Nathan Williams’s beer-soaked non-performance at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound Festival was more of a mess than Psychedelic Horseshit’s anti-Wavves rant, if you can believe it. Pitchfork recounts the final minutes of the crappy late night set and directionless, off-key musicianship:
Finally, fed up with Nathan’s petulant behavior, Ryan ran out from behind his drumkit and poured a full cup of beer over Nathan’s head. The act would be met with their most enthusiastic applause of the evening.
At 3:00 a.m. sharp, having dodged their share of bottles and even a shoe (neither Nathan nor Ryan was hit, although Nathan likely made impact with some unlucky attendee upon forcefully returning the latter object back to the crowd), the show mercifully came to a screeching halt: Ryan ran offstage, throwing his drumsticks at Nathan. Infuriated, Nathan screamed into the mic, “Come back here, motherfucker, we’re not done yet!” Immediately, stage crew appeared, breaking down Ryan’s kit. “Fuck!” Nathan shouted, “Stop doing that!” They didn’t, so Nathan decided the show must go on. Helplessly, he strummed his guitar again, clearly intent on playing another song. But as he stepped back to the mic, he realized it had been cut. As the crowd booed, the house lights came up, and a defeated Nathan Williams threw his hands up and left, along with the few remaining attendees.
It was the band’s second date on a European tour.
UPDATE: Nathan explains his behavior on the band’s blog:
I think in the back of my head I knew I wasn’t exactly mentally healthy enough to continue to tour the way I have been since February. Honest truth is this has all happened so fast and I feel like the weight of it has been building for months now with what seems like a never ending touring and press schedule which includes absolutely zero time to myself. I’m sorry to everyone who has put effort into this and to everyone who supported me. Mixing ecstasy valium and xanax before having to play in front of thousands of people was one of the more poor decisions I’ve made(duh) and I realize my drinking has been a problem now for a good period of time. Nothing else I can do but apologize to everyone that has been affected by my poor decision making. I made a mistake. Not the first mistake I’ve made and it for sure wont be the last. I’m human. Don’t know why I chose the biggest platform I could imagine to lose my shit, but that’s life. You live and you learn.
[Photo of Wavves @ SXSW by Linda Flores.]
UPDATE: Video…
UPDATE 2: According to Wavves’ MySpace, the European tour is now canceled. Dates at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom (7/15) and P4K Fest (7/18) are still on.
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I saw them in Olympia a couple months ago. Worst fucking show I have ever been to. I just about asked for my money back, but I didn’t want to waste anymore time listening to a guy half as talented as anyone I ever hung out with in high school who smoked weed, played shitty guitar and thought they were funny. I can’t hate them wore. Fuuck Wavves.
what the fuck have you ever done?
I argue about stuff on the internet. I feel like that it is a pretty productive use of my time. Don’t you?
Haha, love the honesty, can’t argue with that.
maybe that dude Nathan will die of a drug overdose. that would be sweet.
So morbid bu I still laugh every time I see this comment.
I love how they note their “mammoth” tour coming up. I suppose it’s fair to say we can Wavves goodbye to these kids and the horrible slop they call music……Yeah, i did it.
he canceled today’s performance in lisbon, portugal
Horrible. This guy barely knows 10 chords and somehow managed to headline one of the biggest festivals in Europe not even a year after he released his first album (on cassette, how cool) just because Pitchfork hyped him. This is proof that anybody can make it if pitchfork gives them best new music tag.
Yep, just like the talentless Grizzly Bear.
THIS IS A GOOD COMPARISON YALL. GRIZZLY BEAR AND WAVVES ARE THE SAME. WEEZY IS HENDRIX. BOOKS ARE POINTLESS.
?:-/
It’s funny you’re talking about hype. everyone featured on stereogum is just as hyped. And what’s wrong with 10 chords? How many should he know 20? 30? Hank Williams knew 6 chords. Leonard Cohen and Lou Reed know 5. So what. Chords have little to do with a completed song. There are only 12 notes…
haha.
lou reed knows 5 chords?
fuck, pefect day has at least 5.
dude- you don’t know what you’re talking about.
pitchfork gives bands like grizzly bear and wavves high reviews because they’re awesome.
the wavves album wasn’t one of those that pitchfork just decided to hype– check other reviews http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavvves
and the same goes for grizzly bear… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_House_(album)
just listen and enjoy. yeah nathan williams acted like an idiot- & super unprofessional, but don’t knock the music
but what if the music sucks?
Which of the biggest europeans festivals have Wavves headlined?
Amateur band melts down..couldn’t happen to a more deserving group of “musicians”
It’s scary how hype can make a big deal out of a band too soon. I mean, i can’t really fault Pitchfork for recommending something they like. That’s what they do. No harm there. Once they do, however, what happens next is completely out of their hands. And then we have bands that probably could have used some more humility having meltdowns on stage. FWIW, I thought the album was pretty good, but this is just a really odd side effect of having a lot of infleunce as a publication.
I respectfully disagree. I don’t think this is just a direct result of too much press too soon. I feel that gives this behavior too much credit.
