erroneously labeled as being just the song Experience. Still, more of this night’s music remained unreleased until 2019 when the UNBURIED TREASURE boxset contained, in remixed and remastered form, all of the surviving material from the Dusseldorf show, which is nearly complete.

Dusseldorf ticket Sep. 23, 1976

Sep. 24 Mannheim, Germany Rosengarten Musensaal

Banco opened the show. A newspaper review described the hall as “densely packed”, while being more favorable of Banco’s performance than of Giant’s.

Mannheim poster Sep. 24, 1976

Sep. 25 Munich, Germany Circus Krone Building

Banco opened the show. According to the terms of their contract, Banco was not allowed to play encores on this tour. However, the audience was quite vocal at this show in their support for the openers, so Giant reversed their decision and allowed an encore on this evening and on subsequent evenings, as needed. This was another one of the four concerts recorded by the band for the PLAYING THE FOOL album, though only Funny Ways from this show appeared on that album. A little under an hour’s worth of this gig remains intact on tape and that has now been remixed, remastered and included in the UNBURIED TREASURE boxset. The Circus Krone Building, as the name implies, was home to one of the largest circus organizations in Europe, although they often hosted rock concerts and other entertainment events.

Munich flyer Sep. 25, 1976

Sep. 27 Ulm, Germany Donauhalle

CANCELED. The band originally planned to play here with Banco but it was canceled at the very last minute. Electrical issues in the venue were given as the reason, but a notice in the Sudwest Presse questioned whether sluggish ticket sales were a contributing factor.

Sep. 28 Offenbach, Germany Stadthalle

Banco opened the show and was well received, playing one or two encores. During the show, Kerry greeted the fans by saying "hello Frankfurt", followed by howls of disapproval from the audience. Offenbach is very near to Frankfurt but is not actually part of that larger city. There is some evidence that the band may have also planned to record this gig, but it didn't happen. Coincidentally, though, just as Derek was introducing the medley of The Runaway/Experience, someone in the crowd yelled out a loud "yeah!" sounding very similar to what appears at the same spot on the PLAYING THE FOOL album.

Offenbach Sep. 28, 1976

Sep. 30 Zurich, Switzerland Volkshaus

Banco opened the show. The venue was sold out with about 2,000 fans in attendance. A local newspaper review was mixed, complimenting the band on their musical prowess and showmanship, while noting the performance was somewhat routine and uninspired, and some of the solos were “pretty poor”. This same review was very complimentary of Banco, stating they were good enough to have been the headliner. This is another gig that some evidence indicates Giant may have originally intended to record, though it didn't happen. However, a tape made by an audience member does exist. It may have been unusually hot on stage that night, as Derek remarked that it felt "like a sauna bath" and joked that the band may have to start removing their clothes, which he said might "scare the girls".

Zurich flyer Sep. 30, 1976

Oct. 1 Neuchatel, Switzerland Temple du Bas

A tape of this show also exists. Banco opened the show, which was reportedly only the second major rock concert to be held in Neuchatel. Temple du Bas was a beautiful old church that had just recently been renovated. As a rider in their contract, the band had listed certain electrical safety features be installed. The promoter told them during soundcheck that the building had brand new wiring, due to the renovation, and the band’s concerns were unfounded. However, that evening, when he walked into the dressing room, the promoter saw the roadies dressed in the band members' stage clothes. The roadies told him that, because of unsafe wiring, the group would not play and the roadies would take their places. The promoter was horrified, at which time the roadies admitted it was all a bit of English humor. In actuality, the members of Giant were quite touched by the lavishly catered affair the promotor and his friends had provided them in their dressing room. Derek was even moved enough to thank them publicly from the stage during the concert. Apparently, the band played loudly enough this night to be easily heard outside in the street, where some fans stayed and enjoyed the music, no doubt also enjoying the annual wine festival going on at the time. Multiple press reports were favorable to Giant’s set, with one singling out Ray’s violin solo in particular. This reviewer was enamored by Ray’s trick of finishing by placing his instrument on the floor and walking off while the violin notes continued to sound.

Neuchatel flyer and roadies setting up the stage Oct. 1, 1976

Oct. 3 Vaduz, Liechtenstein

the only known time the group ever played in this tiny European nation. The date may have actually been Oct. 2.

Oct. 5 Paris, France Pavillon de Paris

Banco opened the show. This was another of the four concerts recorded for use on the PLAYING THE FOOL album. Excerpts from Octopus, The Runaway/Experience, So Sincere and Peel the Paint/I Lost My Head on that album came from this concert. In 2015, an Alucard reissue of OCTOPUS had a bonus track of Excerpts from Octopus taken from this concert which included a bit of Derek’s spoken introduction, never previously released. The entire existing source tape has was finally remixed and remastered for inclusion in the UNBURIED TREASURE boxset. It contains not quite the complete show, but is well over an hour in length. John recalls a nerve-wracking moment that played out in Paris while he and Gary were doing some after dinner sightseeing along the banks of the Seine. They noticed a student riot taking place on the river’s opposite shore when suddenly, a portion of the rioters split from the group and ran across the bridge towards them. As the students ran by, baton wielding police in close pursuit, John and Gary held their ground but yelled out, “Anglais! Anglais!” The police apparently understood and left them alone, continuing to chase after the rioters. Relieved, John and Gary quickly returned to their hotel. This could have taken place at the band’s Nov. 29, 1975 Paris gig, but this one seems more likely, as they had a day off for sightseeing before moving on to Brussels.

