Band-Aid On Horseshit?
At Hiro Ballroom last week, on the same night Zach Galifianakis accepted someone else's bid on an ostrich-man painting just 'cause they offered more money than us, Band Of Horses closed out the night with a set showcasing some new stuff next to Everything All The Time favorites. But when the crowd was noticeably excited for "Funeral," singer Ben Bridwell made note, saying something like "Do I have to play this song again?"
Commenter DirtyPistol noted that at a recent San Diego show, Ben lost his shit over the same song onstage. DirtyP offered:
Yeah Ben completely lost it after playing Funeral in San Diego last week. I agree with him that San Diego crowds are TERRIBLE and he yelled "All you fucking kids don't move a muscle all show until Funeral comes on then you go nuts and take pictures/videos for your MySpace or whatever. Sorry but its so fucking annoying!"This being the golden age of Web 2.0, Ben's annoyance with fan-made videos was captured with ... a fan-made video. And a blog post by said amateur videographer, calling the reverb rockers "Band-aid On Horseshit." Cue P4K news, who contacted Ben to explain his side of the story through a friendly, photo-free Q&A.
Via Pitchfork:
Pitchfork: What's your take on what happened at the San Diego show? There were reports that you went off on this rant about YouTube and show tapers but that you later apologized. And this woman Rosemary wrote this blog post that includes a YouTube video of you flicking her off and saying, "I see you filming." I don't know if you saw her blog, but on it she said her new name for you guys is "Band-Aid on Horseshit". What do you think about all of this stuff?Here's Ben's side of the argument...Ben Bridwell: She seems like a big fan. I'm glad she could come to the show.
Pitchfork: [laughs] Yeah.
BB: Yeah, man. What happened was, beside Canes being a pretty tough venue to play for a band like us--
Pitchfork: Why is that?
BB: It's just really jock-y around the Pacific beach right there, and San Diego in itself is a bit jock-y. The vibe was just kind of weird. It just felt a little off. I know there were people there that were fans, and we had to put on a good show for them. But at the same time, half the room seemed to be filled with weekend warrior types.
You had this kind of weird mix of people, and unfortunately the venue is a bit-- the attitude of the bouncers and of the staff is not very welcoming to anybody coming in the door, whether you're playing there or coming to see a show there. I've been there myself as a show-going patron and felt that way before, before this band even started. So it's a bit of a fucking gnarly vibe there anyway, which made the show kind of tense.
But then you had all these kids up front, that seemed so disinterested in the show and didn't look up at the stage or anything. They just kind of sat there in front of the stage. Just seemed like they didn't want to be there at all, until we played "The Funeral". So all of a sudden you had these people that seemed so disinterested in the show all, somehow at the same time, pull their cameras out of their bags and start filming.
So I'm sitting there-- now they're really interested in this one song-- and they still won't make eye contact, looking through their little lenses, taping this one song for their blogs or for their fucking YouTube [accounts] or whatever, and it was just so annoying. It's like, this show is already going south, and these people that seem disinterested are only here to further their YouTube accounts or their blogs or whatever, and it just pissed me off.
It was really annoying. It was just scratching at the surface of what's happening to shows lately. Everybody's got a camera in their pocket, and they turn it on to just, I don't know, exploit us in some way or further their own projects or whatever the fuck they're doing with their websites and shit. It's become a little bit ridiculous, and it was just a bit unnerving, and [with] the situation with the show and everything, all the stars lined up and I got pissed off.
Pitchfork: Rosemary's take on it was that she was giving you guys free publicity. San Diego public television station KPBS's blog Culture Lust shared that opinion. Rosemary's argument was, "This band that I want to give free publicity-- I don't understand why they wouldn't want that." What's your take on that sentiment?
BB: I would say, if you want to do that, then go through the right avenues. If you want to do something, contact the label or something, and let's arrange something to do an interview or something. I just don't think that Sneaky Pete with the fucking camera is going to make too many friends, at least to me. I don't know where she's coming from. As far as I'm concerned, it just looks like someone trying to record a really shitty performance to post somewhere and embarrass us forever. I'm sure that she's really nice, and I feel bad that I got upset with her, but at the time it was so fucking annoying.
