Are you ready to learn some stuff? It’s January 30th and here’s what happened Today in Rock History!
Starting the day in 1969 as The Beatles held their legendary final gig, an impromptu 42-min rooftop concert on top of Apple Corps HQ in London. Joined by keyboardist Billy Preston, the Fab Four would play multiple takes of brand-new material, including Get Back, Don’t Let Me Down, and I’ve Got A Feeling. The performance caused a crowd to form outside the building with onlookers watching from the streets below as well on top of surrounding buildings. The concert would be halted by police, with John Lennon famously saying at the end “I’d like to say, ‘thank you’ on behalf of the group and ourselves and I hope we passed the audition!” This would be the final time all four members would perform together, and recordings of the performance would appear on their final album Let It Be.
With releases we got White Light/White Heat from The Velvet Underground 1968!
As well as Infinity from Journey in 1978!
In 1989, with their drummer Steven Adler in rehab, Guns N Roses recruited Eagles’ drummer Don Henley to fill in on the kit when they played Patience at the American Music Awards.
Birthdays today feature Steve Marriott of Small Faces and Humble Pie and Phil Collins of Genesis!
In 2025, the FireAid benefit concerts took place in Los Angeles at both the Kia Forum and the Intuit Dome. The nearly six hour concerts were streamed on YouTube and featured a wide variety of artists from various genres, including Jelly Roll, Rod Stewart, Green Day, Dave Matthews, and Stevie Nicks. One surprise set of the event went to the surviving members of Nirvana reuniting with various guest vocalists like St. Vincent, Kim Gordan, and Joan Jett.
And finally in 1973, after changing their name from Wicked Lester, a young KISS played their first ever show at the Popcorn Club in Queens, NY. The members wore make-up but not what they are most known for.
This has been Today in Rock History! Check back tomorrow for your next rock history lesson!
