Donington 'Monsters of Rock' 1988 - Tales from the PowerAge

[@rowenlawrence1797]

Thank you so much guys for this. I cannot put into words what discovering this 1988' podcast has done to help me cope with continual PTSD from Donington 1988. I was 16 at the time, I was front row when Guns hit the stage. I felt the barrier crack in front of me. I had to be pulled out and i was at the front. I was as far back as the light tower when the crowd collapsed but i still felt the push back. I have read the full inquest which was held in Loughborough and it does not make for pleasant reading. My only wish is that the events of this day have meant lessons have been learnt and that this will never happen again at a public event.

[@talesfromthepowerage]

Thanks for sharing your story - glad we help in some tiny way, must be tough. Really good to hear from you - hope you enjoy some of the other shows too. Keep in touch 🤘👍

[@talesfromthepoweragelive]

Thanks for sharing. I hope you’ve been able to find the strength to continue going to gigs.

[@dondirtcheap2410]

Great show guys. Great channel. I was 20 years old at the time and it was my first Donnington. I travelled up on the bus from Bedfordshire with three friends. Only one of us had a ticket before we got there and we got the other three tickets off a tout outside. Later on I remember looking at a massive crowd pressed up against a closed gate and thinking 'Christ, we were lucky to get in'. I liked Maiden OK. I think I had three of their albums up to that point. But I was really there to see Guns N Roses and Dave Lee Roth. I was a massive fan of both. However, Kiss were the band of the day for me. At that time I could take or leave them. I thought some of their stuff was just too poppy. But my God, they were amazing. So heavy. Tunes that I had previously thought lightweight were so powerful. And the sound was so full, with Eric Carr's drum sound loud and great. Dave Lee Roth delivered too. The setlist was OK, but I would have liked less off 'Skyscraper' and more Van Halen. And yes, DLR did play the guitar at one point. Steve Vai started off some finger tapping and then DLR came up behind him and carried on not missing a beat, with Vai walking away. He was a real showman. I also remember 'Jump' being great. And so on to Guns N Roses, and the most terrifying crowd experience of my life. An experience that still makes me careful at big gigs and events even now. For some reason I have it in my mind that Guns N Roses came on earlier than their scheduled time. I remember my mates and I being taken by surprise by their announcement and rushing, trying to get to the front. We managed to get to about 30 rows from the front, to the left of the sound tower. And then I soon realised that I wanted to get out. It was like being trapped in a sea of quicksand. You were carried left, right, backward, forwards. There was nothing you could do. Your body was trapped and you couldn't move. The force on your limbs was so strong. You just had to move with the tide of people and whichever way it carried you. I remember trying with all my might to keep my feet and not lose my shoes as you kept getting stood on. There was so much debris on the muddy ground - shoes, coats, jackets, all sorts, that I kept stepping on. I just remember thinking 'I have to stay on my feet'. Somehow, I managed to fight my way out and back. Even when I got back towards the sound tower the first thing I encountered was a collapsed group of people. Others were pulling them out and passing them back. I got stuck in too. I was so relieved to be out and I just wanted to help others. Unfortunately there were also so pissed up t*@ts to our right who thought it was funny to rush and push the crowd in front of them. We were screaming at them, swearing and calling them all sorts. To be fair, I suppose they were unaware of the danger in the crush. I had also lost my mates and was very concerned about them. I didn't manage to catch up with them again until just before Kiss came on. The Guns set kept stopping and starting as Axl tried to deal with the crush at the front. I really have no recollection of whether they were good or not. When you feel threatened you have other priorities. Maiden were OK. 'Perfunctory' I suppose. But I think it had been a long and draining day and I just wanted to get home. I remember thinking to myself at the time 'Someone must have been hurt here. That crush was really bad'. But the concert carried on and I started to wonder if the experience was normal for Donnington. As mentioned, it wasn't until we were leaving that we heard about the two deaths. It was very sad. R.I.P. to the two guys. It was a different time and Health and Safety was not as enforced as it thankfully is now. I got home very late to a concerned girlfriend and two concerned parents. The news of the deaths had been on the TV. The next week there was a crowd shot on the front of Kerrang. You can make out one of my mates and I. I think it was as we tried to make our way to the front for Guns N Roses. I still have it. Its a reminder of a very frightening day, not that I need one.