Paris ticket Oct. 5, 1976

Oct. 7 Brussels, Belgium Cirque Royal

the last of the four concerts recorded by the band for use on the PLAYING THE FOOL album. This gig was held in another venue originally designed to stage circuses, as was the case for the Munich show listed above. This venue seated 3,500 and. although exact attendance on this night is unknown, it was said to be quite crowded. One fan report has a significant number of audience members there specifically to see Banco and then leaving before Giant’s set. A keyboard breakdown after just two songs led to a lengthy delay in the show, during which Ray, Gary and John filled some time with a spontaneous improvisational version of the 1925 jazz standard Sweet Georgia Brown, a number they had played on and off for years during soundchecks. It appeared on the live album, retitled Breakdown in Brussels, interestingly one of only two songs the band ever released that were not original compositions, the other being The Queen off the first album. There was a report long ago that band members improvised more than one number during the breakdown but no further corroboration of this has ever surfaced, so it does not appear to be the case. The keyboards were eventually brought back to half strength so the band could at least finish the show. The song Free Hand from this concert also appeared on the live album. As was done with the other three PLAYING THE FOOL gigs, all the intact taped material from Brussels was remixed, remastered and included in the UNBURIED TREASURE boxset, but the tape that remains barely approaches a half hour in length. The tape only contains the last three songs which means that, sadly, Breakdown in Brussels and the entire keyboard fiasco from earlier in the evening no longer exist and do not appear in the boxset.

Brussels ticket Oct. 7, 1976

1977

Jan. ? Rehearsals for the next tour began in a public room in a pub in Portsmouth, England.

Jan. ? Later in the month, the band booked time on a soundstage at London’s famed Pinewood Film and Television Studios, famous for many major productions through the years such as the long-running James Bond series. In fact, at the very same time Giant was in attendance, a Bond movie was in production on a second soundstage, while the Rolling Stones had one of their own stage rigs set up on a third. The exact dates GG was there have not been determined, other than to say it was a few days during late January. Their intent was to conclude preparations for their upcoming North American tour and to settle on a final setlist. When all was ready, they staged three complete run-throughs of their show, exactly as they planned to present it. These were full technical rehearsals, using all their stage crew and all visuals, lighting effects, taped intros, segues, etc. A handful of representatives of the music press were also invited in to document the proceedings. According to an account of these rehearsals published in March in Sounds, the few music reporters who attended sat way in the back, far from the stage, and were mostly indifferent towards the proceedings. This embarrassed the band members, particularly angering Ray. Although they did not film themselves, the group did make an audio recording of one of the rehearsals. The original arrangement of Winning from this rehearsal appears in the SCRAPING THE BARREL boxset with the title Winning - Lights Rehearsal - Pinewood, while the entire rehearsal is also included in lower mp3 quality. All of it can be found again in the MEMORIES OF OLD DAYS boxset where it, oddly, appears in an incorrect, shuffled running order. However, the entire rehearsal has now been finally released in fully remastered CD quality in the UNBURIED TREASURE boxset. Some of the numbers are a bit rough, as would be expected so early in the touring process, but the band seem to be enjoying themselves. Derek, in particular, seems very light-hearted and relaxed, often making jokes during his spoken bits. For instance, he introduces one song as being from the soundtrack to an Al Jolson movie, while at another point, he says he’s glad to be here “at the Hong Kong Forum”. During the song Memories of Old Days, he simply hums the melody. This song was new and perhaps he did not have a copy of the lyrics handy.

Kerry at Pinewood Studios Jan. 1977

Jan. 16 The July 7, 1976 Chicago gig that was recorded by WXRT Radio was broadcast by that station in edited form on this evening. The broadcast was part of the station's regular Sunday night "Unconcert Series". The series was sponsored by 7-Up, the soft drink then being promoted as the "uncola". Normally, concerts were broadcast one or two months after being recorded, but this Giant broadcast took six months to air, for unknown reasons.

Chicago - “Unconcert” radio broadcast listing Jan. 16, 1977

Jan. ? There is information pointing to two different January dates for when Capitol released their live album PLAYING THE FOOL in America. Some evidence indicates it was released on Jan. 18 while a press release advertising their upcoming North American tour said to expect the album on Jan. 24. The tracks on this live album were recorded in Dusseldorf, Munich, Paris and Brussels in September and October of 1976. To come up with the title of the album, they modified the name of a 1975 bootleg of their material called PLAYING THE FOOLE.

Jan. ? PLAYING THE FOOL saw release on Chrysalis in England , probably at the end of January. UK trade papers had listed original release dates of Jan. 14 and Jan. 22, but the date of Jan. 28 seems like a very real possibility.

