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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Showing 1 response by alpha_gt

Wow I really enjoyed reading every one of these posts! Brings back old memories. 

Where to begin? At an AC/DC concert, Pat Travers opening in Norfolk VA, a tiny hall, between bands the bathrooms where up on the second floor messanine, and people were trying to get down to get a close place for AC/DC (with Bon Scott) and people were trying to get up to the bathrooms! The stairs got jammed and people were walking on top of people's heads! We had to pee under the bleachers! Awesome show though. 

ZZ Top, Richmond VA, about '81? Someone threw what sounded like a quarter stick of dynamite on stage! Almost stopped the show, but they came back and started again. A later ZZ Top show they threw the sticks into the crowd, my friend caught them! And I wound up in a huge fist fight! With some guy a foot taller than me! He got a good hook on my right ear, but I busted his lip, call it a draw? 

And at an all weekend concert in '80 at Slades Park in Surry VA, like 10 or 12 bands over two whole days! Last band to play, Greg Alman, about the second song, someone threw a full beer and hit him square on the forehead! Show over. 

Hootie and the Blowfish in Richmond VA, at the fairgrounds, a nice outdoor amphitheater there. It clouded up, and a huge lightning bolt hit the building! I mean a bolt 30 feet in diameter! Shut the place down, then it rained so hard it flooded the stadium, water 3 foot deep was rushing through the first 20 rows! Everyone ran to the shelter of a nearby building, after about an hour and a half they got the show going, and finished up.  But then everyone was stuck in the mud in the parking lot! Took me 4 hours to get out of there. 

Wow I could go on and on! I've been to a lot of shows. They just don't throw shows like they used to. I saw a few alt bands a few years back, and with assigned seats, they wouldn't let anyone approach the stage, too much security, no smoking or drinking, I.e., no fun at all. Last rock concert I'll ever go to. I'd rather see a local band in a pub where I can enjoy myself and not spend $150 on a ticket.