Was just wondering. Anyone else here down the front during G 'n R's set at Donnington '88? Those of you who know what happened will know what i'm on about.

Peoples dyings?

I was speaking to a man on the train last week who was near the front when people died.

If only people who still go to Donnington would die.

I was too busy being born.

Same.

How did they die, trampling or suffocation?

Axl punched them to death.

I think it was suffocation. it always used to be a bit of a trial down the front but '88 was nuts due to the numbers.

What happened was after Helloween's set, there was the usual stream of people moving to or from the front except this was when G n R were getting really popular so there were more than usual, added to the record numbers that year. Even before they began things were getting dodgy, crowd dynamics and all that. Basically the crowd would move one way or the other and people were so tightly packed in that the top half of your body moved but your legs couldn't. Lots of people fell here and there and it was a struggle to get them up before the crowd swallowed them underfoot. The mud and filth at donnington was probably none too healthy either. Anyway, I remember the crush. i'm 6' and was in the army back then so was strong and tall enough to sort myself out but i felt sorry for some of the younger kids and lasses down there who were maybe shorter (lack of air etc.). I can also remember people being passed over to the security types. might have been a few angry exchanges and i think they were a bit slow to pick up on the seriousness of the problem but it was 20 years ago now so the memory is a bit fuzzy.

Metal Iain wrote:How did they die, trampling or suffocation?

i was there, but not at the front while all that happened. From what i understand, they had let way too many people in, and the crowd surge caused the folks at the front to get pretty well crushed, as it had been pissing it down and everywhere was muddy, so people started climbing out and 2 got trampled to death!!!
We weren't even aware of it till the next day when it was on the news!!!

just checked t'internet, and apparently there were 107,000 people in attendance that year, all in a big ol' muddy bowl shaped field!!!!!

I can also remember those at the front, against the barriers having a tough time trying to keep enough room for their chests to move so they could breath. The only ones that were being taken out were those that were unconscious or completely knackered. Even down the front we didn't know anyone had died until later.

I read the report by the security men on this, bad times.

I was there,and relatively near the front during the Gun's set,but noone that I met on the day was aware that anyone had died,and this was before the entire nation and it's dog had a mobile phone,so lot's of worried parents back home had no way of contacting their precious little metallers to see if they were alright.

I did hear that one of the guys who was in a coma after this was in the derby royal infirmary, and iron maiden actually went to visit him. Maybe just an urban myth, but it is plausable