July 23, 1972

An electrifying Mick Jagger and his Rolling Stones turned on the musical heat last night, providing a hot time for thousands of fans at the Civic Arena.

"Ah, brown sugar, how come you taste so good," wailed the lead singer of the notorious British rock group, while city police tries to cool with minor disturbances.

The record crowd -- 13,845 young people -- reacted in ecstasy equal to the Stones' hard-rock rhythms under the silver dome last night.

The blaring music and the singing of Jagger, cavorting like a peacock in his skin-tight purple jump suit, kept those able to gain admittance oblivious to the occurrences outside.

Several hundred fans failed to heed earlier notices of a sellout and milled about the area, causing scattered incidents of trouble for police.

As a result, more than four dozen young people were arrested, mostly on disorderly conduct charges, and at least one police officer was slightly injured.

City Patrolman John Daniels required treatment at Mercy Hospital after one of the three youths he chased through the Arena's north parking lot sprayed him in the face with chemical spray.

Despite the arrests and several episodes of rock and bottle throwing, police regularly radioed the situation was "well under control."

Tickets for the concert sold by mail for $6.50 and $5.50 and they were gone almost immediately.

John Woods, Arena ticket manager, said the sale of 13,845 ducats eclipsed the previous attendance record of 13,759 set one week earlier during a performance of the "Jackson Five" musical group.

"We had only about dozen kids try to get through the gates with counterfeit tickets but our men spotted them right away," Woods said.

The young people began arriving early, sitting on blankets on the concrete Arena apron or on the few grassy areas.

Some camped overnight near the Arena grounds.

The girls and their long-haired male companions generally wore low-slung denim bell bottoms, sandals and loose-fitting shorts or halters.

One youth, Luke Damin of Mount Lebanon, was among those in unusual attire. He wore a tuxedo, black coat with tails, and well-worn wide-bottom denim pants.

A few young men sported painted eyes and fingernails ala Alice Cooper, and had purple dye on their faces.

It was nearly impossible to reach the Arena gates without someone asking to buy an extra ticket. There were few available, but some were scalped for as much as $20.

Two preliminary acts - Stevie Wonder, a blind black singer, and "Martha and the Vandellas" -- started the show rolling.

A brief intermission followed during which the young rock fans tossed frisbees or punched balloons into the area.

Then the announcer said:

"Ladies and gentlemen … the Rolling Stones."

Pandemonium broke loose as Jagger and his troupe appeared.

The crowd screamed, hugged, raised clenched fists, stood on the seats and emitted a vibrating emotion which must have shaken the Arena's sturdy foundation.

Jagger soon divested himself of a blue denim jacket to reveal his full outfit -- the skin-clinging jumpsuit with a loose sash around the waist, flowing purple scarf and slightly-bared chest.

It was nearly impossible to hear the words to the songs but no one could care less.

The performance assumed an almost erotic pitch until the tumultuous show ended at approximately 10:45 p.m. and the happy fans, many sweating profusely, left from the Arena.

The Pirates-Reds game at Three Rivers Stadium, which had a crowd of more than 40,000, contributed to some of the downtown traffic congestion.

The police staff was taxed because 65 extra men were ordered on duty by Supt. Robert Colville.

The performance of the Rolling Stones cleared the way for the next Civic Arena attractions.

The less volatile "Disney on Ice" opens Tuesday.