The other day I came across some YouTube videos of the Jim Rose Circus, a freak-show act popular among my crowd in the early 1990s. I first saw them live at Lollapalooza 1992, and watching the videos reminded me of what a terrified 20-something I was back then.
Mood music:
I was excited to go because the band line-up included the biggest rock acts of the day, including Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and an industrial metal band I was into at the time: Ministry.
I enjoyed the Jim Rose act and was chilled and relaxed through Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. Then Ministry came on stage and flipped the switch on the intense anxiety and fear I struggled with back then. They launched into a cover of Black Sabbath‘s “Supernaut” and all hell broke loose behind me. The setting was an outdoor venue known back then as Great Woods, and behind the seating area was a grass-covered hill. The sun of the day started to dim and I thought a thunderstorm was afoot. Then I looked behind me and saw that the dimmed light was the sun being blocked by a cloud of dirt. The crowd in the back had begun tearing up large pieces of sod and tossing it in the air, creating a soil sunscreen.
At first I thought it was funny. It was all part of the metal spirit. Then the thick chunks of sod started making its way toward the seating area and stage. A piece slammed me in the side of the head and that’s when the terror switch in my soul turned on.
The crowd in the back didn’t stop with the sod. They started tearing the rear fence from the ground and piled the wood high, setting it aflame. I was convinced there would be a riot and stage rush that would crush us all. I fled to the men’s room and stayed there a long time. The group with me included Sean Marley, who was older than me and often played the role of big brother.
Sean was fearless, and though the depression that eventually ended him didn’t come on for another couple years, I’m pretty sure he already had something of a death wish at that point. He was a lot less patient with me. But he never gave up on me. He put up with my fear a lot and was always working to break me of the fear. It took many years after his death for the fear to be broken, but I’m always going to be grateful to him for trying.
We stayed long enough to see half of the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s headlining performance, but left before it was over. My certainty that we were all going to get killed or arrested had gotten so bad that I was twitching by that point, and my friends saw the writing on the wall. No one ever complained, though. Not to my face, anyway.
Though I don’t carry the fear anymore and my anxiety is mostly under control, I really can’t say how I’d react if I were at that same show right now. Would I smile and drink in all the chaos and stay until the end? I’m not so sure. I would have scowled at the stupidity of some in the audience, and probably wouldn’t be afraid to say something aloud. I might even yell toward the back that people should stop being idiots.
Most likely is that I’d have left early anyway — not for fear of physical danger, but because I’m simply too old to put up with that kind of behavior.
I remember that show. I was one of people up in the grass section. I remember most of the details the same way, but my experience was completely different.
I was jumpping in and out of mosh pits all day and I was still enjoying the rush I got from the chaotic but relatively safe “dancing” that I loved. Out of the corner of my eye I caught a small flame in the center of a pit where someone lit clothes or something on fire. Some daring types started jumping over and through the flames. Others began taking off their t-shirts and throwing them into the flames and building the fire. This seemed to set off some kind of tribal atmosphere. The crowd around the fire started to move in a rythmic circle around the fire jumppers… and it grew, and grew. Then the place erupted. A few small chunks of grass thrown into the air turned into an impromptu dirt fight… there was so much sod in the air it reminded me of the nighttime videos of the bombing of Bagdad.. but it was not a ‘fight’ really, but more like a neighborhood water fight… but with the only mostly-harmless element available. Until the fence started coming down. But still, after about a half-dozen bonfires started I never felt tense or anxious. I felt alive. I felt excited. I would later refer to the show as one of my all-time favorite concert experiences.
I guess it’s true… perception is reality.
I remember it well…never seen anything like it…so Crazy everyone running in a circle around that fire…
I was also as this show and can’t stop laughing at the “OMG THE WORLD WAS ENDING” narrative. I was in the pit and thought it was incredibly tame for a Ministry show. I even felt bad for the band that the suburban crowd was barely amped at all. Compared to some alterna-rock-snore fest today, yeah, people got into it. But at the time, I was embarrassed at the lack of action. All of the other bands were lame, not the least of which was RHCP — five years removed from relevancy and already surging toward claiming their title of Soccer Mom Band.
