Patrick Wolf Is A Drama Queen, Literally Plays The Crash Cymbal
Patrick Wolf's three-show sweep of NYC last weekend made quite an impression: upon us, upon his adoring NYC audiences, and upon his ex-lover/drummer's skull bone. The New York Times' weekend in Pat recap points to this LiveJournal review for the drunken-drummer-bashing details (and yes, you read that right: P. Wolf inspired the first ever -- we think -- NYT cite of a LJ post! OMG! LOLz).
About that Patrick Wolf show at the Misshapes party at Don Hill's though: Holy fucking shit! I am sure you can probably read about in numerous music blogs soon and will probably see video footage of the thing soon also, probably in the news section of Pitchfork on Monday. During "Bloodbeat," he hopped down into the audience where Ben, Bri, and I were and sang and I was in close proximity to this man I have a gigantic crush on and Ben was holding him up for a bit since he was falling over, and then Patrick presumably heard the absence of a drumbeat to this song and turned back to the stage to see his drummer passed out. He hopped back on stage, slapped his drummer and yelled at him to drum. Even after being slapped a couple times, the drummer, obviously wasted, barely responded and still wasn't drumming. Patrick threw a cymbal stand at the drummer's head, and at that point I realized that what I thought was just an act was actually a band blowing up onstage during the middle of a packed performance. Patrick continued to yell at the drummer and told him he was fired (can you say drama?) and had security escort the drummer off the stage.
Somehow the set continued though everyone was made a bit nervous by this incident. Patrick joked about how you shouldn't sleep with your bandmates, obviously implying that the drummer was only hired for being someone that Patrick had slept with. At the end of this song, Patrick started to drum while he was singing, obviously trying to show how easy it is, still pissed as hell, and understandably so, that his drummer was asleep during a big show on their international tour. The drummer tried to come back onstage and Patrick again berated him, telling him that he was fired, that he was paid to drum, and that he couldn't drum and so was fired. Security again had to escort the drummer off the stage. It was so intense and insane that this was all happening. It was too bad because it definitely took the energy level of the audience down a couple of notches, everyone a bit shellshocked about what happened and about how the show was continuing somehow. I am conflicted about whether Patrick was an asshole or totally justified. I think he was defintiely justifed to be mad as hell that his drummer couldn't stay awake for his show, but also a bit outrageous to throw a cymbal stand at the drummer. But the show was really great and would have been memorable even without all the drama.So don't let that aquamarine sequined shirt fool you: Patrick Wolf will cymbalstand-sling a bitch.
[Pic from Patrick Wolf's drama-free set at Hiro Ballroom 4/5/07.]
UPDATE: Okay, so this is the second time a NYT article has cited LJ. Standards are in check, then. (Thanks to Times sleuth Kathryn Yu.)
Posted at 2:11 PM
Tags: Patrick Wolf
Doesn't Patrick Wolf have to get famous before he can start pulling all this Boy George / Culture Club bullcrap?
Score = 0
I don't know... there is only one comment on that entry and the journal itself doesn't seem that impressive... did the NYT create a sock?
You would think that the NYT would try to reference a more reputable music blog/journal/etc before resorting to some random LJ user that finishes their post waxing poetic about the tail they got that night (because of the magical atmosphere Patrick created).
Score = 0
looks like and reminds me of Macaulay Culkin from that movie party monster.
Score = 0
I'm already bored with this guy and the new breakthrough album isn't even out. The world doesn't need a bad-ass Mika.
Score = 0
The Mika Jonestown Massacre Scissor Sisters.
Score = 0
Come on now. Mika is not even part of the same species as Patrick Wolf. Whereas Mika is a talentless gimmick, PW is incredibly gifted and put on a pretty fucking great live show the other night at Studio B.
I'm a little bummed I missed out on this melee, but I've kind of made a promise to myself that I will never step foot in a Misshapes party.
Score = 0
Mika certainly isn't talentless. He definately has a long history of musical training including at a tertiary level. Sure, he's not Patrick Wolf's level of talent. Patrick Wolf is just amazing. But to completely write off any talent Mika has based on a comparison to Patrick Wolf is a little unfair.
Score = 0
The world doesn't need Mika.
Score = 0
Mika Nakashima > Mika
Score = 0
Who is Patrick Wolf again?
Score = 0
Patrick Wolf has released three amazing albums. But you shouldn't care
Score = 0
shouldn't let the drama overshadow his music, which is wonderful. listen to his stuff before you write him off
Score = 0
By everyone else's account he didn't throw a cymbal stand, he accidently knocked one over. Dude's a pacifist and I doubt he'd resort to violence like that.
Just clearing it up.
Score = 0
Looked like I picked the wrong PW show to go to...
Score = 0
Wow, I love musician violence. Remember when Jeff Tweedy punched that guy that time?
Score = 0
There was no throwing of a cymbal, he slammed it over in the general direction of the drummer. He was angry, but he wasn't trying to decapitate the guy or anything.
Score = 0
Are you kidding? there is a video of the whole incident on youtube where he clearly picked up the stand and threw it at his direction.
Score = 0
I saw that video and there was definitely no picking up and throwing of anything! He knocked a cymbal over...SO WHAT?! he didn't beat his drummer up and he certainly didn't throw anything at him. Its is strange to me that so many people have blown this so out of proportion and turned the whole thing into some sort of a violent, drunken, rampage when there is video footage which contradicts all of that.
Score = 0
LJ which you used here misquoted Patrick Wolf here: "Patrick joked about how you shouldn't sleep with your bandmates, obviously implying that the drummer was only hired for being someone that Patrick had slept with."... What Patrick actually said was something to the effect of "English guy's are assholes don't ever sleep with them" Which was not an insinuation that he had ever slept with his drummer, but rather a joke about what had just happened on stage meant to break the tension which the whole incident between Patrick and his drummer had caused.
Score = -1
I think this has been blown entirely out of proportiong.
So PW had a little hissyfit, who cares? He had every right to be pissed off at his drummer, who wasn't doing what he was payed to do.
And comparing him to Mika is impossible, anyone that has actually listened to PW's albums will know this.
Score = 0