The Buzz

Rockin' Rotten: The Sex Pistols Return

Back in the late '70s, the Sex Pistols were the last word in punk-rock volatility and self-immolation. Bassist Sid Vicious cut himself with shards of glass for kicks, frontman Johnny Rotten baited and brawled with concert audiences, and drugs were consumed backstage like pizza at a kid's birthday party. How times have changed. The Pistols recently played the Glen Helen Pavilion near Los Angeles — their first U.S. show in six years. Unfortunately for their fans, the aging rockers (minus Vicious, who died of an overdose in 1979) were just a pale imitation of their former rebellious selves. Shortly after the show began, audience members started pelting the group with full cups of beer. Rather than revel in the chaos as he might have in the band's heyday, Rotten (who now goes by his real name, John Lydon) became irate, cursing the suds slingers and threatening to stop the show if the shenanigans didn't end. The lager lobbing slowed but didn't cease, and by the end of “Anarchy in the U.K.,” Lydon was soaked. The Pistols didn't leave the stage prematurely as promised, but some in the crowd probably wish they had, considering how half-hearted their performance reportedly was. It just goes to show you: middle-aged punks just aren't as enthralling as snotty, hungry, drug-addled twenty-somethings, no matter what their legacy entails.

Coldplay Concert Chaos

Their newest album may be called A Sudden Rush of Blood to the Head, but it was a sudden rush of wind to the roof that put the kibosh on Coldplay's recent gig at Atlanta's Masquerade Park. The band's battle with the elements ended before they could even take the stage. A massive wind blew the roof off the venue as their gear was being set up, and pouring rain soaked all of the equipment. The concert was postponed when park officials determined that the electrical gear was too wet to risk turning on. But that didn't stop frontman Chris Martin and guitarist Johnny Buckland from putting on a show. The two set up in front of the venue under an overhang and played a brief acoustic set to a small but appreciative gathering. They didn't play a cover of Travis's “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?” but maybe they should have.

Fan Filches from Foreigner

Musicians live in fear of having their gear stolen from their trucks or from the backstage area of a club, but you would think your guitars would be safe onstage while you're playing. Apparently not. A 27-year-old West Chicago man jumped onstage during a recent festival set by Foreigner and made off with a $6,000 guitar. Jason Sanderson was arrested at the festival with the guitar still in his hands and was charged with two misdemeanors: theft and resisting a police officer. Sanderson struck a deal with state prosecutors; the theft charge was dropped in return for a guilty plea on the second charge. A county judge ordered the inept thief to perform five days of community service and placed him on probation. But that isn't all. In an unconventional move, the judge banned Sanderson from ever attending another Foreigner concert. Such cruelty. Who says our criminal justice system doesn't work?

ZZ Top's Touring Troubles

The rip-roaring bluesy sound and redneck rock image of ZZ Top are so profoundly American, maybe some higher power is trying to tell the Texas troubadours that they shouldn't play on European soil. All the warning signs are there. In 2000, the European leg of the band's world tour was canceled after bassist Dusty Hill was diagnosed with Hepatitis C. Last September, on a break from recording their as-yet-untitled new album, the band announced a 22-date European tour to make up for the previously canceled shows. At the time, Hill announced, “I'm living proof that Hepatitis C can be contained and that ZZ Top cannot. We're all very excited to be going back to Europe to pick up where we left off.” Not so fast, buddy. Just a few shows into the trek, drummer Frank Beard was rushed to a Paris hospital for an emergency appendectomy. This time ZZ Top stayed on the road, however, hiring drum tech John Douglas to fill in until Beard recovered.

Phil Collins Stops Touring Due to Hearing Problems

The next time somebody warns you to wear earplugs, don't just respond, “What? I can't hear you?!?” and cackle like mad. Just ask Phil Collins. The former Genesis drummer and vocalist is hardly one of the loudest rockers of all time, so it came as something of a surprise when Collins announced that he won't play another full tour for fear of going deaf. Even his recent set at the Jubilee Concert for the Queen of England was nearly too much for his damaged left ear. At a press conference promoting his new album, Testify, the 51-year-old Collins said, “A few years ago I had a partial hearing loss in that ear. Today I have to be careful not to strain it with too much volume.” Collins became convinced of the seriousness of his ailment at the Jubilee Concert. He was scheduled to perform “We Are the Champions” with Queen, but decided at the rehearsal that he didn't want to risk taking the stage with such a rocking outfit. “Queen is the loudest band I've ever heard,” he said. “When the band got going, it blew so heavily through my ear that I had to cancel the thing.” Collins says that he'll still play live from time to time, but regular gigs are out of the question.