read my cimment… that was what was going on in fires… on the 2nd night… I know it was pretty tribal .. but we were having fun… I dont think the 9 cricles of hell we were in was tame… but it was chaos… it felt like the vibe was hey let go just enough to keep the cops away… and danced and speed dating with whoever hooked up fir a moment… later… danced pushed jumped.. kissed… hugged sang… next fire … at least 9 say 50 peple circles were going for seemed like about 1 hour grass sod… no one on the grass was in any way wantimg to throw shit and fuckup a great thing… I think you had to pretty much say umm sod and wtf or hey dancing and hugging and playing responsibly in fire looks safe… and i dot remember any not once did any fight get goimg and also there was i say 50/50 girl guys… so even though we were pushing and shoving it was not past a certain stress… and why run all those cute girls away who were moshing and seemed all were in a lor of concentual but brief rspeed date elationship with each other… that was the vibe that chaos felt like.. everyone was like hey that liiks fun and started a softcore orgy.. felt very safe and I know I kissed or felt each other up like at least 15 different… and found the girl I came with and she was kissing and making out … no one was like hey thas my girl or guy… 2nd was a really once a lifetime moment… just sucks that some had negaive s…
I was at this show too, I was 14 and it was my first rock and roll concert. We sat in the seated section, my friend Ian and I (his first show too, same age). I remember looking back at the dirt and bonfires in the grass section and thinking that it was exactly what I had seen in the concert sequences of Oliver Stone’s Doors movie which I had just seen. Tribal dancing around a big fire at a rock and roll show. It was all I really had to go on at the time. I remember thinking “oh, cool, they got the fires up” like it happened at every show or something as the movie would have you think. There was no anxiety and no bad vibes for me there. Ministry was so loud I thought my ears were bleeding!
Ha. I was at this concert. I remember trying to pound the booze we brought in the lot when we figured out Pearl Jam was going on second. Then later when we ran out of booze we smuggled in, we actually left the concert and grabbed a couple handles and simply ran up the back hill and climbed the fence and we were back in. it was still daylight and still no one stopped us. ( it would have been easier a hour later when the fence was ripped down.) Then there was the bonfires. Teh pagans would have been proud. It has to be the last concert in the US where multiple bonfires were set in the seating are and the show still went on…
This was my first show ever. I was 11 and was never scared. I begged my dad to let me go and join the chaos. You are the biggest wimp. Cool article about hiding in bathrooms you scaredey cat. Way to shovel shit onto one of my favorite memories. Stay home.
Clearly, you missed the whole point, which is how fear and anxiety ruins what would have been cool moments.
At that time…it was the greatest day of my life so far
Wish someone had footage of this!! Love your post. Same scenario for me same age roughly. Although I had seats and opted to go to the lawn for the fun once Soundgarden tore things up. Everything about this show was legendary! Explaining to anyone that didn’t attend makes you look like your telling a fairytale. Like Lord of the flies meets an Amazon tribal ritual. Top albums from Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and RHCP! The show went to Quonset Point the following year and I worked it between the stage and crowd. Not even close to the intensity. Beastie Boys were awesome though.
I saw both shows. The first night I was up front & counted 2 bonfires. The second night, I went to the top of the lawn, and, yes it WAS apocalyptic. There were 7 bonfires surrounded by moshers, gueled ny wood from the fence (ending Lollapalooza in MA 4eva), then came the smoke from the burning cups, & finally chsirs were thrown onstage until Al halted the show.
I was there, and still ranks as my top 2 or 3 shows ever, and Ministry stole it!! I felt no anxiety, only pure tribal energy…especially once “One Fix” kicked in…literally all hell broke loose, and I was grateful to be on the lawn. The chair audience were generally not so happy.
The anxiety part is interesting as I started having attacks when I was 17, several years before. I am Al’s age, so I was 34 then and already kicked all drugs, legal and illegal. Some of us have PTSD w/o knowing it, and my attacks came back a few years ago. I still go to shows, saw Ministry 6 or 7 times in 2015 alone. To me the music is a cathartic release. Finding a way to turn fear into a positive energy is the trick. Assholes will always be here, and they enjoy hurting others…just stand your ground and as Al says, “don’t take shit from anyone”!!
On the concrete between lawn and seats, when Ministry started, a whole pack of punks tried to climb into the seats. As Ministry got more intense, one big dude got pushed off the rail by security. Everyone then went apeshit. Security disappeared as people threw sod, pizza supplies, seats, etc. Riot police marched in after it was shutdown. Oh, the good times…
Have to agree with Ed above. One of my best times ever….didn’t want anyone to get hurt by flying sod, but happy to see it chase Ministry from the stage….at the time, just thought it was hysterical. Great day. I thought Soundgarden stole the show….I hardly remember the rest. Was transfixed by them, they ripped it.
