Pink Floyd’s The Wall tour, Arthur Brown’s fire helmet and Motley Crue’s Rollercoaster drum kit. Bands have been trying to get the edge over others in live performances throughout the whole music industry. As live performances are the best way for bands and artists to earn money, they want to put on a show to get you to see them again. Today the Beat Marches On to 31st March 1967 when Jimi Hendrix sets fire to his guitar for the first time.
Jimi Hendrix came to the UK in September 1966 and was discovered by Linda Keith the girlfriend of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. After Andrew Oldham rejected the offer to manage Hendrix, she suggested to ex-Animal’s bass player Chas Chandler to check out this new guitarist. Chandler was looking to go into management and was looking for new talent to represent. He wasn’t disappointed.
Hendrix first gained attention when he took to the stage with Cream midway through their set at the Central London Polytechnic. Cream was the best band around at the time and is described as the first Supergroup. Proof of this is that guitarist Eric Clapton (as I have probably mentioned before) was dubbed by his fans as God. Hendrix jumped onto the stage and asked the band to perform Howlin’ Wolf’s “Killing Floor”
The performance was unbelievable. It was played at ferocious speed. Hendrix played the guitar upside down and had just blown one of the world’s most famous guitarists off the stage. Clapton stormed off the stage. Chandler followed the guitarist backstage and asked him if he was all right. “You didn’t tell me he was that good!” he replied.
Hendrix and Chandler quickly got a band together and called the band the Jimi Hendrix Experience. They signed a record deal and added former Animal’s manager Michael Jeffrey to help Chandler on the management side of things. They quickly released a first single “Hey Joe” before the end of the year.
The band released the second single “Purple Haze” on 17th March 1967. The band had only played in London so far (other than a brief mini-tour in France with Johnny Hallyday) The demand was increasing to tour around the UK.
Chas Chandler signed the band on to a package tour that featured The Walker Brothers, Cat Stevens, and Engelbert Humperdinck. With the single “Purple Haze” stalling in the charts at the back end of the top 40, Chandler needed a way for Hendrix to grab national media attention. The idea of what they were going to do came from a journalist and future Who publicist Keith Altham.
The first night of the tour was at the London Astoria and The Experience had a new song to debut for the tour called “Fire”. Looking for a way to stand out from the rest of the acts (other than being one of the loudest bands around) Hendrix plays the guitar with his teeth and behind his head Altham suggested to Chandler and Hendrix that to help grab attention set the guitar on fire.
At some previous gig, Hendrix had smashed guitars on stage. Inspired by Pete Townsend from The Who there were fears that it wasn’t original, and others were starting to do similar things. With the suggestion of setting the guitar on fire by Altham, the boys knew this would be something special.
Chandler sent out a roadie to get some lighter fluid on the day of the gig. On the bill just before the headliners The Walker Brothers, the Experience played their explosive set featuring the two hit singles and some blues covers. Two songs from the end of the set the band debuted “Fire”
They started playing the fast-paced song and everything was normal. Towards the end, Jimi went off the stage while bass player Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell kept playing. Hendrix put down his guitar and Chandler doused it in lighter fluid. Then he grabbed some matches. It took a few attempts but eventually, the guitar went up in flames. Over exuberant with the lighter fluid, the flames of the guitar reached over one meter high.
The audience was stunned. The only other known artist to do this before was Jerry Lee Lewis. The stunt worked. Soon enough the newspapers started to report about the incident. Hendrix had gained the attention of the nation rather than just to fellow musicians. It helped “Purple Haze” rocket up the charts going from 39 to 6 just within that week. Now everyone wanted to see and listen to the Jimi Hendrix Experience.
The band finished the set despite Hendrix having burns on his hands from the high flames. The adrenaline still flowing from the performance helped finish it. He went to the hospital after the performance to treat the injuries, but they were only minor, and he carried on with the tour.
A few months later at the Monterey Pop Festival with the world watching Hendrix did the same act again. This time using considerably less lighter fluid (he was in control of the fluid this time) he motioned the flames to get higher as the guitar burned.
Jimi Hendrix spent the next three years as one of the greatest rock stars in the world. He revolutionised the way to play the guitar. Influencing the next generation of guitarists. He also made the current crop of guitarists up their game. This story is just one of many that have been told of the guitarist in his very short time with us.
The Beat Marches On is a music blog written by Jimmy Whitehead. Jimmy has been blogging for three years specialising in Sports (especially American Football). If you want to follow Jimmy on Twitter: @Jimmy_W1987
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Websites used for research are:
Why Jimi Hendrix Lit His Guitar on Fire at an Early UK Show | CELEBAND
The Truth About The Day Jimi Hendrix Set Fire To His Guitar – Rock Pasta
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