Scot Halpin
Encyclopedia
Thomas Scot Halpin was an artist
and musician
noted for sitting in for The Who
's Keith Moon
during a rock concert at the Cow Palace
in San Francisco. In 1973 he was awarded Rolling Stone
magazine's "Pick-Up Player of the Year Award" for his historic performance during this show.
. He grew up in Muscatine, showing early promise as a visual artist and musician. In the early seventies, he moved to California, where he met his wife and life-time collaborator Robin Young at City College of San Francisco
in 1978. Halpin went on to earn an MA in Interdisciplinary Arts from San Francisco State University
.
Halpin became composer in residence at the Headlands Center for the Arts
, in Sausalito, California
, and played with a number of bands over the years, including: The Sponges, Funhouse, Folklore, SnakeDoctor and Plank Road. While on the West Coast, Halpin and his wife managed a New Wave
punk rock
night club, The Roosevelt, before moving to Indiana in 1995 to pursue opportunities in the visual arts.
From 1995 until his death, Halpin resided in Bloomington, Indiana
, with his wife Robin and son, James. According to local newspapers in the Bloomington area, Halpin died February 7, 2008, of an inoperable non-malignant brain tumor
.
were opening their Quadrophenia
US concert tour at the Cow Palace
in Daly City, a suburb just South of San Francisco. Halpin, a 19-year-old who had recently moved to the area from Muscatine, Iowa, was there with a friend using tickets they had bought from a scalper
. They arrived to the show thirteen hours early to get good seats.
The Who opened the show with three of their earlier hits before launching into material from Quadrophenia, playing eleven of the album’s seventeen songs and then continuing on to other hits. About seventy minutes into the show, drummer Keith Moon
, whose fondness for drugs
and alcohol
was legendary, began to falter during "Won't Get Fooled Again
", slumped over his drum kit, and passed out. As the house lights went up, Moon was carried offstage by roadies, who placed him in a shower in an attempt to revive him. Their efforts worked. An injection of cortisone
got him back onstage after approximately a thirty-minute delay.
The show continued with "Magic Bus
". The percussion of the song’s opening verses consisted only of Moon hitting two wooden blocks against one another. However, when the drums were actually required, Moon only played for a few more minutes before passing out again. He was carried off—this time not to return. Guitarist Pete Townshend
later said in an interview that Moon had consumed large tranquilizer pills, meant to be shot at animals, with a large volume of brandy
.
The remaining three band members then played "See Me, Feel Me
", without drums, with vocalist Roger Daltrey
adding a tambourine
for percussion. The song received a huge response, and Pete Townshend
thanked the crowd for putting up with a three-quarter-strength band. Instead of leaving the stage, though, Townsend asked the crowd, "Can anybody play the drums?" He repeated the question, adding forcefully, "I meant somebody good!"
At this time, Halpin and his friend were at the left edge of the stage, and his friend, Mike Danese, began noisily telling the security staff, "He can play!" In truth, Halpin had not played in a year, but Danese made enough of a commotion that he had attracted the concert's promoter
, Bill Graham
.
Halpin was given a shot of brandy
for his nerves before sitting at his first drumset since leaving Iowa.
Daltrey introduced him as "Scot", and went straight into the riff of "Smokestack Lightning
". This was a very loose blues jam, Halpin's drum work fitting in well enough, and it shortly became "Spoonful
". Less successful, however, was his contribution to the more complex "Naked Eye", and he failed to provide the contrasting tempos despite Townshend attempting to give him instructions. Halpin did not look at all flustered, though, and established a steady beat throughout. The show ended after "Naked Eye", and Halpin took a center-stage bow with Daltrey, Townshend, and bassist John Entwistle
. Afterwards, he was taken backstage, along with his friend Mike, and given a Who concert jacket, which Halpin said was stolen later that evening.
In later interviews, Daltrey praised Halpin's ability, claiming that the "papers missed it". Interviewed by Rolling Stone
, Halpin admired The Who's stamina, admitting "I only played three numbers and I was dead." On January 27, 2009, The Who posted a link on their website announcing a memorial blog in memory of Scot Halpin.
