It’s true. That headline is not in the least bit hyperbolic. During a phone interview with Rolling Stone‘s Andy Greene, Wayne Coyne went to pretty great lengths to diss Win and his troops. According to Rolling Stone, the Flaming Lips frontman and Green were talking about “the movers and shakers in the music world” when the subject shifted from Brian Eno to Radiohead to Arcade Fire (of course). RS also notes that “Coyne is not comparing Eno to the Arcade Fire — Eno was just a talking point.” He actually has many talking points.
Via Rolling Stone:
“I’m a fan of them on one level, but on another level I get really tired of their pompousness … We’ve played some shows with them and they really treat people like shit. Whenever I’ve been around them, I’ve found that they not only treated their crew like shit, they treated the audience like shit. They treated everybody in their vicinity like shit. I thought, ‘Who do they think they are?’ I don’t know why people put up with it. I wouldn’t put up with it. I don’t care if it’s Arcade Fire or Brian Eno. If either of them walked into a room and treated people like shit I’d be like, ‘Fuck you, get outta here.’
… People treat Arcade Fire like they’re the greatest thing ever and they get away with it. Those sort of opinions change my view of their music. They have good tunes, but they’re pricks, so fuck ‘em. Who does Arcade Fire think they are? I’ve been around groups. I’ve been around the Edge from U2 and he’s the fucking sweetest guy ever. I was around Justin Timberlake when he was young and he was just a normal, nice, kind person. Anyone can be polite and kind and people who have the privilege and money and attention should understand that. If they don’t, then fuck ‘em.”
Party on, Wayne. [Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty]
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This is just ridiculous.
God, I’ll never look at Wayne Coyne the same way ever again. What a bitch.
Win’s response was more diplomatic than was deserved, IMHO.
Wow, Wayne is really on a snarky streak….
From Daily Star:
?I?ve never got Arctic Monkeys – they seem too much like a British thing to me. They?re like Oasis whereby Americans can?t really relate to them. Lots of British people like it but not for me, and I don?t like Razorlight or Duffy much either.?
Possibly realizing he came off as an anti-Britite, Coyne clarified his statement by saying some of his best friends are British: ?I prefer Radiohead – they deserve to win a Grammy. And I?m still a fan of Amy Winehouse but hope she doesn?t become too much of a drug addict.?
Granted, this is from this past December, but preach on brother Wayne! who else is a prick?
Always thought about Wayne as nice guy. but hey, no nice guy would talk shit about someone else.
Honestly, I hope this never ends. I’m having such a good time reading all these comments. NEVER CHANGE, my people, never change.
Doesn’t anyone feel obligated to say, “But Grizzly Bear treats people even less like assholes than Animal Collective”?
I think if anyone’s going to get top marks for being cool as fuck on and off the stage it’s going to be Grizzly Bear.
wait- i saw Flaming Lips at Sasquatch and Wayne was the biggest dick ever!
Wow, who invited all the 12 year old girls to stereogum?
So I feel like I must chime in about all this as I’m probably the most qualified person in North America to post on this thread – but Win Butler is my best friend in the whole world and he would never do anything mean to anyone. one time we were out at a show and he punched me in the stomach so hard my glasses fell off, but after wards he bought me a shot and apologized and started crying his eyes out – then he told me he punched it because he was just so frustrated about how awful his fans were compared to other bands fans… then we went for a walk in a woodland area and Wayne Coyne was there trying to communicate with squirrels but the squirrels were angry at him because he didn’t have anything to give them – so Win went up to them (the squirrels) and gave them some seeds that he had in his coat pockets and the squirrels got up on his shoulders and laughed – Wayne got down on his hands and knees and begged Win to teach him how to commune with mother earth and i have a feeling that this is how this whole mess started….
I’ve only seen the arcade fire play once, but they were very cool to the crowd. and this was at radio city music hall, they were encouraging everyone to come forward and dance and pleading with the security to let people come forward. and this was a sold-out stuffed full packed as could be crowd at a really prestigious venue, they didn’t have to bother, you know? I think people just have different routines, and they see someone act in a way that’s not part of their own routine and they just make assumptions. a performer may have a rapport with their associates and crew that someone else just wouldn’t understand by glancing at it here and there.