From everything I have gleamed from the band’s live history, this is a pattern of entitled behavior that seems inherent in Nathan’s character. Look at the P4K Daytripping video. That alone set off alarms in my head, and this just confirms it.
Of course fame (well… loosely put) fucks with people, but more often than not, it exaggerates preexisting attitude issues.
I don’t mean to (weed) demonize the kid, but he needs to get over himself fast.
I thought Wavves Daytripping was HILARIOUS. Didn’t you? What should have set alarms ringing, imho, was the corporate monster that is SXSW, not a stoner kid’s bemused reaction to the clusterfuck.
And isn’t this meltdown so cartoonishly terrible, that really, it’s just awesome? I only like a few of Nathan’s tunes, but I haven’t had my interest held like this since Vivian Girls.
how is sxsw a corporate disaster? full of a bands trying to throw themselves into the corporate machine perhaps.
^^^^
yes, exactly. just because pitchfork says it’s great doesn’t mean all the booking agents and labels who sign bands based on these BEST NEW MUSIC reviews have to believe all the hype themselves but rather have a quality control themselves or an ounce of their own taste to determine if it is actually good or not. instead we get everyone hyping it up even more until the second album hits and everyone hates them, it’s like Jay-Z, a blessing and a curse.
Sorry to hear it. I think they’ve have an intense year and need a break.
Overhyped, true. Pitchforked and hung out to dry on a huge European tour, true. But hearing that a band you were never quite fond of loses it in the second-most laid-back country in the world: PRICELESS. Psychedelic Horseshit blow, but that was the greatest (and apparently now truest) interview ever.
…yeah and now pitchfork will help destroy the credibility they created by posting this ‘news’ article. I have no doubt that Nathaniel was being a douche on stage but pitchfork so obviously sided against him tonally in this article…and those pics, he looks like he’s crying even though he probably isn’t. It’s as if pitchfork wants to test their powers of destruction to see if they match their powers of fabrication. Whatever results, that kid has gotta feel sea sick right about now
Okay, not to be the Pitchfork apologist, but I think P4k is really not that megalomaniacal. That’s really silly. Sure they kind of broke down Black Kids, but I think they were just being honest about their lapse in taste then rather than “testing their powers of destruction.” Plus, if they didn’t report the Wavves meltdown, don’t you think it would be even more conspicuous? If the article carried a noticeable tone of disappointment (I think the word “tragically” was used), it was probably because they were understandably disappointed, like many people were.
Hahaha Pitchfork is PISSED. Just read that article and think about Jim DeRogatis’s comments about Pitchfork’s conflict of interest as they branch out to curating festivals, etc. (http://blogs.suntimes.com/derogatis/2008/03/pitchfork_founder_and_indieroc_1.html). There’s no way their next album gets anything more than two sad dogs and a :/.
all i can say is lets blame it on pitchfork. nathan is just one kid who was not built to headline big festivals, hell is music isn’t barely strong enough to headline the echo and pitchfork knew that.
i’m going to points down that comment. i sound barely literate. woops!
Your animated icon makes me feel mandicidal.
ahaha i apologize.
i feel really bad for wavves. both nathan and ryan. touring does not suit nathan at all. anyone who has seen them live knows that. whatever, i still think he makes really catchy and awesome music. noone ever calls out the the million other indie cool garage-lo-fi-noisy bands for making simple music.
I don’t know about that. If you watched the pitchfork video from a few weeks back where wavves walked around at a festival getting free clothes, food and beer, all while grunting at pretty girls and being a douche to interviewers, touring seems to suit him just fine. It’s the performing (and talent) where he comes up short.
i wouldn’t exactly call that the daily grind of touring.
Kid still came off like an arrogant, entitled dick. I imagine he only gets worse once it becomes a daily grind.
i think his apology probably says it all. he’s completely depressed. now can he get a break?
I’d call my self a wavves fan, but I think this is hilarious. Shit happens– and tons of groups exist that put out a great album but fail live, and fail at being a ‘band’
and wtf, we gotta move beyond the p4k shitslam. We all realize it’s limits and recognize that aesthetic sensibility, even if alt, will be centralized in some way or another. AKA necessarily evil. chill the fuxxs out ppl
Looks like Nathan is causing wavves. Lolololololol!!!
mo’ money, mo’ problems
Ha ha, look who posted the story…Mr. Ryan Schreiber. Does he usually take the time to post news stories? Looks like the lightening bolt came from Zeus himself on this one.
Ryan Schreiber is the William Randolph Hearst of indie rock.
Abominable live band. Completely unremarkable on record. Viscerally annoying in their contrived appearance and overall aesthetic.
I’m happy to see Schreiber taking a bit of responsibility for this one.
