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- [00:00]
Alan Cross
Hey, it's Alan. And I just wanted to let you know that you can now listen to the ongoing history of new music, early and ad free on Amazon Music included with Prime.
- [00:10]
Sponsor Voice
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- [00:39]
Alan Cross
History is full of what academics call hinge points. These are singular events that changed everything that came after. Some are obvious and easy to understand with little hindsight. The fall of the Berlin Wall, for example. We're going to feel the effects from that one for a long, long time. But then there are little known historical subtleties. For example, one night in April 1914, a letter arrived in a cafe in Sarajevo called Zelatna Morana. Inside the envelope was a newspaper clipping explaining that the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, a member of the ruling class in the Austrian Hungarian Empire, was coming to town on June 28. The people who read that clipping that night in April in the cafe were members of a terrorist group. They decided then and there that the Duke had to go. So when June 28 came up, one member of this group, a guy by the name of Gavril Princip, managed to catch up with the Archduke's motorcade and shot him in the heart. That assassination was the trigger for World War I and everything in the 20th century that followed. One little newspaper clipping helped set the stage for everything that happened in the entire century and beyond. Ever hear that story? Probably not, unless you're a real student of World War I. Now to the next question. Can something like a rock concert change the world? Well, I think the answer might be yes. There's Woodstock, Altamont, Live Aid, maybe Live eight. We'll see. All those high profile concert events have had lasting political, social and artistic implications. But are these the only gigs that change the world? Absolutely not. They're just the most obvious, the ones that most people know. So here's the last question. Over the course of rock and roll history, were there any below the radar gigs that eventually had long term implications, Gigs that had musical effects that were the equivalent of that newspaper clipping that arrived at that Sarajevo cafe in April 1914. Absolutely. We should investigate. This is the ongoing History of New Music podcast with Alan Cross. Welcome again, I'm Alan Cross, and this is a show about some of the most important, most influential and most memorable concert events in the history of rock and roll. Now think for a second about the best concert you ever saw. It may have been in a stinky, dirty club. It may have been in an arena, a stadium, or maybe a field someplace. Maybe it was in somebody's basement. Whatever. And wherever it was, the show left you with something that you've never really been able to forget. Something that you just can't shake. This, of course, is a highly subjective thing. You may have loved the gig, but maybe the person next to you thought it sucked. But if we all step back far enough perspectives, reorganize themselves and change somehow, and we're left with some different and somewhat more objective views of things, and we begin to get an idea of what many people believe to be the greatest concerts of all time. Those who were fortunate to have attended these shows have maintained that these events were among the very best gigs ever staged in the history of rock. Legends and myths were created, stories and books were written. Tales have been handed down through generations. But before you even ask, yes, we are going to throw out all the usual suspects. The Beatles at Shea Stadium, Monterey, Woodstock, Altamont, Elvis in Hawaii, Live Aid, you know, they've already been analyzed to death. Instead, what we're going to do is study some of the lower profile gigs that had subtle long term effects. We're going to tell the stories of what may have become known as some of the most legendary gigs in the history of new rock. And we begin with something that happened on the night of July 3, 1973 at the Hammersmith Odeon in London.
- [04:25]
David Bowie
You know, the brittle comes out better on the stolen guitar. You're the blessed with the Spiders from.
- [04:30]
Alan Cross
Bars Come on, come on, you better.
- [04:35]
David Bowie
Got everything God we handle Come on, come on.
- [04:40]
Alan Cross
It's hard to imagine these days how big David Bowie had become in England through late 1972 and into 1973. Ziggy Stardust, one of Bowie's first and most enduring of all his alter egos and stage characters had been the ticket. The whole country was talking about this guy. Well, I think it was a guy who thought he was this bisexual alien dressed up all in glitter. His album, Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars was a huge seller, complete with all the required hit singles. It was an extraordinary 18 months in the history of British rock. But while things were Going crazy. Bowie wanted out. Bowie had decided that his Ziggy character had run its course and it was time to get out. Bowie also knew that if he was going to bail, he needed to do it in an appropriately theatrical way. And what better way than to go out on top at the end of a concert in one of London's most famous rock venues, complete with documentary filmmaker D.A. pennebaker set up to capture everything as it happened. Have a listen, everybody.
