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[KeithHernandez]

Yeah, I read this interview with Isaac Brock where he talks about running over dogs in the bands van after taking speed.  Also, when he came to OKC he got wasted and cut the microphone cord and accidentally slit his wrist and had to stop playing (I thought this was bad ass, but I am sure others would disagree.)  I was pretty young when I read the interview, so I don't know if he was joking or not, but I still like his music.

[wombat]

the problem, the more I think about it, is partially the tension between all of the "art can be a job, writing can be a job, it is a real job. Would you do your job for free? no. You wouldn't. So give me money"
and everyone else in the world's experiences of what a job is like. You don't get your fancy "I'm an artist" excuses AND your "this is my job, it is a real job" arguments.

Well, you know, too bad you don't think it's fair, because that's how it is. And if we want to have art in the world, we just have to put up with it.

[AugustWest]

Well, you know, too bad you don't think it's fair, because that's how it is. And if we want to have art in the world, we just have to put up with it.

Yeah, but then we get to bitch and moan about it.  That's our privilege.

[Nabubrush]

Yeah, but then we get to bitch and moan about it.  That's our privilege.

Kind of a cycle there.

[AugustWest]

Kind of a cycle there.

It's the circle of life!

[theinevitable]

Or I could just keep downloading albums off the Internet for free. Everyone wins!

[side_show]

Well, you know, too bad you don't think it's fair, because that's how it is. And if we want to have art in the world, we just have to put up with it.

This is actually completely untrue.  A big part of the reason I began walking away from work as a professional artist came from my trip to Indonesia.  In Bali especially, which is an island intensely rich in the arts, there is the philosophy that making art is a basic function of being human, along with eating, breathing, fuck*ng, etc.  Much like you wouldn't expect to be paid to eat or breathe, the concept of art as a thing you get paid for, rather than a necessary human need is something that doesn't connect there.  I agree with this - humans need to express themselves creatively and to share in creative expression of others, and I've been turned off to the idea of art as a commodity since then.  Once I saw how engaged Balinese people are in the arts - far more so than any North American environment I'd ever been in - it convinced me that I had things framed wrong in my mind.  Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy when I get a little cash for my art, but it's not why I do it.  I do it because it's a need and because it's pleasurable.  That shift has made my life a lot easier to navigate, and has actually led me to a better financial position, because making art as a job is basically not that lucrative except for for a very small minority.

As for ‘jacking the strip, I’m all for it.  I would love to do it.  Don’t have the tech skills to move forward without assistance, but I would love to.  I wasn't joking. 

[Nabubrush]

That's the difference between the artist and the patron, I think. If I want to listen to Danzig, I have to accept and live with (at some level) the fact that the guy is an utter douchebag.

[wombat]

Smells, I am glad that giving up getting money for your creative work is working for you. But given that North American society isn't going to turn into Bali any time soon, if we want art, we need to be willing to pay for it.

[smick]

That's what killed Beck for me.   Learning more and more how much of a jerk he was, and then seeing him live and him being utterly lifeless towards the audience.

I guess that goes for the previously subscript mentioned Frank Black Francis as well.   The guy has a rich musical heritage behind him, and he also has new stuff that inspires him.   Whenever I see him, he trots out the old favorites and you can tell he's just sick, sick to DEATH of them.  So he plays them half-halfheartedly, and poorly.  Then he puts his energy into his new stuff.

To me it always comes off as so much of a "fuck you for liking my music, but not the right music of mine!"  The bigger problem, is I LIKE his music.  A LOT.   But whenever I see him I have to put up with the Piss-Poor-Pixies-Musical-Power-Half-Hour.   I'd rather he just not play any of it at all and get on with his show, and not spend time sucking the energy and the will to enjoy life out of the room.

Big fat baby-man.  Fuck you.  You're still on restriction!

[Nabubrush]

I just wanted him to play Robert Onion - was that so fuck*ng wrong?

[theinevitable]

See also: why I never want to listen to the Magnetic Fields again after seeing them live.

This is a case where I can't see any argument against "it's your job, man. People are paying you to play these songs."

[pmcd9]

To me it always comes off as so much of a "fuck you for liking my music, but not the right music of mine!"  The bigger problem, is I LIKE his music.  A LOT.   But whenever I see him I have to put up with the Piss-Poor-Pixies-Musical-Power-Half-Hour.   I'd rather he just not play any of it at all and get on with his show, and not spend time sucking the energy and the will to enjoy life out of the room.

Yeah, that's a tough one for him and you.  You wish he would just skip the half assed Pixie's section of his show.  He wishes he could skip it too.  I mean, that's what Pixies reunion shows are for, right?  But the 100 assholes at the front of the stage screaming Pixies request are demanding he play those old songs. 

If he were stronger he would just simply not play them and let the complainers go hang.  Then again, if he didn't play those old songs a good portion of his audience would evaporate. 

I guess he should be more professional about it though.  If he's gonna play them then he should do it to the best of his ability.

[CortJstr]

If you follow Mike Doughty on Twitter then you know he thinks 90% of Soul Coughing songs are utter shit and doesn't want to be associated with them.

It's too bad Frank Black can't just not play songs for a while then unmothball them after 10 years when he's no longer sick of them. But I guess you need a really deep catalog like TMBG to really pull that off.

Edit: Or just stick to your guns. Supposedly Beastie Boys haven't performed Fight for Your Right since the late 80s since most fans didn't get the song was supposed to be a parody/insult to people like the speaker

[Nabubrush]

The Stones still play their old shit (they sort of have to) but Keith plays the songs completely differently now. Of course, you play Satisfaction 10,000 times and it probably loses its allure.