There’s a certain risk that comes with attending a live performance, especially if the musicians in question are known for riling up a crowd. Riots at concerts were quite a thing in the latter half of the 20th century. Let’s revisit a few famous classic rock concerts that erupted in riots and violence, and try to consider them cautionary tales about why concert etiquette is so important.
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1. The Rolling Stones at Winter Gardens, 1964
This wasn’t the only time a riot broke out at a Rolling Stones concert. Most remember the tragic Altamont Speedway show in 1969 that erupted in violence and resulted in the murder of Meredith Hunter by a Hells Angel member. That horrible event overshadows another riot that occurred during a Stones concert in Blackpool back in 1964.
On July 24, 1964, the crowd at one Rolling Stones concert began to literally spit at the band. Keith Richards, naturally, didn’t enjoy the abuse and kicked one audience member. The crowd erupted in violence, with audience members smashing chandeliers, tearing up seats, and destroying equipment. A total of 50 people ended up in the hospital following police intervention.
2. The Cure in Brussels, 1982
It’s kind of wild that gothic rock band The Cure made this list of concerts that erupted in riots, yet here we are. Back in 1982, The Cure performed in Brussels. Robert Smith and Simon Gallup had been beefing for much of the Pornography Tour, and those tensions exploded on stage in a band-centric riot of sorts.
An entourage member named Gary Biddles suddenly grabbed the microphone mid-performance and launched into a rant about Smith and Lol Tolhurst. Smith threw some drumsticks at him, Gallup got involved, and soon an on-stage riot occurred between the members; no audience members were involved. Gallup left the band but returned a few years later.
3. Pavement at Lollapalooza, 1995
If you were around to see Lollapalooza in 1995, you probably remember how messy it was. And Pavement’s set was definitely the messiest, through no fault of their own.
When the band hit the stage, they were presented to a number of rock fans who didn’t really love the band’s lo-fi sound. Nobody had really heard of them at that point. The crowd started to pelt the stage with mud and stones. Pavement tried to finish their set, but frontman Stephen Malkmus was suddenly and violently hit with a heavy object to the chest. Guitarist Scott Kannberg was furious, flipped off the crowd, and mooned them; that only made the onslaught worse. The band departed before finishing their set.
4. Frank Zappa in Switzerland, 1971
Back in 1971, one of the worst riots to take place at concerts occurred at the Montreux Casino in Switzerland, and the crowd wasn’t the least bit violent. In fact, they were trying to escape certain death.
Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention performed for a large crowd of seemingly pleasant fans. However, one audience member shot a firework at the band. The venue was almost immediately engulfed in flames. The balcony collapsed, and the crowd erupted into a desperate riot as temperatures started to rise and the fire spread. The band smashed a few windows to escape and helped the attendees get out of the building. Nobody was killed, shockingly.
Photo by Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images
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