The following is transcribed from a Buffalo News article published on Sunday, July 26, 1992
(pics of the article are included below)

## Injuries, arrests vie with music at heavy-metal fest
By DAVID MONTGOMERY News Staff Reporter

The wail of ambulance sirens mixed with the screech of solo guitars in Rich Stadium late Saturday, as minor injuries marred opening sets of a major rock concert.

Even before the headlining Guns N' Roses took the stage shortly before 11 p.m., in a heavy-metal rock marathon, 33 fans had been sent to area hospitals with broken bones, facial lacerations and other injuries, according to Dr. Stanlty Pietrak, head of medical services at the stadium.

At 1 a.m., as Guns N' Roses wound up their show, the number of injuries had climbed, but no official figure was available.

Nearly two dozen arrests also were made on charges of drug possession, disorderly conduct and assault, according to Orchard Park police and the Erie County Sheriff's Department.

Many of the injuries came during a set by Metallica, a heavy-metal group with fans known for slamming into each other in "mosh pits" near the stage.

"Seek and Destroy!" Metallica's lead singer exhorted the crowd, and the crowd chanted it back. Some applauded all the tackling and shoving on the tarp-covered field.

Police, though, said the number of arrests was "not unusual" considering the number of young fans at the concert.

The crowd of 43,000 was "very restless" but similar to crowds at past rock concerts, officers said.

"We've had minor injuries mostly, from people being slammed to the turf," Orchard Park Police Lt. Sam McCune said as the stage was being readied for lead singer Axl Rose and his group.

Erie County sheriff's deputies reported 13 arrests outside the stadium during the concert's early hours, when the groups Faith No More and Metallica opened this year's concert on the summer's hottest rock tour.

Police, including 95 deputies and a full backup force of Orchard Park and Town of Hamburg officers, were keeping a close watch on the crowd while Guns N' Roses - known for arriving late for appearances - headed for the stadium at 10:30 p.m.

Orchard Park officers reported only a handful of arrests, including two for disorderly conduct, three on minor drug charges and one assault. Several minor accidents also were reported.

"There's a lot of milling around but so far... they're a lot less boisterous than the people who were here for the Grateful Dead," said Capt. Charles Hedges of the Sheriff's Department. "There's no unusual problems."

One vendor said 15 to 20 ambulances had passed her juice stand.

...is worse," she added. "This music seems to be synonymous with violence."

Stan Berke, another vendor, countered that the minor injuries and arrests were no more than expected, and fan Joe Winslow, 17, of Lackawanna said he had seen only a few parking-lot squabbles.

A few hours before the injury count began to rise, Al Dishon, 20, from Albany, raised both hands, tilted his head back and shrieked.

"Metallica," he exclaimed. "They're jamming, man. They're awesome."

The first bone-crunching bass cords hit at 5:30 p.m. sharp, and the show was scheduled to go past midnight, depending on how frisky lead Gunner Rose was feeling.

"Pray for rain at 1 a.m.," a harried police officer said early in the evening.

People from as far away as Detroit and Pittsburgh, sweaty metal towns like Buffalo, started gathering in the hot sun around noon. A huge contingent came from Lackawanna.

An air-conditioned Blue Bird delivered fans from the Cattaraugus and Allegany Indian reservations.

"Metallica, they're great, they get our frustrations out," said John Redeye of the Allegany Reservation.

The event had beer and barbecue in the parking lot, traffic reports on the quarter hour and the same number of uniformed officers as usually police a Bills game.

It's impossible to overstate the importance of these three bands in the metal world.

"This is the concert of the decade," said Greg Tucker, 17, of Rochester.

"It's something to tell your grandchildren about," said Tom Weischmann, 16, of Lancaster.

Tucker, Tony Cantasano, 18, and a third friend staked out positions outside the gates at noon so they could get choice places in the "mosh pits" near the stage.

When the gates opened at 3:30 p.m., the crowd dashed through eight chutes into the stadium, slowed by half-hearted body blocks from security guards trying to stem a stampede. Nobody was trampled.

In the "mosh pit," a reserved section at about the 30-yard line near the stage, head bangers got especially fraternal - swaying, tussling and sharing sweat. Circular clearings formed elsewhere in the crowd during the Metallica set. Beefy young men with short haircuts and no shirts took turns guarding the center of the circles until other guys would tackle them like Bruce Smith, thus becoming the new kings of the pit.

Then tacklers and tackled would exchange high fives.

Several fistfights also broke out; while, pumped the air in animated homage to Metallica.

Where does this breathtaking and sometimes violent esprit de corps come from?

Tim Zawisa reflected on that for a while.

"We need a place to excrete our anger with society, and we have a place right here," he said.

Zawisa and 100 of his closest friends from Lackawanna journeyed to the concert together. Fifty of them traveled in a rented moving van, and the rest followed in a car caravan. Provisions included two half kegs, one quarter keg and four cases of beer.

The Lackawanna crew puts metal somewhere between partying and rage.

"We're partiers and we love to party and Metallica and Guns N' Roses are partiers too," said Tim Ring, organizer of the excursion.

And those lyrics, supposedly so dark and obscene?

Metalheads analyze them as closely as folkies study protest songs, then take comfort in them.

"They talk about real life situations - war, politics, poverty," said Dave McFaul, a student at Canisius College.

"Enter Sandman" by Metallica is a favorite of the Lackawannans. It seems to be about getting sent to war, or somehow getting cheated. It's also a favorite of the Seneca Indians, John Redeye said.

Metal is Lackawanna. It's the Indian reservation.

It's rock 'n' roll football.

News Staff Reporters Lisa Wiley and Mike Vogel contributed to this report.







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