Ah, rock star drama. There’s no shortage of it now, and there was definitely no shortage of it back in the 20th century. On this very day in 1991, guitarist C.C. DeVille of Poison got booted from the band after allegedly sabotaging a live performance. And considering that performance was at the MTV Video Music Awards, the whole debacle was tabloid candy at the time.
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However, the situation at hand was a bit darker than many might remember from the time. DeVille didn’t intentionally sabotage the set (as far as we know), but rather, the whole of the band was struggling. Many of the band members were actively abusing substances, and tensions were forming between members, particularly between frontman Bret Michaels and the rest of the band.
Much of the struggle began during Poison’s tour for Flesh And Blood. They were enormously successful, but too many factors were beating the band down. Ahead of the release of their live album, Swallow This Live, the resentment between Michaels and DeVille came to a head when they were asked to perform at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards.
Poison’s Rocky Set, a Fistfight Backstage, and the Departure of Established Guitarist, C.C. DeVille
After Poison launched into their performance at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1991, some technical difficulties met the ears of audience members. Apparently, the band was supposed to perform the song “Unskinny Bop”, but C.C. DeVille dove into a performance of “Talk Dirty To Me”. DeVille was allegedly high and intoxicated when he hit the stage, which led to the accidental sabotage. Following the mishap, DeVille and Michaels allegedly got into a fistfight backstage.
It’s worth noting that the rest of the night at the 1991 VMAs was pretty wild. Pee-Wee Herman, fresh off being arrested, made an appearance. “Losing My Religion” by R.E.M. won Video of the Year. Queensrÿche scored the Viewer’s Choice Award. It was a good, though messy, night for rock music.
After the backstage fight with Michaels, DeVille was asked to resign, and he promptly left Poison. He was later replaced by guitarist Richie Kotzen. After leaving Poison, DeVille went on to form the bands Needle Park and Samantha 7.
Things would eventually get patched up, though. About five years later, C.C. DeVille would rejoin Poison after getting back in contact with his former bandmates to potentially kick off a reunion tour. He’s still with them today.
Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
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