I don't know what to say. I admit that I was being a fucking asshole. I feel bad to single her out, but it wasn't so much her. It was mostly these other people in front of the stage that seemed so disinterested that kind of got the wheels turning, and once they all popped up with the cameras at the same time, I guess that's where it just exploded.
Pitchfork: Is it like that at most shows you guys have played recently?
BB: It seems to keep happening. You see it getting progressively worse. It's almost like the skateboarding community, where everyone's a fucking photographer now. You look at shots, and it's hard to keep the photographers out of the shot, you know? It kind of seems like the same thing with indie rock; everyone's got a fucking camera in their hand and, I don't know, is there no sanctity left for live performance with going to a show and seeing it with your own eyes and remembering it? Do you have to tape every second, or even just your favorite song? I understand it, but it's becoming annoying.
Pitchfork: Most of the YouTube clips you see of bands performing live aren't even very good quality.
BB: It's terrible! You can never hear anything!
Pitchfork: Maybe you guys should just pull a Fugazi, stop the shows when that happens and tell people to quit it.
BB: I see it as a bit of a problem. I'm not sure how other bands feel about it, but at the same time, I don't want to be a baby here and start getting all preachy on people. I understand that fans want to take a piece of the show home with them, so I understand both sides of the argument.
Nothing like an onstage tantrum to bring an issue to a head. We're sure Ben's not alone here, though bands should be so lucky to have a hit on their hands that inspire front-row kids to break out the digicams. But we all know the weekend warrior types, and we've all seen the asshole that talks the whole show, and then mars the "single" with obnoxious "I love this song!"s throughout. True enough, a lot of fans and bands would like to see less cameras, and while staff could check for pocket cams, videophones change things. Everyone and their moms gots blogs these days, and that's beautiful -- gives people a venue for thoughts, fosters a democratic dialogue -- but everyone and their moms want that multimedia clip to prove their mettle.
The question then, from a fan's perspective: Would you rather go to photo/video free shows, or be able to experience a bit of a gig you couldn't hit on your favorite site (or ten) the next day? And as a band: Do you value free publicity? Or the ability to flick off your fans and have it be lost to the annals of time?
Posted at 9:24 AM in Video
Tags: Band Of Horses
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I'll never understand why people pay money to go to a show, or even a movie, just to talk or film shit. Probably because they're just using their parents money... ENJOY THE FUCKING SHOW PEOPLE! And that means ALL the songs...
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i hear what ben is saying about people talking, but you can't fault kids for getting psyched about their favorite song. these days, instead of applause, excitement is shown with cameras. that sucks, but it is a compliment, i guess. i don't need a million shitty youtubes of a performance, no. but i definitely can't be at all shows all the time, and there have been many a blog post featuring youtube clips that have made me a bigger fan of a band. and that makes me go to see them, which helps them make a living, i think. god knows they aren't making enough money on their records.
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It's "band-aid ON horeshit"
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even better! prepositionally challenged, that's me. fixed, thanks Mike L.
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I saw these guys play with Iron & Wine (zzz) a couple of years ago. They put on a good show but BOH are merely Go-Bots to My Morning Jacket's Transformers. Anyway, they put on a good show and were definitely way better than Iron & Wine - for that matter the dude from the Fruit Bats who played solo that night smoked them all.
If Ben doesn't want people taping him, he shouldn't play shows anymore. Also, whether he likes it or not, he's a high-profile indie rocker and people are going to look up to him or admire him and want to film or take pictures at shows. Seriously, what's the big deal? I sense some other kind of issue lingering under the surface here. The quickest way to destroy your fan-base is to flip them off and berate them at shows (unless you're Darby Crash or Johnny Rotten).
Ben - get a fucking grip, dude.
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"But then you had all these kids up front, that seemed so disinterested in the show and didn't look up at the stage or anything."
"...it just looks like someone trying to record a really shitty performance to post somewhere and embarrass us forever."
