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cantcompetewhereudontcompare · 2 months ago

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Louis - the Liam Gallagher cosplayer

I said my next project would be Louis as a homophobic bully - with proof. But the hard proof I have is in a hard drive I can't access right now, so I'll leave that for later (but it is coming as soon as I can).

I thought instead I'd tackle a huge thing that's been bothering me, especially in light of the Oasis reunion.

I'm personally a huge fan of Oasis, and everything about Louis regarding Oasis annoys me, but particularly these two things:

He's not an actual fan and never was. Just a casual listener who's marketing himself a certain way to appeal to a certain audience

He's attempting (rather embarrassingly) to be a copy-paste version of Liam Gallagher

I'll divide this into two parts, and this first post will be about point #1, because it'll be too long otherwise.

Anyone who was a fan of One Direction in their early days would know that Louis' Thing, the music he said he enjoyed, was Top 40 radio. He can act like he's an indie rock band enthusiast all he wants, but that's just simply not true. In fact, that was HARRY'S thing throughout his time in the band.

Fans called him a hipster (the whole Frat Harry thing came later, at the time, in 2013, fans said he was a hipster). And Louis LITERALLY mocked him for liking "obscure" bands.

Here, March 13 2013, One Direction's Take Me Home Tour in Dublin. They read Twitter questions and answered them on stage. The question was "What's the number one song played on your iPod?" and Louis introduces the question to Harry with "Harry, got any indie bands we haven't heard of?"

Here's the video. The question is at 2:06, first he talks to Zayn, then Niall, then at 2:36 to Harry.

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This isn't a one-time incident, but it's one I distinctly remember (because I went to multiple shows of that tour and followed it closely!) and can physically point out. It happened multiple times. It was a Thing Louis mocked him about constantly. Keep in mind, Louis was 21 when this happened, a fully developed grown adult who had been in the industry for three years and was a professional musician.

Why do I say this? Does it bother me that he mocked Harry? No, that's just banter lmao. But what bothers me is that a few years later, he would rebrand as someone who enjoyed indie music, as an indie musician himself, who enjoyed and propped up unknown bands. And his fans would act like Harry was the popstar who made and enjoyed shallow music and Louis was a rock connoisseur all along.

At 21 Louis... distinctly wasn't that person - he also wasn't that person at 22, or 23, or 24, he started being that person in 2017, when he decided to craft his entire persona around being a Donny chav who gave you a two-finger salute and wore trackies to red carpet events.

Louis didn't even try to act like his musical style was indie rock back then. in the early 2010s there was a type of social media called Ping where you could log in songs that you liked. It was connected to your Twitter account and your iTunes account. Because in late 2012 (Louis was almost 21, might I add), it was about to shut down, a fan (a Larrie) documented the whole thing in screenshots. Here's the post. Of course they make everything about their conspiracy, but the account was legit (connected to his verified Twitter account) and the post made the rounds on normal Tumblr, so I remember seeing it at the time and saving it because it was interesting.

Some of the songs that he added to his Ping:

Thinking of You, Part of Me, Wide Awake, and the entire Teenage Dream album by Katy Perry

Talking to the Moon by Bruno Mars

Look After You by The Fray

Someone Like You by Adele

Far Away by Nickelback (he got this as a tattoo lol)

Who Knew by Pink

Bedshaped by Keane

I'm With You Avril Lavigne

Take Care by Drake

Yellow, Shiver, Talk, Fix You by Coldplay

Moves Like Jagger and Payphone by Maroon 5

It Girl by Jason Derulo

Without You by David Guetta & Usher

Love Story and We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together by Taylor Swift

Domino by Jessie J

Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol

Goodbye My Lover by James Blunt

Titanium by Sia and David Guetta

Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye

Turn Up The Music by Chris Brown

Let's Go by Calvin Harris

Mr. Brightside and Somebody Told Me by The Killers

We Are Young by Fun.

Stop And Stare by OneRepublic

She Moves In Her Own Way by The Kooks

Basket Case and Wake Me Up When September Ends by Green Day

Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen

I Miss You by Blink 182

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous by Good Charlotte

Bright Lights (the album) by Ellie Goulding

Believe (the album) by Justin Bieber

Naive by Lily Allen

Imagine by John Lennon

How We Do (Party) by Rita Ora

All of these songs are heavy rotation radio hits. I'm not sure how many people will see this post, if any, but if it happens upon any young Gen Z or Gen Alpha eyes, who happen to not know some of these, they're literally just... the most played songs on the radio at the time, and Imagine by John Lennon (which was the only song older than 2000 in his entire Ping).

The only bands he has on this entire log, are Two Door Cinema Club, who you might say "oh wait, that's indie isn't it?" except they reached #2 in the UK albums chart in 2012, when this log happened. Literally following trends once again. Same thing goes for Owl City, it's a somewhat indie project, but they had a big hit (certified Diamond and hit #1 in the UK and the US), Louis logged in the project immediately after this song made it big. A bunch of John Mayer songs, who in 2012 was hyper-mainstream. Or the #1 album Coexist by The XX. And songs from the #1 album in the UK Contrast, by Conor Maynard. That plus the incredibly mainstream hits by some more rockish bands (I'm surprised he didn't log in American Idiot by Green Day) and pop. That's it.

What about Oasis? It's there.

Stop The Clocks - a greatest hits record.

Stop Crying Your Heart out - literally the #3 most popular song of theirs on Spotify

Little By Little - a huge hit off one of their latest albums (33 million YouTube Views, 85 million Spotify plays)

I'm sure he enjoyed himself some Oasis. He was a British boy growing up in the late 90s and early 2000s. It'd be weird if he didn't. But he never talked about going to see them growing up (he was 16 when they played in England for the last time). He logged in just one album, and it was a greatest hits. He logged in two songs, and they were both huge hits. He logged in a ton of songs by Coldplay, or Katy Perry. Hell, he has more songs logged in for DRAKE than Oasis.

It's obviously not definite proof, but he had that Ping account for two years, and all his iTunes purchases or likes showed up. I also don't remember him mentioning them in any particular way throughout his time in the band. Nor him mentioning going to see them. Or wearing their merch. Or...

Despite both Liam and Noel having a Twitter account as far back as 2009/2010, Louis didn't follow either of them until 2017

So that in and of itself is bizarre for someone who in 2017 would give a million different interviews specifically mentioning Oasis and Liam Gallagher, right?

But the most egregious part of his pretend act, is that he's just flat out wrong about Oasis in and of itself.

First of all, in every single interview he mentions Oasis, he singles out Liam Gallagher. You can look it up, because frankly, there's so many interviews where he does this that I could probably be here forever. He talks about Liam Gallagher so much it's almost obnoxious (and we'll get on to that in part 2), but he almost never talks about Noel. Who he mentions is Liam. Even though he says Oasis was a huge part of his inspiration as an artist, who he mentions is Liam. And this is in the context of Oasis, as a band who inspired him growing up, not Liam Gallagher as a solo artist. OASIS. Liam.

To the uninitiated on Oasis, Liam is my favorite because he's great. He's funny, he's charming, he has a distinct voice that makes Oasis stand out. He's a mean tambourine player. But to name Liam as your inspiration when you admire Oasis, as a musician, is akin to doing that with Ringo and The Beatles.

Just so we're clear, this is the writing credits for their debut album:

Their second album

Third album

Shall I go on?

Liam doesn't play instruments, except the maracas or the aforementioned tambourine. Noel:

Just:

You have to actively ignore everything about the band to pretend that your inspiration, musically, as a musician, is LIAM GALLAGHER if you actively like Oasis. What the hell are we talking about?

To be clear, Louis didn't say in these interviews that he admired Liam's vocals (which he could never in a million years imitate, and I beg him not to try), or attitude, or charisma, or fucking tambourine expertise. He talked about lyrics, and music, and songwriting. And yet, he never mentioned Noel Gallagher. IN THE CONTEXT OF TALKING ABOUT OASIS.

Listen, I fucking hate Noel Gallagher. He's a c*nt. But I happen to like Oasis, and I know, despite how much I despise him, that Oasis wouldn't exist without him.

So why did Louis mention Liam??? Well, two main reasons.

His fans don't give a fuck. They don't care about his musical opinions because they're not fans of his music or him as a musician. It's why they don't listen to it. They're fans of his status as a purported underdog or the conspiracy theories surrounding him, or rate him as a part of the band they once liked. Some of them pity follow him. He could say his musical inspiration is Miley Cyrus because of how well she plays banjo and it'd make absolutely no difference for them. Also, most of them are musically illiterate and would find a way to justify anything he says, despite being completely nonsensical, if they even listen to him in the first place.

Because of #1, Louis has been on a quest to capture a specific type of audience. He tried to capture the 1D audience with Just Hold On and Back To You (which are songs that are actually up his alley in terms of the music he consumed). But despite being his best commercially performing songs, they failed to actually and significantly move the needle. And he saw the writing on the wall even in the middle of promo for Back To You. Which is why he gave up trying to be commercially successful with that crowd and has been relentlessly trying to shift his audience.

It's why he wears sweatpants and sneakers everywhere, why he called himself a chav in 2017/2018, why the horrible haircuts, why the constant smoking and drinking in promo pics, why the pivot to "actually, I'm a die hard indie enthusiast" even though four years prior he mocked his bandmate for that exact musical taste. It's why he markets his own music as indie, rock, etc, even though it's decidedly not. It's why he does the photoshoots he does, hires the people he hires, and has the bands he has in his narcissistic "festival."

It's put-up on. I suspect it's partially borne out of deep insecurity and wanting to appeal to the type of guy he went to school with. I think his mates, despite enjoying the wealth of 1D's success, took the piss out of him for being in a boyband. This is pure speculation, but we're talking about the guys who openly retweet Andrew Tate (Nizam Kabir), or mocked his singing voice in his ex girlfriend's posts...

Let's actually expand on that, Hannah Walker, Louis' ex girlfriend, uploaded a video to her instagram account singing with a sore throat. It was captioned "sore throat singing" and this is what one of his "best friends" from childhood, Calvin Rodgers, commented on it:

This wasn't some gentle banter either, this was around a point in time where Calvin and Louis weren't hanging out (2013/2014). I actually saw Hannah's post and the comments a few years ago, but her account has gone private since.

"Calvin (unprompted) In theory, the singing wasn't AS flat as Louis" another friend (Dan Woollet) replies "Fair point" to which Calvin replies "Not only fair, but true." Hannah replies "controversial."

Louis cheated on Hannah with Eleanor (I can do a deep dive on that later), and at first Hannah didn't know, so she and Louis were on good terms, but she has been openly very negative about Louis ever since late 2011.

Calvin is also a musician, by the way. His comment was fair and true. Louis' singing IS flat. I doubt he'd say that to his face when he's on good terms with him, especially because he greatly benefits from Louis' money and status (his friends have mooched everything from access to events, to paid vacations on yachts by being with him, to outright jobs). But from things Louis has said in interviews, such as "I don't have a skincare routine because my friends would make fun of me" or "if I showed up wearing designer clothes my friends would never let me hear the end of it," it does seem like he has this need to fit in and seek approval from these idiots. I'll never understand it, and I'm not going to try and psychoanalyze him (and he doesn't wanna do therapy because he's too good for therapy anyway), but I think he wouldn't be seeking this audience otherwise.

His attempts have clearly failed. His music is consumed less and less. He's at 2.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Just so we're clear, Spotify has a chart of the most monthly listeners per artist, where they chart the first 500 artists from 1 to 500. #1 currently is The Weeknd with 107M. #2 is Billie Eilish. Harry is #53 without having released music in 2 and a half years (which is amazing).

The #500 is Lynyrd Skynyrd with 16,147,684 monthly listeners. Louis would have to gain 14 MILLION monthly listeners to be at the bottom of the list. That is SEVEN TIMES the total amount he has right now. That's how bad it is.

His fans don't listen to his music. They're just incredibly annoying online because their idea of stanning him or being his fan is Twitter, and TikTok, and some of them on Tumblr and never shutting up despite having zero actual arguments to back anything up (which is why I'm venting on this blog, and potentially giving Harries tools to shut these idiots up because I know how annoying they are).

I think he's still trying to market himself this way because deep down he still wants the acceptance of his high school buddies and other men like them, and his idea of cool is (deluding himself into believing to) have a career that his buddies would actually respect (as opposed to 1D).

To close off this part of the post, I'll leave with the worst part. How do I know he's not and was never a fan of Oasis? How do I know that he's lying when he says they were his inspiration as an artist?

Well, this:

He said variations of this multiple times in multiple interviews. He bashed metaphors a ton, for instance:

“[So how you classify your genre?] Oh, that’s a big question. Wow, that’s hard. In terms of what I’m looking for from a production point of view, I want things to sound organic and live. Not too many programmed instruments. I want it to feel authentic. From a lyric perspective, almost like indie-pop, very conversational. All these sexy metaphors people put in their music? I ain’t got time for that. I like it straight to the point. It’s hard to classify it as a particular genre.”

Source.

Here's another he gave for MTV:

Though "Back to You" is certifiably pop, Tomlinson grew up loving guitar-based rock bands, he said, and that when it came time to sit down and create solo music of his own, he found inspiration in the acts from his youth: mainly Oasis and Arctic Monkeys, both from Northern England (like Tomlinson). "The way that they write I've always found very interesting because, you know, if you look at a pop song fundamentally, lyrically it's very different to the conversational style that Arctic Monkeys or Oasis might use, and that's exciting to me," Tomlinson said.

All I can say is.. What the actual fuck is he talking about?

Obviously I have a lot more that I can say. But. WHAT?

Let's ignore Arctic Monkeys, because yes, I would absolutely call "honest and to the point" early Arctic Monkeys. Honest meh, because early AM was so conversational and so casual and about such mundane things that honesty wasn't really a factor, but whatever. It was incredibly to the point. BUT OASIS? OASIS??? Honest and to the point? OASIS?? OASIS??

Just so we're clear, the most mainstream song Oasis has ever released is Wonderwall. Everyone knows that song, correct? What the fuck is a wonderwall? That is not A WORD.

The word "wonderwall" came from a George Harrison album. And the lyrics have absolutely nothing to do with it. The song itself is a "Hollywood-esque song" that talks about "some unfathomable crazy love story."

The entire premise of wonderwall is that one person who's always there for you, but told in an abstract metaphorical way. That is by definition the opposite of what Louis said he wanted and liked.

In fact, Oasis FAMOUSLY worship the ground The Beatles walk on. Hell, Liam named his kid fucking LENNON. One of the most known facts about The Beatles was the amount of fucking NONSENSE they wrote in their lyrics. I Am The Walrus?! Like, this is music 101. Louis you are supposed to be a musician (yet play no instruments).

The second most mainstream song by Oasis is Champagne Supernova.

This is a verse from that song:

Wake up the dawn and ask her why A dreamer dreams she never dies Wipe that tear away now from your eye Slowly walking down the hall Faster than a cannonball Where were you while we were gettin' high?

Exactly what part of this is honest and to the point? I thought he hated metaphors?

Remember the songs he Pinged? Let's see those lyrics.

Little By Little

'Cause little by little We gave you everything you ever dreamed of Little by little The wheels of your life have slowly fallen off Little by little You have to give it all in all your life And all the time I just asked myself why, you really here?

I'm gonna go insane. What the fuck did he mean by "honest and to the point" immediately after saying the word "Oasis"? Is he OKAY? Is he having a stroke and smelling colors? How else can he describe this as "honest and to the point"?

The other song was Stop Crying Your Heart Out

Hold up Hold on Don't be scared You'll never change what's been and gone May your smile (May your smile) Shine on (Shine on) Don't be scared (Don't be scared) Your destiny may keep you warm

I'm swimming in directness and honesty here, you guys. I can't believe how to the point these lyrics are! Metaphors? Never knew 'em! Soooo conversational!

But maybe I'm cherry picking songs, and the rest of Oasis' discography actually fits what Louis said, right? RIGHT?!

Let's look at Stop The Clocks, the Greatest Hits album Louis pinged back in 2012. Literally the first verse of the songs in order. Just so we're very clear.

Rock 'N Roll Star

I live my life for the stars that shine People say, "It's just a waste of time" Then they said, "I should feed my head" That to me was just a day in bed I'll take my car and drive real far They're not concerned about the way we are In my mind my dreams are real Now you concerned about the way I feel Tonight I'm a rock 'n' roll star

Some Might Say

Some might say that sunshine follows thunder Go and tell it to the man who cannot shine Some might say that we should never ponder On our thoughts today' cause they hold sway over time

Talk Tonight

Sittin' on my own, chewin' on a bone A thousand million miles from home When something hit me Somewhere right between the eyes Sleepin' on a plane, you know you can't complain You took your last chance once again I landed, stranded Hardly even knew your name

Lyla

Calling all the stars to fall And catch the silver sunlight in your hands Come for me and set me free Lift me up and take me where I stand She believes in everything And everyone and you and yours and mine I waited for a thousand years For you to come and blow me out my mind

The Importance of Being Idle

I sold my soul for the second time 'Cause the man don't pay me I begged my landlord for some more time He said, "Son, the bills are waiting" My best friend called me the other night He said, "Man, are you crazy?" My girlfriend told me to get a life She said, "Boy, you lazy"

Seriously I wanna sit down and ask this man what the hell he was talking about. How can he, with a straight face, say that LIAM GALLAGHER was his musical inspiration growing up because of the lyrics of OASIS, and how straight and to the point, devoid of metaphors, they were. It's the most nonsensical talking point I've ever heard. If he was even remotely relevant the way people would've laughed their head off at him saying this would´ve been diabolical.

He said Oasis and Arctic Monkeys because they fit the persona he wanted to build (even geographically).

There are SO many actual indie bands from up north who write the type of lyrics he claims he likes, but he's too lazy to actually do research into this put-upon image he chose for himself (I hardly think a competent group of people was behind any of it).

He changed his hair, his facial hair, his clothing style, the way he talks, walks, the words he says, how he stands in front of a microphone, his facial expressions, the aesthetic surrounding him, even the people and teams he hired for his career, to cosplay Liam Gallagher. This isn't a case of inspiration. Inspiration is normal. It happens in art every single day. Everything we do is an amalgamation of stuff others have done before. Everything is invented. I want to make it very clear that I don't find any of that problematic in any way.

But Louis is an inch away from wearing the skin of Liam Gallagher as a winter coat. I'll actually dive deep into that in a second part of this post, because it really does go SO deep.

And I sincerely doubt he likes him or his music all that much. He just likes the idea of people viewing him like they view Liam and the "respect" he would get from men.

#louis tomlinson #harry styles #louis #one direction #1d #oasis #noel gallagher #liam gallagher #Youtube

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black-arcana · 21 days ago

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SPIRITBOX Reunites With MEGAN THEE STALLION For 'Tyg' Song

In an electrifying and unexpected new collaboration, Grammy-nominated heavy music trailblazers SPIRITBOX have joined forces once again with global hip-hop powerhouse Megan Thee Stallion for her latest project, "Megan: Act II". Produced by Bankroll Got It, Dan Braunstein, Mike Stringer (SPIRITBOX) and Shawn "Source" Jarrett, "TYG" showcases Megan's hard-hitting verses fused with SPIRITBOX's signature dynamic production and explosive riffs.

