Pete Townsend impaled a low roof in a small club and received racous applause. It may have been a mistake on his part but the crowd loved it and he was probably a bit pissed about damaging an expensive guitar but an art form of sorts was invented: guitar smashing. Pete will go on to name this an act of auto destruction, a concept taught to him by an instructor at Art College. Frustration, angst, Art, crowd pleaser, the video below shows you some other fellows who got in on the act of guitar abuse including Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore, Kiss’ Paul Stanley and Jimi Hendrix who sprayed his axe with lighter fluid and barbequed the six-stringer. To each his own method of destruction!
Tag Archives: the who
“The Halloween Video Crypt Show” (2021) – “The Invisible Monster”, Jonny Quest Episode
We try our hand at a video based review of the old favorite animated series, “Jonny Quest”. Join our host, Exejo Smith, and his take on “The Invisible Monster” episode.
Keith Moon Departs – 40 Years On
Wunderkind drummer for The Who, Keith Moon, left this mortal coil 40 years ago. What a loss. The legendary madman lead an alcohol and drug fueled existence that bolstered his outgoing personality and flashy, unorthodox, drum style. Alas, this very fast lifestyle also accelerated an early end to his explosive drumming style and life. As the years wore on and the intoxicants flowed, so to did his strength and lifeforce get tapped. Moon died at the age of 32 on September 7, 1978. Please examine YouTube videos of his earlier days when he was in his prime. You will be amazed.
Hellraisers – The Lost Wildmen Or They Don’t Make Them Like This Anymore For Good Reason
This is a very enjoyable view. Witness these debauched tales of popular entertainers who liked to party. A lot! These were men who made it a habit to indulge and overdue it with the booze, women, lunacy and mayhem. We get segments chronicling the mad exploits of actors Richard Harris and Oliver Reed. Then, we move on to Keith Moon, Alex Higgins and Liam Gallagher. All consummate performers, these lit up characters really enjoyed the element of entertaining and “performing” crazy stunts and otherwise abusing their bodies and reputations all for the benefit of us, their adoring public.
Long may their stories of excess be passed on to future generations.
THE WHO – “WON’T GET FOOLED AGAIN” – LIVE – 1978
A perfect document of an intense rock band performing live. Here are The Who performing “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, live, as part of a filmed segment to be included in a documentary about the band’s history, “The Kids Are Alright”. Jeff Stein directed the documentary and caught and edited this spirited performance of the song which originally appeared on their studio release, “Who’s Next”. The Who have always excelled as a live act and this is surely one of their most classic live documents. Keith Moon tirelessly rattles out his drum parts. Roger Daltrey shrieks and howls his way through the lyrics. Pete Townsend prances, windmills and otherwise abuses his guitar and body throughout the song. And, the great bass virtuoso, John Entwistle, effortlessly produces amazingly fleet note runs on his instrument. Iconic.
NEKTAR – “A TAB IN THE OCEAN”
“A Tab In The Ocean”: a 16 minute opus from the band Nektar. This is in many ways as much a rock opera as The Who’s “Tommy”. Riffs and phrases repeat throughout the extended length song. Monster riffs, guitars, a majestic organ line, and impassioned singing make this a truly memorable track. Did Rush get inspiration from this number and apply it toward their own epic composition, “2112”? You betcha.
VIOLIN VIOLENCE 2009
A different approach to mastering your musical instrument is demonstrated here. Not the most cost effective way….but, a way. Strongly influenced by The Who and their auto destruction phase.