I Was at The David Cassidy Concert at White City Stadium by Doreen Walker
I WAS AT THE DAVID CASSIDY CONCERT AT WHITE CITY STADIUM, 26TH MAY 1974.
With the 50th anniversary of David’s concert at the White City Stadium on 26th May I thought I would put into words why I needed to attend this concert and all the excitement about that day in 1974.
To understand why getting to David’s White City concert in 1974 was a big deal for me, not only because of seeing David, here is a little background to my life at that point in time.
I had been subjected to severe bullying in the September and October 1973 to the point that I suffered from some sort of mental breakdown causing panic/anxiety attacks either before I left home to go to school, on the way or once I arrived at school, back then no one understood about these attacks.
Once I was at home, I was fine, and my comfort from all of this was listening to David’s music, buying and reading any magazine I could get my hands on with something about David in these magazines. It was during this time that David announced that he was leaving the Partridge Family and would be doing a World Tour in 1974.
I remember one day in that time that there was a interview David did on the radio and remember him talking about the world tour and leaving the Partridge Family and was then he mentioned that he would be stopping/retiring from touring after the world tour. He was then asked the reason for stopping/retiring from doing concerts and David spoke about being burnt out from working 16-18 hour days over the previous 4 years doing the tv show, recording both for The Partridge Family and as himself, plus concerts. He also mentioned about he needed to do retire from touring for his mental wellbeing and that it was a difficult decision to make, but he hoped it was the right one because if he didn’t retire from touring etc he didn’t know how much more of that workload he could keep going.
This made me think of the situation I was in, although very different to David’s, but I knew for me I couldn’t go back to the school with the bullying, so decided I wanted to change schools and that I wanted to get myself well enough to get to one of the concerts.
There was no stopping me getting tickets once I knew the dates and places of the concerts here in the UK. As I lived in London back then obviously I booked tickets for the concert at White City Stadium, London on 26th May 1974. I managed to get 2 tickets for the grass area and my cousin who was also a fan of David’s also go 2 tickets for the grass area, so we planned to go together with 2 older cousins who said they would go with us to make as I was 15 and my cousin was 14 at the time, which was much better than having a parent coming with us.
As you can guess we were both excited about going, but for me it would be my main goal in getting better after the mental breakdown from the bullying and wanting to make sure that those bullies didn’t win in any way.
I do remember ticking off the days for the concert once we had the tickets and talking to my brother about concerts at stadiums, he had been to concerts in stadiums and warned me that it would be best to stay further back and don’t get down the front as it could packed there.
There was such a build up to the White City concert as it would be the penultimate concert of the world tour and it was in London. All the teen magazines were going David Cassidy crazy and the week running up to the concert the daily newspapers were also had articles etc in them on David coming to the UK to do the 3 concerts in Glasgow, London and Manchester.
Once David arrived in the UK, there were several TV and Radio interviews too, all adding the excitement, It was Cassidy mania in full flight in the UK, it was definitely on the same level as Beatlemania had been in the 1960s
The 20th of May was my 15th birthday, you can imagine how exited I was that 6 days after that I would be seeing David in concert, I couldn’t wait, plus that I had managed to get myself well enough after the bullying etc to go to the concert.
The weather in the UK back then had been sunny, warm with thundery showers with a couple of days during the week running up to the concert were humid with thunderstorms.
By the end of the week there was more sunshine around and less of the thunderstorms, but still very warm and humid, this had several fans that had tickets for the concert the Sunday 26th May to go and camp outside White City Stadium on the previous Friday 24th May to be the first in the queue to get to the front to be nearer the stage, plus the fact that the most schools had broken up for the Spring half term holiday.
This queuing doesn’t sound a bad idea, but it was reported that some of those queuing were refusing to go and get food, drinks or for any reason, as they didn’t want to lose their space in the queue. This all added to the events that happened at the concert, what with it being warm and humid, fans not eating or drinking properly and the excitement of seeing David in concert, I was not one of those camping outside White City Stadium as at that time as I lived in London, and it would only take us about 20- 30 minutes by car to get there from where I lived.
