The LIVE SOUND MIXING Homepage www.dunkworld.com

The Moon Rock Circus © 2004 Duncan Fry After writing the previous article, I started to get more emails from people who had met, seen, worked with or been touched in some way by Geoff. Edited extracts follow: "Hi, My name is John. I was going through some old pictures recently, and came across some of Geoff. I was wondering what ever happened to him ... and now I know. For a while in the early 70's he lived on a barge moored on Staten Island, New York. He placed an ad and we answered it... I was manager ... of the Moon Rock Circus.( Geoff's Idea). We gigged some ... had some fun, and bonded with the wacky magician and his lady Rena. I wish you could have seen the barge. Unreal! He always told us that he was the shit in Australia once. We had no real way of knowing. But now I know. One day he just disappeared, boat and all, and we never saw or heard from him again... I remember him fondly. He has just died for me.... And I am sad... thanks, John." "Hi Duncan, I was Geoff's keyboard player 1980/81, after his return from the States. A great man, a great performer; maybe not such a great singer - but a great story teller, and a maniac on stage. Yes, like you, I spent far more money than I ever made (!), and apart from destroying his own gear, he set fire to my keyboards on more than one show - but hey! not only did the audience never know what was about to happen- never did his band! Yep, rehearsals were great (in fact some of our best shows were in rehearsal), but running sheets were often torn up, burnt up, eaten up or whatever! His death was a tragedy as we had just spent a month in a private studio in Sydney (Jan 1981) and were to get together a few months later to rework the "test" tapes for an album, and to really get the show on the road (chooks and all!). He had been to my place in Melbourne only 2 weeks before his death and a letter from him arrived just prior to his death inviting my wife and I and our (then) 18 month son to his house in Seymour for a weekend. It was devastating! He really did walk on the edge constantly, and I felt I didn't just lose a friend, it was like losing a brother. I did enjoy your trax on the web site - it was kind of amusing to hear that in some ways his lyrics hadn't changed all that much, although he had added to his huge book of words from his New York experience - but we felt there was still much more he could have contributed. Anyway, as YOU would only too well realise, it is so easy to just go on, and on and on about Geoff, as there really were more stories than time to tell 'em. Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed picking up the threads of his earlier times, while I did see him many years earlier in the Total Fire Band, there was much of the early years in Melbourne that I didn't know. Just getting him to relate his tales from Paris and NY took enough time! Regards, Rob" Interesting stuff here - I certainly didn't know that Geoff was in The Total Fire Band, a local Melbourne band in the 70's known only for their hit 'Driving Through the Dande-bloody-nong Ranges' or something similar! I've got to say it doesn't sound like the sort of band I would have expected Geoff to be a member of. Note - none of the search engines come up with the correct Total Fire Band - it's a popular name...there's even a Trad Jazz band (oh, the horror!) But the mother lode of Geoff Crozier info in the USA comes from Michael Toscarelli. I'll let his words tell the story: "Hello from America! My name is Michael Toscarelli, and my father, Victor, had performed with Geoff wayyyy back when. I think I can dig up a couple of artifacts, and I do own a Tranceformer LP. I recall that my mother even has a hand-written, pharaoh-stamped note from Geoff addressed to "Suzie et Vic Tosca" back in early 70's, when I was a wee tot, and we all lived in Staten Island, New York. Just wanted to share this information, please feel free to contact me as you wish." As can be seen from his own stamp in the top left hand corner, he spelled his name "Geofrey" with one F Click on pic to see larger version (34K) Picture above is the scan that arrived the next day, with the following note: "I knew I had these, "Vic et Susy Tosca" are my Parents. Postmarked April 15, 1976. That was my old, OLD address in Staten Island. I think my mom has the originals, these copies are for your "Crozier Compendium". Thanks again! " No, thank you Michael! But wait, there's more... Click Here