10 Explosive Pics Remembering The Time Keith Moon Blew Up His Drums On 'The Smother's Brothers'

Talking about a whole lot more than my generation

Published 1 month ago in Wow

Of all the wild antics that defined Keith Moon's career, none hit quite like the exploding drumset incident during The Who's 1967 performance on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Using 10 times more gunpowder than usual, Moon's signature act of destruction left bandmates running and the world talking about a whole lot more than their generation.

From Moon's bad-boy reputation to the deafening aftermath of the ordeal, here are 10 explosive pics remembering the time Keith Moon blew up his drums on a variety show.

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When it comes to the trope of rockstars smashing their instruments after an iconic performance, The Who not only invented but also perfected the art, a fact embodied by their explosive 1967 performance on 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.'

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In September 1964, Pete Townshend made music history during The Who’s performance at Railway Tavern in Harrow and Wealdstone, smashing his guitar in the final moments of their set. Though this move inspired several other artists like Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain and Jeff Beck to follow suit, none hopped on the trend quite like Townshend’s bandmate, Keith Moon.

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Since that fateful UK performance, Moon made a habit of smashing his drum set while onstage. "A set of skins is about $300 [then £96] and after every show he'd just go bang, bang, bang and then kick the whole thing over,” Townshend recalled of his bandmate’s destructive behavior.
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Moon’s wild tendencies weren’t only confined to the stage. Between destroying hotel rooms, blowing up toilets, and driving a car into a Holiday Inn pool, the drummer had developed quite the reputation for smashing things around him, one that somehow didn’t scare away Tommy Smothers of 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.'

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After watching The Who rock out — and smash their instruments — at 1968’s Monterey International Pop Music Festival, Smothers invited the band to perform on his show.
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Though Moon was no stranger to exploding his drum set, he decided to up the ante for his TV stint, allegedly filling his kit with more gunpowder when the show’s technicians weren’t looking.
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“It was 10 times the legal amount of gunpowder you’re allowed to use on a soundstage,” recalled Jeff Stein, who directed the band’s 'The Kids Are Alright' documentary. “Keith bribed a stagehand, and I think he got him loaded on some booze.”

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After sitting through performances from Bette Davis and Mickey Rooney, The Who finally hit their marks, rocking out to their 1964 hit, “My Generation.”
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As per usual, the band began destroying their instruments following the song’s final notes. But after moments of kicking, smashing, and a small explosion lighting part of Moon’s set ablaze, the powder keg ignited, leaving the camera quaking, the ground shaking, and Moon and his bandmates sprinting away.
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Beyond serving as one of Rock n’ Roll’s defining moments, the explosion left one heck of a mark on Townshend. “My hair caught fire," the artist recalled. "And my hearing was never the same again."