[@talesfromthepowerage]

Wow, what a moving account of your experiences - chilling that so many of us still think of that day and what could have been …. Thanks so much for sharing, we really appreciate your input and taking the time. Please keep watching and participating - you rock 🤘

[@alangee8639]

One of my fave concerts - what a fab day that was. Maiden at the top of their game on one of their best ever tours imho

[@brownale1000]

Was a brilliant day for sure remember Helloween the most great 👍 video chaps and subbed cheers

[@talesfromthepowerage]

Awesome thanks 🙏. Loved Helloween that era - best line-up in my opinion 🤘

[@boffin3398]

Plenty of good and bad memories of this one. The crush during GnR was horrendous. Me and my group of friends were halfway back, just to the left of the mixing tower. We were caught up in the surge backwards and another surge of punters trying to get further forward. It was chaos. One of our group - Dob - went down and was soon covered by nine or ten others who had lost their balance. We were dragging bodies up but slipping and sliding all over the place. It seemed to go on forever and we were convinced that Dob was either seriously hurt or worse. Eventually we got to him and, unbelievably, he was OK. A bit bruised and shaken but fine. I mainly went to see Helloween, DLR and Maiden. They were all superb, especially the amazing DLR and his band, but the longer Maiden went on, the more a lot of us wanted to go home. Cold, tired and still shaken up by what nearly happened to our friend. I had been to Donington each year since 1984 but I took a very long break from festivals after this one.

[@talesfromthepowerage]

Incredibly eloquent recollection of the day - really illustrates how scary it was being in the thick of it that day. Thanks for the comment - much appreciated

[@robertmorris4959]

My third monster of rock and I drove every fecker and saying MAIDEN would headline this year and I was FECKING right and loved every minute of this festival following week we went to reading sh it I was full of energy them days

[@justinsloan690]

I was 16 , just landed from the US, being g brought up in FT. LAUDERDALE,FL and had seen GnR previously, saw great line up , been in UK 2 weeks living in Southend-on-Sea, the crowd was insane when GnR came on and my feet didn't touch the ground as was carried from side to side , it was scary, but it rocked , RIP to the fallen

[@talesfromthepowerage]

Wow - bet that was a shock to the system - but very cool to have been there though, legendary day! Are you still in the UK now?

[@thelegendandthechamp]

My first ever Concert, aged 14. Happy days! Remember all of the bands, but Helloween stood out to me. We camped for two nights, along with hundreds of others. I just remember a) getting drunk and b) motorbike racing in the field next to the tents.

[@talesfromthepowerage]

Great memories - thanks for sharing. Please checkout our other MOR episodes and ideally subscribe too if possible. Cheers!

[@toritori4430]

I remember when they started and got massive feedback we were off to the left of the stage and nearly got deafened with the squeal

[@f9Pete]

Amazing gig. Bloody mental though

[@DanielSavage-gm5nx]

Great video guys! I was there too, was 16 and went with my older brother. I was about 4 rows from the front when GnR came on and I remember getting out by one of the security guards at the front barrier, was so crazy. I do remember turning around and looking out to the crowd and then pissing off around the side of the stage. Mental. Great line up

[@talesfromthepowerage]

Bloody hell - you were really in the thick of it. Glad it turned out ok. Thanks for the kind words - please tell your friends and subscriber if you haven’t already. Welcome onboard!!

[@OlafProt]

I was at Hammersmith in May to see Megadeth. My first ever gig! I had somehow kept safe and spent the gig in front of the sound tower which perhaps saved me the crowd surges. Maybe someone actually had said to me, I remember a regular beside me with a crash helmet on due to flying bottles. I went to the back during Kiss as I was knackered and not interested in them. So I spent Maiden up on the hill in plenty of space. We met a guy on the coach on the way up from London whose parents let us sleep on their floor. Which spared us a horrible night. My abiding memories are good, of course soured afterwards. And we didn’t have mobiles so our parents knew people had died before we did.

[@talesfromthepowerage]

Great - thanks for sharing. Very contrasting day for all of us! Please tell your friends and subscribe if you haven’t already. Cheers!!

[@lee-v5z6l]

New subscriber, I was 18 and went by myself to Donnington- remember vividly the GnR set and being around 80 rows back , being threw around - pretty scary. Maiden were incredible although I didn't see the first 2 songs due to the crazy crowd

[@talesfromthepowerage]

Welcome on board. Thanks for subscribing and your comments. Please check out our other pods and tell your friends!! 👍

[@stevegardiner8473]

My 5th M.O.R. 80, 81, 83, 84 and 88. Those were all fantastic festivals. What happened during Guns' set was tragic, and fortunately, nothing like that has ever happened at any of the hundreds of other shows i must have been to 🙁

[@nickjonhagan]

Just came across this podcast. Fantastic. That line up at Donnington is unbelievable!! Thank you for your memories. Seeing Maiden and kiss next week. its incredible their legacy is as strong as ever. looking forward to watching your other podcasts

