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 soundermn

Here's one of my favorite times... although not a large concert.  At a small local venue, Rickie Lee Jones was playing.  Dakota Jazz Club is a small place, like 300 or 400 people, and more like a supper club than a concert hall.  Great place for a show.  

So, I brought the RLJ album thinking we may be able to get her to sign it for us.  I asked the waitress if she could help, and she said yes, but that ended up being a dead end.  

After the show was over, I stayed behind to pay the bill while my GF went down by the stage door entrance by the bar.  15 minutes later, I go to the bar, and she's still waiting.  May as well have another cocktail, right?  So, I'm chatting with a guy at the bar while we wait.  GF is getting frustrated after another 15 min, says she is giving up, and is going to the rest room.  

Of course, not 30 seconds later, here comes Rickie.  I chat with her a bit, tell her I'm a big fan, she signs the record, and out the door she and her friends go.  Not 30 seconds later, here comes the GF.  haha!  I told her what happened and naturally, she didn't believe me.  "I know what you did... You signed that!"

Then, at the end of the bar, a guy who I hadn't noticed says, "would you like a picture?"  Well, yeah!  It turns out, he was a professional photographer and was taking pictures of the show.  He was quietly waiting at the bar for a few cameo shots of her exit.  In his camera, he has like 40 pictures of me talking with Rickie and getting her autograph.  Next day he emailed me a few, and one of those pics hangs on my wall with the signed album.  My GF is still upset that she didn't get her chance to say hello.

Memorable show, and even more memorable story... for us, anyway.  I doubt that Rickie remembers it as well as us.   :-)