Recommendations of the Editorial team
It was more than 34 years since January 18, 1991 at an AC/DC concert in Salt Lake City in the US state of Utah were killed in the public.
The tragedy occurred shortly after the band had started with their opening song “Thunderstruck”. At that time, the audience stormed further towards the stage. This was only possible because the “Salt Palace” event location left the premium places open to all guests directly in front of the stage. The rush to the stage quickly got out of control – three teenagers died of the consequences of their injuries after the show.
Brian Johnson: “I will never forget it as long as I live”
It is still controversial how long it took for AC/DC to notice the drama and interrupted its concert. Some reported that the musicians continued to play for 15 minutes, others even appreciated it to 45 more minutes. In a report by the television station “Behind the Music“Brian Johnson assured that they were not aware of the chaos that was going on at the moment. The singer said at the time: “Terrible night. I will never forget it as long as I live. “
In retrospect, the show continued after a 15-minute break. This was based on a recommendation by the authorities, which feared that angry fans could cause unrest when the concert was terminated. A fact that was broadly discussed in newspapers in the weeks and even years after.
Brian Johnson still found part of the reporting unfair. “What hurt the most was that the next day they said in the newspapers: Band continued to play while children died before them,” said Johnson. “You used a photo of me with a smile on your face.” Malcolm Young is said to have suffered so much that he completely refused to talk about it from a certain point.
Parents of the victims sued and AC/DC
Among the victims were 19-year-old Elizabeth Glausi, 14-year-old Curtis Child and the 14-year-old Jimmie Boyd. Her parents sued AC/DC later, but also the district of Salt Lake City. They blamed both parties to the deaths.
Further complaints followed by survivors who suffered injuries and trauma through the tragedy. But there was never a process. All cases have been clarified out of court.