David Crosby believes guitars are made for playing, not smashing – and no one is going to change his mind.
The 79-year-old music icon sparked a war of words on social media this week after someone asked what he thought of Phoebe Bridgers destroying a Danelectro Dano ’56 guitar on SNL.
“Pathetic,” he responded, prompting Bridgers to call him a “little bitch.”
(Bridgers said she told the guitar maker what she was going to do on SNL. “They wished me luck and told me they’re hard to break,” she tweeted.)
Pathetic https://t.co/ijaaOYFQbO
— David Crosby (@thedavidcrosby) February 7, 2021
Many fans pointed out that many classic rock acts famously smashed guitars on stage but Crosby doubled down. “Guitars are for playing ..making music .....not stupidly bashing them on a fake monitor for childish stage drama,” he tweeted. “I really do NOT give a flying F if others have done it before It’s still STUPID.”
In another tweet, Crosby said: “They are not toys ...or props ...we who’ve played them for our whole lives try to treat the with respect.”
Referring to Bridgers, Crosby said: “I am told that wasn’t a very good night for her and she’s really quite good ...I could not see it or hear it then ...the skeleton costumes were kind of distracting as well ....the guitar thing was old , wrong , copy cat, looks angry , destructive , wasteful , pointless.”
Crosby, who has spoken out against guitar-smashing for decades, dismissed the act as “stupid drama” and a “poor substitute for talent.” He added: “I have always thought it was dumb ...it’s what you do if you can’t write sing or play.
“It’s what you do if you can’t write.”
Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea chimed in: “Hendrix couldn’t write?”
Others interpreted Crosby’s comments as a shot at Bridgers, to which he replied: “never said anything about whether she's good or not .....just that old trick is dumb ..always has been when anybody did it .Who ..Hendrix ..anyone ..doesn't matter ..dumb.”