On April 6, 1973, Genesis performed for the first time in Quebec and Canadian territory. A show that would mark the beginning of a great love story with Quebec.
After the production of Pink Floyd at the Pavillon de la Jeunesse on November 10, 1971, Michel Maltais and Jean Bertrand of Productions Kosmos brought the mythical group to the old capital.
Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Steve Hackett and Michael Rutherford took advantage of some promotional gigs in the eastern United States to stop by Quebec and Sherbrooke.
When Michel Maltais came up with the idea of luring Genesis to the old capital, the group wasn’t very well known at the time. He had enjoyed the November 1971 album Nursery Cryme, which he had bought in a record store on Rue Saint-Jean.
“Genesis discs were only available for import,” he noted.
After the Pink Floyd concert, the Kosmos productions were on the verge of collapse. The tiredness was there and a break was needed.
Jean Bertrand had set out on a long journey with his wife. Michel Maltais contacted him through letters addressed to American Express offices around the world. In 1972 it was the only way to join him because Jean Bertrand was away. He had sent her a tape with some Genesis tracks.
“We were in competition with Donald K. Donald, the big producer in Montreal. Before he returned to Canada, I suggested Jean go to England and try to meet the managers of the British groups to lure them to Quebec,” he said during an interview.
The phone rings
Jean Beaudoin went to a festival in Lincoln, England where Genesis was performing. It was the spring of 1972.
“He saw Genesis in broad daylight, with no lights, no special effects, and without the Peter Gabriel costumes. Jean met manager Tony Smith and told him to call us if the band ever came to America,” he said.
Tony Smith, who ran the Charisma Records label, tried more to sell the Lindisfarne band, which was successful in England. Genesis was not a big seller in 1972.
A year later, unexpectedly, the phone rang. The group planned a series of promotional concerts in New York. The delay is short. Kosmos productions had to be quick.
The Palais Montcalm is no longer available. We decide to turn our attention to the Grand Théâtre de Québec.
“The group arrived with their sound and light system. Which was not common back then. He didn’t take anything out of the room except for the tracking lights. There were some union issues with the Grand Théâtre staff,” he said, laughing.
Tickets, up to five dollars, sold out quickly. The foxtrot opus, released October 6, 1972, was warmly received. The album is available in Canadian copy.
shock
Michel Maltais was on the sidelines as Tony Banks set the Salle Louis-Fréchette vibrating with the mellotron tones of Watcher of the Skies.
“We couldn’t believe it when the show started. We had seen some photos in Melody Maker magazine but it was a shock there. There was nothing like it. The Genesis show page harmonized with the lyrics and music. There was an artistic approach that was pretty complete. It was more than these musicians, they were artists,” he said.
Peter Gabriel wore costumes, makeup and masks, including one depicting a flower during Supper’s Ready. There was also a blast in the last segment of this Genesis classic. The band plays Watcher of the Skies, The Musical Box, Get ‘Em Out by Friday, Supper’s Ready, The Return of the Giant Hogweed and The Knife
Michel Maltais really appreciated being alone in the room with the group during the sound tests.
“They were boys our age. It was fun seeing them. They freaked out when they saw the room. They couldn’t believe she would get enough. It exceeded their expectations,” he said.
“music trip”
This visit was followed by two concerts at the Capitole Theater and the Municipal Convention Center during the 1973 Selling England by the Pound tour. These two performances were the last Kosmos-produced performances in Quebec.
Genesis then returned twice to the Colisée de Québec with Phil Collins on vocals, during the A Trick of the Tail and Wind and Wuthering tours, in 1976 and 1977.
Donald K. Donald produced the Broadway touring show The Lamb Lies Down on December 15, 1974 at the Montreal Forum.
“I was so shocked that I didn’t want to see the show,” said Michel Maltais.
As the initiator of Genesis’ first-ever visit to Quebec and Canada, Michel Maltais feels a small sense of pride, but he humbly pays tribute to Quebec music lovers.
“If no one came to the concert, we wouldn’t have made bands like this for long. Yes, we believed in the potential of Genesis, but the answer came from the people,” he added, adding that Kosmos Productions is not made up of business people, but of music enthusiasts.