Arcade Fire are just so goddamn pretentious. Shut up, my God, the music is insufferably overblown. OH MY GOD MY PAIN AND SUFFERING AHHHHHH MY GRANDMOTHER DIED ITS THE END OF THE WORLD
Given that the Soft Bulletin is God, Wayne Coyne’s opinion counts more, and is in line with what I expect from Win Butler, AKA Jesus in his own mind.
In the future, if you;d like people to take you seriously try the following.
1. Don’t comment on music you havent heard.
2. If you have HEARD it you should also try to listen to it.
3. Instead of moving on to the next hot thing spend some time with it. I know you downloaded it and music is disposable, but if you want to be listened to… yeah.
In closing, its obvious you didnt pay much attention to the actual content of Funeral. Maybe you just saw the title or something? Heard some strings? Either way, your not doing yourself any favors.
Way to fail, sir.
1. I’ve heard the Arcade Fire.
2. I’ve “listened” to the Arcade Fire.
3. I BOUGHT FUNERAL! I’m almost gleeful at the fact that ALL of your assumptions are false.
I paid attention. I actually like “Crown of Love”, and “Neighborhood #2″. But compared with the rapturous response they’ve received, they flat-out suck. Purely musically, what I hear is thin, boring barely-songs dressed up in 16 tons of accoutrements. Usually the most boring chords and melodies, and NEVER any interesting harmony. It’s almost a sacrilege to play the things they do on enormous pipe organs, it’s like, this two chord piece of nothing DOES NOT WARRANT ALL THIS INSTRUMENTATION!!
The point is this: to pale, insufferable internet hipsters, a pale, constantly weeping Canadian ghost is the highest form of artistic expression. For me, I enjoyed a few listens and didn’t want to hear it again. For everyone else, it’s so overblown and self-important as to be ridiculous.
o rly? this is all from rolling stone’s interwebz page? i wasn’t aware they were still writing about music. are they still a magazine? i can’t find it on newsstands, it’s as if it’s been shrinking or something.
The comments about “Oh, *insert name here* is RIGHT because their music IS GOD!” are null and void, because everyone has different music tastes, whatever, that doesn’t matter in relation to this argument.
It’s like beatlebum said. So many people are banging on about how Wayne is the nicest guy ever. But if you publicly slag off ten people who you’ve met once before in your life, then are you really a nice guy? No. If you talk down about someone else; regardless of who that person is, regardless of who you are and regardless of how well you know them, then I’m not going to like you very much. I’ll think that you’re a bitch.
So Wayne, I think you’ll find it is you, Sir, who is the arsehole. One thing which can be said for Win Butler: he has never pulled anything like this petty grapple for publicity. Even if you hate the guy, you?ve got to give him that.
Win Butler would never in a million years pull this crap about Coyne, no.
That’s all I need to know.
I love that one of the only commentor’s here with any actual first hand bad experiences of Win is the basketball guy.
It’s a small, small internet.
I love both these bands so this makes me really sad. I grew up w/ Winn from Arcade Fire, he was my sister’s best friend. When he was younger he was always a really sweet kid and not pompous in the least. I can’t believe he would have changed that much since the last time we saw him like 3 years ago. Honestly, I just hope this is a misunderstanding.
seems believable to me . . . I heard that Win eats Hatians
never talk with the best guy ever
yeah Win does eat Haitians, good knowledge.
Jesus, has every Arcade Fire fan “personally met” or “had the chance to hang out with” the band?
Quite a few of us, yeah.
Which is probably part of the reason we’re so surprised to learn how shit we’ve been treated…
Fuck Wayne Coyne.
I saw both The Arcade Fire and The Flaming Lips on different occasions at The Hollywood Bowl. And y’know what, Wayne Coyne treated his audience like shit. He was way more interested in the audience being alive enough for the DVD they were filming and he kept demanding that we sing along or cheer louder. If they played better, we would have. He came across like a real ass – totally full of himself and selfish.
Wayne always does this. Usually says something along the lines “Come on, you motherfuckers! All we have is now!” I only know this after seeing them a few times. It’s his thing.
