How Jimi Hendrix derailed The Lulu Show and was banned from the BBC

On the evening of January 4, 1969, the Jimi Hendrix Experience appeared on the live Lulu Show in Britain. To play out the program, they were supposed to play "Hey Joe." But after a bunch of dressing room hash and the breaking news that Cream had just broken up, Jimi had other ideas. After a improve opening jam, they start their was into "Hey Joe," but soon, Jimi stops, call the track "rubbish," and dedicates a cover of "Sunshine of Your Love" to The Cream.

As they went over their allotted time, the time for the show's ending number, and through the credits, they played on as off-camera producers and crew lost their shit. Hendrix was banned from the BBC after this event. Eight years latter, Elvis Costello would pull a similar bait and switch on SNL (getting him banned from NBC for 12 years).

Here are both "Voodoo Child," which they performed first, and the infamous outdoing performance of "Joe/Sunshine."

Image: Screengrab