Nuclear Assault in Newport

80s Thrash kings

Nuclear Assault in Newport on September 29th, 1989 was another early great gig I was part of. Cant remember who supported them but I do recall it was a very lively and loud concert. Nuclear Assault were touring their brilliant 'Survive' album and at the ass end of eighties were one of the top thrash metallers on the scene, easily on par with Testament and Over Kill. Of course this was the birth of the awesome Thrash era, and I consider myself ONE LUCKY MOTHERF**KER to have been alive and witness it as it happened.
Damn I wish we'd had Smartphones and Youtube back then because I would have captured all my gigs in all their moshy, sweaty glory! I remember one guy climbing the stack of Marshall amps to the right of the stage as Nuclear Assault were halfway their blistering set, and when the crowd encouraged him to slam into the waiting denim clad arms from 20ft up, he did and the audience split in two. It would have been a perfect Youtube moment because it looked as if he'd landed on the deck (but really he'd been caught by a few of us because Metalheads are not dicks).