This marks the band's second team-up with the Houston icon, following the successful rock remix of Megan's hit single "Cobra", which made waves earlier this year. The collaboration was hailed as adding a "booming, reverb-drenched cascade of arena rock attitude" by Billboard, and "an extra layer of edge to the vulnerable track" by BET.

Joining Megan's highly anticipated project are other exciting features, including Flo Milli, RM of BTS and TWICE, further solidifying "Megan: Act II" as a groundbreaking moment in music. Fans of both SPIRITBOX and Megan can look forward to an unforgettable mix of heavy and hip-hop sounds on "TYG", which pushes boundaries and proves that the most unexpected partnerships can yield the most exhilarating results.

Most recently, SPIRITBOX released their newest single "Soft Spine", a standout track showcasing their evolving sound. The band is currently thrilling fans nationwide as part of KORN's 30th-anniversary tour, further cementing their reputation as one of metal's most dynamic and innovative forces.

For many artists, a meteoric rise can often mean a sudden plateau. However, for Grammy-nominated progressive heavy metal mainstays SPIRITBOX, there appears to be no end in sight on their near-constant ascent to the top. Formed in 2017 in the picturesque yet isolated region of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada by vocalist Courtney Laplante and guitarist Mike Stringer, SPIRITBOX would fully cement themselves as a household name in the summer of 2020 with the release of their blistering breakout single "Holy Roller", along with a host of other captivating singles shortly after, resulting in a media firestorm of hype.

With new and existing fans eagerly watching their next move, SPIRITBOX exceeded every expectation imaginable in 2021 with the release of their genre-defining debut studio album "Eternal Blue" via Pale Chord/Rise Records. "Eternal Blue", which debuted at #13 on the Billboard 200, kicked open the doors of the heavy metal scene and rewrote the genre's playbook with 12 stunning tracks that incorporated everything from djent and post-metal to infectious synth-laden pop sensibilities and cinematic arrangements, brought fully to life by the inimitable Laplante's ethereal and commanding vocal performances.

The album cycle for "Eternal Blue" saw SPIRITBOX not only grace the covers of esteemed music publications such as Revolver, Alternative Press, Rock Sound and Kerrang!, among many others but would also solidify the band as one of the most in-demand groups in live music today with their one-hundred percent sold out, first-ever headlining tour in support of the album which saw ticket sales over 40,000. The band would also share the stage with seasoned metal veterans such as LIMP BIZKIT and GHOST and win "Best International Breakthrough Band" at the 2021 Heavy Music Awards.

In 2022, SPIRITBOX secured highly-coveted spots at numerous major U.S. rock and metal festivals and were nominated for two JUNO Awards, respectively. SPIRITBOX would also round out their current lineup with the inclusion of drummer Zev Rose and bassist Josh Gilbert in addition to releasing their sonically experimental EP "Rotoscope" in June of that year as well as a cross-genre collaboration with dubstep artist Illenium for the track "Shivering".

During another whirlwind year for the band, including a U.S. tour with SHINEDOWN and PAPA ROACH, SPIRITBOX wrote and recorded their critically acclaimed EP, "The Fear Of Fear", released in November 2023. The EP features the single "Jaded", which was nominated for "Best Metal Performance" at the 66th annual Grammy Awards. In the same month, the band would make another genre-bending splash with a high-profile collaboration with rapper Megan Thee Stallion for a remix of her song "Cobra".

Photo credit: Jonathan Weiner

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#spiritbox #megan thee stallion

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scotianostra · 1 month ago

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Happy Birthday James “Midge” Ure born October 10th 1953 in Cambuslang.

Born to a working class family Ure attended Cambuslang Primary School and Rutherglen Academy in Glasgow until he was 15 years old. For the first 10 years of his life he lived in a one-bedroom tenement flat. After leaving school Ure attended Motherwell Technical College and then began to work as an engineer, training at the National Engineering Laboratory (NEL), in nearby East Kilbride.

Midge started playing music in a Glasgow band called Stumble in 1969, before joining Salvation, a Glasgow-based group that became the bubblegum band Slik in 1974. Upset in the change of direction, Ure left the band to join the Rich Kids, a punk-pop group led by former Sex Pistol bassist Glen Matlock. The Rich Kids only released one album, 1978’s Ghosts of Princes in Towers, before breaking up later that year. Ure spent a brief time with the Misfits (not the American band) before forming Visage with drummer Rusty Egan and vocalist Steve Strange; he left the group to replace Gary Moore in Thin Lizzy, who had left in the middle of an American tour. After the tour was finished, Ure fulfilled an agreement to join Ultravox as the replacement for John Foxx.

Once he joined the band in 1980, Ure helped make Ultravox a mainstream success; during this time he also worked as a producer, making records with Steve Harley and Modern Man. In 1982, Ure released a solo single, a cover of the Walker Brothers’ hit “No Regrets”; it climbed into the U.K. Top Ten. Ure and Bob Geldof formed Band Aid, a special project to aid famine relief efforts in Ethiopia, in 1984. The two wrote the song “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” and assembled an all-star band of musicians to record the single; it sold millions of copies over the 1984 holiday season.

In 1985, Ultravox was put on hiatus and Ure began to pursue a full-time solo career. Recorded entirely by Ure, his 1985 solo debut, The Gift, launched the number one single “If I Was,” as well as the minor hits “That Certain Smile” and “Call of the Wild.” The following year, he recorded the final Ultravox album; in 1987, the band broke up and he began recording his second solo album. The resulting record, 1988’s Answers to Nothing, was less successful than The Gift in the U.K., yet it charted in the U.S., which is something Ure’s previous album failed to do. Three years later, Ure released his third album, Pure; while it didn’t do any business in America, the album featured the Top 20 British hit “Cold, Cold Heart.” He attempted a comeback in 1996 with Breathe, which went ignored by both the American and British markets. Four years later, his score for the Jon Cryer drama-comedy Went to Coney Island was issued by the Evenmore label.

Ure’s recording activity during the 2000s began with Move Me, which featured some surprisingly hard rocking material. A few years later, he published an autobiography, If I Was, and then, with Geldof, arranged the Live 8 concerts.

Following the release of the covers-oriented 10 IN 2008, Ure participated in an Ultravox reunion and continued to record as a solo artist. Fragile was issued in 2014, and featured the Moby collaboration “Dark, Dark Night.” In 2017, he collaborated with composer Ty Unwin on the album Orchestrated, which featured orchestral reworkings of Ultravox songs, as well as songs from his solo career.

In 2020 Midge released an album Soundtrack 1978-2019, he was one of the lucky artists to have completed his tour promoting this in February that year.

Midge has recently revealed why he turned down an offer to join the Sex Pistols, telling The Telegraph that he considered that taking up the invitation from the band's manager Malcolm McLaren would have been like "joining a slightly edgier Bay City Rollers". He received the offer to join the fledgling punk band back in 1975, while on a visit to McCormack’s instrument hire shop in Glasgow.

In an interview published in the Telegraph he said;

"I was stopped in the street by the Clash’s manager, Bernie Rhodes, who then introduced me to Malcolm McLaren, I didn’t know who either of them was, but they literally asked me to join the Sex Pistols without even asking what I did. To me it would have been like joining a slightly edgier Bay City Rollers, so I turned them down.

Last October Midge celebrated seven decades of music with a concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

Concerts coming up for Midge are, 24th October: Tvonica Culture - Zagreb , 31st October: Stadfeestzaal - Aarschot, Belgium with Lena

Lovich, before 27 dates in Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales ending in December, he then travels to United Arab Emirates for a gig in February, March sees the hard working Scot play 11 nights in Sweden and Germany.

Midge Ure is one of Scotland’s all-time most successful musicians. He is married with four daughters and lives in Somerset.

The video is Midge, with Pilot,s David Paton from a Live Hogmanay show in 1995.

#scotland #scottish #history #musician #singer songwriter #happy birthday #Youtube

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theshowliveontour · 5 months ago

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Niall Horan brought his headlining tour, THE SHOW LIVE ON TOUR 2024, to Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on Monday night (June 3), and delivered an impressive set that highlighted his evolution from boy band heartthrob to a bona fide rock star. The concert marked Horan’s first time headlining an arena in Nashville and follows his previous visits to Music City, when he headlined The Ryman Auditorium and Ascend Amphitheater.

Sold Out Concert At Bridgestone Arena In Nashville

The sold-out show served as a testament to the 30-year-old singer/songwriter’s solo success, drawing fans of all ages adorned in homemade merchandise and Niall Horan-inspired outfits, eagerly awaiting the former One Direction star’s arrival.

As the lights went dim, a pair of eyes appeared at the top of the stage and then a cinematic introduction was projected on a vintage theater style stage set up complete with curtains and clamshell foot lights, bringing an old school vibe that flawlessly fit Horan’s set.

“Good evening Nashville,” Horan shouted, greeting the crowd with a big smile on his face, as he exploded into a high-energy performance of his fan-favorite tune, “Nice To Meet Ya.”

”I Have Dreamt Long And Hard About This Night”

Donning a black leather vest, black tank, black pants, and a handkerchief in his pants pocket, Horan looked every bit of the rock star he has become and kept the crowd in the palm of his hand throughout the entire concert.

“Welcome to The Show Live On Tour Lovers! Holy smokes, this is insane, thank you so much for selling out the famous Bridgestone Arena for me. I really appreciate it,” Horan said graciously. ”I have dreamt long and hard about this night, and thank you so much for selling this arena out for me, it’s mind-boggling, I can’t believe I am here. Nashville is one of my favorite cities in the world, and I love coming here. I love the music in this town, I love writing in this town, and it feels like home here. I love it, so thank you so much for welcoming me back.”

He continued, “All the memories that I’ve had in this city over the years, I just love the place. There are some cities that just stand out to you and just make you feel comfortable, and Nashville and the people in it just make you feel like you’re at home.”

Surprise Guest: Noah Kahan

A highlight of the show was his intimate acoustic set. With the curtain shut behind him, Horan took to the microphone stand with just an acoustic guitar and delivered a raw and heartfelt performance of “Put A Little Love On Me,” followed by the crowd-pleaser, “This Town,” which featured a surprise guest, Noah Kahan.

“Since we’re in Nashville, there’s some good songwriters around the place,” Horan said before welcoming Kahan to the stage to join him for the performance. The excitement to see the “Stick Season” singer was palpable, as he was welcomed by deafening screams.

He concluded the acoustic set with “You Can Start A Cult.” After Horan wrapped his set, the capacity crowd offered thunderous stomps and applause demanding an encore, which Horan obliged and returned to the stage for a two song encore that included “Heartbreak Weather” and “Slow Hands.”

21-Song Set List

Horan’s 21-song set included songs from all three of his solo albums: Flicker (2017), Heartbreak Weather (2020) and The Show (2023). He also threw in a cover of One Direction’s hit, “Stockholm Syndrome,” a fan-favorite that prompted a massive sing-along during his set in Music City.

Throughout the concert, Niall Horan made it a point to connect with his fans on a personal level. He took a moment to read many of the handmade signs brought by fans, interacting with them in a way that made the massive arena feel intimate. His gratitude was evident as he thanked his fans multiple times, often becoming visibly emotional as he watched his dreams unfold before his eyes, with a capacity crowd singing along to every word.

“I just want to thank you all for the loyal support over the last 14 years, it’s just been absolutely bonkers. Whether you’ve been there since day one or you just watched The Voice and said ‘well, I like him,’ thank you I really appreciate your support, and I am so happy to be here in this arena tonight with you,” Horan exclaimed with a big smile emblazoned on his face.

From Boy Band Member To Solo Superstar

Niall Horan’s concert at Bridgestone Arena was more than just a performance; it was a celebration of his journey as an artist. From his days in One Direction to his impressive solo career, Horan has proven that he is a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. His genuine connection with his fans, coupled with his undeniable talent, made for an evening that Nashville will not soon forget. With this tour, it’s clear that Niall Horan is not just a former boy band member, but a solo superstar who has truly come into his own.

Niall Horan kicked off his world tour in February of 2024 in Belfast, UK, at the SSE Arena. The North American leg of the trek launched at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida, on May 29, 2024. Produced by Live Nation, the stint will continue through the end of 2024.

#niall horan #the show live on tour #tslot:nashville #review

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brunette-barbie4562 · 4 months ago

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Uncharted (Duff McKagan X OC)

Summary: Unsure of her next steps in life, Carreen Joy "CJ" Thompson finds herself taking a job working under the Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan during the Not in the Lifetime... Tour. She faces the fast-paced and foreign world of rock n' roll, touring, and groupies, as well as blossoming taboo feelings for her boss.

Trigger warnings: Mentions of alcoholism and sexual themes.

May 2017

Estadio San Mames / Bilbao, Spain

The day of the concert, CJ had mimicked her routine that she had during the day of the Ireland show. Duff had decided to hit the gym while she stayed behind in the room, making sure all of his things were packed. She coordinated with staff to load his trunks to head to the stadium and then went to change to head over herself. She had seen little of Duff, other than to bring him his coffee earlier that morning. She figured she’d catch up with him later that day. Unlike the venue in Ireland, the stadium was a five-minute drive from the hotel, and it was a quick and easy ride for CJ.

All of Duff’s things were in his room backstage when she arrived, ready to be sorted through. Instead of beginning to unpack everything, CJ was caught up looking at herself in her new outfit in the mirror. She had so many new choices that it had taken her some time to decide. She had settled on something comfy but cute; a pair of form fitting dark red suede long pants that flared at the bottom of each leg. On top, she wore a matching halter crop top that had a deep plunging neckline. She had even bought a matching pair of suede ballet flats decorated with gold studs. She had accessorized it with a simple gold necklace and gold hoop earrings. After fighting with her thick curls, she had styled her long hair up into a high ponytail. Surprisingly, she had enjoyed the process of dressing up more than she had anticipated. She could definitely get used to it. Looking good felt good.

CJ noticed the clock on the wall behind her in the mirror and saw that it was getting close to the time that Duff would arrive, and she needed to get moving. She turned away from her reflection and began to unpack.

Duff got into one of the SUVs to head over to the stadium. It had been a good morning. CJ had brought him coffee, he ordered breakfast through room service, and then he had hit the gym before showering, spending some time talking to Grace and Mae, and getting dressed to head to the stadium.

To his surprise, the door on the other side of the car opened and in slid Vanessa, a black bag slung over her shoulder. His posture immediately stiffened. He had largely been able to avoid her so far on this leg of the tour. She smiled at him, hoisting her bag into her lap and shutting the car door.

“I forgot a few things and had to come back for them,” she said, referring to the bag full of photography equipment. “Thought I’d catch a ride.” Duff just nodded, unsure how to respond to her. The car left the parking lot, heading towards the stadium.

“Where’s your little assistant?” she asked.

“Waiting for me at the stadium,” he said. Vanessa pushed the bag down to her feet

“You could send her on a little errand when we get there,” she said, scooting a little closer to him. Duff had to confront it sooner rather than later. Although he thought he already had back in March. Despite it being clear from the beginning that their involvement was only sexual and nothing more, Vanessa had wanted more from him and gotten clingy. He had ended any involvement with her just before the last leg of the tour ended. The entirety of their intimacy had been during the tour through Asia, from January 2017 to March 2017.

“It’s not happening Vanessa,” he said, “We talked about this in March.” Her face fell into a scowl.

Duff had lightly dated a few women on and off since his divorce, but it was hard with his schedule to keep a consistent relationship going. He wasn’t entirely proud of the fact that there were times he had found a groupie or two to sleep with to scratch an itch.

Duff had carefully curated his image for years. Even during his younger years prior to sobriety, he had been lucid enough to have some forethought about his actions and how they might be perceived. While Slash, Axl, Steven, Matt, and Izzy had vocally torn up the town, he had tried to keep his less than desirable activities quiet, despite being intoxicated the majority of the time. There were a few times he had screwed up that he preferred not to think about. But most of these shenanigans had also taken place prior to the internet, which had helped immensely. He still occasionally became nervous at the thought of some of the details about what had gone on in the early 90’s at the wild and massive (usually naked) parties at his old Los Angeles house coming out. By the time he had truly and completely stopped caring about anything, including his image or his future, he had not had the energy or desire to act out anymore due to his failing mental and physical health. He was also in his second marriage with a fellow addict, meaning he didn’t have to leave his house to go find drugs and get high.

Duff had always had a deep desire to be a family man and settle down. It was a dream he’d been chasing his whole life. He had achieved it to a point, at least for 16 years. Since his divorce, there was the slight but constant underlying feeling of being unsettled. He attributed this feeling to seeing his own parents’ marriage fall apart literally in front of his eyes as a child and his subconscious desire to “fix” it. He knew it was maladaptive and probably related to the trauma of walking in on his own father cheating on his mother. But that feeling had remained in the back of his mind.

The SUV pulled up to the entrance door of the backstage area of the stadium and he felt relief wash over him. Before he could get out, Vanessa made one last remark.

“You’re crazy to think there’s even a shred of a possibility that that little girl would be interested in you. If that’s what’s stopping you from doing this,” she gestured between the two of them, “then you’re wasting your time.” He glared back at her in anger.

“Don’t talk about CJ,” he said. Before she could respond, he got out and shut the door behind him.

A security guard led him into the backstage building and then brought him to his room. Aggravated by his conversation with Vanessa, he opened the door with some force, only to walk in to find CJ, bent over a black stage bag, moving things around inside. She stood up to face him, smiling.

“Hey,” she said, “What’s up? You look pissed.” The anger left his body, and he released his tight grip on the doorknob when he saw her standing there, looking at him. She wore what he assumed was a new dark red two-piece outfit that she had picked up the other day with Meegan. However, anything else about the outfit went unnoticed. He instantly zeroed in on her chest. The top she was wearing made her already massive tits look insane. He corrected himself immediately and looked back at her face, feeling flustered. He was not that guy. He was not a pervert. But he had always been a “boobs guy.” It almost felt like some big joke, cooked up by Axl or Slash to get a rise out of him. Put Mindy’s smoking hot niece dangling in front of him and see how long he could go without cracking. CJ did not appear to notice and was still looking at him questioningly, that soft smile on her face. She took a step towards him, and he resisted the urge to take a step back and press himself up against the door.

“Are you feeling ok?”she asked with concern. So fucking sweet and innocent.

“Ya,” he said, clearing his throat. “I just need a bit of down time before we do soundcheck.”

“If you need anything, I’ll be on stage setting up.” She picked up the stage bag before moving past him to the door. Once she had left, he let out a breath of air that he realized he had been holding since he walked into the room and saw her.

Duff sat down on the couch, trying to settle himself down. Before he had the chance, a knock on the door made him groan in frustration. The door opened and he turned to see who would come in uninvited. His defenses were lowered when Mark Lanegan walked in, and a smile broke out on his face.

“Hey Mark!” He stood up to give his friend a quick hug. He hadn’t seen him in some time. Another fellow-Washingtonite and musician, Duff had known Mark since the 1990’s. They had collaborated on work together and shared a stage in the past. Mark had also struggled with addiction. Duff had managed to get sober before him and when Mark left rehab in the late 90’s, Duff had enlisted him to watch his house to give him something to do and stay clean. Mark and his band would be opening for Guns N’ Roses that day and for a few future shows, and it had slipped Duff’s mind in the last hour.

“Hey man,” said Mark, “It’s so good to see you!” They stepped back out of their hug. “We just got here, I had to come find you. How’ve you been? How’s the new leg of the tour going?”

