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The
Daily News of Los Angeles, Wednesday, February 5, 2003
Despite Some Recent Hard Knocks,
The Doors Stand Poised Again At The Threshold Of Fame
Fred Shuster
Almost 30 years since their last concert with the late Jim Morrison,
two of the L.A. quartet's three surviving members put a band together
that came close to the strength of the original. The new Doors lineup,
led by founding keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robbie Krieger,
is fronted by charismatic ex-Cult singer Ian Astbury. Initially,
the group enlisted explosive former Police drummer Stewart Copeland,
who was advertised to appear Friday with the Doors at the Universal
Amphitheatre. Unfortunately, Copeland suffered a bicycle accident
in November and fractured his elbow, a condition that was aggravated
at a Doors kickoff show January 19 in Las Vegas. The drummer, who
truly lit a fire under the band, walked through The Doors' portal
and may not return.
Tuesday, to make matters more stormy, Doors founding
drummer John Densmore – who was not part of the current lineup – filed suit charging breach of contract, trademark infringement and
unfair competition against Manzarek and Krieger. The action, which
also names Copeland and Astbury, seeks an injunction and damages,
claiming the current Doors shows are taking place without the consent
of Densmore and Morrison's estate.
"It's misleading to the fans," Densmore
said. "I'm forced to speak out now and to take action in order
to protect the integrity of the great work all four of us created
together. My partners are free to play under any other name and
any other logo, as members of many bands from the same era are doing.
I am seeking only to end the confusion caused by the deceptive ad
campaign they are using on this tour, in order to preserve the legacy
of The Doors and to set the record straight."
A Doors representative stated Tuesday the band
had no knowledge of the suit and had no comment except to insist
Friday's Universal concert will go on as planned.
Densmore said he has participated in various Doors
record reissues and video releases since Morrison died in 1971 at
age 27, but turned down an offer to join Manzarek and Krieger on
the recent dates due to what he termed "a brief illness,"
further clarified by Manzarek as a severe case of tinnitus, a painful
ear condition.
In far gentler times for The Doors – three weeks
ago, actually – we caught the band burning up a Hollywood rehearsal
studio preparing for Vegas. Copeland's witty, powerful accents and
Astbury's foreboding charisma added an intriguing slant to perfectly
played Doors classics including Strange Days, Love Me
Two Times and Hello, I Love You. At the run-through,
Manzarek and Krieger locked eyes and sometimes smiled during passages
from L.A. Woman and Riders On The Storm while Astbury,
his dark hair cut above the shoulders, stood stock still in wrap-around
shades and black leather jacket, sometimes referring to lyrics on
a music stand. Copeland drove the band with unexpected reggae beats
and perfectly timed cymbal crashes. Astbury's faithful reading of
Morrison's bizarre spoken-word piece, Horse Latitudes, drew appreciative
glances from Doors staffers working behind the mixing board.
Still, even without Copeland, the group – augmented
by bassist Angelo Barbera and new drummer Ty Dennis, an L.A. native – is worth catching. Morrison probably isn't spinning in his grave
about the whole thing. "I'm not trying to be Jim Morrison,"
said Astbury, who saw worldwide success with the '80s British hard
rock band The Cult. "I'm approaching this like a recital of
classic material. I've been mesmerized by the music ever since I
saw 'Apocalypse Now' (in which The Doors' Oedipal odyssey The
End was used prominently). It's the level of musicianship and
Jim's great weight of character. This level of playing doesn't exist
very often today."
Manzarek said the idea was not to find a Morrison
tribute singer but a performer who could bring his own strengths
to the shamanistic role played by Val Kilmer in Oliver Stone's 1991
film The Doors. For the record, Manzarek and Krieger hated
the film, loved Kilmer. "Ian and Jim come from the same mystical
place and I think that's what makes Ian Morrison-esque but without
imitating him," Manzarek said. "We'll never replace Jim.
But we're playing rock 'n' roll for rock fans and what we're trying
to do is capture that moment of intensity on stage and project it
out to the audience."
"I think Jim would be happy we're playing
as The Doors again," Krieger said. "We've waited a long
time and the only thing that matters now is how well we all play
together."
Ideally, considering the brewing lawsuit, perhaps
everybody involved in the current Doors saga will be able to play
well together again someday.
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