Of course, everyone is entitled to their views. But, kind of hard to reconcile these statements with myriad of interviews with his side guys. Complex cat, no doubt. I'm curious how well you knew the guy to say this kind of stuff?
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Biggest jerks in music
- Thread starter LiquidMidnight
- Start date
No one here knows - really - any of the artists mentioned so far. But I very well know the so called management and industry people that has worked and interviewed them where they have worked for them briefly whenever they are on tour. I know limousine drivers, and FOH sound engineers as well as local promoters, and people that has been on tour with them. Sharon Osbourne excluded. Robben Ford lasted with Miles a year, and he's never ever complained about the actual music, which not even anyone else did. It was just the managament, and organisational deal that was his gripe with it. Numerous people said "no" to Miles too. And people wondered how they could turn that offer down. It's the gig of your life! It's always ONE person inside any band, not a whole band as such (say all of Iron Maiden or something). People like Bruce Dickinson have came across at all times, like the total opposite of a jerk, no matter what Sharon says. Talks and jokes with limousine drivers, behaves nicely towards anyone involved including fans, audience, journalists alike. Now I happen to have heard from the horses mouth from a danish female percussionist who played and toured with Miles for quite some time. She's just a local these days, and plays the occasional regional gig.
And this is the thing with "how much can you put up with, and still go along with it, how much can you swallow".
When first rehearsing with the band, Miles didn't turn up, he has rehearsal directors inside the band. And he said nothing. Complete silence. They rehearsed without him for a few days first. Then he came around. After three days of full rehearsal with him, not even shaking hands with him, to the other new members even, when every song went all right and he seemed satisifed with all things, he turned towards her and the first thing that came out of his mouth towards her was "Do you wanna f*ck?". Complete silence from the others, while she giggled and smiled in an totally stumped way, but she could tell on Miles face that he wasn't joking. He didn't expect her to laugh. No one of the management or other members cared, or did anything about it. It was just the way you had to live with. Be in this environment or bust. Of course, what do you think have happened if she ventilated that officially? Her career would be toast!
I've heard other stories from the road crew as well, and from the horses mouth. And those people who works with different world famous acts all of the time, can very well pick out the hard ones, and the jerk ones, and who's different from the others. The old site, Roadies net had some stories to tell too. Among other things: "No one works for Led Zeppelin or ELO twice". Go figure. But for such acts such as "snotty bastards" as Genesis, they could bend over a few times, and even develop and invent stage things for, to have them use exclusively. The VariLites rotating lights system seems nothing these days, but Genesis funded them with 1 million USD. It was a couple of sound company guys idea. They could've propose this one to ANY of the other bands on tour but decided to go to Genesis first. They saw it, and Phil Collins whispered into his managers ear "give them one million, we need 50 of them for the upcoming tour by october...". The rest is history.
If you're not being a jerk it pays off in the long run!
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All I say is that those people that are working for some famous acts, that are hired on tour basis, works with a myriad, and a lot of people, and not the same artist all of the time. They have a more wider experience to choose and pick from. They can more easily pick out the differences, than anyone who just knows, or are friends with just one of them. I trust their judgement moreso. It's when they're publicly and officially acting like jerks when they write something about it in the tabloid magazines. Some of these road crew just laugh when some tabloids are hanging out someone for being a jerk. They say that artist was the most easy one to get along with. So there IS a different thing from off stage and as a publicity stunt.
Which I heard, that it is like that from most of the punk scene artists, where there is a certain prerequisite that they act and really ARE jerks. It's like it goes hand in hand with the whole punk demeanor and rocknroll. Mischevious and rebellious. But more often than not, off stage they let the whole guard down. Iggy Pop is actually one of those people.
Which I heard, that it is like that from most of the punk scene artists, where there is a certain prerequisite that they act and really ARE jerks. It's like it goes hand in hand with the whole punk demeanor and rocknroll. Mischevious and rebellious. But more often than not, off stage they let the whole guard down. Iggy Pop is actually one of those people.
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I am with you all the way on Clarkson, Morgan, Ross and Cowell. Evans has TV mouth-piece history and will turn up to the opening of an envelope. Sharon, egomaniac as she is, I kinda have a soft spot for, mainly for handling Ozzy all those years. Clarkson and Ross are toss-bags whom I detest in the extreme, more than any musician!
So, I read that but found no reference to the Sylvian/Fripp spat. Any link/info on that?
One first hand experience, and the only one I've had hands on experience was way back in 1981, with a local gig by blues giant ALBERT KING. He had this horn section band, and relied solely on rented backline and gear. And was notoriously difficult to work with at any circumstance. Now, I was just a stage hand, and the FOH sound engineer was a horn player friend of mine, several senior years to me. I was just 17-18 or something, and was just carrying things, no repsonsible for anything "in charge".
