10 Live Music Acts That Went HORRIBLY Wrong

Crowd Crush

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Astroworld Festival (2021) In 2021, a Travis Scott performance at an outdoor venue was the site of a tragic crowd crush. Throughout the day, there were countless issues raised by staff and attendees alike: poor security, barricades pushed down, inadequate medical professionals and so on. Couple this with 50,000 impatient attendees, building anticipation, and an artist known to encourage the crowd to shake things up and you have a recipe for disaster. When Scott took the stage shortly after 9pm, the crowd surged forward like a rapid wave. This resulted in the deaths of 10 concertgoers, hospitalization of 25 more and countless other minor injuries.

Guns N’ Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour (1992) In the summer of 1992, Metallica and Guns N’ Roses co-headlined a stadium tour. Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose was allegedly difficult from the start, partially due to health conditions. On August 8th, the tour stopped at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium. Metallica took the stage first but were cut short by a pyrotechnics accident that sent singer James Hetfield to the emergency room. The crowd of over 50,000 was made to wait 2 ½ hours for Guns N’ Roses to appear, only to have Axl Rose end the show after only 9 songs. A reported 2000 concert-goers then rioted in and around the stadium, overturning police vehicles, looting and setting multiple bonfires. A reported $600,000 in damage was done.

Heavy Winds Cause Stage Collapse

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Indiana State Fair (2011) At the 2011 Indiana State Fair, a crowd gathered on August 13 to see country duo Sugarland perform. Throughout that day, the National Weather Service had issued warnings of approaching severe thunderstorms, but after some discussion, Fair organizers ultimately decided to let the show go on. In between the opening performance and Sugarland’s appearance, strong gusts of wind caused the stage setup to collapse, killing 7 and injuring another 58. Later investigation revealed that the structure’s concrete foundation elements were not properly adhered to the ground, causing dangerous shifting and eventual collapse.

“The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” (1967) In 1967, The Who appeared on “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” and performed two of their hit songs. At the end of “My Generation,” the boys did what they often did: smashing guitars and potentially dangerous shenanigans. Unbeknownst to the rest of the band, drummer Keith Moon had bribed a crew member to put explosives in his drum kit. The explosives were placed in far greater quantities than was required. When Moon kicked over his drum, all viewers could see was a large white flash. The explosion had knocked Moon backwards, singed Pete Townshend’s hair, and destroyed a camera and monitor. Pete Townshend’s issues with hearing loss and tinnitus are said to have started with this incident.

Pukkelpop Festival (2011) Pukkelpop is a Belgian music festival that takes place annually. In 2011, it was the site of an unfortunate tragedy, when a stage collapse caused the deaths of 5 and injuries to around 140 people. Shortly after American band Smith Westerns took the stage, a severe thunderstorm hit the area, with strong winds knocking down tents, lighting towers and monitors. The winds (later estimated at around 106 miles per hour) caused trees to uproot and hit the base structure of a concert tent, leading to its collapse. Four of the five victims were reported to have been struck by metal girders and scaffolding. In a morbid coincidence, this tragedy occurred just five days after the collapse at the Indiana State Fair mentioned previously.

Altamont Speedway Free Festival (1969) In 1969, a terrible idea was hatched: have a free music festival that could rival Woodstock featuring some of the biggest musical acts. Acts included headliners The Rolling Stones, as well as Santana and Jefferson Airplane, among others. There are conflicting stories regarding security for the event, but in some capacity the Hell’s Angels were hired to protect equipment in exchange for $500 worth of beer. As with any 300,000 person crowd, things got agitated and eventually violent. Various band members were injured, at least 3 attendees died (two hit-and-runs and one drowning in an irrigation canal) and one homicide occurred: attendee Meredith Hunter was stabbed to death by Hell’s Angel Alan Passaro, after Hunter drew a gun in the crowd.

Big Beach Boutique II (2002) It should be clear by now that the words “free” and “show” combined often result in overcrowding. In 2002, a beachside concert was put on by DJ Fatboy Slim in Brighton, England. Expected attendance was 60,000, however the actual number ended up somewhere around a quarter million. Prior to the event, authorities considered canceling, but decided against it, fearing a riot. During the performance, the rising tide caused multiple issues; a helicopter patrolled the shore, picking up unconscious fans that were swept out to sea. As a result of the crowd drug use, inebriation and violence, two people died (one from a fall and another from cardiac arrest), 160 were injured, 11 hospitalized and 6 arrested.

A Performer with Paralysis

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Live Concert at Wingate Field (1990) Curtis Mayfield was a singer-songwriter known for his contribution to soul as well as civil rights era music. In 1990, Mayfield was slated to perform at a concert in Wingate Field, Brooklyn. Just as he was being introduced, heavy winds dislodged overhead scaffolding which fell and struck Mayfield in the back, breaking his neck. Mayfield was permanently paralyzed from the neck down. Six others suffered injuries from the incident, including a young girl, but Mayfield definitely took the brunt of the accident. He later recorded music while lying on the floor, as he found he could still sing when his chest and lungs were laid down flat.

The Station Nightclub (2003) Pyrotechnics in a small space is never a good idea. The Station Nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, had seen many bands perform, pyrotechnics and all. However, the club’s walls were acoustically insulated with cheap polyurethane foam, which was against building code due to its flammability. Rock band Great White was performing in February of 2003 when their pyrotechnics caused the insulation surrounding the drummer’s alcove to catch fire; the building was completely in flames within 6 minutes. There were 4 possible exits, but most of the crowd of around 420 people naturally went for the front door, resulting in a crush. The incident took 100 lives, and injured another 230 people, making it the fourth deadliest nightclub fire in American history.

Beverly Hills Supper Club (1977) In May of 1977, actor and singer John Davidson was performing at the Beverly Hills Supper Club in Southgate, Kentucky, just outside of Cincinnati. The Club boasted a performance venue, the Cabaret Room, as well as numerous reception halls. A fire broke out in one of the rooms and quickly got out of control. The total number of patrons in the building was around 3000 that night, which was double the fire safety assessment of 1500, which was just one of multiple issues that contributed to this tragedy. The exits were scarce, the building’s wiring was horribly faulty, there were no firewalls, no sprinklers or audible fire alarms and multiple other safety code violations. The incident caused 165 deaths and over 200 injuries.