Are you ready to learn some stuff? It’s September 3rd and here’s what happened Today in Rock History!
Starting off in 2022 as the first of two Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts took place at Wembley Stadium in London. The show celebrated the life of Foo Fighters drummer who passed earlier that year. Alongside Hawkins’ Foo Fighters bandmates, performers included: Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders, Travis Barker of Blink-182, Paul McCartney, Lars Ulrich, members of Queen, AC/DC, Rush, a reunited James Gang, Stewart Copeland of The Police, Supergrass, and Wolfgang Van Halen, just to name a few. The highlight of the night came when Taylor’s son Shane take over his father’s role behind the kit by playing the Foo Fighters classic My Hero. Rock tears were shed.
We lost Walter Becker of Steely Dan in 2017.
We also lost Electric Light Orchestra founding member, Mike Edwards, in a freak accident when a giant bale of hay tumbled downhill and crashed into his van.
Now enough of the sad stuff! Let’s pick things up with birthdays! Starting off, we have Mike Wengren of Disturbed!
We also have Eric Bell of Thin Lizzy, Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols and Jason McCaslin of Sum 41!
In 2023, an album cover signed by all four members of Led Zeppelin went to auction in the UK. The Houses of the Holy album sleeve, with no record inside by the way, was expected to only sell between £1,200 and £1,800, but instead sold for £15,000 ($19,000).
Iron Maiden released Powerslave on this day in 1984
In 1999, the largest music bootlegging bust in US history took place. The operation alone was estimated to be responsible for $100m in lost revenues. Among what was confiscated included recording equipment valued at $250,000 and almost one million CDs and tapes
In 2007, Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance gets married to Lyn-Z of Mindless Self Indulgence while backstage at the Projekt Revolution festival
And finally in 2001, thousands of people show up to a Los Angeles parking lot for what was supposed to be a free System of a Down concert to celebrate their new album Toxicity which was set to release the next day. But the concert doesn’t go on as authorities stop the band from taking the stage, as they were afraid of a riot taking place. Ya wanna know what happened when they told all those people the show was canceled? A riot took place. Six people were arrested and the band’s equipment was destroyed.
This has been Today in Rock History! Keep on Rocking, keep on Rolling! Check back tomorrow for your next rock history lesson!
