Top 10 Funniest Things to Happen in the Background of Musical Performances
#10: Hang on to Your Mallet!
People who play percussion instruments, like drums, sometimes have a reputation for being wacky. But it’s really not accurate. Naturally, though, accidents do happen. In this concert at the University of Regina in 2018, the bass drum player had to give three big, loud beats. He got the first two, but was so excited that on the third, his mallet flew out of his hand and conked the percussionist standing next to him. Fortunately, she was only bruised. Later, she asked for a copy of the video, thinking it might amuse some other students at the university; but to her surprise, it went viral, picking up millions of views in just a few weeks. The bass drum player is still very sorry.
#9: Bass to the Face
In 1992, Nirvana was invited to perform live at the MTV Music Video Awards. They were up for several awards themselves, and ended up winning two; however, the performance itself is best remembered for a less dignified reason. Krist Novoselic, Nirvana’s bass guitarist, enjoyed throwing his guitar in the air and catching it again as a stunt. From his height of six foot seven, it probably looked impressive… most of the time. On this occasion, however, he failed to catch the guitar, and it came down on his head. Luckily, Novoselic was not badly hurt. He later claimed that he was blinded by the light–which might have inspired Nirvana to write a great rock song, if Bruce Springsteen hadn’t beaten them to it.
#8: Page Flinging
If you’re not familiar with classical piano, you may not realize that pianists have an especially hard time with sheet music. They can’t memorize everything, and how do you turn pages when both hands are busy playing? Well, it takes practice–and it still sometimes goes wrong. This gentleman at Montclair State University, playing Chopin for a cello recital, was apparently doing great until the finale. Instead of turning the page, he tore it out of his binder and threw it behind him. The trouble was, he still needed the other side. After some attempts at improvisation, he finally had to stop the cellist so he could recover that precious lost page. But it could have been worse–at least the piano didn’t eat it!
#7: An Unusually Athletic Intruder
It’s not uncommon for crazy fans to rush the stage at concerts, but this incident at Britney Spears’s 2017 Las Vegas show stood out in a few ways. First, the man cartwheeled his way onto the stage, pursued by a security officer in a yellow shirt. While being escorted off, however, he managed to perform a jiu-jitsu-style move, throwing the officer over his shoulder and onto the floor. At that point, it was on. More guards jumped up to the stage and a slew of backup dancers appeared to wrangle this extremely agile lunatic, who was finally subdued and dragged off after about five minutes. While the audience probably didn’t appreciate having their concert interrupted, they certainly got a show!
#6: The Violinist & the Hound
You never know who–or what–might turn up at an outdoor performance. During this concert in Turkey in 2017, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra had a surprise visitor. Whether it was the sound of Mendelssohn, the warmth of hard-working musicians, or maybe the smell of someone’s recent dinner, something attracted this yellow lab to the scene. Specifically, the dog seemed drawn to the concertmaster; and after a bit of sniffing and looking around, he curled up contentedly in front of the first violinist, much to the amusement of the string players nearby. The conductor, however, did not acknowledge their visitor’s presence, so the music continued without interruption; whether the audience was still paying attention to the orchestra at that point is anyone’s guess.
#5: The Mad Drummer
Again, we’re not trying to say anything stereotypical about drummers. In fact, we didn’t even come up with that title–he did. Back in 2010, a video entitled “This Drummer Is At The Wrong Gig” appeared on YouTube, featuring a rather dull cover band playing a rather dull concert… and an incredibly energetic drummer, whose dramatic arm movements and mesmerizing stick tricks made a striking contrast to the bland music. The video grew into an internet sensation, and the Mad Drummer–who’d previously been struggling to make a living as a musician–became a star. You may have seen him on NBC’s “The Office,” in an Advil commercial… or just in one of the many amazing videos where he lights up the background of some boring gig.
#4: Feeling the Vibe
Whenever children perform, there are generally some unexpected additions to the show–but not many of them end up going viral and being featured on the news. Eight-year-old Jaden Williams had apparently been eagerly anticipating his elementary school winter concert in Menlo Park, California. Soon after everyone started singing, he also started dancing. Like, seriously dancing. He later said he was “feeling the vibe.” A parent at the concert posted her video on Instagram, and, as they say, the rest is history. Actually, though, there is a little more to the story: after hearing that Jaden was a fan, the San Francisco 49ers invited him to perform at their football game in Levi’s Stadium. Keep feeling the vibe, Jaden!
#3: Dangerous Woman, Meet Creepy Fan
This incident involved another audience member who got onstage during a concert, but in this case, the man was somewhat slower–and therefore, a lot creepier. During her 2017 “Dangerous Woman” tour in Philadelphia, Ariana Grande was kneeling in the dark, among clouds of fog, as she sang the contemplative song “Moonlight.” A young man in very visible white clothes appeared behind her, slowly making his way toward the front of the stage. When he got close enough to catch the singer’s eye, he waved–and then was promptly taken away. How he got up there in the first place is unclear, but why security took so long to deal with him is even more of a mystery!
#2: Billie Eilish & the Unexpected Automobile
No, this isn’t the title of some new novel by Lemony Snicket–but it was a peculiar series of events. At a 2022 concert in Sydney, Billie Eilish was singing her emotional ballad, “when the party’s over,” when suddenly the deep blue lighting switched to flashing orange, and a random video of a moving car appeared on the screen behind her. Eilish was taken aback for a moment, but she laughed it off and finished the song. However, this wasn’t the end of the story… because someone just had to make a TikTok filter of it. Soon afterwards, people were “accidentally” popping up in the video behind Eilish all over the place, ensuring that her strange background incident would be remembered for years to come.
#1: Left Shark
Yes, Left Shark. The man, the myth, the legend–and probably the best-remembered part of Super Bowl 2015. For those who may not remember, Katy Perry performed the halftime show that year; and in the song “Teenage Dream,” she was joined by two dancing sharks, who became known simply as “Left Shark” and “Right Shark.” Why the distinction? Well, because as the song went on, one shark was clearly doing something very different from the other. Viewers were captivated by the uncertain flailing, and what appeared to be valiant, but unsuccessful efforts to get back on track. Left Shark became the subject of tweets, memes, and even motivational speeches, as somehow this helpless, dancing sea creature captured the hearts of people all over the world.
Have you ever been to a musical event where someone or something in the background stole the show? Tell us about it in the comments!
