The destruction of musical instruments is a decades-old tradition in pop and rock music, is normally carried out by band members during a live performance, particularly at the end of the gig. The most famous of these acts is smashing one's guitar. Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... For other uses, see Pop music (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... Live television refers to television broadcasts of events or performances as they are happening, or on a delay of several seconds, rather than from video recordings or film. ...

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Early years

Jerry Lee Lewis may be the first rock artist to destroy his equipment on stage, with several, possibly apocryphal, stories of him destroying and burning pianos in the 1950s.^[1] Jerry Lee Lewis (born September 29, 1935), also known by the nickname The Killer, is an American rock and roll and country music singer, songwriter, and pianist. ...

In the mid 1960s, guitarist Pete Townshend of The Who was the first guitar smashing rock artist. Rolling Stone magazine included his smashing of a guitar at the Railway Hotel in September of 1964^[2][3] in their list of the "50 Moments That Changed the History of Rock & Roll".^[4] He saw his guitar smashing as a kind of auto-destructive art. Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born May 19, 1945 in Chiswick, London), is an award-winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. ... The Who are a British rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Auto-destructive art is a term invented by the artist Gustav Metzger in the early 1960s and put into circulation by his article Machine, Auto-creative and Auto-destructive Art in the summer 1962 issue of the journal Ark. ...

Keith Moon, The Who's drummer, was also known for destroying his drum set. The most spectacular episode of this occurred during The Who's debut on U.S. television on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1967. Moon overloaded his bass drum with explosive charges which were detonated during the finale of the song, "My Generation." The explosion caused guest Bette Davis to faint, set Pete Townshend's hair on fire and, according to legend, contributing to his later partial deafness and tinnitus. Moon was also injured in the explosion when shrapnel from the cymbals cut his arm.^[5] VH1 later placed this event in the top ten of their list of the 100 Greatest Rock and Roll Moments on Television.^[6] Keith John Moon (August 23, 1946 – September 7, 1978) was the drummer of the rock group The Who. ... The Smothers Brothers are an American musical-comedy team, formed by real-life brothers Tom and Dick Smothers. ... This article is about the song. ... For the singer, see Betty Davis, for the meteorologist, see Betty Davis (meteorologist). ... This article discusses the way the word deaf is used and how deafness is perceived by hearing and Deaf communities. ... Books on tinnitus Tinnitus (pronounced or ,[1] from the Latin word for ringing[2]) is the perception of sound in the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound(s). ... VH1 (VH-1: Video Hits One until 1994) is an American cable television channel that was created in January 1985 by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Communications and owners of MTV. VH1 and sister channel MTV are currently part of the MTV Networks division...

Jeff Beck, then a member of the Yardbirds, destroyed a guitar in the 1966 film Blowup after being told to emulate The Who by director Michelangelo Antonioni.^[7] Jimi Hendrix is also famous for burning two guitars at three shows, most notably the Monterey Pop Festival.^[8] Geoffrey Arnold (Jeff) Beck (born June 24, 1944 to Arnold and Ethel Beck in Wallington, Greater London) is an English rock guitarist. ... Yardbirds album cover The Yardbirds were an early British rock band, noted for spawning the careers of several of rock musics most famous guitarists, including Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page. ... For blowups in algebraic geometry, see blowing up. ... Michelangelo Antonioni (September 29, 1912 - July 30, 2007) was an Italian modernist film director whose films are widely considered as some of the most influential in film aesthetics. ... Jimi Hendrix (November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American guitar virtuoso, singer and songwriter. ... Poster promoting the festival The Monterey International Pop Music Festival took place from June 16 to June 18, 1967. ...

Later instrument destruction

Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple and Rainbow smashed guitars in performance through the seventies.^[9] Richard Hugh Blackmore, (born 14 April 1945) is an English guitarist. ... This article is about the rock band. ... This article is about Ritchie Blackmores band. ...

Paul Simonon of The Clash famously destroyed his bass on stage, with a photograph of the event becoming the iconic cover to their London Calling album.^[10] Paul Simonon (born December 15, 1955 in Brixton, London, England) is best known as the bass guitarist and vocalist for punk rock band The Clash. ... This article is about the English rock band. ... London Calling is a double album released by The Clash in December 1979, in the UK and the first week of January 1980 in the U.S. The album marked the bands critical and commercial breakthrough. ...

Kurt Cobain would frequently smash guitars at the end of Nirvana shows, but they were often cheap Mexican Stratocaster knock-offs that were brought on stage simply for the purpose of destruction. Kurt and his band mainly shocked people with instrument destruction in their early career, as they came from poor town Aberdeen, Washington and could barely afford to replace them. Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – c. ... This article is about the American grunge band. ... Tribute to Kurt Cobain in Aberdeen, installed by the Kurt Cobain Memorial Committee. ...

Paul Stanley, the rhythm guitarist from KISS, would frequently smash his signature Ibanez Iceman guitars, at the end throwing the halves into the crowd. These were specially prepared guitars, modified so as to be easy to smash, and to destruct in a consistent and controlled manner. This article is about the metal musician. ... Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. ...

Nikki Sixx, bassist of Mötley Crüe, also smashes basses at the end of concerts, usually a Precision copy, but sometimes a Gibson Thunderbird. Nikki Sixx (born Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna, Jr. ... Mötley Crüe (pronounced Motley Croo) is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California in 1980. ... Epiphone Thunderbird The Gibson Thunderbird is an electric bass guitar made by Gibson. ...

Trent Reznor, lead singer of Nine Inch Nails, was known for smashing his guitar out of frustration in the early years of his band. Later on, his band mates destroyed their guitars for the end of a show. Throughout the years, the band has been known for destroying most of their equipment, notably keyboards; this destructive rampage was chronicled on the VHS Closure. Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965), is an American musician, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. ... Nine Inch Nails (abbreviated as NIN) is an American band, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. ... Closure (also known as Halo 12) is a double VHS set by Nine Inch Nails released in 1997. ...

Ryan Key, lead singer and guitarist of Yellowcard, has often smashed his most notable guitar, the Gibson Les Paul, to end many of Yellowcard's performances and has also thrown the halves into the audience. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the band. ... The Gibson Les Paul is a popular solidbody electric guitar originally developed in the early 1950s. ... This article is about the band. ...

...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead have become known for regularly smashing their instruments on stage. …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead is an Art Rock band best known for its heavy yet anthemic music, frequently compared to bands such as Sonic Youth, The Who and Unwound. ...

Die Sektor frequently smashes their custom keyboards called "beasts" at the end of their performances. Die Sektor. ...

Guy Pratt, Pink Floyd bass player (on their latest years), destroyed his bass at the end of the Momentary Lapse of Reason tour (1989) and Division Bell tour (1994). At the latter show the pyrotechnic team placed a large firework to the back which failed to ignite. The bass was never destroyed and merely chucked at a security guard due to its weight and the distance between the audience and stage. Guy Pratt is a well-known session bassist and also a songwriter, actor and comedian. ...

Greg Hill of Mute Math uses drum mallets to smash the body of his guitar during live performances. He often drums along with the band as he smashes the body. Mute Math is a New Orleans rock band formed in 2003. ...

See also

• Leo Gallagher
• Shock rock

Gallagher (born Leo Anthony Gallagher on July 24, 1946 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina) is an American comedian and prop comic, most popularly known for smashing watermelons as part of his act. ... Shock rock is a very wide umbrella term for artists who combine rock music with elements of theatrical shock value in live performances. ...

Notes