Music News from New York and Beyond


When Rock Stars Attack - The Best On-Stage Outbursts

Posted on June 17, 2008
Despite the glitz and glamor of rock stardom, many artists suffer from an aggressive temper, often incited by hecklers at their live shows. We've compiled our favorite on-stage outbursts into this tidy list. Comment with any brawls we may have missed.

 

Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day)


Axl Rose (Guns N' Roses)


Keith Richards (Rolling Stones)


Kurt Cobain (Nirvana)


Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy)


Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age)


Akon


Henry Rollins (Black Flag)


Jay Reatard


Angus Young (AC/DC)


Glenn Danzig (Danzig)


Bjork


Paul Stanley (KISS)


Dipset


Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein (The Mistfits)


Maynard James Keenan (Tool)


Marilyn Manson


Brendan Urie (Panic at the Disco!)


Chad Kroeger (Nickelback)

Comments

  • Nathan Lovejoy
    Nathan Lovejoy posted on Jun 17 - 2008 06:07:30 PM

    Chad Kroeger probably deserved that.

  • ithurtswhenipee
    ithurtswhenipee posted on Jun 17 - 2008 07:35:09 PM

    Keith Richards just fending off an attacker and going on with the show. Now there is a rock legand.

  • Jugga Mo
    Jugga Mo posted on Jun 17 - 2008 07:37:34 PM

    At the 2003 Warped Tour in i think Mansfield, Mass or something, Twiztid was playing their set and these retards in the crowd for some reason didnt want em there cause i guess Warped Tour is for "punks only", well the kids in the crowd were throwing bottles filled with rocks and Jamie Madrox got pissed and jumped from the stage and beat one of the kids down against a fence and shit maaaaaaaad funny!

  • Erica Young
    Erica Young posted on Jun 17 - 2008 07:40:03 PM

    Haha. I've seen the Angus one before, and that guy deserved it! Throw a beer at Angus Young? I don't think so!

  • Harry Manback
    Harry Manback posted on Jun 17 - 2008 07:41:14 PM

    Maynard kicks ass.

  • frank
    frank posted on Jun 17 - 2008 08:42:16 PM

    yeah that clip of maynard was easily the strangest out of the list. here's a couple that probably deserve to be on here. G-Unit Bottled Off Stage At Reading 2004 (1,000's of bottles and cups) http://youtube.com/watch?v=yqEPLyu0nA0 Wu-Tang Clan Fight At Rock The Bells Chicago 2007 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrUfMwCPxI0

  • John
    John posted on Jun 17 - 2008 11:20:16 PM

    The best rock star attack I've ever seen was in the documentary DIG! when Antone Newcombe from the Brian Jonestown Massacre drop kicks a guy in the face, that should definitely be on this list

  • seriously?
    seriously? posted on Jun 17 - 2008 11:23:41 PM

    What the hell? No back stories?? Some of these are not even Rockstar outbursts?!? Real let-down... "WHEN ROCKSTARS ATTACK!!!!" fruits! Whoever wrote this (and probably will delete my comment) needs a kick in the face.

  • don't forget
    don't forget posted on Jun 18 - 2008 01:33:37 AM

    i can't give the link at the moment (at work), but when jack white yelled at some kid during a white stripes show was pretty entertaining. i've seen it online as "jack white vs. a moron" or something like that.

  • What about...?
    What about...? posted on Jun 18 - 2008 09:37:28 AM

    They forgot when Pete Townsend clubbed a chick with his guitar at Woodstock '69 when she climbed on stage. Classic.

  • billchanger
    billchanger posted on Jun 18 - 2008 10:33:07 AM

    Sebastian Bach???

  • oh and
    oh and posted on Jun 18 - 2008 10:34:49 AM

    Chino Moreno of the Deftones was doing his clim-the-fence-sing-to-the-crowd thing when some guy tried to pull him down. chino them punched dude right in the head and yelled at him. look for Deftones, Around the Fur live Also, yes, Nickelback deserved that

  • the who?
    the who? posted on Jun 18 - 2008 11:38:10 AM

    no pete townshend? or roger daultry fights?

  • scott
    scott posted on Jun 18 - 2008 12:10:01 PM

    Danzig went down like the poser he is!

  • brian586
    brian586 posted on Jun 18 - 2008 01:18:37 PM

    If you include the lame Kiss one (which was just verbal) then you absolutely have to include the Fugazi "ice cream truck" incident. Hilarious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCdG6KPE35M

  • pm
    pm posted on Jun 18 - 2008 01:28:08 PM

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=kF53PxPa26M converge in gainsevill florida, some security was goin crazy

  • mike
    mike posted on Jun 18 - 2008 01:45:40 PM

    I was at Cains in Mission Beach San Diego about 3-4 years ago and saw Mike Ness of SOCIAL DISTORTION knock this ass hole out who was spitting and throwing shit and heckling the whole show. It was awesome! No footage exists that I know of, however I have a vivid memory. It was sweet.

