There's not a concert on Earth that would be worth literally trampling over people to their deaths for.Festival seating can only work in a smaller venue and at a much smaller scale event,preferably not a concert.
It wasnt a stampede, it was a slow crush. People up front suffocated and passed out from the pressure of 1000's of people in back pushing - and those people in the back had no idea there was a problem up front. There were only 3 doors open for 16,000 fans.
actually 3 more people died from injuries later from this and 200 were seriously injured with broken bones and concussions-very,very ugly situation.sorry for type O's
Sigh...I guess everyone has their late 70's concert story if you were alive then. I remember after a Styx concert (which sucked) the crowd started to push and sway and this short girl started to scream. Wasn't too cool. Her boyfriend started to make some room. Nobody got hurt, thankfully.
I was there to see Led Zeppelin, at the same venue in 1977 - general admission - and nothing like this happened!! It was my bad luck to be there for this human stampede. Pete Townsend was right. It was this whole football (called soccer over here) mentality where it didn't matter who you stepped on! You just wanted to get in. I don't blame the Who - I blame incredibly stupid Cincinnati kids or Northern Kentucky mindless teenagers for this. They know what they did! I hope it eats at them raw!
@77YankeesFan77 Yes it did . 20 years ago 5 people were killed in a stampede to get to the front. After that all hell broke loose because people were trying to make the band responsible for what the concert promoters were doing.
@77YankeesFan77 That AC/DC concert was in 1991, same situation, GA seating, 3 teens died because they were trampled by the crowd. In 1998 2 people were crushed to death at the Monsters of Rock concert. In 2000 9 people died at a Pearl Jam show in Denmark, and came very close to breaking up the band.
I remember this as plain as day. It happened the day before my ninth birthday. It was so sad. And the Who didn't know what happened. It wasn't their fault. The crowd just got too wild, and I believe they heard Who music inside on the radio or loud speaker or something, so they thought the Concert had started! I am from the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincy area, and my parents told me all about what happened. They thought the show started and they got into the doors for good seats.
The strange part is that the band themselves didn't even know about this tragedy until after the show was over. I remember Roger Daltry saying how he wanted to cancel the remaining shows on the U.S. tour after this incident. I am certain of this- had the band known this was going on, they never would have taken the stage.
WTF is wrong with people! How do you even break the doors open! thats like me and and a group of guys trying to smash through a door at a football stadium!
@diapertommy Not being funny. I was there and yes I did step on people that were being trampled. At the same time it was impossible to help anyone because of the wave force from the crowd. A totally insane situation. I am glad they changed the rules from general admission to reserved seating. I used to hate the waves that would occur on the floor in front of the stage as well.
@hifiguy9 I was there as well and I can tell you Angels do exist. I am here be cause it is true,,,,
The thing that I still see in my dreams are the bodies and heads in the crowd violently swaying back and forth like and ocean wave that comes crashing to the shore then in an instant pulls back to sea,
I know there was nothing you could have done not to step on people that were down,,,
it wasn't because it was general admission - it was because there was ONE door open instead of more or even all the doors open. It wouldn't have mattered if it were general admission or reserved. When people thought the show had started, they started pushing to get into the auditorium but with only one door - a door at the bottom of stairs to boot - there was no where to go.
At a '75 Zeppelin show in Seattle we got there at 8am (since all shows were general admission) and I was right against the rope. The usual pushing and shoving started about 6pm... then some moron threw a bottle through a glass door. All hell broke loose... the rope actually broke, I was pressed up against a glass door, as I saw it start to "bend" I covered my face. The door exploded and I went THROUGH the glass door, was bent over the bar behind the door. Luckily I got up, uninjured. "lucky"
Cincy Lieutenant informed us the Who was late and needed a sound check. After the sound check a single door opened and me and my friends got in, I saw all the people smashed up against the front glass doors. I asked one of the few ticket attendants when they were going to let those people in. He responded, as soon as they settle down. During movie people came in. Socks shirts shoes all over. Again, I asked what happened and the attendant said there was a big fight. Managements greed is fault.