“It’s been interesting,” said Duff, sitting back down on the couch heavily. Mark joined him on the other side.

“Interesting?” asked Mark. They were interrupted when the door opened unexpectedly again. CJ re-appeared.

“Hey, sorry I forgot my phone.” She paused, seeing Mark sitting there. “Oh, sorry if I interrupted, I can come back.” She turned to leave.

“No, you’re good,” said Duff. “Mark this is my new assistant, CJ. CJ, this is my good friend Mark. He will be doing the opening act today.” Mark stood up and CJ moved forward to shake his hand.

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said with a smile.

“Likewise,” said Mark, sitting back down. “How are you enjoying your time with all of the elderly?” CJ laughed at him.

“It’s been amazing so far,” she said. “I am very grateful to be here.”

“Duff and I were just catching up before I go get ready to play,” said Mark. “We’ve known each other a very long time. But he didn’t tell me he had a lovely new assistant.” CJ smiled and her face slightly reddened.

“Thank you,” said CJ. There was a moment of awkward silence and Duff wanted to tell CJ to stay, knowing Mark would harass him once they were alone again.

“Well, I’m gonna get back to it,” said CJ, breaking the silence. “I’ll see you both in a bit.” She grabbed her phone off the side table and left the room. As he expected, once CJ shut the door Mark instantly turned to him with a smirk.

“You’re an old tom cat,” he said.

“I know how it looks-” began Duff.

“Oh, it’s definitely how it looks,” said Mark, with a laugh.

“It’s not that way, I swear. I asked Axl to find me an assistant and he hired her on. She’s his old friend’s niece. It was not my choice to have a 20-something year old girl as my assistant Mark.” He didn’t respond but instead gave Duff a look, the smirk still plastered all over his face.

“You don’t think I know how this looks?” said Duff, gesturing towards himself in frustration and leaning over. “I’m just waiting to see something online about it. I didn’t know she was a woman until the day she arrived in Ireland, I assumed it was a man. I couldn’t turn her away.”

“Ok, ok I believe you,” said Mark, still amused.

“She does a good job and she’s so eager and happy to be here. I can’t be an asshole and send her back to California.” Duff did not want to admit he also greatly enjoyed CJ’s company beyond the parameters of her employment. Mark had pulled out his phone and appeared to be scrolling.

“What are you doing?” asked Duff, slightly annoyed.

“Hold on a sec,” said Mark, still scrolling. After a moment he looked back up at Duff.

“I don’t see anything online about it, at least on social media,” he said.

“I’ve been avoiding social media,” said Duff, “I’m waiting for one of my girls to send me some gross tweet or tabloid article about it.”

“Well, you are one of the few rockstars who isn’t married to a woman 20 to 30 years younger than him.” Duff detested being called a rockstar, but coming from Mark, he’d let it go.

“I don’t want to be that guy,” said Duff.

“Hey, no judgement from me man, either way,” said Mark. “If its consensual there’s nothing wrong with it. She’s an adult, she’s not underage.”

“It’s not and won’t be like that,” said Duff, leaning forward and placing his elbows on his knees while holding his face in his hands, looking towards to the wall.

“Relax,” said Mark, “The people who matter know the truth. You also don’t have those scary, rabid-type fans like Axl does to worry about. You know, nobody that’ll try to bust her kneecap or anything.”

“I have a few,” said Duff, raising his eyebrows at the thought of Vanessa and a couple of the women he’d come into contact with over the past several years.

“Relax, man, it’ll be fine,” said Mark reassuringly. Duff didn’t feel reassured, the thoughts in his head still swirling.

CJ sat in her designated side position on the stage. Duff and the others were ready to go on in about 20 minutes and she had decided to spend her free time watching the end of Mark’s opening act. Unlike Slane Castle, the San Mamés Stadium was partially indoors, with the huge ceiling open to the air. The crowd had filled in, anticipating Guns N’ Roses’ arrival on the stage.

CJ felt the presence of someone behind her. She tiled her head to see Duff standing there, hidden from the crowd by a barrier. His face looked down at her, upside down from her position.

“He puts on a great show!” she said. Duff couldn’t hear her over the music and leaned down so he could hear her speak. “Great show!” she said, repeating herself for him.

“He’ll be with us for the next few shows,” said Duff. He stood back up straight and watched the show for a few more minutes before heading backstage.

Mark and his band wrapped up their show and exited the stage and the lights dimmed down. It wouldn’t be long now. She pulled out her phone to scroll mindlessly for a bit.

“Hey, are you looking for a gig buddy?” She looked up to see Meegan take a seat next to her, holding two glasses of wine.

“Always,” said CJ smiling. Meegan handed her one of the glasses of wine. “But aren’t you sitting on the other side?”

“Not tonight,” said Meegan, “I’m gonna come sit with you, Slash will survive one show without me over there.” CJ took a sip of the wine, noting that it was a white wine. “I remembered that you prefer white, I brought a bottle of it along.” said Meegan. “We don’t usually have alcohol around at shows, but I thought one bottle for you and me to share together as a little celebration to kick off the beginning of your first tour would be nice.”

“Is Duff ok with it? Do you think I should ask him?” said CJ nervously, not wanting to seem like she was drinking on the job.

“I already did,” said Meegan, “He’s said it was fine.”

“Thanks!” she said, feeling grateful for Meegan’s companionship.

CJ had had friends before. As a child, she had been a bit of a loner, feeling very alienated from the other children given her trauma. But going on to middle school, high school, and then college, she had learned to develop friends. She had had a solid group of friends in college. But after graduation, people had understandably moved away, become parents, gotten married, or become wrapped up in a new career. CJ had struggled to maintain adult friendships, especially being a natural introvert. It also didn’t help that she had attended California State in Sacramento, which was about 3 hours from Redding, making it difficult to physically see people that had lived close to the campus after she had moved back home. However, there was one friend she kept in frequent contact with. While most of her college friends had fallen off the radar, Jess Timmer had stayed. They spoke on the phone at least three times a month and texted weekly. CJ had gone to visit Jess in Portland, Oregon last year, where she lived.

Jess and CJ had met in their sophomore year of college and become fast friends, bonding over their love of The Office and hiking. They had a few classes together and made a group of mutual friends. During the day, on the weekends, they spent time outside in nature, away from the city. The nights were spent partying in dorm rooms or at local bars. CJ spent Freshman year shy and searching for a solid social connection. Sophomore year, she had finally found the social connection when she met Jess. Things took a turn downward in her junior year, when she met her most recent ex-boyfriend, which had led to a tumultuous relationship that had ended in her senior year. Through all of it, Jess had been a supportive friend. They could go weeks without speaking and still pick up right where they left off. CJ made a mental note to text Jess at some point later to catch up. Things had happened so quickly she hadn’t had time to reach out and let her know about her new employment.

“I love this outfit,” said Meegan, looking her up and down. “I remember you trying this on in the store.”

“Ya, it’s very comfy too,” said CJ, running her hands over the soft suede material of the pants. As ridiculous as it was, a weird part of her had wished Duff had said something to her about it, a small compliment or even acknowledgment.

The lights dimmed even further and the backdrop graphics lit up, similar to how they had back in Slane. The crowd began to cheer deafeningly as they waited for the band to appear. CJ’s heart pounded, feeling her adrenaline pump. She wondered if that feeling would go away with the more shows she worked.

Duff came out, strumming the opening of It’s So Easy. He quickly glanced at her and Meegan sitting side stage and then walked out to his mic on the right side of the stage. Meegan nudged her and handed her a setlist. CJ had glanced at it earlier, only to see when Duff would be changing his wardrobe, and she would be needed. Meegan pointed to a song title that was down the middle of the page. She leaned closely to CJ’s ear to speak over the music.

“Attitude, that’s the song Duff covers. He’s always covered it, even back in the 90’s.” CJ enjoyed Axl’s performance and vocals but was eager to hear more of Duff sing.

The band breezed through the first several songs before CJ got up to help Duff do a quick wardrobe change. Like before, she tried to stay focused when he tore his shirt off and she handed him the new one. It was one of the same shirts he had worn during the show in Slane. CJ looked back at the table and realized most of what she had set out for him to change into was the same clothing from the previous show.

“Do you only wear like the same five shirts?” she said playfully.

“Maybe,” he said with a smile, yanking the fresh shirt down over his head. He turned away and took his bass back from the tech. CJ looked at the setlist again and saw that Attitude would be next. She quickly took her seat again next to Meegan.

When she heard the first few moments of the song it sounded vaguely familiar. Perhaps, something Mindy may have played in the house when she was a kid. CJ pulled out her phone and recorded for about 30 seconds before sending the video to Jess, without typing an explanation. She wanted to see her reaction. Jess was a big music lover and CJ knew the video would excite her, especially since it was taken from stage level, behind the band. CJ slid her phone back in her pocket, watching the rest of Duff’s performance. It was a quick song, but CJ thoroughly enjoyed it, standing up to clap when Duff finished. He turned and met her gaze with a smile, before turning back to the cheering crowd.

The band had lingered for a bit, Duff taking more time to talk to Mark and the others spending time catching their breath before heading back to the hotel. With her need to be a responsible employee over, CJ had allowed Meegan to refill her glass along with her own. It had been awhile since she had had more than one drink of anything and she had always been a bit of a lightweight.

By the time it was time to go, CJ had finished the second glass, and she was a little tipsy.

She got into the SUV and noticed Duff laughing at her as he got in next to her.

“What’s so funny?” she said.

“You,” he said. “How many glasses did you have?”

“Two,” she said.

“Two?!”

“Yes two, why is that so funny?” she said.

“You, getting tipsy on two glasses of wine.”

“I am not tipsy,” she said.

“Yes, you are.”

“How do you know?” she said defensively.

“Because I know,” he said, “Trust me.”

“Well then, why don’t you join me.”

“Because I can’t drink, I was-, well I AM an alcoholic.” The seriousness of his statement suddenly sobered her up and she was horrified.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” she said, “I didn’t know.”

“You’re fine,” he said, “It doesn’t bother me when other people are drinking around me. I’ve been sober from alcohol for 23 years, almost as long as you’ve been alive.” His reassurances didn’t make her feel any less like a piece of shit. She should have known. Meegan’s statement about alcohol not being around at shows suddenly made sense.

“Hey, you’re fine, I promise,” he said, more sternly, seeing her disturbed expression. “You couldn’t have known. You didn’t trigger me or anything.”

“Ya, but-” Suddenly the car took a hard right, their driver letting out a slew of angry words in Spanish. He had turned the car sharply to the right to avoid hitting a careless driver coming into their lane. Having forgotten to buckle herself in, CJ let out a yelp of surprise as she was thrown to the other side of the car, landing face down across Duff’s lap. Now ten times more mortified than before, she quickly sat back up and scooted back to her seat.

“Sorry,” was all she could muster, trying to smooth out her disheveled outfit and hair, all sense of intoxication having left her body to be replaced with embarrassment.

“Seatbelt,” he said, reaching across her and grabbing it, pulling it down across her and clicking it into place. “Remember, your aunt will kill me.”

They were silent for the rest of the short car ride. When they got back to the hotel, they quickly made their way upstairs, trying to avoid any after-show crowds waiting for him. The painful silence continued in the elevator and CJ needed to say something, anything.

“The song you sang tonight,” she said, “sounded familiar.”

“Oh, ya,” he said. Her statement appeared to bring him out of deep thought. “It’s one of my favorites, originally by The Misfits.” CJ recognized the band name as one that Mindy enjoyed.

“I’ve heard it before,” said CJ, “I’m pretty sure Mindy played it more than once when I was a kid.”

“You know, despite our differences, your aunt and I always had similar taste in music,” said Duff. The pair stepped out of the elevator and walked down the hallway towards their rooms. He walked her to her door, and she paused, wanting to say more to him, not wanting the night to end so awkwardly. But she couldn’t think of anything. Instead, she could only turn to him and say,

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

After dropping CJ off at her room, Duff had made his way down to the ground floor. He usually had room service bring him food after a show, not wanting to leave his room. But he needed to go on a walk to clear his head and try to get some energy out. He was always exhausted after shows. He’d eat, ice his legs, shower, and go to sleep. But tonight, he was very awake. His mind wouldn’t let him forget the feeling of CJ splaying across his lap in the car. Her exhale of surprise blowing on a small area of his bare skin, exposed between his shirt and pants, only a few inches from his cock. The way she looked when she sat back up, taking a moment to re-adjust those tits in her shirt. Her face had been flushed from the wine and her hair had been a wild mess, how he imagined it would look after a round of rough sex.

Duff approached an employee standing behind the bar. The employee must have recognized him, his eyes widening when he looked up and saw Duff standing there. The restaurants were typically closed by the time they got back to the hotel, but they always saved food for the band in the back.

“Hey, I’m here to pick up food,” he said, “I’m with Guns N’ Roses.”

The employee nodded and quickly disappeared into the kitchen. As Duff leaned against the bar, he heard someone approach him on his right side. He looked up to see a blonde woman, probably slightly younger than him. She was standing there, looking at him and he vaguely recognized her. She was one that followed the band around and was always on the rail. A groupie.

“Duff,” she said, looking up at him from underneath her eyelashes. “Great show tonight.” She was calm and collected, very different from other fans who approached him with excited energy.

“Thanks,” he said, “Glad you enjoyed it.”

He knew what she wanted. It felt wrong, but a part of him wanted it too. The other part of him knew it was a poor idea. Every time he had hooked up with a groupie on this tour he had regretted it. But tonight, his mind and body were so wound up from the incident with CJ in the car, it was clouding his judgement. Just go back to your room and jerk off. Walk away.

The employee came back and placed his boxed-up food on the counter. He grabbed it and turned to the woman. He got a better look at her, as she continued to look up at him from underneath her lashes. She was his type, and he needed a distraction. As much as a part of him was telling him to stop, fucking someone else might take his mind off CJ.

“Let’s go,” he said.

March 2018

Mindy’s House / Redding, California

CJ pulled a knit sweater over her head and immediately turned to look at her side profile. It had been a week since her doctor’s appointment and every day she had checked for changes, feeling paranoid. Nothing yet. She was hoping to find a place to rent before the weather got warm and any bump she would develop would no longer be hide-able. There was a sharp knock at her bedroom door.

“Hey, you ready to go?” It was Mindy, waiting for her to head to work. They took the same vehicle, with no need to take two.

“Ya, coming!” She quickly grabbed her backpack. Going back to work, eating more, and re-joining society had had an immediate positive effect on her wellbeing. The color had returned to her skin, most of her bruising had faded, and she could think more clearly. It did suck to have to do work mostly one-handed. The cast would be off in a few weeks, and she’d be doing physical therapy and be good as new.

CJ opened the door and made her way into the kitchen. Mindy was waiting by the door, distracted and typing on her phone. CJ grabbed a breakfast bar off the counter and followed Mindy out the front door. The cold winter air woke her up a bit as she slid into the passenger seat of Mindy’s car. Michelle was already gone, having left for the veterinary clinic hours ago.

They made their usual morning Starbucks coffee run, something that CJ had been declining the past few days to avoid the caffeine.

“Are you sure you don’t want anything?” asked Mindy, pulling into the drive through lane.

“No, I’m good, I’ll stick with the water.” Mindy raised an eyebrow at her, perplexed with CJ’s rejection of coffee.

“Are you on a new health kick or something?” asked Mindy.

“I am actually,” said CJ, not meeting Mindy’s questioning gaze. “I’m trying to take care of myself and cut out caffeine.” Mindy let it go and didn’t press for a longer explanation, just happy her niece was out and about again.

CJ’s office area was in a small room attached to Mindy’s much larger office. There were other employees around that she interacted with during the day, but she spent most of her time in her office or running errands for Mindy.

Fridays were always slow and with not as much to do she found herself Googling, looking at different psychology graduate school programs. If she went back to school, she could work towards her goal of becoming a therapist and better herself for the baby. She had always had a dream of attending Stanford University, with its doctoral program being so highly regarded. However, she was unsure if going back to school with a newborn was a good idea. She’d give birth in August and have to go straight into classes when the semester started if she applied for fall of 2018. There were no graduate psychology programs anywhere near Redding. Online schools were hit or miss, and she preferred on ground learning. Moving somewhere for school would put her in a position where she would have no nearby support and have to search for a new job. Childcare was ridiculously expensive, more than she could afford.

Frustrated, CJ exited out of the browser, telling herself she’d return to the dilemma later. She went to open her work email inbox and accidentally clicked onto her personal inbox. There was one unread email and ironically, it was from her alma mater, advertising an alumni day. She quickly opened it to mark it as read and then exited out. But it made her mind drift to her college days and eventually, back to Jess.

She hadn’t spoken to Jess since the end of the tour, shutting her out with the rest of the world. She had received a few concerned texts and calls from Jess, but they had gone unanswered. She felt bad about it, having unintentionally cut out her longest standing friend.

CJ pulled out her phone and stared at it, wondering how Jess would respond if she texted her now. Would she be angry? Maybe not if CJ explained things. She opened her contacts list and clicked on Jess’ number. What could she say. She sat for a moment and then began to type.

Hey, we need to talk.

#80s rock #axl gnr #axl rose #saul hudson #guns n roses #duff mckagan #slash gnr #80s music #izzy gnr #duff gnr

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kermitgasm · 1 year ago

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are there any songs you think they should bring back for the setlist or a song you wish they would play live?

also which live performances are your favorite? (you could even go by era cuz i think each era is pretty unique)

ok so i need to start this off by saying BRING POOL BACK IMMEDIATELY!! please with the intro and everything. it’s just so fucking good. next up, which i know might be controversial, but i’d love to hear fences live once (i would watch this video all the time when i was younger, it just seems like a lot of fun). i always think it sounds so cool. and then obviously i’m on my knees screaming and crying for them to bring back Let The Flames Begin / Part II, which i know they’re probably sick of but it always turned out so good!!! and Turn It Off & Careful are my #1 picks. like, genuinely I need to hear them live or else. Also, Sugar on the Rim.

anyways i used to be better at pinpointing my favorite performances because i would watch them to a point where it was super concerning, now i’m a bit more mellow about it. however, since you asked i will attempt to deliver. just for you, dear anon.

this is in no particular order or anything, basically i’m just going off what i remember really saying damn this is good about (which is super easy when you love a band like paramore).

First off let’s start with the Miracle Outro performed during Brand New Eyes era. this song just goes so fucking hard and i curse Josh Farro for the fact that he wrote it so they couldn’t record it and release it since he left the band soon thereafter.

Paramore at Wembley Arena in 2009 — This concert is so good. like thank god this person filmed it and decided to upload it to youtube. I cannot get enough of Intro / Ignorance. truly.

RTMorasonMD had a great full concert vid from 2010, the sound quality is great for 2010 too. considering most of the time videos look like they were filmed with an nintendo D.S..

Paramore at The House of Blues in Anaheim, California (2006) this is like nostalgia city for me. I remember running my old paramore fan account on instagram and stumbling on this and being like… i’ve hit the paramore jackpot. shout out to Paramore History for always posting the real hard to find stuff… where would we be without you?

When Paramore performed Careful at Warped Tour in 2011 or like the whole Warped Tour Set — i will say this over and over again on this post but i have to be real with you when i say, i watched these videos so much it’s crazy. but careful was my favorite. i love careful. any performance or careful and i’m there.

