The Dennis/Mike stage fight incident

[endofposts]

So, what about the incident where Dennis went after Mike onstage, and either punched him or threw his drum kit at him, or both?  I think these tales are getting bigger in the telling.

[oldsurferdude]

Dennis punching Mike out for being "responsible"? What does that mean? Dennis, obviously drunk, sees the person he absolutely hates, and goes after him, that's all there is to it-it has nothing to do with being responsible-he, along with many others, hated that prick-Good for Dennis!!

Dennis was a fodaing drunk who missed the soundcheck.  Mike called him on it, and instead of being a man and admitting his problems or trying to do something about the situation HE created, the problem HE created, he instead made it physical.  I don't applaud that, good for Mike for giving him hell about missing the soundcheck.  Apparentely out of the two that day, Mike was the only one who gave a merda about the fans, the quality of the performance, or being responsible enough to take care of business. 

I repeat: GOOD FOR DENNIS!!!

[shelter]

This is one the many reasons that the Beach Boys are my favorite band. 

Definately. It's not just because they've made such great music that I'm such a big fan, it's also because they're easily the most fascinating band in music history.

I mean, the whole Smile story, Brian's mental problems, the extreme highs and extreme lows in their discography, Dennis's marriage to his cousin/lead singer's daughter, Dennis sharing a house with the Manson family... To name just a few things..

If the Beach Boys never would have existed you couldn't have made their story up as fiction because it just would've been too outrageous.

[No. Fourteen]

And to go slightly off topic, would anyone else like to see a Beach Boys movie directed by David Lynch?  Maybe I'm just slightly off from this flu bug I have currently, but this struck me as a good combo, you know, for an alternate reality.  His old-Hollywood style with a underbelly of creepiness would somehow make  an interesting viewing.  Think about how cool the SMiLE sessions would be...the "Fire" footage is practically Lynchian already!

Thinking about it, I'd say David Lynch would be just about the only director I'd trust to do a movie covering SMILE.  Great idea!

[Beach Boy]

Mike Love, especially, looked perturbed, and at one point he actually seemed to be goading Dennis. "There was never any love lost between Mike and Dennis, and that night Dennis seemed ready to even the score," remarks Mike Meros. The people around me gasped in horror as Dennis kicked his drums off the riser and took off after Mike. He chased him down the side of the stage and began to beat on him. I distinctly remember feeling like I was watching a car wreck surrounded by the family of the victims. Audree cried out, "Oh dear!" The others just held their heads as though they were trying to hide behind their hands. After the roadies, security personnel, and various band members finally separated the combatants and hustled them offstage, an unscheduled intermission was called. It had all happened so quickly that it took a couple of minutes for what I had witnessed to sink in. As I sat silently among the friends and family of the band, I wondered if it had all been an elaborate put-on. The grim faces of those who knew the band best convinced me that it hadn't been.

When the band returned to the stage, Mike made a speech downplaying the incident to the audience. Then Dennis appeared, grabbed a microphone, and began to repeat the words, 'I love Mike Love." Appearing to ignore this incantation, Mike kept himself as far away from Dennis as he could. The quick-tempered boy in a man's body was always sorry for one thing or another. Dennis could not hold a grudge, and most who knew him found it easy enough to forgive his failings. This time, things would be different. The Beach Boys completed their concert. As always, the audience cheered every hit, celebrated every memory, and cherished every good vibration. Still, something essential had been irreparably damaged that night. And for Dennis, there would be hell to pay. It is not uncommon for bandmates, especially siblings, to battle it out, even in front of paying audiences. The Kinks' warring brothers, Ray and Dave Davies, were infamous for their onstage punch-outs. The Everly Brothers had physical confrontations on the concert stage as well. But Dennis Wilson upped the ante by having already landed in the doghouse as the result of various indiscretions. Mike Love was adamantly antidrugs. The fact that Dennis had said the words "Quaaludes and cocaine" to the Universal Amphitheater audience that night was more than enough to set him off. Mike was striving to keep the band's image clean, but with Dennis around he was fighting a losing battle. I believe that Dennis did love Mike. I also believe that Mike cared for Dennis in his own way. However, the two were polar opposites, and the tension generated by their philosophical differences had been tightening like a violin string. Now it had reached the breaking point. Dennis was always drunk and high. Mike was straight as an arrow, and Dennis considered him egotistical and self-absorbed. In a rush of inebriated bravado, Dennis had decided that his cousin needed a good ass kicking. Afterwards, he knew he had been wrong. He was sorry. But this time, forgiveness was not forthcoming. Shortly thereafter, Dennis Wilson was officially kicked out of the Beach Boys.