[@talesfromthepowerage]

Cheers for the comment. Glad you like the format! We’re all off to Def Leppard and Maiden - a few of us to KISS too - see you around! Please subscribe if you haven’t already 🤘

[@talesfromthepoweragelive]

Thanks Nick

[@oddball6992]

That was mine and my twin brothers 19th birthday 🎂 at MOR 1988, 15 of us got the coach from outside the royal court theatre in Liverpool. It was a party 🎉 before we even got on the coach. What a day that was. The crushing was crazy mad, it was that tight down the front for GNR I could hardly put my hand on my chest to push the person in front of me an inch to take a breath. Sad about the deaths, I remember the video screen on the left coming down. It was not as bad for crushing in 87

[@talesfromthepowerage]

Thanks for the comment - please tell your friends and subscribe if you haven’t already! Stay turned!

[@briangoudie3531]

a great day out top bands....kiss were brill pauls voice was in top condition on the day strutter amazing ...maiden came on i pissed off to the back

[@garyelliot2980]

Hi guys, just happened across your show and really enjoyed this. Brought back alot of memories. I was at Donington in 86, 87 and 88 aged 16, 17 and 18 respectively. Really interesting to hear Jammo's comments re Anthrax in 1987 because that was *exactly* my experience too (as I've told lots of people over the years). I was caught in an awful crush during their set and at 1 point 6 or 7 of us got pulled over and we hit the deck. Luckily people were able to see the gap in the crowd and pulled us up but for a split second I thought I was a goner. In 88 I stayed away from the centre of the stage to avoid what I always after that thought of as the "crush zone".

[@talesfromthepowerage]

Wow - great comment, thanks Gary. Amazing that you had the same experience as us for Anthrax - scary as hell! Glad you like the episode - plenty more in the can (please check them out) and loads more planned. So great that you’re on board - cheers!!

[@garyelliot2980]

@@talesfromthepowerage Yeah, I've watched some of the other episodes (easier to just reply to this rather than scatter comments all around!). Really enjoying because as I'm a similar age to you guys alot of the memories are of the same tours/bands but from a different perspective. e.g. I was at Powerslave in 84 at the Apollo in Glasgow - only my 2nd ever gig, AC/DC in 1986 but at the Playhouse in Edinburgh, so still a theatre as opposed to an Arena and I saw Metallica on both nights they played the Playhouse in Edinburgh in 88. Unlike you fellas I was an earlier adopter of Metallica and caught them in 86 in Edinburgh too, which for a whole load of reasons is my favourite ever gig. Looking back, 86 was an amazing year. I caught AC/DC, Motley Crue, Ozzy, Dio - all in Edinburgh, Donington with Ozzy etc, Metallica with Anthrax supporting, Saxon and Maiden in Edinburgh too and Magnum in Glasgow. All funded by my paper round!

[@talesfromthepowerage]

@@garyelliot2980 we sure were lucky to live in those days - the PowerAge :)) Wish I'd seen those Metallica shows!

[@pauloakley2124]

My only ever visit to Monsters of Rock was this year. Brilliant line up. Never got closer than the PA tower and you could feel the pressure of the crowd on your rib cage. I was 19 and 6ft tall so it must have horrific at the front. 🤘

[@talesfromthepowerage]

Thanks for the comment - please check out our other MOR eps too - cheers!

[@thomashubner697]

What a tragedy. A week later in Schweinfurt germany it was very dangerous as well. At least festivals got saver after that. We did not know what happened in Donington until a live review in the next Metal Hammer. Megadeth could not play germany because of drug abuse. Testament stepped in and were great. The two times I was at the Donington festival (Kiss reunion and Metallica before Load came out) there were no safety problems. So people did learn a lesson. Great videocast!

[@talesfromthepowerage]

Great - thanks for sharing. I’ve still got my poster from the German festival we went too - great day!!

[@pommygit23]

I was down the front for G n R. Never been so scared in my life! I got out over the barrier. It was mad!! R.I.P to the two lads who didn't make it out that day. I remember the announcement at the end of Maiden, then they played Always look on the bright side of life, which I thought at the time was very inappropriate.

[@rogermaybank9345]

As one of you gentleman mentioned, and I shared a similar experience in 1987 when I was down the front for Anthrax and Metallica and it was scary. Because of that I watched from a polite distance in 1988 and it was a wise decision.

[@JammoTFTP]

Yeh cheers Roger. Very wise decision, any other memories from the day? And have you checked out our 1987 Donington pod?

[@rogermaybank9345]

In will go back and check out 1987, one o of my favourite years!

