Keith Moon’s original 1967 “Pictures of Lily” Premier drum set was not only visually stunning, it was also likely the first customized-graphic kit put into use by a major rock act. Premier’s in-house publication, Talking Drums, states that Moon approached Promotions Manager Phil Franklin with the idea of a pop-art design to promote the Who’s 1967 single, “Pictures of Lily.” Moon claimed the kit took six months to complete at a cost of $5,000—an unheard-of sum for the era. Lily was severely wounded during Moon’s infamous “drum-explosion incident” during the Who’s September 17, 1967, appearance on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. (The “loon” packed the drums with a dangerous amount of dynamite to intensify the climax of “My Generation.”) Lily was retired in late 1968. We’re sure she was quite relieved. —Michael Molenda Eye Candy kits excerpted from Crash: The World’s Greatest Drum Kits [Insight Editions] by David Frangioni.

February 2022 Issue