I’ll never forget that show as I was hit square in the mouth with a Chuck of that sod. I wanted to leave after that but, recovered quickly enough.
I was at this show too. We were in the last row of seats inside the pavilion and were pelted with huge chunks of sod. There were several big bonfires and multiple small fires with circle puts going around them. Kids would lose control running down the hill and come crashing towards us. Some were jumping over and through the fire. A thick cloud of dust, dirt, smoke and fire enveloped the lawn. Al Jourgensen joked, ‘I don’t care if you destroy this place, just don’t get dirt on our equipment. When RHCP came out for their encore in their flame helmets, Keidis said, “hey look, we’re great woods.”
All these years later I can’t believe tney didn’t stop the show. It was a different time I guess. To this day when I hear Ministry I feel dirt in my scalp.
I was at the show at dte and saw how the whole thing started as a few punk rockers started throwing some grass at a few preppy kids sitting in front of them on the hill and then 5 minutes l8tr it was a grass / sod fight ever… I also rember someone throwing monster magnet cds like a rainbow in the sky ministry finally got fed up and said they couldn’t play with dirt in there gear and got all mad cussing out for people to stop or they would walk off stage… LOL
My friends and I sat near the back of the seating section with one eye on the stage and one on the rolling sod cloud and bonfires. It was an amazing experience. My only regret is that Pearl Jam and Sound Garden didn’t take the stage together at any point.
I remember that I was there
If I recall correctly the fire department actually came and put it them out and then the concert resumed
Fence was all torn down with some flames 20 ft high
I was smack in the middle of that at 15 yrs old
People dancing around and through the flames
I was at Lollapalooza at Great Woods..wearing cargo shorts, a t-shirt and, thats right, Birkenstocks.
..Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, The Red Hot Chili Peppers.. Aside from the dirt-clod rain, people tore down the fencing and there was a massive bonfire in the middle of the lawn.. when Ministry came on, thousands of people started this giant fucking circle thrash around the fire. I got caught up and alas, lost a birkenstock. I remember looking back as I was carried along by the crowd “NOOoooo..”
I sort of got carried around 4 or five times jostled about in the mass of humanity.. then I landed, one foot still clad in a birki, the other, naked. But then, a moment, and there it was, my fucking birkenstock, right fucking there. Right in front of me. Thousands of people everywhere, thousands of feet had kicked it and stepped on it..
I slipped my foot in like we were never apart. ..and went to take a leek.
Hey Bill
Im really happy to hear your anxiety is getting better,that can spoil great moments (like Lollapalooza 92) I was also there,and believe that was the best lineup of bands Id ever seen.they were all so young and full of good energy (and so were we,enjoying it all) If Id only known the importance of that day,perhaps we could have savored it more,the vibe was intense and generally if you wanted to be part of the mayhem you could,i didnt,but I will never forget it,I was a Ministry fan at the time,and they were the perfect soundtrack for the mini riot that was happening,through that day Ive learned alot about how music can communicate amazing things,ever better than language can,I really enjoyed reading other peoples experiences that day.Im still sad Chris Cornell left us 🙁
I was there too, and often tell the story of when Ministry hit the stage. My story was that the mosh pit literally erupted around us, and while we were trying to fight our way out of it, a fire hose being dragged to the back (to put out the fire others mentioned earlier) cleaned us out! I was lying flat on my back believing I was going to get stomped to death – scared the shit out of me. But then we scrambled to our feet – got out of the pit – and enjoyed the AMAZING performance.
Sorry you have a bad time. This was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. I’ll never forget the grass flying and the engergy of the crowd. The crowd was connected. They would have protected you if they saw you in danger. The best was when rhcp came out in the flaming hard hats. We had all those fires going dancing around them with them playing. Man that was a crazy fun night.
I was there, I remember the rush, I loved a few of the bands and never heard of most. The fire during Ministry was absolutely frightening. I went to the concert alone but I was not alone all of my fellow music lovers were there. The best show I have ever seen. What an amazing time to grow up. 17 and loving my life.