[@talesfromthepoweragelive]

@@rogermaybank9345 Thanks for watching Roger. Appreciate the support

[@davidkneil1045]

It was a great year. My biggest regret was lying down on the grass at the side of the stage when Dave Lee Roth was playing. I remember him walking around the steps from backstage, and he saw a load of us lying in the sunshine having a smoke. He was waving over, trying to get us to come and watch. I didn't realise how great a band I was missing at the time, but after GnR, I just wanted to be in some space and to relax. I stood near the mixing desk for Maiden, and they were fantastic, but the thing that I remember the most is a drunk guy who was standing in front of me decided that he needed to go to the toilet. He just flopped it out and pee'd all over the legs of the guy in front of him. I moved back a bit at that point as it got a bit tetchy! Plus, I had to catch a bus back to Devon and didn't want to be on the wrong side of the crowd. Lol. I remember going into the festival, and there was a drunk guy lying flat on his face just before the entrance, he didn't even last long enough to get in. 🤣🤣 '87 was great '88 was better. I preferred the one day format. There's too much walking now at download, we probably walk about 100 miles over the weekend. Mostly in mud.

[@peterbush1844]

Went to Donnington, then off to Bochum the week later. Drunken night in Cologne before.Great days.

[@talesfromthepoweragelive]

Me and Gav also in Germany. Cologne was a laugh for sure. Teenagers wondering around the red light district the night before the gig... hilarious

[@peterbush1844]

Went to ten Donington M O R in total.Would say 84 was the best year in my humble opinion.

[@rogermaybank9345]

Previously years I had rolled through the door at about 3am but it took so long for the coach to get out I got home at 7am. We had a hunch that something had happened, my parents sat in the living room greeted me with, "where the fuck have you been?" They then tell me that two people had died, it had been on the news, my parent's even called Derby Royal Infirmary and they asked if I had any tattoos.

[@GembaDocs]

Dude! I wasn’t there but if I had been I wouldn’t remember! GNR were the hottest band on the planet at the time. Love the podcast guys.

[@greenknight4131]

Great line up megadeth and Roth blew me away that day maiden epic all bands where ,, but ? I was in a surge and I had to literally fight like shit !!! To stay on my feet really really scary as 😮 I got out of there went on wings slightly a good view and ok the rest of the day but man way way to many punters let in back handers and r.I.p them two lads really sad 😢

[@talesfromthepowerage]

Too true. Terrible organisation. Thanks for sharing. Please subscribe if you haven’t already. Ta 🤘

[@spaceman87186]

I was at the left hand side of stage when guns came on ,it was chaos and slidy and muddy with fans pushing and shoving so i decided to get out quick as they had no barriers then or even much security ,nobody knew anything that happened including the bands till later,guns also used some of the crowd footage in jungle or sweet child vids i think which i am in as well. I got back in the middle of crowd later a lot of crushing and could hardly breathe when megadeth played ,i had to tip toe to see kiss so got out again further back to watch the maiden show which wa unreal .R.I.P to the fans that day i was very lucky.

[@talesfromthepowerage]

Sorry for the delay - we were at Iron Maiden in London🤘Cheers for the comments! Yeah, the field was a mess that day, terrible conditions! Think the footage was used in Paradise City video - looked great on film!! Keep watching - cheers!

[@spaceman87186]

Yes went to the Leeds show for Maiden also saw Kiss in Manchester. Yeah your right about Guns video hope to hear your review soon Thanks.

[@MosherBear]

I remember wanting to go because it said on the back of the sleeve of Can I Play with Madness. Obviously my parents were never going to allow a 12 year old go alone on a coach to a race track in England (didn't make the pilgrimage until 1995). I actually had that copy of Kerrang, but reading what had happened made my just turned 13 year old self grateful I wasn't there.

[@talesfromthepowerage]

Thanks for your note - you’re probably right - for the best! Glad you got to the hallowed ground a few years later! Please subscribe if you haven’t already 🤘🤘🤘

[@MosherBear]

Already have

[@rogermaybank9345]

So much about this day. I just clarify, GnR got two songs in before they started You're Crazy which got aborted and Axl, Slash and security appealed to the crowd to move back.

