Since the late 60’s, the Fabulous Forum in Los Angeles has served as a cultural institution, hosting some of rock music’s most historic nights.
On October 2nd, accomplished frontman and heavy cultural ambassador Corey Taylor will celebrate the release of his solo debut, CMFT. His grand-scaled, arena-sized production in Forum or Against ‘Em, super-sizes the streaming platform to reach a global audience eager to share the frontman’s long-awaited solo debut.
The setting for such a monumental event is no coincidence either. With Taylor taking to the stage at The Forum, he continues a rich tradition of rock & roll that is synonymous with the famed West Coast destination. The streaming event complete with pyrotechnics, custom lighting and the accent of The Cherry Bombs, will usher in a new chapter of the heavy legacy that has seen countless historic moments happen on the very same stage.
In the face of a pandemic, in a world that is immersed in conflict and struggling with uncertainty, Taylor will channel the more than 50 years of rock lore linked with The Forum and share it as part of his debut with audience all over the world.
Ahead of the landmark Corey Taylor event, here are some of the instances that make the Forum an absolute landmark in the lexicon of rock.
CREAM & DEEP PURPLE
Arguably setting the tone for the kind of cultural impact the venue would have in the decades moving forward, the very first concerts at The Forum was back-to-back nights for the farewell tour for Cream with Deep Purple as support and making their United States debut. Deep Purple would record the first night. The audio would become the band’s live album, Inglewood Live in California 1968, that wouldn’t be released until 2002. Deep Purple would be kicked off the tour shortly after they started, allegedly for upstaging the headliners.
LED ZEPPELIN
Throughout the 70’s, Zeppelin would become a mainstay at The Forum. The band made the LA venue a regular stop on their touring route compiling some 16 different shows between 1070 and 1977. On June 25th, 1972, the location would be immortalized as the band recorded songs for their How the West Was Won album at both The Forum and the Long Beach Arena the very next night.
KISS
Many of the songs recorded for the second installment of the legendary KISS live records happened during the band’s four-night stand in late August of 1977. “Detroit Rock City,” “Shout It Out Loud,” “Shock Me,” and “Love Gun” were all recored at The Forum and served as timeless audio generations of rock fans.
BLACK SABBATH
Just five years after the band had made their first trek to the United States, they were headlining arenas like The Forum. The band would pull up the brakes at The Forum in 1975 for the Sabotage Tour and again two years later on the Technical Ecstasy Tour. Nearly 40 years later, the band would reunite and again play The Forum on the grand finale, The End Tour.
VAN HALEN
On June 21st, 1981, Van Halen closed out the first leg of their North American Mean Street Tour at the Fabulous Forum in Inglewood. On the road in support of their Fair Warning album, the tour amassed some 79 sold out dates, with only two nights not reaching capacity. It was one of Van Halen’s most successful tours ever.
AC/DC
While AC/DC had long been an International sensation, the release of Back in Black and For Those About to Rock We Salute You ushered in the 80’s era of the band which was arguably, their most influential. In 1982, AC/DC performed back-to-back nights on the For Those About To Rock Tour.
METALLICA
Touring in support of their cultural-shaping Black album, Metallica performed three consecutive nights at The Forum to kick off 1992. Opting to skip an opener, the band took over the venue for three straight nights and performed an already iconic collection from their catalog with no support needed.
DAVID BOWIE
During the fall of 1995, David Bowie spent two nights in the Los Angeles area for a couple of shows at The Forum on his Outside Tour. Though an evening with Bowie would be legendary enough, the supporting act on the North American leg of the tour was Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails. The admiration was so real, NIN’s set would immediately segue into Bowie’s set for one continuous performance.
SYSTEM OF A DOWN & SLIPKNOT
The Pledge of Allegiance Tour was historic for a handful of reasons. The complete roster of artists on the bill featured the pairing of System Of A Down and Slipknot. The supporting slot featured Rammstein and Mudvayne. The tour also began in September of 2001, a tumultuous time in American history. This tour also Corey Taylor’s first time performing at The Forum.
SLAYER
The thrash legends finished their Final World Tour with a hometown show for the books. November 29th, 2019 sold out within an hour, so the band had to come back the next night to ensure a proper farewell. Over the course of two nights in Los Angeles, Slayer played to nearly 50,000 fanatics all hellbent on saying thank you for more than three decades of audio carnage.
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