The Who - The infamous explosion on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. The Who destroyed their instruments at the conclusion of their performance of My Generation, with the usual addition of mild explosives for light pyrotechnic effect. The piece would end with guitarist Pete Townshend grabbing Tommy's guitar and smashing it. Prior to the taping, however, a "sloppy" stage hand, at the request of drummer Keith Moon (who allegedly bribed him with a bottle of whiskey), had overloaded Moon's kick drum with gun powder. When Moon detonated it, the explosion was so intense that a piece of cymbal shrapnel cut into Moon's arm; Moon is heard moaning in pain toward the end of the piece. Townshend, who had been in front of Moon's drums at the time, had his hair singed by the blast; he is seen putting out sparks in his hair before finishing the sketch with a visibly shocked Tommy Smothers. Allegedly, the blast contributed heavily to Townshend's long-term hearing loss.
