Viv Prince, the former drummer for the 1960s rock band The Pretty Things, has died at the age of 84. His death was announced on Instagram by musician Jack White, who described Prince as 'an incredible drummer, wild and full of abandon'. Prince was known for his chaotic behaviour on and off stage, which included alleged incidents of drinking meths, throwing crayfish, and laying carpet during other performers' sets.
Prince joined The Pretty Things in 1964 and played on their first two albums, 'The Pretty Things' and 'Get the Picture?', which established the band as one of the hardest British R&B groups of the era. However, his tenure was short-lived, lasting only 18 months before even the band could no longer cope with his antics. He was replaced in 1965.
In a 1965 interview with Record Mirror, Prince addressed some of the wild stories surrounding the band's tour of New Zealand. He denied claims of setting fires and abusing officials, but admitted to breaking one chair and being thrown off a plane after a bottle of bourbon fell from his pocket. He also clarified that the infamous crayfish incident involved dead fish, which he said could not have run around as reported.
Before joining The Pretty Things, Prince played in various skiffle and jazz groups, including the Viv Prince Skiffle Group and Carter-Lewis and the Southerners. He was recommended to the band by songwriter Jimmy Duncan. Jack White, who met Prince years later while he was working on a farm in Portugal, hinted at a possible documentary about the drummer's life.
