the stage of the kaiserkeller was made of planks of wood balanced on the top of beer crates, so the two groups made a bet to see to who would be the first to break it. after punishing the stage for days, a slight crack appeared, and when storm jumped off the top of the upright piano, during a performance of "blue suede shoes", it finally broke. byrne remembered that as storm hit the stage, it cracked loudly and formed a v-shape around storm. he disappeared into it, and all the amplifiers and starr's cymbals slid into the hole. koschmider was furious, and had to replace the live music with a juke box. both groups went across the road to "harold's cafe" for breakfast, but were followed by koschmider's doormen with coshes, who beat the musicians as punishment.