I was at a general admission Aerosmith concert and got a taste of what those poor kids experienced. It's truly terrifying. My sister saw the Who at Shea Stadium in NYC and had an experience even worse than me. I looked behind me at the Aerosmith show and there were hundreds of kids pressed up together. My sister at The Who show was packed in by tens of thousands. I'm 5'10'' maybe 180-190 pounds. My sister is like 5'4'' maybe 120 pounds. She thought if she fell down, she would dissapear.
yeah, they weren't trampled. They also only state that there weren't enough doors open. Entire situation was handled awfully by the people that run the arena. Sorry to see them try to demonize the victims.
The Who did not know about the deaths until afterward. They were afraid they'd cancel and there would be a bigger crowd issue to deal with so the band was not told until afterward.
At the time they tried to blame the drunk/drugged up concert goers for this tragedy. This was totally not true. The reason this happened was because they did not open enough doors for all the people.
I will never forget that night. To this day, I can tell you how I got out of the crowd and made it to the north plaza where it was actually peaceful and orderly. Rest in peace to all who didn't make it out alive. 30 years - gone but not forgotten.
No one was trampled to death, nor was there a stampede. They died from asphyxia-- they were suffocated because they couldn't breathe. People were packed in that tightly. Very tragic.
It was already on WGN. Just great! I was hoping to see on there. I don't know when it could have been on. I've been watching it for weeks, but haven't seen it.
Did this event inspire the beginning part of Pink Floyd's The Wall? Where you see parts of concert goers stampeeding inside the stadium interchanged with scenes of WWII soldiers running to battle getting blown to bits.
Pink Floyd is not for everyone, agreed. Plus, I don't give two shits what you think of the Floyd. Now, for instance, I'm not Rolling Stones fan at all, but I don't go to someone who is a Stones fan and say some stupid, immature gay shit like "Rolling Stones can go fuck themselves". It's only Rock'n Roll, brotha! You listen to what touches you most. Don't waste your energy dissing other people's fave bands. Live and let live. I'm sure Townsend would agree with me on this.
probably subconciously I remember thinking the same thing to myself when i saw that film. the police brutality outside was inspired by the pink floyd 1975 tour and the los angeles shows. the mayor ( I think) denounced it, and the cops went in and caused problems...
This event was referenced in an episode of "WKRP in Cincinnati".
I remember watching it at the time, and thinking that it was a very heavy story, for a sitcom. Then, at the end, came the onscreen message saying that it was based on an actual incident, and noting that, as a result, "General Admission" concert seating had been abolished in Cincinnati.
That was one of the best episodes of the series, in my opinion. I loved that show back in the day! Hope they come out with seasons two and three soon!
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There's not a concert on Earth that would be worth literally trampling over people to their deaths for.Festival seating can only work in a smaller venue and at a much smaller scale event,preferably not a concert.
landrykkb 1 week ago
It wasnt a stampede, it was a slow crush. People up front suffocated and passed out from the pressure of 1000's of people in back pushing - and those people in the back had no idea there was a problem up front. There were only 3 doors open for 16,000 fans.
mountainjustice 1 week ago
There is a group of people planning to put together a monument of some kind. They changed the way concerts were handled.
millenniumman75 2 months ago
I like to sing "Where are you? Under my feet" to the tune of "Who Are You".
Jefgg 3 months ago
@Jefgg Not funny, at all. Learn compassion.
HotMissyR 3 months ago
I heard this "stampede" lasted for 2 and a half hours.
turntableone 3 months ago
actually 3 more people died from injuries later from this and 200 were seriously injured with broken bones and concussions-very,very ugly situation.sorry for type O's
baabaajazz 7 months ago
General admission does not work.
Kripesake 7 months ago
Did The Who ever return to Cincinnati?
5jerry1 8 months ago
@5jerry1 yes
baabaajazz 7 months ago
Sigh...I guess everyone has their late 70's concert story if you were alive then. I remember after a Styx concert (which sucked) the crowd started to push and sway and this short girl started to scream. Wasn't too cool. Her boyfriend started to make some room. Nobody got hurt, thankfully.
