January 1975

 

January 3-4 Friday-Saturday

I went down and sat outside the Forum from about 9-10 pm to about 10 am to get Led Zeppelin tickets. [it was cold and unpleasant, and as the morning went on, crowded. I was sitting with some guys, very close because of the cold and a guy I knew from Abbott (who I remember being Peter Fiset, though I don't think it was), asked why we were sitting so close.

 

I didn't even get good seats, Andy went down in the morning and got better.

 

The cops stood across the street and beat on paper cups (wishing the cups were us). Jean gave me a ride back (who my have been the mystery guy from Abbott)].

 

January 6 Monday

I had my wisdom teeth removed [four of them,which they gave me in a little bag after. I didn't feel a thing, what with Demoral and Novocaine.

 

Either this day or the next Rob returned from Columbia. He came over, not knowing I'd been detoothed. I opened the door, he thought I'd been hit by a truck. We smoked oil in the basement].

 

January 11 Saturday

Because of my tooth ordeal, my mother bought me a black and white TV.

 

January 20 Monday

John Abbott second semester began.

 

[From Coolopolis, October 13, 2007:

…the acts that occurred on January 21, 1975 were the most evil things ever done in Montreal. We've also demonstrated that the months that followed were among the most hellish in the city's history with an unprecedented wave of violent crime sweeping across the city. The murder by fire of 13 people (10 men and three women) by maniac prison escapee Richard Blass and accomplice Fernand Beaudet at the Gargantua bar occurred when they duo locked these people in a closet and torched the joint. The blaze claimed the lives of these people among others. May they rest in peace.]

 

January 23 Thursday

[Dave Avery and some others had gotten an old house near Morin Heights, and they planned to use it as a retreat. I paid my $10 and joined the "Weekend Club"].

 

Around now my sister Susan showed me the game '4000 AD'. It baffled Mike, Ralph and I the first time, but we got used to it.

 

Heard Tangerine Dream for the first time on the radio. I had liked electronic music at least as far back as 1971 with 'Lucky Man' by E.LP., but the first purely electronic group was Germany's Kraftwerk, who's 1974 album 'Autobahn' was a surprise hit (even CHOM played it). They would have a large influence on the music of the 1980's. Tangerine Dream were also from Germany.

 

January 31-February 2 Friday-Sunday

[Wade Gaylord, a friend of Steve McKnight and I went up to] the Weekend Club. [The place was old and not in the best of shape (the ceiling in the livingroom sagged disturbingly). When we got there there was no heat. I don't remember much of this weekend, the next (March 28-30, 1975) was much better].