Grunge - The Deadliest Genre?
Byrnzie
Posts: 21,037
Interesting article here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/ma ... mike-starr
Mike Starr and the deadliest musical genre
Another grunge star has died young. Tim Jonze asks: is it the most lethal genre?
Tim Jonze
The Guardian, Thursday 10 March 2011
The tragic end of Mike Starr, the Alice in Chains bassist who died on Tuesday after a heroin overdose, might look like just another rock death. But for fans of grunge it was yet another reminder of the way heroin had blighted the scene ever since its inception in the mid-80s. After all, Starr wasn't the first grunge star to die early from heroin. In fact, he wasn't even the first member of Alice in Chains to fall prey to it – their singer Layne Staley fatally overdosed in 2002 at the age of 34. There are other grunge deaths of course – from Kurt Cobain to Kristen Pfaff – and the involvement of heroin mirrors the self-hating, nihilistic aspect to the music. But grunge probably isn't the most deadly of genres. After all, its story is more often littered with tales of survival – Stone Temple Pilots' Scott Weiland, Courtney Love, Mark Lanegan and Evan Dando all had their run-ins with the drug, but lived to tell the tale.
Music has long been a risky business, and the deaths often mirror the genre. For instance, the sense of freedom and adventure of early rock'n'roll contrasts with the number of artists who lived fast and died young in car or plane crashes (Buddy Holly, Johnny Kidd, Eddie Cochran). The sexual freedom of disco also had a dark side, as Aids claimed several artists (Sylvester, Dan Hartman and Arthur Russell to name just three). Elsewhere, metal's fondness for theatre seems to have resulted in a series of bizarre deaths – from the surreality of Randy Rhoads being involved in a plane joyride (they hit their own tourbus) to the demonic nature of the Norwegian black metal scene, in which Varg Vikernes murdered his Mayhem bandmate Øystein Aarseth.
Even when they don't die, metallers have a habit of getting ill in style. Take Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman, who had to pull out of an Aussie festival because he'd been diagnosed with necrotising fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease. Compare this to, say, Kings of Leon who recently pulled out of gigs citing a "torn bicep" at one, a burnt tourbus at another and – famously – being pooed on by pigeons at another. It's clear that landfill indie might be your best bet if you want a healthy life on the music scene.
You might think singer-songwriters were too well-behaved to encounter death all that often, but you'd be wrong – the grim reaper needs to take some time off there, too. Or, with James Blunt still out there making music, at least show a bit more quality control. Suicide took the lives of many greats: Elliott Smith, Nick Drake, Vic Chesnutt. Again, this seems to reflect the music – introspective, tortured, an expression of rage, but without the deafening volume and tempo to render it truly cathartic.
Perhaps the most health-damaging genre of all, however, is hip-hop, which makes a heroin-scarred career in grunge look more like a seven-day lentil binge at a yoga retreat. For those on the street, rapping about guns and drugs doesn't seem to be a barrier to being taken out by either guns (Biggie, 2Pac, Scott La Rock) or drugs (Pimp C, Ol' Dirty Bastard). But there are other, less documented, ways that hip-hop can mess with your health – especially obesity, which has delivered many a heart attack and claimed the lives of some, such as Puerto Rican rapper Big Pun. Once again, the mood of the music – living dangerously, then greedily – matches the deaths.
Indulgence isn't the only problem for the middle-aged musician who thinks they're past the danger zone, though. Josh Homme recently railed against a US healthcare system that left two of his bandmates in no position to afford cancer treatment – one of whom, Natasha Shneider, died in 2008.
"I've been beating myself up my whole life, but I'm insured, I know the status of my own health," Homme told the Guardian last year. "But even when you're insured, you still get slow-rolled. The bureaucracy of insurance has become its own problem. It's mystifying to me where it's all going."
The list of musicians caught without health insurance includes successful names – Funkadelic guitarist Garry Shider, for example. The moral of this story being that even if you do make it out of rock'n'roll in one piece, what's waiting on the other side could be equally grim.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/ma ... mike-starr
Mike Starr and the deadliest musical genre
Another grunge star has died young. Tim Jonze asks: is it the most lethal genre?
