Last night I had the opportunity to see AC/DC in Madison Square Garden. Incidently it was in the Computer Associates Suite, which I have to say was great fun.
Now back in the late 80’s I was a heavy metal/rock and roll fan. I listend to AC/DC, Van Halen, Metalica, Dokken, Dio, Ozzy, Winger, and the rest of the 80’s hair band groups. I played in a band in H.S. and I attended many a concert in my day and try to attend as many as I can now.
But I have to ask, what happen??
In the past year I have been to three concerts. The Police, Rush, and now AC/DC and it seems that everyone, kids included, have just seemed to tone it down notch.
To explain more clearly, I vividly remember concert tours like “The Monsters of Rock”, Motley Crue, Whitesnake where you had fans standing up against the stage 10, 15 people deep. The whole audience would jump, sway, and dance together. You were squished in like sardines, but it added to the concert itself. One giant mass of people all on the same beat, it was amazing.
But now as I sit their, watching a 60 something, run around in his English School Boy getup, girating his body and his guitar on stage, people cheer but they just sorta sit their. Even the new fans, who are the “new generation”, just sorta sit their.
Sadly I have seen more music “mania” at one of those Disney concerts with their teen stars, then at even a current (Coldplay Dautry, etc..) concert. It seems its the same all over. Lots more security, lots more gates, and everyone stays in their “area”.
What happen to the days of rushing the stage to get up front or even a random stage dive or two?
Granted I’ve passed the need to be in the “crowd” at a concert, but it just all seems so sterile..