Corky Laing

[54bogger]

Drummer;Laurence Gordon Laing

Main style;Rock,Blues rock,Heavy Metal

Main Band;Mountain

Brief summary;Cory Laing was born Jan.26 1948 in Quebec, Canada.

Other Facts;Corky also co-Authored a book with Leslie West about their time together touring with Mountain called "Nantucket sleigh ride and other Mountain on-the-road stories." Corky also authored a audio book called "Stick it!".

[wr_stix]

Here's a memory... while living in NJ went to Philly for a concert main billing was Mountain, some decent rocking band and then (for some God-knows-what-reason) Poco.
First the rocking band gets going and it's Philly back when you could smoke inside the Spectrum. Crowds rowdy and such next Poco gets up to play. FYI this was a band like Bread or ... soft easy hippie pop country stuff. Bottles start flying onto the stage and they walk off. Wait a few they come back try again and wham the lead guitarist get's it in the head with a bottle ala Blues Brothers style. Off they go...
after 15 minutes Leslie West pops out and says everyone calm down he'll play a little. Lelie West plays solo imitating Hendrix, Santana, Jeff Beck, Clapton you name it and he's doing these guys best licks for about 30 minutes the place is totally rapt no rowdiness. Very Cool.

then a break and he's back with the band. Corky Laing was so wasted he couldn't keep a hand on his sticks, kept missing cues, at one point almost took his whole set out stepping over it and knocking the bass and toms over. It was pathetic. This was right after Nantucket Sleigh Ride came out.
Still getting to see Leslie West play like that was a once-in-a-lifetime thing I'll never forget.

[jmastrodimos]

I was a huge Mountain fan. I first heard of them when I was in junior high. I went to see them at the Capitol Theater in Passaic around 1973. If I recall correctly, it was the first concert I went to.

Someone in the audience had brought a cow bell with him. At the end of each song he would play that well known opening to Mississippi Queen. Each time the crowd would go nuts, but they saved that song for their last.

It seemed like after the album Nantucket Sleighride, they got lazy, stopped putting out quality studio work, and started putting out discs with live extended jams.

I was also a big fan of West, Bruce, and Laing. Their two studio albums are grossly underappreciated.

Corky was my first drum idol, and I still love to hear him play!

John

[rickthedrummer]

Here's a memory... while living in NJ went to Philly for a concert main billing was Mountain, some decent rocking band and then (for some God-knows-what-reason) Poco.
First the rocking band gets going and it's Philly back when you could smoke inside the Spectrum. Crowds rowdy and such next Poco gets up to play. FYI this was a band like Bread or ... soft easy hippie pop country stuff. Bottles start flying onto the stage and they walk off. Wait a few they come back try again and wham the lead guitarist get's it in the head with a bottle ala Blues Brothers style. Off they go...
after 15 minutes Leslie West pops out and says everyone calm down he'll play a little. Lelie West plays solo imitating Hendrix, Santana, Jeff Beck, Clapton you name it and he's doing these guys best licks for about 30 minutes the place is totally rapt no rowdiness. Very Cool.

then a break and he's back with the band. Corky Laing was so wasted he couldn't keep a hand on his sticks, kept missing cues, at one point almost took his whole set out stepping over it and knocking the bass and toms over. It was pathetic. This was right after Nantucket Sleigh Ride came out.
Still getting to see Leslie West play like that was a once-in-a-lifetime thing I'll never forget.

Didn't he almost hit a girl in the eye with a drum stick?

[wr_stix]

It's possible he was wasted. Were you there too?

[rickthedrummer]

It's possible he was wasted. Were you there too?

Yeah, but it was a waste. What year was that? '71,'72?

A lot of bands played there, but I've lost track of where I saw this band or that play.

I did see (for sure) Black Sabbath there with Van Halen opening. I think that whatever was left of my hearing left that night.

[54bogger]

Really a waste? I would have loved to had the opportunity to seen them whether Corky was drunk or not!

[rickthedrummer]

I saw Moon wasted, Laing totally drunk, and Bonham somewhere in between.

That was not what you wanted to waste your money on.

[54bogger]

Don't think of it as a waste Rick, Man you got to see Moon, and Bonham!! It doesn't matter if they were drunk or stoned, you still got to see two of the greatest drummer's ever. Man that aint no waste that's a privilege!

[rickthedrummer]

Don't think of it as a waste Rick, Man you got to see Moon, and Bonham!! It doesn't matter if they were drunk or stoned, you still got to see two of the greatest drummer's ever. Man that aint no waste that's a privilege!

I saw Rich, Morello, Belson, Roach, and quite a few others in the '60's,'70's and '80's.

Moon and Bonham next to them was like putting Volkswagon's next to Ferrari's.

Sorry guy, I just don't look at it as a privilege, I just happened to see them.