Former Runaways singer Cherie Currie has revealed how her career was almost ended by the members of Rush. The incident took place on February 10, 1977, at Detroit's legendary Cobo Hall, a stop on the Canadian trio's All The World's A Stage tour, when The Runaways were the support act. Currie tells the story on a new episode of The Metal Voice.
"We had been treated so well by Tom Petty who opened for us and Cheap Trick who opened for us but Rush sabotaged our set," says Currie. "We're at Detroit's Cobo Hall. It's a big venue. I saw them and they were throwing pieces of paper just like standard 8 by 10 paper onto the stage whipping it like you would a pizza. I was in 6-in platform boots and I had to jump off of Sandy West's drum Riser.
"I hit one of those pieces of paper and I slid across that stage and there was an orchestra pit with all the photographers. I'll never forget seeing them reach up with fear that I was going to go over and somehow I caught myself right at the last minute and did one of those you know (rock star poses) to one of the photographers.
"I could have been paralyzed. I'm not exaggerating, I could have been very much injured had I gone off that stage. So that's why Joan and I in particular don't care much for them because they weren't protecting us, they were sabotaging us that night and they would be sitting there behind Lita's [Ford] amp [snickering]."
This is a story Currie has told before. Back in 2014 she was filmed accusing Rush of sabotaging her band's equipment at the same show, singling out frontman Geddy Lee for special attention and saying she'd like to "kick his ass off the stage."
Rush and The Runaways, 1977. Neil Peart, Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Cherie Currie, Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee from r/ClassicRock
The story was also told in 2012 by former Runaways manager and LA scenester Kim Fowley, who told Legendary Rock Interviews that the Detroit show had inspired a scene in the 2010 movie The Runaways.
"Rush at Cobo Hall in Detroit had pseudo-intellectual lyrics and very heady stuff that was all H.P. Lovecraft and that doesn’t always go over so well in Detroit," said Fowley. "Add to that, the complicated musical interludes and screaming vocals it’s not hard to understand the appeal of The Runaways.
"They also weren’t very nice to the girls. If you watch The Runaways movie there is an incident in which the girls rebel against an older bunch of guys they are on the bill with. That was Rush, and that actually happened, terribly to them."
Cherie Currie's Queen Of Noise European tour begins next week in the Czech Republic and comes to the UK in November. Full dates below. She also appears in Spirit Riser, a new horror flick from director Dylan Mars Greenberg. The film also stars Patti Harrison, late Arrows singer Alan Merrill (writer of Joan Jett's hit I Love Rock 'N' Roll and Lynn Lowry (David Cronenberg's Shivers), plus Kate Bornstein as God. The film is narrated by Michael Madsen.
Lita Ford: The Queen Of Noise Tour
Jul 25: Olomouc Bounty Rock Cafe, Czech Republic
Jul 26: Munich Eddys Rock Club, Germany
Jul 27: Dorsten Vinylcafe, Germany
Jul 28: Kortrijk De Verlichte Geest, Belgium
Jul 30: Hengelo De Cactus, Netherlands
Jul 31: Den Haag Musicon, Netherlands
Aug 02: Wacken Festival, Germany
Aug 03: Lichtenfels Paunchy Cats, Germany
Aug 04: Mannheim 7er Club, Germany
Nov 01: West Hollywood Whisky A Go GO, CA, United States
Nov 04-09: Cancún The Sands, Mexico
Nov 22: Huddersfield The Parish, UK
Nov 23: Manchester The Brad Shed, UK
Nov 24: Carlisle Old Fire Station, UK
Nov 26: Edinburgh Bannerman’s, UK
Nov 28: Dundee Beat Generator, UK
Nov 29: Troon Winterstorm Festival, UK
Nov 30: Belfast The Deer’s Head, UK
Dec 01: Warrenpoint SkyLite Room, UK
Dec 03: Dublin The Sound House, Ireland
Dec 04: Limerick Dolan’s, Ireland
Dec 05: Stoke Eleven, UK
Dec 06: London Dingwalls, UK
Dec 07: Bridgewater The Cobblestones, UK
Tickets are available via Cherie Currie's website.
