What’s That Man Movin’ To and Fro?

 

In 1978, January 16th, to be exact, my younger brother and I went to see our first rock show. We were lucky enough to get tickets to see Emerson, Lake, and Palmer perform at the Montreal Forum. We sat in the nosebleed section, and since the admission price was a mere $15, we didn't bicker over the seating arrangements.
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We arrived half an hour before the scheduled start. The performance occurred years before the anti-smoking laws as countless potheads lit up for, er... medicinal reasons. I quickly detected this from our vantage point as a haze took shape near the centre of the arena. It slowly billowed upwards and was not unlike a mushroom cloud formed by a nuclear explosion. The thick shroud surrounded us, and I soon yielded to its side effects, for I had a sudden urge for the munchies. The crowd clapped hands and screamed in unison, eager for the show to begin. Finally, the lights were switched off. A dimmer switch had yet to be installed to help create a smooth transition.

 

[Old Man’s Voice]

... In my days, once the lights were turned off, we didn’t use those annoying smartphones, iPads, or laptop computers to show our appreciation. We used cigarette lighters or matches (the die-hard fans wielded blowtorches). We weren’t afraid or cared if it was a potential fire hazard because we were stoned out of our minds. We didn’t panic if a guy next to us spontaneously combusted. We shoved him to the ground and kicked him around until the fire died down. The sucker, er ... the unlucky individual came out a bit singed, but no harm was done. A great time was had by all....

 

... fade back to 1978...

 

The crowd was cheering wildly, and suddenly a voice introduced the group. The stage was set ablaze by a blinding light, and the full force of the opening number hit me. The sheer power of it all hooked me instantly. I smiled throughout the whole evening (which was no doubt, helped by the pothead's air freshener).

In the following years, I attended over fifty shows. Among these were Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Yes, Dire Straits, ZZ Top, Gentle Giant, The Kinks, Supertramp, Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, Billy Joel, Marillion, Rush, and several others. I consider the first concert to be among my all-time favourite.

Over time, I started losing interest and eventually renounced going to rock shows. The diminished enthusiasm was mainly due to the crowd's change in behaviour. More often than not, while the artists performed, the fans grew excessively vocal and obnoxious. I no longer could ignore them and enjoy the music simultaneously. Therefore, in 1982, I calmly walked out of a ZZ Top gig, vowing never to attend a show within the confines of a large arena. I invariably deemed that I was a stuck-up or intolerant towards my fellow concert-goers, but I later found out that this was also Pink Floyd's bane of existence. Once this band became Mega Stars with their Dark Side of the Moon album, the crowds never kept quiet, and this drove them, especially Roger Waters, around the bend.