Funny how this show, now 27 years ago, has brought so many people to this page. If you had anxiety this was definitely not the show for you! It was amazing, certainly one of those nights of a lifetime. The mix of bands, the venue itself, the weather was even perfect for a RIP roarer of a show. I only remember Pearl Jam and RHCP, and the bonfire. Was out in the grass and it was primal; amazing night that music seems to have rarely reached energy wise since. Maybe Glastonbury or Leeds or Rock Am Ring but none of those have had fences being torn apart and bonfires alight inside the venue! I wonder what the band’s who endured it remember, if anything.
I was just at Beck tonight at “Great Wood” and was talking about this show. It was one of my favorites. I always talk about the bon fires and crazed fans tearing down the fences. I was 19 at the time and never felt threatened or nervous. I also seem to recall it affected concerts for years after because they never wanted that to happen again. We really had some great music to see live back then.
I was at pine knob in the pavilion. I remember it was literally raining dirt and sod chucks during the RHCP. It was in my hair, all over me and dirt was grit in my teeth. The band was saying, If you f.ers don’t stop throwing f.in sh#* we are f.in leaving! Then fire and smoke was all over the lawn. As we left at the end of the concert, the lawn was gone. It was nothing but dirt and mud. Our reward was given to us the following year in 1993 when the venue switched to Milan Dragway. It was a 90 something degree day in a field of dirt with porta potties and make shift stands. No running water or shade of any kind. It was torture!! Alice in Chains rocked that year, but that was unfortunately the last one I went to!!
Looking through the lens of someone who suffers from anxiety and fear, I could see how this concert would make for a very horrible experience – Sorry to hear.
This concert was my first concert too, age 14. My “seat” was in the sod-stripped lawn near the bonfires and mosh pits. Being possibly the only sober person there, it was disturbingly entertaining to watch. I remember, so clearly, the tearing down of the fence, and then seeing a wall of people charging up and over the back hill to join the “festivities”. Standing there amongst it all I remember asking myself “is this what all concerts are like?” The band was yelling at the people to stop or else they weren’t going to continue to play. I left the concert caked with dirt and mud. We went home and jumped in the ocean to wash off. I have never been to a concert as epic as this one. Thank you all for your posts and the stroll down memory lane.
I remember making my way up front during Ministry who had just put out their heaviest album to date Psalm 69. They were crushing it, Al with the skull and bones around his mic. I remember asking a guy next to me to lift me up so I could crowd surf on my back. He obliged and while getting thrown around I looked back & there were three HUGE bonfires with people dancing in circles around them to Just One Fix…”never trust a junkie”
I’ll never forget that visual or concert. At the time I had no Idea how they built the bonfires, I just saw sod being ripped up and thrown at the stage. Then the Chili Peppers came on with fire helmets, jamming thru their whole set. It was all so surreal at the time. I was fully caught up in the moment. I wish someone had photos or videos of that night.
This blog post represents how people take past history and distort to fit their worldview. This Lollapalooza in 1992 was my favorite for more than a decade until I saw an artist live at Harbor Lights breathtaking. Anybody who says this was a terror situation or scared or any other words like that is a total loser because it was one of the most high-energy real shows I have ever visited. Does anybody else remember that middle oil Midnight Oil was there? And how good they played Peter Garrett was on fire that night. Also, the new Ozzy Osbourne album is epic. probably one of the best he’s ever done. Peace and love from Seattle. ✌️ /JDS
The point of this post was not to say that festival was horrible and terrifying. In reality, it was a great show. It was to show how my own mental illness at the time distorted what I was seeing.
That was a different show that was the Womad tour
Then remove the word terror
No. The word terror isn’t to describe the event as it was. It’s about my own thought distortions that day.
I was there with my teenage stepdaughter, who desperately wanted to go. I scored premium tickets from WBCN, who donated them to a local charity. I purchased them from the charity. I was there on the “apocalyptic” night, all Hell breaking loose behind us. My stepdaughter’s friend, who got separated from her friends up on the lawn during the mayhem and was clearly frightened, joined us for the rest of the show. I drove her home later to Barrington, before going home to North Attleboro. I still have my T- shirt.
