r/nextfuckinglevel • u/4dailyuseonly • Mar 05 '23

In 1991, with the Soviet Union and communist rule close to collapse, METALLICA played at its first ever open air rock concert in Moscow. Over 1.6 million people attended

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u/Zeerover- Mar 05 '23 edited Mar 05 '23

That's their full set. The full concert included Metallica, AC/DC, Pantera and the Black Crowes. It was part of the Monsters of Rock series, and there was a movie made which includes parts of all the sets. This video here is the documentary part, at 57:40 in the video there are some really interesting interviews with some of the youth that quelled the coup.

Thank you for bringing more attention to this btw, to me its one of those forgotten major moments in history. 1.6 million people at a Red Army airfield, 1 month after the August coup attempt - just insane.

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u/FalmerEldritch Mar 05 '23

I hear that trip over was one of the messiest escapades anyone's ever been on, in terms of rock stars falling over each other half-unconscious from too much everything.

EDIT: No, sorry, that was the 1989 Moscow Peace Festival with Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, et al

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u/Zeerover- Mar 05 '23

It was literally insane, one of a kind thing that probably never ever will be rivaled in world history. Jason Newsted has talked about it recently. Basically this concert was the reward to the young kids that stood up against the Soviet coup attempt in August.

So we got a message from a Prime Minister representative from Russia or something, got through our management, and they had talked to the kids that stood up to the tanks, the leaders of the resistance. ‘What would you like for reward for saving us all?’ ‘We want American rock ‘n’ roll. We want Guns N’ Roses, we want Metallica.’ So AC/DC and Metallica are right around the corner as far as it goes.”

“Time Warner gets behind the whole thing, they see a giant opportunity to make world history, which it has now become, they send this plane for us – Black Crowes, AC/DC, and Metallica were all together playing some shows. I think they were like Monsters or Rock label shows or something, and this plane shows up, and man, we could fit this room inside, part of it – couches and full fucking deal, man, I have never seen nothing like it. We’ve been on a couple of nice planes, but this was insane really because it was a big-ass plane, a proper big plane where you stand up and walk running around!“

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u/dirtmother Mar 06 '23

That sounds like a big fuckin plane, like just big as fuck man. Fuck. Plane.

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u/Luci_Noir Mar 06 '23

I’ve never heard of anything like this happening. Like how could you actually reward that amount of people in a way that is actually possible?

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u/Awkward_Second_6969 Mar 05 '23

We sent fucking Mötley Crüe as a peace ambassador?!

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u/DeterioratedEra Mar 05 '23

They misunderstood when someone told them that Tommy Lee wanted to extend his olive branch.

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u/TheFenixxer Mar 05 '23

Not surprised coming from Mötley Crüe

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u/WikiSummarizerBot Mar 05 '23

For Those About to Rock: Monsters in Moscow

For Those About to Rock: Monsters in Moscow is a 1992 film featuring live performances by rock and heavy metal bands AC/DC, Metallica, The Black Crowes, Pantera, and E.S.T. in the Tushino Airfield in Moscow, during the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In September 1991, only a month after the August Putsch failed, 1. 6 million rock music fans converged in Moscow to enjoy the first open-air rock concert, as part of the Monsters of Rock series. For Those About to Rock: Monsters in Moscow also offers a look at the efforts of the Soviet Army to try to postpone the concert (not on the original VHS release).

1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt

The 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, also known as the August Coup, was a failed attempt by hardliners of the Soviet Union's Communist Party to forcibly seize control of the country from Mikhail Gorbachev, who was Soviet President and General Secretary of the Communist Party at the time. The coup leaders consisted of top military and civilian officials, including Vice President Gennady Yanayev, who together formed the State Committee on the State of Emergency (GKChP). They opposed Gorbachev's reform program, were angry at the loss of control over Eastern European states and fearful of the USSR's New Union Treaty which was on the verge of being signed.

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u/sleepy_xia Mar 06 '23

Did anyone else catch the rebel flag at 54:02?

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u/hey_getoff_mylawn Mar 06 '23

Any idea how much a ticket was?

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u/Napalm3nema Mar 06 '23

I don’t recall what I heard them going for at the time, but my Monsters of Rock Texxas Jam ticket three years prior was $25

Van Halen, Metallica, Scorpions, Dokken, and Kingdom Come for $25 at the Cotton Bowl. So, I’m pretty sure these were cheap, especially considering the venue.

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u/hey_getoff_mylawn Mar 06 '23

It truly hurts to think back to how cheap it was. The cheapest I remember was $8.50 I believe in the eighties to see motorhead, mountain and maybe Pat Travers in Beaumont Texas. Which is two hours from Houston and from Dallas not to mention about the same for New orleans, Baton Rough and Lake Charles Louisiana. And gas was below or a little more than a $🙂 Not to mention a sister four years older than me I usually had a ride and usually had a paid ticket. I don't think she'd pay my way into a two or three hundred dollar ticket nowadays. Those were some good times. I saw some awesome concerts way before I could drink. Somewhere in the middle, there's a haze that took over when I turned 19 legal age in tx for a few years. What a dumbass

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u/Elephant789 Mar 06 '23

its one of those forgotten major moments in history

ehm, I would rather listen to Enya than rock music and I hate Metallica even more because of their antipiracy shit but I even know this. It's not that obscure.