Live Performances Gone Awry

Philo,

I was there, too. But The Who left me cold that night (pun intended as it was well below zero outside). Lots of recorded accompaniement to Quadraphenia. Different strokes, I guess.

Other Michigan disasters:

Patti Smith's band gets snowed in and she does a solo acapella poetry reading instead of a concert.

Sly Stone shows up 4 hours late for a concert and sleepwalks thru it.

I brought a date to a Talking Heads show one Friday night only to find that it had taken place the night before. (I guess that one's on me.)

In New York:

Van Morrison played a pissed-off, 35 minute set at Jones Beach.

Chris Wood (Traffic) was so stoned at a NY Academy of Music show that he lost his sax mid-solo. He was swaying left to right and it just flew from his hands.

A fist fight in the crowd at a new wave/punk show at CBGB (The Shirst, maybe)spilled onto the stage and took out the drum kit.

Beer bottles were also hurled at opening act Michael Quattro at an ELP concert in Jersey City. He tried to catch them in the top he was wearing.

Those come to mind quickly, so I guess that I've had my share of bad moments.

Marty

I just remembered another couple of incidents. The first is slightly OT, but maybe close enough.

John Lennon hosted a concert at MSG in New York, called "One To One". It was the end of a day on which volunteers spent the day with disabled children and then had free seats to the show. As a result, the lower deck was reserved for the volunteers and kids.

Not surprisingly, some were moving slower than expected and, when the lights went down, the crowd surged into the empty seats that were supposed to be for the kids/volunteers. Geraldo Rivera (?!), who was hosting the event, announced:

"That's alright. Move on down, this is a democracy."

Bad way to start a show. Then, Yoko Ono played a set. As far as I could tell, nothing went wrong.....but I'd still rather sit thru many of the disasters described above than sit thru Yoko in top form.

Also at MSG, the "Bob Fest" tribute to Dylan. Lou Reed stood behind sheet music and/or lyrics and fumbled his way thru a (mercifully brief) set that he appeared completely unfamiliar with.

Marty

Aha! Fistfights among band members....forgot about that subgenre. Ray Davies vs. Dave Davies at The Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ on (IIRC) the "Schoolboys in Disgrace" tour. Brief, but notable. Nearly empty house, too.

Marty