It’s June 1966 and the Belfast combo known as Them have a three week residency at the Whiskey A-Go-Go, Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles. Over the course of this time, the guys will get acquainted with Neil Young, Captain Beefheart, Ry Cooder and sundry other notables from the Wonderland Avenue set. The band play fiercely and party hard. According to Steve Turner in his Van Morrison biography, ‘Too Late To Stop Now’, the bar bill amounted to $2,600 in the first fortnight – outstripping their fee for the performances.
Perhaps the most important legacy from the gigs was their effect on one of the support acts, The Doors. The young Jim Morrison was highly taken by his namesake Van, and eventually started to appropriate his moves – hunching down at the drum riser, distant yet menacing. He also took to playing ‘Gloria’ on occasions. Unfortunately Jim also learnt about binge drinking, Belfast style. Before this, he was a relatively laid-back, proto hippy. Ultimately the drink would hasten his demise. I once discussed this with former Them guitarist Jim Armstrong. He explained it matter-of-factly: “Them killed Jim Morrison”.
