Is it really surprising that none of The Beatles wanted to tour again after their hectic 1966 tour? By the time they became the biggest act in the world, the crowd seemed to overwhelm them before they could even play a note at most gigs. They had already honed their skills playing at some of the biggest squats around Liverpool. During their solo careers, all four members of the Fab Four eventually found themselves back on stage. However, John Lennon acknowledged that he was not at all pleased with how he performed at one of his first significant gigs, the Toronto Rock ‘n’ Roll Festival.
Lennon didn’t exactly have an easy time of things at the time, either. The Beatles were still at the top of their game. However, disagreements between Lennon and Paul McCartney began to sour things between them. This was particularly evident when they had to choose between two separate business endeavors for Apple Records.
John Lennon had only a few experimental albums to his credit as a solo performer. Despite this, he appeared to be able to make his debut as a solo artist at the Toronto Rock ‘n’ Roll Festival. Not depending on Paul, George, and Ringo anymore. This seems like something novel, but perhaps a little too novel.
In the end, Lennon recruited anyone he could find at the last minute. He filled the positions of bassist Klaus Voorman and guitarist Eric Clapton for the show. This formed a makeshift Plastic Ono Band. Half of their chemistry was developed at the back of the plane on the way to the concert since they had hardly had time to practice.
Meanwhile, Lennon was beginning to physically disintegrate. For the past few months, he had been abusing heroin to escape his problems. His new song, “Cold Turkey,” was one of the first that made people aware of how depressed he had become. Naturally, when they played that song live, it would sound like a completely different song.
Apart from Yoko Ono’s background singing of various “whoops,” Lennon is utterly frustrated during the performance, as he recalls in Lennon Remembers: “We were full of junk too.” For hours, I just puked until I passed out. In “Cold Turkey,” I almost passed out. I’ve read a Rolling Stone review of the movie, which I haven’t seen yet, and they say things like, “I was this and that.” And I was so full of shit that I was puking almost during the song, I could barely sing a note.
The fact that the song was brand-new makes the arrangement change even more representative of the events of that day. It paints a picture of a man slowly falling apart to hear Lennon just play chords and have a slight shiver in his voice before he sings the line “I wish I was dead,” unlike the studio version which would later have that demented guitar line playing throughout the verses.
That performance, however, stands as a record for one of the lowest points in the lives of all former Beatles. They eventually reflected on this period on the album Plastic Ono Band. Even though Lennon remained a god at this point. His performance at that one gig serves as a stark reminder. Of how quickly someone can go from being regarded as an icon one day. To appear to be on the verge of collapse the next.
