News of the once-smokiest Philadelphia rock club no longer putting on shows coupled with a catchy radio PSA rap from the Pennsylvania Department of Health on the need to show ID when buying cigarettes reminded me of the prominent role smoking – cigarettes – once played in rock ‘n roll.
A few years ago, Philadelphia and its suburbs banned smoking in most bars. New York City did the same thing, right? I can’t remember the last time I had to suffer through a band’s set in a smoke-infested club. I don’t miss it, and it was no better when I was playing on stage to an audience of smokers. It’s hard enough for me to get close enough to my occasional harmony notes; choking on someone else’s cigarette smoke never helped. After a night out I had to go out to my garage and undress, leaving my clothes to air out a bit overnight. Yes, there’s a window in my garage and – sorry Townspeeps – smoke-free clubs in Philadelphia have spelled the end of the peep show!
Do they still allow smoking in clubs in your neck of the woods?
This is not meant to be an attack on smokers. For a brief time I smoked – cigaretttes. Like our friend Randy, I thought it was cool. Somewhere on Facebook an old friend posted a video of our band with me smoking on stage. It’s frightening to see now, but at the time I thought I was approaching cool. I hadn’t quite worked up to sticking the cigarette in-between the strings at my tuning heads, but don’t think I didn’t work on it in rehearsals.
Do you mean to tell me that when the Stones play Philly that Keef can’t stick a ciggy in his tuning heads?
Does anyone know who the first onstage smoker in rock was? Big Band singers freely smoked, right? However, I don’t recall Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, or any of the other founding fathers of rock smoking – cigarettes – on stage, if they ever smoked at all.
The Beatles smoked at press conferences right off the bat, but I don’t recall them smoking in concert footage I’ve seen. Does anyone even smoke during performances in Let it Be? I’m trying to recall if anyone smokes on stage at Woodstock or other festival-era films. I’m drawing blanks. Leonard Cohen likely had an onstage smoke at his 1970 Isle of Wight performance, but I don’t have the patience to sit through more than two clips.
When did Keef, the most notorious bad boy of rock, begin the practice of smoking on stage?
What’s been your relationship with smoking – cigarettes – and rock ‘n roll? Ever smoked on stage? Have a favorite smoking rocker? Ever lit the cigarette of a rocker on stage and in need of fire?
Smoking is uncool, but sticking a lit cigarette between the strings up by the tuning pegs while you play a song in undoubtedly cool.
I forget which album it is, but one NRBQ album has a photo of them on the back striking tough guy poses while ‘smoking’ candy cigarettes.
Mod, you’re forgetting the iconic rock smoking moment of the 90s — though really it’s yet more meta-smokery from an unintentionally hilarious band of wanna-rockers: the moment the bass/piano player in Poison flicks his cigarette into the darkness, just before the band kicks in to the sing-along chorus of “Gimme Somethin’ To Believe In.” (Watch for it at 2:48 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wk11Ywen5a4)
That’s one of my favorite trainwreck videos for lots of reasons — but the cigarette-flickery is most definitely a high point.
In the 80s — the bass player from Huey Lewis’ News was another meta-smoker (i.e., his smoking was all about the concept of smoking).
In the 70s… well, other than Keef, I’m having a hard time here. Oh, wait: Danny Klein from the J. Geils band — another bassist!
Are we seeing a pattern here? I believe we are. The cigarette is a cool tool, for sure. Do bass players think they need the most help in that area? Food for thought!
Somehow I do think a cigarette is like facial hair, it’s supposed to add rebellion or age to your look. Of course, lots of college professors have beards and smoke, so it never made sense to me.
Smoking is a sign of boredom, bass players are the most bored people on stage.
Most of the reason you see so many photos of rockers smoking is because the photo shoots were so boring and tedious that they all would smoke while waiting around.
The sad thing is that there is still smoking in some bars in PA (outside of Philly). There is a loophole in the law where you can allow smoking if placarded correctly and the amount of food you serve is under 20% of the income or something like that.
I smoked for 13 years but became a non-smoker when I started taking my vocals seriously. As a singer, I hate playing bars or clubs that allow it. With all the smoke, my range is drastically shortened and longevity.. forget it.