Quote from the "The Real Beach Boy" book, written by Jon Stebbins.

[Ron]

Good for Mike!

[oldsurferdude]

Good for Mike!

What's "Good for Mike" mean? Getting clocked by Dennis? I agree!!

[Dancing Bear]

It definetly wasn't good for Dennis.

[Ron]

Good for Mike!

What's "Good for Mike" mean? Getting clocked by Dennis? I agree!!

It means I'm glad he cut the slack out of the band. 

[Jay]

Out of all the various stories given in this thread, were any of them captured on an audience tapes?

[oldsurferdude]

Out of all the various stories given in this thread, were any of them captured on an audience tapes?

Don't know, but  watching Dennis putting Mike away would be priceless!

[Beach Boy]

Out of all the various stories given in this thread, were any of them captured on an audience tapes?

Don't know, but  watching Dennis putting Mike away would be priceless!

That's crazy that someone likes that Dennis beat Mike.

[Mr. Cohen]

Speaking of Mike Love, for some reason I always get the feeling the "Love is a Woman" is partial jab towards Mike Love, relating to how Brian must've felt about stroking Mike's tender ego. He has Mike sing the verses, and then just busts out with that loud, robust shout of "Love is a woman". Of course, I think the song mainly is concerned with male-female relationships, but I think Brian engineered a little practical joke, too. Anyone else get that feeling?

[MBE]

Out of all the various stories given in this thread, were any of them captured on an audience tapes?

Don't know, but  watching Dennis putting Mike away would be priceless!

That's crazy that someone likes that Dennis beat Mike.

As much as I love Dennis I would have fired him too for that. Too bad it didn't scare him straight. Mike Love is hardly a man without his own flaws but he did nothing to deserve it that time. If the Wilson's had not been addicts the band would have been far better for it. That may get some of you mad but it's the truth. No question Mike, Al, and especally Bruce couldn't quite match the talent of the Wilson's but they at least turned up on time and performed sober.

[Cam Mott]

Yep, some how I can't see soberness and dependability as the problems in the band.

[mikeyj]

If the Wilson's had not been addicts the band would have been far better for it. That may get some of you mad but it's the truth. No question Mike, Al, and especally Bruce couldn't quite match the talent of the Wilson's but they at least turned up on time and performed sober.

I couldn't agree more. I have always loved the Wilson brothers the best but they certainly had their flaws, though not so much Carl, mainly Brian and Dennis, who were, strangely enough the two most talented, yet the two most flawed (in terms of drugs and booze etc..) members of the band. But you have to think that there is a causal relationship between the drugs and the abuse from Murry? I mean think of it, Dennis and Brian were treated the worst by their dad (probably Dennis the worst) and those two are the worst in terms of drugs (probably Dennis the worst again).

[grillo]

Man, I can't understand why  the squares on this board can't loosen up and see what a beautiful and poetic moment it must have been when Mike got clobbered! Get with it. I'm pretty sure Mike deserved any and all beatings he took, especially after MIU. If someone had stolen my soul for a few bucks I'd punch him too.

[Dancing Bear]

Call me dense, but I would like to understand why Dennis clobbering Mike on stage is cool, and Mike throwing a piano bench at Brian (according to the myth) is a big shame in the band's history.

If Mike's pitching is cool too, then it's all good. 

[oldsurferdude]

Call me dense, but I would like to understand why Dennis clobbering Mike on stage is cool, and Mike throwing a piano bench at Brian (according to the myth) is a big shame in the band's history.

If Mike's pitching is cool too, then it's all good. 

No, you're not dense at all-it just has to be understood that even with all his baggage, Dennis was always "the Man"-whereas Mike was usually "the asshole" , responsible or not-and we all know Mike worked diligently to earn that reputation.

[Mark H.]

The perception is that Dennis was cool and Mike was a dork.  It's that simple.....it's not 100% true.   Another difference is that Brian being considered "damaged goods" was weak and an unfair target for Mike, whereas Mike makes the perfect target for Dennis.  I would pay to see the video if it exists.

Finally...if this is what they do onstage, can you imagine the fights behind the scenes?  These guys have been fighting all their lives...it's second nature to them and abhorrent to some of us.

[Dancing Bear]

Ok, forget Mike vs Brian.

How about when Stan Love punched Dennis' throat because he had given Brian drugs?

I'd like to have a video of that.