I know I was super pissed when Win shook my hand and signed my ticket and told me jokes, or when Sarah posted recipes for me to enjoy, or when Jeremy personally responded to a drunken poem I sent the band, or when Richard Reed handed me their setlist, or when Will suggested random and delightful Prague Rock. Please stop being an ass hat.
this has all turned into a who’s better-arcade fire-or-flaming lips deal and if you want to go there arcade fire is an overrated immature band verses the flaming lips, one of the major success stories of what was once indie rock of the 90′s
EVERYONE IS WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHING.
I am kind of surprised by how adamantly Stereogum readers seem to be pro FLips
Wayne’s right. Don’t believe me? Just ask the trail of house sound guys they left in their wake on their first few Canada tours. Holy shit. Once saw them soundcheck for *hours* before *reaming* the house guy. They also insulted me and my crew loudly and within earshot too (and not just on our work, but on the way we looked and talked, like, screw you, you upper class shits, sorry if I’m not “hip”). Worst. Band. To. Work. With. Ever. Fucking Princesses think they’re Geniuses/Music Angels from Heaven. I’ve worked with much bigger bands and have always been treated with respect (not AF though)
Oh, and they don’t lift a finger either. Ask them a question and they roll their eyes, don’t say anything and you get bitched out for putting something in the wrong place. GAH – years later and I’m still so fucking pissed about how shitty they were. I’ve never listened to the Flaming Lips, but I’m sure as hell going to start.
So playing some kind of “musican/asshole detective” is what maintains your nicest-guy-ever” stats?
In the words of the Virgin Mary: “Come again”
I don’t know Arcade Fire, but I know Wayne stopped to talk to me in a driving rain and shrugged off his own handlers to take some time to sign their Fearless Freaks DVD. Pretty cool in my book.
Wayne and win are two of my biggest heros and influences, how weird that now they are in a feud now. Both bands are really one of the same. The big elaborate, instrumental arrangements, the sounding amazing on stage, but no matter how serious the song is, they still have fun. I saw Arcade fire at Randall’s island and it was the greatest thing I have ever seen. Win shook my hand before the show started. How is that not nice? In fact, it was the complete opposite. But Wayne has never been a dick, right? And he never disses anybody. And I have yet to see the lips. I am so confused of what is going on, and I hope they get over their differences and play a show together. How great would that be? Arcade fire playing with anybody is great.
Also, on win’s blog, it seamed that he was a big flaming lips fan, and he didn’t trash wayne back. Doesn’t sound like a dick to me.
i’m sorry but arcade fire are just not even in the same ballpark as the flaming lips Look into your souls you know this to be true
I too was at that Flaming Lips show at the Hollywood Bowl when he annoyingly ranted on and on “Come on everyone stand up and make some noise for the dvd…” it was absolutely pathetic and lame. He sucks and needs to shut his mouth.
This band should have came/ went years ago! Fuck me we are desperate . . . this band is finished -
Win, Régine , and Will all came out and mingled with the crowd after their Greensboro, NC Obama rally performance last year and they all seemed really, really nice. For what that’s worth.
Wayne – 1
Win – 0
I’m just saying.
The Edge?? You must not be that cool Wayne cause you weren’t chillin with Bono.
This is because Montrealers are assholes. I know this because I am one. Read: http://thetragicallyunhip.com/2008/08/01/the-great-hipster-exodus/
Let me just say, I love Wayne with all my heart.
But by constantly pointing out other artists’ flaws he has shown us his own–being a nitpicking Nitty Nitpicker! Beck & Arcade Fire, prententious? Nooooo, say it isn’t so!. Cmon’ now…
Also, IMPORTANT FACT: Wayne is not one to be speaking on integrity. He doesn’t even play his guitar at live shows. Just watch the UFO’s at the Zoo concert DVD. He’s just fake strumming as a back track plays over the PA. I found that to be super lame.
And SECONDLY, the melody and chord progression of “Do You Realize?” were ripped from John Lennon’s “Mind Games.” I rest my case. Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone, Mr. Coyne.
The emphatic defense of the Flaming Lips is mystifying to me as well. This band is simply awful. Everyone makes a big deal about their “showmanship,” AKA a bunch of stupid-ass bullshit and dumb costumes onstage which barely distracts from Coyne’s terrible tone-deaf voice, while two other random dudes noodle around over a bunch of samples and piped-in muzak. While I am not a huge fan of AF, I will defer to Mr. Butler any day over this talentless douchebag.
