The Top 5 Most Outrageous Guitar Smashes

In the mid-60’s Pete Townshend became the first rock artist known for smashing guitars. Since then many artists have become well known for guitar smashing. Here are five of the most outrageous guitar smashing incidents in rock history.

 

The Jimi Hendrix Experience at the Monterey Pop Festival – 1967

The Jimi Hendrix Experience made their American debut at the Monterey Pop Festival on June 18th, 1967 which also included The Who. Neither band wanted to follow the other so they flipped a coin to resolve the matter. When Hendrix lost the coin toss, meaning that he would have to follow The Who, he reportedly told everyone backstage that he was going to ‘pull out all the stops.’ The Who ended their set with Pete Townshend smashing his guitar. For Hendrix’s final song he lit his guitar on fire with lighter fluid then smashed it seven times and thr threw the remains to the audience creating one of the most iconic moments in rock history. “It was like a sacrifice,” Hendrix later explained. “You sacrifice the things you love. I love my guitar. I’d just finished painting it that day and was really into it.” Watch Jimi Hendrix’s guitar smashing conclusion the song “Wild Thing” here.

 

The Who’s Pete Townshend on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour -1967

Pete Townshend of The Who was one of the first rock musicians to become well known for smashing guitars. Townshend has smashed so many guitars during The Who’s 50+ year history that it’s difficult to pinpoint a most famous guitar smashing. One of the most famous guitar and equipment smashing incidents in rock history happened at the conclusion of The Who’s appearance on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour on September 17th, 1967.

As Townshend was destroying his guitar at the end of the song “My Generation” prankster drummer Keith Moon ignited such a large amount of explosives from inside his bass drum that it rocked the show’s set, sent metal cymbal shrapnel into Moon’s arm, and reportedly set Townshend’s hair on fire and contributed to the guitarist’s partial deafness and tinnitus. Watch a short documentary about The Who’s performance on the Smothers Brother Comedy Hour here.

Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain at Trees Club in Dallas – 1991

Kurt Cobain’s guitar smashing with Nirvana is legendary. Perhaps the most ill advised guitar smashing incidents occurred at Trees nightclub in Dallas at a sold out show on October 19th, 1991. Due to frustration with the club’s monitor mix Cobain smashed his guitar on the club’s mixing board which belonged to an onstage bouncer’s friend causing the sound engineer to run for cover (watch the smash at the 3:07 mark in this live at the end of the song “Polly”). Three songs later Cobain did a stage dive during the song “Love Buzz” and hit the bouncer who was pulling him back onstage over the head with his guitar drawing blood. The incensed bouncer then punched Cobain in the back of the head and kicked him on stage (watch the incident here).

After finishing the show Nirvana fled the Trees nightclub in a taxi fearing for Cobain’s safety but later returned to the club not knowing where their hotel was. The same bouncer spotted Cobain in the cab and punched out the cab’s rear window. The taxi then sped away with Nirvana’s three members in the back seat covered with glass. Nirvana later paid for the bouncer’s medical expenses.

Eddie Van Halen’s last show with ‘Van Hagar’ in Tuscon – 2004

On November 19, 2004 at Van Halen’s last 2004 tour date with Sammy Hagar and Micheal Anthony ever Eddie Van Halen smashed his guitar at the end of the Tuscon, Arizona show and left the stage before the rest of the band. The tour, in which Eddie was often drunk onstage, was the last time Eddie, Sammy, Michael, and Alex Van Halen shared concert stages together.

Eddie’s guitar smash at the Tuscon show was his last moment onstage with ‘Van Hagar’ and signaled the end of that version the band. Van Halen reunited with original singer David Lee Roth and enlisted Eddie’s son Wolfgang on bass/backing vocals for their 2007-2008 tour, 2012 A Different Kind of Truth album and tour, and a 2015 North American tour.

Prince on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon – 2013

 

Although no footage of Prince’s guitar smash on the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon currently exists on YouTube, Prince’s performance on the March 1st, 2013 show is one of the most infamous guitar smashing incidents ever. Prince asked The Roots’ house band guitarist “Captain” Kirk Douglas if he could borrow Kirk’s prized 1961 Epiphone Crestwood guitar to play Prince’s 1979 song “Bambi” on the show. Douglas obliged and lent Prince his guitar.

The Purple One ended his televised performance by throwing the guitar in the air and letting it crash onto the stage. Douglas tried to make the best of the situation by asking Prince to sign his damaged guitar. Prince replied, “No. I haven’t singed anything since the 70’s.” After the incident Douglas tweeted a picture of his broken guitar with the caption “Purple Pain.” The guitar was repaired just in time for Douglas to play a Prince tribute concert at Carnagie Hall with The Roots a week later. Prince picked up the tab for the repairs and Douglas now has a legendary Prince story that brought him greater notoriety.

 

(This article was originally published on Rock.About.com).