52 years, 1 month and 14 days ago Wednesday, September 20, 1972 Indianapolis, Indiana Indiana Convention Center 13,000 capacity
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Clay Miller I was at this show. I was 17 at the time. It was actually 3 bands. The opening act was The Eagles. It was their first American tour and I was totally blown away as that I knew I was witnessing history. The second band was Gentle Giant. They were great that night also. To bad they never achieved the success of the other 2 bands that played that night. I was one of the lucky ones as that I was on that first row. There were a good 15-20 feet between us and the stage. Halfway through their second song ‘All Good People’ I couldn’t contain myself. There was so much room and the evening had been so incredible that I just had to dance. In seconds my friends and most of the rest of the front row joined me. It was such a spontaneously joyous moment. And a moment was about all it lasted as a couple of IPD decides to try and set us back in our seats with a show of force. YES stopped the show and calmed the situation. The IPD actually did us a favor. Their reaction provided the opportunity to for us to close that 20-foot gap. For the rest of the show we enjoyed YES right in front of the band. 10/14/72 New Musical Express "Yes concert stopped by police raid" Douglas Jones, MILWAUKEE FOR THE FIRST time - in five tours of America - Yes recently stopped one of their shows as a result of a police show of force. It happened at the Coliseum in Indianapolis, and if the band hadn't taken matters into their own hands then the concert might never gotten beyond the second song. "It all started when we did 'All Good People' - our second number", bass guitarist Chris Squire told me when we chatted a few hours before Yes' first ever appearance here in Milwaukee at the massive Arena. "Some of the kids in the first few rows really go into the music and started dancing and jumping around. Others followed, but it wasn't a problem - just enthusiasm, that's all. "Anyway, before we knew what was happening the police wading in, waving night sticks, pushing the kids to one side and shouting for everyone to sit down. We could hardly believe it", Squire explained. From the stage, Jon Anderson brought the music to a halt and publicly said a few things about the police intervention that the cops didn't exactly appreciate. then Chris took over the microphone to speak to the audience and resolved what could, otherwise, have been a very ugly situation. "I simply tried to explain to the cops that the audience were just there for the music, that they like to let their enthusiasm show, and that they weren't out to start a riot or anything. And I explained to the kids that although the cops had a job to do, they were going about it the wrong way because they didn't understand. "Anyway things gradually calmed down, and we started up again. The police didn't interfere with the kids any more, but they lined up across the front of the stage - like a sort of protection squad. "It was a bit disconcerting to us, because we could see the backs of their heads the whole time. Then, about two numbers before the end of the show, all the cops just left...like nothing had ever happened. It really was a strange gig". |