The emphatic defense of the Flaming Lips is mystifying to me as well. This band is simply awful. Everyone makes a big deal about their “showmanship,” AKA a bunch of stupid-ass bullshit and dumb costumes onstage which barely distracts from Coyne’s terrible tone-deaf voice, while two other random dudes noodle around over a bunch of samples and piped-in muzak. While I am not a huge fan of AF, I will defer to Mr. Butler any day over this talentless douchebag.
Oops, I meant “which barely distract,” my high school English teacher would be appalled, even if it is just a message board.
PS – That big stupid rodent ball that Flaming Lips have onstage also sucks.
Hm. They were nice when I met them. I asked Win for a hug, and he gave me one. Regine did give me a nasty look though…
what is there to be gained from dissing other artists publicly?
don’t get it.
also wish i didn’t like reading about it so much.
a most commented article in Stereogum
Team Coyne.
I thought winning was good thing! Why every body argue about win?
Susan’s comments about treating local crew are SPOT ON.
Before they were super-duper big, they played my venue. I recall like a half-dozen phone calls arranging a much-earlier than necessary load-in/sound-check time. Come day of show — the band shows up four hours late, without so much as a phone call to tell us. Ya know, if your cell-phone worked well enough to advance the show, it should work well enough to make a courtesy call to the venue to let everyone know you’re going to be late.
Oh, yeah, so when they arrived, they demanded a soundcheck. But we’d already opened doors, so they looked like complete fools as they took their dear sweet time setting up and soundchecking.
I can veriify, from personal experience, that Wayne (and indeed all the Lips) are sweethearts. Very, very nice people. I can’t see Wayne going out of his way to comment on someone’s assholism unless he bore witness to some blatant assholism…
That said, everybody’s an asshole to somebody sometime. Doesn’t mean they’re assholes, generally speaking.
I am friends with Wayne’s wife, Michelle, and have hung out with Wayne several times. From what I know of him, he is all about his music and his fans. I have never heard him talk bad about anyone. Will he make you think about what you say? Yes! He’s all about keeping it real? Yes! It’s really a shame because Arcade Fire has such great music. I’m a female drummer and was really disappointed when I met Stewart Copeland, he was soo egotistical and I was shocked. As a matter of fact, I had a conversation with someone else tonight who told me Stewart was a total dick to him too. It’s unfortunate because he is one of my favorite drummers but, hey, it’s life! Sometimes people get away with things because other people kiss their ass, that’s just my opinion though…not to get all psychoanalytical. I appreciate Stewart for his amazing dynamics but not as a person. Wayne and the Lips are all about making their shows better for their fans and getting to know them. Anytime a fan approaches him, you would think they were family…that’s just who he is and what he’s about. I just think he expects the same ethics for other bands too.
“I have never heard him talk bad about anyone.”
Apparently, he only does that in public.
i agree with claims that arcade fire has yet to put out a great Album. is it just me or did anyone else think Neon Bible was the most boring piece of shit ever? i listened to it twice and can’t remember a single song from it. i don’t even know what i did with my copy of it…
i love the flaming lips and i love arcade fire.
music is music is music is music.
and sometimes,good music is conceited jerks. so what?
good music makes my ears happy.
Woah…
Heavy.
I have no idea if Arcade Fire are assholes, but I take issue with Coyne’s statement that they have “great tunes.” They don’t. They have overblown, whiny, pretentious tunes that suck harder than the most powerful Hoover. Arcade Fire suck 10,000 pounds of ass. Period.
Does it matter whether or not they’re assholes as long you like their music? It’s not like they’re living with you.
I think Win and his brother are from Texas, Arizona or similar and not Canadian in any cultural sense.. ie their sense of politeness. I don’t think many Canadians would make a person get out of their car and walk so they could have a private conversation, although I understand this would not be out of character for a Texan….. on the other band members not being very friendly, it may be more awkwardness on their part, some Canadians just don’t know what to do when a super friendly stranger approaches them, it just doesn’t happen in Canada.
I’ll say one thing, that’s the pot calling the kettle black coming from this man. Growing up in Oklahoma, I had plenty of experiemces with “Wayne’s Army” and his whole “I’m the Big Fish in the Little Pond” attitude. Why did Jonathan leave the band? Wayne’s an asshole. Why did Ronald leave the band? Wayn’es an asshole. Fuck, when Michael was trying to start his own project w’ some friends of mine he threatened to fire frie him. Why? Because he’s an asshole. What else does that make him? A fucking hypocrite.
