Zappa to sue again
By Melody Maker
FRANK ZAPPA is suing the former owners of London’s Rainbow theatre for a quarter of a million pounds his second British court action in two years. Zappa was in the London High Courts in April, 1975, seeking damages from the management of the Royal Albert Hall because they cancelled his 200 Motels show in 1971. Zappa lost that case.
The present legal action concerns an incident at the Rainbow also in 1971 when Zappa was dragged from the stage and fell 20 feet into the orchestra pit. Zappa’s left leg was broken and he also suffered hand and rib injuries. He was in hospital for six weeks and was unable to work for ten months.
The 24-year-old man who pulled Zappa from the stage was imprisoned for a year after being convicted of causing grievous bodily harm. The action is being brought against the Sundancer Theatre Company, which ran the Rainbow at the time of Zappa’s ill-fated concert. Zappa, with his two companies, Bizarre Productions and Intercontinental Absurdities, is claiming compensation for loss of earnings. As yet no date has been set for the hearing, which will be held in the High Courts.
• The Rainbow is now run by Strutworth, a company who took over the lease on the building last year. Zappa’s legal action does not involve this company.
Read by OCR software. If you spot errors, let me know afka (at) afka.net