The Unhinged History of Rockstar Rumours
We’ve all heard the tales of musicians boozing until immoral hours of the morning, having untamed sex, and living blissfully in their own coke induced fantasies. Sometimes these musicians seem so wildly appealing because of how unattainable their lifestyles truly are, like modern day prophets singing divine truths to our bitterly average worlds. While musicians and music do have a way of empathizing with us, reminding us that even rock stars can feel the ways we feel, they also work hard to create a divide in order to fuel our idolization of them. Lyrics and melody have a powerful role in this of course, but so does the art of performance. By living on the edge of reality to shape their alternative lifestyles, musicians remain outrageously captivating and undeniably controversial.
Here we’ll be diving into a diverse collection of eight of the craziest stunts’ musicians have pulled throughout the years.From mildly amusing to downright insane and simply illegal, these picks are sure to turn you into a musically inclined trivia master or an interesting guest at any dinner party.
Ozzy Osbourne & The Bats Head
This one is definitely as disturbing as it sounds. In 1982, the popularEnglish singer-songwriter was thrown a bat during a performance onstage in DesMoines, Iowa by a seventeen-year-old fan. In the heat of the moment, Ozzy picked the bat up from the stage and chomped down, immediately realizing what he had done. According to the rocker, it wasn’t uncommon to be tossed rubber animals during his performances, but it wasn’t until he felt the bats head twitch in his mouth that he realized this was no mere replica. It’s on YouTube if you don’t believe me.
Freddie Mercury, Life of the Party
Queen’s famous frontman has received a lot of attention post BohemianRhapsody’s release, especially due to his eccentric personality. One of his most unforgettable shindigs, Saturday Night in Sodom, took place in theFairmont, New Orleans where an overwhelming 400 guests partied the night away in a jungle of drag queens, fire eaters, and naked contortionists. Estimated to have cost upwards of 200 thousand pounds, Mercury responded by declaring “fuck the cost, darlings, let’s live a little.”
Jimi Hendrix & The Perfect Penis
For those unfamiliar, Cynthia “Plaster Caster” was an American artist and groupie responsible for makingmolds of more than 50 rock stars penises since the 1960’s. Hendrix, whilenoteworthy for a plethora of reasons, was one of Caster’s first subjects. Apparently,Jimi was the most “laid back” subject she’d had the pleasure of casting andremains her favorite musician to work with to date.
Lady Gaga Gets Puked On
Famously known for sporting a dress of raw meat, Gaga pays homage to all things wild. But, perhaps my favourite headline of the past few years has been“Meet the Woman Who Vomited on Lady Gaga”. This 27-year-old ‘vomit artist’ stuck her fingers down her throat and proceeded to regurgitate green puke allover the star during her song “Swine”, an act that was pre-planned for the concert by Gaga herself. Talk about an act that’s hard to stomach.
Iggy Pop – The Extremist
This musician has gone down in history as the ‘Godfather of Punk’,credited for popularizing the stage dive. From putting his penis on an amp, to self-mutilating with a drumstick on stage, Iggy was known for pushing the limits. These antics didn’t stop when the show was over either, but risky theatrics made Iggy’s concerts an experience to say the least.
Pussy Riot the Political Protestors
It’s no surprise that many musicians have used their power to express personal political opinions, but Pussy Riot takes the cake for their Anti-Putin performance in Moscow’s largest Orthodox church. If you haven’t recognized these girls from their balaclavas alone, this church performance solidified these three women as symbols of opposition after they were arrested for requesting that the Holy Virgin ‘chase Putin out’. True Riot Grrrls.
Keith "The Loon" Moon
Keith Moon, the famous drummer for The Who, played the drums like it was nobody’s business. In fact, sometimes he played the drums so hard, he destroyed them. He was a true vandal through-and-through, putting powerful explosives down toilets and tampering with equipment. Unfortunately, Moon died of a pill overdose when he was 32, but his talent, drive, and antics still live on today.
Courtney Loves Chaos
Popularly known for being Kurt Cobain’s widow, Love also has no problem making a name for herself based on a long list of insane stories. As if getting a bikini wax in front of journalists wasn’t enough, Love is also known for setting her apartment on fire and suing her record label. Heroin and pregnancy are also found in the mix, but I’ll leave you to your own devices to explore that one.