??? At some point in early 1977, Capitol Records released a promotional record called GIANT EDITS. Released in America, but not in England, it contained shortened versions of a number of the songs on PLAYING THE FOOL. These all fit on one record, while the full live album was a double record.

Feb. ? For its part, the Canadian branch of Capitol Records also released a promotional record, in that country only, entitled INSIDE GENTLE GIANT. It’s believed this was released to radio stations in late February. It was recorded at Thunder Sound Studios in Toronto and was used to promote both the PLAYING THE FOOL album and the early 1977 Canadian tour dates. Exactly when it was recorded is not known, but immediately before the start of the February tour would be a reasonable bet. The hour long record included interviews with Derek and Ray, as well as studio and live tracks.

Continuing their long held tradition of heavy touring, the group hit the road again in North America during February and March in support of their new live album. At last, the group was able to headline most of their concerts in North America. However, they did share some dates with Renaissance, the two bands switching off the closing spot on the bill. Promoter John Scher, in a Rolling Stone interview, confirmed that the two groups played twelve dates together but, instead of characterizing this as two bands alternating as headliners, he oddly described Giant as “opening for eight and co-headlining for four”. Available evidence does not exactly coincide with these numbers. Plans may have changed as the tour went along, or Scher may have simply been mistaken. He explained that he wanted Renaissance to headline in places where they were already strong and co-headline in places where they were less well known. It is clear that there was tension and frustration between these two bands. Scher, in his interview, was somewhat disparaging toward Giant, claiming they were too demanding in that they expected the same treatment from the promoter and the venue when they opened as when they co-headlined. Annie Haslam of Renaissance, while acknowledging that this tension grew as the tour went along, also stated that for the most part, the two bands got along fine. This PLAYING THE FOOL tour was unique in that the band broke tradition and premiered four songs that they intended for their next studio album, but which had not yet been recorded. There were also a number of other changes to their stage show. Besides dropping all material from the INTERVIEW album, Ray's violin solo was missing, as well. Kerry said in an interview in a Canadian publication at the time that the band had intended to play The Face during this tour, with the violin solo included as part of that song. Unfortunately, he said that equipment problems of some sort made that impossible. Actually, the song was rehearsed at Pinewood Studios in January and appears on the "run-through" recording made there. It also may have been played on the first couple nights of the tour but, if so, it was definitely dropped by the time the group reached Quebec City.

TYPICAL SETLIST (Feb. - Apr. 1977)

The Runaway/Experience - Beginning the concert, a prerecorded classical piece was played, specifically the final movement of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto #4. Gary says that whenever he heard this piece begin, he knew he had exactly six minutes to get on stage. After this piece, the group used the novel idea of playing a tape of themselves pretending to be tuning their instruments and testing their equipment, followed by a riff, ever increasing in speed, first on guitar and drums, then fading in the keyboards, then bass, then voice. As each instrument or voice was added to the tape, the band member’s face would appear on a rear projection screen. Finally, John would count in the opening number.

On Reflection

As Old as You're Young - not yet recorded. This song was played when the band headlined but not when they served as an opening act.

Just the Same/Playing the Game - On Playing the Game, Derek played the "shulberry". This was a simple 3-string instrument invented by one of the band's roadies, either Phil Freeman or Dave Zammit.

Memories of Old Days - not yet recorded. Kerry played a brief keyboard version of the song Giant as a lead-in. During the song itself, all five members played one type or another of guitar.

Winning - not yet recorded. The arrangement of this song was vastly different from what would eventually be recorded for the group's next studio album. When performed live, this song featured an electronic drum machine, the only time the band ever toyed with such a device. This song was not played when they were an opening act.

For Nobody - not yet recorded. Ray often got to introduce this song on stage, though not always.

Funny Ways - John got to showcase his comedic skills as his humorous introduction to this song became a nightly ritual.

So Sincere - For this tour, the beginning of this song was played on vibraphone. This song was not played when the band was an opening act.

Free Hand

Excerpts from Octopus - This song was the new encore but was not played every night. It featured a new keyboard bridge section.

Poster for US tour early 1977

On this tour, Giant attempted the use of abundant special effects, perhaps more ambitious in scope than they had tried before. In addition to standard effects, such as smoke and strobe lights, they also made an early attempt at using projected hologram images. These were of spinning white balls and were known to appear during On Reflection and Memories of Old Days. They also continued to use synchronized slides and films, such as one set of slides of hands playing conga drums. These hands would appear to move faster and faster and were used during the song Winning. Also, because of the complexity of this particular song, the band played along on stage to an electronic drum machine which provided additional percussion parts. It's possible they may have used other pre-recorded backing tracks on stage, as well, during some parts of the show, though this is unconfirmed. During Memories of Old Days, a film was also rear projected that showed a closeup of a rubbery giant head mask. In this film, made by a friend of Ray's, and now included as a bonus feature in the SCRAPING THE BARREL boxset, someone wearing the mask would appear to poke his head through a curtain and look down while pointing his finger. This film was projected directly behind John, so as to make it appear that the mythical Giant was watching the drummer. The face would also turn and was timed so as to appear to stare at different band members at specific appropriate times. During the concerts, white accordion shaped screens were used to hide the amplifiers.

