John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band, Live In Toronto ’69 DVD

Photo from Klaus Voormann

I know there are Beatles fans who adore Yoko Ono as well as Beatles fans who despise her; likely many of the latter are either not avant garde fans, bitter and misguided Beatles fans, or just plain racist. I’ll admit, my own knowledge of her work is limited. Besides her songs on Double Fantasy (which I actually like) I am a tremendous fan of the cover of “Don’t Worry Kyoko” as performed by the Tater Totz. In fact, it was that cover that got me interested in Yoko Ono as a separate artistic entity.

And that song, with its minimalist, hypnotic guitar and drum riff, is performed here. At the time, Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail described it as such: “Her singing, which lasted for about ten minutes, sounded like the cridu cooeur [sic] of a woman in intense anxiety.”

Cri du couer: An impassioned outcry, as of entreaty or protest.

Again, one wonders how this was received by the crowd. Musician Ronnie Hawkins said that, “As hip as everyone there tried to be, Yoko was too much. ‘Get the fuck off the stage,’ people started to scream. John tried to comfort her immediately.”

The Wikipedia entry on the concert even mentions Eric Clapton having a “look of horror on his face” and “rolling his eyes,” but I must have missed that part. He does seem fairly sullen, but then again, this is Eric Clapton in 1969; he could have been as high as a kite for all we know.

Live Peace In Toronto

The concert ends with Yoko’s even more unapproachable, “John, John (Let’s Hope For Peace)” which is anything but a half-assed plea from a stoner. It’s difficult and non-linear; the musicians fiddle with their instruments and hug the amps to create a wall of distortion and feedback. It’s rather punk rock, but think Sonic Youth, not the Sex Pistols. Everyone leaves the stage except Yoko, then she also exits, and the credits roll with the feedback still humming. It ends the whole affair on a disturbing note of anxiety, reminding us that although peace may be hoped for, in reality, it’s very far away.

My only disappointment in the film (besides its too-short length) is that we don’t get to see Master of Ceremonies Kim Fowley’s introduction. According to Beatles roadie/pal Mal Evans and Lennon himself, it was Fowley’s idea to turn down the stadium lights and ask everyone to strike a match. Apparently, this is one more thing that Fowley thought of before anyone else. Said Lennon:

“It was fantastic. It was just getting dark. The lights were just going down. This was the first time I ever heard about this—I’d never seen it anywhere else—I think it was the first time it happened—they all lit candles, or lights . . . “

Then it was over. The entire Plastic Ono Band trip in Toronto lasted about 36 hours. The record was released later that year and by March 1970, it was certified gold. This equally golden DVD is a must-see/must-have for all John Lennon fans.

This DVD will be released on June 23. To order it directly from Shout! Factory, please visit their website.

Sources:

Wikipedia, “Live Peace in Toronto 1969”
Ottawa Beatles Site, “Live Peace in Toronto”

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