How Not To Run a Prison Concert

Prison concerts, for whatever reason, are a recurring theme in pop music lore. Perhaps because musicians genuinely want to connect with the underbelly of society, or perhaps because it makes for a great product. Needless to say, some of these shows have gone down better than others.

0:00 Bonnie Tyler - Holding Out For a Hero
0:42 Bonnie Tyler - Breakout
1:28 Engine Summer - I Am a Pilgrim
2:01 Scene from “Broken Strings” (1940)
2:25 Vess Ossman - Rusty Rag
2:37 Janet Wrigley, Contortionist
3:03 Johnny Cash - San Quentin
3:33 Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues
3:54 Johnny Cash & June Carter - Jackson
4:30 Krusty The Clown - Cash and Cary
5:16 Grateful Dead - Cumberland Blues
5:50 Grateful Dead - Bertha
7:00 BB King - How Blue Can You Get
7:05 Freddie King - Sweet Home Chicago
7:20 John Lee Hooker - Serve Me Right To Suffer
7:40 John Lee Hooker - Boogie Everywhere I Go (with John Lee Hooker Jr)
7:59 John Lee Hooker - Bang Bang Bang Bang
9:12 The Cramps - Mystery Plane
10:14 The Cramps - Domino
10:56 Fugazi - Reclamation
11:32 Fugazi - Reprovisional
12:21 Minor Threat - In My Eyes

[docarii]

taking notes for when my nonexistent band finally makes it big enough to THEN warrant giving a prison concert.

[hatred]

Johnny Cash is the textbook definition to Prison gigs: Respectful, relatable, cool, he cared about them on a realistic level, not for business.

[jessop-]

The cramps mental institution gig is legendary!

[microfighterz]

Why'd you dislike the sneaking in LSD that's the most Grateful Dead thing possible

[Salazarsbizzar]

Johnny Cash is the ONLY performance artist to play USO shows for free. Even if you don't like his music, you gotta respect the legend.

[garrisonnichols]

Johnny Cash was the real deal. His music speaks volumes about society. Greatest musician ever.

[shaun]

Another one for the How Not To list: Queen's of the Stone Age got tossed from their 2007 show at an inpatient rehab clinic before the end of their first song, Feel Good Hit of the Summer. "“Nicotine, valium, vicodin, marijuana, ecstasy and alcohol… c-c-c-c-c-cocaine”.

[dontdontdontletsstart]

Seeing that Cramps concert footage really warms my heart. Having a punk band go crazy on stage and displaying a lot of "aberrant behaviour" likely vindicated a lot of the patients feelings about not being outsiders and gave them a space where they can just be cool chaotic weirdoes and vibe with the band, like all of their audiences would. They probably saved a few lives just by giving these people this moment. Its beautiful.

[lachlancampbell]

I wonder how a prison crowd would react to an ambient music gig or if it's ever been done before. I think it would be a good fit.

[MrKajithecat]

I love the Cramps set because they treated it like a regular concert which echoes because they're treating the patients like regular people. Great video.

[thomasmalatesta]

In the late 70s, our 3 piece rock band was invited to play at The Chino State Prison ( Chino, California ) We took the gig because we just liked to play live for any audience. The prisoners met us in the yard and help set up all our gear ( P.A. System, amps, drums, etc. ) We played our set of about 15 songs and then the same guys in the audience helped us pack up our gear and load it into our van & pick-up truck and we drove right out the gates from the yard with a minimal security check on our vehicles. It was a very surreal experience.

[sequoia]

BB King's live at Cook County jail is one of the greatest Blues albums of all time. Js

[tylercady]

One for the yes category, especially off the back of Bonnie Tyler's video stunt, is Metallica's trip to San Quentin. They filmed the video for St. Anger in the prison, where the inmates you see in the video are actual inmates at San Quentin. And before they left they played a full 10 song set for the inmates as a real concert outside of the the video shoot

[dadcps]

Saying that Bear was the GD's "sound man" who "also manufactured LSD" is akin to saying Albert Einstein was a patent clerk who also dabbled in physics...

[tokyobassist]

Imagine if Metallica was playing St. Anger in front of the people they got locked up for using Napster lmao.

[phz]

the cramps one almost made me cry. being stuck in that kind of place even as a child sucks. youre treated so differently and you have no control. its nice that the Cramps treated them with respect, like a normal concert. it must have been great for the people there to have something to change up the monotony of everyday being the same and to be treated like theyre just "normal" people

[MathiasRah]

Folsom Prison is my favorite live album ever. I listen from time to time and always end up crying at the sincerity of the performance.

[madmattdrummer]

BB Kings live at cook county jail will always be my favorite live “prison” album. The energy of the band and the inmates is legendary

[misstekhead]

I wish more entertainers were willing to perform for female inmates. When I was locked up in Harris County the men had more available to them. (Barbers, education, art classes, etc.) When I heard Kanye came I was pissed that the women were pretty much forgotten about.

Edit: I apologize. It turns out indeed Kanye performed for a small group of women. However, performances are historically/currently performed mostly for men, and the men are given more opportunities when it comes to education and rec.

[justjust]

I’m a hug Johnny Cash fan, and I just wanted to thank you for doing the Man in Black justice. You very easily could’ve not done any research and just mention him, but you actually looked into so thank you for making my day!
Fun Fact: Merle Haggard was actually an inmate at San Quentin when Cash preformed there