Paramore live in Paris (2013) when i tell you i watched this religiously i mean it. i could probably do all the dance moves / movements hayley did in this specific video way back when. i was obsessed.

Paramore performing Let The Flames Begin / Part II at Bunbury in Cincinnati (2014) i just love this one. like all of these are just nostalgic for me and i can’t help but want to show you.

When Paramore performed Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen and then it went into Hallelujah by Paramore (lol) at Parahoy (2016). What a way to open the show. i mean, i remember watching the final riot and being totally in love with Hayley’s voice and the way she sang it. I think I was introduced to Hallelujah by Shrek but Paramore was the second one to show me the ways of Leonard Cohen. Thanks for that.

I Caught Myself in Hamburg (2017) is an obvious one but I feel like I had to mention it… the emotion Hayley fucking pours into this performance makes me want to cry.

Turn It Off live from Grand Casino in Hickley, MN (2017) we’ve all seen this one i think? but what an incredibly breath taking performance of turn it off. i mean.. damn.

Fake Happy performed at Rock for People in the Czech Republic (2017) the quality is insane for this one. I remember being totally obsessed with this. so i’m adding it here; to share with you.

Pool / Idle Worship in Paris (2018) something must be in the water when they go to paris because i love these videos.

Pool live in Amsterdam (2018) is another one that came to mind cuz the sound quality goes crazy. it’s just beautiful.

The full 2018 RED ROCKS show because the sound is great and i just remembered being obsessed with this. you’re kinda cracking my head open like an egg with this ask and i love it.

Paramore at Concrete Street Amphitheater (2018) incredible footage, incredible show.

Simmer live in Bakersfield (2022) i have to add this because she’s gone too soon. like they should be performing this one nonstop. but i also understand crystal clear is a bop so it’s fine… i’m fine. PLAY SUGAR ON THE RIM OR ELSE!!!

Crystal Clear debut in Dublin / Dreams (the cranberries cover) (2023) I mean….. we all know about the Dreams cover but I just have to add it here because wow. i love it. it’s incredible. and the crystal clear debut is just insane because the person filming that knew what they were doing. High Quality to the MAX baby.

Crave / Outro live at The O2 in London (2023) I mean I just love this video. like, what’s not to love.

Speaking of quality, this video of You First performed in Cleveland Ohio (2023) is available to watch in 2610p60, which basically means it’s better than your eyeballs. incredible stuff. just insane.

there’s probably a whole lot more i can’t think of at the moment, maybe i’ll make a list eventually. but i hope you like this in the mean time. ❤️ thanks for sending me this ask and letting me talk about my favorite band. send me an ask anytime (goes for everyone, i love this).

#thank you angel! i love being sent asks. the more the merrier #ask ivie #paramore

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butterflyintochains · 6 months ago

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The Starset Primer

Hey, all, just a friendly Messenger of four years popping in to tell you about my favourite band.

Starter Songs

Typically, Starset songs can be broken up into categories to get you started.

Lead Singles:

My Demons Monster Manifest The Breach Brave New World

Love Ballads:

Halo Starlight Satellite Solstice Otherworldly.

Heavy Songs:

Down With The Fallen Carnivore Frequency Into The Unknown Gravity of You Bringing It Down Telekinetic Other Worlds Than These Devolution Something Wicked Brave New World

Tele-Songs:

Telescope Telepathic Telekinetic Tunnelvision

Album Outros:

Rise and Fall Everglow Diving Bell Something Wicked.

My Personal Go-To List would be:

My Demons (the first ever Starset song!) Carnivore Halo Monster Ricochet Unbecoming Manifest Where The Skies End Diving Bell Leaving This World Behind Earthrise Infected Brave New World (the newest song!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

✨The Albums✨

Transmissions (2014)

Their first album, technically made when it was just Dustin!

Singles: My Demons, Carnivore, Halo, Let It Die

A really solid debut album in general.

Their most iconic album to date, everyone likes this one.

A bit experimental, a proof of concept.

Vessels (2017)

The second album, and arguably their best.

Singles: Monster, Ricochet, Satellite, Telepathic

The most epic of the four so far, and the fan favourite.

Really long too! Over an hour of amazing songs!

Something for everyone on this album.

Divisions (2019)

Their third album, and last pre-covid.

Singles: Manifest, Where The Skies End, Echo, Diving Bell

A more industrial sound with a lot more traditional rock.

A bit polarising, some love it, some don't.

Really raw lyrics, if you're into that.

Horizons (2021)

Their fourth, and most recent, album.

Singles: The Breach, Infected, Leaving This World Behind, Earthrise, Devolution

Sounds like a movie soundtrack.

Another polarising album, but is a really consistent one.

Goes hard into emotional lyrics, and keeps you on your toes.

S5 (2024?)

The fifth, upcoming album, doesn't have a name or official cover yet.

Single: Brave New World

Sounds like it's gonna be super heavy, so we're all very excited!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Band Members

Starset are currently a seven piece band, apparently this is how it was always meant to be, so the lineup is permanent now, and will be for the foreseeable future! Each of the band members use a number, no one knows what the numbers mean yet, though.

The current lineup is:

Dustin Bates - Lead Vocals, Band Leader/Founder, and main songwriter. Ron DeChant - Bassist, Backing Vocals, Keyboards Brock Richards - Guitarist, Backing Vocals Adam Gilbert - Drummer Siobhan Cronin-Richards - Violinist, Keyboards Zuzana Engererova - Cellist Cory Juba - Keyboards, Synths, Backing Guitars

Dustin Bates - 3301

The leader, founder, and mastermind behind the band.

Main vocalist, and writes literally all of their songs.

Has a really cute French Bulldog called Ernie, who is kinda the band's mascot.

Has a Masters in Electrical Engineering, and almost had a PHD in Avionics, but gave up on it to focus on music. Scary smart, has written both of the band's lore books himself, and engineers their stage setup.

Has the most relaxing speaking voice ever, and 90% of fans are at least a little bit in love with him.

The only one who really does interviews.

He's just a really cool guy, and really seems to love his fans.

Ron DeChant - 5501

The bassist, and easily the second-in-command to Dustin, they were bandmates in Dustin's last band.

Lowkey manages the band, he books tours for them and helps handle logistics.

Was in the military before he became a musician.

Was the first person Dustin went to when he formed the band, so they're kind of the original two members.

Had to get the entire band and crew back to the USA from Russia as Covid hit.

Had to sit the European Horizons tour out due to shoulder surgery, but is back now!

Currently owns the whiteboard the band's lore was written on!

Brock Richards - 5502

One quarter of the core four of the band, plays guitar and is a backup singer to Dustin sometimes.

One half of the Starset Power Couple - he and Siobhan are married.

Seems like a really chilled out guy, but has apparently throttled someone to protect Siobhan once during the Vessels era.

A big gamer!

Has a really good knowledge of production, and a sick af guitar collection.

He, Dustin, and Ron are always front of the stage, Brock usually is at Dustin's left.

Has worked on music with Siobhan's other band - Lost Symphony.

Adam Gilbert - 5503

The final of the core four of the band who were there for the first album and tour.

Runs a drumming course called Drumabuse.

Also is an art major, who sells his works on the side.

Often stays longest talking to fans at VIP shows.

Dyes his hair a different colour for each album cycle apparently.

Has probably the biggest social media presence of the band, the rest being chronically offline.

Has gotten into controversy for his political views in the past, but let's hope he's more open-minded now.

Siobhan Cronin-Richards - 7701

The violin queen herself, Siobhan has been with the band as a permanent member since 2017, first performing with them during the Vessels era.

One of two members of the band with formal training in their instrument, Zuzana being the other one.

The other half of the Starset Power Couple with Brock.

From Michigan, but based out of Ohio and Florida.

Besties with Zuzana.

Has another band called Lost Symphony, kind of a classical/metal hybrid genre.

Hosts a podcast with the other members of Lost Symphony, which has become the Unofficial Starset Podcast.

Zuzana Engererova - 7702

The cello queen of the band, joined as a permanent member in the 2019 Divisions era, replacing Mariko Muranaka, and has been with the band ever since.

Is the only European member of the band, being Slovakian.

Has often talked about how difficult it is for her to play cello standing up, saying her back and shoulder hurt after tours are done.

Besties with Siobhan.

Based in Vegas, and plays cello at events there in the offseason.

Is also a frequent collab with Lost Symphony, I think she's a fourth member now, but I'm not sure.

Second most frequent band member on Siobhan's podcast, Brock being most frequent.

Cory Juba - 7703

The newest member of the band, completing the vision Dustin had back in 2013, joining for the 2022 Horizons tour.

Another could-have-been doctor in the band. Cory was apparently studying a medical degree before getting into music.

Has known Dustin for a really long time, and has helped with various projects of his.

Got the call to join the band while hiking in British Columbia.

Seems like a really nice guy overall, and goes crazy on stage.

Accidentally spilled water on the show laptop once, causing a lot of panic.

Helped out with synths and keys on the Starset rendition of Waiting on The Sky To Change.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Lore

While most bands might have a concept album, Starset are a concept band, the entire band are built around a central story. You don't need to know the lore to be a fan of the band, but it helps.

Dustin has put out two books dealing with the lore. The Prox Transmissions in 2014, and A Brief History of The Future in 2024.

From what I understand, here's how it goes:

While working on his electricity experiments, Nikola Tesla accidentally receives a message from the 2040s from a far off planet called Prox. He ignores it. A few decades later, Stephen Browning receives the same signal, and enlists Aston Wise to help him interpret it.

The signal warns of an oncoming takeover by someone called The Architect, who is in charge of something either called The Architecture or The Everything Machine. The runaway technology creating something called The Brain-Machine Interface (BMI, kinda like Neuralink). Necessitating leaving Earth for another planet.

Browning founds the Order of Teslonia, aiming to keep the signal secret and work behind the scenes to ensure this future doesn't happen. Wise, however, seeks to make the information public. Forming the rival Starset Society, which leads to the band itself forming.

It's later revealed that along the way, Wise becomes The Architect, and leads said takeover, losing all control of the Starset Society in the process. Forming the New East, New West, and making the BMI mandatory for citizens. A rebellion forms to counter this takeover, while Browning's group are working to get everyone off world to Prox.

We don't quite know the ins and outs of everything yet, but this is the lore as far as I understand it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some Other Things To Know

Starset don't have concerts, they have Demonstrations.

Starset fans are called Messengers.

The band's three unofficial mottoes are: 'Spread The Message', 'Ignorance is Slavery, Knowledge is Freedom', and 'Fuck The New East'

The band have been fairly family friendly with lyrical content, until Brave New World came out, and Dustin said 'fucking' three times.

There's a song for everyone, you will find something you like.

We're a super welcoming community!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, yeah, that's about it!

Over and out!

I:S::K:F!

#starset

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ag-updates-and-archives · 5 months ago

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Anthony Green on Circa Survive’s new album: “I’m possessed by this shit”

Anthony Green is walking across a beach somewhere in America when we connect over the phone in late August to discuss the upcoming Circa Survive album. Prior to our call, Green spent the day with his family in a brief moment of freedom from his hectic work schedule. “I’ve only been home for about a week,” he tells me, “and the whole week has been spent doing family stuff pretty much every day or going on some kind of adventure.”

This break from the chaos of a life spent in music is something of a rare treat for the 35-year-old vocalist, who has spent the majority of his adult life touring the globe. “Tomorrow morning I go into the studio to begin my next solo record,” he begins, “and then in September Circa has some stuff around the album release [September 22]. But one of us is having a baby in October, so we aren’t really going out until early November, which gives me a lot of time to work on new Circa stuff, my solo shit, and just hang with my family before the album cycle really kicks off near the end of the year.”

The album cycle Green’s referring to will be in promotion for The Amulet, Circa Survive’s sixth studio album. Circa has been playing live throughout 2017, largely in celebration of their record On Letting Go turning 10 years old, but they won’t really hit the road again for a couple months. “It sort of kicks off when we tour with Thrice in November. We’ll be playing a whole bunch of stuff from our catalog on that run, which will help us finish out the year. We will do more touring in 2018, maybe with some stuff around Blue Sky Noise…who knows?”

It’s hard to talk about touring with someone who has played Colorado’s iconic Red Rocks venue without asking them about the experience. Circa Survive made their debut at the venue earlier this summer while supporting California rock band AFI. “Everybody talks about how monumental that place is due to its structure and size, and in reality it was beautiful. But the feeling of being on a stage where the audience is like…usually you look out and you see a flat line of people that slowly escalates like a gentle horizon, but when you’re playing at Red Rocks there is a wall of people sitting on rock pretty high in altitude. It used to be a spot where they did rituals and shit like that. It’s almost like a holy place for people who love live music, and I had something close to a religious experience there – I was elated.”

After a brief pause, Green continues by focusing on the set itself. “It’s funny, this literally never happens to me, but the whole first song I was terrified. I had more stage fright than I think I have ever had in my life, and I fucked up a bunch of parts in the song that I never fuck up. Immediately I was losing my shit, and I thought I might ruin the whole set. The end of the song is pretty chaotic musically, and I found a way to kind of explode with it to break free from that moment. But seriously, it was intense. It was like a monument to everything I hold dear. People travel from all over the world to experience that venue because it’s like a true experience. Not to say you can’t have that kind of moment in, say, The Grog Shop (a Cleveland venue), but there is something special about a place like that with people who understand its importance and cater to it. They’ve created a real escape.”

I mention to Green that I know a handful of people who made the trek from the midwest to Colorado to see him perform that show. “Really,” he asks curiously, “That’s actually fucking crazy.” We discuss specifics of their travel for a moment before another comparison between Red Rocks and religion is made. “That place is like a church for live music,” Green explains, “and that’s our thing. We truly worship music, and that live music experience is when I think our band is at its pinnacle. That’s why, like, I’m stoked people review the record, but at one point I stopped looking at them as records and more as a chapter in our life that is going to fit in a bigger, giant book. An album is like a little brush stroke on a giant tapestry that hopefully I work on for the rest of my life. Each record doesn’t have to be the same sound, or have the same intensity. When we used to try new things I would get so nervous about it because it was different, but I feel now as an older man I am able to live with the idea that this is an ongoing process and not everything has to be perfect right now in this moment. Whatever people take from it is their thing and they’re allowed to have it.”

The idea of chapters as it relates to the release of Circa Survive’s career is a fitting one. Never a band known for singles, the band has cultivated a fan base that is more interested in the group’s musical expression as a whole than a great hook or catchy riff. If those things happen few would complain, Green likely included, but more than anything their fans demand the group simply continue. They are engrained in the band’s journey as much as the band members themselves. Every album can stand on its own, but when heard in sequence with the release before and after it each record takes on new, greater meaning.

Thinking on all this, I suggest to Green that fans may look at the band’s new release less like a traditional record and more like the latest season of a television series they cannot wait to binge. “Dude,” he excitedly replies, “that’s the way I look at it now. I think when you’re young and you’re working with people who are funding your creativity their influence carries weight. It takes time to realize they’re trying to make their money back and it really doesn’t matter to them if the product is something that is creatively fulfilling to you in a way you’re honest about. And that’s been struggle because we were young and stupid, you know? Now, being an older band that has been able to retain its members and somehow found a way to grow with its audience in a steady, slow way based on doing what we want…It’s cool to not have to think about that life as a thing. We have no desire to be the biggest band in the world. I think as a young band we wondered if it were possible to be a huge band who makes our kind of music and still have people giving us all kinds of money. Then you get a taste of something like that and you think it may be possible, but really that’s not what’s important. The important thing is making really cool shit. I feel we are so far removed from the commercial side of the industry. We are music nerds, and we rely on other music nerds to support our band. If something cool happens that’s great, but we make a good living making the music we want to play. Why would you fuck with that?”

Green pauses again before clarifying his previous statement. “I don’t want to come across as talking shit on pop music. I think there is a lot of pop elements on the record and I listen to quite a bit of pop as well. I just don’t think we’re a band like that. Our music isn’t always easy for people to get.”

The conversation turns to The Amulet, which is still about a month from release. “People ask me ‘is it more like the last shit, or more like this thing,” Green begins. “And I don’t know how to tell them I don’t always know the difference between those records. I sometimes don’t digest a record for years. When we were just touring for On Letting Go’s anniversary there were a couple of things on that record I now know I could have done better. Those songs live in people’s hearts now, but whenever I hear those words or a few specific lines I think about what I wish I would have said. It only happens once in a while, but because of that I now make sure I can live with the material before we record it. Sometimes I change things live and it makes me feel good for that moment.”  I commend Green for this decision, but he cuts me off before I can say much more. “One time I was doing that a lot and Chris Conley from Saves The Day pulled me aside and told me ‘hey dude, people want to hear you sing the song they love. If you’re going to change something, make it small, but keep the chorus and key moments in tact.’ I realized he was right.”

With a career as long as Green’s one has to wonder how his views on releasing new music have evolved over time. One could argue that producing new material isn’t always a necessity for a band at the level of Circa Survive, as the group could easily tour and continue to profit off their beloved catalog. For Green however, creating and sharing new material is an absolute must. “What makes me excited more than the album being released is how it came together,” he tells me. “The way we’ve been writing since the last album (Descensus) came out is that we take some ideas, enter the studio, and we work together in this way that has left me feeling more connected to the material in a live sense. Some of these songs are so fucking fun to play live, and I really look forward to getting to play these songs. That’s what excites me. That’s not to say I don’t feel similarly about the older material, or that I am not grateful for how that material has helped us, but it’s just like – when we play that stuff it’s the same as it has always been. But this material is new, and the connect I feel to it is exciting and fresh. It gets me off so hard, and honestly – it’ll probably feel like everything else in the near future. At that point I’ll have to create something else to feel that way again, but right now some of these songs and melodies and words and the feelings with them…I crave it. I crave getting to sing and play for people.”

We briefly joke about the time between the album’s release and the band’s first tour as being something done so that fans have time to learn the new tracks, but Green tells me that is not really the case. “At this point in time,” he confesses, “I don’t even think of it in terms like that. I just want to be putting out new music. There is still stuff from the bands with a ton of records, like Portugal. The Man, that is new to me solely because I only recently discovered them. I’ve always liked that. It’s kind of cool when things work out that way, and I think that’s the kind of band we aim to be. We’re always trying to scratch our own creative itch.”

He continues, “Honestly, when we play these new songs live I’m not really looking to the audience for a reaction or for them to know it just yet. It’s like I’m possessed by this shit. Maybe it has something to do with the lyrics or the melody, I don’t know, but I am possessed by it. I cannot wait to play more of this material. I’m stoked for the record to be out and for people to have it, but above everything else I’m stoked to get out there and play it. Everything else after that is kind of in the background for me. It’s cool to see people react to the record and it’s awesome when they love the material, but I try to keep that stuff at a distance because it can get in my head and fuck me a bit. For me, success stems from that desire to play the material live.”

Some artists enjoy listening to their own music. Green never says one way or another about his own art, nor is he asked, but he does share a story about rediscovering Amulet track “Tunnel Vision” just hours before our conversation. “My wife said something about tunnel vision this morning and I remembered that I wrote an entire song for this record about getting tunnel vision and feeling depressed. I told her she had to hear it, played it for her, and even though we had both heard it before we were blown away. I remember thinking how crazy it is that I am in this band because that song is so good.”