This guy can expect growing numbers of hecklers, particularly if he shows up to stuff like p4k.
too much too soon. this kid is young. has very little live experience under his belt then bullets to indie fame over some bedroom goof-off tapes. i actually like the records and when i saw them a while back in san diego…i was totally surprised that the show kinda ruled. everything sounded great. maybe it was the hometown crowd, although i’m pretty sure that most of the kids there were there to scoff at the new indie darling. anyway. whatever, he does seem like a spoiled brat and he certainly needed more time to mature/learn how to play live before headlining a fucking festival.
wow. has p4k ever had to run this kind of damage control before? and the fact that so many posts saying this band is “overhyped”, go right to the source- pitchfork is overhyped.
That Nathan guy is was outperformed by his drummer during their live shows. But in general the music is just plain annoying.
I think this is the end of Wavves… too much too soon.
This is fucking hilARious. Haha. What a piece of shit “band” and you all went nuts out of fear of being caught not liking something you thought you should. What a pile of crap. Adios, goodbye!
I still think Wavves rocks.
After I saw the Pitchfork Daytripping video of Wavves, I noticed there was something up with Nathan. He was definitely off-putting. This just proves that his personality really isn’t great. I think this happened because of 1. the ridiculous amount of hype the young man has suddenly received and 2. his attitude towards the “fame”. His attitude is the worst part though. Money doesn’t all of a sudden make you a jackass, that’s your fault. The way he acted was immature. He needs to grow up before even thinking of touring again.
PS I enjoyed the Wavves album. It was fun, but that’s pretty much it. It is entertaining and nice addition to my summer playlist but I would not say they are a great, or even a good, band. They’re decent. That’s just my take on their music, nothing to do with his actions really.
http://bonafidewithheadphones.blogspot.com/
yeah i sort of liked the lp, but i was really turned off by the daytripping vid on pitchfork. they seemed dumb and uninteresting. not at all like guys i would want to hang out with. turns out that translates to the stage.
I would totally want to hang w/ this bro. In the day tripping vid, he’s just always going round, drinkin lots of brew, gettin free shit. Then at Primavera, he is just drinkin all the brews and takin all the good pills…definitely want to hang with this bro, but i wouldn’t want to him perform that fucked up…obviously
be serious. is your (and others’) insightful criticism that he doesnt have a nice personality. do you think this was bound to happen because hes a jerk or something? right, because everybody knows that all great musicians are just sunshine and charm. you wouldnt want to hang out with him? thank you so much for enlightening us with your illustrative assesment of his character, how else could we accurately judge a band without a proper assessment of how likeable they seem to be. get over it (everyone), the kid cracked, its an entertaining news story, not an opportunity to exhibit your infinite indie music wisdom. As for pitchfork (in general) its regrettable how much they serve as a shepherd for the ignorant poser sheep with which our society seems increasingly infested, but they have done more for this genre of music that anything else on the planet, and that is commendable regardless of what anyone has to say about their hype or trendiness.
tl, dr
Wavves was hyped long before Pitchfork. I’m waiting for his bathtub interview before I judge.
I totally agree with you, Mr. McNutt. Wavves were hyped like crazy all over this blog and all the others months before P4K gave them “best new music” status. They were just adding to it. Anyone who’s blaming them for fame being thrust upon Wavves too soon should see the whole forest, rather than just the one tree. Not that P4K doesn’t suck, though. The way they ran and posted that super embarassing summary of the show was really fucking lame and has effectively turned hype into schadenfreude.
Seriously, every 22 year old I know has that exact same personality.
You nerds suck.
lol at this.
Wavves = fail.
I can’t even get into this fellow’s music, I heard about what inspired his music (YES, THANK YOU PITCHFORK FOR YOUR POSITIVE REVIEW OF CRAP MUSIC), so I thought I gave him a whirl, and it was just too noisey and distorted to get into. I only heard “So Bored” and some other and it was brutal, Nathan’s voice isn’t even that great. But then again, his music wasn’t intended to be made for my liking.
What surprises me though is that Wavves was intended to be a BEDROOM PROJECT, his music wasn’t totally meant to be played live, he obviously knows how to put out a record, and I mean, if Pitchfork really really really likes him, then that’s your trouble right there. And thanks to Pitchfork for hyping him up it’s like “shit, these people WILL like me, now I gotta put on a show.” And here it is… BIG FAIL!!! Other than that, Nathan’s behaviour was quite douchey, seems to be quite an asshole if you ask me.
I like how his own drummer, and presumably, friend, dumped a cup of beer on his head. amazing. some people work so hard to get even a hint of the success he’s received and he can’t even keep it together while on a WORLDWIDE tour! bullshit!
I would love to see a video of this.
here’s a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3IxqXgchto you can see the show flying over him at 2:14. unfortunately no footage of the beer dumping or his end meltdown
no kidding, WHERE ARE THE VIDEOS OF THIS!????
Is it just me or does this whole thing seem fake? It seems like this kid is just trying to pretend he’s some Axl Rose figure, rather than actually being one. For one, I’m pretty sure most people with drug problems, especially people in the public eye, don’t go out and broadcast the exact combination of drugs they did before they performed, unless they want to be known for those problems. Drug problems seem to be things bands push under the rug until long after the band has split up. And the on stage fighting seems to be too choreographed to be real, again, as if they were trying to fake some big Axl-Slash riffs in the band. To me this whole thing just seems like young, over-privileged kids pretending their big, self-destructive rock stars, instead of actually being ones.