On the day of the concert, yes, I did get to a point I was able to go to the concert, without David’s music and getting tickets for the concert I don’t know if my recovery would have been any different, but I knew I was not going to miss this concert. I remember waking up in time to listen to Radio 1 on my Radio, they did play one of David’s songs knowing that the concert would be happening, I was so excited to be seeing David, after all that had happened to me in the previous 8- 9 months, I had manged to be going to the concert.
It was sunny with some dark threatening clouds as it was very humid. As the concert wasn’t due to start until 8pm and the gates to the stadium were supposed to open at 6pm there was no rush to get up and dressed too early, but I was too excited so got up and decide to turn on my record player in my room, keeping the volume low played my records, once I knew the rest of my family were up and around I did turn the music up and yes it was all David’s music.
My brother, who had been to few big concerts that it was best not to take a bag as it could be stolen or lost because of the number of people there, it was good advice. It mentioned on the tickets that cameras wouldn’t be allowed and that any bags would be searched on entry to the stadium. If a camera was found it would be confiscated and could be collected after the concert, if I remember correctly.
I can’t remember the exact time that my cousins arrived at my house, but it must have been about 3 – 3.30 pm. I did pin a couple of badges on my jacket but didn’t put too many on as the other older cousin going with us had made her younger sister and myself a large heart shaped rosette each, I still have mine, some years later I ended up with my cousins one too. The heart shaped rosettes were made with a full page pin up on David, they were unique no one else would have these. I also had tied the David Cassidy scarf I bought at the Empire Pool, Wembley the previous year onto my right wrist, I was hoping to get another one at the concert.
We then all got in the car and left for White City Stadium, everyone was telling us to keep together and have fun, think we must’ve left about 4 - 4.30pm, the clouds had cleared, and it was sunny by this time, but still very warm and humid.
It took us a bit longer to get to White City Stadium because of the amount of traffic in the area, it was about 30 minutes, but that’s going to happen if you have 35,000 people all descending on one place, it could’ve taken longer.
When we arrived at the stadium, at around 5pm, we had expected to find a huge crowd waiting to get into the stadium as the tickets said the gates would open at 6pm, but we discovered that they had opened the gates early as there were so many fans outside and with it being so warm and humid.
After the security check on any bags, we were allowed inside the stadium we bought the souvenir programme and I did get another scarf and tied that one onto my left wrist, so I now had one on each wrist there was no way I was going to lose those scarves and I do still have them, As our tickets were for the grass area we headed for the entrances to the grass, there were stewards/security personnel at the entrances checking tickets to stop anyone with tickets for the stands trying to get onto the grass. There were hundreds of fans walking around getting drinks, food or both, plus buying posters etc and you could feel the excitement mounting even though we were still about 3 hours before the concert would start and about 4 hours before David would be on stage.
Once we were on the grass you could see there front of the grass area where there was a barrier with a good few feet between that barrier and the stage.
There was quite a crowd of fans there, the atmosphere was just so exciting, there wasn’t much space down at the front, but they were at that point sitting on the grass.
We decided to stay further back but could see the stage with no trouble as it had been built so that everyone could see.
While we were waiting for the concert to start, we just sat on the grass soaking up the atmosphere and joining in the cheering when anyone came on stage to do something with the equipment.
During the time of waiting many more fans arrived and many decided to go to the front even though it was packed down there already and in the end those that had been sitting on the grass had to stand. The reason for this happening there were no Stewards or Security personnel to stop them, and many were taking no notice of anyone who said it was already packed and no room. As the time got nearer to the start of the concert, music had been playing though the sound system and some were singing along, the atmosphere was electrifying and the excitement was still building, it was amazing to be there. Also we knew that the concert was being recorded for a live album to be released at a later date.
As it got to 8pm the noise in the stadium was getting louder, well there was 35,000 there.
At exactly 8pm Showaddywaddy, the support act came on and got everyone in a great mood singing along with their songs, they were popular then and had had quite a few hits in the charts. They were very good and everyone seem to enjoy Showaddywaddy’s time on stage, but of course they knew that we were all just waiting for David to come on stage.
There was a short break after Showaddywaddy while everything was set for David and his band to come on.