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
noted for sitting in for The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
's Keith Moon
Keith Moon
Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
during a rock concert at the Cow Palace
Cow Palace
Cow Palace is an indoor arena, in Daly City, California, situated on the city's border with neighboring San Francisco, notable as a sporting arena.-History:...
in San Francisco. In 1973 he was awarded Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's "Pick-Up Player of the Year Award" for his historic performance during this show.
Biography
Halpin was born February 3, 1954, to Elizabeth and Richard Halpin, of Muscatine, IowaMuscatine, Iowa
Muscatine is a city in Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. The population was 22,886 in the 2010 census, an increase from 22,697 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Muscatine County...
. He grew up in Muscatine, showing early promise as a visual artist and musician. In the early seventies, he moved to California, where he met his wife and life-time collaborator Robin Young at City College of San Francisco
City College of San Francisco
City College of San Francisco, or CCSF, is a two-year community college in San Francisco, California. The Ocean Avenue campus, in the Ingleside neighborhood, is the college's primary location...
in 1978. Halpin went on to earn an MA in Interdisciplinary Arts from San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
.
Halpin became composer in residence at the Headlands Center for the Arts
Headlands Center for the Arts
Situated in a campus of artist-renovated military buildings in the Marin Headlands, Headlands Center for the Arts hosts an internationally recognized Artist in Residence Program, interdisciplinary public programs, and subsidized studio rentals for Bay Area artists of all disciplines.- Mission and...
, in Sausalito, California
Sausalito, California
Sausalito is a San Francisco Bay Area city, in Marin County, California, United States. Sausalito is south-southeast of San Rafael, at an elevation of 13 feet . The population was 7,061 as of the 2010 census. The community is situated near the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, and prior to...
, and played with a number of bands over the years, including: The Sponges, Funhouse, Folklore, SnakeDoctor and Plank Road. While on the West Coast, Halpin and his wife managed a New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
night club, The Roosevelt, before moving to Indiana in 1995 to pursue opportunities in the visual arts.
From 1995 until his death, Halpin resided in Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
, with his wife Robin and son, James. According to local newspapers in the Bloomington area, Halpin died February 7, 2008, of an inoperable non-malignant brain tumor
Brain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
.
Playing with The Who
On November 20, 1973, The WhoThe Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
were opening their Quadrophenia
Quadrophenia
Quadrophenia is the sixth studio album by English rock band The Who. Released on 19 October 1973 by Track and Polydor in the UK, and Track and MCA in the US, it is a double album, and the group's second rock opera...
US concert tour at the Cow Palace
Cow Palace
Cow Palace is an indoor arena, in Daly City, California, situated on the city's border with neighboring San Francisco, notable as a sporting arena.-History:...
in Daly City, a suburb just South of San Francisco. Halpin, a 19-year-old who had recently moved to the area from Muscatine, Iowa, was there with a friend using tickets they had bought from a scalper
Ticket resale
Ticket resale is the act of reselling tickets for admission to events. Tickets are bought from licensed sellers and are then sold for a price determined by the individual or company in possession of the tickets. Tickets sold through secondary sources may be sold for less or more than their face...
. They arrived to the show thirteen hours early to get good seats.
The Who opened the show with three of their earlier hits before launching into material from Quadrophenia, playing eleven of the album’s seventeen songs and then continuing on to other hits. About seventy minutes into the show, drummer Keith Moon
Keith Moon
Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
, whose fondness for drugs
Recreational drug use
Recreational drug use is the use of a drug, usually psychoactive, with the intention of creating or enhancing recreational experience. Such use is controversial, however, often being considered to be also drug abuse, and it is often illegal...
and alcohol
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
was legendary, began to falter during "Won't Get Fooled Again
Won't Get Fooled Again
"Won't Get Fooled Again" is a song by the rock band The Who which was written by Pete Townshend The original version of the song appears as the final track on the album Who's Next...
", slumped over his drum kit, and passed out. As the house lights went up, Moon was carried offstage by roadies, who placed him in a shower in an attempt to revive him. Their efforts worked. An injection of cortisone
Cortisone
Cortisone is a steroid hormone. It is one of the main hormones released by the adrenal gland in response to stress. In chemical structure, it is a corticosteroid closely related to corticosterone. It is used to treat a variety of ailments and can be administered intravenously, orally,...
got him back onstage after approximately a thirty-minute delay.
