“The media is controlled and I’m out of control”: Artist who smashed guitar at Coachella pulls out after backlash

After intense backlash to his guitar smashing at Coachella, AP Dhillon has withdrawn from the festival's second weekend, citing “scheduling conflicts”.

On April 14, Dhillon smashed his metallic gold ESP LTD Kirk Hammett V on stage, an act that received considerable backlash online. Since the controversial performance, however, Dhillon has clarified why he smashed his guitar.

In photos shared by Dhillon on social media, a backdrop is clearly visible, stating “Justice for Sidhu Moosewala.” He wrote: “The media is controlled and I'm out of control.” Dhillon also shared a video of Kurt Cobain smashing his guitar. 

Sidhu Moosewala was an Indian rapper and singer known for his contributions to Punjabi music and cinema. Some of the themes he covered in his music are considered controversial in India. 

However, he was widely considered a key figure in mainstreaming Punjabi music at a global level. In May 2022, Moosewala was shot and killed in broad daylight by unidentified attackers at the age of 28. The murder, later attributed to a well-known gang, was committed shortly after the government temporarily withdrew his security cover.

Despite the controversial act, AP Dhillon continues the long lineage of artists smashing their guitars in protest, anger, or as a public statement. 

One of the first guitar-smashing acts was actually a performance art piece by DIAS, intended "to focus attention on the element of destruction in Happenings and other art forms, and to relate this destruction in society". 

In 1962, experimental artist Robin Page threw his guitar and kicked it out of the London Institute of Contemporary Arts' front door. This allegedly inspired Pete Townshend to incorporate guitar smashing into his performances.