i caught an ac/dc concert on tv the other day. i'm not their biggest fan, but i loved seeing the rows of marshalls. nowadays bands are using smaller amps miked thru the p.a. makes sense-less labor, less cost.

i miss,however the thrill i used to get from seeing that "wall of amps." i remember my first concert- steppenwolf 1968- and being blown away from the first note- big and loud. i always tried to get inside the venue doors as soon as i could just to check out the equipment. one of my favorite photos is stiill inside of the blue cheer album where you can see the marshalls.

anybody else got a story on the good old days? tell me about the biggest setup you've seen.

I never realized how gosh-dang big Zakk Wylde is, my god the man must be 9' tall and about 650lbs. It would take quite a few Marshall stacks to make a wall around him.
see




*isn't there a picture inside the Kiss Alive album, that may be the biggest wall of amps I've seen if I remember correctly...it's been a loooong time.

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http://www.youtube.com/user/Beantown1965

I especially enjoy the stage shot on the rear cover of Big Brother & The Holding Company's "Cheap Thrills" album.

It's like 'Dual Showman heaven'!

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

I go back to the walls of Marshalls, Sunns, Hywatts, and all the other monsters that ruled the earth from 1967 on. Mountain was impressive with a mountain of Sunn amps laid on their sides stacked two high, three heads on top of the two bottoms in a single row. Then a third bottom laid on it's side on top of the Three heads. All across the stage like that. Back then your amps were your sound. PA's were vocal territory. Outsideinside - Blue Cheer.

ive seen AC/DC twice (and hopefully a third time if they come back) and the wall is frickin huge! loudest band youll ever see....

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Favorite bands:

Melvins
The Jesus Lizard
Cows
Big Business
R***man
Minutemen
Flight
Minor Threat
Big Black
Shellac
Karp
Scratch Acid
Wipers
Pixies

Yes they used the amps in the old days, the Loudest concert I have ever been to was Black Sabbath w/ quiet riot 83-84. Black Sabbath Born Again tour in New Haven CT. Sabbath was LOUD! So loud, the whole New Haven Colisieum was Shaking, and I was in the nosebleed section. Great Show! Zero the Hero!

1982-Phila PA. Outside at the old JFK stadium-REM,some english band, Joan Jett and the Police. The wall of amps was at least 20 foot high and ran the width of the stage-I have some old photos to prove it. I was sitting high up in the stands about the old 50 yard line and you still had to shout to be heard to talk to your friends sitting next to you.

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So heres to your survival, swimming up the stream, crossing over one dam after another till we get to Rock and Roll Heavens Gate!

Those pictures are Awesome Nevin.

The thruth behind the Wall of Amps...

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Dean, Epiphone and Fender guitars

Hi phreddybee: end of the '70s I spent a Who gig with my chin on the edge of the stage between Townshend's monitors. He had his row of six Hiwatt cabs behind him and I was getting the full force right between the eyes. I thought it was the most awe inspiring thing I'd ever heard at that time. Much later I discovered that he only ever used one or two of the cabs; the rest were dummies. Can't imagine what it would have been like if they'd all been running...



Excuse the quality of the photo: I'd only just got my first SLR a couple of days earlier and hadn't quite figured out things like metering and focus. (Some think I still haven't.) My first effort in the darkroom, too...

Cheers - C

I recall seeing several bands with Marshall stacks and even Leslie stacks, but here are a couple of The Who, taken at a place called Code One in Ft Lauderdale, Florida in 1968. At the time, it seemed like a LOT of ampage :

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

Kiss was going for the record in 2004 ...

(edited: removed large pic for a smaller one that shows ONLY one side of the stage ...)

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Laughing out loud with fear and hope, I have a desperate plan ...

finally somebody that has proof.
i always found it funny that 99% of the people that faked it like this were marshall users. lol
wonder if theres something to be said about that?

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

Hey Miami Mike; Stranahan class of 1970. Pirate's world, the Hollywood Sportatorium.

thanx plymouth. thanx alot. no really, thanx so much. next your gonna tell me there's no santa clause.