Tim Jonze
The Guardian, Thursday 10 March 2011
The tragic end of Mike Starr, the Alice in Chains bassist who died on Tuesday after a heroin overdose, might look like just another rock death. But for fans of grunge it was yet another reminder of the way heroin had blighted the scene ever since its inception in the mid-80s. After all, Starr wasn't the first grunge star to die early from heroin. In fact, he wasn't even the first member of Alice in Chains to fall prey to it – their singer Layne Staley fatally overdosed in 2002 at the age of 34. There are other grunge deaths of course – from Kurt Cobain to Kristen Pfaff – and the involvement of heroin mirrors the self-hating, nihilistic aspect to the music. But grunge probably isn't the most deadly of genres. After all, its story is more often littered with tales of survival – Stone Temple Pilots' Scott Weiland, Courtney Love, Mark Lanegan and Evan Dando all had their run-ins with the drug, but lived to tell the tale.
Music has long been a risky business, and the deaths often mirror the genre. For instance, the sense of freedom and adventure of early rock'n'roll contrasts with the number of artists who lived fast and died young in car or plane crashes (Buddy Holly, Johnny Kidd, Eddie Cochran). The sexual freedom of disco also had a dark side, as Aids claimed several artists (Sylvester, Dan Hartman and Arthur Russell to name just three). Elsewhere, metal's fondness for theatre seems to have resulted in a series of bizarre deaths – from the surreality of Randy Rhoads being involved in a plane joyride (they hit their own tourbus) to the demonic nature of the Norwegian black metal scene, in which Varg Vikernes murdered his Mayhem bandmate Øystein Aarseth.
Even when they don't die, metallers have a habit of getting ill in style. Take Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman, who had to pull out of an Aussie festival because he'd been diagnosed with necrotising fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease. Compare this to, say, Kings of Leon who recently pulled out of gigs citing a "torn bicep" at one, a burnt tourbus at another and – famously – being pooed on by pigeons at another. It's clear that landfill indie might be your best bet if you want a healthy life on the music scene.
You might think singer-songwriters were too well-behaved to encounter death all that often, but you'd be wrong – the grim reaper needs to take some time off there, too. Or, with James Blunt still out there making music, at least show a bit more quality control. Suicide took the lives of many greats: Elliott Smith, Nick Drake, Vic Chesnutt. Again, this seems to reflect the music – introspective, tortured, an expression of rage, but without the deafening volume and tempo to render it truly cathartic.
Perhaps the most health-damaging genre of all, however, is hip-hop, which makes a heroin-scarred career in grunge look more like a seven-day lentil binge at a yoga retreat. For those on the street, rapping about guns and drugs doesn't seem to be a barrier to being taken out by either guns (Biggie, 2Pac, Scott La Rock) or drugs (Pimp C, Ol' Dirty Bastard). But there are other, less documented, ways that hip-hop can mess with your health – especially obesity, which has delivered many a heart attack and claimed the lives of some, such as Puerto Rican rapper Big Pun. Once again, the mood of the music – living dangerously, then greedily – matches the deaths.
Indulgence isn't the only problem for the middle-aged musician who thinks they're past the danger zone, though. Josh Homme recently railed against a US healthcare system that left two of his bandmates in no position to afford cancer treatment – one of whom, Natasha Shneider, died in 2008.
"I've been beating myself up my whole life, but I'm insured, I know the status of my own health," Homme told the Guardian last year. "But even when you're insured, you still get slow-rolled. The bureaucracy of insurance has become its own problem. It's mystifying to me where it's all going."
The list of musicians caught without health insurance includes successful names – Funkadelic guitarist Garry Shider, for example. The moral of this story being that even if you do make it out of rock'n'roll in one piece, what's waiting on the other side could be equally grim.
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
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I rest my case on drugs.
Godfather.0 -
the article sucked,life is full of choices no matter what you do for a living and money will bring the good and the bad so musicians actors etc. have to make choices just like the rest of us.
read like one of those pissed off critics that blame heavy metal for youth suicides.....CHOICES !
Godfather.0 -
Godfather. wrote:I rest my case on drugs.
Godfather.
Re: Tobacco displays to be banned from shops
by Godfather. » 10 Mar 2011 13:09
as a smoker I agree that smoking around a non smoker is rude, it really don't take much to smoke away from the crowd but......if I am alone having a grit and you don't like smoke stay the f#@k away from me and I will stay away from you.
