"The Who blowing up Moon’s drum kit; Hendrix starting his Strat on fire in Monterey; Paul Stanley smashing his guitar; Cobain jumping head first into the drum riser.
The energy and aggression of rock n' roll, culminating in the sacrifice of instruments, is a time-honoured tradition. The earliest incarnation of this ritual, that I’m aware of, is The Killer lighting his piano on fire.
These days we love to adorn innovators with the title of “the father/mother of” or the “grandfather of” any musical style. I probably wouldn’t get too much opposition on calling Jerry Lee Lewis the father of rock n' roll attitude. It is often said that rock n' roll is an attitude - that attitude may be best exemplified, if not invented, by The Killer himself. If you’re not aware of this musical genius’ contributions to music, his unique personality and larger than life attitude, I urge you to watch the masterful performance by Dennis Quaid in the 1989 movie Great Balls of Fire.
I rarely combine black and white with colour on the same piece, however, I wanted an image that would represent the dramatic effect rock n’ roll was having on both the music establishment and social moralities." -Stickman
