If you grew up going to punk shows, chances are you’ve been thrown out of a basement or hole-in-the-wall club by police. Though cops are usually cool at (or outside of) shows, we found these 10 clips of police shutting down rock and metal shows.
When Rage Against the Machine attempted to perform in protest of the 2008 Republican National Convention, police shut the band down before they played a single note. Although Anti-Flag got their set in, Minneapolis police declared the Rage gig an unlawful assembly, arresting over 100 people as conflict stretched into the night.
Both Zack de la Rocha and Tom Morello made public speeches that day. “Why the fuck are these cops so afraid of us?” the Rage singer said before a crowd of fans. “Are they afraid of us? No, no. They’re not afraid of four musicians. They’re afraid of you.”
Imagine having the balls to cut off the power when Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen are performing together in front of a gigantic crowd. “When did England become a police state?” guitarist Steven Van Zandt tweeted. Police denied involvement in cutting the cord, though the musicians onstage and news outlets pointed the finger at the cops, who reportedly ordered the end of the concert after Springsteen’s band blew past a venue’s curfew.
Check out these moments when cops shut down rock and metal shows in the Loud List below.
Cops Shutting Down Concerts