Why Keith Richards Once Hit a Fan With His Guitar
Since Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has been playing on the road for almost six decades, it is no surprise that some crazy things have happened during some of his shows. In 1981, things got so out of hand at Rolling Stones show that Richards ended up hitting a crazed fan with his guitar.
On December 18, 1981, the Rolling Stones were playing the final show of their Tattoo You tour in Hampton, Virginia. Things were going well and the band was playing their final song of the night “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” That is when Richards noticed a fan who somehow got on stage. Security was not fast enough.
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Richards clubbed the fan with his guitar and then went right back to playing the song. Many years later, when asked if he would have done it again, he explained, “No, I’d do the same thing. The only reason I did it was because security was not there. They were two steps behind. I’m watching Mick’s back. I don’t know where this guy’s going to go, and a Telecaster is a damn good club.” Keep in mind this was about a year after John Lennon‘s death, so artists were particularly on edge.
“It’s kind of an automatic, instinctive thing, you know?” he added. “I could see security running up but I know he’s going to get to Mick or get to the center of the stage before any of them. So what, I watched my man’s back, you know?” Richards made amends though because he bailed the fan out of jail after the incident and joked, “He still owes me 200 bucks.”
Too bad we couldn’t get the fan’s side of the story! Can you imagine being clubbed by Richards and then bailed out of jail by him? Did you happen to witness this live? Let us know in the comments!
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