What is the drunkest show you ever saw? Performer(s) bviously drunk and not stoned, not YOU but performers. I've got a three-way tie. The Faces in 1971, we went for second billed Deep Purple MkII. Maybe Rod was dealing with his then famous stage fright, but him and Ronnie, oh my. I remember them pouring champagne on each other (false memory?) Eric Clapton in an outdoor Palm Beach rainy Florida 1974 concert joined on stage by equally drunk and sloppy Pete Townshend, Keith Moon and Joe Walsh. The Kinks on I think the "Schoolboys ..." tour sometime in the mid-70's at a college in Southern California. A drunk Ray spraying the audience with either beer or champagne ... foggy memory.
What if I *was* the performer? Six years ago - long enough ago now that shame has subsided for wisdom - got toasted at my band’s album release show. Combination of nerves, friends showing up and buying me drinks, and a little too much Replacements-esque mythology. Got through the set - don’t know how - but was chided by several folks for how obnoxious I was being. Got the same band kicked out of a club we’d just played in NYC when I passed out in front of the person running the door. There is no glory in behaving this way. Believe me, though it shouldn’t come down to taking my word for it.
in the late 70's i worked for a local band. we used to play a popular club on long island's north shore opening for national acts. one saturday afternoon we got a call from the club owner asking if we were free that night. it was a rare saturday night that we were not booked. he said the headliner who was supposed to play friday and saturday was fired after the first night. it was dan hicks solo. he was drunk from the start and the story went that he started ordering two drinks between each song. after a few rounds he got very abusive to the audience and the staff and cut the set short. the club fired him and we got the call. they were going to promote that night as a free show and asked if we would play for free for the exposure. we said ok. when i arrived to load in, there was hicks passed out sprawled over three chairs. after getting the gear in, we were told that hicks had made up with the club and would play for free that night. the original opening act did a set followed by us. then hicks came out and started at it like the night before. amazingly he was able to play. then the band i worked for backed him a number of songs. what a night!
Ha! I saw Louden Wainwright III, he noticed a spalsh-like stain on the stage floor and asked, "Did Dan Hicks just play here?"
I saw him so out of it one night that he had his guitar on backwards and he couldn't figure out why no sound was coming out. then he collapsed behind the p.a. speakers for almost a whole song.
Johnny Cash, Chapel Hill, NC some time in the mid 1960s. Only Johnny was drunk. June Carter and The Statler Brothers saved the show.
The Kinks, 1972. Dave couldn’t stand, they brought out a chair that he fell off. Ray slipped in some beer he was waving around, thought it was funny. He then tried it on purpose, went ankles over hips, cracked his head on a monitor and had to be led off stage. The band was lost, played a sloppy Stormy Monday until Ray came back. He apologized, they did a hits medley and left. It was at that point my drugs kicked in and I was left wondering what I was going to do the rest of the evening.
Dickey Betts. Twice. Once with ABB (Gregg was out of it, too, Warren Haynes was pissed) and another time solo (not quite as bad).
Rickie Lee Jones. Watched her polish off most of a fifth of Jack during one of the long jams in the set. Wow.
Which college in SoCal did you see The Kinks play Schoolboys? I know they played Pierce College in '69 or '70.
Eddie Van Halen in 2004. The rest of the band was fine, but Ed was a mess. He brought out a 13-year-old Wolfie to do a dual-guitar-solo thing, but Wolfie was very obviously embarrassed about his dad's condition and got off stage as soon as he could. Hopefully he went straight to an Al-A-Teen meeting.
I saw Shane MacGowan live at the Fleadh in Finsbury Park one year. I was up the front. Someone started talking to me assuming that I was a fan, but I had to say that I wasn't too familiar with his music. One thing she said to me was (paraphrased from memory) 'This is quite good - he's actually vertical.' How is Shan e McGowan getting on? I saw a reality TV programme or something where they gave him new teeth.
My brother's band in 1999. Went on late. Guitar player fell back and knocked over his half stack. It was a Halloween themed show so all the props around the stage were kicked around. My brother fell off the low stage while hitting a final note on vocals (with eyes closed in true metal fashion). At one point they were going to do a song and started it only for the drummer to stop it and yell, "**** can it! **** can that one!" I have it all on video.
James Brown - NO Jazz Fest Was terrible. People were leaving in droves. Jerry Jeff Walker - Opening for Little River Band in Lafayette, LA. He could hardly stand up. ..... and me!!