Straight from the WAVVES mouth (and since deleted):
“I think in the back of my head I knew I wasn’t exactly mentally healthy enough to continue to tour the way I have been since February. Honest truth is this has all happened so fast…”
http://thetapeisnotsticky.com/2009/05/wavves-apologizes/
Well, too bad for him.
I think the way this post has shifted to discussing the hype phenomenon is interesting. There are bands that honestly deserve it, talented musicians signed to small labels need all the exposure they can get. Some deserve it, other don’t.
That said, in this case what’s interesting to me is that Pitchfork’s editor, same guy who posted the report, went on ABC News back in January and talked about the “albums you should look forward to”, where he highlighted, amongst others, Wavves. So when the album came they gave it a merely good score, 8.0 I think, but were forced to give it a BNM label. Why? Hmmm, the editor went on TV and said it was good before it came out. At that point they couldn’t afford anything else.
Most of these new bands need room to grow and develop. When people are overpraising they can get blind-sided and fail to see they can be better.
This hype thing is nothing but a double bladed knife.
when the editor of pitchfork went on abc to talk about “albums to look forward to” he wasn’t just arbitrarily guessing about which albums would be good. Pitchfork gets copies of those albums weeks before they come out. In fact, anyone who downloads leaks would have heard Wavvves weeks before it was released. So he had already listened to the album when he hyped it. Pitchfork didn’t feel forced to tag Wavvves with BNM, it was planned well in advance.
Try months… Numerous Wavves tracks were floating around the internet since last August.
I know publications get early copies of albums for reviews. My point being that Pitchfork seems to have lowered the bar for a BNM label.
I just looked it up, they gave it an 8.1. To me that’s “merely good”, not worth highlighting that much.
Okay, Wavves so the reason you couldn’t play a coherent gig is because you mixed drugs and booze and it wasn’t due to your complete lack of musicianship? Gonna have to call bullshit on that one.
This doesn’t sound as epic as the usual Brian Jonestown Massacre fist fight, but then not everyone can be as fucking crazy as Anton Newcombe. More indie bands should study his meltdowns. They make a lot of these bands less boring.
Thank god someone is fucking up in rock music these days. I’m tired of all this safe, cute, and respectful shit. Give me a goddamn mess of a person again. It was more interesting.
I’m so
For some reason, the explanation/apology has been taken off his blog. Weird, man…
this is so sad
leave the kid alone
he fucked up major im sure he knows
enough.
Oh fuck, bro. Mixing all these prescription pills are like..oh man..they’re so like whoa, you know?
Why is it wrong of him to apologize and explain his actions? I respect the fact that he knows he fucked up big time, but I disrespect all of the fuckers acting like they know what it’s like to tour with a band and think they know Nathan personally enough to call bullshit on his “mental health”. Fuck all of you arrogant music connoisseurs. I agree that he doesn’t deserve the press that he’s receiving compared to the many other talented acts out there, but he’s a young kid figuring out his shit and trying to make a living off his songs which REALLY aren’t half bad. Give him a break.
Oh God, lol at ‘Ganondorf’ calling this dumb bitch ‘Nathan’ like he knows him.
pitchfork = payola
Wavves go back to san diego or wherever the fuck
Meh.
I still loved the album.
pitchfork did hype him, but barely as much as a lot of other (less well known) sites–those things filter to pitchfork, and then they listen, and blah blah blah best new music. and it is good, fun, catchy garage pop.
stereogum should do a special on Wolf Eyes and see how people react. I’m guessing at least 300 comments on how it “isn’t music WTF cmon imean where are the proper scale progressions?????”
I find it wierd that people assume that Pitchfork is somehow responsible for anything Wavves does. They just reviewed his album, end of story.
i sincerely dont get the hate for this kid. is it just refracted pitchfork loathing (which, by the way, is just as off base, considering they do a great job of getting a lot of great bands legs under them)? i mean, its some like 22 year old kid who made a fun, goofy lo-fi record that people are enjoying on some level? why on earth would that get people so upset? im not sure i understand it completely.
i mean, i dont love the record- but c’mon, it is fun. if you ever sat in your room goofing off with your guitar and getting stoned- its just a fun record to listen to. why does it have to be life and death?
It’s because people don’t expect the slack stoner with silly recordings to get a record deal and headline huge European festivals. It’s sort of insulting to hardworking, talented musicians.
People like what they like, as far as music is concerned. I’m sure there are tons of hardworking musicians out there, but just because they work hard at it doesn’t mean anyone’s going to, or necessarily should, enjoy or even care about what they’re doing. Hardworking musicians can, and often do, produce some downright terrible music, and stoned slackers sometimes make some awesome music.
My thoughts exactly.
It will be interesting to see how Wavves are received at P4k this year….
Because an album full of shitty music made by some stoned amateur isn’t worth paying the $15 asking price. Thank jeebus for rapidshare, it saves us from potentially terrible purchases.