  • jdhfn
    jdhfn posted on Jun 18 - 2008 01:52:21 PM

    josh homme had this other one where a fan ran on the stage. josh turned around and just pushed him off yelling, "this is my f***ing stage" funny but looked as if it would've hurt

  • alice is bad
    alice is bad posted on Jun 18 - 2008 02:26:14 PM

    Throw a beer at ANGUS YOUNG you stupid fuckface,i hope the security backstage kicked him to death,he deserves to die.

  • Lane
    Lane posted on Jun 18 - 2008 03:43:34 PM

    i remember when nickelback came to Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada they had shoes thrown at them. by the end of their set there was like 200 shoes lol. and they kept them

  • merritt
    merritt posted on Jun 18 - 2008 03:45:46 PM

    David Yow get's a bottle shattered against his head, collapses, and they start the song over again after the glass is swept up. "Nice shot, dick!" So awesome. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu9lUbf5GQ0

  • Nuck Fickleback
    Nuck Fickleback posted on Jun 18 - 2008 05:36:33 PM

    nickelback definitely deserved it!! they could learn a thing or two about The Nuttcups at whoopin ass tho: http://www.digitalfuntown.com/showchannel.php?page=1&title=Central%20Park&swf=central_park&fcontent_id=128

  • Kris
    Kris posted on Jun 18 - 2008 07:36:08 PM

    I was at that Axle Rose show. It was early 90's in St. Louis at the Riverport (nicknamed Riotport) Amphitheater, now the Verizon wireless amphitheater. It was a fuckin' mad house. Metallica was good though..

  • Salli
    Salli posted on Jun 18 - 2008 08:17:47 PM

    Ok I really don't see how Brendon Urie's should be on here because he didn't "attack". He was hit in the head with a bottle and knocked out. Then he just got up and kept playing the show with a huge bruise on his face.

  • Classless
    Classless posted on Jun 19 - 2008 12:58:33 AM

    How is there no Pantera/Phil Anselmo meltdowns on here?

  • Judy Berman
    Judy Berman posted on Jun 19 - 2008 11:39:18 AM

    The Pete Townshend thing was actually Abbie Hoffman who is (I can't believe I actually have to say this) a man.

  • Joey
    Joey posted on Jun 19 - 2008 04:28:53 PM

    Hahahaha Chad Kroeger is such a fucking douchebag. haha that had to be my favorite.

  • The Jack 'Em Up Kid
    The Jack 'Em Up Kid posted on Jun 19 - 2008 05:06:29 PM

    Here's an idea for you, limewire staff: include a description of the circumstances behind each one of these clips. It would make this a much more interesting post, especially since you can't tell what is going on in half of these clips.

  • Andy W.
    Andy W. posted on Jun 20 - 2008 02:55:35 PM

    EXCEPT FOR KEITH FROM THE STONES, THEY ARE ALL IN WAY CRUMMY INSIGNIFICANT BANDS. WHO CARES?

  • Andy W.
    Andy W. posted on Jun 20 - 2008 02:57:59 PM

    THE BEST ROCK STAR FIGHTS ARE WHEN THEY BATTLE THEMSELVES----------ONSTAGE...........KINKS.......THE WHO......BLUR..........EAGLES.

  • Juggalo 4 life
    Juggalo 4 life posted on Jun 25 - 2008 05:23:17 AM

    fucking fall out boy is gay as hell, he deserves to be punched in the face... with an axe. for the dude on the comments named " jugga mo" I WANT TO SEE THAT SHIT WITH JAMIE MADROX!!!!

  • Saint Hatred
    Saint Hatred posted on Jun 25 - 2008 08:17:26 PM

    I go to a lot of Oi and hardcore shows. I can remember dozens of times where the bands have gotten into it with the audience members, and several where it broke down into a full blown indoor riot.

  • Dale Cruse
    Dale Cruse posted on Jun 25 - 2008 09:51:47 PM

    None of these holds a candle to Bill Hicks' "Hitler had it right" meltdown: http://youtube.com/watch?v=T1oS-dADkWw

  • Aaron
    Aaron posted on Jul 14 - 2008 10:29:15 PM

    That stupid guy who punched kurt cobaine.......the rest of nirvana was quick to defend though

  • iammacio
    iammacio posted on Jul 16 - 2008 02:44:08 PM

    primus @ rothbury last week stopped playing after les claypool got fed up with glowsticks and other shit being thrwon at him. he played for more than 2hours but stopped suddenly after almost being thrown with a big object. he said sth like "if're about to throw anything towards me have a courtesy to frist lick it and shove it up your ass!"

  • fall flags
    fall flags posted on Aug 13 - 2008 02:31:41 AM

    Thanks for the useful information

    Thanks
    fall flags