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The Firm popped up while I was reading one of the articles regarding Bad Company and Rich.

 

Actually it in the above Classic Rock link.

 

 

 

Rodgers and Robinson most recently shared the stage in Seattle last year, when they both appeared to honor Jimmy Page, Rodgers’ former bandmate in the Firm.

Read More: Bad Company Replaces Mick Ralphs with Black Crowes' Rich Robinson | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/bad-company-rich-robinson/?trackback=tsmclip

 

 

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Rich has covered Free in the Crowes and in his solo bands (Ride On A Pony and Oh I Wept), so I can see him really wanting to get to play those songs with Paul Rodgers on vocals.  I got tickets to this Bad Co/Joe Walsh tour before I knew Ralphs was not gonna make it and Rich was taking his place.  I'm excited to hear Rich play with Paul, especially the Free songs I'm guessing they will do, as well as the Bad Co songs, and I'm a little bummed Mick Ralphs won't be there.  Its hard to decide which I would prefer but I'm stoked to hear Rich play ripping electric guitar any chance I get.

 

As for the shit between Chris and Rich, I believe that Rich has stoicly and with public dignity put up with Chris' diva shit all these years and Chris' nixing the 2015 tour, especially the way he did it, by demanding ludicrous and demeaning terms from the rest of the band, was the last straw for Rich.  I think Rich wanted to explain to the fans to whom he and Steve clearly feel a loyalty, that he is sorry the tour didn't happen and he didn't want the blame falling on him or the rest of the band, but on Chris, who deserves it.

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As for the shit between Chris and Rich, I believe that Rich has stoicly and with public dignity put up with Chris' diva shit all these years and Chris' nixing the 2015 tour, especially the way he did it, by demanding ludicrous and demeaning terms from the rest of the band, was the last straw for Rich.  I think Rich wanted to explain to the fans to whom he and Steve clearly feel a loyalty, that he is sorry the tour didn't happen and he didn't want the blame falling on him or the rest of the band, but on Chris, who deserves it.

I never did read/hear if Rich's claims of re-worked contracts (Steve to become a  salaried member, etc.) being validated. I'm not saying they aren't, I just never heard that what Rich said to the press last year(putting the blame squarely on Chris's shoulders) to be verified. Chris can be a diva (from what I've heard) at times, but most rockers can. I've also heard, first hand, how kind he can be. Either way, he's said he was never very happy being in the Crowes, anyway....

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Steve said even more clearly on his radio show what CR did to nix the 2015 tour, the link to that is posted above..  From all of what I know about the Crowes from following them for so long, along with Steve and Rich being on the same page in their recent comments, I have no reason to doubt what they say.  There is a long list of incidents that are well documented in which CR has been aggressive and hostile, even to his own audience, so I think its a joke that he is increasingly trying to portray an image of a peace and love hippie when his behavior for years has consistently demonstrated the opposite.

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I saw a great little 2-day outdoor concert in Aspen (Buttermilk Mountain), Concert for Harmony in 1998 that had the Crowes, SCI, Leftover Salmon, Big Head Todd, etc. 

 

I think it was the 2nd day when someone threw a shoe at/near CR during their set and CR told the crowd he was gonna find the person and (sic) "stick a size 12 up your ass." 

 

Couldn't blame him for that.

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Its a long history of incidents like that that I'm talking about, Lammy.  It might be justified for CR to go off on an obnoxious fan, but it still is hostile and its not consistent with being a peace and love hippie, in my view.

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That's cool - I don't think I have that ---- been seeing a bunch of SBD's popping up over there, too. Downloaded the below, but haven' t listened to it, yet. Recommend any other of the recent uploads?

 

 

The Black Crowes
December 15, 1996
The Joint @ Hard Rock Hotel
Las Vegas, NY

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Yes - that show with Warren where they do Dreams.

 

 

The Black Crowes - 1996-12-15 - Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas, NV

 

 

I am surprised those have not been taken down. I think they don't allow SBD shows to be traded.

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Crap - I guess I should grab a couple more if they may be taken down - though they been up a for a while, now.

 

Maybe the no soundboard decree was from Chris R. and nobody is listening to what he has to say anymore...

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If you are willing to spend a little bit, you can still purchase some of the Instant Live recordings from 2005 and 2006 shows.  They have reduced the price to $10 for most of those two or three CD sets.

 

If you don't have it and you like the Crowes with Marc Ford going for long jams, you gotta hear 5-14-05 Hampton Beach, NH.  Its one of the best shows they ever played, IMO, definitely in the top 5 for 2005/2006.  They jam for about 10 minutes on Black Moon Creeping before they even start the song and its heavy and intense!  Also a Thorn's Progress jam among others that night.  Holy shit, they were on fire.

