When the Replacements took the stage for their first song, they were loose and raucous, just the right amount of drunk. Tommy Stinson hopped around the stage, not worrying about whether he was visible on camera or not. Making sure that Bob Stinson didn’t miss his cue for the guitar solo, Paul Westerberg shouted, “Come on, fucker!” “Bastards of Young,” an anthem for disenfranchised youth, electrified every teenager in the nation with a pulse. The Replacements’ performance was lightning in a cathode-ray tube, full of chaotic energy, crazy enthusiasm, and love for the amazing noise that electric guitars can make.
Lorne Michaels, however, blew a gasket because of that curse, ranting backstage that the band would never perform on television again. Despite that vow, they actually did a second song that night, even drunker — a chaotic version of “Kiss Me on the Bus.” With the Replacements, there was always a fine line between brilliance and a sloppy mess.
Date: Jan. 18, 1986 Host: Harry Dean Stanton