At the height of rock and roll in the 1970s, it wasn’t that rare for a band member to pass out on stage. However, it was rare for a teenage fan to take over the concert while the band and crew tended to the passed-out band member in question.
Back in 1973, Keith Moon wasn’t doing all that well. Between drug addiction and the exhaustion of being on the road, he was known to trash hotel rooms and subsequently faint. During one Who concert in San Francisco, California in November of 1973, Moon made the ill-advised choice to take some animal tranquilizers to help him calm down. His nerves were likely attributed to the fact that they were performing their very first show in America in over two years; Moon even vomited shortly before the concert.
Unfortunately, animal tranquilizers aren’t the best nerve-suppressant if you’re about to play the drums in front of hundreds of people…