That
stage invasion a few weeks ago at the Oasis gig in Canada got us thinking. How have other musos dealt with the stage invasion, and at what cost? Noel Gallagher suffered broken ribs after being clocked from behind while noodling on his guitar. The invader was promptly wrestled to the ground and dragged off stage, (with a punch from Liam if
this video is to be believed) but it doesn't always play out like that.
5. 50 Cent fan tries to get rich or die tryin'
In May this year, beefy US rapper 50 Cent played a gig in the war-torn African country of Angola. One of the poorest countries in the world, playing host to one of the richest musicians in the world. No surprise then that while playing a show in the town of Luanda, weak security saw a host of characters milling around the stage. So much so that halfway through a track, an errant fan - with balls the size of melons, evidently - jumped on stage and yanked the gold chain from right off 50 Cent's neck! Chaos ensues as 50 and his entourage avalanche in the direction of the thief. The man was caught by the crew, and the chain was returned, but not before a brawl inside the stadium. The most humorous thing about the shaky video? The fan holding the camera singing along, who, when capturing the incident shrills: "Eh, ei, ei, ei! Filho de maluco, brother! Porra, esse é maluco." Or, "Son of an insane person! Shit, he's a crazy person!"
50 Cent gets mugged in Angola
4. Shit Disco beat down own soundman
Keep your friends close and your enemies doing live sound? These UK indie-rockers were having some issues with their on stage sound quality. After repeated requests to the sound guy to turn the guitars up in the drummer's foldback, nothing changed. The band get more and more agitated, until the soundman suddenly arrives on stage to have a word with the guitarist. And a headbutt. Cue brawl and a hi-hat stand to the back.
Shit Disco - Stage fight
3. Keith Richards axes fan
I don't know if Keith Richards is the best person to approach with sudden movements, particularly during the 80s. The guy spent so much of his time pickled that any quick movements could have been misinterpreted catastrophically.
So it's not known whether this fan in 1981 at the Hampton Coliseum in Virginia was coming in for the kiss or the kill. Keith wasn't taking any chances. He seems to spot the stage invader a mile off and, without flinching, gears up for the moment of contact. Incredulously, the rest of the band don't miss a beat, and after Keith is done assaulting his assailant, he simply straps his axe back on and picks up 'Satisfaction' where he left off. Cheers.
It's a short video, making it easy to watch a couple of times to pinpoint the exact moment of impact.
Keith Richards takes out a fan
2. Kurt Cobain bashes bouncer; bouncer bashes Kurt Cobain
Can you invade your own stage? Nirvana were out on tour with Sonic Youth just as
Nevermind was seeping in to the jockstraps of American youth. The rabid attention caught the band by surprise and they found themselves playing venues far too small for their newly elevated stature. Thurston Moore said of the tour that each night during Nirvana's first song, Kurt would throw himself out into the crowd to be passed around on a sea of hands, then delivered back on stage just in time to sing the first few words of the set.
Immortalised in the Nirvana doco
Live Tonight! Nirvana!, this rendition of 'Love Buzz' features such a leap. The security guard trying to contain the front of the stage - and who's mate's mixing-desk had apparently already been abused by Cobain's rampant guitar earlier in the night - appears to half drag Cobain back on to the stage and half punch him. Cobain responds by smashing him in the head with the butt of his guitar. Naturally, the bouncer is unappreciative.
Kurt Cobain vs Bouncer
1. Machuca vs Chiliean pride
'Machuca' in Chilean means "one who is beaten but perseveres". This Chiliean punk band fulfilled their namesake when they were playing at a local university in Santiago, and dedicated a song to the their favourite soccer team. Little did they know they were playing on the turf of the arch-rivals of said soccer team. How did their fans handle this? They rush the stage to beat the shit out of the band. Of course.
Bonus video points: The heavy-handed
Cops style voiceover.
Machuca - Stage brawl
From
thevine.com.au.