"Disinterested" in "a really shitty performance"?!?
Umm, dude... I think there's a clue there.
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This guy is a fucking dickhead, honestly. There is no other way around it. He felt insecure for a bunch of reasons about the show and made a stupid decision. Is it really a big deal that Funeral is their most popular song? I just think this guy needs to fucking appreciate his fans a little bit more.
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As a fan I find the whole recording of the show only a little bit annoyinng, mostly just silly. I enjoy reading music blogs, but never click on the live footage. Generally, video clips seem more like proof that the blogger actually goes to concerts or they need to increase their number of blog entries than an actual resource for fans.
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It's such a snoby attitude to put the blame on the posers who only go for the hit song. What are you going to say in the front door? “Only true hardcore fans allowed”? As the ‘gum says, they should be thankful the even have a hit, which is the reason why these people pay the ticket to see the show.
Besides, free advertising via blog is very useful nowadays, as other posers will find out about the band, and go with their cameras to the next show, so they can post it in their blogs, and etc. I know it’s not the ideal audience, but it’s still an audience.
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I really feel for this dude. Nothing sucks worse than when my band sells our song to Microsoft so we can get it preloaded onto a really popular media playing device and then all of a sudden we get massively popular and hundreds of people want to put videos of us on their blogs. Almost as bad as when we're forced at gunshot to go perform in jocky (?) venues that we openly despise.
I hear you, Band of Horses guy. Really sucks that the internet had to come along and invent bootlegging.
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Oh man, sorry these kids paid to see you play man. That just sucks. God, can you believe them?
And they wanted to take videos of you performing? The NERVE.
Seriously, that blows.
You know what you should do? Give back all the merch money you made from that show. Seriously, give it to a cause that fights the production of camera phones or something.
I mean, who do these kids think they are, supporting you and stuff?
You need real, honest fans. The kind that download "Everything All The Time," decide it wasn't really as good as people said, and then don't go to the show.
At least they stand for something.
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It was really unfair to single her out, seeing as how even her recording can't avoid the other people standing right next to her, filming. However annoyed you are, you can't be a whiny turd like that. It's not good PR.
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it's too bad this girl missed the show they played at the mira mesa epicentre about a year ago. that show put this tirade of his to shame. not only did he go off on tangents every two minutes including his take on "gay cowboys in canada" and his personal score written for outbreak on a kazoo(?), but he also managed to not play ONE song from their first album. it was one of the worst shows i'd ever been to, and for him to even expect any fans to return to canes to give him another chance was beyond me.
i hate it when people talk through the show or are trying so hard to jump up and down to film their favorite songs, but cheers to Rosemary for standing up despite his uncalled for behavior.
san diego has weird crowds i agree, but still to generalize and categorize this city as jock-y? let's see how many of these jock-y people buy your records. i'm personally banning them.
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cane's is one of the worst venues in san diego. there, i said it. i never understood why "indie" bands play there when there are much more welcoming places like soma and the casbah.
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everybody bring your cameras to mccarren pool this weekend.
please
i want some entertainment and i know their music ain't gonna do it.
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umm, it does seem like this guy's being a bit of a dick but just to set the record straight: I was at that show at the epicentre a year ago and it was Chad Van Galen who was talking about "gay cowboys" and thier "cum stained jeans", going on other meaningless rants, and playing fragmented, horrible songs, not Ben from BoH. And yeah, San Diego does have horrible crowds, which is why a lot of indie bands skip it. I'm sure BoH got paid enough to play a "jocky" venue like Canes to make the you tube experience worth it in the end.
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The Go-bots and Transformers comment was golden and what do BoH expect when they put Funeral on the OC. As an indie band, you are asking that to be your song that everyone knows. He needs to get a grip. If he does not like it, then don't do shows.
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Dude has a point, but as a performer you must bite your tongue before you bite the hand that feeds. As a blogger myself I'll admit much of our coverage of music is self-indulgent and the excuse of "but we're promoting!" doesn't hold water for some of the more intrusive behavior of my peers.
