Memory:Rob Rosen

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This fan memory was written by Rob Rosen.

All this talk of concert stories reminds me of a story told to me about ten years ago. I was in a record shop in Rockridge (near Berkeley) which had a rather good selection of prog, including the Giant. I found a mint copy of IAGH which I brought to the counter (cost me $15...a deal).

The proprietor, seeing the record I was buying, asked me if I was a fan...and told me of his experience seeing the Giant on tour in the Midwest in the mid-70s. Apparently at the time they were opening for ELO (not to be confused with ELP).

The Giant took the stage, played a few numbers, and then started in with On Reflection. The audience, apparently unappreciative, started to boo and rather rudely request that the Giant leave in favor of the headliners.

After a few minutes of this, our boys stopped the music, looked at each other, and bowed to the audience simultaneously. Derek said "Thank you very much," and the band exited the stage...end of the Giant's show for that evening.

My friend the proprietor was deeply depressed. He had driven quite a distance to see the Giant and couldn't have cared less about ELO.

Having only discovered the Giant in 1980, I missed their last San Francisco gig by about six months. I never got to see them live, unfortunately. What a sad story.