1993.04.09 - Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, Rapid City, USA

No illusion

Axl n' band to rock Rapid

Rock: Controversial band here April 9

Guns N' Roses, one of America’s hottest and most controversial rock ’n’ roll bands, will perform in Rapid City April 9.

All 11,000 general admission tickets will go on sale at 8 a.m.

Saturday at the Rush-more Plaza Civic Center and the usual ticket outlets. Tickets will be limited to four per customer on the first day of ticket sales, only. Tickets are $23.50, which includes a $1 civic center fee.

Concert time is 8:30 p.m. Friday, April 9. The doors will open at 7 p.m.

Billing itself as "the most notorious band in rock and-roll,” Guns N’ Roses has rocked the charts with such songs as “Paradise City," “Welcome to the Jungle,” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine." Its albums “Appetite for Destruction,” “G N' R Lies” and "Use Your Illusion I and II" have all been best sellers.

From its lyrics to its image, the group has attracted a lot of controversy. Lead singer Axl Rose has been connected to a riot in St Louis, Mo., and lyrics bashing blacks and homosexuals have angered many. But the group is also the biggest selling rock group right now. And attracting Guns N' Roses is a real con-cert coup for Rapid City, said Kevin Buntrock, civic center manager. Prior to this year the heavy metal band has limited its performances to larger markets, performing to sell-out crowds in football stadiums. Three months ago when the band talked

about expanding its tour to smaller markets, Rapid City got its name in.

"Rapid City is one of the few markets this size to get this show,” Bunt rock said. "We are fortunate to have the opportunity to have the show.”

And with a big name like Guns N' Roses it may be one of the first times the civic center sells out for a rock concert - especially on the first day of ticket sales.

"We have never had a sell-out with a rock concert,” Buntrock said. ‘‘But I expect we'll sell out (this time).”

Just how fast those tickets go is anybody's guess. Buntrock said ticket sales would be limited the first day, just to give everybody an equal shot at seeing the show. But he said he had no idea when people would start lining up, since everyone gets the same choice of seating.

Guns N' Roses concert time changed

The time for the Guns N’ Roses concert, April 9 at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, has been changed to 7:30 p.m.

The time was moved one hour earlier because the band plays the next day in Omaha, Neb., said Joe Chiarella with Beaver Productions. Doors will open at 6 p.m.

According to civic center Manager Kevin Bunt-rock, ticket sales are approaching 10,000. He anticipated a sellout, but he said tickets still were available for the concert.

General admission tickets are on sale at the civic center and usual ticket outlets. Tickets are $23.50, which includes a $1 civic center fee.

Billing itself as “the most notorious band in rock ’n’ roll,” Guns N’ Roses has rocked the charts with songs such as “Paradise City," "Welcome to the Jungle,” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” Its albums, “Appetite for Destruction,” “G N’ R Lies” and “Use Your Illusion I and II," all have been best sellers. Blind Melon will be the opening act for the concert.

Stop fawning over Guns N' Roses

Kevin Buntrock, civic center manager, seems delighted that the heavy metal group Guns N’ Roses will perform April 9. According to the Journal, Buntrock says, “We are fortunate to have the opportunity to have the show.” Got any more jokes?

Buntrock surely knows that many people, parents especially, feel this is definitely not the the type of entertainment impressionable young people need.

Sleazy acts have every right to sell their trash, and no one should stand in their way. But, if civic leaders like Buntrock are really sincere about the welfare of young people, they should refrain from fawning over the likes of Guns N' Roses. Our youth are far more important than big ticket sales.

Fortunately, the civic center does draw a lot of decent rock groups. But Buntrock should temper his excitement over Guns N' Roses - it's too much to stomach.

STEVE SCHJODT
612 S. 14th Street
Hot Springs

Parents, leaders set the pattern

I'm shocked at what is scheduled for April 9 in the Rushmore Civic Center!

All we hear these days is about the way our young people are behaving or misbehaving and then -

The civic center has the lack of foresight to schedule Guns ‘N Roses, the outfit that started so much trouble down South, here in Rapid, and of all nights in the year - Good Friday. Can’t someone use some common sense and bring to our kids something elevating rather than this disgusting repertoire?

So sorry to see this happen. We can't blame our kids for what they do, it's irresponsible parents and civic leaders who set the pattern.

