Wayne
07-31-2009, 12:20 PM
20 DISASTERS:
Oasis, Newcastle, 1994/Toronto, 2008
Back in 1994, the Mancunians played a gig at the Riverside in Newcastle. Northern rivalry being what it is, one of the audience jumped onstage to punch guitarist Noel Gallagher in the face. Oasis left the stage and refused to return prompting a full-on riot. Last year, the Britpop veterans were headlining the Toronto leg of the V Festival when a fan jumped on stage and pushed Noel Gallagher to the ground, breaking one of his ribs.
Black Sabbath, Milwaukee, 1980
Black Sabbath were in town to play a date on their 'Heaven and Hell' tour. Bassist Geezer Butler was playing 'N.I.B' when a bottle thrown from the crowd hit him on the head. A bloodied Butler and the band walked off. The crowd were then told to go home. An angry horde of metal fans then take anything not nailed down and a lot that is - and riot, even trying to set the venue's seats on fire.
Guns N'Roses/Metallica, Montreal, Canada, 1992
The two colossi of early 90s hard rock Metallica and Guns N' Roses hit Montreal in 1992 on a double-headed tour. Disaster struck when a stage firework burned Metallica's James Hetfield, forcing the band off. Guns N' Roses then struggled with sound problems. Frontman Axl Rose claimed his throat hurt they left, and a posse of angry metal fans smashed cars, looted and set shops on fire.
The Jesus And Mary Chain, London, 1985
The Jesus And Mary Chain played the North London Polytechnic on the back of their single 'Upside Down', which had become a sizeable indie hit. Promoters oversold the gig, leaving hundreds of fans outside the venue, ticketless. After two support acts, JAMC played a 20-minute squall of feedback before the crowd pelted them with cans, invaded the stage and smashed their equipment.
Alice Cooper, Toronto, 1980
Minutes before Alice Cooper was due to go on stage at the C.N.E Arena for the Toronto date of his 'Flush The Fashion' tour, he suffered a serious asthma attack. The glam-rock star was rushed to hospital and the show was cancelled. Fans, angry at the cancellation, went on the rampage, pelting police with bottles and chains and causing damage estimated at CAN$175,000.
Marilyn Manson, Kansas City, 2003
Manson was at the Kansas City International Raceway in Missouri in October 2003 and had only played two songs when the safety barrier between stage and crowd broke. After hasty repairs it failed again after only one song and the promoter cancelled the show. A crowd of some 2,000 to 3,000 started rioting and fighting with police. One person was arrested for "trying to hit a traffic officer with his car", police said.
The Rolling Stones, Buenos Aires, 2006
Mick Jagger and co played the Argentine capital in 2006 on their world tour. The Monumental Stadium was surrounded by ticketless fans unable to get into the show. Many tried to rush the stadium, clashing with venue security. Police were called in and used rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse the crowd, who reportedly threw bricks, bottles and rocks. After a 20 minute delay, the Stones played the show.
Iron Maiden, Bogota, 2009
The veterans of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal latest tour included a stop in the Colombian capital Bogota. Ticketless fans desperate to get into the gig fought running battles with police hours before the show, with more than 100 being arrested.
Nirvana, Dallas, 1991
Just as 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' became the biggest song of 1991, Nirvana played rock venue The Trees Club in Dallas, Texas. The club was stuffed to capacity and boiling hot. Frontman Kurt Cobain did himself no favours by taking to the stage worse for wear the gig descended into chaos as Cobain hurled himself into the crowd, limbs flailing, and suffered a pasting from a much larger fan.
Joy Division, Bury, 1980
Ian Curtis had tried to commit suicide just days before the band's gig at the Derby Hall in Bury in 1980. With Curtis incapable of singing more than two songs, the band's manager Rob Gretton hit upon the idea of using members of support bands Section 25 and A Certain Ratio to help sing the songs. The fans did not take well to this a riot ensued, with the venue well and truly trashed.
50 Cent, Reading Festival, 2004
Eminem and Dr Dre's protιgι 50 Cent was rap's fastest rising star in 2004 when he was added to the line-up at the rockcentric Reading Festival. Many of the crowd were clearly not in favour of Curtis Jackson taking to the stage, and pelted him with bottles and glasses filled, we're wagering, on something other than sparkling mineral water
Iggy Pop, Detroit, 1974
In a 1974 Stooges gig at a notorious biker bar, the band were pelted with eggs as part of a gang initiation for the Scorpions motorcycle gang. Iggy Pop stopped the show, challenging the gang to a one-on-one fight. The crowd parted to show "this guy, about 6ft 3in, 300lbs, with a knuckle glove up to his elbow, with little studs on it" Pop later recounted. He received a brutal battering.
Woodstock '99
Woodstock '99 brought Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, Rage Against The Machine (and, errr, Pulp) to a disused airbase in New York state. Sweltering heat, poor infrastructure the toilets were soon overflowing and extortionate food prices soured the mood. After Limp Bizkit played 'Break Stuff' some in the crowd took them at their word - and the festival turned into a battleground.
