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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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abucktwoeighty's avatar
abucktwoeighty
1,079 posts
 
In the early '70's I was attending a Grateful Dead concert with my nose all taped up from one side of my head to the other, from top to bottom. I had it cauterized because there were way too many veins, which bled when the air got drier. There was about 5 feet of gauze stuffed up there after they did a silver nitrate burn. Anyways, the crowd was shoving towards the front of the stage, and it was getting real tight. I was hot, and felt like I was going to pass out, so I managed to squeeze out of the pack, and go to a concession stand to get a cold drink. As I arrived at the stand, I passed out right on the counter. Wasn't out for long, but as I regained consciousness, I looked up, and asked for a coke, like nothing happened. Everyone was staring at me. I looked like a bad accident, and I think it freaked out a few people.
markphd
667 posts
 
About twenty years at a Tull concert, early on in the concert, somebody threw a shoe on the stage as the band was playing. Ian Anderson picked it up without missing a note in his song and held it up. He was shaking it at the crowd like an irate old man shaking his fist at a group of boys who had just thrown a baseball through his window and were running away. It was hilarious. The crowd got the message and were well behaved after that.
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abucktwoeighty
1,079 posts
 
Already posted a worst. Here's a best. Was at a tavern with some friends who had tickets to see Head East who were playing that evening. I didn't have a ticket, and was loudly complaining the fact. There were a bunch of guys on the other side of the bar who heard my rants, and motioned me over. They asked if I really wanted to see them that badly. I assured them I did. Next thing you know, I'm in their limo with them, and we're going to the venue. Yes, the guys were Head East, and I didn't realize it in the dark of the tavern. They took me to thier trailer where we had a couple Heineken, then were let in the side entrance to start the show. The coolest part was when my friends saw me come on stage with the band. They couldn't beleive it.
dfrigovt
38 posts
 
I have a couple, but will use this one. I believe it was back in the 70's. Went to a show at Cornell University. Deep Purple was the headliner. There were two other band, one of which was ZZ Top. They were the opening act. That tells you how long ago this was. While ZZ Top was playing, it started to rain. The band finished their song and said that they were going to stop playing till the rain stopped. Something about not wanting to get electrocuted. After about five minutes of silence, the crowd starts getting restless and for whatever reason, rushes the stage. They absolutely trash the stage, pushing pianos, speakers and equipment off the stage, wrecking everything. My girlfriend and I decide that it is probably time to go and make a quick exit. Along the way, we passed a couple of cars that had been set on fire and some very angry fans. Felt lucky to get out of there in one piece. Never did get to see Deep Purple. Probably was a blessing for my hearing though, they liked to play loud.
kmulkey
173 posts
 
A couple of bestests, too.
Harry Chapin, 1979-1980, the Granada Theater in Chicago. He played for a full 2 hours, put on a great show and then comes out to the lobby, bs'ing and signing autographs for hours. Great guy.
Uriah Heep, '75 or '76. I'm with a good bud and his friend, who did the driving, is with this smoking hot chick on their first date. As we are driving away after the show, she fakes a yawn and hands me a little note with her phone number...niiiice!
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