Watch Billy Joel Embody Heavy Rock ‘n’ Rollers With Piano-Flipping Performance in Russia

Billy Joel might have some particularly animated pop songs under his belt, but he’s hardly the first artist to come to mind when one thinks of heavy rock ‘n’ rollers—but a piano-flipping performance in Russia got him pretty close. The concert was a part of the singer’s 1987 The Bridge tour, which also turned into Joel’s second live concert album, Kontsert.

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On one fateful night in July, Joel gave Pete Townshend and Keith Moon of the Who a run for their money as far as destroying equipment goes.

Billy Joel Performs In Soviet Russia in 1987

Before we dive into what the American press belittled as a “temper tantrum,” some context: Billy Joel had been on the road for nearly an entire year by the time he got to Russia as part of his 1987 The Bridge tour. His voice was nearing total blow-out, which is a massive stressor when you’re the one in charge of leading the band. Finally, his stops in Russia weren’t just the average tour date. His appearances were overtly political as he became one of the first major U.S. artists to perform in the U.S.S.R. following the raising of the Berlin Wall.

Needless to say, the “Vienna” singer was under a lot of stress. And frankly, so was the audience. Soviet Russia was trying to incorporate more Western rock ‘n’ roll into its culture, by way of former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev. But citizens still feared severe repercussions for going against the norm, even at a rock concert approved by their government. Joel came face to face with this realization while performing “Sometimes a Fantasy” on the second night of his Moscow residency. When the lights were off, the audience members were dancing, lively, and uninhibited.

But when the lights shone onto the audience members in the front rows, suddenly, the joy seemed to evaporate from their faces. They put their arms by their side and watched stoically, afraid that Russian security would punish them for dancing. The only problem, of course, was that the American documentary crew filming Joel’s show wanted to get footage of fans enjoying the show in the crowd. They didn’t realize what sort of predicament they were putting the audience in. Joel, however, did.

Pop Performance Turned Piano-Flipping Rocker

Billy Joel, ever the entertainer, was keeping a close watch on the crowd throughout the night. The more the production crew shone lights on the audience, the more reserved they became, which set Joel into a blind rage. In between lyrics, he shouts into the microphone, “Stop lighting the audience! Stop it! Let me do my show for Christ’s sake!” After eleven months on the road, a burning sore throat, and the realization that his own crew was messing with his audience connection, Joel let his emotions take over. He got a good grip on his piano, bent his knees, and flipped it over in one fell swoop.

Then, Joel started smashing his microphone stand on the stage. He kicked his piano. He bashed the microphone stand into the piano, breaking off the base, leaving him with a microphone with a long stick attached to it. Nevertheless, he kept singing, and the band kept playing. The Russian crowd went wild, assuming this was just what rock concerts looked like these days.

Joel later apologized for his behavior, but he also acknowledged the amount of stress he had been under as an explanation for the outburst. Ultimately, no one was hurt, the Moscow attendees enjoyed themselves, and Joel joined the hallowed ranks of heavy rock ‘n’ rollers who demolished their equipment on stage to the startled delight of their crowd.

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