Fans Remember the Monsters of Rock Concert in Oxford, Maine, 36 Years Ago

The night remains etched in the memories of many hard rock fans as one of the most legendary and grueling concerts in Maine history. Held at Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, Maine, the Monsters of Rock tour brought together some of the biggest names in rock, including Van Halen, Metallica, Scorpions, Dokken, and Kingdom Come. The event was a rollercoaster of mayhem with electrifying performances, torrential rain, and lifelong memories, many of which are still talked about to this day.

Fans braved what Mother Nature had in store to witness their favorite bands perform. According to a Google Groups page, a man named Jeff recalled staying through the entire show despite the rain and lightning. "I still hold all other outdoor shows against this," he says, referring to the resilience and dedication of the fans. The weather, however, added a layer of unpredictability and chaos. As Joe reminisces,

We saw Kingdom Come open up and stayed for Metallica... It was pouring, man... especially on the way home after Metallica.

The rain was relentless, turning the concert grounds into a mud-fest.

For many, Metallica was the highlight. Fans like Joe fought over a towel thrown by Kirk Hammett, eventually cutting it up to share pieces. “We caught Kirk's towel at the end of the show, a bunch of us fought for it, security sprayed us with firehoses to cool us off,” he recalls. This enthusiasm was matched by Jeff, who stayed up front for Metallica and managed to snag a pick from guitarist Kirk.

The concert was more than just music. It was an adventure. One attendee, who made the trek from Manchester, New Hampshire, described the chaotic trip which included a van breakdown and a spontaneous acid trip.

By the time Van Halen came on, there was a lake from the front of the stage all the way back to the mixer board.

The inclement weather didn’t deter the true rock fan. Many stayed till the end, despite the weather.

I wasn't there to witness the level of the storm, but I can't say I'm super surprised. Hard rock fans, especially Mainers, are often pretty resilient, and aren't going to let a rainstorm keep them from rocking out to their favorite bands.

Van Halen’s performance, though delayed due to the lightning, was a memorable one. As the rain persisted, Sammy Hagar promised to play as long as there were people standing. Chris remembered a surreal moment when the band members emerged from a van in the parking lot, high-fiving fans before running to the stage. Despite the challenging conditions, the band’s dedication to their fans was quite obvious.

For some, the journey home was as challenging as the concert itself (although likely not nearly as fun). Fans waited for hours to get out of the parking lot. But despite the logistical nightmares and miserable weather, the shared challenges appeared to have created a bond among the fans, making the concert a legendary tale of Maine rock resilience.

Well before the days of people filming video at concerts, I didn't expect to find much online, but I was able to find Dokken's performance.