Listen dumbshits, this dude is trying to live his dream and is acctualy doing something about, while most of you (myself included) are probably younger than 18, you just read internet blogs and shit talk the only pure thing in the world anymore, music.
the music may be pure, but the hatred on this board is using wavves as an example of the hype machine generated by pitchfork and mindlessly followed by other publications. pitchfork promotes something to appear trendy and informed, other critics will do anything to avoid seeming uncool and further the hype, and so stupid, forgettable, unoriginal music is deemed ‘cutting edge’ before people realize how shitty it is. it’s almost the same with matt drudge and the mainstream news media.
I resent that; I’m 21.
This is totally absurd. How can you have a meltdown on stage like that? You’re being paid to tour Europe and play music. Nowhere in there is there a mention of work. I guess those guys can’t wait to get back to flipping burgers and barely being able to make ends meet like many people out there. Some people really need to get some fucking perspective and stop being immature unappreciative douche bags.
More like they’re touring to pay back their label for distribution. And that ain’t happening now. Goodbye, rights to your own music; hello, record company GREAT SUCCESS! Man, indie music rocks.
what does this have to do with work ethic and being unappreciative? seems to me that the guy simply caved under the pressure of getting thrown into a festival-headlining slot roughly six months after barely having an audience. plus he was on a bunch of drugs, which i’m sure didn’t help. i probably would’ve fucked it up just the same.
in your defense, his attitude comes off as a little shitty. but i’m sure he’s not the only musician out there with a shitty attitude.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3IxqXgchto
Thanks!
Seems the biggest problem was Nathan’s mouthing off. The way he swings from side to side like a little kid makes the whacked-out-on-drugs excuse seem pretty feasible.
ANY PUBLICITY IS GOOD PUBLICITY.
BORRING
Blame it on the a-a-a-a-alcohol.
Just wondering why his drug and alcohol abuse are barely mentioned in the comments, in favor of going after Pitchfork?
Is “too much fame too soon” code for being a drug addict, these days? Just wondering here. Substances are this kid’s real problem. As someone who enjoys his music, hope he gets some help.
“pitchfork promotes something to appear trendy and informed…”
here’s your first problem. there’s no reason to think they don’t simply promote something because they genuinely like it- especially if, as you claim, everything they then profess to “like” is therefore ‘trendy and informed.’
Blaming any leg of the hype machine is lazy. like what moves your ass and let it be that. i mean, have any of you ever actually met someone that pretended to like something just to appear cool? i mean, don’t get me wrong- i’ve met fucking douchebags. they’re everywhere. if the argument eventually becomes- “well, only douchebags listen to wavves, then, ok? happy?” my response would be no, i liked it and i’m really not a douchebag at all.
People would love wavves early 90′s
pavement cracked each others heads open, shoved each others heads down toilets and threw lighted candles at each other, when they were at home.
the bassist from blur threw a beer at thurston moore and punched him. thurston moore didn’t flinch.
and they all got 10′s from p4k.
wavves’ intra-band beer dumping on head is so tame.
talentless grizzly bear? hm. of course, music tastes are relative, but i can’t but be astounded at how a band that’s recently grabbed my attention so firmly – specifically with their latest release – can be dismissed by anyone with a “talentless” label. i realise not everyone has to enjoy that music, but technically, musically, vocally – and even visually – they’re way more than decent. way more.
C’mon … he’s a big baby. So what. He’s young and obviously spoiled. This is just some tough love and he brought it on himself with a healthy dose of arrogance.
And even if he does “blow his chance” … big deal. He will survive and perhaps realize what’s really important in life….or die from a drug overdose.
We’ve found our new Fiona Apple. (minus the music chops)
You watch your mouth about Fiona Apple.
Sometimes… just sometimes when i read those comments i think most of the people here are eagerly awaiting meltdowns of hyped artists just so that they can say “i always knew it” afterwards and claim that these artists were ALWAYS overrated blabla.
fact is: he made 2 very good albums. i’m gonna see him live in a few days. hope his liveshow is good too.
I totally agree, I don’t know who Wavves is blowing at Pitchfork but the editor needs to know they can’t just be promoting shitty ass bands. Honestly, have you even listened to any of their recordings, it’s fucking horrible, even in the lo-fi aspect because it’s impossible to differentiate between the five chords he knows. I swear if we were to look into it, how much you wanna bet that the dude from Wavves is related to one of the writers of pitchfork. Damn this is like mainstream gone horribly wrong.
I guess i missed where this was a contest to know the most chords and have the most dynamic musicians possible. i think the line for segovia tickets forms that-a-way.