A couple things here - Band acted like a douche, San Diego crowds aren't exactly ever bumping (try going to a baseball game...tragic), and peeps taking vids at show, or photos w/ cameras are wasting their time. Almost always comes out very shitty.
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Eh. He's obviously a bit of a jackass. Both sides have valid points. Crowds in San Diego are horrible, even at good venues like the Casbah. Canne's is a horrible venue, and draws awful crowds. Just a bad show, with a moody band member and a self-important blogger. It happens and is turning into a bigger deal than it should be.
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I'm going to get up in the front for their McCarren Pool show and film him play the funeral for sure. Let's wear youtube shirts.
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Hey dude, you're in Band of Horses, you're like the Semisonic of this decade. What the fuck did you expect?
You make a mediocre pop/rock record, you're going to get mediocre pop/rock fans. I almost feel bad for bands that go out there and play their first big tour and realize that it isn't the indie-rock elite coming to their shows anymore, but the 15 year old kids and college radio nerds that saw them on the OC or where ever it is people found out about this shitty band. But then they open their mouth, and you remember what assholes they are, and you just can't wait for them to take that inevitable slide into playing their lame almost-hit song at college spring fests.
In 2 years, you'll wish that venue would even book you to play there, you fucking pussy.
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"True enough, a lot of fans and bands would like to see less cameras, and while staff could check for pocket cams, videophones change things. Everyone and their moms gots blogs these days, and that's beautiful -- gives people a venue for thoughts, fosters a democratic dialogue -- but everyone and their moms want that multimedia clip to prove their mettle."
don't act so high and mighty, you are just as guilty, remember this?
http://www.stereogum.com/archives/the-rapture-get-myself-into-it-live.html
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I thought the incident was funny and he did come out and make a sincere apology to the crowd before the encore. I agree with him on the issue, but its also hard to fault people for getting excited for BOH's most well known song. SD crowds are brutally bad unless you are some god awful Sublime wannabe or Warped tour type band. Even crowds at the Casbah can be like that; seems like half of them are there to be seen for cred, show off their latest 80s clothes/haircut, or hang out on the smoking porch instead of genuinely being into the bands/music...
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The B.o.H. guy comes across as a bit of a shithead with the way he phrased his remarks, but I agree with the sentiment.. Cameras and other recording gadgets at concerts have hit saturation point. Some people seem more concerned about feeding their hi-tech device so they can watch the crappy distorted little video later instead of just enjoying the damn show while it's happening. With most of these fuzzy youtube.com clips you can see half-a-dozen other glowing LCD screens in-front or people raising their cameras every 30 seconds, it's ridiculous.. Can people just not trust that there'll probably be somebody else there who'll do a more professional job of documenting the event and leave their camera at home, or does everybody need 'proof' for their blog\livejournal\whatever?
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Considering this poor imitations of MMJ is one of the most overrated shitbags of a band to come around in a long time, this dick should be happy people get excited for any of his songs.
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I like recording videos at shows because I actually watch the videos later. And my videos aren't the motion-sickness-inducing kind you see on Youtube. I don't spend the whole show recording, but I'll always record my favorite song (or stage banter depending on the artist). Either way, that guy is an asshole for taking his anger out on a fan like that. The apology doesn't even sound sincere. And I don't know what he's talking about with San Diego shows- L.A. crowds still suck compared to San Diego.
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Poor Ben... while he and his band are talented musicians who deserve the recognition they have been receiving, I find it really difficult to relate to many of his points. Bottom line is no matter how talented he is, he should be appreciative that people care enough to record his performance. As far as his comments about San Diego being "jock-y" go, I think the lack of men wearing women's skinny jeans and truckers caps with ironic sayings on them caused discomfort. "We're not in Williamsburg anymore, Toto."
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To summarize:
Ben - eat it raw, buddy.
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As an avid shutterbug myself, I can relate to my fellow blogger. Procuring quality pix for our readers can be a daunting task. And the business of rock and roll doesn't always produce the most mannered of individuals. This trend began in the dawn of punk with the rude behavior of Johnny Rotten. That being said, BoH's Night Ranger influenced arena rock anthems have been ignored by the blogosphere for far too long.