Also, a neon "giant's head", which hung on the back wall, was planned as part of the stage set for this tour. The intent was to turn it on towards the end of the show, but it was damaged after just the first or second show and was sent out for repairs. It did not return to service until the Chicago gig on Mar. 4. A roadie for the band has claimed that on the very next night, after the Mar. 5 Akron gig, the road crew inadvertently damaged the head again, to at least some degree, in a parking lot mishap. This roadie says that they were unwilling to own up to what had happened, so they continued to hang it night after night for the rest of the tour. If this is true, the damage must have been minimal because he claims that the band never said anything until the soundcheck in Los Angeles on Mar. 31. At that time, Derek supposedly requested the head not be hung on the tour's final show in Phoenix the next night. It should be stated that the band members dispute this roadie’s interesting recollection of events, although Gary does recall a period of time when only the head's eyes seemed to be functioning.

Feb. 17 Buffalo, New York New Century Theatre

As the band arrived in Buffalo, the city was still digging out from one of the worst snowstorms of the century. Since this was to be the first gig of the tour, they had arranged to use the theatre for rehearsals for the two days prior to the show. The storm made this impossible, so they ended up with only a small amount of time on the day of the concert to get things together. In an interview before showtime, the band admitted to being nervous about this and, indeed, there were some technical difficulties, but two local newspaper reviews gave the band good marks. Considering the weather, it’s worth noting that one of these reviews claimed there was a capacity crowd on hand. Opening acts were local Buffalo band Rodan, followed by Mr. Big. Mr. Big was not well received. Upon being booed after one of their songs, one of the members of Mr. Big responded by yelling out an obscenity directed towards Gentle Giant before going into the next song.

Buffalo press notice and ad Feb. 17, 1977

Feb. 18 Cincinnati, Ohio Riverfront Coliseum

Steve Hillage opened this show followed by GG and, in the headlining slot, the Electric Light Orchestra. Attendance was reported as a little over 8,000. Multiple reports described the crowd as being quite hostile to the openers, especially Giant. The first problem was that there was a delay of over an hour after Hillage finished before Giant even took the stage. In addition to having poor sound on this night, they had to endure quite a bit of booing, starting right after their opening number. The audience disapproval peaked during the xylophone bit of So Sincere, after which Giant had had enough and left the stage, ending their set after only half an hour. The band was visibly frustrated and Derek, in particular, was not terribly “polite” in his choice of parting words. Additional reports single out problems with a teenager seated near the front repeatedly yelling out “let’s boogie”, and baseball fans in the crowd who objected to John wearing his traditional Oakland A’s baseball jersey instead of that of the local Cincinnati Reds. Regardless, the University of Cincinnati’s News Record gave GG an overall positive review, even while mistakenly identifying one of their songs as In Case You Didn’t Know Upon Reflection. This was a festival seating gig. About two and a half years later, the city of Cincinnati banned all festival seating at concerts after eleven people were killed at a Who concert at this same venue.

Cincinnati ads Feb. 18, 1977

Feb. 20 Quebec City, Quebec Centre Municipal des Congress

The Quebec area band Et Cetera was the opening act and they got a mixed reception from the packed crowd. Their sound was sub-par because they did not have much time for a proper soundcheck. Giant was late arriving at the hall and, after their own soundcheck, Et Cetera had to finish setting up while the crowd was already filing in. The audience did ask for an encore, but did not receive one. Giant, on the other hand, was very well-received, even though Gary and Kerry had their share of technical difficulties. Kerry, in particular, appeared quite angry, according to a review in Pop Rock Magazine. A tape exists of GG’s performance, showing that The Face was definitely not played, although the band did run through it in their soundcheck. Attendance was disappointing with a published estimate of less than 2,000.

Quebec City ad Feb. 20, 1977

Feb. 22 Toronto, Ontario Maple Leaf Gardens - Concert Bowl

A tape exists of this show, for which Montreal trio Symphonic Slam was the opening act. The venue was basically a large hockey arena, so for concerts that would never fill the entire venue, they would close off half of the seats and create what the tickets referred to as the “Concert Bowl”. This was the case on this evening. It was an attempt to give the venue more of a formal concert hall atmosphere, although the acoustics were still a bit iffy. Ticket sales for this gig were extremely slow and one online Symphonic Slam site reveals that this band was added to the bill at the last minute specifically as an attempt to bolster these sales. This worked to a degree, but Record Week still reported a low final attendance figure of only 4,300, while praising the fact that such an intricately conceived concert presentation could be pulled off so masterfully. The Toronto Star was a bit more generous, placing the figure at about 5,000, but the hall was still only about half full. Ever the gentleman, Kerry graciously gave Symphonic Slam’s keyboardist a tour of his own rig beforehand and allowed him to try it out.

