Fact #109720
When:
Short story:
During Guns N'Roses set at the annual Monsters Of Rock Festival at Castle Donington, England, UK, Europe, two fans die and 450 are injured during a frenzied melee arising from a bout of slam-dancing. Also on the bill are Helloween, David Lee Roth, Megadeth, Kiss and headliners Iron Maiden.
Full article:
Rod Smallwood (manager, Iron Maiden) : In 1988 we headlined Monsters of Rock at Castle Donington on the Seventh Son Tour. We had never played it before despite an offer every year. l wanted to wait until we could really make it something special. Kiss supported us which was great as we supported them in Europe in 1980 and got on really well with them. Also Dave Lee Roth, Megadeth and Guns n'Roses, so we put together a pretty good bill. Advance tickets were at a record breaking 75,000 the morning of the show and it was a glorious day.
Incredibly over 30,000 more people turned up to get tickets on the day, so many that the promoter actually ran out of tickets and started using raffle tickets!!
(Source : http://sanktuariumfc.org/forum/printview.php?t=5701&start=0&sid=3a0b3f70ec62fa14ca0495d304b03216)
Duff McKagan : It was real scary. We all went like, "woah!" It was kids piled on kids horizontal on the ground. They were unconscious. And more people kept on falling on them. I saw them!
It took about 20 minutes to get everybody out. We stopped the show and they finally pulled the last couple of people out and I think they were dead. It was really weird. I saw no life in those bodies at all.
(Source : http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/donington-1988.html)
Duff McKagan (Guns N’Roses) : The band were really brought down by the event. And we did try to stop the craziness down the front by changing our set, slowing things down. I actually don’t know if the accident was our fault or not. If someone were to ask me face-to-face whether Guns N’Roses were to blame, I couldn’t say with any conviction that we’re not. I don’t think we can be held responsible, but I’d have to think very hard before giving an answer. Maybe we have to take some of the blame. After all, we were on stage when those kids died, and had Guns N’Roses not existed then perhaps the tragedy wouldn’t have occurred. It weighs very heavily on us and whatever anyone else may write or say about the incident can’t make us feel any worse. Quite honestly, we couldn’t give a fuck about the media trying to make us the scapegoats. That thing will haunt me forever anyway.
(Source : not known)
Ed Mackie (audience) : As I was pulled out, a guy behind me shouted to the security man, pointing downwards 'there's two down here dead.' We were so tightly packed you couldn't even see below your chest, I didn't even see them. It wasn't even clear if it was genuine or not. When I was pulled out, my 32 x 32 levi jeans were caked in mud and totally stretched and distorted and were nearly hanging off me. It wasn't until after the Maiden set it was announced there was a fatality.
(Source : http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/donington-1988-vftmud.html)
Push (reviewer, Melody Maker) : After just a few songs, Guns N'Roses leave the stage. There's a serious problem in the crowd. I see flashing blue lights and hear the wailing sirens of ambulances.
Rod Smallwood : Later in the day l was told that two young fans had tragically been killed when they fell in the crowd towards the front of the stage. Since then there have been many changes to the barriers and safety aspects of big shows but sadly these were not in existence at that time.
l considered whether or not to tell the band but decided against it as it would serve no purpose and make it immensely difficult for them to play with their hearts in it which would let down an awful lot of fans. So l ensured there was no access to the band so they could not hear about this.
(Source : http://sanktuariumfc.org/forum/printview.php?t=5701&start=0&sid=3a0b3f70ec62fa14ca0495d304b03216)
Steve Harris : We were so nervous that no-one wanted to tell us about it (the deaths earlier in the day of two fans during Guns N'Roses set) before the gig. I think, if we'd known, everyone would have freaked out. Afterwards, when we were told, it simply tuned into a nightmare.
(Source : H Le mag, France, No2, interview by Vincent Martin)
Dave Murray (guitarist) : It was just so incredible it's almost like I still don't believe it happened! It was like climbing a mountain and we'd finally reached the top. Everyone always goes on about how great it is to be playing abroad or in America but to us it's home that counts and Donington is the biggest festival we could ever play.s just so incredible it's almost like I still don't believe it happened! It was like climbing a mountain and we'd finally reached the top. Everyone always goes on about how great it is to be playing abroad or in America but to us it's home that counts and Donington is the biggest festival we could ever play.
(Source : interview in Raw magazine, May 1992)
Push (reviewer, Melody Maker) : Iron Maiden make full use of the gradually enveloping darkness. Huge arcs of searchlights are cast out, illuminating the trails of smoke, and explosions and fireworks send jets of sparks into the air. Every trick in the HM fantasy book is employed.
Mark Wittenberg (audience) : After Maiden, we were all making our way to the exit when they announced over the PA about the tragedy during Gn'R. I remember a deathly silence amongst the crowd, then, for whatever reason, they decided to play Monty Python's "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life". I remember shaking my head in disbelief.
