Page 46 - Classic Rock (February 2020)

CORKY LAING

The ‘classic’, early-70s
four-piece Mountain: (l-r)
Corky Laing, Felix Pappalardi,
Steve Knight, Leslie West.

he youngest in a family of five children, “I could hear the yelling from the room next ya didn’t, mate, did ya? Ya didn’t!” Still stunned,
Laurence Gordon Laing was raised in door,” Corky recalls, lapsing into a Dick Van Dyke- Laing was rewarded with another kiss. “Keith kept
TMontreal. The name ‘Corky’ was born style impersonation of a cockney: “‘Me jacket! blowing me kisses as he walked away down the
when his siblings struggled to pronounce either of Where’s me jacket? Me grandma made it for me corridor with cries of: ‘I love ya, mate. I’ll never
his given names. Energy was Laing’s first band of and I left it under the stage. I can’t believe it’s gone!’” forget ya,’” Corky says, “and I’m happy that Keith
genuine note. Living in Montreal would prove Corky’s conscience was pricked. Entering The and I remained good friends.”
a helpful stepping stone in his intended vocation Who’s dressing room with the coat, he saw a naked More importantly, Moon became a musical
as a drummer. During the late 1960s, British bands Moon beside himself with dismay. That quickly inspiration for Laing, who modelled his own
often had the Eastern Canadian cities of Montreal, turned to joy as the garment was returned to him. extraordinary technique on that of The Who’s
Ottawa and Toronto as first stops on their eye-catching drummer. Among the
North American tours. The reason for this lessons Moonie taught the willing
was twofold: it enabled them to secure “Felix Pappalardi and Leslie West apprentice was to keep his cymbals low
visas and also perform warm-up shows in order to maximise views of the cleavage
away from the US media’s watching eyes. were complete opposites. My job in the front rows of the audience.
Energy were managed by the same “Keith played drums with style, passion
family that promoted gigs at the Montreal [in Mountain] was to maintain and such an incredible sense of joy and
Forum, and were conveniently placed to the lines of communication.” commitment,” Laing explains now.
secure prime opening spots to some of “I would like to think it rubbed off. To
the biggest names of the era, including the Rolling “‘Me jacket! You’re a gentleman! I can’t believe this day there isn’t a part of me that doesn’t try to
Stones and The Who. It was at the latter’s you’ve got me jacket!’ and he gave me a big kiss imitate him when I’m playing on stage.”
performance at the local hockey arena that Laing right on the lips,” Laing recalls. “I could almost Laing was never backwards in coming forwards,
almost got his face caved in by Keith Moon. feel his tongue.” and when John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s bed-in
At the Who show, Laing stumbled upon their And then Corky did something very foolish. tour arrived in Montreal in 1969, the budding
drummer Moon’s sequined Union Jack coat “Without thinking I told Keith: ‘I was going to musician could not resist turning up at their hotel
unguarded underneath the stage. Almost without steal it.’ And suddenly you could hear a pin drop armed with a fake press ID in an ostentatious
thinking about his actions, Laing picked up the in the dressing room.” attempt to gain entry to the pair’s suite. Incredibly,
iconic garment, realised that it would fit him, and Understandably, Laing’s heart was in his mouth the ploy paid off. It was only when the 20-year-old
whisked it away to Energy’s dressing room. When when the notorious Moon The Loon rushed was presented bed-side that both bravado and
Moon realised it had gone, he was not happy. forward, grabbed him in an embrace and said: “But game plan deserted him, and he told the couple: GETTY

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