Late Nite Music Club With The Who
Tonight is a more sobering Late Nite Music Club, for it has been 30 years today since tragedy struck a Who concert in Cincinnati that claimed the lives of eleven young fans. The concert was utilitizing “stadium seating”, seating based upon first come/first serve. That coupled with a lack of crowd management lead to 11 of the 18,500 fans attending to be trampled to death once the doors open, and sparked a ban in Cincinnati on stadium seating that would span the next quarter of a century.
To remember this tragic event, The Cincinnati Enquirer has opened up a special blog section where readers can share their memories of that cold winter night. There will also be a candle light vigil in downtown Cincinnati tonight to remember those who died that night.
Here is what those of us in Cincinnati remember from that horrible night in 1979 when the news broke and told us what happened.
Hopefully it will never happen again.
a very good and moving episode of "WKRP in Cincinnati" named "In Concert" aired February 1980.
Haven't found a link yet.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
stripped them all out....all the episode with the original music used to be there.
YouTube can be such a puss.
http://zvbxrpl.blogspot.com/2008/05/wkrp-epis...
Original songs and everything.
Baba O'Reilly is one of the best rock songs evah!
Poorly managed Crowds are always a problem (see Iraq).
As a lover of Stadium seating and in the concert crowd control business in 1977 this was a real mess. The truly sad part was that with stadium seating (at least as run in DC) it really didn't matter when you entered the arena. For a wintertime Deep Purple show, 3 buddies and I entered DC's CAPITAL CENTER about 10 minutes before the show: long after the doors opened. I watched Deep Purple (minus Richey Blackmore)from less than 3 feet from the front barricade; I collaborated with the 2 guys in front of me and we were stage center throughout the show.
I miss them days but I mourn for the lost too.
The news story blames the festival seating, and the ubiquitous straw man, "drugs & alcohol." They clearly ignore hundreds of other events throughout the 60's & 70's that had festival seating and the inevitable "pre-functioning" activities, that went off w/o a hitch. I was an attendee on more than a few of them myself. We have hindsight now, but even at the time it should have been clear to anyone that the only way this could have occurred is by gross negligence on the part of the host arena. In fact, in every instance of crowd-related fatalities, whether it's a rock concert or a soccer/football match, the one common denominator has always been negligent crowd-control on the part of those entrusted to manage it.
Sidenote: The Who were not told about the incident until after the concert. Reportedly, their faces all went white & were struck dumb.
We were waiting for the gates to open.
This fence went down, and I ended up on the ground.
I could see the mass moving over me. Some Guy reached down and pulled me up by my collar. I never saw him again. He was gone in less that 5 seconds. Lots and lots of people. I was around 15-16 I think. I was around 5.5 and about 135 pounds. I'll never forget it. I remember it like it was yesterday.
I can see how people get trampled.
What is your conceptual, continuity?
What a horrible way to die.
:)
What is your conceptual, continuity?
thank goodness for that, dear mudshark!
:)
I musta bean on da Magic Bus.
Live at Leeds
What is your conceptual, continuity?
Thanks!
;)
Problum Chyld.:)
What is your conceptual, continuity?
... we actually had an ok football team (we were previously known for helping Northwestern break the longest losing streak, like, ever). Anyway, after winning the game that sent us to the California Bowl, the students decided to take down the goal posts.
I was helping the mob twist the metal posts by pulling on one upright which was horizontal by then. Someone fell behind me and trapped my legs. The mob on the other side kept pushing and the post (and the mob) slowly kept coming. A guy on the other side saw me going under and grabbed-pulled-held me up the best he could (I didn't know him either).
Anyway, the pole finally snapped before I was buried and it turned into just a big, relatively harmless dog pile.
But I've been nervous around large crowds ever since.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
I didn't even have time to think I was in serious trouble.
But for that one brief instant. I knew I was fooked.
Then that guy grabbed me. I remember his outline and a foggy memory of what he looked like. I only got a glimpse of him.
But he was bigger than me. The whole crowd just moved at the same time. And my timing was off. I guesstimate that there must have been at least 5000 people right behind me. All moving in the same direction at the same time.
Yeah, I don't like crowds either. I avoid them.
Shakin All Over
I like a smaller venue now for shows.
And I don't go to them that much anymore.
What is your conceptual, continuity?
I love that song. Thanks, mud!
Goodnight and happy full moon to all ;)
Did you get to see the spinning piano?
I watched California Jam on late night TV from WI and so wished I could have been there. A lot of my favorite bands at the time were there. It looked like Ritchie Blackmore almost immolated himself with the pyrotechnics.
The people of privilege will always risk their complete destruction rather than surrender any material part of their advantage." J.K. Galbraith
Never seen anything like it. And I still haven't seen anything like it to this day.
I could see his head getting whipped around and his hair flailing all over the place.
Well worth the effort of going. But that little incident at the fence set me back a little.
Great show. All the artists were great.
What is your conceptual, continuity?
Deep Purple was on fire.:)
What is your conceptual, continuity?
Summertime Blues.
Bargain
My Wife.
Slip Kids.
What is your conceptual, continuity?
.
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
but about ten years ago we stumbled into "Those Darn Accordians" doing a kick ass version of BaBa O'Reilley at the Wisconson State Fair (nursing a couple pints of Sprecher Beer). Big fans ever since.
One of those bands you have to see live to fully enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sht1RMLm-Lk
Mart
Who's got all the money.
And a young man, ain't got nuthin.
Young Man Blues.
What is your conceptual, continuity?
Amazing Journey/Sparks.
What is your conceptual, continuity?
... through your Shakin' All Over link. I think I finally had to stop listening to that album because I wore all the grooves out. Good stuff.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
Sticky Fingers.
Bitch.
What is your conceptual, continuity?
Monkey Man.
Let it Bleed.
What is your conceptual, continuity?
Whole Lotta Love.
Ya just gotta crank this up.
What is your conceptual, continuity?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u0GJdNu1Ds
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
I saw the Who in Munich, Germany in 1975. What a terrific concert and amazing lazer light show.
There were many Goth teens in the crowd, I'm not sure if they were there to enjoy the concert but I had a great time.
'Talk to the hand'
Zep.
ganite folks.Be Well.
What is your conceptual, continuity?
Thanks for the jams.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
A now-defunct Philadelphia newspaper (it might have been called "The Philadelphia Star"?) had the funniest headline: TEENAGE WAISTLAND: Eleven Trampled To Death At Cincinnatti WHO Concert.
I was in college at Miami Univ. about 30 miles north of Cincinasty....almost went to that concert...woke up the next moring to the news....oh boy...still gives me shivers....
Saw Roger perform this weeking Clearwater FL. The 65-year old still got it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aWFaZgwerY
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
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