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Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Why The Who Destroyed Their Guitars and Drums

As a rock n' roll, there are many ways I can remember The Who by. There's the bowling guitar playing action, and other on stage antics by Pete Townshend. There was the stick-breaking drumming by Keith Moon. And, of course, The Who is known for burning, breaking and destroying their instruments at the end of shows.

Many of my friends have asked this of me, but I have never been able give a satisfying answer as why The Who destroyed their equipment. I did manage to make one thing clear, nevertheless: whatever they destroyed was their ACTUAL instruments. Gene Simmons also destroyed guitars towards the end of KISS concerts, but that was some cheap-stuff he got from backstage.

So why does The Who destroy their actual instruments? I've did some research on this and came up with some good explanations. First, they wanted to be different from all the other musical acts of the 1960s, namely the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Secondly, by destroying their equipment, their next will never be the same. In other words, the concert they put together prior to will never be duplicated by anyone! It's similar to saying, "what done cannot be undone." It's like smashing the glasses and plates after having making a toast, so that nobody can back-paddle on the promises made during the toast.

To The Who fans, correct me if you think I'm wrong. Commenting on this is highly appreciated.

4 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 1, 2014 at 11:26 PM

    I read somewhere (bur cannot recall where) that The Who kind of got screwed by their manager and that their contract did not allow them to get paid as much as they should have been paid. As they got more and more successful, their handlers made more money, but the band did not. However, there was one clause in the contract that said if any equipment was damaged during a performance, it would be replaced. So this is how that band got back at the manager for the lousy contract terms.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousAugust 21, 2016 at 10:32 AM

    If you work as a professional DJ, or even just part time, you most likely have a valuable collection of records or cd's, or perhaps an expensive laptop, mixer & other equipment that should be insured against loss, theft or damage.http://www.victorcknight.co.uk/quotes/musical-instrument-insurance.php

    ReplyDelete
  3. Chucky DePriestMay 25, 2022 at 10:29 AM

    For crying out loud...If you have to ask WHY they destroyed their stuff, that means you couldn't possibly understand the answer.

    ReplyDelete

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