Concerts Where The Artist Walked Off Stage

I've told this story here before and frankly it's been so long I'll probably screw it up but here goes:

Sometime in the seventies I saw The Kinks at DAR Constitution Hall in DC. The opener was poor Eliott Murphy who I have always liked and who got booed offstage. It was a bad vibe kinda night.

I'm not sure what provoked the problems during the Kinks set but Brother Dave was obviously pissed at drummer Mick Avory and kicked over part of his kit and stormed offstage during a song. The band followed. As I recall Ray came out later and apologized.

IIRC there was a Random Note in the next issue of Rolling Stone about the incident and that they had broken up. Of course they got back together and broke up again....

Peace-
Norm

 

Guns 'n Roses 7/1/91 St. Louis, Mo.

Axl dove into the audience to confiscate a fan's camera, then jumped back on-stage to declare 'Thanks to the lame-*** security, I'm goin' home!' Cue angry drunken rioters.

 

There was a riot of sorts at Red Rocks. I believe it was in 74' or 75' can't really remember. But I was There.

Jethro Tull never even made the stage

And I'm pretty sure that's what caused the riot.

 

Grand Funk Railroad, Toledo Sports Arena, May 1974

During what was probably the final song ("Inside Looking Out") before the encore, Mark Farner disappeared from the stage. Don and Mel continued to jam for a short bit then, Don disappeared. Don retruned a couple minutes later and said, "We gotta end the show...Mark just got real bad sick". And that was it.

From what I heard was their set list at the time, we only missed an encore. A short time later I heard Farner has been in a fight backstage and was hurt.

BTW, I have an uncirculated recording of that show that I recorded.

 

hasn't nancy wilson been married to cameron crowe for forever?

renny

 

she was pretty darn high this year in cleveland too. but she put on one hell of a show, almost 3 hours, and was taking requests at the end!

renny

 

Operatic baritone Leonard Warren on March 4, 1960 was performing in Verdi's "La Forza del Destino" at New York's Metropolitan Opera. In mid-performance, he dropped dead. According to Wikipedia, he was just about to sing the lines Morir, tremenda cosa ("to die, a momentous thing").

The sole instance of an artist walking off that I've experienced was at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC a few years ago during a recital by pianist Awadigin Pratt. He came on after intermission to begin Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition," played one or two notes, stood up, and walked off, leaving the audience all a-titter. Shortly thereafter, a piano technician appeared; evidently, the piano had developed a sticky key. With that problem resolved, Pratt returned and proceeded to give us a fabulous performance. Based on that evening, I strongly recommend that you go hear him if the opportunity arises, even if you normally wouldn't touch a piece of classical music with a cliched ten-foot pole; it's left me with a firm belief that he's a far better musician than many bigger "headliners."

 

I have a walking-ONTO-the-stage-angry story:

I was waiting for the Alan Parsons Project to open for Yes at the Garden State Arts center in June, 1998. The Yes portion of the show was advertised as featuring some fancy new special sound system (name I forget), and I believe Alan Parsons was responsible for setting that sound system up. Anyway, before the start of the twin-bill, Alan Parsons' sound crew was busy getting things together on stage. After what seemed like an eternity of these guys fiddling with instruments and contraptions, out from the wings storms a bearded guy that most of us recognized as Alan Parsons himself. Everybody began to cheer, because we thought it was the start of the show.

It wasn't. Apparently, the Parsons sound crew was doing something wrong setting up the complicated sound system. Alan, looking extremely peeved, pushes some buttons on a computer/soundbank thing next to a mountain of keyboards, grabs hold of a microphone, and starts shouting, "One! Two! Three! FOUR!! FOUR!! FOUR!!" Then he handed the microphone to some hapless sound guy, and barked a few words at him, probably something along the lines of "Do I bloody have to do this myself?!"

Five minutes later, though, the show finally started with the Alan Parsons Project (though Eric Woolfson was no longer in the band), Alan looked like he was in a better mood, and it turned out to be a good show.

