Keith Moon: The Who’s comic and combustible drummer who single-handedly established the trope of rock ‘n’ roll sticksmen being the band’s wildest, most unpredictable members. Generally speaking, drummers were just cheerfully reliable beat-keepers until ‘Moon the Loon’ entered the fray with the mod icons, creating the archetype of an animalistic whirlwind of a personality that could command the focus of a performance with their antics as much as their musicianship.
The Flamboyant Drumming Legend:
His legendary excesses and prankster exploits often outshone any praise he received as a player, with the myth of driving a Rolls Royce into a swimming pool, trashing hotel rooms, and stuffing his bass drum full of fireworks during a televised performance poised on the tip of people’s tongues as soon as his name is mentioned.
Of course, he was an immensely talented drummer and is entirely deserving of his place amongst the pantheon of rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest. Moon’s magnetic, even shamanistic performance on the skins for ‘Pinball Wizard’ during The Who’s headline set at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970 is proof enough of that accolade.
Keith Moon pic.twitter.com/Bwu1FJfIiC
— Classic Rock In Pics (@crockpics) April 29, 2024
The Final Performance:
However, it was his endless waltz with substance abuse that ultimately defined Keith Moon and would be the cause of his death. Sadly, his life ended whilst The Who’s influence was dwindling. The classic rock four-piece was creatively fatigued and out of shape, especially compared to the live performance powerhouse of a band they blossomed into at the turn of the previous decade.
The Who’s final performance with their original lineup was in 1978, just four months before Moon died. Performing a mini-concert at Shepperton Studios for a career-spanning documentary they were releasing, The Kids Are Alright, the band was rusty, with Moon visibly bloated and off-beat.
The Tragic Night:
According to his girlfriend of four years, Annette Walter-Lax, Moon fully intended to kick the booze and drugs, so he was prescribed Heminevrin for withdrawal. The night before he died, he and Walter-Lax were personally invited to a screening of The Buddy Holly Story and Paul McCartney’s party afterward, though Moon wasn’t keen on venturing out.
After returning home in what turned out to be a fairly inconspicuous evening together, Annette woke up on 7th September 1978 to find Moon unresponsive. The Who legend had overdosed on a mixture of Heminevrin and alcohol.
Annette Walter-Lax and Keith Moon pic.twitter.com/Sl3lBhlGke
— Poppy🍉 (@Cleopatragirlie) April 25, 2024
Legacy and Mental Health Struggles:
His death was tragically premature and entirely preventable, which still haunts Walter-Lax. It was just so incredibly tragic. I went to sleep in the living room because he was snoring so badly, and I didn’t want to wake him up because I thought he was going to sleep, so I let him sleep. So I mean, it was just such a tragic, tragic night. And I wonder if I had just stayed awake or if I just hadn’t gone into the other room. You know all these thoughts, just thinking of these “what ifs”, she admitted in Goldmine.
Having trained as a psychologist in the years since she lost her partner, Annette Walter-Lax believes that Keith Moon was, in fact, bipolar.
Untold Struggles:
“We didn’t know about bipolar disorder. I had never heard of bipolar and at that age, I didn’t know if the words existed even. So, I didn’t know how to translate his behavior,” Annette said, bemused even now. Lamentably, bipolar wasn’t part of the lexicon of the era, with most of Moon’s problems – and solutions – being attributed to substance abuse.
Though his life was tragically cut short, Keith Moon’s legacy remains firmly intact as one of rock ‘n’ roll music’s most incendiary icons, despite his death being a cautionary tale for understanding mental health issues.