No, terror was the year later at the Milan Dragway (Michigan). After a day of scorching heat and drinking non potable water all day (water meant to cool down engines), a tornado came very close to ripping through the entire crowd. At least we got Alice In Chains afterward. Wax Trax wise, we got Front 242 earlier in the day
I was at the first show and had seats under the canopy. I remember looking at my friends after looking back to the lawn and saying… I can’t stay here any more. I don’t remember who was playing at the time but remember a decent pit and great energy. The 2 bonfires I remember were big. A tribal like march around the one I was near had a couple hundred people and was surreal. Ministry was playing. The fire department had their hoses tied in knots. Looking back the energy and the sod/bonfires were a part of the energy given from the stage. It never felt like you were at risk. If you fell in a pit, you got picked up back then. Except maybe at a hardcore punk show. Does anyone know if there is video footage anywhere of these shows?
I was there. It’s the best concert I will see in my lifetime. Nothing comes close and I’ve seen a lot of concerts.
This show is one of the fondest memories from my Keene State College days. We were living and working at school for the summer and my buddy ran a small rental car company. We piled 10 guys and booze into a passenger van and made the trip to Great Woods without a single ticket among us. Another friend boasted about being able to jump the fence so we all took him at his word.
Upon arrival, we parked, threw a disc around, drank and partied. Jumping the fence was so easy that we actually left the venue mid show to stock up on booze and simply jumped the fence again to get back in.
After hours of debauchery, Jim Jones Circus Sideshow, amazing performances by RHCP, Soundgarden, PJ, etc. nobody was able to drive home so we picked up a hitchhiker in the lot with a sign that read, “Keene, NH”.
Talk about serendipity. He was only 15 and had no driver’s license but the kid took the wheel and got us all home safely.
I will never forget the shouts from the back of the van.
“Let the boy drive!!”
You heard your rally cry and took the reigns. Thank you dread-locked white teenager from Keene. I turned 50 this year which makes you about 43 now. You will never be forgotten.
I was there, 8th row center of stage. Yes, the sun was blocked out almost completely at times. I remember they stopped the show and someone (don’t know who) came out on stage and started bitching at the crowd to stop. I remember looking at the guy and thinking he was some sort of younger, whiny, bitchy version of Don Henley.
I was there, I was 14, and my best friend at the time went with me. It was my first concert and one of most memorable events of my teenage years. The mud…lol, there was a lot of mud. I still have an Altoids tin with some of my “toe mud” and my autographed Lallapoolooza ticket put up as a keepsake. As she and I sat up against the fence to recover from the Lush mosh pit, I looked up and there came Chris Cornell across the grass towards us and we got to meet and talk to him for just a few mins. We were so awe stricken we didn’t think about an autograph but he asked us if we had anything he could sign and we pulled our tickets out. About all I remember from that interaction with him is getting to touch him when he shook my hand and watching his sexy self walk off afterwards. It was great, lol. I remember the sod slinging and they brought out the fire hoses for crowd control which was pretty effective. It also created a huge mud pit that was well utilized by many for moshing, dancing or whatever that rhythmic motion we synced into was called. It was soothing almost, I felt like I had found my tribe for a brief moment, but at no point was there an uncomfortable feeling in my experience. I will never forget when Red Hots emerged wearing their flaming helmets, the energy level of the crowd went through the roof. Good times, simpler times, younger times…lol! Reading all of your comments has put me in a very nostalgic state. Thanks for sparking those memories, sometimes life gets so tedious and hectic we forget about events like that, the impactful moments that have helped mold us into who we are. And they called our music depressing in the 90s…lol, I still listen to the same genre, “Alternative”, and I always will I reckon!
It’s great to see other posts! Sorry about your anxiety being plagued myself but times like that lets you know things can get real quickly.
This was a great lineup and performance by many. Had been a fan of Ministry through their transformations. I think it’s the show Vedder was scaling the lighting towers. Saw a lot of shows back then.
My friends and I were on the lawn when playful sod throwing went on for a while. But the frenzy started and the sun dissappeared. Endorphines rose and you knew you weren’t in Kansas anymore Dorothy! The crowds became more mobile, the frightened crowded into the pavillion and the curious and stupid (me) hung out up top. Ministry definately got the crowd going but I thought it was Ice Cube’s version of Cop Killa (Ice Tea’s song I believe) that started total pandemonium. That’s when I guess 20 foot planks were stood up in the 3 main fires at that time. The flames had to be reaching 50 feet or so. I remember four and five rows deep of hundreds of people dancing around them in a hopping and trance-like, Paganish manner. I had one kid run up to me practically spitting all over the place shouting if I wanted some acid. Chilis stopped the show until it winded down. Then as someone else mentioned, they came out for their encore wearing their fire hard hats! Small fires started again but peace was restored. No cops throughout, we were on our own and knew it. A Great Memory!