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What a douchebag.
A show is a show and an indie rocker is an indie rocker. Fuck Ben Bridwell. If he can't handle playing a show in the venue that would book his band, he shouldn't fucking play there. Or he should send out a search party ahead of time to determine that the atmosphere and quality of fans will be to his liking.
One of the reasons bands like Death Cab and the Decemberists-- and possible other bands of similar sound--are getting huge is because of frat boy fans who sing along to the one song they know, like it or not.
If Bridwell's chosen activity bugs him so much, maybe he should get a 9-5 job in an office. Then he won't be a musician complaining about fans photographing him.
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I hate watching live performances on YouTube (with very few exceptions): I don't care how much I like a band, I just don't want to watch a video with shitty quality and poor audio interrupted by yelling and screaming by whoever is standing next to the person with the camera. It's like compiling the worst qualities of attending a concert. Live performances are best enjoyed... live, yes?
Does't make the man not sound like a douche, though. Singling out one person, and completely overreacting ain't good for the image. Though I do enjoy BoH's Everything All The Time.
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you are all arrogant douche bags.
douuuuucheeeee.
baaaaaaaaaaaags.
sure the guy should have held his tongue, which he admits to in the pitchfork interview. he apologized to the crowd at the show and to the girl he flipped teh bird to in the interview.
who the fuck says they are boycotting a band. you go girl. bring them down with your incredible influence on the music world. get the hell over it. you are the same people saying the new interpol isn't as good as turn on the bright lights. i'm so sick of this attitude where consumers and fans expect artists to cater to their personal preferances and needs...get off your sense of entitlement for one second and let artists be artists and people be people.
and for the last fucking time:
band of horses sound NOTHING like my morning jacket. it boggles my mind every time i read this. sure, it's not as bad as the comparisons to the shins, but come on...because a guy sings in a higher-than-common register and phil ek got a little reverb-happy, they are automatically a rip-off?
boh will have the last laugh when they release their new album and people get over this crap and realize what a great band they are.
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ben is completely right about how shows are going downhill. why the hell would someone go to a show to watch it through a camera? people need to understand that the artist is playing a full set and not one song for you to enjoy. with a band working to write songs that mean a lot to them, the crowd should have some respect.
hear dis. learn it.
band of horses rules.
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I totally agree with Ben, if I was playing a show and all people were doing was waiting to film my band's only hit, I'd be pissed too. U pay to come to a show, might as well friggin watch and listen with your own eyes and ears.
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Why are we insulting an indie-rock band over their number of 'hits'? Maybe it's a jab at some perceived careerism on BoH's part, but it seems to miss the mark of why most of us listen to music.
I think people flailing their cameras around also hurt the experience of other concert-goers. I want to be immersed in a performance at a show, not ducking around your viewfinder or living in fear that I might bump you while you take your precious shots.
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I was going to post a long rant, but then c. stated all of my sentiments exactly a few comments up. You people are hilarious. Get over yourselves. I'm sure all your blogs and hoodies are way better than all of BOH's songs, which are great by the way. Yeah, he fucked up. Get over it. They're still a great band. So is MMJ. Get a life.
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Band Of Horses is, sadly, caught in the wake of social and media change. There was a time when shows consisted of a good portion of "hits" and the audience responded enthusiastically. When the band would play "some new stuff for you", attention diverted and dissipated.
In I-Tunes nation, you can have a strong fanbase created solely by one song. I would wager that a third of the audience never heard a song by Band Of Horses other than "The Funeral". Then they responded. "Oh, I know that one!"
To the person who sarcastically said "Too bad that they paid to get in, so sorry they gave a damn for attending"... I get the gist but the core of it is still flawed. Going to shows and movies are as much a fashion statement today as it is an entertainment. Young adults flock to opening weekend because it is the thing to do. It makes no difference whether it is "Transformers", "Die Hard" or "Shrek 3". The bragging rights go to being there first.