Toronto Feb. 22, 1977

Feb. 23 Montreal, Quebec Montreal Forum

A tape of this concert is rumored to exist. There was some concern whether Giant would be able to play this show, as bad weather in Toronto almost canceled their flight after the previous night's show. Fortunately, they did arrive, but the show didn’t begin until 9:30 PM, causing the crowd to get restless. In fact, this gig was singled out in a later article in Le Petit Journal about drugs, violence and general unrest at Montreal rock concerts. Two police officers were injured on this evening, one with broken ribs. Et Cetera again opened and were well received by the crowd, unlike their previous show in Quebec City, and they did come out to play an encore. Newspaper reports were in complete disagreement on the size of the audience. One paper simply said “it was full”, with another giving a more precise estimate of about 15,000. Yet, a third paper gave a surprising report of only 6,000. At about 4:00 that afternoon, John found time to stop in at the city’s CHOM radio station for a quick interview. Early on, one local paper advertised this show as being set for Feb. 27, but that was false.

Montreal ad Feb. 23, 1977

Feb. 24 Albany, New York Palace Theater

At this show, Giant opened for Renaissance to a reportedly positive reception. The venue is estimated to hold 2,500 - 3,000 people and was either full or close to it.

Feb. 25 Boston, Massachusetts Orpheum Theater

This was a sellout show with Giant opening for Renaissance. A tape of the show exists on which Derek, in his opening comments, seems to express frustration with GG having to shorten their planned set to about an hour in length. Nonetheless, a Boston weekly newspaper, The Real Paper, gave Giant’s set a tremendous review, the author even calling them “Britain’s best band”. Conversely, though, a local college newspaper gave a bad review to both openers GG and headliners Renaissance. This review did, however, corroborate the recollection of one fan in attendance who stated that Giant was far better received by the crowd than were the headliners. After GG’s set, the very vocal crowd yelled repeatedly for more, but the cheering was followed by a period of extended booing when Giant did not reappear. A long set change delay followed, after which some members of the audience were quite rude to Renaissance.

Boston Feb. 25, 1977

Feb. 26 Upper Darby, Pennsylvania Tower Theater

A tape of this gig exists. The opening act was Ace and a bit over 3,000 tickets were sold, making this a sellout performance. Renaissance is known to have played at the Palace Theatre in Waterbury, Connecticut on this night and some evidence indicates GG may have originally intended to open for them there. However, it didn't happen.

Upper Darby ads Feb. 26, 1977

Feb. 27 New York, New York Avery Fisher Music Hall

A tape also exists of this near sellout gig. It was held shortly after the hall was renovated to improve its acoustics, but one fan report has the band still having some problems with its sound. The show, for which there doesn’t seem to have been an opening act, was an hour late starting, due to problems getting the stage set up just right. During much of this hour, the audience was stuck in the lobby, which led to a certain amount of frustration. When the show finally began, Derek introduced the group as “a smelly old rock band”, but this attempt at light-hearted self-deprecation did not appease everyone. Segments of the crowd were quite annoyed during the opening song, as the volume was apparently set too low for some audience members' taste. Interestingly, one written review made it a point to comment on John’s “off-color” remarks during his brief comedy routine. Billboard gave a lukewarm review of the gig, at best, while the Daily News was much harsher, calling the band a “whacky bunch of characters” and referring to their music as “loony rock”. The opening act for this concert, if there was one, is not yet known. The pre-show music in the hall was from a Frank Zappa album. Coincidentally, Zappa played in New York around the same time and the pre-show music at his concert was from a Gentle Giant album, Giant being a band he greatly admired.

Ads for New York’s Avery Fisher Hall Feb. 27, 1977

Feb. 28 Hempstead, New York Calderone Concert Hall

During Giant's set, the ever-cheerful John Weathers wore some sort of wig over his balding head before removing it partway through the concert. A tape exists of this gig, as well. Ace was the advertised opening act and two attendees at the show disagree as to whether they were booed off the stage after just two or three songs. Additionally, it has been confirmed by overwhelming evidence, including photographic evidence, that the Mick Ronson Band played an unannounced surprise set, even before Ace took the stage. Ronson’s drummer explains that his band could not be viewed as an official opening act, instead playing quite early on, before most of the crowd had even arrived, with their set mainly meant for record executives in attendance. This demonstration set was arranged by Tony Visconti who produced Giant’s first two albums and had had a long working relationship with Ronson. John Weathers remembers, while standing in the wings preparing to watch Ace’s set, being asked to introduce them. He politely declined, feeling that Ronson may be offended since he did not do the same for his band.

Hempstead Feb. 28, 1977

Although no corroborating details have surfaced, it’s possible that live segments from this tour may have been filmed by Belgian TV and shown in that country at some point. A photo said to be from this broadcast appears in the SCRAPING THE BARREL boxset. In the photo, Derek is holding his shulberry, implying the group would have at least performed the song Playing the Game. One rumor is that the bit of live footage was filmed for use in an ad, possibly promoting the PLAYING THE FOOL album.

Another unrelated rumor has Giant possibly being filmed on this tour for Canadian television, as well. No other details are known about that alleged broadcast, either.

Mar. 1 Ellicott City, Maryland Hollywood Palace

A band called Zed was the opening act. It’s been estimated that about 300 people were crammed into the club, well over normal capacity. This date was added to the original tour itinerary.