- [05:41]
David Bowie
This is me. One of the greatest tours of our life. We really. I. First, I'd like to thank the band, I'd like to thank our road crew, and I'd like to thank our lighting people. Of all the shows on this tour, this. This particular show will remain with us the longest, because not only is it. Not only is it the last show of the tour, but it's the last show that we'll ever do. Thank you. Oh, no, love, you're not alone you're watching yourself but you're too unfair you got your head all tangled up but if I can only make you care.
- [06:35]
Alan Cross
The infamous Bowie Quits show at the Hammersmith odeon in London, July 3, 1973. Now, of course, Bowie didn't quit. Less than two months later, he was back on stage doing a TV special, and he's been recording and touring ever since. Our next legendary gig took place in London, and The dates were July 4th and 6th, 1976. On the day America was celebrating its bicentennial. The Ramones, this scruffy bunch of leather and denim weirdos from Queens, were showing a bunch of Brits how it should be done. Their debut album had come out a few months earlier, and a select few in the UK were in the loop about this new thing that had been dubbed punk rock. For the most part, this was a phenomenon restricted to some of the scuzzier clubs in New York City. Outside of a show punk priestess Patti Smith had played a couple of months earlier. The Ramones appearance would be England's first proper exposure to US Style punk rock. The Roundhouse in Camden, which is on the north side of London, held about 2,000 people. Two other bands were on the bill. On July 4, the Stranglers started the night, and the official headliners were a group called the Flamin Groovies. The Ramones were a little bit down because their European record company, Connection, had canceled just about all the gigs on this tour and was even going to pull them out of the Roundhouse show. But the Ramones busted out with an explosive show that left many people very excited. Two Nights later, the Ramones played a show at a club called Dingwalls. And over the course of those two nights, July 4th and July 6th, 1976, just about every single person who would become a major player in the British punk rock explosion were taught a lesson by the Ramones. Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols were there. Members of the newly formed Clash, Chrissy Hind of the still unformed Pretenders, the Damned, who had become the first British punk band to release a record, Generation X, featuring a very young Billy Idol. They were all at these gigs and they were all transformed by what they saw and heard. Check out these clips from the brilliant Ramones documentary called End of the Century Starting With Joey.
- [08:32]
David Bowie
During the sound check that day, all these kids came over to us and told us how we were responsible for turning them on. Basically for them to go out and form their own bands.
- [08:43]
Alan Cross
Now, here's how Joe Strummer of the Clash remembers it.
- [08:46]
David Bowie
We knew how to get to the backstage window. And so when the Ramones were getting ready to do their concert, I was there. Simo, Jonesy, some of the Six Pistols. We were in the back alley and we threw a rock at the window. I think Johnny Ramones stuck his head out and went, ah. And we went, hey, this is the Clash and this is Pistols, and we need to get in. And so they kind of formed a sort of human chain and pulled us up through this window. And that was the first time we met him. And it was just a really great punk rock moment.
