Watching Fiona Apple on Sunday, got me to think of how much she has changed since her titanic flameout at Roseland where in 2000 a mix of nerves and sound fuck ups had a devastated Fiona begging the journalists there not to write about it and then storming off the stage a coupla songs into her set!
Being an inveterate concertgoer, I've seen my own fair share of flameouts: Liz Phair booed at the Town Hall, Johnny Thunders nodding out at Max's…
So I went in search and found this list on Comcast:
1. Billy Corgan at United Palace in 2008, bruised after the journalists trashed his performance, invited a fan up for an honest opinion and the fan said, "You sucked". The rest is history.
2. Wavves in Barcelona 2009, Nate fired his band on stage mid-song.
3. R. Kelly at MSG in 2004 (I was actiually there for this one), Kelly said someone was threatening him with a gun, apologized and left the stage mid song.
4. In 2011, a pigeon took a dump in a Kings Of Leon's mouth bringing the festivities to a grinding halt. We laughed about it here for days.
5. Oasis -Liam left Noel to do a VH-1 alone because he was too hungover. Then Liam heckled him from the balcony. Classic.
6. The Everly Brothers broke up on stage because Don was too drunk and couldn't remember the lyrics to the songs.
7. Creed's Scott Stapp pulled a Don Everly. This is the only time Stapp and Don will be mentioned in the same breath.
Some real disasters as well, Alex Harvey electrocuted, Curtis Mayfield, paralyzed for the rest of his life, Counting Crows showed up…