Then Tony Blackburn came on stage and asked everyone to move back a bit as some people were being pressed against the barrier at the front, he then did the build up to David coming on stage with getting us all spelling out David’s name with give us “D” etc, with everyone screaming back each letter when asked, the excitement was now at fever pitch and once David appeared on stage everyone just screamed, just to see David appear on stage it was so amazing and the screaming was almost nonstop.
If I remember correctly, he started the concert with “Preyin’ On My Mind” followed by “The Puppy Song”, and then with David playing guitar “Some Kind of a Summer”. David went off to side of the stage, it was during this time everyone at the front was asked to move back as fans were getting squashed against the barrier, everyone did move back. Some of fans started singing “Nice One David” and everyone joined in as can be heard on the “Cassidy Live” album that was recorded at the concert.
When David came back on stage, he sat down at the piano to play and sing a slow version of “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do”, this was followed with David playing “Bali Ha’I” on the harmonica which obviously got a huge cheer. This was followed by “Mae”, while singing this David did say a few times to move back as everyone at the front had started to move forward again and then before he got to the end the song David was taken off and the music was stopped.
One of the security people came on stage and said they were stopping the concert as there was someone that needed medical attention near the front and they need to get that person out. They moved some fans to be able to get the person out, we didn’t know who the person was at that point or how serious it was, there was a lot of activity at the front with stretchers and fans being taken to first Aid. Those that were moved out were able to move further round the side on the grass where there was more room. They then asked everyone on the grass area to take three paces backwards and not to push forward once David came back on or they would take David off again and stop the concert, but they didn’t want to that if at all possible. Everyone did take three paces back and didn’t push forward again.
David returned to the stage he had changed out of the red tuxedo and was wearing a black top with sparkly swirls around the neck and white satin trousers, and sang “Delta Lady”, everyone was screaming at every move that David made over the stage and to every song, it was fantastic.
David then strapped on his guitar on again, he then played and sang “Please, Please Me”, all the screams were getting louder and louder. David then sat at the piano again and sang “Daydreamer”, which got one of the loudest cheers or screams.
I was completely mesmerised by David, so was my cousin, you just couldn’t take your eyes off him. With the distance we were from the stage you couldn’t make out his face clearly, but there was no mistaking who it was with the way David moved around the stage, every move he made was followed by screaming.
The next song was “How Can I Be Sure” this also had one of the biggest cheers/screams of the concert. This was followed by “For What It’s Worth” with David on guitar and doing a guitar solo at the beginning of this one, I love this one, I had goosebumps all though the concert, but more so during this song. It was getting near the end of the concert and David sang CC Rider/Jenny, Jenny and did and drum solo during this and the threw the drumsticks into the audience if I remember correctly there was a big cheer for that too and before we knew it David was saying goodbye.
That wasn’t the end though Tony Blacburn came back on and asked us all if we wanted to hear David again and of course everyone yelled back “Yeah”, then he said you can go it louder than that and of course we did it again, but louder and for a third time , with that David returned to the stage and did a rock medley of the following songs “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Rock Around The Clock”, “Jailhouse Rock”, Rock and Roll Music” and finally “Rock Me Baby”.
It was a fantastic concert despite what happened at the beginning, I still get goosebumps every time I listen to the “Cassidy Live” album, even now 50 years later. I also don’t quite remember how we got out of the stadium, I remember we were trying to get out with the big crush of fans and one girl fell over and my cousins helped her get up overwise she would’ve been trampled on as there were so many people, some how we managed to get to the place where we would meet up to get our ride home I just don’t know how we did that.
The tragedy of the concert was of all those that were hurt or crushed at the front, as with all this type of thing the newspapers tended to exaggerate events, the only newspaper that I thought gave the most accurate account of the events that happened at the concert was The Times, yes, there was a lot of what I call walking wounded, they were ok to an extent as they could get themselves home or meet relatives who were waiting for them. The biggest tragedy was concerning Bernadette Whelan who was the person that needed the medical assistance at the concert and unfortunately died a couple days later.
David was devastated by what happened and had already decided to stop touring, this must have confirmed to him he had made the right decision.
Apart from the sad events that happened there, the concert was absolutely fantastic, exciting, exhilarating and I live it every time I listen to “Cassidy Live”.
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