(Spurce : http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/donington-1988-vftmud.html)
Rod Smallwood : The show was a major triumph. It was the first of our really big shows and l will never forget standing on stage seeing a huge sea of raised arms. Afterwards l went in the dressing room and understandably they were on a real high. Of course, when l told them what happened to these two poor kids they were devastated. it was very emotional indeed. whenever we look back we think of those kids.
(Source : http://sanktuariumfc.org/forum/printview.php?t=5701&start=0&sid=3a0b3f70ec62fa14ca0495d304b03216)
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Incredibly over 30,000 more people turned up to get tickets on the day, so many that the promoter actually ran out of tickets and started using raffle tickets!!
(Source : http://sanktuariumfc.org/forum/printview.php?t=5701&start=0&sid=3a0b3f70ec62fa14ca0495d304b03216)
Duff McKagan : It was real scary. We all went like, "woah!" It was kids piled on kids horizontal on the ground. They were unconscious. And more people kept on falling on them. I saw them!
It took about 20 minutes to get everybody out. We stopped the show and they finally pulled the last couple of people out and I think they were dead. It was really weird. I saw no life in those bodies at all.
(Source : http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/donington-1988.html)
Duff McKagan (Guns N’Roses) : The band were really brought down by the event. And we did try to stop the craziness down the front by changing our set, slowing things down. I actually don’t know if the accident was our fault or not. If someone were to ask me face-to-face whether Guns N’Roses were to blame, I couldn’t say with any conviction that we’re not. I don’t think we can be held responsible, but I’d have to think very hard before giving an answer. Maybe we have to take some of the blame. After all, we were on stage when those kids died, and had Guns N’Roses not existed then perhaps the tragedy wouldn’t have occurred. It weighs very heavily on us and whatever anyone else may write or say about the incident can’t make us feel any worse. Quite honestly, we couldn’t give a fuck about the media trying to make us the scapegoats. That thing will haunt me forever anyway.
(Source : not known)
Ed Mackie (audience) : As I was pulled out, a guy behind me shouted to the security man, pointing downwards 'there's two down here dead.' We were so tightly packed you couldn't even see below your chest, I didn't even see them. It wasn't even clear if it was genuine or not. When I was pulled out, my 32 x 32 levi jeans were caked in mud and totally stretched and distorted and were nearly hanging off me. It wasn't until after the Maiden set it was announced there was a fatality.
(Source : http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/donington-1988-vftmud.html)
Push (reviewer, Melody Maker) : After just a few songs, Guns N'Roses leave the stage. There's a serious problem in the crowd. I see flashing blue lights and hear the wailing sirens of ambulances.
Rod Smallwood : Later in the day l was told that two young fans had tragically been killed when they fell in the crowd towards the front of the stage. Since then there have been many changes to the barriers and safety aspects of big shows but sadly these were not in existence at that time.
l considered whether or not to tell the band but decided against it as it would serve no purpose and make it immensely difficult for them to play with their hearts in it which would let down an awful lot of fans. So l ensured there was no access to the band so they could not hear about this.
(Source : http://sanktuariumfc.org/forum/printview.php?t=5701&start=0&sid=3a0b3f70ec62fa14ca0495d304b03216)
Steve Harris : We were so nervous that no-one wanted to tell us about it (the deaths earlier in the day of two fans during Guns N'Roses set) before the gig. I think, if we'd known, everyone would have freaked out. Afterwards, when we were told, it simply tuned into a nightmare.
(Source : H Le mag, France, No2, interview by Vincent Martin)
Dave Murray (guitarist) : It was just so incredible it's almost like I still don't believe it happened! It was like climbing a mountain and we'd finally reached the top. Everyone always goes on about how great it is to be playing abroad or in America but to us it's home that counts and Donington is the biggest festival we could ever play.s just so incredible it's almost like I still don't believe it happened! It was like climbing a mountain and we'd finally reached the top. Everyone always goes on about how great it is to be playing abroad or in America but to us it's home that counts and Donington is the biggest festival we could ever play.
(Source : interview in Raw magazine, May 1992)
Push (reviewer, Melody Maker) : Iron Maiden make full use of the gradually enveloping darkness. Huge arcs of searchlights are cast out, illuminating the trails of smoke, and explosions and fireworks send jets of sparks into the air. Every trick in the HM fantasy book is employed.
Mark Wittenberg (audience) : After Maiden, we were all making our way to the exit when they announced over the PA about the tragedy during Gn'R. I remember a deathly silence amongst the crowd, then, for whatever reason, they decided to play Monty Python's "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life". I remember shaking my head in disbelief.
(Spurce : http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/donington-1988-vftmud.html)
Rod Smallwood : The show was a major triumph. It was the first of our really big shows and l will never forget standing on stage seeing a huge sea of raised arms. Afterwards l went in the dressing room and understandably they were on a real high. Of course, when l told them what happened to these two poor kids they were devastated. it was very emotional indeed. whenever we look back we think of those kids.
(Source : http://sanktuariumfc.org/forum/printview.php?t=5701&start=0&sid=3a0b3f70ec62fa14ca0495d304b03216)