[oldsurferdude]

Ok, forget Mike vs Brian.

How about when Stan Love punched Dennis' throat because he had given Brian drugs?

I'd like to have a video of that.

Seems that Stan's a real brave he-man especially when he has his brother Steve with him-The Loves- a real class act-Mike Love went a-cryin' to his bigger brothers and sniff, sniff told them what Denny did to him-poor baby!! Just another reason to hate that friggin ego-maniac. Are you a Micheal Vick fan??

[Jay]

Ok, seeing Mike get his butt kicked would be cool  to see. We have established that fact. Now, can we please get back to the original question of the topic? Does anybody know EXACTLY what Dennis said regarding cocaine? Who physically attacked who first? Was this incident ever mentioned at the concert? Was it ever mentioned or downplayed to the media? Did anybody apologise to the public like Carl did during the Australian tour?

[Jon Stebbins]

Mike Love, especially, looked perturbed, and at one point he actually seemed to be goading Dennis. "There was never any love lost between Mike and Dennis, and that night Dennis seemed ready to even the score," remarks Mike Meros. The people around me gasped in horror as Dennis kicked his drums off the riser and took off after Mike. He chased him down the side of the stage and began to beat on him. I distinctly remember feeling like I was watching a car wreck surrounded by the family of the victims. Audree cried out, "Oh dear!" The others just held their heads as though they were trying to hide behind their hands. After the roadies, security personnel, and various band members finally separated the combatants and hustled them offstage, an unscheduled intermission was called. It had all happened so quickly that it took a couple of minutes for what I had witnessed to sink in. As I sat silently among the friends and family of the band, I wondered if it had all been an elaborate put-on. The grim faces of those who knew the band best convinced me that it hadn't been.

When the band returned to the stage, Mike made a speech downplaying the incident to the audience. Then Dennis appeared, grabbed a microphone, and began to repeat the words, 'I love Mike Love." Appearing to ignore this incantation, Mike kept himself as far away from Dennis as he could. The quick-tempered boy in a man's body was always sorry for one thing or another. Dennis could not hold a grudge, and most who knew him found it easy enough to forgive his failings. This time, things would be different. The Beach Boys completed their concert. As always, the audience cheered every hit, celebrated every memory, and cherished every good vibration. Still, something essential had been irreparably damaged that night. And for Dennis, there would be hell to pay. It is not uncommon for bandmates, especially siblings, to battle it out, even in front of paying audiences. The Kinks' warring brothers, Ray and Dave Davies, were infamous for their onstage punch-outs. The Everly Brothers had physical confrontations on the concert stage as well. But Dennis Wilson upped the ante by having already landed in the doghouse as the result of various indiscretions. Mike Love was adamantly antidrugs. The fact that Dennis had said the words "Quaaludes and cocaine" to the Universal Amphitheater audience that night was more than enough to set him off. Mike was striving to keep the band's image clean, but with Dennis around he was fighting a losing battle. I believe that Dennis did love Mike. I also believe that Mike cared for Dennis in his own way. However, the two were polar opposites, and the tension generated by their philosophical differences had been tightening like a violin string. Now it had reached the breaking point. Dennis was always drunk and high. Mike was straight as an arrow, and Dennis considered him egotistical and self-absorbed. In a rush of inebriated bravado, Dennis had decided that his cousin needed a good ass kicking. Afterwards, he knew he had been wrong. He was sorry. But this time, forgiveness was not forthcoming. Shortly thereafter, Dennis Wilson was officially kicked out of the Beach Boys.

You know what ticks me off to no end? When somebody reprints a section(like this guy did above) from my Dennis Wilson biography titled The Real Beach Boy(ECW Press 2000) and doesn't have the courtesy to credit me, or even mention the book. That's a sorry thing. It shows no class, and its illegal. Peter Carlin did this to me in his book, and never made it right. I really hate it. You gotta credit your sources if you're copying them word for word.

[c-man]

"You know what ticks me off to no end? When somebody reprints a section(like this guy did above) from my Dennis Wilson biography titled The Real Beach Boy(ECW Press 2000) and doesn't have the courtesy to credit me, or even mention the book. That's a sorry thing. It shows no class, and its illegal. Peter Carlin did this to me in his book, and never made it right. I really hate it. You gotta credit your sources if you're copying them word for word." - Jon Stebbins

Some of us remember how Steven Gaines did the same thing to David Leaf (and I think others).
What's so hard about giving credit for a source, especially a verbatim quote?  That's one of the first things they teach us about term papers in school!  Yowzah...