10 Times Rock Bands Trolled You
The original pranksters.
Troublemaking is part of the rock n' roll lifestyle, and sometimes it's hard to know when a band is being serious or not.
We're not talking the social media abuse-type of trolling here - instead it's all the times where bands did something wacky, and strung you along.
Whether it is ludicrous live performances to hidden track shenanigans, or an unexpected direction for a band's sound, sometimes bands toy with fans, critics and their labels in a bid to have a laugh and grab some headlines.
Well, with fans looking for clues that Green Day's next album Father of All Motherf***ers could be straight up trolling to escape a contract, let's take a look back at ten times bands were just fooling around.
The only rules for this list are that we're allowing one troll per band, from any decade, and solo artists can count as well.
What is your favourite time your favourite band got one over on an audience? Let us know in the comments below!
10. Nirvana - Top Of The Pops
Top of the Pops was a British TV show renowned for a draconian rule where all artists would mime their performance. As the years rolled on, artists would take advantage of this rule. Nirvana took that to the next level though in 1991 with their Smells Like Teen Spirit rendition.
The iconic opening began with Kurt’s robotic pretend guitar-playing and Krist Novoselic hoisting the guitar over his head when he should be playing. Additionally the band refused to mime, so Kurt was allowed to sing in this instance. But audiences were not prepared for what happened next.
Upon the first verse, Kurt sang with a Morrissey-inspired drawl, to sing the song in the lowest register possible.
Cobain would also alter lyrics to the song for only diehard fans to really notice, trolling the BBC under their unsuspecting noses. A small moshpit of teens also interrupted guitar playing towards the end, while the backing track continued to play.
Oasis, Green Day, and Depeche Mode are some notorious anti-fakers on the show, but Smells Like Teen Spirit takes the cake as their only appearance on the show was deliberately full of such fakery.