#anthony green #interview alert #james shotwell #circa survive #ive been dying to reach queue

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riley-reference-mark · 1 year ago

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Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Scott Shriner (bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), and Brian Bell (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals). They have sold 10 million albums in the US and more than 35 million worldwide.[1]

After signing to Geffen Records in 1993, Weezer released their critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, also known as the Blue Album, in May 1994. Backed by music videos for the singles "Buddy Holly", "Undone – The Sweater Song", and "Say It Ain't So", the Blue Album became a multiplatinum success. Weezer's second album, Pinkerton (1996), featuring a darker, more abrasive sound, was a commercial failure and initially received mixed reviews, but achieved cult status and critical acclaim years later. Both the Blue Album and Pinkerton are now frequently cited among the best albums of the 1990s. Following the tour for Pinkerton, the founding bassist, Matt Sharp, left and Weezer went on hiatus.

In 2001, Weezer returned with the Green Album with their new bassist, Mikey Welsh. With a more pop sound, and promoted by singles "Hash Pipe" and "Island in the Sun", it was a commercial success and received mostly positive reviews. After the Green Album tour, Welsh left for health reasons and was replaced by Shriner. Weezer's fourth album, Maladroit (2002), incorporated a hard-rock sound and achieved mostly positive reviews, but weaker sales. Make Believe (2005) received mixed reviews, but its single "Beverly Hills" became Weezer's first single to top the US Modern Rock Tracks chart and their first to reach the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2008, Weezer released the Red Album; its lead single, "Pork and Beans", became the third Weezer song to top the Modern Rock Tracks chart, backed by a Grammy-winning music video. Raditude (2009) and Hurley (2010) featuring more "modern pop production"[2] and songs co-written with other artists, achieved further mixed reviews and moderate sales. Everything Will Be Alright in the End (2014) and the White Album (2016) returned to a rock style that was reminiscent of their 90s sound mixed with modern alternative production and achieved more positive reviews; Pacific Daydream (2017) once again featured a more mainstream pop sound.[3] In 2019, Weezer released an album of covers, the Teal Album, followed by the inspired Black Album.[4] In 2021, they released OK Human, which featured an orchestral pop sound and was met with critical acclaim, followed by the hard rock-inspired Van Weezer. In 2022, they released a series of EPs based around the four seasons. History Formation and first years (1986–1994)

Vocalist and guitarist Rivers Cuomo moved to Los Angeles from Connecticut in 1989 with his high school metal band, Avant Garde, later renamed Zoom. After the group disbanded, Cuomo met drummer Patrick Wilson, and moved in with him and Wilson's friend Matt Sharp. Wilson and Cuomo formed a band, Fuzz, and enlisted Scottie Chapman on bass. Chapman quit after a few early shows; the band reformed as Sixty Wrong Sausages, with Cuomo's friend Pat Finn on bass and Jason Cropper on guitar, but soon disbanded.[5] Cuomo moved to Santa Monica, California, and recorded dozens of demos, including the future Weezer songs "The World Has Turned and Left Me Here" and "Undone – The Sweater Song". Sharp was enthusiastic about the demos, and became the group's bassist and de facto manager.[5]

Cuomo, Wilson, Sharp and Cropper formed Weezer on February 14, 1992. Their first show was on March 19, 1992, closing for Keanu Reeves' band Dogstar.[5] They took their name from a nickname Cuomo's father gave him.[5] Cuomo gave Sharp one year to get the band a record deal before Cuomo accepted a scholarship at the University of California, Berkeley.[5] In November, Weezer recorded a demo, The Kitchen Tape, including a version of the future Weezer single "Say It Ain't So".[5] The demo was heard by Todd Sullivan, an A&R man at Geffen Records, who signed Weezer in June 1993.[5] The "Blue Album" (1994) Main article: Weezer (Blue Album) Current guitarist Brian Bell (pictured in 2013) replaced Cropper while recording the Blue Album.

Weezer recorded their debut album with producer Ric Ocasek at Electric Lady Studios in New York City.[6] Cropper was fired during recording, as Cuomo and Sharp felt he was threatening the band chemistry. He was replaced by Brian Bell.[5] Weezer's self-titled debut album, also known as the "Blue Album", was released in May 1994.[7] Described by Pitchfork as integrating "geeky humor, dense cultural references, and positively gargantuan hooks",[8] it combined alternative rock, power pop, polished production and what AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine called an "'70s trash-rock predilection … resulting in something quite distinctive".[9]

Weezer's first single, "Undone – The Sweater Song", was backed by a music video directed by Spike Jonze;[10] filmed in an unbroken take, it featured Weezer performing on a sound stage with little action, barring a pack of dogs swarming the set.[11] The video became an instant hit on MTV.[12] The song reached No. 57 on the Billboard Hot 100.[13] Jonze also directed Weezer's second video, "Buddy Holly",[10] splicing the band into footage from the 1970s television sitcom Happy Days.[14] The video achieved heavy rotation on MTV[15] and won four MTV Video Music Awards, including Breakthrough Video and Best Alternative Music Video, and two Billboard Music Video Awards.[16] "Buddy Holly" peaked at No. 18 on the Hot 100 Airplay and No. 2 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart.[13] The song is included on Rolling Stone's 500 Best Songs Of All Time.[17] A third single, "Say It Ain't So", followed. It was met with critical acclaim and later Pitchfork ranked it #10 on the top 200 tracks of the 90s list.[18] The song reached No. 51 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart and No. 7 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart.[13] Additionally, the track was included in Rolling Stone's list of "The Top 100 Guitar Songs of All Time".[19]

Their debut album gained critical and commercial success. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked it number 294 on The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time.[20] Weezer is certified quadruple platinum in the United States as well as Canada, making it Weezer's best-selling album.[21][22] Pinkerton (1995–1997) Main article: Pinkerton (album) Cuomo in 1997 Matt Sharp (pictured with the Rentals in 2007), co-founder of Weezer, left in 1998 after the Pinkerton tour.[23][24]

In 1994, Weezer took a break from touring for the Christmas holidays.[25] Cuomo traveled to his home state of Connecticut and began recording demos for Weezer's next album. His original concept was a space-themed rock opera, Songs from the Black Hole, that would express his mixed feelings about success." The album featured a story in which each member of the band played a character. Other characters were played by Rachel Haden (The Rentals and That Dog), Joan Wasser (The Dambuilders), and Karl Koch. The story was set in 2126, with the spaceship Betsy II embarking on a galaxy-wide mission.[26][27] Cuomo conceived the story as a metaphor for his conflicted feelings about touring in a successful rock band.[27] The ship's name Betsy II is taken from Weezer's first tour bus, nicknamed Betsy; M1 represents Weezer's management and record label; Wuan and Dondó represent the part of Cuomo that was excited about success; Jonas represents his doubts and longing; Laurel and Maria represent his relationships with women.[27][28] Weezer developed the concept through intermittent recording sessions through 1995.[29] At the end of the year, Cuomo enrolled at Harvard University, where his songwriting became "darker, more visceral and exposed, less playful", and he abandoned Songs from the Black Hole.[30]

While attending Harvard, Cuomo experienced loneliness and frustration while also undergoing an extensive surgery for his left leg. These experiences influenced his songwriting for the next record.[31] The other members of Weezer decided to embark on their own side projects during this time. Sharp started The Rentals who released their debut album, Return of the Rentals, in October 1995. The album also featured Patrick Wilson on drums. Wilson also formed his band, The Special Goodness, during this time.[32][page needed] Bell decided to work on his band, Space Twins.[32][page needed]

Weezer's second album, Pinkerton, was released on September 24, 1996.[33][34] Pinkerton is named after the character BF Pinkerton from Madama Butterfly, who marries and then abandons a Japanese woman named Butterfly. Calling him an "asshole American sailor similar to a touring rock star", Cuomo felt the character was "the perfect symbol for the part of myself that I am trying to come to terms with on this album".[35] It produced three singles: "El Scorcho", "The Good Life", and "Pink Triangle".[36]

With a darker, more abrasive sound,[33] Pinkerton sold poorly compared to the Blue Album[37] and received mixed reviews; it was voted "one of the worst albums of 1996" in a Rolling Stone reader poll.[38] However, the album eventually gained a cult following and came to be considered among Weezer's best work;[33][39] in 2002, Rolling Stone readers voted Pinkerton the 16th greatest album of all time,[40] and it has been listed in several critics' "best albums of all time" lists.[41] In 2004, Rolling Stone gave the album a new review, awarding it five out of five stars and adding it to the "Rolling Stone Hall of Fame".[42] Pinkerton was later certified platinum in 2016.[43]

The album became an emo masterpiece and some credit it to "rewriting the emo blueprint" as it became quite influential for a number of bands and the genre itself in the 2000s.[44][45][46]

In July 1997, sisters Mykel, Carli, and Trysta Allan died in a car accident while driving home from a Weezer show in Denver, Colorado.[47] Mykel and Carli ran Weezer's fan club and helped manage publicity for several other Los Angeles bands, and had inspired the "Sweater Song" B-side "Mykel and Carli". Weezer canceled a show to attend their funeral.[48] In August, Weezer and other bands held a benefit concert for the family in Los Angeles.[49] A compilation album, Hear You Me! A Tribute to Mykel and Carli, was dedicated to their memory. The album included "Mykel and Carli", as well as songs by Ozma, That Dog, and Kara's Flowers.[50] In 2001, Jimmy Eat World released "Hear You Me" which was dedicated to Mykel and Carli.[51] Hiatus (1997–2000) Mikey Welsh (pictured in 2010) played bass with Weezer from 1998 until 2001.

Weezer completed the Pinkerton tour in mid-1997 and went on hiatus.[52][53] Wilson returned to his home in Portland, Oregon to work on his side project, the Special Goodness, and Bell worked on his band Space Twins.[54][55] In 1998, Sharp left Weezer due to differences with the band members.[24] He said of his departure: "I certainly have my view of it, as I'm sure everybody else has their sort of foggy things. When you have a group that doesn't communicate, you're going to have a whole lot of different stories."[56]

Cuomo returned to Harvard but took a break to focus on songwriting.[53] He formed a new band composed of a changing lineup of Boston musicians, and performed new material.[52] The songs were abandoned, but bootlegs of the Boston shows are traded on the internet.[57] Wilson eventually flew to Boston to join Homie, another Cuomo side project.[citation needed] The members of the band were composed of Greg Brown (Cake and Deathray), Matt Sharp, Yuval Gabay (Soul Coughing and Sulfur), Adam Orth (Shufflepuck), and future Weezer bassist Mikey Welsh.[32][page needed] Although a Homie album was being recorded, they ended up only releasing one song called "American Girls" for the 1998 film Meet The Deedles.[58]

In February 1998, Cuomo, Bell and Wilson reunited in Los Angeles to start work on the next Weezer album. Rumors suggest Sharp did not rejoin the band and left the group in April 1998, which Sharp denies.[24][59] The group hired Mikey Welsh, who had played with Cuomo in Boston, as their new bassist.[60] Welsh was also previously a bassist for Juliana Hatfield. Weezer continued rehearsing and recording demos until late 1998. Frustration and creative disagreements led to a decline in rehearsals, and in late 1998, Wilson left for his home in Portland pending renewed productivity from Cuomo. In November 1998, the band played two club shows with a substitute drummer in California under the name Goat Punishment, consisting entirely of covers of Nirvana and Oasis songs. In the months following, Cuomo entered a period of depression, unplugging his phone, painting the walls of his home black, and putting fiberglass insulation over his windows to prevent light from entering.[61] Eventually during this time, Cuomo started experimenting with his music and ended up writing 121 songs by 1999.[32][page needed] In the meantime, Wilson continued to work with The Special Goodness while Bell again worked with Space Twins. Welsh continued to tour with Juliana Hatfield.[32][page needed] Comeback and the "Green Album" (2000–2001) Main article: Weezer (Green Album) Scott Shriner (pictured in 2019) has been Weezer's bassist since 2001.

Weezer reunited in April 2000, when they accepted a lucrative offer to perform at the Fuji Rock Festival.[62] The festival served as a catalyst for Weezer's productivity, and from April to May 2000, they rehearsed and demoed new songs in Los Angeles. They returned to live shows in June 2000, playing small unpromoted concerts once again under the name Goat Punishment.[63] In June 2000, the band joined the American Warped Tour for nine dates.[64][65]

In the summer of 2000, Weezer went on tour, including dates on the Vans Warped Tour.[66] Eventually, the band went back into the studio to produce a third album, the "Green Album". Due to the mixed reception of Pinkerton, Cuomo wrote less personal lyrics for the Green Album.[67] The band hired Ric Ocasek who had also produced the band's debut album.[68] Shortly after the release, Weezer went on another American tour.[63] The album was supported by the singles "Hash Pipe",[69] "Island in the Sun",[70] and "Photograph".[71] Executives suggested that "Don't Let Go" should be chosen as the first single.[72] However, Cuomo continued to fight and "Hash Pipe" eventually became the album's first single.[72] "Hash Pipe" peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart and No. 6 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[13] "Island In the Sun" was released as the second single and became a radio hit as well as one of their biggest overseas hits.[13] The song peaked at No. 11 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. The song has gained increasing popularity over the years as it later joined the digital song sales in 2008, only to peak at No. 18 in 2022.[73]

The label tried to postpone the release date of Weezer further until June, but they ended up sticking to the album's original release date of May 15 release date.[74] The album debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 and has since been certified platinum.[13]

After suffering a breakdown from the stress of touring, undiagnosed bipolar disorder, and drug abuse, Welsh attempted suicide and left Weezer in 2001.[75][76] He later joined The Kickovers for a short stint before retiring from music. He was replaced by Scott Shriner.[77] During this time, Spike Jonze returned to film a music video for "Island In the Sun".[78] Matt Sharp was originally intended to appear in the video, but it did not end up happening.[32][page needed] Maladroit (2002) Main article: Maladroit

Weezer took an experimental approach to the recording process of its fourth album by allowing fans to download in-progress mixes of new songs from its official website in return for feedback.[79] After the release of the album, the band said that this process was something of a failure, as the fans did not supply the group with coherent, constructive advice. Cuomo eventually delegated song selection for the album to the band's original A&R rep, Todd Sullivan, saying that Weezer fans chose the "wackest songs". Only the song "Slob" was included on the album due to general fan advice.[80]

The recording was also done without input from Weezer's record label, Interscope. Cuomo had what he then described as a "massive falling out" with the label. In early 2002, well before the official release of the album, the label sent out a letter to radio stations requesting the song be pulled until an official, sanctioned single was released. Interscope also briefly shut down Weezer's audio/video download webpage, removing all the MP3 demos.

In April 2002, former bassist Matt Sharp sued the band, alleging, among several accusations, that he was owed money for cowriting several Weezer songs. The suit was later settled out of court.[53]

The fourth album, Maladroit, was released on May 14, 2002, only one year after its predecessor.[81] The album served as a harder-edged version of the band's trademark catchy pop-influenced music, and was replete with busy 1980s-style guitar solos. Although met with generally positive critical reviews, its sales were not as strong as those for the Green Album. Two singles were released from the album. The music video for "Dope Nose" featured an obscure Japanese motorcycle gang, and was put into regular rotation. The song reached No. 8 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart.[13] The music video for "Keep Fishin'" combined Weezer with the Muppets, and had heavy rotation on MTV. Both videos were directed by Marcos Siega.

Spin reviewed it as the 6th best album of 2002.[82] A Rolling Stone reader's poll also from that year voted it the 90th greatest album of all time.[83]

Weezer released its much-delayed first DVD on March 23, 2004. The Video Capture Device DVD chronicles the band from its beginnings through Maladroit's Enlightenment Tour. Compiled by Karl Koch, the DVD features home video footage, music videos, commercials, rehearsals, concert performances, television performances, and band commentary. The DVD was certified "gold" on November 8, 2004. Make Believe (2003–2006) Main article: Make Believe (Weezer album)

Before working on new material, Cuomo discovered vipassana meditation which became a large influence to his songwriting.[84] He decided to take a more personal approach to his writing once again. One song during this process, "The Other Way", was written for Cuomo's ex-girlfriend Jennifer Chiba after her then-boyfriend, singer-songwriter Elliott Smith, died by suicide. Cuomo said, "I wanted to console her, but I was confused and skeptical about my own motives for wanting to do so, so I wrote that song about that."[85] Before recording material for their 4th album, Brian Bell and Patrick Wilson worked on their own projects. Bell's Space Twins released The End of Imagining which Rolling Stone critic, John D. Lueressen named the 7th best album of 2003.[86] Meanwhile, Wilson's The Special Goodness released Land Air Sea. Weezer performing in 2005

From December 2003 to the fall of 2004, Weezer recorded a large amount of material intended for a new album to be released in the spring of 2005 with producer Rick Rubin.[87] The band's early recording efforts became available to the public through the band's website. The demos were a big hit, but none of the songs recorded at this time were included on the finished album. That album, titled Make Believe, was released on May 10, 2005.[88] The album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.[13] Despite commercial success, Make Believe got a mixed reception from critics, receiving an average score of 52 on the review collator Metacritic.[89] Although some reviews, such as AMG's, compared it favorably to Pinkerton,[88] others, among them Pitchfork, panned the album as predictable and lyrically poor.[90]

The album's first single, "Beverly Hills",[91] became a hit in the U.S. and worldwide, staying on the charts for several months after its release. It became the first Weezer song to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart and No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.[92] "Beverly Hills" was nominated for Best Rock Song at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, the first ever Grammy nomination for the band.[93] The video was also nominated for Best Rock Video at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards.[94] The second single released from Make Believe was "We Are All on Drugs" which peaked at No. 10 on the Alternative Airplay chart.[95][96] MTV refused to play the song, so Weezer re-recorded the lyrics by replacing "on drugs" with "in love" and renaming the song "We Are All in Love".[97] In early 2006, it was announced that Make Believe was certified platinum, and "Beverly Hills" was the second most popular song download on iTunes for 2005, finishing just behind "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani.[98] Make Believe's third single, "Perfect Situation",[99] reached No. 1 U.S. Billboard Modern Rock chart and No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100.[92] "This Is Such a Pity" was the band's fourth single from the album, but no music video was made for its release.[100] The Make Believe tour also found the band using additional instruments onstage, adding piano, synthesizers, pseudophones, and guitarist Bobby Schneck. The "Red Album" (2006–2008) Main article: Weezer (Red Album)

After the success of Make Believe, the band decided to take a break. Cuomo returned to Harvard where he ended up graduating cum laude and as a Phi Beta Kappa in 2006.[101] Cuomo also married Kyoko Ito on June 18, 2006, a woman he had known since March 1997. The wedding was attended by the current members of the band as well as Matt Sharp and Jason Cropper. During this break, Patrick Wilson and Brian Bell appeared in the 2006 film Factory Girl playing John Cale and Lou Reed respectively and contributing a cover of the Velvet Underground song "Heroin" for the film.[102] Also during this time, Bell started a new project, The Relationship. Weezer performing in Arizona in October 2008

Weezer (also known as the Red Album) was released in June 2008. Rick Rubin produced the album[103] and Rich Costey mixed it. The record was described as "experimental", and according to Cuomo, who claimed it at the time to be Weezer's "boldest and bravest and showiest album",[104] included longer and non-traditional songs, TR-808 drum machines, synthesizers, Southern rap, baroque counterpoint, and band members other than Cuomo writing, singing, and switching instruments.[105] Pat Wilson said the album cost about a million dollars to make, contrasting it with the $150,000 budget of the Blue Album.[106] The album was produced by Rick Rubin and Jacknife Lee.[107] The album debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 while receiving generally positive reviews.[13]

Its lead single, "Pork and Beans",[108] topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks charts for 11 weeks while also peaking at No. 64 on the Billboard Hot 100.[109][13] Its music video won a Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video.[93] The second single, "Troublemaker", debuted at No. 39 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and peaked at No. 2. In October 2008, the group announced that the third single would be "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)" which was met with critical praise.

