There is a tape of Elvin where he comes out for the late show and announces he's plowed and you can sure tell from his voice. He still played like a master. no problems there.
I saw them on the Schoolboys tour at UC Irvine. The first half of the show they played a pretty sloppy set of older songs, which I had become accustomed to based on previous shows. They never seemed to be that tight musically - maybe because they were "tight." But the second half of the show was the Schoolboys album and they sounded great. Oddly enough every Kinks show I saw after that one tended to be much better musically, I think they actually decided to start rehearsing.
+1 on Josh Homme with QOTSA. Saw them at the Mann in Philly in 2014, I believe. Last date on that particular tour. Words all slurred together. He was a happy drunk though, likely celebrating the end of the tour and his wife's band (Brody Dalle/Homme) the Distillers opened, so I think he was in a good place. Started taking audience requests halfway through the set. A really great and memorable show.
During the '70's I saw quite a few acts that featured artists known for their drinking (the Who, Faces, Kinks), but I don't ever recall seeing any of the members of these groups and being able to say for certain that one or some of them was drunk. The Faces even had a bar and bartender on stage in 1973 but I don't recall any of them being drunk. I remember Ray Davies acting drunk during "Alcohol," maybe he was drunk but he was able to get through the entire show pretty well. The only really drunk person I remember being on stage was Joe Cocker at an Eric Clapton show around 1975. Keith Moon joined Eric on stage to play drums on "Eyesight To the Blind," Cocker came on stage and just staggered around.
Hank Williams Jr. opening for Skynyrd at the Polaris Amphitheater in Columbus, OH mid to late 90s. Walked out and bumbled through the first song or two while people were turning to each other asking if he seemed drunk. He started mixing up lyrics and then was helped off stage by the staff. 2nd vote for Phil Anselmo. Late 90s, did the singing and screaming well enough but just couldn't talk or form a sentence.
UFO at the Coatham Bowl/Redcar, can't remember the year but it was the Atomic Tommy era. Phil Mogg was pretty drunk from the word go, he came on stage with a can of Special Brew in hand, and took it from there, forgeting the words and never knowing what song was next The Firm at Middlesbrough town hall. Jimmy Page was pretty wasted and needed helping about by his guitar roadie at times
Joe Walsh was so drunk, he showed up over an hour late. The opening act was already packed up, so we had a long, quiet wait.
Hank Jr had to be helped into his chair and handed a guitar at a show I saw him at. He was 3 sheets to the wind!
Ha, well the show was in Chicago - you could have gone if you were at least 21 in 1999. The club was on Elston near Addison I believe. I can't remember the name.
My first impression of the Replacement s was "This is the tightest band I've seen in years"-- It was one of those shows where they played loads of short originals and covers in many different styles. They always seemed on best behavior in Boston, certainly drinking their share but never throwing away a show-- those legendary Mats trainwrecks never seemed to happen here.
At least he showed up. We drove about an hour to see him on that tour. After waiting about three hours, the club announced he wouldn't be appearing. Don't remember if we got a refund or not.
Being from the area, I always love hearing about shows at Roosevelt Stadium. I always heard/read about great shows there, but I was too young to attend during its 1970 heyday. FYI -- this is online:
I am of the understanding that’s not really his everyday life anymore, though. So that’s at least encouraging in terms of his relative health (you know, considering how much the guy has abused himself over the years). But I can’t imagine him taking a stage even remotely sober. I don’t know how much of that is schtick and how much is deeply rooted habit.
I saw the Saints play a daytime show at SXSW that was a complete shambles. I'm guessing a bit of the free Shiner Bock that was being poured made it to the band beforehand,
So THAT'S where my ticket stub wound up! lol, j/k I have a box of about 200 stubs. I kept them because one day I plan on making a collage out of them and mount it in a frame. Feel free to start a pool... "Will Vic complete his collage before he dies? Y/N p.s. look close at the price of that show.
$37.50 at today's prices. That would still be a steal. You'd probably pay $100 easily to see today's equivalent of the Faces in a stadium.
Oh, easily for sure! I cut way back on concert going mainly because of the insane prices. The most I ever paid was $114.00 for mezzanine seats at The Beacon Theater in NYC to see the Allmans during their 40th. anniversary shows.
I saw the Faces in '71, most likely same tour. They had a bartender mixing drinks at the back of the stage. They were toasted, but they were great.
Dan McCafferty of Nazareth Buxton Festival 1973 - he was wasted on brandy and his toes practically curled over the edge of the stage. Incidentally I was interested to read the following on the Buxton Festival website: "After necking a fair amount of Pernod, I got right down the front during Nazareth and after a frenzy of idiot-dancing, ended up in a pool of mud in a right mess. The St. John's Ambulance Brigade carted me off under the stage where there was a makeshift hospital and I soon sobered up listening to the acid casualties screaming away behind hospital screens." You see, me and my friend were right at the front and there was a guy idiot dancing right in front of my mate. The dancer was accidentally hitting my mate in the face regularly and after a while of trying to ignore this, my mate gave the dancer an almighty shove and the guy tottered down the 45 degree slope in front of the stage and splatted into the (brick) front of the stage! I felt bad about it at the time and did remonstrate with my friend. Glad the guy recovered OK!
