On April 25, 1985 Rites of Spring played a show at New York’s Columbia University where they appeared alongside Beefeater and H.R. of the Bad Brains. In typical Rites of Spring fashion they went bonkers and their blistering and emotive set resulted in guitarist and vocalist Guy Picciotto smashing his blue 1981 Gibson SG guitar.
The headstock of that smashed guitar is now available for purchase on Ebay. The current bid is $290.99. We are not sure where the other part of the guitar is or how much it’s valued.
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This auction is a benefit for Geneviève Elverum, the partner of Portland musician Phil Elverum (The Microphones, Mount Eerie) who has been diagnosed with inoperable stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
The headstock is dated and signed by Guy who added a little flower motif making it the most emo smashed guitar in the history of smashed punk guitars.
Forming in 1984, the short lived Rites Of Spring were part of a new wave of Washington DC acts that are considered by many to be the first wave of emo bands.
Check Guy playing the guitar at an earlier Rites of Spring show at Washington DC’s 9:30 Club.
