Mike at the Hall of Fame

[Disney Boy (1985)]

What with Mike getting rather a lot of praise on here of late (some deserved, some not), I thought i'd redress the balance, for myself at least, and re-watch the Hall of Fame footage. Honestly, I'd really love to know, has it ever been officially confirmed: was he high, or drunk, or undergoing medication at this point, or what? I mean, he seems to be absolutely out of his mind from the second he sets foot on stage! Has there ever been any explanation from him (or anyone else) as to his behaviour that night?

(I also watched the footage of Brian, Dennis and Carl singing Bugged at My Ol' Man around the piano - when Brian coughs, looks at his brothers and they all crack up? Fantastic!)

[The Shift]

I've read that he'd been fasting and the lack of nourishment caused him to act uncharacteristically… or in a grossly exaggerated version of characteristic, whichever way you look at it!

All together now:  "J'ai gourmet devour…"

[Shady]

Forget the awful speech, Mike obnoxiously adjusting the mic stand when Brian was talking was the worst moment..

He was obviously drunk

[SMiLE Brian]

If he was fasting, thats just like 1970, when he went nuts from fasting.

[Aegir]

if you haven't eaten in awhile, you get drunk a lot more quickly!

[SMiLE Brian]

if you haven't eaten in awhile, you get drunk a lot more quickly!

that's probably what happened...

[MBE]

Bad timing and some really goofy things said but he also made a point. I remember I wasn't mad at Mike, but mad at Paul McCartney for not showing up. Not a great moment but it did cut through some of the BS.

[Disney Boy (1985)]

I suppose if mike is going to be banging on about paul mccartney i'd rather he was slagging him off then going on about how he helped him to write Back in the USSR for the 8,000th time!

It certainly is annoying when he adjusts Brian's microphone - you can tell it's just an excuse to dip into the limelight, steal a bit of his thunder. When he then starts rubbing the back of Brian's neck it somehow manages to come across as now even remotely affectionate or tender.

I think this clip is great coz it really highlights the BB's different personalities right there on stage in 7 or so minutes:

Brian - loveable, slightly awkward, passionate re music, if somewhat eccentric (gotta love Carl's face when Brian claims they've recorded 52 albums...)
Mike - limelight hogging, brash, confident, bit of an asshole
Carl - quiet, graceful and respectful
Al - happy to stay largely in the background, a team player

[37!ws]

Given the number of unreleased recordings they had in the vault, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if there WERE 52 albums' worth of material in existence!

[Rocker]

I wonder what happened after Mike's speech backstage. Carl looks so mad at Mike....

[SMiLE Brian]

I wonder what happened after Mike's speech backstage. Carl looks so mad at Mike....

Brian also looks to have revived his look of death from the touring days as well...

[MarcellaHasDirtyFeet]

I wonder what happened after Mike's speech backstage. Carl looks so mad at Mike....

A baseball hat and tuxedo... Wow. Mike can always be trusted to remain true to his own sense of style.

[Myk Luhv]

oldsurferdude needs to come in here and tell it like it is!

[SMiLE Brian]

oldsurferdude needs to come in here and tell it like it is!

Agreed!

[Cam Mott]

Pretty rock and roll but not as rock and roll as some of the other members' inebriated onstage behavior.  On the other hand, not as embarrassing either; your mileage may vary.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

Pretty rock and roll but not as rock and roll as some of the other members' inebriated onstage behavior.  On the other hand, not as embarrassing either

I think embarrassment has a lot to do with how public your mistake or stupidity is. In that sense, I think Mike Love's bizarre rant is one of the most embarrassing moments in the history of rock and roll.

[southbay]

I wonder what happened after Mike's speech backstage. Carl looks so mad at Mike....

Carl was reported by numerous sources to have asked several key industry executives immediately after the incident if the group's career was over or in jeopardy. He apparently did have very real concerns over the impact of the rant.  Mike, on the other hand, apparently could not understand why his bandmates were upset, being convinced he had made the band the talk of the event.    His goal, again according to many who knew at the time, was to garner publicity for the group ("any publicity is good publicity") and upstage fellow inductees the Beatles and the Supremes, with their no-show stars.   I take this from my memory of reading and hearing first hand accounts right after the event.  Wish I had links to sources at this time. Maybe others do...

[adamghost]

That's what I remember too...that Carl went up to an industry exec and asked "is our career over?"  I don't remember the source either.  One of them might be Brian's autobio, which of course is suspect, but I wouldn't be surprised if that part of it wasn't reasonably accurate.

[Ron]

if you haven't eaten in awhile, you get drunk a lot more quickly!

that's probably what happened...

I think that's probably what happened too.  Probably just a bad night for Mike.... although... it's always been my experience that being Drunk just makes you say things you would think sober; but just keep to yourself. 

[CosmicDancer]

Dylan thanking Mike in his acceptance speech for not mentioning him was brilliant.  I also love how Dylan simply yet eloquently reminds Mike that forgiveness is equally as important as peace, love and harmony. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyqFL9m2odg

[Shady]

Dylan thanking Mike in his acceptance speech for not mentioning him was brilliant.  I also love how Dylan simply yet eloquently reminds Mike that forgiveness is equally as important as peace, love and harmony.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyqFL9m2odg

It was like Dylan was singing the Mike line, "for not mentioning meeeee"

That was Brilliant, has Mike ever mentioned that, I wonder

[Awesoman]

I recall Al Jardine's 2000 interview in ESQ, when he was notably bitter with Mike Love at the time, talking about the incident.  Apparently after Love's rant, Jardine went to apologize over the matter with George Harrison and Ringo Starr (both of which laughed it off). 

[oldsurferdude]

Pretty rock and roll but not as rock and roll as some of the other members' inebriated onstage behavior.  On the other hand, not as embarrassing either

I think embarrassment has a lot to do with how public your mistake or stupidity is. In that sense, I think Mike Love's bizarre rant is one of the most embarrassing moments in the history of rock and roll.

And this moment got alot of mileage while it helped to further the already questionable public reputation of the band. For a supposed champion of meditation it's not only embarrassment for the band, it solidifies Luhv's ongoing hypocritical nature. And I would doubt anyone could argue the fact that he is probably one of the most hated, laughed at figures in rock and roll history.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

I must admit, very well put, OSD!

Isn't it odd that Mike was also up there during the "big all-star-jam" at the end of the night banging a tambourine next to Jagger? And weren't they jamming on Jumpin Jack Flash, actually?

If so, Mike clearly did not get what he wished for.

[oldsurferdude]

I must admit, very well put, OSD!

Isn't it odd that Mike was also up there during the "big all-star-jam" at the end of the night banging a tambourine next to Jagger? And weren't they jamming on Jumpin Jack Flash, actually?

If so, Mike clearly did not get what he wished for.

Look, I know Myke is the guy who does it for you-and you are a good sport about how I'm always pissin' on his Wheaties, but it is what it is and he is what he is. By the way, I'll bet the farm that Myke positioned himself close to Jagger instead of the other way around. He'll never, in this life, ever be taken seriously as someone who really matters.