Rock Stars On Drugs!!!!

[MarcO]

One of the greatest contributions rock stars offer the world are their empirical investigations into what life is like when you are totally medicated all the time. God bless them! With no shame or foresight, they celebrate their talent and good fortune by snorting mountains of powders, popping whatever pills they can lay their hands on, jamming needles full of cocaine, heroin and Jack Daniels in their pale skinny arms, and celebrate another days' hard work with a fountain of liquor and a nice sexing of the local whores. What fun!

What are your favorite "rock stars on drugs" stories? Here's a few of mine:

* Joe Perry of Aerosmith introducing his wife to his bandmates, who had all attended his wedding several years prior.

* Elton John, circa mid-1970's, inviting his entire extended family, including his elderly Grandmother, to a party at his rural English estate. Having spent most of the day hidden in his room snorting cocaine, he then emerges to run around screaming for all invited to "stop talking about me" and then jumps in the pool in an apparent suicide attempt. This probably wasn't the same party in which he had naked men parachute into his garden, but that was another doozie too, I bet. Good times.....

* Gregg Allman re-uniting backstage with a former road manager, who had quit due to his inability to control Gregg's massive drug abuse. Having proudly announced his recent triumphant sobriety, Allman then enters the adjacent bathroom for half an hour. When he emerges, the road manager notices that “he had that shit caked all over his face”.

* a guy I worked with years ago once told of seeing David Wilcox perform at a University in the early to mid 1980’s. After demonstrating the fine art of slurring obscenities at an audience for half the show, Wilcox took a dramatic leap in the air, and landed right on his back with a dull thud in front of the drums. He promptly passed out and literally had to be dragged, lifeless, off the stage by his trusty roadies. Who says Canadians can’t party with the best of them?

* while putting together “The Last Waltz” documentary, Robbie Robertson and Martin Scorsese spending tens of thousands of dollars and weeks in a film studio editing out a giant cocaine booger from Neil Young’s nose, who had flown into San Francisco from Atlanta that afternoon for the show. “The most expensive cocaine I never bought”, Robertson later said.

* and finally, James Brown enjoying a nice Southern day all loaded on PCP by bursting into an office next to his business offices wanting to know which one of those “bitches” had used his personal bathroom. With no one admitting to such a transgression, Brown reasonably reveals a gun and threatens to kill everyone. When the police are called, he flees the scene, ultimately giving a Police chase through three States, pulling over only when all four of his tires have been shot out by pursuing police. Emerging from the car, he launches into one of his patented stage moves, a quick dance at the side of the highway. Brown is arrested and goes to jail. “Ow!”

[bradm]

Eric Clapton tells a story about how, during his heavy-drinking period, he did a show lying flat on his back on stage because, not only couldn't he stand up, he couldn't even sit up. He claimed that the audience didn't care, because they were as wrecked as he was.

I also heard a story about how Jerry Garcia, near the end of his life, came out on stage during set break, started fiddling with his rig, and fell asleep (or nodded off), standing up against his equipment rack.

Aloha,

Brad

[MarcO]

Keith Richards once fell asleep against his amps in front of a packed German arena, circa 1982.

[Freak By Night]

My favourite story of this type was of Rick James, brought to life on "Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories".

[Davey Boy 2.0]

Thank you MarcO, I could read this stuff alllll day long.

maybe if they printed them on these Crystal Spring Detox Pads they'd sell a bit better (see ad above)

[Jaimoe]

The documented Keith Moon stories put eveyone else to shame.

[Hux]

Late '70's, Deadheads hanging around the backstage entrance pre-show see a limousine pull up, a staggering Phil Lesh exits the vehicle with a groupie on one arm and holding a bottle of Heineken in the other hand, venue security guard tells Lesh open liquor not permitted etc., Lesh proceeds to drop the bottle which shatters on the ground and continues on to the show with friend.

Atta boyeeee.....

[MarcO]

The documented Keith Moon stories put eveyone else to shame.

well, here's the thread to share them!

I love rock stars on drugs.

[balogna pogna]

I remember seeing Tommy Lee in an interview talking about an 80s Motley Crue/Ozzy Osbourne tour. They had all done so much coke on the tour bus that when they got off Ozzy walked up to an ant-hill, got on his hands and knees and started snorting the ants right out of the ground!

Sounds like good times to me!

[StoneMtn]

I heard that Ozzy once urinated on a police car. There was a cop inside at the time.

(I think his manager, or someone, averted that arrest.)

[Blurry]

I remember reading in one of the Dead books - there's so many but I think it was called "Going Down The Road"!?!?! - anyways, remember Donna Jean saying how she only dosed like a handful of times while they were actually playing and that one time she lost her shit and when she came to, she was curled up in the fetal position underneath her husbands piano...ha ha!!

[hamilton]

More Aerosmith.

Joe Perry plays a record for Steven Tyler, who exclaims, "This is an awesome tune! We have to cover this! Who is this?"

Joe Perry looks at Steven Tyler and says, "It's us, you asshole."

They were listening to Toys In The Attic.