Add to the Exeter Rock genre Old Crow Medicine Show. Also have to add John Forte. Pretty good company. But Arcade Fire is a Montreal Band, made for Montreal types with unlined hands. Many of the Exeter folks are on financial aid, but they’ll all probably have kids that you could level your criticism at!
Hey, Exeter Rock includes John Forte and Old Crowe Medicine Show and Susie Suh. Check ‘em out, homes!
I heard a story once about Win Butler dissing QOTSA at a bar in europe, saying the band was terrible and Josh Homme was standing behind him. So josh supposedly slammed Butlers face into the table and said “Dont talk shit fucker”….
Fart
Hmm this is tough to believe even though I really like Wayne & Flaming LIps but am also a big fan of Arcade Fire. It’s tough to believe because I met & talked & even danced with Arcade Fire in 2007 at a meet & greet after their show & they couldn’t have been nicer to me & all their fans & their crew. I think Wayne took their being a little too serious for being rude.
i didn’t have time to read all the comments but in case this hasn’t been brought up, does anyone recall that story about Win Butler being a dick and stealing someone’s basketball?
http://acephalous.typepad.com/win-butler-needs-to-give-my-basketball.html
SUBSTANCE!
apparently i was beaten to the punch on the Win-is-a-dick-he-stole-my-basketball story, my bad.
Don’t ask why this is from starpulse.com. I really, really like Beck’s response.
http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2006/10/15/beck_i_was_shocked_by_coyne_attack
Cult rocker Beck was “totally surprised” when The Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne slammed him in an interview.
The Loser singer found the attack unexpected because the pair had got on so well during their year-long joint tour. In a recent interview, Coyne said, “Being around Beck, I did get the feeling that he’s just removed from everyday existence. “Beck didn’t treat people badly, he was just so oblivious to other people’s lives. None of it’s horrible. He’s not a Nazi or anything. He’s just a little inconsiderate. To be considerate you have to have some idea of what’s going on. I mean, we’d be set to rehearse from noon till midnight every day. And there’d be days when he wouldn’t show up at all, and he doesn’t call. I mean, we have cellphones.”
In response, Beck says, “I was totally surprised, the last time I’d seen him, he was like, ‘I love you like a brother, you’ve helped us so much and I’ll always be your friend.’”
But Beck isn’t holding a grudge against Coyne, saying the attack reflects his outspoken personality.
He explains, “He’s a showman and he picks on people sometimes. He does it to everybody, his band, his friends, anybody who walks in the room. I think in the press it comes off as an attack, but he’s just on permanent truth serum.”
He doesn’t give us any specifics to go on. For me, you gotta have some good reasons to hate on this kinda scale… I’m an AF fan & only a casual Lips fan, but I think my opinion would be the same if that were vice versa.
I’ve spent time with the band twice, once in Austin when they were filming the movie with Spike Jonze and at Lola a couple of years ago in Chicago and they were extremely kind, nice, available, and awesome. A fact of life It can get lonely at the top and you get hatters. Wayne loved your hits a long time ago and sorry have not had the success Arcade Fire has had lately “Do you Realize” the band may have a off day now and then no need to hate.
It’s 2012 so I am a bit late. I was looking for comment on AF. Then I got taken up with these comments. And can remember one occasion when I got dissed by a well known artist when I was introducing him in the Berkshires one summer in the early 1970s. Reading the back and forth here I wondered what it would be like if everyone met Bob Dylan on a bad day or any other artist when the spectrum of her personality was far to the nasty angels side. I guess it hits a button for me because I certainly do not form an opinion based on such stuff. In return I reserve my right to like or dislike a person’s work based entirely on what it means and does to me. Call me impossible but it makes appreciation a lot easier.
Wow, AF must be total bitches…Wayne Coyne is literally the nicest man in this bizness we call “show.”
Anyone who cares whether or not a band/musician is “nice” needs to go fuck themselves in the asshole.
I could give a shit if a painter is “nice”, if they make good shit I’ll be into it. I don’t want to marry a motherfucker. Just listen to their music. Get over yourselves.
This is one of the best article titles I’ve seen! :D