Genesis, Born To Be Mild

  • Genesis really are something of a curio as a rock band. Unlike Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne and Kiss, they were never known for a hedonistic lifestyle. They didn't have wild drummers like The Who and Led Zeppelin. They didn't have the druggy allure of Pink Floyd or The Doors. They didn't have a front man who writhed around on a stage of broken glass like The Stooges.


    In fact, any kind of attempt (deliberate or otherwise) at a rock and roll lifestyle always came off as quite comedic.


    In Chapter And Verse, Mike Rutherford mentions how he "survived" his first acid trip. But he then goes on to explain that he got his drink spiked when he went to a concert. And then clarifies that the drink was Coca Cola. Hardly makes him Keith Richards, does it?


    And then there was the time when, in a fit of pique, Mike picked up a vase in a hotel lobby and threw it at a wall only to see it bounce harmlessly onto the floor.


    And who can forget Peter Gabriel's attempt at stage diving, only to see the crowd move out of his way, resulting in him hitting the floor and breaking his leg.


    What other ill-fated stories are there from the band's time on the road?

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    Like this post!.....:)


    I think Genesis on a whole like Camel were very contemporary bands and played to their fans accordingly... To have a front man throwing themselves onto a crowd were alien to the fans LOL!! :D


    Don't forget this band started out as a progressive rock band and not an average band with some degree of intelligence . :)


    Though most bands from the 70s and 80s had periods of letting their ego's runaway with themselves, I'm sure now have sobered up and laughed at themselves back then.. ;)   ^^

  • Don't forget this band started out as a progressive rock band and not an average band with some degree of intelligence

    But even prog rockers had their indulgences. Look at Yes, for instance. Chris Squire famously learnt how to play bass whilst recovering from a pretty bad time on LSD and throughout his career he remained a devoted hedonist. Likewise, Jon was very much into his drugs, as was Steve Howe (there's a picture knocking around on the internet of him loading a joint whilst sitting on a plane). And then there's Rick Wakeman, who was a legendary boozer back in the day (maybe that explains King Arthur On Ice).


    And then you have Pink Floyd, with Syd being one of the most tragic casualties of drug use. And most of David Gilmour's earnings during the eighties ended up going up his nose.

  • How's this for rock and roll excess: the members of Brand X used to glue the hotel telephone to the receiver and turn the volume up high on the tv set so that the next person who turned it on would be temporarily deafened. Crazy!

    • Official Post

    They would bring their partners and later their families with them on tour. Yeah, Rock'n roll (but don't you dare wake up the) baby!


    I don't give a toss whether the guys are/were boring - they have made so much awesome and exciting music.

    ...cried a voice in the crowd.


  • How's this for rock and roll excess: the members of Brand X used to glue the hotel telephone to the receiver and turn the volume up high on the tv set so that the next person who turned it on would be temporarily deafened. Crazy!

    The 70s seem to be a crazy period in music!....^^.. Cannot imagine Tony Banks doing those things :D

    Edited once, last by Noni ().

  • The 70s seem to be a crazy period in music!....^^.. Cannot imagine Tony Banks those thIngs

    When Tony was given his prog god award, back in 2015, there was an hilarious induction speech by Peter and he, amongst other things, mention their past differences over how to present themselves and while he was dressing up as flower or and STD, Tony would be very bold and move from one pastel shade to another in his sweater. Forget Wakeman's golden and silver capes …….

  • I did like Peter's speech when he introduced Tony. Very self-effacing. And Tony seemed a little loose when he took the stage, too, which was nice to see.


    As for the crazy times of the seventies, I recall an interview Phil gave to Q magazine in the nineties where he talked about the John Cale album on which he played and how John would do a few lines before going straight into the session. "It's been a while since you've been involved in crazy music" remarked the interviewer, earning a wistful "Yeah..." from the erstwhile drummer.

  • Well, he likes a drink. Chester said that it took a case of Heineken to loosen him up sufficiently whilst they were doing the Curious Feeling album.


    Tony is a lot less intense these days, according to Phil.

    A case of Heineken would loosen up the Pope I guess. Yes, he admits himself he has grown mellower with age. Must have been a handful to deal with back in the days.

  • Well, Genesis were hardly bad boys of rock 'n' roll. When Charisma records sent them out on tour with Lindisfarne and VDGG, the band recalled how VDGG occupied the back of the bus, stoned off their tits getting it on with chicks, while Lindisfarne got pissed in the middle and Genesis sat at the front reading and playing chess. Phil said that the Lamb was his 'weed' tour, unlike their contemprories for whom every tour was a 'weed' tour (and eveything else!)


    Whe I read about the ongoing edge of insanity that was Hawkwinds career, I'm surprised Dave Brock is still up there in his mid seventies, touring and recording and hanging on to life.


    Then there's 'soft rock cocaine enthusiasts, Fleetwood Mac' to quote Alan Partridge.... =O

  • I recall the story of the "ten bob" Charisma tour with Lindisfarne and Van der Graaf...no recollection of the latter "getting it on with chicks", though! Phil would pass between both bands, enjoying a drink of Newcastle Brown with Lindisfarne and then having a smoke with Peter Hammill and co. If you read Not Dead Yet, you'll find that Phil was a prolific toker back in the day.

  • They said other bands found it hilarious when they broke out.... their wicker hamper! And tucked into boiled eggs and cold sausages. They made the point it was a cheap means of sustenance when there was no band meal or rider available.

    Abandon all reason

  • Not a 'hedonism' road story as such but one I recall told on a radio programme many years ago.


    A member of Zappa's band was slowly going crazy on the road. He got to the point where every hotel looked the same, every room he stayed in identical. It began driving him nuts. He couldn't push from his mind he was ending up every time in the actual same hotel room.


    He came up with a way of assuring himself he wasn't losing it. Before leaving the current hotel, he etched a small notch on the rear corner of the wardrobe. When arriving at the next hotel, the absence of the notch would prove he was sane.


    Sadly he made the mistake of telling this plan to a member of the road crew.... who obviously, after nodding solemnly, rushed ahead to the next hotel and sniggeringly carved a notch, just to mess with the stricken guy's head.


    He seriously underestimated how close to tipping point the guy was. He arrived, went straight to the wardrobe and, eyes widening in horror, yelled and ran back out - allegedly never to be seen again. And leaving the frowning roadie scratching his head.

    Abandon all reason