 

http://instantlive.shop.musictoday.com/Product.aspx?cp=858_4575_8569&pc=IVCD208

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Nice^. Loved when they did Torn & Frayed, too....

Me, too, a perfect Stones cover for them.  They did it really well in 2006, I especially dig the version from Houston 7-2-06. http://instantlive.shop.musictoday.com/Product.aspx?cp=858_4575_8569&pc=IVCD328

 

Not sure when this version is from, but it sounds good. https://youtu.be/5smge7OrXDo

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I've never been a huge Crowes fan, so as I said a year ago, I don't really have a dog in the hunt. And as I said back then, I would take everything the parties involve say with a huge grain of salt...including CR. I guess I just don't understand the vitriol, probably because I'm not a big Crowes fan.  

 

Just listened to part of that interview: first Gorman says how appreciative he is to everyone involved with the band (which would, presumably, include CR). Then he goes into: "Rock singers, at the end of the day, they all share certain traits." "Singers are nuts." "Add a boatload of artistic pretension." And the interviewer, of course, piles on. I don't think any of this kind of stuff would give CR a big incentive to work with the guy. And actually, I would think he (Gorman) would be much more easily replaceable than CR as a BC member. Geez.

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Well, you have to consider all the years that Gorman and Rich have put up with CR and said nothing about it publicly, which to me indicates they have shown a lot of restraint.    Gorman said what he said AFTER CR nixed the 2015 tour and he only did it after a lot of time had passed and after Rich made his public statement.  I think CR's way of saying he didn't want to do the 2015 tour was the last straw for Rich and Gorman.  Instead of saying "I don't want to be in the Black Crowes anymore"  he apparently said "I will be in the Black Crowes for one more tour if the rest of the band including the remaining founding members and the guy who wrote most of the music for all those years become second class members of the band and I get a way bigger share of the money than they do."  It was just a big fuck you from CR to the rest of the band, at least that's how I see it and how many other people see it.

 

Its no secret that CR can be "difficult" if he doesn't like something.  Its no secret that he can be controlling, opinionated and aggressive.  I don't know if Rich is equally difficult to work with, but there isn't a lot of evidence to suggest it. You probably do have to have followed the Crowes for a long time to know about all this stuff.  Gorman was a founding member and he had a huge following amongst Crowes fans.  Many fans would regularly state that he was, in their minds, an essential member of the Crowes and not replacable.  Hardcore fans freaked out when the Crowes did a couple weeks of shows in Spring 2005 without Gorman because he was reluctant to the reunion.

 

I think the vitriol comes from people losing a band that they really loved and the way CR chose to handle it, by being so disrespectful to the other guys in the band.  He could have done it way more gracefully, I think.  Note that he never denies what Rich and Steve have said.  He chooses to avoid specifics.  He sounds like an evasive politician to me.  I just don't respect that.

 

I get that he doesn't want to be in the Crowes anymore and I can respect.  His voice can't handle the old stuff well anymore anyways.  I just wish he weren't behaving like such a dick towards the other guys in the Crowes.

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I don't know. All the hearsay seems to be stacked up against one guy, which makes me suspicious. I think if I were in a band with my brother, and he sided with other band members against me, I would be inclined to be "a dick" to all of them...especially my brother. That doesn't seem right to me. I do find the idea of a drummer being irreplaceable to be kind of funny. No offense to any drummers. His comment about "add a private education and a boatload of artistic pretense" sounds pretty dickish to me.

 

You're right about CR's voice, no doubt about it. No middle aged man should be expected to hit those kinds of notes! That might even be part of the problem: I've been a singer in a band, and it's quite amazing how insensitive and obtuse musicians who aren't lead singers themselves can be toward someone who is one. It's your voice, your body, not a mechanical instrument. Maybe they were pushing him to do stuff he couldn't and/or wouldn't. Maybe it was him vs. them...a pretty uncomfortable place to be.

 

I always find these discussions entertaining. As a casual fan, CR was the Black Crowes to me. If the Crowes replaced him with some other singer, I would have no interest in seeing them. Based on the way Gorman talked about him in that interview, I wouldn't be surprised if there were some discussions like that.

 

I personally like what he's doing now better than most Crowes fans seem to. Going to see him tomorrow night, and looking forward to it. I won't be thinking about any of this stuff. That would be like going to a Wilco show and standing there thinking "every circle has a center." :lol

 

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