Now, for the sound check, that huge built man sat around and smoking the pipe, and when finished he turned around to the FOH engineer, took his pipe out of the mouth, and nodded favorably towards the FOH engineer. Said "yeah, right..." After the gig the Albert King - difficult to work with - came and shook his hand and thanked him a lot, smile on his face, and his manager, speeded up little british guy stood at his side and was just gobsmacked, he hadn't seen Albert doing this to any kind of guy, FOH engineer or whatnot. He wasn't grumpy or jerky towards anyone, since the gig went down pretty well, and audience response was great. a 500-600 seater. Even before the gig, he wasn't grumpy at all during soundcheck. Or a jerk.
Now years later on, when someone complained about that sound engineer, I just corrected them and said "no, you're wrong" and told them this Albert King anecdote. They still think I am lying the guts out of me, and says it can't be true. I still defend him, if it comes around to it, and push comes to shove. And if someone calls Albert King a jerk.
Now, for the sound check, that huge built man sat around and smoking the pipe, and when finished he turned around to the FOH engineer, took his pipe out of the mouth, and nodded favorably towards the FOH engineer. Said "yeah, right..." After the gig the Albert King - difficult to work with - came and shook his hand and thanked him a lot, smile on his face, and his manager, speeded up little british guy stood at his side and was just gobsmacked, he hadn't seen Albert doing this to any kind of guy, FOH engineer or whatnot. He wasn't grumpy or jerky towards anyone, since the gig went down pretty well, and audience response was great. a 500-600 seater. Even before the gig, he wasn't grumpy at all during soundcheck. Or a jerk.
Now years later on, when someone complained about that sound engineer, I just corrected them and said "no, you're wrong" and told them this Albert King anecdote. They still think I am lying the guts out of me, and says it can't be true. I still defend him, if it comes around to it, and push comes to shove. And if someone calls Albert King a jerk.
I am working at it. Remember clearly a statement in a read/printed interview (pre internet) when their collaboration broke up. Fripp was doing overdubs, and when Sylvian arrived to listen to it he asked "What's that ?" Fripp replied "That's art". Sylvian: "Not on my album!" and then Fripp left. And they haven't collaborated ever since. I am trying to find that one. It was not a one off "having a bad day" thing. See if I can come back to you.I think it was during the Darshan project but I am not entirely sure about this.
Of course, most people thinks holding grudges is a bad thing, they may very well reconciled these days. Even Rog and Gilmour have done this, so the end of miracles hasn't occured yet. If you read Sylvians interviews he confesses to his "cocaine 2 years" and subsequent reclusive lifestyle and confesses to be very insular to people surrounding him, and helping him out. He's still a control freak, and wants total control over anything with his name on it. Of course, but he can't delegate.
oh, one more I forgot:
Bob Geldof.
One that tries too hard to keep a public picture of him as a saviour and a saint, but in the end, being just that jerk, and in the end, has accomplished really nothing, and just performs "I don't like mondays" every charity concert there is. This one, I got first hand info on too. Before they got famous, Boomtown Rats played in my town, and as with the general punk jerky thing they slaughter anything that came before. I've heard him on stage literally saying into the mic that he hated the guts out of Pink Floyd, Yes, ELP and those guys. To general applause. 3 years later you find him lead actor of the Floyd film "The Wall". So much for that hipocrasy. I've heard that outspoken guitarist Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy/Black Star Riders has one or two things to say about that guy too.
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I work in the country music industry, and there's a surprising amount of nice and down to earth stars.
For the posts from 14 years ago, I'll defend Trick Pony and say Heidi and Keith are amazing people. Ira, the old bassist, I haven't met.
Aaron Tippin is an ass hat.
Joe Diffie is awesome.
Most of the remaining "older" country guys are nicer than the newer pop stars trying to act hard. Florida Georgia Line deserve an entire thread.
For the posts from 14 years ago, I'll defend Trick Pony and say Heidi and Keith are amazing people. Ira, the old bassist, I haven't met.
Aaron Tippin is an ass hat.
Joe Diffie is awesome.
Most of the remaining "older" country guys are nicer than the newer pop stars trying to act hard. Florida Georgia Line deserve an entire thread.
Ahahahaa!!! Oh, that's made my morning. I'll still be chuckling about that over a pint later on today!
As to Bob, there's a guy on here (Number 11?) who has Pete Briquette's old L2 Steinberger. Bob apparently hated it so Pete, tired of it all, sold the bass to Number 11. At least that's how I remember the tale.
I worked with Aaron a long time ago and he was a cool guy..go figure.
For sure, being Nice is the way to roll. But, I've also read a bunch of interviews with cats like Harvey Brooks and Marcus Miller which were very positive about working with Miles. So, that's all I have to go on. And, his monumental impact on our music (which has zero to do with being nice, but does count under the paying dues category).
