We’ve got a podcast about drummer extraordinaire Keith Moon coming up, but we wanted to cover some additional ground before getting there. This is a rock and roll legend that’s iconic, which we were reminded of after watching the full Cow Palace 1973 concert the other night on YouTube.
It started out like any other gig for The Who, who were on the American leg of a major tour. Then 70 minutes into the performance things went a little wrong.
The Who at Cow Palace 1973 and Can Anybody Play the Drums?
The Who’s album Quadrophenia had launched in October 1973. With a big batch of new material they hit the road touring it all, with the Californian venue Cow Palace taking place on November 20th.
The 13,500 venue was sold out, Lynyrd Skynyrd had been the opening act, and everything was recorded on a two-camera black and white video system.
Everything went well enough up until Won’t Get Fooled Again. There were several signs in preceding songs all was not well with the drummer; he was lagging in places and increasingly erratic.
At the 1 hour 12 minute mark on the above video, shortly after that mark you can see Moon drum stick twizzling and seemingly with it. He launched into the song but you can tell he was struggling. By the time he was supposed to kick in with his iconic drum solo barrage there’s nothing going on. Instead, he was slumped unconscious over his kit in a blackout.
Why? Moon had downed a bunch of animal tranquilisers before the gig.
Off stage, Moon was revived with a cold shower and a cortisone injection. That all led to a 30-minute delay.
By this point The Who were the biggest band on the planet, at least alongside Led Zeppelin, so this was a bit of a disaster as the Cow Palace gig was the first in their North American tour. Not the best way to begin proceedings and, of course, incredibly reckless from Moon.
The drummer eventually staggered back onstage, continued playing, was obviously not really with it, and then passed out again during Magic Bus. This time he was rushed to hospital and had his stomach pumped. According to Pete Townshend, Moon was left wheelchair bound for several days after.
Now, what’s pretty amazing here is Moon was able to complete a significant portion of this very demanding set whilst out of his mind on hardcore drugs (see the story of Substitute for more on that). It shows how much of a naturally gifted drummer he was and how integral to the band’s music, with Townshend announcing to the audience:
“The ‘orrible truth is that without him we’re not a group.”
Despite the show, essentially, being a disaster and very unprofessional, everything up until the 70 minute mark was classic Who stuff and a great performance. But we should imagine Moon got a bollocking for this.
The band were pretty incredulous about it, Townshend later noting:
“Someone said to him, ‘Here’s eight animal tranquilisers, if you take half of one with a mug of brandy you get an interesting high.’ And he went, ‘Half of one!? I’m Keith Moon!’ And he took the lot.”
On a surface level, it all makes for an amusing rock and roll story.
But the reality was Moon’s troubled personal life had almost cost him his life. His marriage had collapsed and his drinking/drug taking had escalated considerably.
This occasion ended with a cool sounding story of a lifetime (see below), but the warning signs of Moon’s decline were evident. Roger Daltrey has since noted his biggest regret in life was not pushing to get their drummer any sort of mental health support.
Scott Halpin’s 15-Minutes of Drumming Fame
Another legendary part of this story involves the young university student Scott Halpin (1954-2008). Not even 20, he was at the gig as a big fan of the band and just so happened to enjoy playing the drums in his spare time.
In the half an hour delay caused by Moon’s unconscious state, Townshend began asking around for any audience members who could play the drums.
Halpin was picked, given a shot of brandy to steady his nerves, then stuck himself behind Moon’s enormous drum kit. Townshend gave him instructions to follow his cue and they played Smokestack Lightning, Naked Eye, and My Generation.
Imagine that! You go to a Who concert and end up onstage and playing through My Generation.
All of this extended the gig by about 15 minutes before the band called it an early night, with a standing ovation from the crowd as Halpin and the others took a bow. Halpin was invited backstage and provided with a tour jacket.
He returned to his studying after that, in 1978 earning an MA in Interdisciplinary Arts at San Francisco State University. He worked much of his life as an artist and musician, with this story become part of rock and roll folklore—for the rest of his life he gave intermittent interviews about the experience.
Unfortunately, he died aged 54 in February 2008 of a brain tumour. The Who honoured his memory with a tribute on their official website and social media.
Final Nod to the Cow Palace
One thing that never seems to be flagged up is the name of this event—Cow Palace? It’s still there, by the way, and was once called the California State Livestock Pavilion. Which is why it’s associated with cows.
It’s located in Daly City, California.
The venue has been in operation since 1941 hosting sporting events and concerts. Some big name acts who played there included The Beatles, The Who (obviously), Grateful Dead, U2, Sting, and Neil Young.
As of early 2025, it’s having a revival of sorts and all the best to it. With a name like that, you sure as heckers can’t miss it.