HELEN MORGANTI
423 1/2 South Stone
Lead

Guns N' Roses tickets gone

Tickets to the Friday night Guns N’ Roses concert have been sold out, according to Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

All 11,000 general admission tickets were sold. Concert time is 7:30 p.m., with civic center doors opening at 6.

Billing itself as "the most notorious band in rock 'n' roll," Guns N’ Roses has rocked the charts with such songs as "Paradise City," "Welcome to the .Jungle," and "Sweet Child O’ Mine." Its albums, "Appetite for Destruction,’ "G N’ R Lies” and "Use Your Illusion I and II,” all have been best sellers.

Opening act for the concert will be Blind Melon.

Civic center prepares for concert

■ Buntrock sets security for crowd of 11,000.

By Ron Brown
Journal Staff Writer

If there are uniformed men with walkie talkies and binoculars on the roof of Rushmore Plaza Civic Center it can mean one of two things: Either a special dignitary like the president is in town, or the civic center is ready to rock n' roll.

Bill Clinton is in Washington, D.C., tonight.

But rock bad boy Axl Rose is in Rapid City for the sold out Guns N’ Roses concert.

"We're going to have a heavy se-curity presence," said civic center Manager Kevin Buntrock. "But that’s because it’s sold out. We’re not expecting any more trouble than with any other concert," he said. "If we had 11,000 people for Bon Jovi, I’d be doing the same thing." Rapid City Police Detective Capt. Doug Noyes did not want to discuss the rooftop deployment or the number of officers working overtime for concert security.

"I don’t think that would be appropriate," Noyes said. "We have adequately staffed the event.”

Most arrests at Rapid City concerts are for liquor violations and occur in the parking lot, long before fans get to the civic center doors, Noyes said. Not all officers will be recognizable. Some officers will be wearing "low visibility uniforms,” Noyes said.

Buntrock said his main concern was keeping bottles out of the arena.

"They had an incident the other night in Sacramento where the band left the stage after an hour and a half because somebody threw a bottle and hit one of the guitarists - not Slash," Buntrock said.

"That's a concern here, when you have one or two people that can ruin it for everybody. I talked to the promoter in Salt Lake City, Utah, where the band played last (Wednesday) night, and people loved it," he said.

"I’m anticipating a great show."

Doors open at 6 p.m. Opening act Blind Melon begins playing at 7:30.

11,000 welcome Guns N' Roses

Churning out one powerful rocker after another, Guns N’ Roses welcomed 11,000 fans to Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Friday night, proving why it is one of rock's biggest acts.

The crowd was “well-mannered” and “having a good time,” said a Rapid City police spokesman, who said there had been 62 arrests, most for liquor violations.

Blown away

Guns N' Roses pumps up the volume, kills 'em

By Ben Eicher
Journal Staff Writer

They came, they saw and, boy, did Guns N’ Roses conquer. Ladies and gents, rock ’n’ roll just doesn’t get any better than this.

Eleven thousand Black Hills rock fans were welcomed to the jungle by Axl Rose and crew in wild, exhilarating fashion Friday night at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

Widely reviled (for a well-known appetite for destruction) and revered (perhaps for the same thing), GN’R is certainly one of rock’s biggest acts, and they proved why they surely are one of the best.

Going against convention, which favors starting a show with a raucous rocker, GN’R surprised everyone by opening with a bit of ’50s doo wop, “If I Don’t Have You.” After that, though, it was hold on to your hats.

Churning out one powerful rocker after another, comparisons to the last Rapid City rock concert (Def Leppard) sprang quickly to mind, as did an old saying which more than adequately sums up the difference between a very good Def Leppard show and a great GN’R performance: Don’t bring boys to do a man’s job.

There was no better example of that than the band’s rendition of the Paul McCartney hit, “Live and Let Die.” Although the recorded version on the group’s last simultaneous releases, “Use Your Illusion I and II,” only hints at what the song could be in the hands of musical rapscallions, in concert it became a wall of glorious musical thunder.

Wearing a black Charles Manson T-shirt and often disappearing behind a curtain, lead singer Rose was a commanding presence on stage. And a controlling one.

At one point, Rose politely ordered the festival crowd in front of the stage to step back, or the show would not restart. And they did step back.

The other focal point for the band was lead guitarist Slash. The epitome of cool, Slash prowled the stage floor with his Gibson Les Paul slung low, cigarette hanging from a mouth you could barely see behind a mass of dangling hair.

Make no mistake. GN’R is indeed an important band in the recent historical pantheon of rock music.

The latest edition of Rolling Stone Record Guide gives the group’s debut album a five-star rating.