Regardin Miles, and the Danish percussionist. On the interview readily available on the internet:
******** on Miles: "He was always nice and inspiring but sometimes very provocative! I feel Miles taught me more patience, and a lot about grooving and musical flow and gathering a band's energy." : ********* was the only woman member of a Miles Davis band and one of the few people to re-join Miles's band.
Look at Miles revolving door rooster and members, and those who came back and lasted forever. Keyboardist Adam Holzman (now with Steven Wilson) lasted a full 8 years, the very longest serving members of any Mile lineups. "He must've done something right.." in the end.
******** on Miles: "He was always nice and inspiring but sometimes very provocative! I feel Miles taught me more patience, and a lot about grooving and musical flow and gathering a band's energy." : ********* was the only woman member of a Miles Davis band and one of the few people to re-join Miles's band.
Look at Miles revolving door rooster and members, and those who came back and lasted forever. Keyboardist Adam Holzman (now with Steven Wilson) lasted a full 8 years, the very longest serving members of any Mile lineups. "He must've done something right.." in the end.
I knew a cat who played bass for AK at several gigs back in the 90's. Had nothing but great things to say about him. He actually had some kind of vintage Fender Jazz that AK gave him and had signed on the back. He was playing with Larry McCray at the time I met him.
I remember the Bass Player magazine interview with Daryl Jones in which he stated that Miles' first words to him was to state to the drummer during their first facet o face meeting that,"this is a weird looking dude". I thought that was kind of hilarious but obviously a jackassy kind of thing to say to anyone at anytime.
See there. What are publicly and "gossipy" around the things doesn't add up when one is really meeting or working with them. He must have been playing for him maximum 2-3 years then as AK hit the dust in 92.
I was too young in 1979-80s to really care or notice if anyone was behaving this or that. But the thing is, that when I worked for a local concert arranger in Lund Sweden, mostly at gigs at Olympen, I eventually got befriended, and worked for, with arranger Julius Malmstrom who engaged most of future legends (and then present) within rock, jazz and pop. And he told me first hand who were douchebags and who was definitely not. And in between. As well as those turning FROM d-bags to nice persons during the years. Mostly sobering up... and the other way around too. He is close friend to Alice Cooper still (not a jerk, or ever was), since he was the first European promoter that dared to have him engaged. He fetched him up in his old beat Volkswagen beetle, and smuggled in his Boa Constrictor from Denmark (copenhagen airport). in 1971. Today, when you ask him to tell anecdotes and stories, he remain silent about the worst ones, since he thinks "I don't hold grudges". But needless to say, those who weren't engaged a second time, sort of the next tour, regardless of selling out, where the most d-bags. Miles was around here a few turns though. Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull comes in close to as a anti-jerk as is possible, and Julius has several fond memories of Tull gigs there. Several others too of course. The ones you'd least expect such as shock rock and heavy metal acts, who are known for rowdy behaviour in hotel rooms and so on. But he (and I as I worked on the venue at the time) remembers that one Lou Reed gig as especially horrible. Lou Reed high as a lit up christmas tree, thought the gig was over, after the soundcheck...both band and his manager had to convince him, that it hadn't even started yet. Started an hour late! Members of the band had support him on both sides when walking him on stage...nuff of this...but anyway the audience soaked it up...2.500 seater sold out.
Oh, I must say, a definitive jerk in music industry since watching the documentary "Beware of mr...":
Ginger Baker
Despite John Lydon telling at the beginning that some musicians are "allowed" to behave as they want if they play that good. I say: No way in h*ll. I know several people both famous and unfamous who can and could top his playing even way back then.
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Phuq, LR reckons gig over after soundcheck? Ahahahaaa!!
Have you heard the Steve Harris (Maiden) tape of him giving someone a hard time about 'getting a message' to the monitor man (or whomever)? I heard it back in the early '90s and it's a peach. Keep the tales coming, mate. Still waiting on that Sylvian/Fripp thing, if you can expand on it a bit more.
No, haven't heard that Steve Harris thing. I've only heard the Sharon Osbourne/Iron Maiden incident a decade back, and Steve Harris had to apologize for Bruces DICKISH behaviour and comments.
EDIT: Hence my inclusion of Sharon in the list a few pages back.
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There's a lot, including Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins. More under the chapter "Controversies"
EDIT: Hence my inclusion of Sharon in the list a few pages back.
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There's a lot, including Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins. More under the chapter "Controversies"
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I have never been a mainstream musician but many of years ago our band was friends with a radio host and got to see alot of stuff in a short time period.
My 2 cents is the people I thought would be a- holes turned out to be nice and the ones I thought to be nice were the a- holes.
My 2 cents is the people I thought would be a- holes turned out to be nice and the ones I thought to be nice were the a- holes.