Dhfalcon62 8 months ago
Comment removed
BBQFanNo1 8 months ago
I was there to see Led Zeppelin, at the same venue in 1977 - general admission - and nothing like this happened!! It was my bad luck to be there for this human stampede. Pete Townsend was right. It was this whole football (called soccer over here) mentality where it didn't matter who you stepped on! You just wanted to get in. I don't blame the Who - I blame incredibly stupid Cincinnati kids or Northern Kentucky mindless teenagers for this. They know what they did! I hope it eats at them raw!
pacific707 10 months ago
It is Cincinnati....not Cinncinatti
Stolehome66 1 year ago
The AC/DC concert happened at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1991.
Mr070363 1 year ago
This happened at an AC/DC concert
77YankeesFan77 1 year ago
@77YankeesFan77 Yes it did . 20 years ago 5 people were killed in a stampede to get to the front. After that all hell broke loose because people were trying to make the band responsible for what the concert promoters were doing.
CelesteK 1 year ago
@77YankeesFan77 That AC/DC concert was in 1991, same situation, GA seating, 3 teens died because they were trampled by the crowd. In 1998 2 people were crushed to death at the Monsters of Rock concert. In 2000 9 people died at a Pearl Jam show in Denmark, and came very close to breaking up the band.
huntr7777 3 months ago
Please learn to spell the city right... It's "Cincinnati", not "Cincinatti" or "Cinncinatti"
Oldiesmann 1 year ago 2
I remember this as plain as day. It happened the day before my ninth birthday. It was so sad. And the Who didn't know what happened. It wasn't their fault. The crowd just got too wild, and I believe they heard Who music inside on the radio or loud speaker or something, so they thought the Concert had started! I am from the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincy area, and my parents told me all about what happened. They thought the show started and they got into the doors for good seats.
tla1270 1 year ago
@tla1270 They say it was their sound-check that the crowd heard.
Srd1126 1 year ago
@Srd1126 I don't remember the details since I was so young, but it was very sad.
tla1270 1 year ago
Were young people still listening to the Who in 1979? There was a bit of a Mod revival in England at that time, but in America?
anonUK 1 year ago
@anonUK Oh absolutely! Had nothing to do with the Mod revival, they were touring "Who Are You", with their new drummer after Keith Moon died.
huntr7777 3 months ago
i remember when this happened
jennyjames11able 1 year ago
The strange part is that the band themselves didn't even know about this tragedy until after the show was over. I remember Roger Daltry saying how he wanted to cancel the remaining shows on the U.S. tour after this incident. I am certain of this- had the band known this was going on, they never would have taken the stage.
rayjr62 1 year ago
WTF is wrong with people! How do you even break the doors open! thats like me and and a group of guys trying to smash through a door at a football stadium!
IrishAmerican1234 1 year ago
there is a bootleg of the show
TEMPmichaelhansen 1 year ago
I remember this vaguely. First arena I ever went to in 1986 and saw Hulk Hogan wrestle for the first time
retrofann1 1 year ago
check Daltrey out at 1:20!!! ;) flawless mic catching!
rickobear64 1 year ago
Its actually spelled T-O-W-N-S-H-E-N-D
Shaputy 1 year ago
I was there!
diapertommy 1 year ago
@diapertommy You didn't step on anyone, did ya?
hifiguy9 1 year ago
@hifiguy9 No and thats not really funny! Many people got hurt and DIED!
diapertommy 1 year ago
@diapertommy Not being funny. I was there and yes I did step on people that were being trampled. At the same time it was impossible to help anyone because of the wave force from the crowd. A totally insane situation. I am glad they changed the rules from general admission to reserved seating. I used to hate the waves that would occur on the floor in front of the stage as well.
hifiguy9 1 year ago
@hifiguy9 Understood!
diapertommy 1 year ago
@hifiguy9 I was there as well and I can tell you Angels do exist. I am here be cause it is true,,,,
The thing that I still see in my dreams are the bodies and heads in the crowd violently swaying back and forth like and ocean wave that comes crashing to the shore then in an instant pulls back to sea,
I know there was nothing you could have done not to step on people that were down,,,
But by the Grace of God go I....
pat45068 10 months ago
It's actually spelled C-I-N-C-I-N-N-A-T-T-I.