I think it’s weird that a group of seasoned music fans can’t take the reality that a) the most talented and b) the best/ most dedicated acts don’t make it to whatever plateau is so abhorrent for wavves to have reached. “deserve” is a funny word. you’re inventing reasons why he doesn’t just because you don’t enjoy the music- which, of course, is fine. it’s when I’m told it’s “pitchfork’s fault” and “its not right” because there are “better musicians that deserve it.” huh? tough shit. that’s sort of how it works.
i love when people say “oh man, have you even heard it?” YES! it’s obvious, braindead, catchy stoner/ surf punk songs. and? what’s the big problem here when it’s all boiled down?
i’m sure there’s a band out there catching heat that i feel the same way towards. you just shake your head. “what are people seeing here?” but luckily i’m a big boy and i can sort of see that it isn’t really anyone’s “fault” and that’s sort of just how it goes.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tsprayphotography/3577486065/
check out the stage
i think the nytimes article had a lot more to do with the hype than the pitchfork review.
good album, probably not worth seeing live. like a lot of bands.
ho hum
a real rock n roll band that plays with abandon and raw appeal should’nt need a fucking soundcheck – nor complain about it. if this kid is sooo fucking punk rock, he would’ve dealt with the situation and muscled through the set. this so-called “meltdown” doesnt surprise me. this kid has been dealt the “ejaculation over his music: treatment from the press, and to be honest – his music and live show is nothing more than regurgitated bullshit that doesnt deserve and ounce of ink.
What a terrible rock star. He should be able to handle his drugs and play an entire set. 1980s Steven Tyler can snort coke circles around him.
Yeah, Ozzy snorted ants and he has been in the game since 1968.
wow this is about as sad as the time my neopet died….
Pitchfork weighing their “powers of destruction” with their “powers of fabrication” is a nice way of phrasing it. Yes its newsworthy and they had to report it, but its incredible how easy it is for them to beat the child they raised – i doubt they will cover wavves after this – unless its another breakdown.
Here’s my take on it: http://flavorwire.com/23193/wavves-meltdown-primavera-youtub#respond
like i feel sooooooo bad for him.
only not.
That’s what happens hipster indie rock takes over. Bunch of college kids with guitars. A LOT OF JUNK!!!
I didn’t know Jim Anchower had a band.
i bet ed stringfellow, his booking agent, must be pretty pissed right now!
This band was hyped up to a point that they were not ready to be at. None of us are in their situation, so it’s unfair to sit behind our computers and say they suck. They don’t suck, they just weren’t ready.
agreed man and let this be the end of it. nathan’s music is what it is and i, for one, dig it. when everything being piped into your ears is over-polished, chart-hungry-bullshit, i crave nothing more than 90s-tinged garage rock. wavves were just one of the few bands that get put on a pedestal every year by certain music press and it’s clearly a lot of pressure to take, especially with douches like us scrutinizing their every note,
euro tour cancelled
Nathan, you poor thing, its just too much to be playing a dream run of shows, and to be one of the most hotly watched new artists around. A year ago you wouldnt’ve imagined to be playing such a slot at such a festival…get a grip
dude’s not a jackass, he just enjoys the hysteria surrounding it and i mean, acts like himself. pothead who likes to get fucked up and jam to the ability his talent allows him. i’m sorry that the ‘elitist’ population can’t see that and he has to suffer this debauchery.
new images from wavves at primavera sound: http://instorm.blogspot.com/2009/06/wavves-meltdown-middle.html
This guy is really into talking about how he has a drinking and drug problem. Which means he has neither. What a twat. And on top of that, they’re just another terrible drummer/guitarist band. None of these have EVER been good. Fucking STOP.
why does everyone hate Wavves?
http://spunkyasfuck.blogspot.com/2009/05/wavves-failles.html
They look really young. He fucked up. I’m not a fan, but it seems this pile on of schadenfraud is too over the top. Let the kid chill out for a while instead of rubbing his face in dogshit.
FUCK YOU WAVVES
while watching the (already mentioned) daytripping segment on p4k, i was struck by how viscerally i disliked nathan; he was monosyllabic, juvenile, blitzed beyond coherence, and incredibly ungracious for his remarkably good fortune. essentially, he was everything i wouldn’t want in a person i had to actually spend time around. so, my first reaction to this little catastrophe was definitely sadistic joy; on the other hand, i have to recognize that i am (as virtually everybody who reads this site probably is) a fan of numerous artists known for their gratuitous substance abuse, botched shows and out-of-control party behavior (elliott smith, anybody?), and that if i were actually a fan of the music, i would probably be busily excusing his behavior with some “art > all” ends-justify-the-means argument. so w/e.
All of you guys need to get a life. I agree 100% with Tuna Goat. WHAT THE FUCK HAVE ALL YOU GUYS DONE. Wavves were playing on a massive fucking stage in front of thousands of people and they’ve even managed to get into a position where a bunch of gutless musical commentators (instead of contributors) have discussed them so much that they have forced them to the top of a massive music website. All you idiots bad mouthing them are even bigger idiots for unknowingly contributing to the problem, making this so called shit band bigger by doing nothing but posting continuous bad-mouthing comments. Get off your ass and get your selves on the same stage as these guys and I’ll give a shit what you have to say. Whether Pitchfork propelled them to fame or not, fact is these dudes actually got off their ass and recorded an album that a massive fucking website that you guys can’t stop visiting thought was awesome… stop destroying music and make it instead.
you may be surprised to know that most people discussing music on internet message boards in fact have little musical talent and are not in bands. now get off your high horse and start working on that album.