On May 30, 2008, the Toledo Free Press revealed in an interview with Shriner that Weezer would be unveiling the "Hootenanny Tour", in which fans would be invited to bring their own instruments to play along with the band. Said Shriner: "They can bring whatever they want… oboes, keyboards, drums, violins, and play the songs with us as opposed to us performing for them."[110]

The band performed five dates in Japan at the beginning of September and then embarked on what was dubbed the "Troublemaker" tour, consisting of 21 dates around North America, including two in Canada. Angels and Airwaves and Tokyo Police Club joined the band as support at each show, and Brian Bell's other band The Relationship also performed at a handful of dates. Shortly before the encore at each show, the band would bring on fans with various instruments and perform "Island in the Sun" and "Beverly Hills" with the band. At a show in Austin, after Tokyo Police Club had played its set, Cuomo was wheeled out in a box and mimed to a recording of rare Weezer demo, "My Brain", dressed in pajamas and with puppets on his hands, before being wheeled off again. This bizarre event later surfaced as the climax to a promo video for Cuomo's second demo album, Alone 2. Raditude and Hurley (2009–2013) Main articles: Raditude and Hurley (album)

Weezer toured with Blink-182 in 2009, including an August 30 stop at the Virgin Festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. Drummer Josh Freese joined Weezer on a temporary basis to play drums on the tour, while Pat Wilson switched to guitar. Wilson said in an interview for Yahoo! Music that Cuomo wanted "to be active and more free on stage and him having guitar on was an impediment." Freese stated he was a Weezer fan and did not want to pass up the opportunity to play with the band.[111]

On August 18, 2009 Weezer released the first single for their upcoming album, "If You're Wondering If I Want You To". The song peaked at No. 81 on the Billboard Hot 100.[13] The title of the album was called Raditude which was a suggestion from actor Rainn Wilson.[112]

Raditude's album artwork was revealed on September 11, featuring a National Geographic contest-winning photograph of a jumping dog named Sidney.[113] The record's release was pushed to November 3, 2009, where it debuted as the seventh best-selling album of the week on the Billboard 200 chart. The band scheduled tour dates in December 2009 extending into early 2010 to coincide with the new album's release. On December 6, 2009, Cuomo was injured when his tour bus crashed in Glen, New York due to black ice. Cuomo suffered three broken ribs and internal bleeding, and his assistant broke two ribs. His wife, baby daughter, and their nanny were also on the bus, but they escaped injury. Weezer cancelled the remaining 2009 tour dates the following day.[114][115] The band resumed touring on January 20, 2010.[116]

In December 2009, it was revealed that the band was no longer with Geffen Records. The band stated that new material would still be released, but the band members were unsure of the means, whether it be self-released, released online, or getting signed by another label.[117] Eventually, the band was signed to the independent label Epitaph.[118] Cuomo performing in 2010

Weezer co-headlined The Bamboozle in May 2010,[119] and performed at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee in June.[120] In August, 2010, Weezer performed at the Reading and Leeds Festival,[121] and performed at the Voodoo Experience festival in New Orleans, LA in October 2010.[122]

The album Hurley was released in September 2010 through Epitaph Records. The name comes from the character Hugo "Hurley" Reyes from the television show Lost. Jorge Garcia, the actor who portrayed Hurley, stated that being featured on the album cover is "one of the biggest honors of [his] career."[118][123] The first single, "Memories" was chosen as part of the Jackass 3D soundtrack with the music video featuring members of the cast contributing backing vocals.[124]

Weezer used internet streaming service YouTube as a way to promote the album. Weezer loaned itself to 15 amateur online video producers, "going along with whatever plans the creator could execute in about 30 minutes." The band was promoted through popular channels such as Barely Political, Ray William Johnson and Fred Figglehorn. The Gregory Brothers solicited musical and vocal contributions from the band on one of its compositions built around speeches by Rep. Charles Rangel and President Barack Obama. Weezer called the promotion "The YouTube Invasion".[125]

In November 2010, Weezer released a compilation album composed of re-recorded versions of unused recordings spanning from 1993 to 2010, Death to False Metal.[126][127] The title track, "Turning Up The Radio" was a collaborative effort with many fans on Youtube. On the same day a deluxe version of Pinkerton, which includes "25 demos, outtakes and live tracks" was also released.[128] A third volume of Cuomo's solo Alone series, titled Alone III: The Pinkerton Years, consisting of demos and outtakes from the Pinkerton sessions, was released on December 12, 2011.[129] The band also contributed a cover of the Cars' "You Might Think" for the Disney-Pixar film Cars 2 as well as a cover of The [DATA EXPUNGED]s' "I'm a Believer" for Shrek Forever After.[130]

Weezer began working on their ninth studio album in September 2010 with the intent of a 2011 release,[131] but the year ended without seeing a release. On October 8, 2011, former Weezer bassist Mikey Welsh was found dead from a suspected heroin overdose in a Chicago hotel room.[132] Weezer performed in Chicago the next day and dedicated the concert to Welsh, who was expected to have attended.[133] Welsh had previously joined Weezer on stage for a few performances between 2010 and 2011.

The band headlined a four-day rock-themed Carnival Cruise from Miami to Cozumel that set sail on January 19, 2012.[134][135][136] In July, Weezer headlined the inaugural Bunbury Music Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio.[137] In early 2013 the band brought its Memories Tour to Australia—the band's first Australian tour since 1996. The band played its first two albums in full at several venues. The band also headlined the Punkspring 2013 tour in Japan and later in the year toured Canada and USA. They played multiple nights in cities around the U.S. The first night shows were dedicated to playing their hits, then the Blue album in full, front to back. The second night, they played Pinkerton in the same fashion. Koch did a "Memories" slide show at the Gibson amphitheater in Los Angeles (And most likely many other venues around the U.S.) The slide show consisted of photos of gigs over the years and highlighted the loss of their fanclub team members Mykel and Carli Allan in 1997.[138] Everything Will Be Alright in the End and the "White Album" (2013–2016) Main articles: Everything Will Be Alright in the End and Weezer (White Album)

Over 200 tracks were considered for their next album, but they were able to narrow it down to 13.[139] According to the album's official press release, the album is organized thematically around three groups of songs: "Belladonna", "The Panopticon Artist" and "Patriarchia". "Belladonna" includes the songs "Ain't Got Nobody", "Lonely Girl", "Da Vinci", "Go Away", "Cleopatra" and "Return to Ithaka", all of which deal with Cuomo's relationships with women. Tracks under "The Panopticon Artist" include "Back to the Shack", "I've Had It Up To Here" and "The Waste Land" all deal with Cuomo's relationships with fans. The final group of songs, "Patriarchia", are "Eulogy for a Rock Band", "The British Are Coming", "Foolish Father" and "Anonymous", which deal with relationships with father figures, "with a new spin".[139]

In January 2014, Weezer began recording with producer Ric Ocasek, who had produced the "Blue Album" and the "Green Album".[140] A clip of a new song was posted on the band's official YouTube account on March 19, 2014, which confirmed previous rumors of the band being in the studio.[141] On June 12, 2014, it was revealed that the album title would be Everything Will Be Alright in the End. It was released on October 7, 2014[142] to generally favorable reviews, becoming the band's best-reviewed release since Pinkerton.[143] The first single, "Back to the Shack", reached No. 5 on the Alternative Airplay chart.[13] Weezer performing at the City of Trees Musical Festival 2016

On October 26, 2015, the band released a new single, "Thank God for Girls", through Apple Music and to radio the same day. The following week, the band released a second single, "Do You Wanna Get High?". Cuomo claimed in an interview with Zane Lowe, that the band was not working on a new album.[144] Later, on January 14, 2016, Weezer released a third single, "King of the World", and announced the "White Album", which continued the critical success of the band's previous release.[145]

While writing the album, Cuomo joined Tinder to meet with people to get inspired for new songs.[146] He also started to explore other songwriting techniques including a cut-up technique, stream-of-consciousness, and writing melodies with a piano instead of guitar.[147]

Weezer was officially released on April 1, 2016 and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200.[148][149] The album is considered a concept album exploring the themes of gender dynamics, modern dating experiences and references to religious iconography.[150] Musically, the album serves as a throwback to the band's first two albums, Weezer (1994) and Pinkerton (1996), while also serving as a tribute to the Beach Boys.

The album received a grammy nomination for Best Rock Album for the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.[151]

In support of the album, the band performed on the Weezer & Panic! at the Disco Summer Tour 2016 with Panic! at the Disco in 2016.[152] The band later signed to Atlantic Records as part of a joint venture between Warner Music Group and Crush Management.[153] Pacific Daydream (2017–2018) Main article: Pacific Daydream

Soon after the release of the White Album, Cuomo discussed plans for Weezer's next album, provisionally titled the "Black Album'. Cuomo said the album would tackle "more mature topics" and be "less summer day and more winter night", and suggested the band could return to the recording studio as soon as October 2016.[154] Weezer delayed recording after Cuomo felt his new material was more "like reveries from a beach at the end of the world [… as if] the Beach Boys and the Clash fell in love by the ocean and had one hell of an amazing baby".[155]

To write the album, Cuomo utilized various musical and lyrical fragments he had collected over time. He kept an archive of song ideas and hired programmers to organize a spreadsheet of lyric snippets by beats per minute, syllable, and key to call from whenever stuck. "Instead of trying to force myself to feel inspired, I can just go into the spreadsheet and search […] I just try them out to see which ones work magically."[156]

On March 16, 2017, Weezer released a new song, "Feels Like Summer", the lead single of the upcoming album.[157] The song drew a mixed reaction from fans but became their biggest hit on Alternative radio in a decade (peaking at number 2 on the Alternative Airplay chart ).[158] On August 16, Weezer announced Pacific Daydream, released on October 27.[159] On August 17, the promotional single from the album, "Mexican Fender", was released.[160][161][162] The following month, "Beach Boys" was released, and the month after, they released "Weekend Woman" to positive reception.[163][164] "Happy Hour" was chosen as the second official single of the album, peaking at No. 9 on the Alternative Airplay chart.

The album received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.[165] The "Teal Album" and the "Black Album" (2018–2019) Main articles: Africa (Toto song), Weezer (Teal Album), and Weezer (Black Album)

Following a persistent Twitter campaign by a fan, Weezer released a cover of Toto's song "Africa" on May 29, 2018.[166][167] Prior to this, the band released a cover of "Rosanna" to "troll" their fans.[168][169] "Africa" reached number one on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in August 2018, becoming the band's first number-one single since "Pork and Beans" in 2008. Two days later, on August 10, Toto responded by releasing a cover of Weezer's single "Hash Pipe".[170] "Africa" eventually peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100.[13] The success of the "Africa" cover led Weezer to record an album of covers, the Teal Album, a surprise album released on January 24, 2019.[171][172] The album was a commercial success as it peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. In addition, all tracks charted on the Hot Rock and Alternative Songs chart.[149]

On September 20, 2018, Weezer released "California Snow" as a single for the 2018 film Spell.[173] It was chosen as the closing track for the "Black Album". On October 11, 2018, Weezer released "Can't Knock the Hustle", the lead single from their upcoming album.[174][175][176] On November 21, they released the second single, "Zombie Bastards",[177][178] and announced the "Black Album", produced by Dave Sitek and scheduled for March 1, 2019. An arena tour of the U.S. with the Pixies and supporting and international tour dates were also announced.[177][178][179] On February 21, they released "High as a Kite" and "Living in LA" as the next singles.[180] They would later play them on NPR Music to promote the album for their series of Tiny Desk Concerts.[181]

During a Beats 1 interview by Zane Lowe on Apple Music on January 24, 2019, Cuomo announced that Weezer had already recorded the "basic tracks" to the follow-up album to the "Black Album". The album is being produced by Jake Sinclair, who produced the "White Album". Cuomo said the songwriting for the album is piano-based, and that some songs have string parts already recorded at Abbey Road Studios. For the recording process, Weezer departed from the modern "grid music" style (music recorded via modern software using grids to organize and manipulate the individual elements of recorded music) and did not perform to a "click" (i.e., metronome) for a more natural style.[182] Cuomo said the album is tentatively titled "OK Human" and that the inspiration for the album is the 1970 album Nilsson Sings Newman. Furthermore, Cuomo said he is currently working on an album with the working title "Van Weezer" that harkens back to their heavier rock sound after noticing how crowds go nuts for big guitar solos at Weezer shows.[183][184] OK Human and Van Weezer (2019–2021) Weezer plays Musikfest in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, August 2019 Main articles: OK Human and Van Weezer

On September 10, 2019, the band announced the Hella Mega Tour with Green Day and Fall Out Boy as headliners alongside themselves, with the Interrupters as an opening act. They also released the opening single, "The End of the Game", off their upcoming fifteenth studio album, Van Weezer.[185] The song reached No. 2 on the Alternative Airplay chart.[13] Cuomo said that the band would return "back to big guitars". He remarked that when the band would perform "Beverly Hills" live in concert, he would perform a guitar solo that was not present on the recorded version of the song. "We noticed that, recently, the crowd just goes crazy when I do that. So it feels like maybe the audience is ready for some shredding again."[186]

The band recorded a version of "Lost in the Woods" for the 2019 film Frozen II, which was included on the soundtrack album.[187] A music video was shot for the song, featuring the band and Frozen voice actress Kristen Bell.[188]

On May 6, 2020, the band released the single and music video, "Hero", a tribute to essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Simultaneously, they announced the delay of Van Weezer for a time to be determined.[189] The song reached No. 1 on the Alternative Airplay chart.[13] On May 10, Weezer guest-starred on an episode of The Simpsons, "The Hateful Eight-Year Olds", where a snippet of their song "Blue Dream" from Van Weezer was played.[190] On August 14, 2020, the band announced that the album had been delayed to May 2021 in order to coincide with the rescheduled Hella Mega Tour. That same day, the third single, "Beginning of the End", was released as a part of the soundtrack for Bill & Ted Face the Music.[191]

On October 6, 2020, after Eddie Van Halen died, the album was dedicated to him.[192] In addition to Van Halen, the album is also dedicated to Ric Ocasek, who produced the band's debut, The Blue Album, The Green Album, and Everything Will Be Alright in the End, as Ocasek had died in September 2019.[193]

On January 18, 2021, the band announced their fourteenth studio album, OK Human (a play on Radiohead's OK Computer).[194], following cryptic promotional floppy discs and links sent to some members of the Weezer Fan Club a few days prior. The announcement came with a release date of January 29.[195][196] The single "All My Favorite Songs" was released on January 21.[195] The song reached No.1 on the Alternative Airplay chart and was later nominated for Best Rock Song in the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.[13][197]

The album was planned to be released following Van Weezer, but when the album suffered a year-long delay following the COVID-19 pandemic,[198] the band decided to shift their focus to completing OK Human first.[199] Work on OK Human began as early as 2017, when the band decided to make an album that combined rock instrumentation with an orchestra.[200] The band hired a 38-piece-orchestra and recorded the album entirely with analog equipment to achieve their desired baroque sound. The album was additionally inspired by The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds and Harry Nilsson's Nilsson Sings Newman (1970).[200]

The fourth single, "I Need Some of That" was released on April 21, 2021.[201] Van Weezer was released on May 7, 2021 along with an animated music video for "All the Good Ones".[196] The album has been compared to their fourth studio album Maladroit (2002), and is inspired by 1970s and 1980s hard rock and heavy metal bands such as Kiss, Black Sabbath, Metallica and Van Halen (the last of whom inspired the album's title).[202] SZNZ (2021–present)

After delays due to the pandemic, the American leg of the Hella Mega Tour finally kicked off on July 24, 2021, in Arlington, Texas.[203] The European leg saw Weezer, Green Day and Fall Out Boy performing in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, England, Ireland, Scotland and, finally, France.

While doing an interview with NPR about the OK Human and Van Weezer albums, Cuomo hinted that the band were working on a four-album box-set called SZNZ (pronounced as "seasons"). Cuomo also described the potential musical styles of Spring and Fall, saying: "Spring can be a very breezy, carefree acoustic-type album, whereas Fall is going to be dance rock." He later stated that the albums, titled Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter respectively, are planned for release in 2022 on the first astronomical day of each relevant season.[204] Each season is linked to their own emotion. "Spring is optimism, Summer is anger, Autumn is anxiety, and Winter is sadness."[205]

On March 11, 2022, Weezer officially announced the project, now titled SZNZ, would consist of four extended plays, with Fall renamed to Autumn. The first, SZNZ: Spring, was released on March 20, and the lead single "A Little Bit of Love" was released on March 16.[206] The song reached No. 1 on the Alternative Airplay chart.[13]

On June 20, 2022, Weezer appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, debuting "Records", the lead single from SZNZ: Summer. The song reached No. 1 on the Alternative Airplay chart.[207] The EP released at midnight on June 21, along with news of a Broadway Theater residency planned for September 2022.[208] In August 2022, the residency was cancelled due to high expenses and poor ticket sales.[209]

On September 19, 2022, the band performed once again under the name Goat Punishment at Troubadour (West Hollywood), where they played SZNZ: Winter for the first time. They also debuted the single "What Happens After You?" from SZNZ: Autumn, which was released on September 22, 2022. "What Happens After You?" was later performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.[210] A music video for the single was released on November 29, 2022.