Godfather.
hey g-
are cigarettes like drugs?The whole world will be different soon... - EV
RED ROCKS 6-19-95
AUGUSTA 9-26-96
MANSFIELD 9-15-98
BOSTON 9-29-04
BOSTON 5-25-06
MANSFIELD 6-30-08
EV SOLO BOSTON 8-01-08
BOSTON 5-17-10
EV SOLO BOSTON 6-16-11
PJ20 9-3-11
PJ20 9-4-11
WRIGLEY 7-19-13
WORCESTER 10-15-13
WORCESTER 10-16-13
HARTFORD 10-25-130 -
Godfather. wrote:I rest my case on drugs.
Godfather.
Any drug in particular, or all drugs? What about weed? Has that killed anyone? Also, it's recently been discovered that ecstacy has no long term side effects, so what's your take on that?0 -
All the more reasons to really appreciate PJ and their ability to stay (mostly) on track.
no long term side affects to ecstacy!? really?Pick up my debut novel here on amazon: Jonny Bails Floatin (in paperback) (also available on Kindle for $2.99)0 -
Byrnzie wrote:Godfather. wrote:I rest my case on drugs.
Godfather.
Any drug in particular, or all drugs? What about weed? Has that killed anyone? Also, it's recently been discovered that ecstacy has no long term side effects, so what's your take on that?
my personal opinion ?....all drugs.
and the no long term side effects of X....I'll call bullshit on that.
Godfather.0 -
ed243421 wrote:Godfather. wrote:I rest my case on drugs.
Godfather.
Re: Tobacco displays to be banned from shops
by Godfather. » 10 Mar 2011 13:09
as a smoker I agree that smoking around a non smoker is rude, it really don't take much to smoke away from the crowd but......if I am alone having a grit and you don't like smoke stay the f#@k away from me and I will stay away from you.
Godfather.
hey g-
are cigarettes like drugs?
yes another bad choice on the road of life, do as I say not as I do.
Godfather.0 -
Through the history of popular music, I believe more jazz musicians died as a result of drug abuse than any other genre. I haven't done any calculations. Just guessing.0
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i like drugs, but you got to know if your doing heroin, it will kill you at some point.0
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BinauralJam wrote:i like drugs, but you got to know if your doing heroin, it will kill you at some point.
tell that to keith richardsThe whole world will be different soon... - EV
RED ROCKS 6-19-95
AUGUSTA 9-26-96
MANSFIELD 9-15-98
BOSTON 9-29-04
BOSTON 5-25-06
MANSFIELD 6-30-08
EV SOLO BOSTON 8-01-08
BOSTON 5-17-10
EV SOLO BOSTON 6-16-11
PJ20 9-3-11
PJ20 9-4-11
WRIGLEY 7-19-13
WORCESTER 10-15-13
WORCESTER 10-16-13
HARTFORD 10-25-130 -
ed243421 wrote:BinauralJam wrote:i like drugs, but you got to know if your doing heroin, it will kill you at some point.
tell that to keith richards
i think even god is scratching his head when it comes to keith 0 -
How misleading. The title compared to the actual article is contradicting. More and more I see this. It's like the author is using Mike Starr and the Grunge genre just to get the reader's eye, then within the text he admits that grunge is not the deadliest.
Sorry to disect, but it was painfully obvious.Byrnzie wrote:
Mike Starr and the deadliest musical genre
...But grunge probably isn't the most deadly of genres. After all, its story is more often littered with tales of survival – Stone Temple Pilots' Scott Weiland, Courtney Love, Mark Lanegan and Evan Dando all had their run-ins with the drug, but lived to tell the tale.
Perhaps the most health-damaging genre of all, however, is hip-hop, which makes a heroin-scarred career in grunge look more like a seven-day lentil binge at a yoga retreat.0 -
hey hey my my
don't forget about jim, jimi, and janicefuck 'em if they can't take a joke
"what a long, strange trip it's been"0 -
Jeanwah wrote:How misleading. The title compared to the actual article is contradicting. More and more I see this. It's like the author is using Mike Starr and the Grunge genre just to get the reader's eye, then within the text he admits that grunge is not the deadliest.
