MP Reunion 2001

Never Say Never: Missing Persons Reunion 2001

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In 1991, when I fell in love with the music of Missing Persons, I never thought I would see them perform together. Warren Cuccurullo had moved on to Duran Duran, Dale Bozzio was beginning a semi-shaky decade of keeping the MP music alive with hired musicians of varying quality, and the other three (Terry Bozzio, Patrick O'Hearn and Chuck Wild) were making names for themselves in their chosen musical arenas.

Ten years later, I found myself sitting in total shock when Warren called to inform me that he was putting together a Missing Persons reunion. He and Dale had been writing new music over the phone and discussing it for months. Shows had been booked in southern California for July, and…oh, by the way, he was leaving Duran Duran and moving to Los Angeles. He was absolutely ecstatic.

My part in the transformation of the Privacy website into something altogether different and more interactive kept me busy nearly non-stop for the next few months, but one week in mid-July was special. It was to be the fulfillment of a wish for many people. Three shows -- San Diego (4th & B), Los Angeles (The Roxy) and Anaheim (House of Blues) -- were about to make history and show that the past truly can be recaptured.

Since Missing Persons never achieved the level of fame it should have, the loyalty of the current fans (most of whom communicate on the "missingpersons" Yahoo group) is remarkable. We've eagerly bought the live and remixed material Warren compiled, we've enjoyed the songs as they came alive again in Dale's solo shows, and we've watched VH-1 just to see Warren describe Dale as "a piece of candy." Some (myself included) never saw MP in the 80's, but there are bootlegs, including the 1983 US Festival full-length MP set. One Way finally made the albums available on CD. In short, we've been happy for whatever we could get. But now we really had something to look forward to.

Photo: Ron Poster & Wes Wehmiller, Roxy show, Los Angeles, July 18, 2001, photo by Traci Sheffield

Along the way, there were surprises. Ron Poster, who had been in Dale's version of MP for a while, was on tap for keyboards (instead of Chuck). Patrick dropped out, and Wes Wehmiller was immediately hired to replace him. When Terry almost bailed, Warren instructed Joe Travers (an excellent drummer in his own right) to learn the drum parts just in case. A professional publicist came aboard. Warren did loads of press. Dale showed up to help (driving cross-country because she's afraid of air travel). Rehearsals were scheduled at Joe's Garage (Frank Zappa's facility). Fans gathered, some of whom knew nothing about Missing Persons but were loyal to Warren from his days in Duran Duran. Everything was prepared.

But nothing could have prepared us for the real thing.

Even before the San Diego show, triumph was in the air. Backstage, Terry relaxed as he drummed on his thighs and said the rehearsals had healed old wounds, adding that he was now "capable of enjoying it with a healthy detachment." Warren, typically, was more forthright: “We sound f*ckin’ amazing! It’s unpredictable. It’s rough. It’s raw. It’s perfect. We’re the greatest f*ckin’ punk band in the world!" Dale earnestly spoke of how grateful she was to be there as she applied her makeup. To see the three of them together in one room, laughing and talking together, was a real trip. I found myself sitting quietly, not wanting to disturb an atmosphere indescribable with mere words.

But what are words for, when they aren't even necessary? Because all anyone had to do was watch that stage. There was a point during the Roxy show where I literally saw the confidence slam back into this band. At that moment they owned the world. Terry, Warren and Dale create a magic together that cannot be replicated. It drew us to their music in the first place. On the stage, that magic was there, crackling with spontaneity and impossibly perfect performances by people who had not played these songs together since 1986 except for two days of rehearsals. Someone walking in off the street would never have believed it.

Terry blew everyone's minds with his chops on that astoundingly large drum kit, causing many a Duranie to stumble out of the venues in new appreciation. Dale delivered typically quirky performances, thanking Terry and Warren several times and calling them "the best musicians in the world." Wes and Ron kept their eyes on Warren and gave the three founding members a solid foundation to play off of. Both of them seemed surprised -- Ron at the much more intense MP experience, and Wes at the difference in Warren.

Photo: Dale, Wes, Terry & Warren, San Diego, July 17, 2001, photo by Traci Sheffield

If Wes was surprised, I was doubly so. From the second the San Diego show began with "Mental Hopscotch," 20 years dropped off Warren, and he seemed as if he would burst out of his skin. Never missing a note, singing almost every line whether he was at his microphone or not, he ran all over the stage, posing dramatically. He kicked and whirled around, strutted, and fell to his knees. It was like watching a totally different person from the man I have watched at the fifteen Duran shows I have been to. The sunglasses stayed off. Defiant jokes were made about the lack of backing tapes and pop songs. He laughed and joked with Terry and Dale constantly. Most of all, he smiled and smiled and smiled. Pure, genuine joy. Energy radiated off him, and it was amazing to watch.

Not only did we hear the songs we expected to hear, but we heard new songs…songs that existed only on concert bootlegs (such as "Action, Reaction" and "Dark and Dangerous Guy") or which some of us had never heard at all ("Throw Money"). Most of the MP bootlegs are from the early years, so to hear "Give" (1984) and "Face To Face" (1986) was a real treat. "Walking In L.A." got the crowd bouncing and yelling along, and "I Like Boys" was magnificent.

Everywhere, offstage and on, emotions ran high. Terry and Dale, who divorced rather acrimoniously in the mid-1980's, walked out hand-in-hand for the Anaheim show, and near the end of the Roxy show, Warren and Terry were nearly reduced to tears by Dale's heartfelt ramble about Frank Zappa and how they owed it all to him.

The most emotional moments for me were at the Roxy, which was already going to be surreal because they'd played there so much in the past. During the soundcheck, Warren stood onstage in his own little world, as if none of us were there at all, and he played about half of Duran's "Starting To Remember," staring down at the stage. It was so rivetingly beautiful. Not ten minutes later, he and Terry created a new introduction to "Dark and Dangerous Guy," practicing it only twice before Warren smiled, satisfied (and during the show, it was spot-on). That night, when Warren looked out at the sold-out, cheering crowd, he looked absolutely stunned. I was so proud of him -- that he'd been able to pull this together against all odds.

It's destination unknown time again - after the July shows, Terry and Dale dropped out of the project. Warren is a man of many talents, but he can't be Missing Persons alone. Still, we hope for a release of the live material, and we hope the new material can be recorded someday. With today's technology, never say never!