Razorlight, Lyon, 2007
Razorlight's frontman Johnny Borrell has indulged in fisticuffs with not one but two members of his band. He and former drummer Andy Burrows traded blows after an awards show in 2006, but a bust-up with bassist Carl Delamo was even more public the two fought onstage when the band were playing a set in Lyon, France. The band's camp later described it as "frayed tempers".
Daphne & Celeste, Reading Festival 2000
Pop duo Daphne & Celeste (they of 'Ooh Stick You' fame) came onstage to be greeted almost instantly by a barrage of plastic a not inconsiderable amount filled with wee. Search on YouTube and watch them literally move further back the stage so as to present a smaller target
Kevin Rowland, Reading Festival, 1999
Dexy's Midnight Runners' frontman Kevin Rowland had released one of the most head-scratching albums of all time in 1999's 'My Beauty', and for Reading Festival played in women's lingerie accompanied by a pair of dancers similarly dressed. The Reading crowd lost no time in chucking anything that came to hand Rowland-ward.
Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg and crew were playing a gig in Seattle in 2005 at the city's White River Amphitheater when fan Richard Monroe climbed onstage, claiming later he had been invited on. If so, Snoop's entourage didn't get the news - Monroe was wrestled to the ground and beaten. Monroe sued the rapper and fellow rapper Game for $22m. The case is ongoing.
Babyshambles
The former Libertine Pete Doherty took a freewheeling, cavalier attitude to his career once the band split, one which led to a string of gigs either cancelled or delayed. In February 2005, a Babyshambles concert at London's Brixton Academy was delayed because of overcrowding, and frustrations flared onstage between Doherty and guitarist Patrick Walden. The pair engaged in blows and had to be separated by crew.
The Clash, London, 1977
The Clash appeared at London's famous Rainbow Theatre in 1977, part of a three-act bill which included The Jam and The Buzzcocks. The Rainbow, in Finsbury Park, was the biggest venue The Clash had played to date. Any fears the venue would suck the energy out of the band went unfounded the band played a stormer, and the fans promptly ripped 200 seats out of the sit-down venue.
GG Allin, various
GG Allin's gigs were not for the faint-of-heart. The US punk singer took performance to its extremes, playing naked, urinating and defecating on stage, and often assaulting members of the crowd. On June 27th 1993, Allin urged the crowd at a New York gig to riot and then wandered the streets with fans, covered in his own blood and faeces. He died the following morning from a heroin overdose, aged 36.
Source (http://music.aol.co.uk/special-features/rock-riots/article/20090717125809990010?icid=main|main|dl3|link3|http %3A%2F%2Fmusic.aol.co.uk%2Fspecial-features%2Frock-riots%2Farticle%2F20090717125809990010)
Oasis, Newcastle, 1994/Toronto, 2008
Back in 1994, the Mancunians played a gig at the Riverside in Newcastle. Northern rivalry being what it is, one of the audience jumped onstage to punch guitarist Noel Gallagher in the face. Oasis left the stage and refused to return prompting a full-on riot. Last year, the Britpop veterans were headlining the Toronto leg of the V Festival when a fan jumped on stage and pushed Noel Gallagher to the ground, breaking one of his ribs.
Black Sabbath, Milwaukee, 1980
Black Sabbath were in town to play a date on their 'Heaven and Hell' tour. Bassist Geezer Butler was playing 'N.I.B' when a bottle thrown from the crowd hit him on the head. A bloodied Butler and the band walked off. The crowd were then told to go home. An angry horde of metal fans then take anything not nailed down and a lot that is - and riot, even trying to set the venue's seats on fire.
Guns N'Roses/Metallica, Montreal, Canada, 1992
The two colossi of early 90s hard rock Metallica and Guns N' Roses hit Montreal in 1992 on a double-headed tour. Disaster struck when a stage firework burned Metallica's James Hetfield, forcing the band off. Guns N' Roses then struggled with sound problems. Frontman Axl Rose claimed his throat hurt they left, and a posse of angry metal fans smashed cars, looted and set shops on fire.
The Jesus And Mary Chain, London, 1985
The Jesus And Mary Chain played the North London Polytechnic on the back of their single 'Upside Down', which had become a sizeable indie hit. Promoters oversold the gig, leaving hundreds of fans outside the venue, ticketless. After two support acts, JAMC played a 20-minute squall of feedback before the crowd pelted them with cans, invaded the stage and smashed their equipment.
Alice Cooper, Toronto, 1980
Minutes before Alice Cooper was due to go on stage at the C.N.E Arena for the Toronto date of his 'Flush The Fashion' tour, he suffered a serious asthma attack. The glam-rock star was rushed to hospital and the show was cancelled. Fans, angry at the cancellation, went on the rampage, pelting police with bottles and chains and causing damage estimated at CAN$175,000.
Marilyn Manson, Kansas City, 2003
Manson was at the Kansas City International Raceway in Missouri in October 2003 and had only played two songs when the safety barrier between stage and crowd broke. After hasty repairs it failed again after only one song and the promoter cancelled the show. A crowd of some 2,000 to 3,000 started rioting and fighting with police. One person was arrested for "trying to hit a traffic officer with his car", police said.