Dave Marsh’s “Heart of Rock & Soul" lists "Sweet Child O’ Mine” as one of rock’s Top 1001 singles (number 372 to be exact).

This was simply the best rock show to hit the Hills since Aerosmith’s triumphant March '90 performance.

Opening for rock’s reigning champs was Blind Melon The five-man band at times sounded like what might be described as art-grunge rock. In fact, the group's first song came off as if Yes had been formed in Seattle in 1991 and had fired the keyboard player. Despite reports before the show from civic center Manager Kevin Buntrock that entrance security would not be changed, it was.

Buntrock said the policy itself had not changed. Fans were required to undergo a heightened form of scrutiny unlike at any other civic center event since the pat search policy was dropped in 1986. Ticket holders were deemed suspicious simply because of attending this concert, when that same suspicion didn’t adhere at Thrillers games or the Garth Brooks show. Rock fans are not second-class citizens and do not deserve to be treated this way.

Rock crowd's behavior cool, but arena heat wilts dozens

By Hugh O'Gara
Journal Staff Writer

A crowd of 11,000 feverish fans, a high-powered rock ’n’ roll band, one disorderly conduct arrest, and dozens of fans who suffered from the heat.

On the whole, not a bad record, said security officers at Friday’s Guns N’ Roses concert at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

"It’s just a partying crowd,” Rapid City Police Capt. Doug Noyes said Friday evening. "It’s just wonderful they’re having a good time.”

As of 9:45 p.m., there had been a total of 62 arrests, "predominately liquor violations,” Noyes said.

Meanwhile, firefighters and medical personnel were busy removing people suffering from heat exhaustion to two emergency medical stations set up in the arena.

"I would say there’s a tremendous amount of heat exhaustion,” said Rapid City Fire Chief Owen Hibbard.

"When you get that many people in there and it warms up and they’re pushed together in tight spaces, they have to be almost physically extracted from the crowd and taken to the EMS stations.”

One person had to be taken to Rapid City Regional Hospital for treatment of a possible broken rib, more evidence of the tightly packed conditions on the arena floor, said Hibbard.

Noyes said most of the arrests were for either consuming alcohol in public or consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle before the concert.

Police cruised parking lots around the civic center on foot and on bicycle Friday afternoon and early evening, looking for illegal drinking and open alcohol containers. Few juveniles were arrested, Noyes said. "It's a very well mannered crowd."

Security forces had set up a processing station inside the civic center where persons issued citations could post bond. Most of the people got to attend the concert even after an arrest.

It is not unusual for police to set up a substation during concerts, Noyes said.

"That way, we don’t take police services away from the rest of the community,” he said.

Officials did not release the number of security officers on duty at the concert, but Noyes said it was "appropriate” for the crowd size.

Breast-baring tolerated at concert

■ Police said they were unsure impromptu flashings violated the law.

None cited

By Bill Harlan
Journal Staff Writer

Kevin Buntrock said he would have stopped a giant-screen video display of topless women during the Guns N’ Roses rock concert Friday — if he had realized what was happening. Buntrock is manager of Rushmore Plaza Civic Center here.

The incident apparently was partly spontaneous.

During the long break between the warm-up band, Blind Melon, and Guns N’ Roses, a video cameraman onstage panned the crowd.

Several young women pulled up their shirts for the camera, which projected their images by closed-circuit television onto two large television screens.

The cameraman was with Guns N’ Roses. The large screens were used during the concert to give the audience a better view of the band.

But witnesses said the cameraman encouraged and even urged women to bare their breasts. One witness counted 20 women on camera, although not all of them pulled their shirts up.

Ben Eicher, a Rapid City attorney who reviewed the concert for the Rapid City Journal, said he was surprised that the display was allowed to continue for so long - possibly as long as 45 minutes.

Buntrock said he was aware that two or three women had exposed their breasts, but he said he was not in the main arena at the time. He said he did not know the extent of the display until after it happened.

"That’s not acceptable behavior in most markets," he said.

Assistant City Attorney Kent Hagg said the women could have been cited for indecent exposure. Hagg also said the cameraman might have been cited for "inciting" or "soliciting" the behavior, but he said it would be difficult to prosecute such a case.

None of the flashers was cited.

Rapid City Police Capt. Doug Noyes said it would have been impractical and possibly dangerous to wade through the tightly packed crowd on the floor of the arena to write a ticket for indecent exposure.

