smashing equipment- a lost art?

[groooooove]

i had a friend in highschool that used to glue the neck onto his guitar and take the neck bolts out. he would play it and smash it over and over again, always reglueing.

i always thought it was super cheesy and lame.

 

[ggunn]

Art? You're kidding, right?

I believe it was Salvadore Dali who said, "Anything the artist spits is art."

 

[Savage_Dreams]

So why is it that no one smashes equipment anymore? Not even bigger bands do. I think Nirvana were the last mainstream band to regularly smash stuff, and I NEVER see local bands do it, ever.

Paul Stanley of KISS still does EVERY show, has since the 70's

 

[Ben Noblit]

Smashing equipment died with punk.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

I don't do it because No matter how crappy the gear may be, I'd still rather give it to some kid in the audience or on the street and give someone the ability to play music.

+1

I think I might do that some day!!

 

[MikeBass]

Our drummer from our old band had a music store. We used to piece together old bass and guitar parts and make "barely useable" instruments. We'd play them on the last song and then smash them. People loved it and always fought over the parts. It was also extremely satisfying. As long as we cleaned it up the soundguy/club never cared. In fact, we usually asked permission before going on and no one ever denied us.

Old, usually broken but easily fixed, guitars and basses are always on craigslist for next to nothing, as is First Act/Esteban stuff that's dirt cheap. You can also go to mom-and-pop music stores and get something that's broken from their back room for super cheap and fix it so that it will last you one song.

So why is it that no one smashes equipment anymore? Not even bigger bands do. I think Nirvana were the last mainstream band to regularly smash stuff, and I NEVER see local bands do it, ever.

Anyone else do it? I've got an old Memphis in the basement with a cracked neck that's just itching for it...

Lol everybody's broke and afraid of getting sued somebody gets barely touched by a piece of anything these days and they want millions

What Jimmy said.....and it's kinda dumb/phony if premeditated.

 

[tabdog]

Does anyone know how smashing guitars started?

I do. I saw it on film in the 1960's. Then I read the
story in the man's own words,

Tabdog

 

[4001]

I don't do it because No matter how crappy the gear may be, I'd still rather give it to some kid in the audience or on the street and give someone the ability to play music.

I'd agree 100%.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

Several years ago here in Chicago, guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen was performing and he grabbed a guitar and set it on fire and started smashing it to pieces and decided to sling the body into the audience. It struck a drummer I know causing injury.


The drummer sued and the rest, as they say is history.

 

[3k Mylz]

While I can't speak for anyone else on here, I work too hard for the gear I have, and even if it's a $40 cheapie at the pawn shop, I'd rather see that money put to the new pedal fund, or string that bass I've been meaning to do forever. The days of record companies footing the bill on credit are long gone. The DIY'ers are too astute on the practical ways of Fugazi and Radiohead, where gear is a precious commodity and to be treated with respect. (Although if you look through Fugazi's live shows, there would be grounds to dispute that

That said, if I was to "make it" and have copious amounts of cash after charity and all that, yeah maybe for my live DVD. No questioning the artistic value of such practices.

 

[Martin89]

I think there are just so many better ways to put on a show, it just doesn't seem like a strong finish to me. To me it's as dead as the leaving the instrument plugged in too close to the amp/annoying feedback as I walk off the stage thing... Why would you want to end the show with something unpleasant?

 

[runmikeyrun]

Geez, you guys should tell me how you REALLY feel haha!

 

[ksandvik]

Just avoid body-thrugh necks when trying to destroy basses on-stage, for a funny story about that consult Guy Pratt's autobiography My Bass And Other Animals.

 

[tabdog]

Why would you want to end the show with something unpleasant?

Exactly.

Old Pete never wanted to bust up his equipment.
It was an accident that started it all. The Who's
managers insisted that Pete should beat up his
equipment at the end of each concert.... That
continued and they finally fired their managers.

They gave them equipment just to destroy on
stage.

Pete always hated the whole idea of destroying
musical instruments,

Tabdog

 

[ksandvik]

For a long time The Who had a financial loss with each concert due to all the destruction of equipment....

 

[tabdog]

I think they had a financial gain due to breaking
all the equipment.

The manufacturers gave them the equipment to
destroy.

The other manufacturers were jealous because Pete
wasn't tearing up their equipment,

Tabdog

 

[ShredderMaximus]

Really, I wouldn't even put on a show, I'd just have all the money that was going to be put into putting on a show and send it to a overweight squirrel hospital in Mozambique. And really, I would rather never buy instruments or anything, and just send that money to the fat squirrels too.

Really folks, its putting on a show. Would I ever smash an instrument? No. Would it be bad@$$ to see someone else do it? Hellz Yeah.

 

[runmikeyrun]

Maybe I should have polled our target audience, who always seemed to enjoy it- 20-30 year old metalheads.

 

[Dave W]

Several years ago here in Chicago, guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen was performing and he grabbed a guitar and set it on fire and started smashing it to pieces and decided to sling the body into the audience. It struck a drummer I know causing injury.

The drummer sued and the rest, as they say is history.

That's both frightening and awesome at the same time. I'm not a fan of Yngwie, he's a major jerk.

Maybe I should have polled our target audience, who always seemed to enjoy it- 20-30 year old metalheads.

I'm a 30 yr old metal head, although you wouldn't know it from looking at me. I think it's dumb and I always have.

 

[JamesGoodall]

Check out the The Chariot live on youtube. That whole scene is quite fond of it, and I was in a rather Chariot-inspired band and have thrown quite a few basses around. Not so much anymore, but there are bands out there doing it.

Love The Chariot! Missed them and about every other band I love at UnSilent Night last december though

On that note, My old band would always book shows with another band who's stage presence was entirely based off of a video they saw of The Chariot. The problem was they had no fan base, so they were just kind of freaking out up there with no one really going for it. Their guitarist had a spare he didn't really use and he would always spray it with axe body spray and light it on fire, then put it on the ground and stomp on it for the end of the song...It was just overboard.

A little off topic, but all that to say: Destroying instruments has gone out, it's okay to go crazy and as my old band put it "throw down," but only to the extent you're still focusing on your sound and playing well. Aside from that it's tacky, and really IMO always has been. Treat your instruments and more importantly, fans with respect and you'll get a better, more lasting rep than "The band who broke his nose with a piece of their bass/guitar/whatever"

If you throw your whole bass out in the crowd though, well, that's a different story entirely.