Freakiest Concert Moments

Posted by Spinner Staff
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When live concerts go wrong, the results can be hilarious, disturbing, or sometimes even violent. From indecent exposure in the swingin' '60s to fan tossing in '07, look back at the on-stage meltdowns, wardrobe malfunctions and all-around insanity that instigated the most shocking concert moments ever.

Warning: Some content may not be suitable for all audiences.

Jim Morrison Exposes Himself

Date: March 1, 1969

What Went Down: Jim Morrison was one of the most unpredictable performers in rock 'n' roll. But during a '69 concert in Miami, he took his "freedom of expression" to new risqué levels. "You didn't come here for music, did you?" the visibly intoxicated Doors front man asked his audience after several minutes of nonsensical rambling. "You want to see my c***, don't you? That's what you came for." Morrison shockingly obliged and was arrested for indecent exposure and public profanity. Outrageous stuff back then, but nowadays, that would just be a typical Akon show.

Alice Cooper Throws Live Chicken

Date: September 13, 1969

What Went Down: Not all things with wings can fly -- a fact that Alice Cooper learned during his performance at the 1969 Toronto Rock & Roll Festival. During the show, a fan threw a live chicken onto the stage. Cooper responded by throwing the fowl into the air, expecting it to soar above the crowd. Instead, the chicken landed in the audience and was immediately ripped to shreds by the rabid crowd. The incident became front-page news nationwide, with tabloids incorrectly reporting that the "shock rocker" had ripped the chicken's head off and drank its blood.

Ozzy Osbourne Bites Head Off Bat

Date: January 20, 1982

What Went Down: Back in the day, Black Sabbath front man Ozzy Osbourne got off on throwing pig intestines and cow livers into the audience during performances. One night, a fan gave the Ozzman a taste of his own medicine and threw a live bat on the stage. Thinking it was a rubber toy, the self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness grabbed the animal and bit its head off. Ozzy had to be rushed to the hospital for rabies shots after the gig, but his legend as the ultimate rock 'n' roll wild man loomed larger than ever.

Milli Vanilli Lip Sync on Stage

Date: July, 21 1989

What Went Down: Today it's cool for Britney Spears to flub her lip-sync shows in Vegas, but when Milli Vanilli got caught faking the funk, it spelled the beginning of their end. The dreadlocked duo was performing their biggest hit, 'Girl You Know It's True,' at a show in Bristol, CT when the vocal track started to skip. Though the crowd didn't seem to mind, the group was crucified by critics who began questioning their talent. A year later, the pressure of public scrutiny led the group's manager revealed that Rob and Fab didn't actually sing on their award-winning records. Fans called for blood after the announcement and the band was eventually forced to return their 1990 Best New Artist Grammy.

Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses Beats Up a Fan

Date: July 2, 1991

What Went Down: Axl Rose is a man who takes matters into his own hands. That didn't bode well for a camera-happy fan at Guns N' Roses' 1991 St. Louis show. After noticing the camera, Axl stopped singing to ask security to remove the shutterbug. When the guards didn't respond quickly enough, Axl jumped into the audience to handle the situation himself. After exchanging blows with the fan, Axl stormed offstage, sparking an arena-wide riot for which he was later arrested (the charges were eventually dismissed).

Curtis Mayfield Paralyzed

Date: August 13, 1990

What Went Down: Soul legend Curtis Mayfield was lucky to be alive after his 1990 performance in Flatbush, Brooklyn. The R&B innovator was playing an outdoor concert when stage-lighting equipment fell on him, permanently paralyzing him from the neck down. Mayfield heroically struggled through the tragedy and succeeding in writing, singing on and directing the recording of his final album, 'New World Order,' in 1997.

Metallica Frontman Catches Fire

Date: August 8, 1992

What Went Down: Few rockers know the dangers of being in the wrong place at the wrong time better than Metallica's James Hetfield. During the band's performance of 'Fade to Black' at a Montreal gig, James misinterpreted a stage cue and wound up standing in the middle of a pyrotechnic explosion. Though he suffered second-degree burns to his arms and legs, James eventually continued the tour -- Hetfield stuck to vocals while a roadie took over his guitar-shredding duties.

L7 Throws Tampon

Date: August 28, 1992

What Went Down: When L7 got pushed, the all-girl grunge band pushed back. The crowd at England's 1992 Reading Festival learned this the hard way. During the band's set, guitarist Donita Sparks got fed up with all the crap fans were hurling onto the stage and retaliated by removing her bloody tampon and throwing it into the crowd. Some (un)lucky fan walked away with one of the most unsanitary souvenirs in alt-rock history.

Rage Against the Machine Protest

Date: July 18, 1993

What Went Down: Actions spoke louder than words when Rage Against the Machine hit the stage in Philly during Lollapalooza '93. Instead of playing music, the four band members stood on stage naked with duct tape over their mouths and the letters "PMRC" painted on their chests in a protest against censorship. For 15 minutes, the only sounds heard during the demonstration were guitar feedback and jeers from pissed-off fans who actually wanted to see the band play something.