CraigFoye80 1 year ago
@CraigFoye80 > You spelled it wrong! It is spelled Cincinnati
diapertommy 1 year ago
@CraigFoye80 Your are wrong Craig... The correct spelling is Cincinnati, thats
Cin-cin-na-ti. I was born there and lived there most of my life!
diapertommy 1 year ago
@CraigFoye80 >>WRONG!
diapertommy 1 year ago
@CraigFoye80 That's actually I-N-C-O-R-R-E-C-T. There is only one T in "Cincinnati".
lothartheterrible 1 year ago
it wasn't because it was general admission - it was because there was ONE door open instead of more or even all the doors open. It wouldn't have mattered if it were general admission or reserved. When people thought the show had started, they started pushing to get into the auditorium but with only one door - a door at the bottom of stairs to boot - there was no where to go.
coltom 1 year ago
At a '75 Zeppelin show in Seattle we got there at 8am (since all shows were general admission) and I was right against the rope. The usual pushing and shoving started about 6pm... then some moron threw a bottle through a glass door. All hell broke loose... the rope actually broke, I was pressed up against a glass door, as I saw it start to "bend" I covered my face. The door exploded and I went THROUGH the glass door, was bent over the bar behind the door. Luckily I got up, uninjured. "lucky"
TacomaPaul 1 year ago
Stopusing the word "gay" as a putdown! I'm sure Townsend would agree on this. Live and let live.
pacific707 1 year ago
Cincy Lieutenant informed us the Who was late and needed a sound check. After the sound check a single door opened and me and my friends got in, I saw all the people smashed up against the front glass doors. I asked one of the few ticket attendants when they were going to let those people in. He responded, as soon as they settle down. During movie people came in. Socks shirts shoes all over. Again, I asked what happened and the attendant said there was a big fight. Managements greed is fault.
chardgrove 1 year ago
I was at a general admission Aerosmith concert and got a taste of what those poor kids experienced. It's truly terrifying. My sister saw the Who at Shea Stadium in NYC and had an experience even worse than me. I looked behind me at the Aerosmith show and there were hundreds of kids pressed up together. My sister at The Who show was packed in by tens of thousands. I'm 5'10'' maybe 180-190 pounds. My sister is like 5'4'' maybe 120 pounds. She thought if she fell down, she would dissapear.
tomthefunky 1 year ago
yeah, they weren't trampled. They also only state that there weren't enough doors open. Entire situation was handled awfully by the people that run the arena. Sorry to see them try to demonize the victims.
The Who did not know about the deaths until afterward. They were afraid they'd cancel and there would be a bigger crowd issue to deal with so the band was not told until afterward.
abbgt 2 years ago
At the time they tried to blame the drunk/drugged up concert goers for this tragedy. This was totally not true. The reason this happened was because they did not open enough doors for all the people.
woosterr101 2 years ago 3
You are absolutely right
cjf799 2 years ago
I will never forget that night. To this day, I can tell you how I got out of the crowd and made it to the north plaza where it was actually peaceful and orderly. Rest in peace to all who didn't make it out alive. 30 years - gone but not forgotten.
pat45068 2 years ago 2
No one was trampled to death, nor was there a stampede. They died from asphyxia-- they were suffocated because they couldn't breathe. People were packed in that tightly. Very tragic.
alabhaois 2 years ago
30 years ago. i remember this.
silverrhawk 2 years ago
There's an episode of WKRP in Cincinatti about this.
cckidd27 2 years ago 18
Yep...it even ends w/a graphic describing the tragedy and telling how Cincincatti subsequently passed an ordinance banning festival seating.
WhatsAYak 2 years ago
Yeah, it aired on WGN network a few weeks ago, I think.
MsOctober78 2 years ago
It was already on WGN. Just great! I was hoping to see on there. I don't know when it could have been on. I've been watching it for weeks, but haven't seen it.
cckidd27 2 years ago
@cckidd27 I remember seeing that. That was a big deal at the time (the episode, that is).
rayjr62 1 year ago
@cckidd27 I remember that episode.
