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Best and Worst Rock Concert Moments

I will start this off. 1975 Jethro Tull concert at the Seattle Center Coliseum. About midway through the show an M-80 goes off in the crowd in the middle of a song and Ian Anderson holds his hand up in the air and counts to three with his fingers and the band stops playing in mid measure all at once as though some one had flipped a switch. The whole place goes dead quiet for about 15 seconds or so. Anderson says something like "Well, that was bloody ******* RUDE! If you want us to keep playing then you better cut that crap right out and have a little more respect for your NEIGHbor. Do you really want us to play some more?". The crowd slowly starts to applaud and then it builds to a crescendo. As the applause starts to die down, Anderson holds his hand up in the air, counts out loud to three and the band cuts back in full force absolutely mid-measure where they left off.

When the song ended I have never heard such intense applause in any arena or hall for any song at any show. I was completely dumb struck by how Anderson handled the situation and by the musicianship of the whole outfit. Maybe it was a staged event, but I doubt it. Either way, it was really something else...
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stilljd
151 posts
 
SW,

Glad she was alright (she was, right?). The first and only time it ever happened to me was the Allman show. You feel pretty helpless. I can't imagine how the kids at the Who show felt.

I have been to a half dozen or so indoor festival seating Dead shows and everything with the crowd was always pretty cool. The nuts with the bottle rockets, roman candles, and firecrackers were a little scary, but... I am surprised it got that rowdy.

Jim S.
david99
1,467 posts
 
As Slipknot1 mentions above, I attended several concerts in the 70's at Rich Stadium.
They use to have all day concerts with several bands.
This was back in the day when you could take a cooler full beer or other alcohol into the stadium to your seat.
This particular concert was to begin at 11am
and end at 7pm.
The headliner were the Stones.
My buds and my seat were directy behind 4-5 hells angels.
These dudes began drinking heavily from 11am and through the afternoon.
The last opening band ended at 5pm then it was time for the Stones.
5p came and went,6p came and went,7p came and went,8p came and went,9p came and at 10p the Stones finally entered the stage.
By that time,every biker in front of us had passed out.
The one that was sitting in front of me turnded around in his seat, and saturated my pants and shoes with the must foul smelling vomit imaginable.
I dont know which was worse. Having to sit for 4 hours in the hot summer heat waiting to hear the Stones and getting puked on,or listening to a 'whole' 1 hour set of the most dreadful performance I've ever heard.




oregon
608 posts
 
Worst experience:
1970: Go over to girlfriends on Friday evening (after talking on the phone for an hour deciding to stay in since there's nothing to do). Get to her house and she tells me her brother called to invite us to see The Doors, but she said no because she thought it would be nice to stay in for the night. AHHH!!!!
rballdude
57 posts
 
Intense Jerry connection: @1980, fall Dead tour in Denver, front row, Phil side then Jerry side later. Everyone stood for the whole show, natch. Halfway through the show someone tossed a beautiful wreath of roses on my chair obviously intended for the band. So, it was up to me to deliver the gift. Not any easy thing to do as my coordination was seriously compromised due to environmental variables. Mustered up some courage and just heaved it toward Jerry. I knew if it hit anyone I'd be escorted out. Magically, it not only landed at Jerry's feet, he noticed I was the messenger. For what seemed like five minutes he smiled at me over his glasses and nodded. Whoa! I can feel the chills and connection even now.
jj2468
280 posts
 
Worst: Pink Floyd, Oakland Arena

The concert is going wonderfully when the Floyd decides to call a pee break. Seventy-thousand beer drinking attendees, me included, head for the johns at the same time. The entrance and exit to the toilet is a short concrete tunnel. Those who have not pee'd are pushing to get in and those who have pee'd are pushing to get out. I'm wedged in the middle of the tunnel and I could let my legs go limp and the people pressure is enough to stand me up. In the mean time, the deluge of pee is beginning to seep out the tunnel under feet. Think Who Concert in about a quarter inch of pee. I thought I was going to suffocate and die in pee in the concrete tunnel at the Oakland Arena and that would be my ten minutes of fame.

By the grace of God, Floyd began resumed play and the surge dissipated. It is remarkable that folks who manage these events do not think in terms of what happens when you try to push 70,000 people through a handful key holes.

Now, I listen to Floyd in the comfort of my living room in front of my audio-nervosa setup with my own beer and I schedule the break when I want it and there is no rush to the john. Good luck. Jeff
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