Extra! Extra! Ice-T and the Fraternal Order of Police exercise their constitutional rights!
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Concert security at the Vic, says Jam Productions’ Nick Miller, generally consists of the venue’s in-house squad and personnel brought in by Detente, Jam’s usual security-squad contractor. Some percentage of both is off-duty police. (The promoter likes the arrangement because it keeps up good relations with the cops and provides reputable sources of communication between the security force and the police in the event of trouble.) If the boycott does go into effect, says Miller, he’ll fill the security corps to its normal complement with noncops, and the show will go on. “If they plan to picket they’re certainly within their rights,” he says, “just as it’s within Ice-T’s rights to record the song. That’s our system at work.”
This doesn’t ameliorate the offense, Dineen says, nor do such arguments about such art’s having its roots in incidents of police brutality. What about the Rodney King beating? “Those officers may or may not have done something wrong,” Dineen responds. “That affair is still going on, they’re still on trial. Well, we’re putting Ice-T on trial for this song. There are a lot of officers slain in the line of duty. You might say it’s all just words, but [the song] may generate some opposition in people who don’t feel that way to start with.”
Local bluesman Lefty Dizz has throat cancer and no insurance; a benefit for him will be held Sunday at Buddy Guy’s Legends. The $10 ticket gets you music from Guy, Junior Wells, Sugar Blue, the Kinsey Report, Lonnie Brooks, and a lot of other people, starting at 6 PM and going all night long. Call the club at 427-0333 for info.