Indie rock has become little more than an outlet for upper class urban and suburban kids to display their disgusting nihilism in whatever post-modern form of dreck they choose. I believe payola plays a much larger part in the indie rock industry than most people even realize. You know, most normal people have decent intuitive facilities, so when they smell shit, they’re likely to say it. So all of your rationalizations for why “underground” music is still a meritocracy are meaningless. This entire culture is little more than a collection of demographic marketing slaves, trying desperately to defend their phony senses of self, and that goes for fans of shitty r&b, modern country, and indie rock alike. I don’t feel any worse for this kid than I do Scarlett Johansen’s character in “Lost In Translation”.
1. Why blame Pitchfork? It’s all the people who made Pitchfork the definitive authority that have to take responsibility. Pitchfork may have hyped a band, but they didn’t force anyone to buy the, ah, cassette. If that site told me that dogs&#t smelled great, I wouldn’t bend down and start smelling it. Of course if they also told me other things smelled great that really did, I might give it one whiff before I decided with my own powers of judgement that it stinks. And thus…
2. Wavves stink. Big yawn on this band. I can’t imagine listening to their music and thinking “Hey! This is going to be a great show performed by people who aren’t at ALL douchebags!” I would guess quite the opposite.
3. Pressures of tourning. Ha! Come on, the kid is taking a drug cocktail and disrespecting a whole lot of paying audience members. Hopefully, the backlash will send them running back into their hipster hovels and out of the public consciousness. Bands like Wavves have a short tenure anyway. Maybe it just got shorter.
This dude’s super cute. His music — not so much.
isn’t this the same sort of backlash that vampire weekend got about a year ago? i mean, it’s pretty typical. anytime someone gets big praise it’s only a matter of time before the “indie” crowd turns on them…it’s all part of the tired cooler than thou posturing that defines any underground culture. once something is popular/accepted by an authoritative voice (in this case p4k) then people have to be cooler than that and discredit the work. wavves gets blasted for being “no talent, lo-fi, simplistic or whatever” VW got slaughtered for being “pretentious, white-bred, too clean, soulless” it doesn’t really matter. good musicianship or not there’s always gonna be a reason to hate whoever gets popular. why does everyone feel so threatened by other people’s popularity? does it really hurt you in any way? maybe if you’re a musician who’s not getting the attention you feel you deserve…but that’s just jealousy. someone else’s popularity isn’t stealing your audience. that’s a cheap excuse. i can’t even remember the big deal backlash before VW, but there was one…and there will be another one in about 9 months….then 9 months after that….it’s just music people. listen to what you like, make the music you want to make, see the shows you want to see….it’s all pretty harmless really.
I agree that part of the backlash is just the standard indie posturing many of us are guilty of from time to time, but there’s something else- there are A MILLION truly brilliant, gifted people out there doing fantastic work who will NEVER get the recognition this young man already has because they live in the wrong place, didn’t grow up with money or connections or a sense of entitlement, maybe aren’t good-looking enough, aren’t trendy enough, aren’t social enough, or whatever other reason that kids like this get thrust into the spotlight before they’ve come up with even one really great song. THAT’s the emotional crux of the whole backlash. People know that the indie rock game is rigged and they don’t like it. Instead of authentic creative genius being offered to us, we get rich kids exercising their class prerogatives via the airwaves. The only thing anyone CAN do about it is POINT IT OUT AND COMPLAIN ABOUT IT. I could name 20 friends of mine right now who actually deserve these opportunities. That’s the real problem people have with yer Vampire Weekends and Wavveses and whatever.
i’m not so sure though that the indie rock game is rigged any more than anything else. that’s life. sure i also have plenty of talented friends who haven’t rocketed to fame overnight (myself included). some of them slog it out on the road 200+ days/year…some just keep making music, playing local shows and recording songs. one band’s “stardom” really isn’t affecting other musicians chances. people rocket to fame because they’re in the right place at the right time. it doesn’t mean it’s the best music…it just caught the attention of whatever mood was in the air.but i think it’s problematic to blame an artist for getting shot through the hype grinder…regardless of how you feel about someone’s music…they’re making the music they believe in and have just as much right to try and find success as anyone. i dont agree that the only thing we can do is point out “injustices” and complain…what we can do is not support artists that we dont believe in. freaking out because someone doesn’t agree with you is kind of pointless and silly. stuff like this doesn’t ever seem fair…but it can’t change. there will always be more musicians than there’s room in the marketplace to support…some brilliant work will always fall through the cracks….i think it’s safe to argue that today’s digital media network allows far more musicians to be heard than at any other time in history. your 20 friends have a much better chance of reaching an audience than they would’ve 10 years ago. i just think whining about it is a waste of time…and it come across as petty jealousy….make music, play it, tour. buy records you love, go to shows…that’s all you can REALLY do.
maybe you’re right, I don’t know. It’s hard to swallow a lot of the time, though. And when people like this top it off with having shitty, entitled attitudes, it just makes it even harder to bare. I know a lot of people who have worked really hard and made amazing music who I know will never ever attain anything resembling the success their work merits. Am I not allowed to be upset about how unfair the whole thing is?
