Remembering The New Kids On The Block Riot

With the exception of a few rotten apples, large-scale riots at music events are (thankfully) far from the norm; Astroworld immediately springs to mind for the drama that unfolded during Travis Scott’s now infamous performance in 2021, as does the city-wide chaos that followed Disco Demolition Night in Chicago in 1979, Woodstock and a collection of shows during the ‘70s and ‘80s. But for the most part, live music events are places of semi-civility. That was far from the case on November 14, 1991 for New Kids On The Block.

After taking the stage, it was reported that the New Kids On The Block show in Germany was like any other; a largely civil event filled with hordes of screaming, sweaty fans.

But after lead singer Donnie Wahlberg jumped into the crowd during the concert, Berlin's BZ newspaper reported a sea of people going into meltdown mode, with the concert-turned-melee quickly becoming unmanageable for security and staff. Local paper The Bild also reported that "there hasn't been anything like this since the Beatles”.

Reports from the German police later stated that of the 1,000 people reporting injuries, 949 fans needed medical help with multiple victims being carried out on stretchers and rushed to hospital, causing the Red Cross to make its own statement about the event.

Despite countless fans fainting, passing or collapsing due to lack of oxygen due to the tightly packed crowds, no life-threatening injuries were sustained.

According to the Tampa Times, who were following the story at the time, a parent and three girls who attended a New Kids On The Block concert made the decision to sue the group for allegedly triggering a stampede. The plaintiffs filed against the band for "pain and suffering".

Attorney Mark Pennington said none of the girls suffered serious physical injuries, but he said the three were still dealing with the emotional stress.