- [09:34]
Alan Cross
The Ramones Conquer England with two gigs July 4th and 6th, 1976. Remember how we talked about all those British punk rock kids that were transformed by those shows? Our next important gig was a direct offshoot of that Ramones appearance. The 100 Club is still open on Oxford street in London. It was best known as the jazz venue until the nights of September 20th and 21st, 1976. This was the site of Britain's first official punk rock festival. Punk was really starting to take off in the uk. And when people heard about these shows featuring the Sex Pistols and the Clash and the Damned and a bunch of others, the lines extended around the block. Still, only about 600 people were able to get in. The performances weren't very good, but that didn't matter. A scene, a community had begun to coalesce. The gigs not only attracted all kinds of kids, but also all kinds of record company types who were looking to see if there wasn't anything going on that they should know about. And so was the music press. They were very interested. After the Punk rock festival of September 1976, punk rock was no longer a secret, and things just kind of went crazy after that. Here's part of the pistol set from that very first night. The Sex Pistols live at the 100 Club on Oxford street in London, September 20, 1976. More about some of the most legendary gigs in the history of new rock coming up next, including the audio from a time a now dead mythical figure actually had a seizure on stage and had the whole thing recorded. Spring starts with savings at the Home Depot. So if you're working on getting your yard spring ready, you'll need the right tools to get it done. Like the Ryobi one 18 volt cordless string trimmer, now only $129. Or the Ryobi one 18 volt cordeless blower, also for only $129. Save on cordless power during Spring Starts event at the Home depot, now through April 2nd.
- [11:59]
Ann
I was never really a runner. The way I see running is a gift, especially when you have stage four cancer. I'm Ann. I'm running the Boston Marathon. Presented by bank of America. I run for Dana Farber Cancer Institute to give people like me a chance to thrive in life, even with cancer. Join bank of America in helping Ann's cause. Give if you can@b of a.com supportann. What would you like the power to do? References to charitable organizations is not an endorsement by bank of America Corporation. Copyright 2025.
- [12:30]
Alan Cross
Welcome back to our look at some of the most legendary new rock concerts of all time. And our next story comes with an audio recording of a band in its death throes. By the spring of 1980, things were not going well with Joy Division. Singer Ian Curtis was battling drugs and alcohol. He was having an affair with a Belgian woman while his wife went to work and cared for their baby daughter. And Ian had a severe case of epilepsy, which seemed to be getting worse and worse. The seizures were coming more frequently and without warning, and the medication when Ian took it had little effect and there was little time to rest. Gigs had been booked and the show must go on, right? Ian was terribly depressed. He was talking about quitting the band, moving to the continent and opening a bookshop. And he started talking about divorcing his wife. Meanwhile, Joy Division's fortunes as a band were looking up. The first album had been a critical success, and there were indications that the just released second album was also going to do well. A tour of America had been booked and expectations were high. Very high. But it was not to be. The final Joy Division gig was held on May 2, 1980, at Birmingham University. The show was recorded and here's what it sounded like that night. Once the song ends, listen for the cheers.
- [13:55]
Ann
Where have they been?
- [14:05]
Alan Cross
That's Joy Division with a live version of Decades. And part of the reason the crowd is cheering right now is because singer Ian Curtis has just fainted on stage. The audience thought it was all part of the act because Ian had this unique, herky jerky way of dancing on stage, and to many people in the audience, it just looked like he had collapsed from dancing so hard. However, as the crowd cheers, Ian is actually having another epileptic seizure. Ian was helped offstage, where he managed to recover and for whatever reason, he decided to go back out and do the encore. This would be Ian's last appearance on stage because in less than two weeks he'd be dead. A suicide. The final Joy Division concert, May 2, 1980, at Birmingham University. Now, it's not often a gig turns into a riot. It's rare, but it does happen. And this brings us to the night of March 15, 1985. The Jesus and Mary Chain were a Scottish group fronted by two brothers, William