Moon led a destructive lifestyle . During the Who 's early days he began taking amphetamines , and in a '' New Musical Express '' interview said his favourite food was " French Blues . " He spent his share of the band 's income quickly , and was a regular at London clubs such as the Speakeasy and the Bag O ' Nails ; the combination of pills and alcohol escalated into alcoholism and drug addiction later in his life . " We went through the same stages everybody goes through – the bloody drug corridor , " he later reflected . " Drinking suited the group a lot better . " According to Townshend , Moon began destroying hotel rooms when the Who stayed at the Berlin Hilton on tour in late 1966 . In addition to hotel rooms , Moon destroyed friends ' homes and even his own , throwing furniture from upper-storey windows and lighting fires . Andrew Neill and Matthew Kent estimated that his destruction of hotel toilets and plumbing cost as much as £ 300,000 ( $ 500,000 ) . These acts , often fuelled by drugs and alcohol , were Moon 's way of demonstrating his eccentricity ; he enjoyed shocking the public with them . Longtime friend and personal assistant Butler observed , " He was trying to make people laugh and be Mr Funny , he wanted people to love him and enjoy him , but he would go so far . Like a train ride you could n't stop . " In a limousine on the way to the airport Moon insisted they return to their hotel , saying " I forgot something . " At the hotel he ran back to his room , grabbed the television and threw it out the window into the swimming pool below . He then jumped back into the limo , saying " I nearly forgot . " Fletcher argues that The Who 's lengthy break between the end of their 1972 European tour and the beginning of the '' Quadrophenia '' sessions devastated Moon 's health , as without the rigours of lengthy shows and regular touring that had previously kept him in shape , his hard-partying lifestyle took a greater toll on his body . He did not keep a drum kit or practise at Tara , and began to deteriorate physically as a result of his lifestyle . Around the same time he became a severe alcoholic , starting the day with drinks and changing from the " lovable boozer " he presented himself as to a " boorish drunk " . David Puttnam recalled , " The drinking went from being a joke to being a problem . On '' That 'll Be the Day '' it was social drinking . By the time '' Stardust '' came round it was hard drinking . " Moon 's favourite stunt was to flush powerful explosives down toilets . According to Fletcher , Moon 's toilet pyrotechnics began in 1965 when he purchased a case of 500 cherry bombs . He moved from cherry bombs to M-80 fireworks to sticks of dynamite , which became his explosive of choice . " All that porcelain flying through the air was quite unforgettable , " Moon remembered . " I never realised dynamite was so powerful . I 'd been used to penny bangers before . " He quickly developed a reputation for destroying bathrooms and blowing up toilets . The destruction mesmerised him , and enhanced his public image as rock 's premier hell-raiser . Tony Fletcher wrote that " no toilet in a hotel or changing room was safe " until Moon had exhausted his supply of explosives
their 1972 European tour
The Who Tour 1972
Keith Moon