Should I, as someone searching for the entertainment value, have to be subjected to their cellphones and yak-yak because they're only there for superficial reasons? Should I, as a fan of the band, be subjected to throngs who are only there for the big download and getting drunk on watered-down beer?
On the other hand, it is incumbent on BOH's and every other performer's part to deal with it. The genie's out of the bottle. Cell phone cameras are also a fashion statement and omnipresent. Albums are extinct and singles, just as it was in the 1950s, rule the music world. The next step will be big package, Alan Freed-type shows where thirty bands tour and each do only two songs,the two everyone know and then move along. This is inevitable.
I know it doesn't sound like an ideal future, but it certainly seems like the one we're going to get.
DwD
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Please give me photo&video free shows rather than allowing the constant flash flickering ruining both the bands and my mood. My 2 cents, anyway.
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You dont want photo/cameras at your shows? Ok no problem, how about the band do its part to lower ticket prices? Lower your appearance fee? But Band-Aid on Horseshit wouldn't dream of doing that.
Ben comes off as the worst the music community has to offer: a guy with a current hit who suddenly considers himself a budding Thom Yorke or something. Gee, get off your high horse (can't help it) and just play the show. If the flashes are beginning to bother you, do it AFTER the song and ask politely. If they don't, just mail it in and put the rest of the set on cruise control.
The bottomline: the price of admission gives patrons a right to a show and the artist a venue for their artistry and an audience to witness it. What fans/patrons do, such as taking pictures or filming it is their prerogative. If it continues to annoy you, hey...give up performing. Yes, your choices are really that easy.
By the way, this interview only cemented what a douche bag Ben is. I nominate Ben Birdwel for biggest douche in the universe. If all goes correctly, the torch will be passed on from John Edward to Ben (if you dont get that reference see South park season 6).
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As for the audience being too "jocky" all I can say is fuck you Ben. Just because everyone in your audience isn't head-to-toe in American Apparel doesn't mean they can't enjoy a particular kind of music. What a douchebag to write off fans for not being hipsters.
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A friend of mine went to see BOH in Portland a few weeks ago and was told that the band did not want him taking pictures before they even started playing. Also, I might add, he didn't have a digital camera. It was a film camera, so he couldn't get video anyway.
He just wanted to shoot some pictures of what he thought at the time was a cool band. I got a text message an hour later telling me that they were being douchebags.
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Ben Bridwell has just as much right to complain about his fans as you have to complain about his music. Whether or not you think BOH are talented is irrelevant. Whether or not you are guilty of videotaping/photographing at shows is irrelevant.
It comes down to the fact that people are selfish and rude when it comes to being entertained. Bringing babies to movie? Talking through an entire concert? Taking cell phone calls in restaurants? It all measures up to the same thing:
People are assholes who think that paying money for something entitles them to act however the fuck they want.
Bridwell overreacted, but so is everyone here commenting on it.
Oh, and can anyone express themselves without using the word "douche?"
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As much as I like watching other people's videos of concerts I couldn't attend, it does piss me off to be in an audience full of people with cameras. I just don't get it: will your experience really be enhanced if you watch it through a lense and then over and over on your computer?
Here's an idea: bands who care about this should make a "no cameras" policy at their concerts.
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hugo is a DOUCHE!
what does price of admission have to do with taping!?
where did he claim he was a "budding thom yorke"?!?!?!?!
ugh...
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I honestly don't see why everyone is listening to this Rosemary chick, especially since the best dis she could come up with is to call the band "Band-Aid On Horseshit". WHAT?! not only is that not witty whatsoever, it doesn't even make sense. WHY would someone put a band-aid on horseshit?
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yeah he seems like a bit of an asshole but i hate going to shows and just being surrounded by people filming with their teeny little cell phone cameras and what not the entire time. ENJOY THE BLOODY SHOW! those videos most definitely do not do BoH live justice. i'd go see them again without a doubt. lol and the "jocky"comments were just downright funny. you're only offended because you are one...
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