Being in the crowd of a rock show is a high-octane, adrenaline-fueled experience. The energy and atmosphere transport you away for a few precious hours, and it's only when the lights come up, and it's time to filter out that reality begins to push its way through the tinnitus and skin of stale beer.
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In a new book compiled from hundreds of interviews, Lollapalooza: The Uncensored Story of Alternative Rock's Wildest Festival, reveals just how insane the early days of the festival were. Everything from crowd surfing, to wild stage theatrics made it a legendary alternative music tour.
Interviews with various performers and organizers make us question how it ever came together. The chaos on the stage and off it were something to behold. But, against all odds, Lollapalooza succeeded for 6 years. In part, it helped the alternate music scenes success over the years the festival ran.
Surfing The Crowd, Living In The Moment
Looking back, Pearl Jam's lead singer reminisces about his crowd surfing antics. As the energy of their Lollapalooza performances got into his blood, Eddie Vedder wanted to ride that wave. "Over the gigs, it got higher and higher," he said. "You'd do one, and then you'd notch it up because you survived the last one."
But, although it never turned nasty, his crowd surfing antics would leave him beaten and bruised. "I'd take a shower and realize I had, like, a thousand deep scratches on my back," he told the interviewers. But, it's all in the name of showbiz, and the crowd loved it.
The book and its wonderful collection of interviews dig into the history of one of the biggest US music festivals of the 90s. When it first started, despite having what is now considered an all-star lineup, the alternate music scene was still in its infancy.
Through the dedication and determination of Perry Farrell, the alternative music scene blew up. From 1991 until 1996 Lollapalooza hosted the wildest crowd surfing, drug-taking, and madness. It gave a stage for some of the biggest musicians in the scene to emerge. But, how they pulled it off is still anyone's guess.
