Lorne Michaels denies ‘Saturday Night Live’ has ever banned any musical acts
In the new documentary Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music, which explores the musical history of Saturday Night Live, the show’s creator, Lorne Michaels, revealed that no artist has ever been banned from the show.
For years, the late-night sketch show has welcomed musical guests to perform, many of whom have caused considerable controversy. As a result, a select handful of artists were never invited back, leading fans to assume they’d been banned from the show for good.
One of the most infamous moments came when the late Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor covered ‘War’ by Bob Marley while tearing up an image of Pope John Paul II in protest of child abuse. She then told the audience to “fight the real enemy.”
Viewers were shocked, and the incident quickly became one of SNL’s most iconic moments. However, many other moments have caused a stir, like when Cypress Hill began smoking a joint during their performance or when Elvis Costello made his band stop mid-song.
Then there’s the time Rage Against the Machine was invited onto the show, and they chose to sing ‘Bulls on Parade’. Republican Steve Forbes was hosting the show that night, which encouraged the band to place a number American flags upside down.
Later that night, bassist Tim Commerford ripped a flag up and “entered Steve Forbes’ dressing room across the way to attack him,” Tom Morello explained in the documentary. This led the Secret Service to show up and escort the band out of the building.
Despite these various incidents, Michaels insists none of these musicians are banned from the show. “I’ll read it sometimes in the Post, ‘So and so’s banned for life.’ We’ve never banned anyone. We’re way too crass and opportunistic. If something’s hot, we’re going to go for it and have it on,” he explained.
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