Funny because one of my friends who retreated to the safety of the roof area had a history of literally throwing his drunken girlfriend from a stage into a very active mosh pit at a downtown club.
I was also at the show, and have talked about it thru the years. I was on the lawn, and when the dirt and shoes and blankets started getting thrown against a back drop of the huge bonfire from the fence, it was time to find shelter. I lost the guy I went with in the mayhem, and to this day, I dont remember how I made it back to the North End, replete with dirt in my teeth and cleavage. A few weeks later I went to Great Woods to see the B52s and the Violent Femmes, and huge chunks of the lawn still had no lawn. Crazy memories. Bill, I can totally see how an anxiety attack at that show would send one fetal in the restroom.
Great to see everyone’s take! I was there, and at 32 had experienced more than my share of fantastic concerts/tailgates. I was always ready for anything and at times actually told to be quiet (at rock concerts!!) But this was different. Why? I wasn’t drinking (always very heavily). My anxiety was so high I left once I saw the fence being ripped and fires building…we were on the grass or what was left of it. The people I went with were trashed and enjoying it all.
I hung out with a cop outside consoling myself that I had already seen RHCP 2 years before with The Dead Milkman and Too Free Stooges. Now that was a show! (anyone else??)
Btw I just watched the documentary Woodstock 99 and thought, big deal I’d seen it all 7 years prior lol.
Great to see everyone’s take! I was there, and at 32 had experienced more than my share of fantastic
concerts/tailgates. I was always ready for anything and at times actually told to be quiet (at rock
concerts!!) But this was different. Why? I wasn’t drinking (always very heavily). My anxiety was so
high I left once I saw the fence being ripped and fires building…we were on the grass or what was left of
it. The people I went with were trashed and enjoying it all.
I hung out with a cop outside consoling myself that I had already seen RHCP 2 years before with The
Dead Milkman and Too Free Stooges. Now that was a show! (anyone else??)
Btw I just watched the documentary Woodstock 99 and thought, big deal I’d seen it all 7 years prior lol.
I just finished the Woodstock 99 doc on Netflix, googled “Lollapalooza 92 Great Woods” and found all you people! ! That was my most favorite concert ever. I was coming out of my freshman year at college and went with a gaggle of friends. We had lawn tickets but jumped seats throughout the day to get to 2nd row by RHCP. Reading everyone’s memories is so validating! I remember Eddie Vedder climbing the light fixtures like a madman. Chris Cornell made me deaf for weeks (RIP❤️). Ice Cube’s dudes roamed the isles with fake machine guns and my friend and I make goo goo eyes at one and got invited backstage (we chickened out.) Ministry was insane and the fires going on in the background were epic from our vantage point. I remember Eddie Vedder coming onstage at one point and saying that he was out there on the lawn and to keep it peaceful….which I hope is real and not something I conflated with another memory. I remember the flaming hats of RHCP and them playing “Special Secret Song Inside” which made everyone crazy. Chad Smith threw us his drumstick. I remember this whole night as magical and not at all like the vibe in the Woodstock 99 doc, which makes me wonder what changed in 7 years. Sorry to hijack this blog post, but these memories made my day.
This best vexplains exactly what happen in the 2 night in the fires and dancing… we when that song hit we at least on the hill… we were doing that… lit… we had without any plan suddenlt we had those who wanted to go get people to gather mater excess so we can build a buch of fires to dance and it was like this song was being performed on stage… and that vibe util it did get ro where we ran out of fire and at that point were willing to go take that back walled this apart and keep that party goimg… and they stopped us… but everyone who were up there were free and doing whatever some wanted to build a fire keep it going… and one fire then 2, 4, 6, 9 as outsiders were joining it was seeing we all together with no plan… just performed that song and I am sure RHCP were like Dallas is going full chaos and why the stopped us was not fires… because they were 8 9 and some were just so they can light and we had the firestarters now tearing that back area burn… and then they shut it down… but the concert was only 30 or so min later… after the encore… and my group waited till the exsodus thinned out and then we saw what looked like a war … smoking blankets from the fires the hill looked fine but the damage was all the dirt and shit in the seats… but I was on the hill and there was no one throwing sod or causing problems at all… I saw no fight stress of fear at any point on the hill… I was on 3 hits of Acid and Adderall and we were smoking weed.. I had visuals like we were dancing with cherub demons and they had horns and the strob and fires it looked sinister.. but I was tripping … so I knew I was dancimg with girls moshing and the demons were visuals which was a experience that my group walked away like that was a lot of fun…
You just cannot recreate that, free no judment and the song is music… but it also is a message…
we had a whole lot of parts doing somethning that became very big and very organized and everyone was doing something they wanted and no one was limited… and I know humans can all have plenty and work do their part and no one thinking about house… bills. unfortunatly tobe free a majority would have to all walk out of that and claim a place and do it… or force our will to end the insamity of greed and sel interests.
