The days when gigs were a tad rough – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34184563

Article on Radio 4 live now.

good article that cheers. I was a bit young for gigs back then, I’ve just turned 46 a couple of weeks ago but I remember the music. I had friends who were a few years older and we’d play all sorts of stuff from the late 70s era, the music I grew up with. The Specials were my favourite when I was like 10 and I still listen to all sorts of music from that era to this day. 🙂

Gigs back then could be very serious for your health, a few that stand out, UK Subs Top Rank in Cardiff, Specials and Madness in Cardiff Top Rank as well, worst was the Meteors.

Special mention to Anti Nowhere League, Animal was a total bellend 😆

Problem was with bands that appealed to a range of audiences, ime.

The Jam at their early gigs used to get Mods, Skins and Punks turning up.

Most of the actual fighting was outside the gigs I went to but you used to get a big wedge of skins ramming their way through the crowd with legs and arms flailing every now and again during the faster songs when everyone was pogoing and not paying much attention.

Having said that, getting chased off the end of Three Bridges Station and down the (live) track by a big group of skins when Iw as 14 has kind of stuck in my mind. There was all these blokes hanging out the signal box window shouting at us and the skins, the skins shouting at us and the police shouting at everyone. Happy days 🙂

Nine Below Zero and the ilk had a less diverse audience so there was less trouble.

the worst I remember was the flys at bedford teaching college, they provided their own security eg trainee teachers the skinheads decided to tear them a new one, there was a lot blood about that night. The band didn’t stop playing either.

worst was the Meteors.

Fond memories 🙂

Quite an enjoyable show I thought, certainly made the A66 go by a bit quicker.

I am too young to have experienced the gigs they were on about, but I have been to plenty of metal and hardcore gigs where the wall of death is still a staple part of the gig.

worst was the Meteors

Eh? I never saw much violence at Meteors gigs, mostly a very good natured crowd. The ‘dancing’ left me rather beat up though.

I will have to have a listen to the show.

I am too young to have experienced the gigs they were on about, but I have been to plenty of metal and hardcore gigs where the wall of death is still a staple part of the gig.

Aye. It passed me by to a large extent, too. My first proper gig (ie, not a pub band) was Donington in ’90. Rock / metal gigs do attract a few headcases but I’ve always felt that violence was an optional extra. If you don’t want to have seven bells knocked out of you in the middle of a mosh pit, simply walk ten yards in the opposite direction.

Actual violence tended to be self-policing. Someone’s drunk / taken a bit too much and spoiling for a rumble, justice tends to be swift and effective. I’ve been to any number of bars, pubs, clubs, venues and festivals of varying genres over the years and despite their reputation I’ve never felt safer than when surrounded by a bunch of metalheads. I’ve seen far more fighting from people spilling out of places like Yates than I ever have in a biker bar.

Maybe I just started gigging too late to get caught up in all that. Can’t say as I’m overly disappointed never to have been knifed by a skinhead for wearing the wrong tee-shirt; I’m no fighter, I’ve lived this long by being able to do a standing 40 yards faster than anyone else I’ve ever met.

Think the worst I’ve experienced was the Pogues at Manchester International. It was absolutely ****ing mental!!! I was only about 16 or 17. One of the first gigs I’d been too. I’d never seen anything like it. I haven’t since. It got to the point where it felt genuinely life-threatening. We got outside and there was a row of black maria’s across the road and it all went off big time. With the police charging and everyone bottling them. Looked like that what half the crowd had gone there for, with ‘The Troubles’ being in full flow at the time.

We got the **** out of there sharpish

My first gig was Stiff Little Fingers and there was no violence, but I’ve never before or since seen someone so covered in gob as the lead singer of the support band, The Donkeys. He thanked the crowd too. Barf.

I saw Black Sabbath at the Royal Albert Hall (yes, seriously) in the 70’s and rock bands were banned after that! Bit of a riot went down with seats being thrown around by folk tripping.

FFS Who on earth booked ’em at that place??? 😯

I must have gone to see soft bands

The Moshing at Doctor and the Medics was good…

Blimey, I was at the Jesus & Mary Chain gig in one of the article pics, don’t re-call it being that bad. Most of the punk and indie gigs I went to from the late 70’s onwards (lots) were just a laugh, you just got a bit pummeled with all the turkey dancing and pogo’ing etc. The only time I remember lots of fighting was at the early 2 Tone tour gigs when the NF lot used to turn up, and another time when they turned up at a Redskins free gig on the South Bank. I never quite got why early skins who loved ska/reggae become what they did

most scary was at a Dead Kennedys gig and most civilized was bizarrely at a Crass anarchist gig, they served sandwiches and mugs of tea at half time.

you just got a bit pummeled with all the turkey dancing and pogo’ing etc.

WTF’s Turkey dancing? Was it like chicken dancing but with more gobbling and feathers? 😉

Ah, pogoing…….happy days.

Also a bit young here for the gigs mentioned, hadn’t realised how much racism was about then. I had assumed we had as a nation just got worse and worse over time.

I am old enough to have been to many of those gigs. Whilst the threat of violence did add some excitement it also prevented a lot of people enjoying the gigs. I remember the Angelic Upstarts at the Rock Garden in Middlesbrough being worst with fighting inside and outside the venue. It was so bad that we left before the gig started For sheer scale of the violence though the Loch Lomond festival in 1980 I think was worse with large groups fighting throughout the day only stopping after The Jam threatened to stop playing.

Think the worst I’ve experienced was the Pogues at Manchester International

I remember a Pogues gig at Newcastle Riverside. I left shirtless, shoeless, and with a bloody nose. In December, in a snow storm. I had to walk two miles home, good job i was so drunk…

I was at the Jesus & Mary Chain gig in one of the article pics, don’t re-call it being that bad

I was at the JAMC gig @ Sheffield Uni Lower Refec shortly after the North London Poly riot and everyone thought it was going to kick off again. A skinhead stood next to me down the front told me to take my earing out so it didn’t get ripped out!

… in the end nothing happened apart from JAMC not coming on stage until really late …

Still love going to gigs but sadly lots of the audience now go to have a chin-wag with their mates. I miss the old days where P.A.s were big & loud and standing in a bass bin might make you need a number 2! Yes Massive Attack Sound System – I’m looking at you! 😳