On December 9, 2022 Weezer released "I Want a Dog", the lead single from the last EP in the SZNZ series, SZNZ: Winter.[211] SZNZ: Winter was released on December 21, 2022, alongside a music video for "Dark Enough To See The Stars". Musical style and influences

Weezer has been described as alternative rock,[212][213][214][215] power pop,[214][216][217][218] pop rock,[212][219][220][221] pop-punk,[222][223][224] geek rock,[212][225][226][227] emo,[218][228][229] indie rock,[212][230] emo pop,[231] melodic metal,[232] and pop.[233] The members of Weezer have listed influences such Kiss (with direct references in the song "In the Garage"), Nirvana, the Pixies, the Cars (whose member Ric Ocasek produced several Weezer records), Cheap Trick, Pavement, Oasis, the Smashing Pumpkins, Green Day and Wax.[234][235] Cuomo credited the Beach Boys as a major influence, specifically Pet Sounds; Bell described Weezer's sound as "Beach Boys with Marshall stacks".[236] Operas and musicals such as Madama Butterfly (1904) and Jesus Christ Superstar (1970) influenced Pinkerton and Songs from the Black Hole.[237] The band members' worship for hard rock and heavy metal music was the source of inspiration behind Van Weezer, including 1970s and 1980s bands like Kiss, Black Sabbath, Metallica, Slayer, Rush, and Van Halen (the last of whom inspired the album's title).[238][239][240]

Artists such as Paramore, [241] Fun.,[242] Pete Wentz,[243] Fall Out Boy,[244] Panic! at the Disco,[245] Blink-182,[246] Steve Lacy,[247] Taylor Swift,[248] Charli XCX,[249] Real Estate,[250] Dinosaur Pile-Up,[251] Cymbals Eat Guitars,[252] DNCE,[253] Ozma,[254] Wavves,[255] Joyce Manor,[256] Origami Angel,[257] and the Fall of Troy[258] cite Weezer as an influence. Solo work and side projects

Patrick Wilson started his side-project the Special Goodness in 1996, for which he sings and plays guitar and bass.[259] In May 2012, he released his fourth record with the Special Goodness, entitled Natural.[260]

Brian Bell started the Space Twins in 1994 releasing an album, The End of Imagining, in 2003.[261][262] In 2006, Bell started a new band called the Relationship, and did not contribute any songs for Weezer's Raditude in order to save material for the Relationship.[263] The Relationship's self-titled debut was released in 2010, with a follow-up, Clara Obscura, released in 2017.[264]

Former bassist Matt Sharp started the Rentals in 1994.[265] After releasing Return of the Rentals in 1995, Sharp went on to quit Weezer in 1998 to focus more on the Rentals.[265][23] Sharp has also released work under his own name.[266] Mikey Welsh toured with Juliana Hatfield[267] and played bass for the Kickovers.[268] Scott Shriner played bass for Anthony Green's debut studio album Avalon.[269]

On December 18, 2007, Cuomo released Alone - The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo, a compilation of his demos recorded from 1992 to 2007, including some demos from the unfinished Songs from the Black Hole album.[270] A second compilation, Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo, was released on November 25, 2008, and a third, Alone III: The Pinkerton Years, on December 12, 2011.[271] The album was sold exclusively with a book, The Pinkerton Diaries, which collects Cuomo's writings from the Pinkerton era.[272]

On March 20, 2013, Cuomo and Scott Murphy of the band Allister released Scott & Rivers, a Japanese-language album.[273] They released their second album in April 2017.[274] In November 2020, Cuomo released thousands of unreleased songs and demos from throughout Weezer's career on his personal website for purchase and download.[275][276] Musical contributions

In 1994, Weezer contributed the song "Jamie" to DGC Rarities Vol. 1, which is a compilation of demos, B-sides, and covers recorded by bands on the label.[277][278] It was the first appearance of the song until it was released as a B-side for the single of "Buddy Holly" and again on the Blue Album Deluxe Edition.[279][280]

In 1999, Weezer contributed a cover of the song "Velouria" by The Pixies to the tribute album Where Is My Mind? A Tribute To The Pixies.[281]

On July 22, 2003, Weezer contributed an acoustic cover of Green Day's "Worry Rock" to the compilation album A Different Shade of Green: A Tribute to Green Day.[282]

On December 4, 2008, iOS developer Tapulous released the game Christmas with Weezer, featuring gameplay similar to Tap Tap Revenge and six Christmas carols performed by the band. A digital EP featuring the songs, titled Christmas with Weezer, was also released on December 16, 2008.[283]

On March 9, 2010, Weezer appeared on an episode of the children's daytime television show Yo Gabba Gabba! and performed the song "All My Friends Are Insects". The song appeared on a compilation soundtrack album for the show, Yo Gabba Gabba! Music Is…Awesome! Volume 2, as well as a bonus track for the Weezer album Hurley.[284]

On June 11, 2010, the band released a new single, "Represent", as an "unofficial" anthem for the US Men's soccer team to coincide with the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Although technically unofficial, the song was embraced by the team, and on June 23, 2010, US Soccer released a music video on their official YouTube channel featuring dramatic footage of the US team spliced with footage of Weezer performing.[285]

In 2010, the band recorded a cover of "I'm a Believer" for the movie Shrek Forever After.[286] Previously, Weezer had planned to include an early version of "My Best Friend" from Make Believe in Shrek 2, but it was rejected due to the song sounding "too much like it was written for Shrek".[287]

In 2011, the band covered "You Might Think" by The Cars for the Pixar movie Cars 2. The song appears on the movie's official soundtrack.[288]

In 2011, Weezer recorded a cover of "Rainbow Connection" with Hayley Williams for Muppets: The Green Album, a cover album of Muppets songs which also included OK Go, The Fray, Alkaline Trio, and others.[289]

On September 20, 2018, Weezer released "California Snow" for the film Spell, which Cuomo also provided voicework for.[290] The song later appeared on the Black Album.[291]

In 2019, Weezer recorded a cover of "Lost In the Woods" for the Frozen II soundtrack.[292]

In 2020–2021, Weezer released "It's Always Summer in Bikini Bottom" for The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run's film soundtrack.[293]

In June 2021, Weezer contributed the song "Tell Me What You Want" to the video game Wave Break. The song is featured in a special level of the game called "Weezy Mode".[294]

In August 2021, Weezer contributed a cover of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" to The Metallica Blacklist, a compilation of Metallica song covers by various artists, with each song getting several covers by different artists.[295] Band members

Current membersRivers Cuomo – lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar, keyboards (1992–present) Patrick Wilson – drums, percussion (1992–present), backing vocals (2007–present); lead guitar, keyboards (2007–2012) Brian Bell – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals (1993–present), keyboards (2000–present) Scott Shriner – bass, backing vocals (2001–present), keyboards (2007–present)

Former membersJason Cropper – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals (1992–1993) Matt Sharp – bass, backing vocals (1992–1998)[23][24] Mikey Welsh – bass, backing vocals (1998–2001; died 2011)

Former touring musiciansBobby Schneck – keyboards, rhythm guitar, bass (2000–2005) Josh Freese – drums, percussion (2009–2012) Daniel Brummel – keyboards, rhythm guitar (2012–2014) Dave Elitch – drums, percussion (2022; substitute for Patrick Wilson)

Timeline Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Award is an award presented by the Recording Academy to recognize achievement in the mainly English-language music industry.[296] Weezer has received one award from five nominations. Year Nominee / work Award Result 2006 "Beverly Hills" Best Rock Song[93] Nominated 2009 "Pork and Beans" Best Music Video[93] (Director: Mathew Cullen) Won 2017 Weezer Best Rock Album[297] Nominated 2019 Pacific Daydream Best Rock Album[298] Nominated 2022 "All My Favorite Songs" Best Rock Song[299] Nominated

iHeartRadio Music Awards

The iHeartRadio Music Award was founded by iHeartRadio in 2014. From 2014 to 2018 the event was broadcast live on NBC,[300] and in 2019 the event was broadcast on FOX.[301] Year Nominee / work Award Result 2019 "Africa" Alternative Rock Song of the Year[302] Nominated Best Cover Song[302] Nominated

Kerrang! Awards Year Nominee / work Award Result 2008 "Pork and Beans" Best Video[303] Nominated

MTV Europe Music Awards

The MTV Europe Music Award is an award presented by Viacom International Media Networks Europe to honour artists and music in popular culture. Year Nominee / work Award Result 1995 Weezer Best New Act[304] Nominated "Buddy Holly" Best Video[304][305] (Director: Spike Jonze) Nominated 2008 "Pork and Beans" Best Video[306] (Director: Mathew Cullen) Nominated

MTV Video Music Awards

The MTV Video Music Award is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in the music video medium. Weezer has received five awards from eight nominations. Year Nominee / work Award Result 1995 "Buddy Holly" Video of the Year[307] Nominated Best Alternative Video[307] Won Breakthrough Video[307] Won Best Direction (Director: Spike Jonze)[307] Won Best Editing (Editor: Eric Zumbrunnen)[307] Won 2001 "Hash Pipe" Best Rock Video[308] Nominated 2005 "Beverly Hills" Best Rock Video[94] Nominated 2008 "Pork and Beans" Best Editing (Editor: Jeff Consiglio and Colin Woods)[309] Won

Teen Choice Awards

The Teen Choice Awards were established in 1999 to honor the year's biggest achievements in music, movies, sports and television, being voted by young people aged between 13 and 19.[310] Year Nominee / work Award Result 2005 "Beverly Hills" Choice Music: Rock Song[311] Nominated Discography Main articles: Weezer discography and List of songs recorded by WeezerWeezer (Blue Album) (1994) Pinkerton (1996) Weezer (Green Album) (2001) Maladroit (2002) Make Believe (2005) Weezer (Red Album) (2008) Raditude (2009) Hurley (2010) Everything Will Be Alright in the End (2014) Weezer (White Album) (2016) Pacific Daydream (2017) Weezer (Teal Album) (2019) Weezer (Black Album) (2019) OK Human (2021) Van Weezer (2021)

{That's blueengland, alright}

#epprbcu #reference mark q&a #referencen't markn't

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unholyverse · 1 year ago

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waterparks // rock sound awards 2017

(full text under the cut)

Best International Breakthrough WATERPARKS

Who else could be the winners of our Best International Breakthrough category besides Waterparks? Sold out tours, magazine covers, and even a new album on the way… there isn't a hotter new band on the planet. Awsten Knight joins us to look back on a year that completely changed his life, and gave the rock world their next superstars in the process.

PHOTOS: Jawn Rocha

Well there we have it - you're our Best International Breakthrough winners for 2017! We take it you're quite happy about this?

Says Awsten: "[Yells] YES! IT FEELS VERY COOL!"

Haha! It's been a crazy year for Waterparks. When you went into the studio last summer to record [debut album] 'Double Dare', could you have ever fathomed coming this far so quickly?

"I had hopes! The thing is, I listened to those songs before the album came out or anything, and it's hard to picture how they'll be received. If I listen to them and think, 'This is so fucking cool…' I wouldn't make it if I didn't think that they were the shit. They wouldn't come out if I didn't think t they were were awesome songs. Also, you can't count on them being as well received as you think they should be. Plenty of people make stuff they're proud of, put it out, and the public's kind of like…Okay', know what I mean? I never know what the response is going to be - I can't have any expectations."

You guys have always had a very unique sound, and that's very much the case on 'Double Dare'. Were there any nerves in making a record that was so left-field?

"Honestly, it was pretty natural just because there wasn't a whole lot of pressure with it. If you treat all of the songs like, 'No one's going to hear this, it doesn't matter', then you can go in and just do whatever you want, pretend that it's just for you or whatever you want to do. Then when the time comes to comes to actually pick what's going to make the album it's like, 'Oh, okay'. There's not any sure while it's actually happening, whether pressure it's stylistic, in terms of genres or weird lyrical shit—anything goes."

Even before the album you'd made fans of Joel and Benji Madden, Mikey Way played bass on your EP, you got to know Pete Wentz… You got to know all these people that you yourself were fans of. Was that a real giver of confidence, knowing you had these guys' support even before you went in to record an album?

"It's a strange thing, because it's like…before this all happened we were literally outside of all these peoples' shows passing out flyers. We'd be there like, 'Hey, check it out check it out!' Now those people are going, 'Hey everyone, check out this band', endorsing it or whatever. It's the first step of there being pressure behind everything. It's like, 'Oh dang, everybody I love is watching us right now! This is insane!'"

Earlier this year you had your first ever full band magazine cover with us. How huge was that moment for the band?

"Thank you for that! That was tight. That's probably the coolest thing that's happened to us at this point, to be honest with you. The first full band cover, as a collective, I think that's the coolest."

You've been playing some crazy venues across the year as well—you've toured almost everywhere there is to tour. Was that daunting, or was it just a lot of fun?

"The All Time Low UK tour near the start of the year was just a daze, because I was so sick, but it was also very cool. Going to Japan… okay, no beef with the UK or America or whatever, but Japan was the coolest place! Internationally, Japan is my favourite place to go. The food was ridiculous, and the people were so nice. It's weird—everywhere there's a sense of cynicism. Everybody has a cool guy wall, semi built up. But in Japan, everybody is just psyched as fuck on you. This dude ran up to me and was like jumping up and down, hugging me and shit. I was like, 'Holy shit, this guy's psyched!' It made me psyched, and I hugged him too. If everyone was like that I'd be so happy. Sometimes a guy will walk up to me and be like, 'Yo, I didn't want to like your music but it's really cool'. Then he gives me a cool guy handshake and I'm like, 'Thanks, I guess'. Nobody in Japan would ever say that. Like a backhanded compliment."

Your first ever UK headline tour sold out months in advance. Did it feel like that was the moment that the hard work you put in paid off?

"You know, you bust your ass doing something for so long, like… I love going to the UK now, I've figured out the food situation, it's cool. But it still is the most difficult place to tour, for us. If we go really far towards Japan or whatever, we're only three or four hours apart from loved ones in terms of staying on the clock, even though it's a whole day ahead. In the UK or Europe it's eight or nine hours, which makes it a lot harder. But to be able to do some of these tours that have been difficult, being able to come back and sell out our own shows, we felt the pay-off."

On a personal level, you're very much the musical engine of the band, but you're a very prominent frontman and voice for the band as well, especially online. Has that got overwhelming at any point? "When I'm not feeling stressed and can just sit for a second, I'll go [on Twitter] and look at replies and get back to people. If you reply to people they get so psyched, it's really fun. But I think when you're actually being being creative, you're making things that are now… if I'm sitting down to make a song that's not currently on Earth, and I want to make it the best thing it can be, so that when it's publicly thrown down, I want it to be the best thing it can be. I feel like too much input from outside people, it can't help the process. Leading the, I guess 'vision' or whatever of the band, it's not a lot of pressure because it's really just whatever I'm thinking. It's not a super-calculated, 'We're going to do this serious thing, we're going to drop this vague post on this' etc. I literally just go online and the posts are literally just me."

Geoff [Wigington, guitar] and Otto [Wood, drums] have been really embraced by fans as well. Has that been really cool to see?

"Yeah! The thing is, Waterparks is a band. It would feel weird if people were only embracing me, you know? Granted, when I have looked at our mentions and stuff like that, I see a lot more of like, 'Geoff's my favourite!' over the last six months. I'm like, 'Alright, I see you!""

The year isn't even over and you've already announced your second album. Did you feel like you should act on this year's success as fast as you can and make the most of it?

"Doing the album so quickly honestly just came from looking at it and going, 'There's already enough material for another album, so why wait?' I feel like bands take longer than anybody to put out new music. You don't see fucking Drake putting out an out an album, and then two years later going 'Deluxe Edition!' and throwing on two more songs. Like, milking that for another year, that just doesn't happen. I think that if we're able to make new albums quicker than everybody else and put out things quicker than most, why not? We don't require a bunch of time to go and sit with a bunch of writers and producers and be like, 'Alright guys, let's try and make a song today'. They just happen, and they happen quickly and all the time. It's always progressing, too. Stylistically it's got to the next point already, it's moving fast. It's like, 'Okay, the next album's ready, if we're ready to record, we have a month, let's do it!'"

Given rap and hip-hop artists seem to move so quickly these days, do you think it's important for bands to start releasing new music regularly, to keep up with them? "Bands need to catch up! If you're looking at it objectively…I'm not going to say it's harder to make band music than it is a rap song, but it's a hell of a lot more expensive. If you want to get really theoretical you can be a dick about it, but if you're talking about a real studio and d everything, you can technically go make a beat—one that can be in a popular rap song—you can make that on your laptop and then just go and put the vocals on it. Whereas with a band, you need a lot more equipment. You need to record live drums, you need to to record live bass, guitars, keyboards, you need to then do all the programming etc. Then the track gets made, programmed, cut up, fucked with…I'm not discrediting rap, I listen to it all the time, it's one of my favourite genres, but it takes more time, and probably a bigger budget, to make something that has more instruments and more involvement. And plus, for the rapper, he has to work with one schedule. With a band, a lot of bands are like five people. That's five schedules you've got to line up." We've had some brilliant conversations across the year, saying that people want to slap the pop-punk label on you guys and that sort of thing, and that actually in essence you guys aren't pop-punk at all. People build up these weird expectations and impressions of you out of out of nothing. Has that been quite annoying to deal with at times, or is it just something again that you've just taken on as you've gone?

"I used to get more bugged about it and go 'We're not pop-punk, fuck you!' or whatever. And if it comes up, I'll still try to clear it up best I can. But I don't actively try and fight that label anymore. If some dumb idiot wants to be like, 'This is a bad pop-punk album!' then I'll be like, 'You know what, you're a fucking bad person! The end!' I don't lose sleep over being called pop-punk, you know what I mean?"

Going towards 2018, how are you feeling looking forward? And how does it feel looking back on the year you've had?

"It's weird, I have a really tough time stopping and looking back at things, especially while there's still so much work going on. Right now, the last few days have just been stupid busy. We did a full-on photoshoot yesterday, did a bunch of stuff with the new album tracks, got the masters back, made a bunch of edits, made the setlist for the next tour…When you called, I was actually going over some production things. I'd got the songs we'd all written on a journal in front of me in the car, while we were returning some rental equipment, going over what's going to be on the screens during the shows, now I'm about to go back and do more mastering…it's like a whole thing. Once there's not a lot going on and I can just chill, I'll be able to look back more. The next year is going to be tight as fuck, I know that much!"

'Double Dare' is out now via Easy Life / Equal Vision. The band's new album 'Entertainment' is released on January 26.

#waterparks #awsten knight #geoff wigington #otto wood #i.zip

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dystini · 2 years ago

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Indycar Driver Lore

Indycar Driver Lore Masterlist

Colton Thomas Herta

Birthdate: March 30, 2000 Hometown: Valencia, California Residence: Brentwood, Tennessee Height/Weight: 5’10”/140lbs

Rookie Year: 2019

Team: Andretti Global

Follow him on: Instagram Twitter

Career Stats

2018: 1 race with Harding Racing - 37th Overall 2019: Harding Steinbrenner Racing - 7thg Overall 2020: Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport - 3rd Overall 2021: Andretti Autosport - 5th Overall 2022: Andretti Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian - 10th Overall 2023: Andretti Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian - 10th Overall

IMSA 2019 BMW Team RLL, GTLM class, won Daytona 24 2020 BMW Team RLL, GTLM class 2021 Turner Motorsport, GTD class 2022 DragonSpeed USA, LMP2 class, won Daytona 24 2023 BMW M Team RLL, GTP class

2022 Race of Champions

-He was the first NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver born in the 2000’s and is a seven-time race winner. -Became the youngest race winner in NTT INDYCAR SERIES history when he won at Circuit of The Americas in 2019 at 18 years, 359 days old and became youngest pole winner in NTT INDYCAR SERIES history at 19 years 83 days when he scored his first pole at Road America in 2019. -Son of former NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver Bryan Herta, who won four races in his driving career and two Indianapolis 500s as a team owner. Bryan Herta was race strategist for his son's NTT INDYCAR SERIES team and a co-owner of the Andretti Herta Haupert with Marco and Curb-Agajanian entry. -Won the 2019 Rolex 24 at Daytona with BMW Team RLL in GT Le Mans class. -Competed for Andretti Steinbrenner Racing in INDY NXT by Firestone in 2017-18, winning six races. -Enjoys electronic dance music (EDM), comedies and video games. He is also an active athlete who enjoys cycling, running and golf. -Plays drums in a rock band caled The Zibs, which is an arabic slang term for penis. The band toured the West Coast in 2019 -Doesn't really drink coffee

-left handed

Iconic/memorable moments 2022 INSIDE THE RACE // COLTON HERTA AT HONDA INDY TORONTO Outside the Line: Colton Herta HONDA PACE CAR // COLTON HERTA AND ALEXANDER ROSSI What Racecar Phenom Colton Herta Is Listening To JAVA WITH JAMES // JAMES HINCHCLIFFE WITH COLTON HERTA Colton Herta crashes, flips in final Indy 500 practice | Motorsports on NBC Colton Herta impresses in Formula One test at Portimão Circuit Outside the Line: Colton Herta The Racer Channel videos with Colton Herta Unbelievable Herta Save | Indycar GMR Grand Prix 2022 2022 PACE CAR LAPS // BRYAN AND COLTON HERTA ON THE STREETS OF LONG BEACH King Taco: Questions with Colton Herta

IndyCar rookie phenom Colton Herta's side gig: Rock band drummer Colton Herta INTERVIEW! The IndyCar Podcast Tom Griswold Interviews Colton Herta (2022 Indy 500) Colton Herta and Dan Wheldon Celebrate Bryan Herta's Win at Michigan 2005 MP 651: The Week In IndyCar,, Sept 28, with Colton Herta Colton Herta Loves Star Wars, Drumming, & Talladega Nights

Andretti IndyCar Drivers Test Their Pit Stop Skills | #AllAndretti | Indy 500

Road and Track's music issue, Feb/Mar 2023:

Colton is easygoing and laidback, a true California kid, yet is intensely competitive. Participant (rumored to be the mastermind) in several of the infamous Indy 500 bus lot pranks in recent years, he somehow eludes any true blame falling upon him. He’s well-liked within the paddock, most recently sort of adopted by the Bus Bros and nicknamed “Swolton.” He is also close friends with Alex Rossi, often staying with his former teammate when he needs to be in Indy. He doesn’t make a lot of waves off-track, one of the quietest drivers on social media, but makes up for it on-track with fantastic saves and crashes in equal measure. Just 23 years old in 2023 has 7 wins, 11 podiums and 9 poles in his young life.