[@talesfromthepoweragelive]

Thinking about it I seem to remember that too

[@leonszyszkowski9895]

A bittersweet day as I've said. The minute the announcement by Bruce the year before that Maiden were headlining you knew it was going to be a huge draw. It WAS, Kiss band of the day for me personally. Was down the front for Helloween and got uncomfortable even early doors so came out and bought some merch. Never went back down especially seeing how crazy it looked for GnR. Didn't know about the deaths til an announcement when walking out at the end. Got a clip round the ear from my mum next day, as I didn't phone home but I did hitch it up there and back. Still can't go too close at Fesivals even now. 🙏

[@talesfromthepowerage]

Hi Leon - thanks for your comments and great support! Glad you approve of the episode - means a lot to us 👍

[@talesfromthepoweragelive]

you’re right about it being a bitter sweet day

[@jonhaworth2692]

I had the same encounter as Jammo watching Anthrax the year before. I went to 88 but stayed well away from the central crush. So sad

[@chrisr6710]

I went to this one. I was quite near the front for Helloween, even at that point I felt it was too much so moved a long way back once they were done. Just felt unsafe.

[@talesfromthepowerage]

Cheers for the comment - yeah, odd kinda day - real highs and lows. Such a great band at that time (and now) - kiske rocked!!

[@gareththomas6496]

Hi, just subscribed to your channel after it came up in my recommended. Great show you all just about summed up the whole day ( I have a stronger memory of Megadeth than you all seem to have). Iam from Wales & was 23yrs old in 1988, my first visit to Donington was in 1983. Dyl, like you I too was at the Marquee for KISS the Tuesday before MOR, I queued from midday (about 25 people in front of me), a fiver to get in & what looks like an old cinema ticket (I still have it). I was against the stage in front of Gene, did you get any booty off the band ? I have two Gene guitar picks & one of Eric`s drumsticks. I also went to Bochum to see MOR & stayed in Koln, on a coach/ferry/hotel/ticket package from Regents Park in London. I was on the field in the sunshine until just before Maiden came on & the rain/thunder & lightening began ( I retreated high up in to the stand on the righthand side of the stage). There was an Army barracks on the approach road to the stadium & a lot of US troops were around us buying us lagers, which was very welcome. I remember the announcement that Megadeth were being replaced by Testament & Treat were not on the bill (all USA line up). By the way the first year you had to take beer in gallon containers was 1986 & it was not announced, they were on sale for £2 (not cheap in those days). They had skips next to the entrances (buy a container or put your booze in here) & lots of unhappy people. I got mine in, one mate inside & over the fence with the plastic flagons, ciders ok flat, lost about a third of each one in froth, lol. All the best, looking forward to more from your channel. 🎸🐑🤘

[@JammoTFTP]

Wow you have some great memories there, thanks for confirming the containers, I did think that was correct & if you could lend your memories and comments to our other pods that would be amazing, Thanks for subscribing & contributing 🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@gareththomas6496]

@@JammoTFTP Will do Dave, the MOR 87, Def Leppard & Kiss 83/84 tours also. I went to the MOR in Paris Palais Omnisport Bercy at the end of September, Maiden, Trust, Anthrax & Helloween, that was a cracking gig also, on a bus/ferry/hotel/ticket package from Bristol. I saw the advert in Kerrang & it was cheap, how times have changed. 🍺👍🤘

[@talesfromthepowerage]

Awesome - sounds like we were in the same vicinity on many occasions! Thanks for the support!

[@talesfromthepoweragelive]

Thats great you were at the Marquee. I share some memories of that on another pod. Me and Gav also went to Germany that year. mad that we were all probably on the same coach. They were happy days for sure

[@iainriley8819]

Yes DLR did the guitar swap with Stev . I was right at the front from then to Maiden I'd sobered up by then Kiss Sucked I can't believe you were at the same gig them smashing a guitar with no stings on 🤣🤣then chucking it in the crowd

[@iainriley8819]

107,00-115,00 that year I think ? Wish I still had my Marlboro hat and Death cigarette's and piss bottling Johnathon King 👍👍and the mud

[@iainriley8819]

Always remember stuck in Donnington van full of mates they opened the back door to run use the public loo's and I fell straight out the back of the van surrounded by empty Merrydown bottles 🤣🤣, G,N,R were such a waste and Kiss miming 🤣🤣

[@rogermaybank9345]

My band of the day were Megadeth but I thought Maiden player a cracking headline set.

[@talesfromthepoweragelive]

Strange how we couldn’t really recall Megadeth that day. Maiden were superb

[@toritori4430]

Was it true that thesound system kiss used was u2s ?

[@talesfromthepowerage]

Haven’t heard that - does anyone else know?

[@pauloakley2124]

My only ever visit to Monsters of Rock was this year. Brilliant line up. Never got closer than the PA tower and you could feel the pressure of the crowd on your rib cage. I was 19 and 6ft tall so it must have horrific at the front. 🤘

[@talesfromthepoweragelive]

Thanks Paul