South African-born rock star Trevor Rabin has told of extraordinary security measures to protect his band in Argentina.
Rabin’s band is the first British rock group to visit Argentina since the Falklands War.
The group, Yes, seller of millions of records worldwide, visited Argentina as part of a 5-week South American tour.
When the Yes tour was first announced in Argentina last month, it provoked an immediate angry reaction from extreme nationalist groups who threatened to riot, place bombs and commit acts of terrorism to stop the ‘enemy rock’.
The campaign against the Yes tour was led by a shadowy organization called ‘Commando of 2 April.’
In the Argentinian Parliament, a member of the opposition Peronist Party, Senator Luis Santos Casale, tabled a motion condemning the Yes tour as against the national interest.”
Said Trevor, who wrote Yes’s international smash hit Owner of a Lonely Heart and most of the songs on their equally successful 90125 album:
“Before we made up our minds about playing in Buenos Aires, our manager held a meeting with the Argentinian Minister of the Interior and the Buenos Aires chief of police.”
“After the meeting we got together and discussed the whole thing. We knew there had been a lot of threats and bomb scares, but we decided to play for our fans. We did not want to make political statements, just play music.”
“We were very apprehensive when we arrived in Argentina and did not know what to expect. The security was unbelievable, as if the Pope were visiting.”
When they arrived in Buenos Aires, road blocks were set up and cars searched, while a commuter train was stopped and searched for arms.
“There were times when we felt a bit vulnerable,” said Trevor.
“But it was worth all the hassle and anxiety.”
The band originally planned two concerts at the Velez Sansfield football stadium, built for the 1978 World Cup.
They were so successful that a third concert was held to accommodate the flood of bookings. All three concerts were sold out to capacity crowds of 30,000 people each night.
“These concerts were more emotional than any other shows I have ever been in,” said Trevor.
“There were no bad feelings… just good music.”
“The crowd stood on their seats holding lighters and making peace signs. There were no thoughts about the (Falklands) war at all.”
“I wore an Argentinian football jersey during the shows and the crowd loved it.”
“Afterwards I got a letter from the South African ambassador saying that my playing there had done more for South Africa in a few hours than could be done by politicians in two years.”
-Ray Joseph
London; 1985; from a newspaper