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 fathom7

The Best -- so long ago it is scary -- me a teen -- the venue: The Fillmore -- the group -- brand new: The Mothers of Invention.
The instruments were already on the stage but no musicians. Then, they all walked out and picked up the instruments without playing a lick or saying a word. Staring at the dumbstruck audience. Then over the silence someone in the audience uttered an "Oh My God". At that point Frank grinned and the band played. When they were done -- they put the instruments down and walked off. More cool than anything else I ever saw.

REAL BEST -- lying in a sleeping bag in a tent in upstate New York on a Sunday morning and hearing Joan Baez's voice roll over the hillside which had pretty well turned to mud because of the rain of Saturday night. The most glorious awakening ever -- Woodstock 1969.

Just lucky.