As far as rigging- I can’t prove it, no. But I suspect payola happens. It’s just so conspicuous that you repeatedly see the same damn blogs and publications hyping the same people at more or less the same time. It just all seems so unlikely. There are plenty of great artists to choose from. Why does everyone need to shit their pants about Wavves or Viv Girls or whatever all in concert? I mean I know groupthink and zeitgeist play into it, but really, it’s absurd how every press entity seems to always be interested in the same thing at the same time. I know publicity campaigns have a lot to do with it. But really, it’s absurd, on a basic level.
it can be disheartening and it’s certainly tough to watch your friends work so hard and struggle to get heard while others seem to fall into success. but after a while it just seems like the way the world works, ya know? i dont know how old everyone is around here, but i’ve been involved in underground music scenes for over 15 years. it isn’t fair…there’s no justice…and of course you have the right to get upset…but is it really worth the energy? i’m not sure about the payola type stuff. i dont really think its that insidious. as wide spread as we all feel like this “indie rock” thing is…it’s still a relatively small community. and people look to trusted voices “so and so likes a lot of the same music as me…so i’ll listen when so and so says this is good”. until those voices become the status quo…then we must rebel and blame them for everything. p4k has turned me on to some great shit…they’ve also recommended some stuff that i found absolutely boring/annoying…no harm. no foul. and because the community is so small i think a lot of the “reporting” gets redundant. it’s not unlike mainstream news media….a story breaks everyone runs it into the ground…people get angry that so much attention is devoted to it….it dies down…the next story breaks…
i dunno. i just really think it’s all harmless and we’ve been conditioned by the all too easy, all too anonymous blogosphere to over-react to things that really dont matter. in a year no one will care about wavves. and hopefully our friends will still be workin their asses off making good music!
POOR RYAN i would be sooooo cut he didnt do anything wrong and he had a chance to make it big and nathan fucked him over!
I love the internet! The same people who were so hyped about the band after hearing about them on Pitchfork & Stereogum, are the same people knocking the band now. ALL BANDS PUT ON A SHITTY SHOW EVERY ONCE AND AWHILE. Get over it.
yeah wavves! i still like ‘em!
i dont know the guy but i like his album and thats good enough for me!
This isn’t music news. Stereogum is the Perez Hilton of the music community. Stop issuing moral judgments on personal behavior and start reviewing music, since that’s what you profess to do. As for the rest of you, I didn’t read your comments (because this commenting system is confusing and I can’t trace all of your replies to one another), but you should be ashamed. Listen to what makes you happy and stop freaking out when you realize the bands you listen to aren’t comprised of socially polite losers and total squares. Karen Carpenter was anorexic: she died. She’s still 50,000 times more relevant than Feist will ever be. I’m sorry if you wouldn’t bring her home to mom (but guess what, your mom probably lived for her). Her art was authentic and her influence is indelibly branded upon the world.
When did our generation become the republican watchdogs of society? You all make me want to slit my wrists.
I’m not saying it’s cool to be angsty and to have problems, nor is it cool to deprive fans of what they come for by dicking around on stage. All I’m saying is to respect the artists you go see and if something happens, let people be fucking human. Nothing pleases you people. You all complain no matter what the circumstance and it says more about you than it does the subjects of your ill-conceived, poorly written, insanely myopic and seriously transparent scorn.
I’d love for you all to start bands and see how things turn out.
CHRIST. I DARE U 2. LOL.
YOUR MUSIC IS BAD AND YOU SHOULD FEEL BAD
Incredible Carpenters overstatement. I would honestly take Feist’s voice by itself over any fucking Carpenters song ever any day of the week.
But, I bet Sonic Youth will never write a cool song about Feist.
Wavves last song at Primavera Sound video. At the end you can see the drummer ‘destroying’ the drum and go away: http://instorm.blogspot.com/2009/06/wavves-meltdown-last-song.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9tl42oQZuo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4KkFy0jN5g&feature=channel_page
has the part where he yells at ryan and walks off the stage
train wrecks happen. im sorry for the folks who were up so late to see a crap show at the time. at least they get to say ‘i was there!’ now that it has become the indie media event of the month. other than that, these guys are living my dream ….maybe its time to pack it in. i act like this after drinking too much whiskey and nobody ever got this upset about it. except the one asian guy i said ‘i hate asians’ to. to that guy: i don’t really hate asians.
He pissed on the couch and now it’s our job to rub his nose in it.
This is pretty much unforgivable, and career suicide. I’m supposed to be seeing them in July, I’m sure this is exactly what people are going to be expecting now. I know I will. This is more exciting than the music, which sucks.
“Mixing ecstasy valium and xanax before having to play in front of thousands of people was one of the more poor decisions I’ve made”
How can anyone possibly defend this guy after a statement like this?