DINOBRAV69 1 year ago
Did this event inspire the beginning part of Pink Floyd's The Wall? Where you see parts of concert goers stampeeding inside the stadium interchanged with scenes of WWII soldiers running to battle getting blown to bits.
lago4 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
3 words to you pink floyd SUCK
PETEtownsend19 2 years ago
Pink Floyd is not for everyone, agreed. Plus, I don't give two shits what you think of the Floyd. Now, for instance, I'm not Rolling Stones fan at all, but I don't go to someone who is a Stones fan and say some stupid, immature gay shit like "Rolling Stones can go fuck themselves". It's only Rock'n Roll, brotha! You listen to what touches you most. Don't waste your energy dissing other people's fave bands. Live and let live. I'm sure Townsend would agree with me on this.
lago4 2 years ago 14
@lago4 Ironic that you use "gay" in your rant against someone for being "stupid" and "immature."
DarkRider69 9 months ago
@lago4
That was very well-put, and Pink Floyd is excellent!
5jerry1 8 months ago 2
@lago4 RIGHT ON!!!!
enforcer4444 5 months ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
3 words to you pete townsend SUCK
ScrewAttackChina 2 years ago
@lago4
probably subconciously I remember thinking the same thing to myself when i saw that film. the police brutality outside was inspired by the pink floyd 1975 tour and the los angeles shows. the mayor ( I think) denounced it, and the cops went in and caused problems...
TEMPmichaelhansen 1 year ago
In the News was the best in Saturday afternoon programing. I remember that one back in 79.
Soulthinker2007 3 years ago
Jerry Springer was the Mayor at that time.
visaman 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
As he says in "Jerry Springer - The Opera":
"I became Mayor of Cincinnati. And that's the third largest city in Ohio."
OofusTwillip 2 years ago
"some of the kids had been drinking, or using drugs." utterly shocking! I have never heard of such behavior! especially not at a Who show!
macandrewes 3 years ago
I think AC/DC had a stampede event like this in the early 90s.
CreativeCritisizm 3 years ago
@CreativeCritisizm
yep so did guns and roses. I could have been killed at the cannibal corpse/anthrax/misfits and hole/marilynmanson show.
TEMPmichaelhansen 1 year ago
I remember this!
shebakoby 3 years ago
Now why does this stampede sound so much like the Wal-Mart incident on Black Friday?
AllRequired 3 years ago
i live in cincy and everytime i pass us bank arena/riverfront i get the chills. those dieheart fans will never be forgotten
RCshortstop10 3 years ago 3
Whoa! Look how young Pete Townshend was!
1979... it seemed like yesterday! *lol*
SidJustice1 3 years ago
Yes I remember this. 70's were my best years. That was stupid to have general admision tickets. The Who is a great band!
treebella23 3 years ago
How i remember this.
fallguyman 3 years ago
This event was referenced in an episode of "WKRP in Cincinnati".
I remember watching it at the time, and thinking that it was a very heavy story, for a sitcom. Then, at the end, came the onscreen message saying that it was based on an actual incident, and noting that, as a result, "General Admission" concert seating had been abolished in Cincinnati.
Talk about chilling!
OofusTwillip 3 years ago
That was one of the best episodes of the series, in my opinion. I loved that show back in the day! Hope they come out with seasons two and three soon!
jasonbondshow 3 years ago
o wow!!! i live in cincinnati and my dad loves that band i think my dad was going 2 go and im glad he didnt he couldve been 1 of those 11
converse097 3 years ago
The version I heard was that the band were unaware of what happened until after the show.
I remember a button that was around after this "I'd Step On You To See The Who"
cranie4 3 years ago
@cranie4 Got a tshirt of it. Definite tie with the Adolph Hitler European Tour tshirt as far as gallows humor goes.
epsteinsmutha1 1 year ago
All the inhumanity, and no Keith Moon to boot!
CarAcrobaticTeam 4 years ago
oh yeah he died several years before
corrupt200 3 years ago
Comment removed
gmt921 2 years ago
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only one year before this actually
gmt921 2 years ago