Band Bookings

Soon we were performing all over the place for hundreds of soldiers.  Leadbetter allowed it only on a few conditions.  First, we could never miss a patrol; we could only perform on our own time.  Second, we had to travel straight to the gigs in the Army vehicle he lent us – no stops, no detours.  We couldn't take weapons of any kind with us.  And we had to wear our fatigues on the way to shows, then change into our band clothes at the gig.  

We tried to follow Leadbetter's rules – we knew he'd put an instant stop to the band if we didn't – but there were a few times...  Well, you can read all about that in the book.

I kept track of our gigs in this notebook.


Rock 'N' Roll Soldier: A Memoir by Dean Ellis Kohler with Susan VanHecke, foreword by Graham Nash  •  © 2024