Police have backed the actions of Church Rd concert organisers in shutting down alcohol sales early during Saturday night's Joe Cocker concert.The event was marred by high levels of drunkenness and aggression, police spokeswoman Kris McGehan said.The bar at the winery venue closed about 7.40pm, angering many concertgoers ."The level of drunkenness was very high right from the start, as soon as people got in the gates," she said."We totally support the winery in its decision to close the bar."Sixteen people were evicted by police for drunkenness, the first at 6.40pm. Another "several dozen" were removed by security guards.Eight people were arrested for disorder and fighting, and one person taken to hospital."Their level of intoxication was so high they needed to be hospitalised," Ms McGehan said.
Police were also needed to stop angry patrons from abusing bar staff after alcohol was cut off."We were there at the bar when it closed and had a lot of difficulty with upset patrons who were abusive towards the staff and police."Bar worker Jane Reed couldn't believe the reaction from "mature" concertgoers."We were sworn at, threatened and on several occasions police or security were called in," she said."I came across a few of the staff in tears due to the abuse."Concertgoer Brent Bailey from Te Awanga said he was angry that a few "drunk and disorderly" people spoiled the concert for others."We actually packed up our picnic and went - we were that upset, we couldn't join in with the atmosphere," he said.Ray Young said he was confused that everyone was banned from buying alcohol, rather than just those causing the problem."Surely the refusal to sell to intoxicated people would have been enough," he said.Police would be working closely with Church Rd before the Crowded House show on February 26. Church Rd was not able to provide a statement by deadline.SOME of the biggest controversies in British crooner Joe Cocker’s long career happened right here in Australia.WITH the passing of Joe Cocker, another legend has left us.Cocker died at his US home aged 70 after a battle with lung cancer.Cocker had quit smoking more than 20 years ago but told interviewers it had “already done its damage” on his voice. He had lost his falsetto and now, tragically, his life.
The singer had also quit drinking at the turn of the century after years of abuse which had seen him nicknamed Mad Dog.Cocker’s first hit was his soulful remake of the Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends in 1968.
His biggest hits in Australia included Delta Lady, You Are So Beautiful, Up Where We Belong, You Can Leave Your Hat On and Unchain My Heart.Paul Cashmere, of music website Noise 11, said Cocker was one of the best live performers he has seen.“Joe Cocker was that link between soul and rock music,” Cashmere said. “
He always cited Ray Charles as his biggest influence and used the passion of a Charles performance to reinvent songs like The Beatles’ With A Little Help From My Friends, The Box Tops The Letter and Leon Russell’s Delta Lady into totally unique and emotional performances. When Cocker covered a song, it became his own.“Joe Cocker used his entire body as a vocal instrument.
When you witnessed a Joe Cocker performance you could see the vocal erupting from inside. It was like he immersed his vocal inside his heart and soul and expelled it on stage to create one of rock’s most unique sounds.”Cocker was a gas fitter who began singing in Sheffield clubs in the 1960s before a breakthrough performance at Woodstock in 1969 made him a global star.”Promoter Michael Gudinski said even after his well known troubles in Australia (including being arrested and deported) he never blamed the country.
Mad Dog ... English singer Joe Cocker is arrested in Melbourne 19 Oct. 1972 after becoming involved in a drunken brawl with police and security staff at his hotel. Picture: Supplied.“
I toured him in Australia a few times, we did Festival Hall after the `72 tour when he got arrested and deported. The guy was a legend. He continued performing for so many years which was remarkable when you consider the well documented problems he had. He was one of the acts who came out of Woodstock as a superstar. His version of With a Little Help From My Friends is one of those defining songs. You play it today and it stands up.
Wilder times ... Joe Cocker in Brisbane for some concerts at Festival Hall. Picture: Supplied.“
He was a true gentleman to work with. He loved Australia and he toured here a lot, even though he had that incident it never put him off the country. We ended up releasing a lot of his albums here actually, and then an Australian, Roger Davies, became his manager. He certainly was the biggest export from Sheffield apart from steel.”Davies also manages Pink, Sade, Tina Turner and Cher.
