Five Times Artists Have Jammed With Fans On Stage

Going by the last week alone, it looks like fan interaction can be measured on a scale of an Avril Lavigne meet-and-greet session to an Avenged Sevenfold gig. Canadian pop star Lavigne got it horribly wrong when her fans in Brazil were charged $360 to simply stand at a distance while the singer flashed an empty smile. Meanwhile, over in Hershey, Pennsylvania, metallers Avenged Sevenfold’s lead guitarist Synyster Gates handed over his guitar to ”˜Steve from Philly’ so he could take a quick recharge nap. What Gates wasn’t expecting was the near perfect rendition of A7X’s song “Unholy Confessions” that the random fan delivered to a packed house. It isn’t the first time the band has let an audience member take the reins ”“ back in 2011 in Puerto Rico, a fan holding up the sign “My wish is to play drums” was called on stage to jam on “Second Heartbeat.”
Here’s a list of five other artists who have put their faith in fans at live concerts:

The Hives ”” Sydney, 2011

A fan passed a note to the Swedish garage rock band’s vocalist Pelle Almqvist asking if he could play bass on their hit song “Hate to Say I Told You So” and got to do just that – but only after a wardrobe makeover to blend in with the Hives’s signature slick, suited-and-booted look. Meanwhile, the band’s bassist Dr. Matt Destruction used his time off to crowdsurf.

Michael Bublé ”” Birmingham, 2010

At the request of a mother in the crowd, Bublé grudgingly allowed her 15-year-old to join him on stage – only to be completely blown away by him. To quote Bublé himself, “Holy shitballs, mom!” The incident boosted the teenager, Sam Hollyman, to instant fame and to release his own album.

U2 ”” Nashville, 2011

Just before walking off stage during their 360 Tour, vocalist Bono spotted a blind fan holding a sign saying he’d like to play a song for his wife. After strapping on Bono’s acoustic guitar, the fan mutters, “I’m kinda nervous, man” but begins to strum along to “All I Want Is You” as one of the most touching performances. Plus, he got to keep Bono’s guitar.

The Who ”” San Fransisco, 1973

Possibly the most famous of all, 19-year-old Scott Halpin performed as a substitute drummer through nearly half a concert after Keith Moon passed out midway through the gig. Halpin’s spontaneous response to guitarist Pete Townsend’s “Can anybody play the drums?” earned him two hours in the spotlight and a ROLLING STONE Award for Pick-up Player of the Year.

Scribe ”” Bengaluru, 2012

As far as Indian bands, go, it’s no surprise that Mumbai hardcore band Scribe make it to this list. From crowd-surfing to all-girl moshpits, they usually have the crowd at their fingertips. At the NH7 Weekender in Bengaluru in 2012, vocalist Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy pulled a man up on stage and asked him to rap, unaware that he was Amrit Rao, vocalist of rock/metal outfit Live Banned. Krishnamoorthy brought out the beatbox while Rao freestyled with rap rhymes from the A.R Rahman song “Pettai Rap,” from 1994 Tamil film Kadhalan.

Compiled by Cynthia Lewis