Rock music is even more enjoyable when there’s a little bit of debauchery involved, wouldn’t you agree?
History has shown that musicians have given some of their best performances when they’re completely out of it.
But in some instances, however, there is definitely such a thing as being “too” out of it. And all it takes is one drunken mistake to make years of building a rapport with fans go down the drain.
Here are some questionable performances we’ve seen from hit bands over the years.
#1 - Kurt Cobain from Nirvana
Kurt Cobain is pretty famous for being the guitarist and singer for the American rock band Nirvana. If you haven’t heard of them, perhaps the song “Smells like Teen Spirit” might ring a bell. While on tour in 1991, the band played “In Bloom” from the “Nevermind” cut, which was done in quite a slapdash style. The performance involved lots of slipping, stumbling, and veering both literally and musically speaking. Cobain appeared to be totally under the influence as he stumbled and staggered his way through an otherwise lousy and unremarkable performance.
#2 - Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day
Billie Joe Armstrong is a part of the popular American band Green Day. It was in 2012 when Billie was forced to put a stop to his many years of alcohol and substance use. During a live concert at the iHeart Music Festival in Vegas, a stage monitor alerted the band about the fact that their show was being cut short and there was only one minute left before their performance would be wrapped up prematurely.
A visibly irate Armstrong proceeded to stop the song before going on an intoxicated rant wherein he insulted the festival and the crew backstage for cutting their show. Needless to say, it wasn’t long before Armstrong found himself in rehab for substance abuse.
#3 - Slash from Guns’ N Roses’
Guns’ N Roses’ have always been known for their reckless, sloppy performances. One of these performances that stands out came to pass in 1991 when Slash found it difficult to play the guitar while performing their hit song “Welcome to the Jungle.” Seemingly, the band’s lead guitarist was too drunk to understand what was going on or even remember the notes he was supposed to play.
It’s all fun and games until you completely destroy your budding musical career. How many more questionable drunken performances from popular bands can you think of?