and Jim Reed, who'd moved to London less than a year earlier. The Chain was different. They really didn't believe in staging traditional concerts. Sets ran anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes. Yes, I said 10 to 20 minutes. They sort of played songs, but spent most of the time immersed in squalling feedback and more often than not, they'd play with their backs to the audience. It really wasn't so much a gig as it was a provocation to something. In March 1985, the Jesus and Mary Chain had a single called Never Understand, which had the cool kids pretty excited. When it was announced that the Chain would be playing North London Polytechnic College, they were lined up around the block and to make matters worse, the promoters had sold more tickets than the venue could hold. The crowd became impatient and surly, and when they finally got inside, it was hot and cramped. The cops came to check it out, but for whatever reason, decided to leave. Then someone from the opening band, a long forgotten group called Meat Whiplash, threw back a wine bottle into the crowd that had been thrown at them. It's not a good idea, because a bunch of people made a serious move to jump on stage and beat the crap out of the guy. The Jesus and Mary Chain were up next, but they kept the crowd waiting a full hour, and when they did appear on stage, they squealed their way through a 20 minute set and then left. Now, if you were there that night, wouldn't you feel kind of cheated? Well, this crowd did and they were primed for violence. They started throwing beer cans, invaded the stage and smashed all the gear. And because all the British music press was there, the event received a lot of attention. And this gig has gone down in indie rock history as the Great Jesus and Mary Chain Riot. The Jesus and Mary Chain provocateurs of the Great Riot at North London Polytechnic on March 15, 1985. Let's stay with the subject of British indie music for just a second. At the Beginning of the 1990s, the biggest indie band in the UK was The Stone Roses. Their self titled debut record, which had come out in May of 1989, had given up five major hit singles. The Mad Chester sound, featuring bands like the Roses and the Happy Mondays and the Charlatans and the Inspiral Carpets, was all the rage. And it all came to a climax on Sunday, May 27, 1990. This is when the Stone Roses played a legendary outdoor gig at a place called Spike Island. Actually, it's kind of like more of a peninsula that juts out into the Mercy river. And it sounds nice, right? Well, not really. The place is surrounded by chemical factories and power plants. You could almost chew the air. The site of the festival itself was a reclaimed chemical dump. And those who were there maintained that in addition to the sunburn, they got a chemical burn. When the show was announced, it was immediately proclaimed to be the gig of the year. It was to be a meeting of all the people who grew up on the rave culture of the late 1980s. And the majority of the crowd was there to see the Roses. Weirdly enough, though, the band didn't play all that well. The general consensus was that outside of the last 10 minutes, it was a pretty average Stone Roses concert. They seemed nervous and tentative. The sound system was a little suspect too. In other words, it was an average or even below average concert eventually. So why did Spike island go down in history? For a couple of reasons. First of all, it was the biggest crowd the Stone Roses ever managed to attract. Estimates are between 28 and 30,000 people were there. Second, it was a meeting of the minds. The Manchester kids and the Rave kids went face to face and with the help of a little ecstasy, found that they had a lot in common. And finally, the British music press, they were there and they chose to hype it all up. The line they took was the 90s begin now, ain't it great? Spike Island May 27, 1990 A great show, not necessarily legendary. Absolutely. The Stone Roses, with something from their 15 song set played at Spike island on May 27, 1990. We have a few more legendary gigs to cover, including the absolutely awesome 1992 version of the Lollapalooza Festival Eczema isn't.
- [19:36]
Ann
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- [19:52]
Medical Voice
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- [20:27]
Ann
Ask your doctor about ebglis and visit ebglis.lilly.com or call 1-800-LilyRx or 1-800-545-5979. This episode is brought to you by Lifelock. It's tax season, and we're all a bit tired of numbers, but here's one you need to $16.5 billion. That's how much the IRS flagged for possible identity fraud last year. Now here's a good number. 100 million. That's how many data points LifeLock monitors every second.
