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In its first big concert since reopening, Tropicana Field plays host to a crowd that was rowdy, loud and perfect for the show.
By GINA VIVINETTO
© St. Petersburg Times, published December 30, 1999
ST. PETERSBURG -- A sea of tiny flames greeted Metallica as it took to the stage four hours into Wednesday night's Tropicana Field concert.
The crowd of about 35,000 held cigarette lighters in air, creating a tapestry of flickering lights as the heavy-metal headliners burst onstage with a thunderous noise.
The extra security the Trop employed for the concert, which also featured Creed, Sevendust and rapper Kid Rock, was mightily visible as Metallica played.
More than 100 off-duty police officers and 200 security guards stationed throughout the stadium formed a human wall around the stadium floor where fans in the coveted general admission spots danced and clamored in a mosh pit.
Throughout the night, police escorted rowdy concertgoers from the floor.
As Kid Rock praised beer drinking, rock 'n' roll and all things rowdy, police forced several of the Detroit rapper's fans out. The same happened during Metallica's set, though that band's fans seemed to bob their heads more as they were escorted.
Wednesday's concert was the first music event at the stadium since it reopened its doors in 1998 after renovation. During baseball's off-season, the stadium has been host to more sedate events, namely home and boat shows. Before its renovation, its musical acts were less hard-rocking.
So fans sporting leather jackets, long hair, shaved heads and tattoos galore were a change of pace.
The contraband tables, too, were filled with unusual items. Located at Guest Services spots throughout the Trop, the tables were littered with hard-rock accoutrements: studded wristbands, switchblades and handcuffs.
As police led out errant fans, others in the audience cheered or aimed laser pointers at the troublemakers. Tropicana Field employees reported several fistfights, at least one broken window and incidences of underage drinking, but no major melees.
In other words, a typical rock concert.
It was Metallica's crowd, to be sure. The crowd -- remarkably patient considering the show's duration -- came alive as Metallica played. Even those at the rafters leaped to their feet and danced throughout the band's nearly two-hour set.
Kid Rock, too, was a favorite. As his two female go-go dancers grinded away, the rapper paid homage to "red-blooded American rock 'n' roll" while his band dished out AC/DC and Black Sabbath riffs. Later, Kid Rock did his own versions of Credence Clearwater Revival's Fortunate Son, Grand Funk Railroad's We're an American Band, and Hank Williams Jr.'s A Country Boy Can Survive.
Despite thousands of fans, the gigantic stadium had plenty of empty spots. The clamorous sound of these acts made for Grand Canyon-style echo. Visibility also proved troublesome. Fans in the Trop's rear seats -- $50 a pop -- saw the stars as little more than specs. (Hint: video monitors.)
Wednesday's concert also raised eyebrows for its policy -- really Metallica's policy -- of festival seating, or general admittance, on the stadium floor. A lucky 10,000 fans scored those coveted tickets, which sold out in less than half an hour. Fans there engaged in a bit of crowd surfing, that is, lifting and carrying new friends above their heads.