Concert Memory
The club was in downtown Stockholm. It was an all-white building on a corner (I think the street name was Sturegatan). The club was two stories high, with the bar on the first floor, and a dance floor upstairs. I arrived very early, to make sure I’d get a seat upfront, like at Dewey’s. there were no chairs or seating, just an open dance floor, about 50 feet by 30 feet, with a small stage at one end. By 8 the place was pretty full but not packed. Unfortunately, Poco did not come out. The clock went to 8:30, then 9, then 10 PM, but still no Poco. Someone made an announcement that all the band members had not arrived. Finally, a little after 11 PM, the guys came out. By this time, the crowd had way too much too drink, had been waiting too long, and they were in a very bad mood.
As they stood tuning up, some drunk guy walked up to the stage and yelled at Richie, “You better be f***ing good!” Richie kind of went, “Whoo!” and then they launched into Hoedown. It turned out to be a good show, but it was a tense start.
Thomas Dickinson