Woodstock '99 Riot

Date: July 25, 1999

What Went Down: The 200,000 attendees of Woodstock '99 in Rome, NY, had more than brown acid to worry about. After suffering three days of scarce water, overpriced food and overflowing toilets in '90-degree heat, several crowd members released their frustration in a wave of destruction and violence that included fires, lootings and several rapes during the Red Hot Chili Peppers' event-ending set. So much for peace and love.

Fiona Apple Onstage Meltdown

DATE: April 30, 2000

WHAT WENT DOWN: A packed house of 3000 fans came to hear Fiona Apple tickle the ivories at New York's Roseland Ballroom. Instead, they witnessed music's most infamous on-stage meltdown. Poor sound quality and rattled nerves were the sparks that ignited Fiona's tirade, in which she wailed, "You know, I just wanted to do real well in New York ... But f---! I can't hear myself!" This was followed by a crying fit, yelling at journalists to not pan the show and a hasty exit from the stage after only a few songs.

Marilyn Manson vs. Security Guard

Date: July 30, 2001

What Went Down: Security guard Joshua Keasler will never forget the night he went, uh, head-to-head with Marilyn Manson. During his 2001 Ozzfest performance in Detroit, Manson rubbed his crotch on the guard's head, which led to the rocker being sued for sexual assault and inflicting emotional distress. Manson was sued by a different security for the same offense one year earlier after a Minneapolis gig. Since then, he's learned to keep his crotch to himself ... we hope.

Scott Stapp Gets Drunk, Sued

Date: December 29, 2002

What Went Down: What's more pitiful than getting arrested for throwing an Orangina bottle at your wife? Being so wasted that you forget the words to all your songs in front of thousands of fans. That's what happened when former Creed front man Scott Stapp hit the bottle too hard before hitting the stage at a Chicago concert. Though Stapp remarked that his performance was a "symbolic, personal gesture" that had nothing to do with alcohol, guitarist Mark Tremonti remembers the singer "staggering, slurring his words" and holding a half-drunk bottle of Jack Daniels 15 minutes before taking the stage. The gig was so bad that the band was later sued by four fans, though the charges were dismissed.

Janet & Justin Nipplegate

Date: February 1, 2004

What Went Down: Football fans nearly choked on their hot wings during Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake's Super Bowl XX halftime show. The pair was at the end of their 'Rock Your Body' duet when Justin ripped off a part of Janet's costume, exposing her bare breast to millions of viewers. CBS was flooded with 200,000 complaints of indecent exposure following the "wardrobe malfunction." Janet suffered severe media scrutiny after Nipplegate, and was even banned from appearing on the Grammys later in the month. JT received less flack for his involvement, and apologized for the fiasco on the live Grammy telecast.

David Bowie Hit With Lollipop

Date: June 18, 2004

What Went Down: Musicians are often pelted with roses and underwear during their shows, but David Bowie was struck by an object of adoration that almost cost him his sight. Twenty minutes into a performance in Norway , the stick of a lollipop that was thrown at the singer became wedged between his left eyeball and eyelid. A panicked member of his entourage rushed the stage to remove the sweet projectile so Bowie could finish the show.

Fergie Pees Pants on Stage

Date: July 30, 2005

What Went Down: Fergie brought new meaning to the term Black Eyed Pee. During a Black Eyed Peas concert in San Diego, CA, the singer had a not-so- glamorous moment when she wet her pants on stage, mid song, in front of a packed club. Fergs told Scotland's Daily Record, "I had a few drinks before going on stage, but I didn't think to go to the bathroom. We were jumping around and my bladder just started you know ..." Um, Fergie, you should probably focus less on the abs, and devote more time to those Kegel exercises.

Pete Wentz Beats Up Guard

Date: January 7, 2007

What Went Down: He may wear girlie jeans and eyeliner, but Fall out Boy's Pete Wentz is no sissy. During a gig in Albuquerque, NM, a security guard hired by the venue got into an argument with one of FOB's personal security members, and the two went to blows. Pete reacted by dropping his mic mid-song, jumping into the crowd and defending his friend ... with his fists. No charges were filed, but Pete got punchy again at a June 12 performance in Chicago after being heckled by an audience member. Anger-management classes can't be far behind.

Akon Throws Fan Off Stage

Date: June 3, 2007

What Went Down: When Akon invites you up on stage, just say no. At a concert in Poughkeepsie, NY, a fan threw an item at the stage, barely missing the R&B singer. Akon asked security to escort the 15-year-old offender onto the stage -- just so he could pick him up and throw him back into the crowd. The incident occurred only two months after Akon landed in hot water for humping a 14-year-old girl on stage during a concert in Trinidad. Maybe his fans should just stick to watching his videos instead.

Terror at Ejekt Festival

Date: June 16, 2007

What Went Down: Anarchy is (unfortunately) alive and well in Greece. Athens' Ejekt festival came to an abrupt and violent end when 30 masked men armed with CS-gas, iron bars and baseball bats stormed the stadium during the Beastie Boys' set. Cars were set ablaze and a member of electronic group Underworld, who were set to close out the event, was injured in the melee.