Robby Krieger Says Jim Morrison Took Acid Before the Doors’ Huge Hollywood Bowl Show and Wound Up Examining a Moth
- by Matt Parker

THE GUITARIST AND DRUMMER JOHN DENSMORE RECALLED THE GROUP’S LIVE ADVENTURES AND MORE IN THEIR RECENT CHAT WITH RICK RUBIN
The Doors guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore sat down with Rick Rubin recently for an interview on his podcast, Broken Record, and discussed the band’s acid-laced live career.
The main thing we have learned, is that if you thought your first live performance was bad, you can always take heart from The Doors. During their conversation with Rubin, Krieger and Densmore describe the band’s first show at Hughes Aircraft Company, which employed the father of keyboardist Ray Manzarek. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it seems it was not your usual corporate gig.
"They needed a band for some occasions,” says Krieger. “So we got together and, I can't remember the bass player then, but he only had one string on his bass! Then Ray was on acid and totally freaked-out. He was on a bummer acid trip and I don't know how he even played.”