News

5 Of The Craziest Stage Visuals Used At Concerts: From Eminem's Chainsaw To Limp Bizkit's Toilet

By George Houston | Update Date: May 04, 2016 05:57 AM EDT

Visuals do really matter especially in a live concert. Nothing pumps up the audience's blood like seeing a truly elaborate and crazy stage prop. Here we made a list of artists from bands to rappers on how they made their tour akin to a modern-day Babylon.

5. Eminem's chainsaw

Marshall Mathers aka Eminem had the reputation as one on the most contrary music figures to emerge in the late 90's.  During the Slim Shady-era to promote his return, a worldwide tour commenced which spanned from 2001-2002.

One particular venue was flooded with Slim Shady look-alikes, in which the fans greeted Eminem with a deafening cheer as he was garbed in Friday the 13th ensemble - overalls, a white hockey mask and a revved-up chainsaw while standing ominously in front of a wooden house and yard background.

4. Beastie Boys' penis (1987)

Suburban American rap rock outfit Beastie Boys caused controversy in the mid-80s not because of a stage set that incorporated a steel cage which was filled with scantily clad go-go dancers for their entire show but because of a rubber phallic which was used as an encore by the free-wheeling New Yorkers.

The inflatable penis which measured up to 10 feet maybe tamed compared to most present day standards live but when they performed "Fight For Your Right (To Party)" and substitute dick jokes for the lines of the song it was insubordinate as hell.

3. Limp Bizkit's toilet (1998)

Fueled by their on-the-road touring ethics and the abrasive fraternity jolt cover of George Michael's Faith, Limp Bizkit's road to success lead them hopping straight to Ozzfest.

The nu-metal rap group to further bill themselves as the "real shit" infront of the Ozzfest crowd - had their singer Fred Durst surfaced from a 13-foot porcelain toilet bowl while the theme from "Rocky" was playing in the background.

2. U2's mirror ball lemon (1997-98)

U2 sought to made fun of extravagance of materialism in the world via the PopMart tour in which by design they integrated a complex and over-the-top stage set composed of a 100-ft. high single golden arch, a 165-ft. wide LED screen, and the mirror-ball lemon - the latter somehow at times stealing the pageantry of the encore as it failed to open which forced the band to take the back exit.

1. David Bowie's glass spider (1987)

To support the "Never Let Me Down" album release, David Bowie embarked on a 1987 world tour that had him tagging along a giant spider that was calculated to weigh 360 tons. Blame it on Bowie's set designer who literally interpreted the tour dubbed as "Glass Spider" to have a massive stage prop of a eight-legged arachnid (which was made of vacuum tubes) along with a mechanical jaw.

© 2023 Counsel & Heal All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Join the Conversation

Real Time Analytics