So it’s not the first time, probably won’t be the last time, but I went off a bit half-cocked about the Soundgarden tour in my previous blog, posted late last night, and in the interest of avoiding spreading any false information I’ve removed that post as it’s own entity and replaced it with this, wherein you will still find my original post (pasted below), so as not to be any more douchey about the subject and try and cover up my foolishness. I don’t usually go off half-cocked, last night was just a failure to censor or even slow down and read what was in front of me. We’ve been swarmed with escalating ticket prices lately (I’m passing up going to see The Deftones and Dillinger Escape Plan because of the ~$80 ticket price – if it was a benefit for the Deftones bass player, who was in a coma for a couple years, I’d be down, but none of the information I’ve seen has suggested that) and I was soooo excited to get the email that Soundgarden’s tour had been announced I began racing around in an ecstatic daze, an ecstatic daze that soon became a bit confused and then slightly irritated that I had to go create a profile on the band’s site just to get the info for the presale (why does everybody’s website have to be a social networking event these days?). From there it was only a matter of moments before I made the blunder and went off in a fit of crushed, frustrated stupidity. I should have paid a bit more attention. It’s kinda like the time I went around talking shit about Justin Beber before I found out just how awesome he is!
No, seriously though, I fucked up and I’m happy to admit it and take the appropriate steps to make peace. I’m still not too happy about the ticket prices – $119 base cost for two is fine, but the mandatory pairs means that I’m still screwed – with shows where the ticket cost is over $50 I tend to go by myself (unless it’s someone my wife can’t live without seeing) to save money on a second ticket price, so in my mind they’re still slightly douchey about this whole thing, but for the average folks I’d imagine it’s a swell thing.
Original Post, feel free to lambast me for my ignorance:
Ah, you know, two bands from my teenage years that I loved and never saw live were Faith No More and Soundgarden. Last November I was able to see FNM on their reunion tour and although it cost a pretty penny (~70 something after rape fees) I’m very glad I went*. Now as some of you may know Soundgarden got back together about a year ago and after playing a few shows under various pseudonyms (Nude Dragons) have slated five summer tour dates, one of which is in my back yard. I read the news in my email this evening with some relish – I’d already been pit-falling into what is turning out to be a massive spring concert season, what with Man Man coming up, Raveonettes, and now, low and behold, The Ocean Collective arriving on our shores all the way from Germany. Seeing Soundgarden’s name made me happy happy happy and I followed the somewhat vague instructions to ‘create a profile’ on their site in order to see date/venue/price.
And that’s when I think I might have stopped being a Soundgarden fan.
I’ve kinda seen some stink coming a mile away with this one – the band, never really all that fan-friendly to begin with back in the day** seemed to talk a good game but honestly, there really wasn’t any doubt why this reunion was happening. The spring before the announcement was the spring Cornell released his Timbaland produced solo album (after three solo albums that I tried to like but didn’t and that ridiculous project with the three muscle-headed dildos from rage-against-the-machine-that feeds-us) and after taking one listen to that album I told my wife and some friends – if this bombs Soundgarden will be back together in a year.
Low and behold yet again.
Along with that consider that the band sent out an email burst a little over six months ago for a new release, that was a cleverly packaged greatest hits and you’ll see why I started to smell a rat. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I want them to tour and make music and make money enough to live and continue, but when I saw the ticket price of the upcoming show at the Forum, base cost $119, well, I said fuck it and swallowed the fact that I will apparently never see soundgarden live. But honestly, now I don’t really feel like I want to. And I know, in this day and age with the music business staggering in its death throws touring is the only way a band can make money (for the most part). However, again I present for your consideration – $119?!? I hate to say it but this is making Cornell and the boys kinda look like the new eagles, and if there’s one central thing me and The Dude agree on, it’s that I HATE THE FUCKING EAGLES.
Enjoy your summer tour soundgarden – when the four of you find yourselves unable to stand one another again in two years and go back to lackluster solo careers maybe the booty you sock away from this raping of your fans will come in handy.
Fuckers.
………..
* review here: Faith No More
** I remember my friend Jake going to see them for what I think was a Down on the Upside tour – they sold out the first night, which he’d waited in line to acquire tickets to, and then added a second show the day before. Fine, no big deal, except that apparently at some point one of the members of the group (Ben Shepard I think) made a few derogatory comments about how the people at Jake’s show “must be their real fans” because they were there on the second night, obviously not realizing he was talking shit to the people who waited in line to get tickets to the first show. Tell me that’s not a dick move, eh?
5 comments
Those ‘vague’ instructions also mention that the price is for 2 as in TWO tickets that means you and someone else can go for the price listed i say you go back and read the email again before spreading rumors… 😉 people might think you write a blog misinformed…. I’ll pass on your music comments cause thats only your opinion…
The man just realized Rock&Roll is no more. Dude: the day the music died was long, long ago . . .
Those three ‘muscle-headed dildos’ have collectively written and recorded (along with Zach ‘Pocket Full of Shells’ De La Rocha) 4 albums of music that make Soundgarden look like a bunch of no-talent pussies. How can you like Deftones and Dillinger Escape Plan and not Rage? Are your ears screwed on backwards?
Here’s my beef with Rage – if you listen to their first album, aside from two songs (if I remember titles correctly Know your enemy and… I don’t remember the other) all the other songs are laid out in the same cookie cutter pattern – i.e. the build up chant in almost every song. I’m not going to say there’s no appeal there, but after time you can’t help but see the pattern and it loses something. I won’t say I don’t like the second album because I do – it is the most different of their discography; they managed to retain and even amp up the energy level without being so formulaic. At first Morello’s strange approach to the guitar was refreshing, but by battle of lost angeles he was as reliant on doing the same ‘Wicky Wicky Wack’ sound effects as someone in a hair rock band is on pentatonic scales. They established a sound and never evolved it – on top of it they peddled easy, no-meaning slogans of rebellion – they spoke a great game but aside from a few actual instances of putting their money where their mouths were their cries for rebellion came off manufactured and hollow. In public they usually just showed up and acted like muscleheads in order to cause a scene, get press and sell more albums. RATM is one of the reasons why actual revolution has been pop-cultured. People now grow up thinking they can buy a rage album or a tshirt from hot topic and they’re rebelling.
Dillinger Escape Plan have constantly evolved their sound. The Deftones strength is more in their songwriting – careful cultivation of atmosphere and melody – something none of those other bands from their heyday ever really cared.
And yes, in some regards my ears are screwed on backwards.
I have to agree with you about Rage. Loved the first two albums, but they have recycled the same riff so many times that it is quite irritating. When I heard the first Audioslave single and heard “that riff” again, I knew I was pretty much done with them. That being said, they were actually quite amazing live at Lollaplaooza a few years ago. More than I was expecting…that riff is still old though. Sucks you aren’t going to Deftones. I’m going next week, but I also only bought one ticket. The price is a bit steep, but what can I say, I would take Deftones over Rage any day. At least they have made an effort to evolve their sound, instead of devolving into rap-rock. Glad to see they have been selling out shows. I only wish they weren’t playing the Riviera. Probably my least favorite place to see a show due to the shitty sight lines. Though last time I saw them there, the sound was amazing, and sometimes Deftone’s live mix is shit.
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