Sorry to disect, but it was painfully obvious.Byrnzie wrote:
Mike Starr and the deadliest musical genre
...But grunge probably isn't the most deadly of genres. After all, its story is more often littered with tales of survival – Stone Temple Pilots' Scott Weiland, Courtney Love, Mark Lanegan and Evan Dando all had their run-ins with the drug, but lived to tell the tale.
Perhaps the most health-damaging genre of all, however, is hip-hop, which makes a heroin-scarred career in grunge look more like a seven-day lentil binge at a yoga retreat.
I'll bet that sneaky son of a gun secretly works for FOX NEWS :shock: .......
Godfather.0 -
Exactly. One needs to separate those who over use drugs to those who smoke a bowl like they would drink a glass of wine!Godfather. wrote:the article sucked,life is full of choices no matter what you do for a living and money will bring the good and the bad so musicians actors etc. have to make choices just like the rest of us.
read like one of those pissed off critics that blame heavy metal for youth suicides.....CHOICES !
Godfather.
Both go well with food...Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V0 -
keeponrockin wrote:
Exactly. One needs to separate those who over use drugs to those who smoke a bowl like they would drink a glass of wine!Godfather. wrote:the article sucked,life is full of choices no matter what you do for a living and money will bring the good and the bad so musicians actors etc. have to make choices just like the rest of us.
read like one of those pissed off critics that blame heavy metal for youth suicides.....CHOICES !
Godfather.
Both go well with food...
Overall smoking a bowl is more negative regarding the damages it does to a persons body than not smoking a bowl. Smoking weed has many benefits, but smoking it still dangerous. This is science.
Vaporizing however, that is all types of goodness, extract the best of what's in the herb, without the dangers of smoke. Not only that, but it extracts more of the THC than smoking. Anyone try it? I bought a Volcano a couple years ago. Solid purchase
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBNvlf17TEw0 -
I bought this piece of shit a couple of years ago, wasted alot of weed in it and i didn't feel a damn thing.
Spent like $250 on it, down the drain. I've heard good things about the Volcano on the internet, but still havent recovered from the emotional damage the damn Vapir thing did to me to try it.0 -
BinauralJam wrote:
I bought this piece of shit a couple of years ago, wasted alot of weed in it and i didn't feel a damn thing.
Spent like $250 on it, down the drain. I've heard good things about the Volcano on the internet, but still havent recovered from the emotional damage the damn Vapir thing did to me to try it.
Yeah the Vapir is trash, for hand held devices I hear http://my-iolite.com/ is best. A buddy of mine gives it a thumbs up. But Volcano is really the way to go, it cost quite a bit, but it's built well (Made In Germany) and is highly consistent.
Mind blowing good
Only downside people have with it is the price, but it's worth it when you consider the health benefits of using it and the herb you can save with it. Get one, you will love it!!0 -
MrAbraham wrote:BinauralJam wrote:
I bought this piece of shit a couple of years ago, wasted alot of weed in it and i didn't feel a damn thing.
Spent like $250 on it, down the drain. I've heard good things about the Volcano on the internet, but still havent recovered from the emotional damage the damn Vapir thing did to me to try it.
Yeah the Vapir is trash, for hand held devices I hear http://my-iolite.com/ is best. A buddy of mine gives it a thumbs up. But Volcano is really the way to go, it cost quite a bit, but it's built well (Made In Germany) and is highly consistent.
Mind blowing good
Only downside people have with it is the price, but it's worth it when you consider the health benefits of using it and the herb you can save with it. Get one, you will love it!! gona have to run this by the wife tonight. 0 -
BinauralJam wrote:MrAbraham wrote:BinauralJam wrote:
I bought this piece of shit a couple of years ago, wasted alot of weed in it and i didn't feel a damn thing.
Spent like $250 on it, down the drain. I've heard good things about the Volcano on the internet, but still havent recovered from the emotional damage the damn Vapir thing did to me to try it.
Yeah the Vapir is trash, for hand held devices I hear http://my-iolite.com/ is best. A buddy of mine gives it a thumbs up. But Volcano is really the way to go, it cost quite a bit, but it's built well (Made In Germany) and is highly consistent.
Mind blowing good
Only downside people have with it is the price, but it's worth it when you consider the health benefits of using it and the herb you can save with it. Get one, you will love it!! gona have to run this by the wife tonight.
Provide her with the scientific evidence :ugeek: Let me know how it works out for yea 0
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