Trivia

Antonioni originally wanted The Who for the club scene because he wanted Peter Townsend's famous smashing of his guitar. The Yardbird's manager, Simon Napier-Bell, very much wanted his group in the movie instead. In the documentary "Blow up of 'Blow Up'", Napier-Bell tells how he advised the Who's manager, Kit Lambert, "Don't be a pushover." He advised Lambert to ask for £5,000 and approval of the final edit of the scene, knowing that Antonioni would throw him out. Afterwards, Napier-Bell called Antonioni and said that he'd heard things didn't go well with Lambert. He then said that Jeff Beck had been the first to start smashing his guitar, and that Townsend had copied Beck. He says in the documentary that he could tell Antonioni knew he was lying, but rather liked that he was. See more