Portishead’s Geoff Barrow has done an interview with the LAWeekly, and I loved his honesty when he declared this after being asked why he hate dance music and DJ culture:
‘I know DJs — some of my best friends are DJs, and they're great — but really, dance music is full of assholes. Self-promoting assholes. Rock music is full of assholes as well.’
So who are the biggest assholes in music? I don’t know, everybody has his or her own list, let’s do mine:
– Anton Newcombe: This may be too easy, just watch the documentary DIG!, and you will understand what a self-important, self-proclaimed-genius asshole he is. This ill-tempered guy has fired more musicians in his band than anybody else (I've read about 60!) and I saw him several times getting pissed off at his band mates on stage for no reason. He is at the top of my list because I had a personal experience with the guy, an exchange of emails about an interview, which turned really bad, as suddenly I ‘didn’t have my shit together’. Oh and he can’t spell at all too.
– Bono: There is this amusing joke about Bono: ‘Bono, whilst playing a gig in Glasgow, got the whole crowd to be silent and then began slowly clapping his hands. He got the crowd to clap along for a while, the stadium quiet except for the rhythmic clapping… After a short period Bono spoke, saying that every time he clapped his hands a child in Africa died…
Suddenly, from the front row of the venue a voice broke out in thick Scottish brogue, ending the silence as it echoed across the crowd, the voice cried out to Bono ‘Well stop fucking doing it then!!’
This summarizes Bono’s attitude so well, always preaching to remind us about disease and poverty and posing himself as the humanity savior, but in fact promoting himself and wearing Ray-Ban and carrying his Vuitton luggage in the middle of the African savanna. Should I remind you that his ONE foundation gave only 1% of its funds to charity?
-Gene Simmons: This one is easy too, every time Simmons opens his big mouth, it is to declare how in love with himself he is. All ‘my assholes’ are people who think they are important, and Simmons? He is full of certitudes, and who else can declare during an interview ‘Beside my stunning good looks, I’m fascinating,… humbleness would dilute the truth’ without an ounce of irony? He has an album entitled Asshole, so he knows what he is talking about.
– Courtney Love: Does this need an explanation? Even her own daughter does not want to see her anymore, and she recently said she would kill her husband if he were still alive. She is the vulgarity incarnated, and her band name has already half of the asshole, actually the woman is insane.
-Billy Corgan: I had a hard time to believe this, but Corgan is/was charging his fans to view his blog: ‘I am excited to make this offer to anyone who might be interested in what goes on behind the wizard’s curtain. It is my goal to far exceed the normal documentary process and use the moment to create something that invokes synchronicity, electricity and faith into a moment that is ever unfolding.’
And if you don’t find this pompous enough, the guy has also all kinds of diva exigencies, like this special Norwegian mineral water… what a prick!
-Liam and Noel Gallagher: Endless sibling rivalry, never ending fights, it’s getting old! Liam has slamed Radiohead because of their new album, Noel has blamed Jay-Z for a festival not selling out. Unfortunately for them, their last name has become synonymous with asshole.
– Phil Spector: the biggest asshole in the rock history, and also a murderer!
-Ted Nugent: pure asshole and also a dangerous man, an extreme right-wing activist and hunting enthusiast, who would like everybody armed to the teeth.
-Glenn Danzig: He thinks he is he devil, that’s retarded, and has used violence against fans. He has even canceled a show at the last minute, saying ‘he didn’t like the venue’
– Axl Rose: Everybody calls him an asshole as he fired band members and kept the name Gun’ n' Roses for himself. He is someone who has verbally and physically abused audience members, even stopping in the middle of a song to have someone thrown out.
But this is only top 10 list, and there are so many others who would deserve
Geoff Barrow’s a massive asshole himself so he’s a great honourable mention to the list
Geoff barrow himself should be near the top of any assholes list. He’s like the 3rd long lost Gallagher brother but with a tenth of their wit and gravitas.