Ellicott City Mar. 1, 1977

Mar. 2 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Soldiers and Sailors Hall

CANCELED. The reason given for this cancelation was “booking problems”. The date does not appear in the band’s pre-tour press release or their own handwritten notes from the tour, but it was advertised at the time by both the Giant and Renaissance camps. The plan was to play at Soldiers and Sailors Hall but problems arose. As little as one week before showtime, a local newspaper still advertised the show as “site to be announced”. Renaissance ended up playing at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby while GG apparently had a night off.

Pittsburgh cancelation notice Mar. 2, 1977

Mar. 4 Chicago, Illinois Riviera Theatre

At this show, Renaissance opened for Giant. The neon "giant's head" was triumphantly returned to service for this show.

Chicago ad and ticket Mar. 4, 1977

Mar. 5 Akron, Ohio Civic Theatre

A tape exists of Giant’s set opening for Renaissance. Mr. Big, who played first, was not well-received. The fact that the show was almost an hour and a half late could have contributed to the audience's frustration. Mr. Big also had guitar trouble and is said to have borrowed Gary Green’s Les Paul for the show. The late start also worked against headliners Renaissance as their set didn’t begin until after midnight, at which time much of the crowd was quite exhausted. The Civic Theatre, which was an ornate theater used for film and live stage productions, had a stage designed to simulate the look of a castle, with the lowered drawbridge being the stage itself. The outline of the castle was backlit on the back wall of the stage. Additionally, tiny lights in the theater's ceiling gave the impression of an evening's starlit sky, across which the illusion of clouds could also be seen moving. One unusual report has surfaced from this concert. According to three separate fans, at one point during GG’s performance, someone was noticed in one of the small side balconies wearing a Giant mask and lit by a spotlight. One early report was that this costumed individual was actually John Weathers, but John himself has refuted that claim. It may have been a roadie, as one did often dress as the Giant and peak through the curtains as part of the act. This roadie may have simply taken advantage of the theatre’s unique architecture and appeared in a side balcony instead. Then again, the mysterious stranger could have just been an over-enthusiastic fan. In attendance in the audience, as acknowledged by John from the stage, were members of the Granati Brothers, a band from nearby Pittsburgh that Ray and Derek took under their wing this year, helping to secure them a record deal and serving in a management and production capacity. It was after this show that one of the roadies makes the disputed claim that the neon head was damaged again, although he says it continued to be hung at almost all of the gigs that followed.

Akron ads Mar. 5, 1977

Mar. 6 Detroit, Michigan Ford Auditorium

GG opened for Renaissance. Ace was advertised as taking the stage first but it seems that they did not appear. There is an existing tape of GG’s performance.

Detroit Mar. 6, 1977

Mar. 8 Indianapolis, Indiana Indiana Theater

This show with Giant opening for headliners Renaissance may originally have been scheduled for Mar. 7. Mr. Big was scheduled to begin the evening, playing before Giant, but according to an attendee at the gig, they did not appear. Sure enough, a couple newspaper reviews that have been located do not mention Mr. Big at all. GG was extremely well-received, even though Gary played the entire show while not feeling well. In fact, after Playing the Game, Derek tried to introduce the next song but had to stop, due to the continued applause. The band appeared genuinely moved by the audience's reaction and did come out for an encore. Then, after Renaissance started their own set, the members of Giant actually went into the back of the audience and sat together to watch. Attendance was reported to be 1,127 out of about 2,000.

Indianapolis ad Mar. 8, 1977

Mar. 11 Atlanta, Georgia Fox Theater

Here, Giant played first on the bill before Sea Level and headliners Renaissance, therefore playing what’s been reported as a shorter set than usual. It's been rumored that the Mike Green Band played at the show, as well, though this does not appear to be true. Published ads show that GG was scheduled originally to appear in Atlanta on both Mar. 10 and 11 but only this Mar. 11 show took place. Georgia Tech’s student newspaper, The Technique, gave a glowing review to Renaissance and a decent review to Sea Level. However, they did not like Giant at all, describing their stage presence as “somewhere between Carol Burnett and Idi Amin.”

Atlanta Mar. 11, 1977

Mar. 12 Tampa, Florida University of South Florida

held in the basketball gym as part of a University double concert weekend, with this Saturday general admission concert being followed on Sunday night by Billy Joel performing on the very same stage. GG opened for Renaissance, although reportedly quite a few people had left by the time Renaissance reached the end of their set. As openers, Giant was well received, a standing ovation bringing them back out for an encore. Derek did seem a bit perplexed as one young lady in the audience kept yelling for him to remove his pants. He politely declined, to the audience’s roar of approval, but the girl persisted, requesting the same of John during his monologue. An off-color response from John ended the interruptions. Poor ticket sales for previously sponsored concerts had, by this time, put the University under financial strain. They canceled other upcoming performances but, fortunately, this one and the Billy Joel concert the following night went ahead as planned. The GG/Renaissance show was sold out with a standing room only crowd of around 2,200. The numbers were helped a bit because the university ran a promotion in which the first 400 students purchasing tickets were each given two more tickets for free. The St. Petersburg Times gave decent reviews for each band, but bemoaned the fact that the acoustics in the boomy gymnasium were awful, equating them to the insides of a “gigantic garbage can”.

