Residents of Blackpool, England, wait all year for summertime to roll around.
Since the 18th century, the coastal town has been attracting people to its expansive beaches, and over the course of decades has become one of the most beloved vacation spots for Brits with carnival rides, restaurants and all sorts of warm weather activities to enjoy. (John Lennon lived there for a short time in his childhood.)
And if the beach and the amusement park rides weren’t entertaining enough, there were also musical acts that would come to town. On July 24, 1964, the Rolling Stones were booked to play at the Empress Ballroom, an exquisite venue just a few blocks from the shore.
It turned out that the only thing more popular than Blackpool in the summer was Blackpool in the summer hosting one of the most prominent up-and-coming rock ‘n’ roll bands in the U.K.
From a Gig to a Riot
Not all that long before arriving in Blackpool, the Rolling Stones had landed their very first No. 1 hit in the U.K. with “It’s All Over Now.” Excitement was therefore high, but not without some raised eyebrows over the band’s “bad boy” reputation — just a month prior, the Stones had toured America for the first time and earned themselves the infamous headline “Would You Let Your Daughter Marry a Rolling Stone?”
Watch the Rolling Stones Perform ‘It’s All Over Now’ in 1964
Still, fans flocked to the Empress Ballroom to see them and they wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“The crowd was aggressive from the start,” Peter Fielding, guitarist for that evening’s support act, the Executives, recalled to Mojo in 2022. “We had got through most of one set but they began chanting ‘We want the Stones’ and threw coins at the stage, until we had to cut things short.”
READ MORE: The Best Song From Every Rolling Stones Album
But instead of things calming down when the Stones took the stage, the situation only escalated.
“They punched their way to the front, straight to the stage and started spitting at us,” Keith Richards remembered, who ended up retaliating and kicking an attendee in the face. Bottles were thrown, chandeliers destroyed, seats torn apart — 12 minutes into their set, police finally managed to break up the violence. It was all over just as quickly as it began.
The Consequences
Approximately 50 people suffered minor injuries, with two being taken to the hospital, not to mention several thousands pounds worth of damage to the venue’s interior, including a smashed Steinway grand piano.
But certainly the most dramatic consequence to come out of the incident was the 44-year ban from Blackpool placed on the Rolling Stones. It’s unclear why 44 was the chosen number, but one thing was pretty much for certain: there had been too many people crammed into a venue designed to hold a fraction of them.
The Lifting of the Ban
True to their word, the Blackpool city council lifted the band 44 years later in 2008.
“If they forgive us, we will forgive them,” council leader Peter Callow told Reuters. “The ban has been officially lifted and I would love to see them play again at Blackpool. Nothing would give me more satisfaction.”
At the time of this writing, the Stones have never been back to Blackpool.
Allison Rapp is a New York City-based music and culture journalist. Her work has appeared in Brooklyn Magazine, Insider, Rock Cellar, City Limits and more. She is also the host of Big Yellow Podcast, a show about Joni Mitchell. She tweets at @allisonrapp22.
Concerts That Turned Into Riots
Sometimes shows can get out of control.
Gallery Credit: Corey Irwin
