Rivals’ Dirty Tricks (1974)

At Stevie Wonder’s Rainbow Theatre show in London, a sabotaged Orange amp blew, but Cliff Cooper intervened in a flash, avoiding disaster and earning Stevie’s respect.

Cliff Cooper, Orange Founder and CEO, remembers a big night at the Rainbow: “When Stevie Wonder played his legendary Rainbow Theatre concert, he was using Orange gear, and so was Suzi Quatro, who opened the show for him. That night, I discovered the lengths to which rival amplifier manufacturers would go to discredit us.”

Sabotage on Stage

“After Suzi’s set, Stevie and his band took to the stage. But as he turned up the volume during the first number, his amp went completely dead. My heart was in my mouth. I ran onstage with a spare amp we’d brought along. Knowing how important the gig was, we hadn’t wanted to take any chances. I plugged it in, and Stevie carried on as if nothing had happened. I thanked my lucky stars it had been resolved so quickly, but I still couldn’t believe it had happened at all.

“After the show, I asked one of our road crew to investigate. He soon discovered that the mains power plug fuse had been deliberately swapped from a 13 amp to a 1 amp. As the amp drew more current, the fuse blew, cutting everything.

“Later, I learned that this sort of thing wasn’t unusual. Rival companies sometimes stooped to these tricks to undermine one another. In this case, it turned out to be the work of a roadie from another amp manufacturer. When I found out, I felt genuinely sick. I’ve never wished ill on any other company, not then, and not now.

A Quiet Word with Stevie

After the show, I went backstage to check in with Stevie, who was in his dressing room surrounded by friends and colleagues. I was nervous, unsure how he’d react. He called me over and quietly asked, “What was the problem with the amp, Cliff?”
At that point, I didn’t yet know about the fuse sabotage, so I simply told him I wasn’t sure.

“Thanks for sorting it quickly,” he whispered back.

Those few words were a real relief. He could’ve called me out in front of everyone, but instead, he handled it with quiet grace. I’ve met a few high-profile artists who wouldn’t have hesitated to make a scene, but Stevie Wonder wasn’t one of them.”