Tampa ad Mar. 12, 1977

Mar. 13 Miami, Florida Gusman Cultural Center

Giant opened for Renaissance in a beautiful, ornate facility with the ceiling painted to resemble an outdoor starry sky. Nevertheless, in a Miami News interview, Ray boldly vented his frustration about the gig, claiming Renaissance were “afraid” of Gentle Giant. He claimed the headliners refused to let GG play an encore at Gusman, even though the audience was screaming for one. He was also upset that, whenever Giant played support, they were not allowed to use their projectors, movie screens and props, having instead to water down their show. He claimed Giant were “incredibly mad at the way we’re being treated”. After this concert, the band enjoyed a few days off during which they apparently soaked up too much Florida sun.

Miami ad Mar. 13, 1977

Mar. 18 Austin, Texas Armadillo World Headquarters

During Giant’s set, a band member announced from the stage that they always enjoyed playing this particular Austin venue, but it’s been reported that the crowd this night was not as receptive as they had been at GG's previous Austin gig on July 13, 1976. At one point, John Weathers had to chastise the audience and one spectator remembers the band struggling to "keep their cool" in front of a rather rowdy audience. One contributing factor may have been the poor sound. A review in Walrus! magazine noted a continuous hum from the PA, with the speakers often “popping and sputtering”. Another contributing factor was that many in front were standing on their chairs, causing those further back to yell and make a fuss. Some members of the band were allegedly unsettled by this, misinterpreting the noise as booing. On the other hand, another fan at the show characterizes the evening differently, believing that Giant did win over the crowd by the end. The Austin Daily Texan also gave a very positive review, particularly singling out the song For Nobody as being well received by the packed crowd. The Wommack Brothers, a local Austin jazz-rock group, opened this show and suitably impressed Giant. GG’s management requested tapes and materials from the Wommacks with the intention of helping to publicize them, particularly in England, where they felt there was a need for their kind of music.

Austin poster and ad Mar. 18, 1977

Mar. 19 Dallas, Texas Electric Ballroom

This was a late show and, although not confirmed, it may have been another in a series of free concerts sponsored by Dallas radio station KZEW, similar to what happened at the July 11 gig at the same club. Prism, a Texas band not to be confused with the Canadian band of the same name, was the opening act at this packed concert. Interestingly, progressive supergroup Genesis also played a Dallas venue on this same night and their own attendance was disappointing. Prism has officially released their set from this night on CD and members of Prism have described having Giant watch their set from the wings as one of the highlights of their career. Their drummer had a cymbal which he made from a metal disc originally used to scoop golf balls from the bottom of ponds. John Weathers heard this cymbal and liked it very much, so Prism’s drummer gave it to him after the show. It can later be heard on the song Winning on GG’s 1977 MISSING PIECE album. The venue was basically a cavernous barn with corrugated tin roof and siding, with a stage at one end and a 100-foot bar running the length of the room. It seated around 1,800 and was similar in design to the much larger Sportatorium which was located across the street. The SMU Daily Campus, in its review, said GG’s sound was horrible and also stated the band was quite cramped on the small stage. This same review was also riddled with factual errors, such as describing how John Weathers strummed an acoustic guitar during the song Funny Voice from the ACQUIRING THE TASTE album, none of which was accurate. Ray remembers a gig at a club in Texas where a spectator in the back attempted to steal a rear speaker during his violin solo until apprehended by the tour manager. It may very well have been this show, as one fan does recall a scuffle taking place in the rear of the club. A tape exists of a brief portion of GG's soundcheck before this concert, showing them running through For Nobody a couple of times. These two takes were included on the LIVE IN SANTA MONICA 1975 release on the Glass House label. It’s possible that Prism may have opened for GG on more than one occasion, but details as to where and when these other shared bills may have been are not known.

Dallas ad Mar. 19, 1977

Mar. 20 Tulsa, Oklahoma The Wharf

There are a number of unconfirmed theories about this gig circulating, but not many hard facts. One tantalizing rumor is that the gig was simulcast over Tulsa’s KMOD Radio, although that remains unconfirmed and a recording of that show has not been found. However, the band did take the time to do an interview with KMOD while in town. It may not have helped much as one estimate puts only about 150 people in the audience. It’s possible that this gig may have been originally planned for a larger venue but was moved to this small club at the last minute. Additionally, although credible evidence indicates there was probably no opening act, one fan seems to recall a southern rock band from Texas called Point Blank opening.

Mar. 25 Portland, Oregon Paramount Theater

CANCELED. Printed evidence and a couple fan recollections show that this gig, for which Starcastle was slated to open, was canceled. One newspaper report indicated this was due to poor ticket sales. That makes this the second time a GG show in Portland was canceled for this same reason, the first being on Oct. 24, 1975.

Portland ad - canceled show Mar. 25, 1977

Mar. 26 Seattle, Washington Paramount Northwest Theater

Starcastle did open for Giant at this festival seating concert, although the Seattle Daily Times claimed the two bands “co-headlined”. That same newspaper gave both groups a poor review, while noting that the theater was less than half full. John’s monologue was reportedly a bit more off-color than usual at this gig.

