The Guitar

When English rock band The Who performed on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in September, 1967, it resulted in a memorable incident.

The band was scheduled to perform their song "My Generation" on the show, which was known for its satirical and politically charged lyrics. To this day, the song remains one of their most popular singles, with over 215 million streams on Spotify.

The band had a reputation for destroying their instruments and equipment while on tour. Concerts would often end with the band destroying some or all of their instruments. Even off stage, the band brought destruction with them. They allegedly caused $24,000 of damage to their hotel after a performance in Michigan in 1967.

Later that same year, at their Smothers Brothers performance, the show took an unexpected turn after drummer Keith Moon bribed a producer to load a stage pyrotechnic into his bass drum with nearly ten times the permitted limit of explosives.

This caused Moon’s drum kit to explode and send shrapnel flying through the set, destroying multiple pieces of studio equipment. The fiasco was caught on camera. The explosion also damaged lead singer Pete Townsend’s hearing. Townsend would later announce that he suffered from tinnitus due in part to the explosion.

The Who's instrument destruction became a trademark of their live performances and contributed to their enduring legacy as one of the most influential rock bands of all time.

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