“You have to be realistic,” Noyes said. "I do not think it would be prudent to enter that crowd for an arrest of this type.”

Noyes said officers did not go onstage to stop the cameraman for two reasons:

First, Noyes said he was uncertain whether the cameraman was breaking the law.

Second, Noyes said an officer onstage might have caused a worse problem: "That's a good way to get everything that's not nailed down in the civic center thrown onstage."

Buntrock said he could have told someone otfstage to warn the camera-man not to encourage flashing. "That was an omission on our part," Buntrock said.

He also said he talked to the band about the incident after the concert. "We don't want that to happen," he said.

Buntrock and Noyes said they re-ceived just one complaint from among the 11,000 people who attended the concert.

Eicher said the behavior seemed inappropriate to him, but he said no one around him appeared to be offended by it.

Eicher was more concerned about tight security outside the arena. He objected to ticket takers requiring people to remove their coats so the coats could be searched for bottles. Eicher said such searches were not done at Thrillers basketball games or at country and western concerts. He said it was unconstitutional to treat rock 'n' roll fans differently.

Assistant City Attorney Tamara Pier disagreed. She said public safety justified the minor inconvenience.

Buntrock said the tighter security was at the request of the Guns N' Roses promoter, who was concerned about bottles being thrown onstage. No bottles were thrown. There were 78 arrests at the concert, mostly for open-container violations and minor drug possession charges. There were only four or five arrests for disorderly conduct, Noyes said.

Concert no place to bare all

■ Teen finds behavior at Guns N' Roses concert offensive.

By Steph Foote
Our Turn Correspondent

It is taken for granted that when you attend a concert or a public function, most people will try to exhibit good manners.

Unfortunately this was not the case at the Guns N’ Roses concert.

After Blind Melon, the opening band, finished performing, a few members of the audience thought it would be fun to have a bare breasts contest. As if this type of behavior wasn’t bad enough, a cameraman decided to provoke these shameless individuals by focusing on them.

To make matters worse, when he focused the camera on an individual who didn’t want to participate, the young men around her would pull at her shirt.

It was obvious that the only people amused by this act of indecent exposure were the participants themselves and the cameraman, of course. I tried my best to avoid these people but unfortunately the woman behind me decided that it was time to show off her assets.

I was angered by Rapid City Police Capt. Doug Noyes’ comments in Thursday’s Rapid City Journal that it would not have been prudent for police to enter the crowds and make arrests, even if the behavior did violate city indecent exposure laws. I find it difficult to believe that these women couldn’t be sought and punished for their actions.

I understand that the police and security guards had their hands full with other offenders, but did anyone ever stop to think about the ramifications of letting this go on? What about the safety of these women and the other women attending the concert?

By allowing this type of behavior to take place, men were given consent to take advantage of women. What if a rape had occurred or what if someone was hurt as a result of this?

At times, I feared for my safety. And, I was offended — not only by the women who willfully participated and the cameraman who glorified them — but also because this was allowed to take place.

In the article, Noyes said police received only one complaint regarding the incident.

I believe many of the people around me were either drunk or high and did not realize what was happening.

Could it be that the concertgoers were not quick to object or protest because they were in an altered state? Or, maybe it was because they thought this type of behavior was acceptable at a Guns N’ Roses concert.

I am not being a prude. But this was not Mardi Gras or spring break at Daytona Beach. Maybe it is nice to let down inhibitions for a while, but please take it somewhere more appropriate.

Hopefully in the future, more attention will be placed on the crime and less on the breasts.

Steph Foote, 18, is a senior at Central High School.

Looking for trouble?

The Journal recently had an article on the front page about breast-flashing women at the Guns ’N Roses concert; if this was the biggest problem related to the concert, I would say it was a pretty good night. The breast flashing at this concert is nothing new to Rapid City. I have personally seen such activity at other events.

Just for a point of interest, the Rapid City Police Department was holding an unscientific poll the night of the concert The officers were keeping track of problems and arrests that they felt were a result of the questionable entertainment. Was this survey held for Garth Brooks? How about Bobby McFerrin? But let's not forget about when Big Bird was in town. There had to he some pretty radical 3-year-olds going ballistic in the parking lot!

If you look for problems with teens and their entertainment long enough, eventually you'll find several. I got the impression that the civic center and the local media were praying for trouble at the Guns N Roses concert. Sounds like a double standard, doesn't it?

DAVID W. HAGUE
5221 Albert St.
Rapid City