The show continued with "Magic Bus
Magic Bus (song)
"Magic Bus" is a song written by Pete Townshend at the time of My Generation in 1965, but not recorded by The Who until 1968. It is one of the band's most popular songs and has been a concert staple. The record reached #26 in the United Kingdom and #25 in the United States.The song's arrangement...
". The percussion of the song’s opening verses consisted only of Moon hitting two wooden blocks against one another. However, when the drums were actually required, Moon only played for a few more minutes before passing out again. He was carried off—this time not to return. Guitarist Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
later said in an interview that Moon had consumed large tranquilizer pills, meant to be shot at animals, with a large volume of brandy
Brandy
Brandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
.
The remaining three band members then played "See Me, Feel Me
See Me, Feel Me
"See Me Feel Me" is a portion of the song "We're Not Gonna Take It" written by Pete Townshend of The Who. The song is the finale of the Tommy album. "See Me Feel Me", followed by the refrain of "Listening To You" was performed at the 1969 Woodstock Festival as the sun was rising and almost half a...
", without drums, with vocalist Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
adding a tambourine
Tambourine
The tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
for percussion. The song received a huge response, and Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
thanked the crowd for putting up with a three-quarter-strength band. Instead of leaving the stage, though, Townsend asked the crowd, "Can anybody play the drums?" He repeated the question, adding forcefully, "I meant somebody good!"
At this time, Halpin and his friend were at the left edge of the stage, and his friend, Mike Danese, began noisily telling the security staff, "He can play!" In truth, Halpin had not played in a year, but Danese made enough of a commotion that he had attracted the concert's promoter
Promoter (entertainment)
An entertainment promoter i.e. music, wrestling, boxing etc is a person or company in the business of marketing and promoting live events such as concerts/gigs, boxing matches, sports entertainment , festivals, raves, and nightclubs.- Business model :Promoters are typically hired as independent...
, Bill Graham
Bill Graham (promoter)
Bill Graham was an American impresario and rock concert promoter from the 1960s until his death.-Early life:...
.
Halpin was given a shot of brandy
Brandy
Brandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
for his nerves before sitting at his first drumset since leaving Iowa.
Daltrey introduced him as "Scot", and went straight into the riff of "Smokestack Lightning
Smokestack Lightning
"Smokestack Lightning" is a classic of the blues. In 1956, Howlin' Wolf recorded the song and it became one of his most popular and influential songs...
". This was a very loose blues jam, Halpin's drum work fitting in well enough, and it shortly became "Spoonful
Spoonful
"Spoonful" is a blues standard written by Willie Dixon and first recorded in 1960 by Howlin' Wolf. It is loosely based on "A Spoonful Blues", a song recorded in 1929 by Charley Patton , itself related to "All I Want Is A Spoonful" by Papa Charlie Jackson and "Cocaine Blues" by Luke Jordan...
". Less successful, however, was his contribution to the more complex "Naked Eye", and he failed to provide the contrasting tempos despite Townshend attempting to give him instructions. Halpin did not look at all flustered, though, and established a steady beat throughout. The show ended after "Naked Eye", and Halpin took a center-stage bow with Daltrey, Townshend, and bassist John Entwistle
John Entwistle
John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
. Afterwards, he was taken backstage, along with his friend Mike, and given a Who concert jacket, which Halpin said was stolen later that evening.
In later interviews, Daltrey praised Halpin's ability, claiming that the "papers missed it". Interviewed by Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, Halpin admired The Who's stamina, admitting "I only played three numbers and I was dead." On January 27, 2009, The Who posted a link on their website announcing a memorial blog in memory of Scot Halpin.
External links
- 2006 interview with Halpin on Weekend EditionWeekend EditionWeekend Edition is the name given to a set of American radio news magazines produced and distributed by National Public Radio . It is the weekend counterpart to Morning Edition. It consists of Weekend Edition Saturday and Weekend Edition Sunday , each of which airs for two hours, from 8 a.m. to 10...
- Memorial blog
- Video showing Keith Moon passing out and Scot Halpin replacing him Extended video with time stamps of the incident.
- The Who perform "Naked Eye" in 1973 with Scot Halpin on drums.
- The Who perform "Smokestack Lightning" in 1973 with Scot Halpin on drums.