Noddy Holder had to stop the show amid terrifying scenes when 50 youngsters were crushed at a Slade gig in Dundee.
Security men tried to keep control but two complete rows of seats were ripped from the floor as chaos descended on the Caird Hall in 1974.
The Marryat Hall next door was turned into a casualty station.
Two girls were taken to Dundee Royal Infirmary.
The show was stopped early by the police and Councillor Charles Farquhar blamed the Slade lead singer for the pandemonium.
There was a concert ban in Dundee in 1972
The Caird Hall was no stranger to screaming scenes, going back to May 1958 when Tommy Steele was knocked unconscious by admirers who mobbed the stage.
The Rolling Stones’ performance in June 1965 kept the stewards and ambulance staff busy treating 40 fainting, hysterical and weeping girls.
There was another ding-dong battle when Rod Stewart and the Faces got concerts banned from the Caird Hall after a mini riot in December 1972.
Thankfully Dundee lifted the ban.
Slade brought the Crazee Nite tour to the Caird Hall on May 1 1974.
The platform shoe-clad rockers were more than just purveyors of a catchy festive song when they arrived with a raft of hits in their back pockets.
They were at the height of their fame, having had three singles going straight in at number one and boasting legions of fans across the UK.
Tickets cost 50p, £1 and £1.25 and were available from Largs in Whitehall Street.
Slade really spearheaded the whole glam rock fashion and there was a fancy competition for a chance to meet the band at the Caird Hall.
The competition was won by Ian Tomney who was the spitting image of Noddy Holder.
It was the calm before the storm.
Noddy Holder told the Caird Hall stewards to move
The band opened with the 1972 single Take Me Bak ‘Ome and the roars from the crowd wearing glitter, boots, braces and mirrored top hats was deafening.
The audience was standing from the first song.
The sound from the stage was only surpassed by the noise from the 2,200 fans.
Holder’s foghorn voice and magnetic stage presence made him the centre of attention.
Set highlights included Good Time Gals, When the Lights Are Out, Cum On Feel the Noize and We’re Really Gonna Raise the Roof.
They did.
The Courier said a huge crush developed at the front of the stage after Holder told the stewards to move out of the way and stop ejecting people.
“At this, the crowd rushed forward and started standing on the seats, shouting and cheering at their idols.
“From this moment on, a constant stream of teenagers were carried out of the hall into the passageway to be treated by members of St Andrew’s Ambulance Association.”
The group appealed several times to the fans to stop standing on the seats after police and management threatened to stop the show due to the crush.
At one time the show was held up for 10 minutes.
The group did not come back on stage for an encore after being refused permission by the police and they were led out through the back door.
The house lights came on but the crowd refused to accept it was over and were still clapping and stomping their feet and chanting the band’s name.
But Slade were long gone.
Graham Kennedy captured Slade Dundee drama
When the hall eventually emptied the damage to the seats could be clearly seen.
Dundonian Graham Kennedy was among the throngs who went to see Slade and took photographs of the dramatic evening.
Including the band being led down the stairs to the exit by police.
Graham told me: “It was absolute chaos down near the front when I started taking my photographs before moving upstairs during the concert.
“I moved to different vantage points including getting on to the right side of the stage during the set through a side door which was unlocked.
“I got a photo before Noddy Holder spotted me!
“He gave a knowing nod to the two roadies standing in front of me and they promptly grabbed me and pushed me back out through the door.”
Graham went upstairs where he took a series of further photographs including the moment they stopped the concert to get the crowd to move back.
“Warnings were made about the crushing and the show being stopped,” he said.
“The band carried on playing.
“I walked back down the stairs and happened to be a few steps up from the side door when the police stopped the concert and the band were taken off stage.
“I managed to get some pictures of Slade being led out of the venue.”
The morning after the night before
Among the first at the scene the following morning was Charles Farquhar whose housing committee was responsible for the administration of the hall.
The damage was estimated at £1,000.
The Evening Telegraph said: “Nearly 50 youngsters were treated at the Caird Hall for injuries caused mainly by crushing.
“Two girls had to be taken to the Royal Infirmary for treatment.
“Bailie Farquhar laid the blame for last night’s trouble squarely on lead singer Noddy Holder.
“It was his remarks to get the stewards out of the way that sparked the hysteria.
“Fans pressing forward towards the stage were joined by a tidal wave of youngsters running down from the balcony.
“Stewards were swept aside as the youngsters made for their idols.”
Did Slade pick up the bill?
Four joiners were busy replacing the damaged seats at the front of the hall.
“While I am concerned about the money involved in the repair, I am even more concerned about the young people and their safety,” said Councillor Farquhar.
He suggested Slade might be sued to recoup the £1,000 but said there was no danger of a ban on Caird Hall concerts because of an “isolated incident”.
It was never reported if the glam rockers did pick up the bill.
One song Slade didn’t play at the Caird Hall (because it was May) remains a staple on the soundtrack to any credible Christmas party.
Noddy Holder refers to Merry Xmas Everybody, released in 1973, as his pension scheme, and no wonder, with 1.2 million copies sold.
Slade are still going strong in 2024 but the sole founding member in the current line-up is guitarist Dave Hill.
Noddy Holder and Jim Lea quit the group way back in 1992 and drummer Don Powell was kicked out of the band by Hill in 2020.
Slade’s legacy lives on today having been cited as an influence by artists like Oasis, Nirvana, the Ramones, Def Leppard, The Clash and Kiss.
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