ROGER Waters and Dave Gilmour aren’t the first musicians to be embroiled in a bitter feud. Here are some of the classic bust-ups from music history.
Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend
The Who were notorious for fisticuffs – who’d have guessed necking brandy and drugs in lunatic quantities could cause problems? In one incident Daltrey decked Townshend with an uppercut, and genuinely thought he’d killed him. Happily they’re still mates. Maybe Rog knocks Pete unconscious occasionally for old times’ sake. Aw.
Morrissey and Johnny Marr
The origin of this row is unclear, but it prompted Morrissey to write a pompous, faux-poetical open letter saying, among other things: ‘If I was, as you claim, such an eyesore monster, where exactly did this leave you? Mute? Chained? Abducted by cross-eyed extraterrestrials?’ Which handily explains that they fell out because Morrissey is an utter wanker.
Oasis and themselves plus Damon Albarn
The Gallaghers had various tedious scraps plus an assault with a tambourine, which must have been terrifying for poor Noel, so it was far more entertaining when Liam told Damon Albarn to ‘catch AIDS and die’. Respect due for thinking of such a tasteless and painful death for someone whose greatest crime was being annoyingly middle-class.
Roger Waters and Dave Gilmour
This actually takes some beating. Gilmour’s wife tweeted that Waters was ‘anti-semitic to his rotten core’, which Dave seemed to agree with. It’s not the sort of thing you can sort out with flowers and a card: ‘Sorry for telling everyone you hate Jews. Friends?’ It’s more entertaining than Floyd albums like A Momentary Lapse of Reason, and don’t pre-book tickets for a reunion tour.
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel
Much tension, but manifested in unexciting ways, such as Garfunkel feeling hurt when Simon recorded a solo single in 1958. However you can’t really imagine the sensitive folk-pop duo battering each other, and hearing about their tetchy relationship is preferable to listening to unbearable tweeness like For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her.
KISS
Frontman and rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley decided to drop the bomb on his former bandmates in his memoir. Gene Simmons did not mastermind the band’s career, ‘he just took credit for things’. Band members were often too f**ked to play, quelle surprise, and Ace Frehley and Peter Criss were antisemites who, in Frehley’s case, also racially mocked waiters at Chinese restaurants. Stanley also highlights Frehley’s collection of Nazi memorabilia in case you were unsure about his feelings.
Mel B and Geri Halliwell and Mel C and Posh Spice
The Spice Girls didn’t collect Nazi memorabilia as far as we know, but Geri left the band on Mel B’s birthday without telling her, the cow. Mel B meanwhile has revealed she came to blows with Mel C and there was animosity toward Victoria for not joining a reunion tour. Mel (B) also told Piers Morgan about a sexual encounter with Geri, which she said was ‘hurtful to her family’. Friendship never ends, indeed.