The Rolling Stones, Buenos Aires, 2006
Mick Jagger and co played the Argentine capital in 2006 on their world tour. The Monumental Stadium was surrounded by ticketless fans unable to get into the show. Many tried to rush the stadium, clashing with venue security. Police were called in and used rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse the crowd, who reportedly threw bricks, bottles and rocks. After a 20 minute delay, the Stones played the show.
Iron Maiden, Bogota, 2009
The veterans of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal latest tour included a stop in the Colombian capital Bogota. Ticketless fans desperate to get into the gig fought running battles with police hours before the show, with more than 100 being arrested.
Nirvana, Dallas, 1991
Just as 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' became the biggest song of 1991, Nirvana played rock venue The Trees Club in Dallas, Texas. The club was stuffed to capacity and boiling hot. Frontman Kurt Cobain did himself no favours by taking to the stage worse for wear the gig descended into chaos as Cobain hurled himself into the crowd, limbs flailing, and suffered a pasting from a much larger fan.
Joy Division, Bury, 1980
Ian Curtis had tried to commit suicide just days before the band's gig at the Derby Hall in Bury in 1980. With Curtis incapable of singing more than two songs, the band's manager Rob Gretton hit upon the idea of using members of support bands Section 25 and A Certain Ratio to help sing the songs. The fans did not take well to this a riot ensued, with the venue well and truly trashed.
50 Cent, Reading Festival, 2004
Eminem and Dr Dre's protιgι 50 Cent was rap's fastest rising star in 2004 when he was added to the line-up at the rockcentric Reading Festival. Many of the crowd were clearly not in favour of Curtis Jackson taking to the stage, and pelted him with bottles and glasses filled, we're wagering, on something other than sparkling mineral water
Iggy Pop, Detroit, 1974
In a 1974 Stooges gig at a notorious biker bar, the band were pelted with eggs as part of a gang initiation for the Scorpions motorcycle gang. Iggy Pop stopped the show, challenging the gang to a one-on-one fight. The crowd parted to show "this guy, about 6ft 3in, 300lbs, with a knuckle glove up to his elbow, with little studs on it" Pop later recounted. He received a brutal battering.
Woodstock '99
Woodstock '99 brought Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, Rage Against The Machine (and, errr, Pulp) to a disused airbase in New York state. Sweltering heat, poor infrastructure the toilets were soon overflowing and extortionate food prices soured the mood. After Limp Bizkit played 'Break Stuff' some in the crowd took them at their word - and the festival turned into a battleground.
Razorlight, Lyon, 2007
Razorlight's frontman Johnny Borrell has indulged in fisticuffs with not one but two members of his band. He and former drummer Andy Burrows traded blows after an awards show in 2006, but a bust-up with bassist Carl Delamo was even more public the two fought onstage when the band were playing a set in Lyon, France. The band's camp later described it as "frayed tempers".
Daphne & Celeste, Reading Festival 2000
Pop duo Daphne & Celeste (they of 'Ooh Stick You' fame) came onstage to be greeted almost instantly by a barrage of plastic a not inconsiderable amount filled with wee. Search on YouTube and watch them literally move further back the stage so as to present a smaller target
Kevin Rowland, Reading Festival, 1999
Dexy's Midnight Runners' frontman Kevin Rowland had released one of the most head-scratching albums of all time in 1999's 'My Beauty', and for Reading Festival played in women's lingerie accompanied by a pair of dancers similarly dressed. The Reading crowd lost no time in chucking anything that came to hand Rowland-ward.
Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg and crew were playing a gig in Seattle in 2005 at the city's White River Amphitheater when fan Richard Monroe climbed onstage, claiming later he had been invited on. If so, Snoop's entourage didn't get the news - Monroe was wrestled to the ground and beaten. Monroe sued the rapper and fellow rapper Game for $22m. The case is ongoing.
Babyshambles
The former Libertine Pete Doherty took a freewheeling, cavalier attitude to his career once the band split, one which led to a string of gigs either cancelled or delayed. In February 2005, a Babyshambles concert at London's Brixton Academy was delayed because of overcrowding, and frustrations flared onstage between Doherty and guitarist Patrick Walden. The pair engaged in blows and had to be separated by crew.
The Clash, London, 1977
The Clash appeared at London's famous Rainbow Theatre in 1977, part of a three-act bill which included The Jam and The Buzzcocks. The Rainbow, in Finsbury Park, was the biggest venue The Clash had played to date. Any fears the venue would suck the energy out of the band went unfounded the band played a stormer, and the fans promptly ripped 200 seats out of the sit-down venue.
GG Allin, various
GG Allin's gigs were not for the faint-of-heart. The US punk singer took performance to its extremes, playing naked, urinating and defecating on stage, and often assaulting members of the crowd. On June 27th 1993, Allin urged the crowd at a New York gig to riot and then wandered the streets with fans, covered in his own blood and faeces. He died the following morning from a heroin overdose, aged 36.
Source (http://music.aol.co.uk/special-features/rock-riots/article/20090717125809990010?icid=main|main|dl3|link3|http %3A%2F%2Fmusic.aol.co.uk%2Fspecial-features%2Frock-riots%2Farticle%2F20090717125809990010)