The KLF vs Extreme Noise Terror - 3 a.m. Eternal (Live at the Brit Awards) [UK Television] 1992

The KLF vs Extreme Noise Terror - 3 a.m. Eternal (Special Brits 1992 Version).

The 12th edition of the Brit Awards, an annual pop music awards ceremony in the United Kingdom, took place at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on the 12th of February 1992, and was broadcast on BBC 1 the following night. The KLF was awarded ‘Best British Group’ (shared with Simply Red) and were booked to open the show.

In an attempt to hijack the event, the duo collaborated with grindcore metal band Extreme Noise Terror to perform a death metal version of ‘3 a.m. Eternal’. Disgusted, eminent Hungarian classical composer Sir George Solti tried to walk out the auditorium during the performance and had to be persuaded to return to his seat. The song ended with Bill Drummond firing blanks from a machine gun over the audience, and KLF publicist Scott Piering announcing “Ladies and gentlemen, The KLF have now left the music business”.

Subsequently, the band were barred from collecting their ‘Best British Band’ award, so ordered a motorcycle courier to collect it on their behalf. However, the organisers of the Brits refused to allow the leather-clad biker into the building. Later that evening, The KLF dumped a dead sheep outside the Royal Lancaster Hotel, where a glitzy after-show party was taking place. Tied to the carcass was a message: “I DIED FOR EWE - BON APPETIT”.

The KLF eventually received their Brit statuette, which was presumably buried after reportedly being unearthed in a field near Stonehenge by a local farmer in 1993.