Seattle review Mar. 26, 1977

Mar. 28 San Jose, California San Jose Center for the Performing Arts

A country-rock band named Stallion went first. This opening band actually had a tumbleweed blow across the stage at one point in their set. Hometown heroes Pablo Cruise were supposed to headline but, for some reason, they and Giant switched places and Giant went last. It’s been conjectured that this may have been due to the much larger array of instruments GG used on stage, thereby necessitating a more complicated setup. Another story circulating at the time was that Pablo Cruise had a late booking somewhere else and needed to leave early to get there on time. Because many in attendance came to see Pablo Cruise, expecting them to headline, the crowd thinned out dramatically before GG's closing set even began, leaving the GG fans who remained, perhaps 20% of the original crowd, scrambling to find seats closer to the stage. Where one may expect an eager crowd to clap their hands in anticipation of the start of a show, some of these diehard Giant fans began snapping their fingers in a rhythm reminiscent of the opening of Just the Same while waiting for their band to take the stage. Pablo Cruise was originally supposed to play in San Jose ten days earlier, without Giant, but the show was canceled. This was a rescheduled gig, this time with the addition of Giant, which would explain why San Jose was not on GG’s original tour schedule. Official attendance at this gig was listed at about 1,750.

San Jose ad Mar. 28, 1977

Mar. 30 San Diego, California Golden Hall

Renaissance opened for Giant before 1,300 fans in a hall built for 4,000. During the show, Derek commented on the poor reception the band received at its previous San Diego appearance on July 18, 1976. An existing tape of this gig shows that as an encore, they played The Advent of Panurge by itself, instead of playing the entire Excerpts from Octopus, as was usually done on this tour. John also shortened his humorous introduction to Funny Ways. Both of these events could be attributed to time constraints. The crowd wasn’t even admitted into the building until 15 minutes after the scheduled start time, the show actually getting under way 50 minutes late. Intermission between the two acts stretched to a full hour. Additionally, a buzzing, hissing speaker caused problems throughout the entire concert, growing louder as the evening wore on.

San Diego Mar. 30, 1977

Mar. 31 Los Angeles, California Shrine Auditorium

Giant headlined on this evening. The show was opened by the Scottish singer-songwriter duo Gallagher and Lyle with Renaissance playing second. Renaissance suffered from sound and equipment problems but, for the most part, the Giant fans were patient and polite during their set. In fact, the Los Angeles Times gave Renaissance a better review than they did Giant. Additionally, Variety gave GG only a lukewarm write up. The vocals were at times inaudible during Giant’s set but the News-Pilot reported that their overall energy overcame any problems they had. One fan in attendance recalls Kerry's vibraphone solo in Funny Ways being particularly well received by the audience on this night. A tape that exists of this concert shows that they played In the Midnight Hour as a surprise second encore. This occurred, even though the house lights had already come on, after the crowd of 4,046 fans would not stop cheering. Although it may have happened on other occasions, this is only the second time this song has been verified to have been played, the first being in Hempstead, New York on July 3, 1976. Derek recently singled out the audience reaction from this show as being one of the highlights from his time on the road with the band. Gary also has expressed fond memories of this evening. After the concert, KROQ Radio in Los Angeles broadcast an interview with Derek, probably recorded earlier in the day. It was during this evening’s soundcheck that a roadie claims the band finally confronted the road crew concerning some damage to the neon head supposedly sustained back in Akron on Mar. 5. As stated above, this entire chain of events concerning the head has not been corroborated. The band themselves feel the roadie’s recollections are not totally accurate.

Los Angeles ad Mar. 31, 1977

Apr. 1 Phoenix, Arizona Celebrity Theater

In front of an estimated 500 people, far less than half of the theater’s full capacity, Giant opened for Renaissance who, reportedly, were much better received. When Giant started their set, the audience was rather cool, giving them only subdued, polite applause, unlike the enthusiastic applause they gave Renaissance. One fan in the audience did believe Giant looked tired on stage. After the show, this fan had the chance to speak to Derek who apologized for what he referred to as a “lackluster” performance. Another young fan in the audience also got to meet the band afterwards, due to his choice of clothing. He had proudly worn his own homemade Gentle Giant teeshirt to the show, with white iron-on letters on a black shirt. Derek noticed this well dressed, enthusiastic young man near the front of the crowd and invited him backstage after the show, where the band treated him quite graciously. The Celebrity had a rotating, in-the-round stage. During John’s Funny Ways intro, he started walking in circles around the microphone, mimicking the rotation of the stage. Some silent 8mm film footage of Giant's set is rumored to exist. A roadie at the time claims the band was not originally planning on playing in Phoenix on this tour, which would imply this date was added at some point after initial plans were made. If one is to believe the recollections of this same roadie, the neon "giant's head" was not used at this show, supposedly at Derek’s request. Perhaps this was due to potential problems that could have resulted from rigging the head over the revolving stage.

Cover of concert program - Phoenix Apr. 1, 1977

Go on to Part Seven

Return home to Gentle Giant Tour History