Legendary Mott the Hoople frontman, Ian Hunter, recently opened up on BBC Radio 2’s Sounds of the ’70s with Johnnie Walker about his experiences with the Who‘s Keith Moon. To the surprise of many, Hunter revealed that his encounter with the infamous drummer turned out to be nothing like the wild and crazy persona that had been so heavily promoted.
Keith Moon, a founding member of the Who, had always been known for his eccentric and unpredictable behavior, both on and off stage. His antics, which included destroying hotel rooms and driving cars into swimming pools, only solidified his reputation as one of rock’s most notorious figures. However, Hunter’s recollection of his meeting with Moon paints a different picture.
When asked about his memories of the tour and the time spent with Moon, Hunter explained that he found the drummer to be far more grounded than he had anticipated. He suggested that perhaps some of these larger-than-life personalities, like Moon, only played up their wild side when the press was around.
During their time together, Hunter and Moon enjoyed a low-key evening, visiting a local hotspot called Zappers before returning to Moon’s place. Contrary to the public’s expectations, the night was anything but a wild party. Hunter shared that he played with Moon’s kittens, and the two had a genuinely enjoyable time. He even went as far as to say that he might have had a sobering effect on the drummer, as Hunter was more of a ‘lager chap’ at the time.
Here is how Ian Hunter recalled his time with Keith Moon:
“I’ve met a lot of these people who are supposed to be insane, and they’re not. Maybe they just turn it on when the press walk in. I don’t know. Keith was one of them, and he was lovely. I mean, we went out for an evening. We went up to Zappers, in fact, bangs up. I played with his kittens and wound up. [It was] a real nice evening, and Keith was not totally… Maybe I had a sobering effect on him because I was still a lager chap at the time.”
This candid account from Ian Hunter reminds us that even the most infamous rock legends are, at their core, human beings with complexities and nuances that often go unseen by the public eye. It’s a valuable lesson to not always judge a book by its cover or a rock star by their onstage antics. So next time you hear a wild story about your favorite musician, remember that there may be more to the story than meets the eye.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3in8O2Cyb0&ab_channel=RaisedOnRadio