F1 discussions.

In late summer 2022, it was announced that F1 team AlphaTauri had an interest in Colton for the 2024 F1 season. Colton, already signed to McLaren F1 as a test driver in addition to his Andretti contract in Indycar, was not eligible for a Super License, a requirement to drive in F1, but this could be addressed with an exception by the FIA. At one point it was announced that this was a done deal but it was not and Red Bull (AlphaTauri’s parent team) soon abandoned all efforts to acquire Colton as a driver.

The Super License system is a convoluted thing that I will not explain here other than to say that Indycar is vastly underrated in points assigned and if not for this discrepancy, Colton would have had more than enough points. But as it is, Colton had 32 points out of a needed 40. Other drivers in similar situations have raced in various lower tier FIA sanctioned series to make up the points and Colton was willing to do this over the winter of 2022-23 but this was also not allowed by the FIA.

But seeing Colton in F1 is still a possibility, should he do well enough in Indycar to earn the points needed and should Michael Andretti eventually succeed in buying an existing F1 team or convincing F1 to allow him to enter a new team. After the end of the 2022 Indycar season, Colton signed a multi-year contract extension with Andretti that includes the ability to switch to an Andretti owned F1 team.

Fanfic Lore

Paired with Pato O'Ward, ship name O'Herta

#indycar rpf #indycar #fanfic #driver lore #colton herta

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black-arcana · 2 months ago

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SPIRITBOX Unveils Cinematic 'Soft Spine' Music Video

Grammy-nominated progressive heavy metal mainstays SPIRITBOX have unleashed the cinematic music video for their latest single, "Soft Spine", following its highly anticipated release earlier this month. The video arrives during the band's current North American tour with KORN, adding a visual exclamation point to one of the heaviest tracks of the year.

The "Soft Spine" video takes the band's aggressive energy and transforms it into a stunning visual spectacle. Featuring a dramatic fight scene, the Orie Mcginness-directed video sees goddess-like frontwoman Courtney LaPlante presiding over a brutal battle between cloaked warriors in an otherworldly arena. Epic visual effects bring the carnage to life, while the band performs in various ethereal locations throughout the arena, amplifying the video's cinematic feel.

LaPlante steals the spotlight, not only with her commanding vocal performance but also with multiple striking looks that deliver both face and fashion, complementing the video's hard-hitting intensity.

"Soft Spine" is yet another testament to SPIRITBOX's unstoppable momentum, and the accompanying video raises the stakes for heavy music visuals. Fans can catch the band live as they continue touring with KORN, before heading to Brazil and Mexico City for stadium shows with BRING ME THE HORIZON later this year.

For many artists, a meteoric rise can often mean a sudden plateau. However, for SPIRITBOX, there appears to be no end in sight on their near-constant ascent to the top. Formed in 2017 in the picturesque yet isolated region of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, by vocalist Courtney Laplante and guitarist Mike Stringer, SPIRITBOX would fully cement themselves as a household name in the summer of 2020 with the release of their blistering breakout single "Holy Roller", along with a host of other captivating singles shortly after, resulting in a media firestorm of hype.

With new and existing fans eagerly watching their next move, SPIRITBOX exceeded every expectation imaginable in 2021 with the release of their genre-defining debut studio album "Eternal Blue" via Pale Chord/Rise Records. "Eternal Blue", which debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard 200, kicked open the doors of the heavy metal scene and rewrote the genre's playbook with 12 stunning tracks that incorporated everything from djent and post-metal to infectious synth-laden pop sensibilities and cinematic arrangements, brought fully to life by the inimitable Laplante's ethereal and commanding vocal performances.

In 2022, SPIRITBOX secured highly coveted spots at numerous major U.S. rock and metal festivals and were nominated for two Juno Awards. SPIRITBOX would also round out their current lineup with the inclusion of drummer Zev Rose and bassist Josh Gilbert in addition to releasing their sonically experimental EP "Rotoscope" in June of that year as well as a cross-genre collaboration with dubstep artist Illenium for the track "Shivering".

During another whirlwind year for the band, including a U.S. tour with SHINEDOWN and PAPA ROACH, SPIRITBOX wrote and recorded their critically acclaimed EP "The Fear Of Fear", released in November 2023. The EP features the single "Jaded", which was nominated for "Best Metal Performance" at the 66th annual Grammy Awards. In the same month, the band would make another genre-bending splash with a high-profile collaboration with rapper Megan Thee Stallion for a remix of her song "Cobra".

Whatever comes next for SPIRITBOX, one thing is for sure: expect the unexpected and a firm commitment to creating wholly authentic music with passion, purpose, and constant evolution.Photo credit: Jonathan Weiner

#courtney laplante #spiritbox

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scotianostra · 1 year ago

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youtube

Happy Birthday James “Midge” Ure born October 10th 1953 in Cambuslang.

In 2020 Midge released an album Soundtrack 1978-2019, he was one of the lucky artists to have completed his tour promoting this in February that year.

In an interview published in the Telegraph he said;

On 4th October he celebrated seven decades of music with a concert at the Royal Albert Hall. He is married with four daughters and lives in Somerset.

#scotland #scottish #history #musician #singer songwriter #happy birthday #Youtube

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brunette-barbie4562 · 10 months ago

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Uncharted (Duff McKagan X OC fic)

Posting chapters one and two here even though they can already be found on AO3 and Wattpad. Currently working on chapter three for those who messaged and asked :)

May 2017

Somewhere over Ireland

CJ had been a lot of places in her 28 years. She had been to more places in the first 6 years of her life than most people had, going from state to state, constantly on the road. But she had never been out of the United States or Canada, especially entirely on her own. After 12 hours of travel time that included one short layover, the plane was finally descending into Dublin, Ireland. Her body was still on Sacramento time, where it was 12:00 in the afternoon. But in Dubin, it was 8:00 in the evening.

As the captain turned on the “fasten seat belt” sign, CJ rolled up the plane window to look out at the foreign landscape. The city below looked like a play set of twinkling buildings, cars, and roads. Despite the beauty of it she felt her anxiety slowly increasing. CJ considered herself an independent person, but this was outside of her comfort zone. Two weeks ago, she would have never thought she’d be on a plane to Ireland. Two weeks ago, she had been sitting in her bedroom, fretting over graduate school applications and the thought of possibly taking out more student loans.

After graduating with her bachelor’s degree in psychology a few years ago, she had been toying with the idea of applying for graduate school for the coming Fall. She had agonized over the idea and gone back and forth about it for months, unsure what she truly wanted for the future. Then, her aunt Mindy had offered her a surprising and unexpected alternative. She could go work for her old friend for the summer, and possibly beyond that if she enjoyed the work. She had warned her it would be a lot of traveling, but it would be a chance for her to see the world a bit, gain some life experience, and think over her options in the meantime.

Back in 1980’s, before her aunt Mindy had settled down, she had spent much of her time on the Sunset Strip, working as a bartender. During that time, she had met the infamous Axl Rose, who had been living off North Gardner Street with his ragtag band of misfits in a tiny storage unit. After Mindy had proven her loyalty, defending Axl in a bar room fight one night, they became fast friends. In addition to this, her aunt was very same sex oriented and had a little substance habit going on at the time, so the girls, the booze, and the drugs kept her in the back Gardner alley. Mindy also allowed Axl and his boys to stay the night at her little studio apartment on and off throughout their time clawing their way to fame.

When things had started to really take off with the band, Mindy had supported Axl from afar, being a soft spot for him to land when things got hard. However, drastic changes were occurring in her own life at that time, and she had had to shift her focus when CJ was born in 1989. This had pulled Mindy away from the seedy nightlife of the Sunset Strip. Despite this, Axl valued loyalty above all else and while they had physically drifted apart over the years, they never lost contact. Even with his long mental health battle and his legendary career as the world’s greatest frontman, they always checked back in on one another, usually by phone.

There was one year that CJ could remember meeting him in person. She had been a young child; it had been sometime after her aunt had been awarded custody of her. She remembered him squatting down to her height, smiling at her affectionately with his shiny white teeth, and introducing himself while extending her a hand. Considering she had been mute for almost an entire year after moving in with her aunt, she had not responded verbally. Instead, she had reached out and took his hand and held it with her small one, not understanding that she was supposed to shake it. There had been something about him that she trusted. He felt warm and sincere. He had a magic energy about him. Little did she know at the time, he had also been an abused and traumatized child. He didn’t push CJ to speak to him or see her as strange for spending the majority of his visit hiding behind her aunt’s legs. He had understood.

Now, she’d be seeing him for the first time since that day. In one of their monthly phone calls, Mindy had mentioned to Axl that CJ was struggling with her direction in life, having graduated years ago. Axl had been eager to tell her there was a position open on the band’s team and it was the perfect opportunity. CJ had worked her way through college as her aunt’s office assistant and continued to do so after graduation. She was very attentive to details, had strong organizational and problem-solving skills, and was adept at keeping track of documents and schedules. Based on this, Axl knew she would be a good fit for the position, which involved being a personal assistant. Other than requiring these skills, as well as knowing it would involve a high level of traveling, CJ was unsure what she was getting herself into. Several thousand feet below, Duff McKagan was unsure of the same.

Conrad Dublin Hotel / Dublin, Ireland

“C’mon man, you’ll love CJ! We need some more young people on our team.” Axl followed eagerly after a tense Duff. Duff had asked Axl to help him find some potential options for a personal assistant, considering the short notice in needing one. He had told Axl to tell him about any potential candidates, but instead Axl had just hired one without consulting him. Someone who had no road experience. Now he was regretting not just handling the entire thing himself.

You remember Mindy Thompson from back on Sunset?” Duff stopped in his tracks and turned to face Axl. He had not heard that name in a very long time.

“I do.”

“CJ is her kid, well her sister’s kid, but whatever, she pretty much did all the parenting.” Duff thought back on Mindy Thompson. She had been a frequent face way back during the Gardner Street days. She was a close friend of Axl’s and spent most of her time running around with him. The memories from those days were hazy, but he did remember that Mindy had always disliked him. And for good reason. Now mildly interested, Duff asked,

“What has Mindy been up to all this time?”

“She’s been in a director position at a cannabis farm in northern California for a long time. CJ’s been her office assistant for years. I think it’ll be a great fit.” Axl laughed before saying, “We could use a spry 28-year-old kid running stuff around here. Just give it a chance.” A 28-year-old with no road experience was not someone Duff would have selected. He knew Axl liked to hire people with personal connections, but that typically did not spill over into his or Slash’s own personal staff selections. The touring lifestyle was rough even on experienced staff. While someone might have the skills to be a personal assistant, the constant traveling and frequent shows put a challenging twist on things. His previous assistant had a family emergency that had taken him away from the tour and back home to the United States for an extended and indeterminate amount of time. While Duff could handle his own business, it took a load off him to have someone else assisting with things like scheduling interviews, vetting potential partnerships, and running social media. Social media. Something he was not great at. Maybe a 28-year-old would help in that department. Even the simplicity of finding a moment to get a decent cup of coffee was difficult some days. An assistant was monumentally helpful with that. Although he still felt skeptical, Duff cracked a smile and jokingly said,

“Are you telling me we’re getting old?” Axl laughed and said,

“I am.” Duff smirked at his response.

“Alright, well in that case, I’ll give it a chance. For you. But if it doesn’t work out you owe me.”

“Sounds like a deal.”

“So, when is Mindy’s kid getting here?”

“Tonight.” Duff turned to him wide-eyed in shock.

“Tonight!?”

“You told me you needed someone ASAP.”

“I can’t orient a new assistant tonight, Axl, I have some calls I need to make, I told Grace I’d facetime her later, and-” Axl cut him off and said,

“I’ll handle it tonight and introduce you tomorrow.”

“Are you sure?

“Don’t worry about it. The show is not until Saturday, you have plenty of time.”

Dublin Airport / Dublin, Ireland

When CJ walked into the baggage claim area it was empty enough that she immediately spotted a man holding a sign with her name on it. He was dressed in a black suit and looked official enough. CJ approached with a small smile and said,

“Are you my ride?”

“Are you Ms. Carreen Thompson?”

“Yes.”

“Then yes,” he said with a smile, “I’m Robert, I’m here to help you get your bags. The driver is out front waiting with the car to take you to the hotel.” They went to stand by the baggage carousel, where she could see her bags drop down to the conveyor belt. CJ had brought what she assumed would be enough clothing to last her for some time in two large suitcases. Mindy had told her she’d have a brief break between legs in July to come home.

Despite trying to insist upon taking one herself, Robert wheeled both of CJ’s bags outside. The street was busy and bustling with people arriving and departing. It was a cool night and fog hung thickly in the air. It was not California weather. CJ had expected to see a four-door car or maybe an SUV. What she did not expect was a limousine. She almost wanted to ask the man if a mistake had been made. She had never been in such a nice vehicle and a wave of unworthiness washed over her as she stood there in a pair of her old gym leggings, a sweatshirt, and sneakers, with her thick curly hair in somewhat of a mess. With the length of the flight, she had dressed comfortably. She had not thought about having to look put together on the other end. For a split second, when Robert opened the door for her to get in, she thought about bolting. This was not her world and far from her comfort zone of academia, the winter slopes of Mt. Shasta, her aunt’s house in Redding, or the little office where she spent her time working. What had Mindy gotten her into here? How did she think this would be a good idea?

“Are you ok Ms. Thompson?” Robert’s voice brought her back to the reality of the cool night air and the busy street. She swallowed and nodded. Pushing back her anxiety, she slid into the limousine.

CJ was fascinated and charmed with the nightlife of Dublin as they cruised through the city to the hotel. She could have sat and watched out the window the entire ride. But instead, she was desperately trying to pull herself together to look a little more presentable for whoever or whatever she would meet on the other end. She didn’t have much in her carry on to help, but she did her best to rake her uncooperative hair into a neat-ish bun and apply some quick, light makeup. The clothing would have to do, as her bags were in the trunk of the limo and inaccessible. She thought about calling Mindy and raging at her for putting her in such a foreign situation, but it would only make her nerves worsen.

When the car came to a stop outside of the hotel, CJ felt her heart jump into her throat. She was not ready. Robert came around, pulled the door open for her with a smile, held out his hand, and said,

“We’re here Ms. Thompson.” Just beyond him, she could see two bellhops already rolling her suitcases into the hotel. She took a deep breath, hoisted her backpack up, and took Robert’s hand to step out. She was met again by the cool night air on her face. She could see that the hotel lobby was busy and full of people checking in, leaving for a night out, or lounging around. Inconspicuously waiting by the doorway was a short, dark-haired, and kind looking woman who smiled warmly at her. There was a motherly aura about her that instantly drew CJ in and calmed her nerves before she had even spoken.

“You must be CJ.” The woman spoke with a thick accent.

“I am.”

“I’m Beta, Axl’s mother. He wanted me to come get you to take you upstairs. You’ll have to forgive him for not coming to greet you himself, he does not leave his room much while on tour.” CJ spotted some people milling around in the lobby already wearing Guns N’ Roses apparel and said,

“Oh no, it’s no problem, I get it.” Beta smiled and said,

“Come along then, he’s excited to see you.” Beta turned into the lobby and CJ followed. “It’s been so long since he last saw you. Mindy has sent pictures throughout the years of course, but he’s excited to see you in person.” CJ could not fathom why Axl Rose of all people would be excited to see her. She had been unaware her aunt had spoken some much about her on the phone.

They approached the elevators and CJ could feel eyes upon her. She turned to see a group of women standing in the corner watching her, unsmiling. A chill went up her spine as they glared at her. Beta took notice and said,

“Oh, don’t worry about them honey. They’re just groupies you know?” CJ had heard the term before but did not know what it meant. Beta leaned in and spoke to her in a hushed tone. “Groupies, they’re here for one thing.” CJ understood what she meant. “They know who I am, they see you, a young attractive girl, with me, and assume the worst. Don’t let them bother you.” CJ was confused and before she could filter her response she said,

“For an 80’s band? There are still groupies?” Beta laughed and said,

“Oh honey, you have no idea. Welcome aboard.” The elevator dinged and the doors opened. With one last look at the glaring groupies, CJ walked inside. As the doors shut, Beta said,

“I can tell you’re Mindy’s girl, you look so much like her.” CJ couldn’t help but smile to herself at the compliment. Only a handful of people throughout her life had told her that she looked like her aunt. Every time she heard someone say it, it was a boost to her self-esteem. While they often gave each other a hard time, Mindy was someone she aspired to be like. CJ knew she was nowhere close to resembling her mother in personality, but she had spent a long time fearing that she would resemble her mother in appearance as she got older. That was something she’d see in the mirror every day and wouldn’t be able to change or outrun.

The elevator brought them to the top floor, and they stepped out. Every room on the floor was double doored and undoubtedly suites. This must be where all the rich people stay. She followed Beta to a door at the end of the hallway. Beta took a key card from her pocket and swiped it across the card reader. The door clicked open. While much of her anxiety had dissipated with Beta’s warm welcome, there was still a lingering sense of dread. She felt as if she were stepping into a lion’s den. The room was dark and dimly lit. She rounded the corner and there he was, the world’s greatest front man, sitting in an armchair, smiling at her with an immense amount of pride.

#duff gnr #duff mckagan #slash gnr #saul hudson #axl gnr #axl rose #guns n roses #izzy gnr #steven gnr #GNR #80s rock #80s music #rock n roll

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