Then… say.
What I got you got to give it to your mamma
What I got you’ve got to give it to your pappa
What I got you got to give it to your daughter
You do a little dance and then you drink a little water
What I got you got to get it put it in you
What I got you got to get it put it in you
What I got you got to get it put it in you
Reeling with the feeling, don’t stop, continue
I realize I don’t want to be a miser
Confide with sly you’ll be the wiser
Young blood is the lovin’ upriser
How come everybody wanna keep it like the Kaiser
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
I can’t tell if I’m a kingpin or a pauper
Greedy little people in a sea of distress
Keep your more to receive your less
Unimpressed by material excess
Love is free, love me, say, “Hell, yes”
Low brow but I rock a little know how
No time for the piggies or the hoosegow
Get smart get down with the pow wow
Never been a better time than right now
Bob Marley poet and a prophet
Bob Marley taught me how to off it
Bob Marley walkin’ like he talk it
Goodness me can’t you see I’m gonna cough it
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Oh, oh yeah
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
I can’t tell if I’m a kingpin or a pauper
Lucky me swimming in my ability
Dancing down on life with agility
Come and drink it up from my fertility
Blessed with a bucket of lucky mobility
My mom, I love her ’cause she love me
Long gone are the times when she scrub me
Feelin’ good my brother gonna hug me
Drink my juice young love chug-a-lug me
Ah, there’s a river born to be a giver
Keep you warm won’t let you shiver
His heart is a never gonna wither
Come on, everybody, time to deliver
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
I can’t tell if I’m a kingpin or a pauper
What I got you got to give it to your mamma
What I got you’ve got to give it to your pappa
What I got you got to give it to your daughter
You do a little dance and then you drink a little water
What I got you got to get it put it in you
What I got you got to get it put it in you
What I got you got to get it put it in you
Reeling with the feeling, don’t stop, continue
I realize I don’t want to be a miser
Confide with sly you’ll be the wiser
Young blood is the lovin’ upriser
How come everybody wanna keep it like the Kaiser
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Yeah
That show was one of the greatest experiences of my life.
I measure all other memories against the image of dancing around a massive bonfire within a crowd of young naked fellow revelers.. while on acid.
To be a part of that show was one of the reasons I was put on this earth.
I was there, front row center stage. Chad Smith skipped a drum stick across the stage while playing that I snagged. It was a Dean Markley stick with his name engraved along with the RHCP logo. I gave it to my 11 yr old brother. Al Jourgensen (Ministry) stopped the show & said something to the effect of “If one more clump of grass lands on the stage we are outta here & we don’t care. We already got paid, you are the dumbasses that will miss out.”
Stayed until the last note was plucked by the RHCP’s then headed out to the parking lot. Made it to my friends house in MA & the next day headed back to the Naval Air Station in Brunswick, ME where we were stationed.
BTW – This was the first show I ever saw where a t-shirt was $30 (a Lollapalooza 2 shirt with all the bands names on it).
I was there, clearly remember getting hit with a hunk of sod that had rocks in it and seeing a girl walk WAY to close to the fire in bare feet and waving her arms in the flames. I happened to be at the Green Day riot in Boston and a riot that broke out at the time of Dessert Storm because certain people wanted to fight anyone with brown skin. It changes you for sure!
My 14yo asked me if she could listen to my CD’s so broke out my binder and I played Ministry, Jesus built my hot rod, she thought it was okay. But the CD made me think of this show. I told her about it, she laughed. I think I have a little cred now.
It was awesome, the Sod, the bonfires the people i was with. But Wow. these recollections brought me back. Thank You.