Again in 1977, Sammy Hagar had a disastrous present opening for KISS, which culminated within the “Pink Rocker” mainly throwing a tantrum onstage, smashing his guitar and, regrettably, pulling his penis out and shaking it within the course of the gang. In a brand new interview, Hagar particulars what went down that prompted the ill-advised stunt.
As famous by UCR in 2016, Hagar remembers in his Pink: My Uncensored Life in Rock autobiography that he was kind of an unknown determine to KISS followers. He had solely performed New York throughout his time in Montrose and, as a solo artist onstage opening for KISS at Madison Sq. Backyard because the band supported their Rock and Roll Over album, that he was met with a barrage of booing earlier than even stepping onto the stage.
So, he had fairly a gap to dig himself out of to win the viewers over earlier than they even obtained their first impression of him and his music.
All of it went down on Feb. 18, 1977 on the primary of what was meant to be 10 dates with Hagar opening for the mighty KISS.
Now, in an interview on the THAT Rocks! YouTube sequence hosted by That Steel Present veterans Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson, Hagar dives again into the main points of that memorable-for-the-wrong-reasons night time.
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The “Pink Rocker” tells them (transcribed by UCR), “It was lovely in its personal manner as a result of it gave me drive. It made me offended and I mentioned that fucking shit isn’t going to occur once more.”
Somebody got here out to introduce Hagar and, as a substitute of followers being greeted with the enduring bellow of, “You needed one of the best, you bought one of the best — the most well liked band on this planet… KISS!,” the gang discovered Hagar was up first, which netted a venue’s value of boos.
“They did not even know who the fuck I used to be,” provides Hagar.
He mentions that he opened with two laborious/heavy songs, adopted by a ballad, which was fairly customary apply of rock acts on the time. However the crowd did not take nicely to the ballad and “went off” as Hagar remembers.
That is when he knew one thing needed to change and quick.
“I simply stopped the tune and mentioned, ‘I am so glad they flew in a particular viewers from Los Angeles for me.’ Then I pulled my pants down, fucking shook it [his penis] at them after which smashed my guitar to bits and walked off the stage saying, ‘Fuck you.'”
It seems smashing the guitar wasn’t probably the most sound transfer, financially.
“That was a ’61 Strat. I imagine that factor could be value half 1,000,000 bucks in all probability, however I smashed it to items, that is how pissed off I obtained,” the “Pink Rocker” reveals.
What did KISS consider this?
“And Paul Stanley’s going ‘Sammy! Oh, my God, you possibly can’t fucking try this, man.’ They have been freaking out, the KISS guys, and I mentioned fuck it. I advised my supervisor I am not doing another present ever with these guys once more. And I by no means have. I’ve went to see them as a result of we’re associates, however I would not ever attempt to open for them once more,” he remembers.
Hagar then confesses that he’d be open to supporting KISS at Madison Sq. Backyard earlier than the band stops touring for good. “Let’s go to Madison Sq. Backyard and I will open for you,” he muses, “Let’s have one other crack at this!”
Watch the complete interview under.