 

the brothers reid from the jesus&mary chain got into a fight, along with another guitarist at a show I attended in the early 90s and the show ended early

apparently this is not that uncommon of an occurrence (for them and other guitar-groups that two brothers are members of)

 

Here in Vancouver Nick Gilder was heckled off the stage when he opened for the Cars around about 1980.

The audience response he got was surprising considering he was locally based and had hits with the band Sweeney Todd.

Oasis bailed after 20 minutes when someone nailed Liam in the head with a shoe.

 

Back in the mid-80's, the Beach Boys were playing here and Johnny Cougar (Mellencamp) was the support act.

At one point for some unknown reason, he threw a hissy fit, trashed the drum kit and stalked off stage.

 

Back in the late '80's I saw the Replacements open for Tom Petty in Cleveland. About 20 minutes into their set they dropped everything and walked off stage. I think the Petty fans may have been booing them.

 

http://www.tullpress.com/rs8jul71.htm This show?

20,000 turned up for 12,000 available seats.

 

Just couldn't go have a scrumptuous boysenberry pie and chicken dinner and enjoy themselves. If you're going to get sick of your life you might as well ruin your audiences' vacations while you're at it? Crass. :thumbsdn:

A bummer but you're right she was right. It's good of you to look at it that way, I'm sure some were irked. More concerned with other's safety than her own public image, commendable!

That director is clearly bad for business!

 

I had a similar experience when I saw Morrissey in 97. He had an annoying opening act which seemed to drone on for 4 hours and then when he finally came out, he played a set that couldn't have been more than 50 minutes. He came back out and started his encore but then some fan in the front row began heckling him about the recent court case against Mike Joyce, the Smiths' drummer. His guitarist pointed the guy out to security and they booted the offending party.

He came out did one more song and left the stage in a huff. A wasted evening to say the least.

 

Brian Wilson - July 2005, NIA Birmingham.

Final coda of "Good Vibrations", Brian sings "I'm picking up Good Vibrations" an octave higher than usual in a strange voice then shuffles his stool back, gets up and walks off, leaving the band to finish the song. He was pushed back on stage for the encore by Taylor Mills I think.

Other notable (but not walking out) moments for your enjoyment from that concert:

Halfway through California Girls, Brian decides he wants a drink so grabs his water and drinks it while singing - California Guuuurgles

First line of Heroes and Villains, Brian wipes his mouth while singing.

Last section of Heroes and Villains, Brian sings "so long to the ******" instead of "city".

Maybe he'd just had enough by the end?

 

Nick Gilder was also booed off the stage at Vancouver's Empire Stadium in either '78 or '79. He got a couple of songs into his set before giving up and walking off. After the cheering and laughter from the crowd died down he came back on stage and asked us to give him another chance. Of course he was booed even louder and finally walked off for good in the middle of his next song.

Kenneth

 

Good God! Blair G.! Who is your avatar?

 

July 4, 1980 Beach Boys concert at the Mall in DC. Someone nearly hit Brian Wilson with a frisbee- it glanced off his piano- and he bolted off the stage very fast- never returned.

 

Didn't Patti Smith break a bone in her neck by walking off stage in 1977? I remember seeing photos of her with her neck in a sling for quite a while.

 

Early 80's Rolling Stones concert at the LA Coliseum, Prince was the opening act and the audience boo'd him off the stage (I have to admit I participated). He was in the middle of his third number and by that time he'd had enough and walked off.

 

I saw Oasis at the Orpheum in Boston in 95 or 96 touring for "What's The Story Morning Glory" Maybe about halfway through the set, I remember Liam Gallagher seemingly "having words" with his brother in his ear. It looked like they argued a bit, then Liam threw his tambourine down and walked off stage. I forget what song they were doing at the time, but it seemed they vamped for a bit then went into "Champagne Supernova" with Noel Gallagher singing his brother's lead vocal, and that was the end of the set. They came back for encores, but with Noel singing and Liam nowhere to be found.

 

Sounds like his meds were off that night...