First band to destroy their instruments on stage

The Who (UK) became the first rock band to perfect the art of destroying instruments as part of their energetic live shows in the mid-1960s. Guitarist Pete Townshend kicked off the crowd-pleasing ritual during a performance at The Railway Tavern in Harrow, London, in 1964 when he “finished off” his Rickenbacker after accidentally breaking the neck of the guitar on the venue’s low ceiling, an event Rolling Stone magazine later included in their “50 moments that changed the history of rock ‘n’ roll”. Drummer Keith Moon also became a renowned instrument-slayer, most notably in 1967 when he detonated a kit loaded with explosives at the conclusion of The Who’s performance of “My Generation” on the US TV variety show The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. The resulting blast embedded cymbal shrapnel in Moon’s arm, singed Townshend’s hair and is reported to have contributed to the guitarist’s long-term hearing impairment. During an interview with The Sun’s Simon Cosyns in October 2012, Townshend said: “That first smash [at The Railway Tavern] was an accident. But once the guitar was broken I thought I’d never be able to repair it so I finished it off. Every guitar I smashed was costing me the equivalent of £3,500 and I was still an art student! The smashing guitars thing was epic in a sense. Huge. Then it became ritualistic. Sometimes I felt it very deeply but it was always an artistic statement.”

Cable TV network VH1 ranked Moon’s exploding drum kit at No.10 in their list of the 20 greatest rock ‘n’ roll events on TV.

Many musicians subsequently adopted The Who’s ritualistic rock ‘n’ roll stage antics including Jimi Hendrix, Paul Stanley (KISS), Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple), Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) and Matthew Bellamy (Muse).

A photo of The Railway Tavern, which was destroyed by fire in March 2000, appears on the inside sleeve of The Who’s 1971 album Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy.