My old guitarist threw his Fernandes Strat from the 80's straight up into the air at a warehouse show, where it crashed to the concrete and broke into 4-5 pieces. He glued it together in the van and wedged it between two cabinets to hold it together. He played it the next night and still does after 8 yrs.

I saw TOD play a show in Seattle maybe 5 years back. The guitars still had price tags dangling off the headstocks, and one member of the band said "We borrowed this gear from a local music store, and if we like it we're totally gonna pay for it," which elicited knowing HAW HAW HAWs from the audience. End of set, gear is trashed, big surprise. I wondered for a moment if the "borrowed gear" line was true or just a bit of schtick they used at every show, and then realized it didn't matter - they were douches either way.

There was another band in Seattle called Carissa's Wierd[sic] who smashed their gear at the end of a set they did opening up for the Angels of Light. Even though they were total pussies about it, it made me really happy because they were breaking up and I knew I wouldn't have to endure their presence at otherwise good gigs ever again.

Pete Townshend, though. That guy knew how to smash a guitar.

minusman wrote:Pete Townshend, though. That guy knew how to smash a guitar.

Absolutely as bad, even worse, than TOD - a monied arse making life difficult for everyone around him from his crew to a simple maid in a hotel who had to clean up his and his bandmates mess night after night. The only difference between this and TOD is that there was a period where TOD had no money, unlike Pete.

Crap, with waffles. Although, I'd never smash my instruments unless they became unusable paperweights, It's a nice treat to see sometimes.

honeyisfunny wrote:Absolutely as bad, even worse, than TOD - a monied arse making life difficult for everyone around him from his crew to a simple maid in a hotel who had to clean up his and his bandmates mess night after night.

Yeah, but the songs he played before smashing the guitar were better than TOD's. That gives him the edge.

minusman wrote:

honeyisfunny wrote:Absolutely as bad, even worse, than TOD - a monied arse making life difficult for everyone around him from his crew to a simple maid in a hotel who had to clean up his and his bandmates mess night after night.

Yeah, but the songs he played before smashing the guitar were better than TOD's. That gives him the edge.

Rock operas? Are you kidding me? I'd take just about anything over The Who.

BadComrade wrote:If I was in a band that planned on wasting instruments, I'd switch to a "pawn shop guitar" for the last song, and then give it to someone in the crowd, hoping that they'd get off their ass and start a band that sounds nothing like my own.

First gig I went to, about 12 years old, I saw that fella out of Green Day do exactly this. First gig I ever went to and I thought it was a weak move, even then.

honeyisfunny wrote:Rock operas? Are you kidding me?.

Uh-oh. I've offended someone on the Internet.

minusman wrote:

honeyisfunny wrote:Rock operas? Are you kidding me?.

Uh-oh. I've offended someone on the Internet.

You, like a lot of my friends who love The Who, have not offended me but just bemused me. I just can't get the attraction. I think I should like them but somehow I don't.

On their first tour in the UK, Oxes finished their show in Leeds by, in total silence, play-smashing their gear up in slow motion. That was a lot of fun.

I've slammed a guitar on the floor, and knocked over a shit drum or cymbal or two. Never had the urge to ensure total destruction of anything though, plus since I've had decent equipment it doesn't seem like such a great idea. I prefer playing music to smashing stuff up. I'll go with crap, I think.