[Guest Low Roller]

James Brown gives a perfectly coherent interview while enjoying his sober state. Not.

(warning: video will load)

[guigsy]

for anyone who hasnt seen it, i strongly recommend the metal years documentary.

purely by coincidence, about a week after i watched it, Rikki Rocket (from Poison) came into my store to buy some shit... i was slightly reluctant to shake his hand, and made sure i scrubbed up real good afterwards...

[SmoothedShredder]

James Brown gives a perfectly coherent interview while enjoying his sober state. Not.

(warning: video will load)

Shameless promoter

~W

[million]

Watch Festival Express (came out last fall). I'm sure they cut a hell of a lot out of that one.

[SmoothedShredder]

Watch Festival Express (came out last fall). I'm sure they cut a hell of a lot out of that one.

Yeah... a Texas Micky with 15 hits of liquid acid inside. "It was gone by Morning."

~W

[Del]

One time when I was at Pepper Jacks, these guys from... Oh wait, I've already said too much...

[SaggyBalls]

i forgot how to play bass my first gig...

i likes my marijuana.

glad i somehow remembered. i got compliments.

still don't know how to play the bass.

[Del]

i forgot how to play bass my first gig...

i likes my marijuana.

Does a marijuana high even warrant being posted in a "Rock Stars On Drugs" thread? I think this thread was meant to discuss people that were REALLY fucked up, not people who couldn't handle smoking a joint... (Oh, and I think it was meant to discuss "rock stars" not people in a local band that never made it anywhere...)

[Jaimoe]

Here's a few Moon hotel stories, but only booze-infused. His drug stories ain't funny at all ( they are unbelievable, pathetic and sad... as most if not all drug stories are ). Below is my favourite and I think funniest rock photo ever taken.

While this tale remains dear to the hearts of all "Moon-men", his renowned ability to destroy hotel rooms has perhaps won him even greater acclaim. Many a time a startled hotel patron has been confronted by the sight of a 25-inch color TV hurtling down towards them, compliments of one Keith Moon. Nothing is safe from the destructive tendencies of the mad Moon; bathroom fixtures suddenly become unfixed, and wooden bed frames are soon relegated into the unrecognizable piles of wood.

Keith shows no favoritism in his hotel "victims", and rooms from New York's elegant Plaza to huts in he wilds of Asia have felt the wrath of the demented drummer. One particularly memorable "wrecking" took place in the unlikely locale of Saskatoon, Canada. It seems that during the midst of one of the Who's frequent North American tours, Mr. Moon found himself without a suitable activity to occupy his hyperactive personality. After a few half-hearted attempts to find an entertaining diversion, Keith wandered into town where he discovered a hardware store that carried exactly what he was looking for. He gleefully returned to his room with a new hatchet that he had purchased, and he contently set about dismantling his room. Within minutes it looked like a German Panzer division had used his quarters for target practice, as everything from his dressing table to the television lay in a heap of total disrepair. a while later when a "roadie" came to get Keith from that evening's performance, he was aghast to open the door and find Moon sitting atop a huge pile of dismantled hotel furniture. As he wondered aloud what had gotten into Keith to make him do such a thing, the madman calmly replied, "just tryin' to keep meself out of trouble, mate."

An equally infamous hotel-room escapade found Keith providing a well-intentioned "inn-keeper" with the ultimate definition of "noise" versus "music". Legend tells that Moon was quietly standing in the lobby of a mid-western American hotel, with his portable cassette player blasting out some of the Who's latest work. After a few minutes of this sound onslaught, the normally crowded lobby had become practically deserted. It was at this point that the hotel manager emphatically asked Keith to turn the "noise" down to a respectable level. In disdain for one not attuned to his musical tastes, Moon kept right on playing his tape at ear-splitting levels. This prompted another plea from the manger, again begging that the "noise" be turned off. This dialogue continued unabated for the next few minutes until the hotel representative warned that if Keith did not turn the machine off at once he would be forced to summon the police. At these ominous words Moon mad an agreement with the manager. He said that he would go back to his room if the official would accompany him. While this request seemed somewhat strange, it was quickly agreed upon, and the two journeyed up to Keith's ninth floor abode. Upon reaching his room, Moon signaled that the man should wait a moment outside the door while Keith went inside. After about two minutes Moon reemerged, followed closely by a loud dynamite explosion emanating from his bathroom. As smoke began to fill the hallway, Moon turned to the horrified manager and calmly explained, "That my friend is noise. This on the other hand," as he again turned on his cassette player, "is the Who."

[Jaimoe]

I'm sure lots of brandy was consumed... and I never knew Moon could play guitar or jammed with Clapton.

Edited July 26, 2005 by Guest

[PalacePrincess]

that reminds me...i really have to get around to picking up a copy of that motley crue book....

[Kaidy Mae]

Grace. Slick.

[Schwa.]

I've heard stories of Ozzy partying with the motley crue boys and them daring each other to do shit....eventually (according to the stories) Ozzy bent down to the sidewalk and snorted some ants.

Hardcore.