Welcome to the 226th insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode, we trace the timeline of Rock n' Roll's lethal nature, explaining the history of destroying venues and fighting fans. We also look at GG Allin, the creative who never shied from hurling his excrement into the crowd.
Since the dawn of electric riffs and rebellion, rockstars have maintained anything but a clean record. Propelled by sex, drugs and fame, the genre has detested authority, revolting against managers and venue staff without reason. With a mutiny towards officials, this diabolical reputation emphasizes a series of destructive acts over the years, rooted in those of The Who, Sex Pistols, Nirvana and many more.
Perhaps the most notorious example of this on-stage insurrection is the art of both the 'guitar smash' and 'drum dive.' Inaugurated in 1956 by Rockin' Rocky Rockwell on the Lawrence Welk Show, the guitar smash, a self-explanatory act in which a musician snaps their instrument in half, would become a global phenomenon following one of Rockwell's live performances. Adopted into the rock world at the grips of Pete Townshend, The Who's guitarist, Pete would become the face of on-stage chaos as he decapitated tens of guitar necks.
In a similar stride, Keith Moon, The Who's drummer, would also aid in popularizing the 'drum-dive,' a move in which a bandmate propels their body into the drummer's set. Becoming one of Kurt Cobain's signature drunken acts, Moon would take it to the next level in '67, where he'd tape explosive charges to his set and detonate them in the show's finale, catching Townshend's hair on fire and nearly making him deaf.
Concerning fan fights, a key attribute in the rockstar's negligent persona, GG Allin is perhaps the most transgressive individual in rock history. While his performances deserve a seperate article, Allin's signature actions included (but were not limited to) throwing poop into the audience, self-mutilation and assault, jailing Allin countless times. Now that’s pretty metal.
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