- [20:56]
Sponsor Voice
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- [20:58]
Ann
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- [21:05]
Alan Cross
Welcome back to our look at some of the most legendary gigs in the history of New Rock. And if you're of a certain age and were in the right place at the right time, you may have been lucky enough to attend one of the stops in the 1992 Lollapalooza Festival. This was the second year of Perry Farrell's traveling roadshow and circus. And looking back, it's, you know, it's really hard to believe that all these big names shared the same stage day after day, week after week. The Red Hot Chili Peppers were there. Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Ministry, Ice Cube. That was just the main stage. There was a second stage, too. And at selected dates along the tour, you could have seen the Stone Temple Pilots, Rage against the Machine, Cypress Hill. The Canadian stop was at Molson park in Barrie, north of Toronto. The place was jammed. The energy was just absolutely awesome. And I remember wandering around backstage where all the performers had their trailers and dressing rooms. The door to one trailer was open, and every few seconds a new piece of furniture would come flying out. There's a table, there's a lamp, a couch, another lamp, a chair, a carpet. The last thing to come out of the trailer was Al Jorgensen, the leader of Ministry. And he was carrying this broken bottle of Bushmills whiskey. He had dropped the bottle on the pavement and broken the neck, which was all jagged and sharp. But that didn't stop him from taking long swigs out of the bottle. Then he spotted me. Hey, come here, he said. Help me set up my living room. So he took all the furniture he had thrown out of his trailer and set it up on the concrete outside. And when we were done, he plopped down on the couch next to me and said, good job. Have a drink. And he handed me the bottle. No, thanks, Al. It's kind of broken. And I kind of like, want to keep all my intestines in good shape, if you know what I mean. Drink, he said. Grabbed me by my shirt and started to pour. No one died in the telling of this tale, but I gotta admit that I was a little worried about going to the bathroom for the next couple of days. Ministry, one of the bands to perform in the legendary 1992 Lollapalooza Festival, arguably the best lineup in the history of that event. I remember standing on stage during Ministry set, looking down at the mosh pit and thinking, this is what hell must look like from above. One more. Sometimes a single performance can solidify a legend, and this was the case with Radiohead. Set at the Glastonbury Festival on June 28, 1997, the band had just released OK Computer, the album that would become known as their masterpiece. The reviews couldn't been any better, and the expectations for Radiohead's set could have been any higher. Radiohead started slow, but as was their custom, they built slowly and steadily. The crowd was totally into it, and the band's confidence grew. But then halfway through the set, there were technical problems. The group couldn't hear their stage monitors and everyone started missing their cues. Frustration set in. And it looked for a while that ReadyHub was gonna cut things short and just walk off stage. And to make matters worse, one of the roadies manning the spotlights kept shining things right in Tom York's eyes, literally blinding him. That's when Tom screamed for the lighting guy to turn the light on the crowd. And that seemed to be the moment all these people in a field in the dark suddenly lit up and the monitor problems cleared up. And that was the moment the magic set in.
- [24:38]
Tom York
Andy, can you turn on the lights so we can see the people? Because we haven't seen them yet. Thank you. Hello. This. This whole thing, obviously, you know, I mean, Glastonbury this year, and it's all muddy and shit. Everyone's. Everyone's like, you know, everyone's into the spirit, you know, because everyone's got something to fight against. Well, for us, this gig means. Obviously means a lot to play, and I've had a lot of problems on stage here. All the speakers have been blown up and stuff. Not that you can. It's not relevant, but thank you very much for being so patient.
- [25:25]
Alan Cross
There are people who maintain that Radiohead's Glasterbury gig on June 28, 1997 was simply the best show of all time ever. Radiohead and Karma Police from OK Computer. We've just finished covering eight of the most legendary gigs in the history of new rock. Obviously, though, this is not the final definitive list. There are many others worth consideration. U2's impromptu gig on the streets of San Francisco. The Manic Street Preachers in Cuba. Same with Audioslave in Cuba. The Public Image riot in New York City. There are a couple of Nirvana shows worth investigating. And the first Pixies show in more than a decade. These are all concerts that have gone down in history as being special for. For some reason. Maybe it was the performance, maybe it was the hype, maybe it was something completely unrelated to the music. Whatever the case, they are all unforgettable, and we will come back to this on future shows. Technical production for all this is by Rob Johnston.
- [26:40]
Sponsor Voice
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