‘Rock Concert,’ by Book Review Mark Myers

Also enlightening and, following last month’s Astroworld tragedy, particularly resonant are the book’s scattered mentions of crowd safety. Back in 1952, DJ Alan Freed learned he had to prioritize security after a riot that nearly occurred at the Moondog Coronation Ball. At Fillmore East in the late 1960s, security personnel were hired based on interpersonal skills rather than physical imposition. As Jerry Pompili, former house manager, put it, “About 99% of your problems with people can be solved and eased with information.” Because the Wattstax, a music festival held in August 1972, Stax co-owner Al Bell assured that the LAPD would not be used for crowd control at the Los Angeles Memorial Arena, because ” that will only create friction.” Instead, he hired filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles as head of security. “There were no incidents,” recalls Bell. … We have about forty people and we don’t have guns, we don’t have that. “