10 Craziest Reasons Musicians Cancelled Gigs
6. Joe Strummer Pulled A Forrest Gump In 1982, Messing Up The Clash's UK Tour
You might be wondering what "pulling a Forrest Gump means," even if you've seen the movie. It doesn't mean he became a millionaire or served in the Vietnam War, but there are some parallels between Joe Strummer's tour cancelation and Tom Hanks' character from the movie.
Shortly before The Clash's 1982 tour of the United Kingdom, Strummer disappeared. He later turned up in Paris where he had grown a scraggly beard, and ran a marathon — see the Gump comparison there?
The reason he went on the run was actually a planned event that went off the rails somewhat. Bernie Rhodes, the band's manager, arranged to have Strummer "disappear" before the Scottish leg of the tour in order to drum up low ticket sales.
Strummer was meant to stay with a friend in Texas, but instead, he disappeared for real. While he was 'on the run,' he ran the 1982 Paris Marathon, drank massive quantities of beer, and spent some time living on the streets. He didn't say much about his time in France, but he later declared that he "have to have some regrets."