Does anyone else hate interviews?

**Frownland** · 12-27-2014, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pursuingchange

Sorry if I seem artistically uneducated, but what the hell is he doing?

Avant-garde percussion. He explains what he's doing with the overtones directly after.

Mondo Bungle · 12-27-2014, 01:17 PM

Well why don't you guys just **** each other

**Frownland** · 12-27-2014, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mondo Bungle

Well why don't you guys just **** each other

He lives in Japan, for starters.

The Batlord · 12-27-2014, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisnaholic

That John Lydon clip was quite an eye-opener to me; I had no idea what a disagreeable interviewee he was. To me he seems to alternate between being pompous, narcistic and aggressive. His attempts to shock seem rather desperate, especially as they have all been done before:-
> the clever, quotable quip by the Beatles
> the sulky and unrevealing by Procul Harem, if I remember correctly
> the too out of it to be coherent by Syd Barratt
> the unwarrented aggression by Bob Dylan
I guess like many, JL finds it easier to dismiss history than learn from it.

On the topic of celebrity interviews, I also find them tedious in the extreme. They are a PR exercise that the media forces on artists regardless of how eloquent or interesting the artist may be. Unfortunately many celebrities have an inflated opinion of themselves and are easily tricked by a hungry media into imagining that their extemporized musings are of general interest. The truth, with plenty exceptions of course, is that musicians often have trouble expressing their ideas and that actors, while generally more polite than musicians, are never quite as interesting as the characters they play on screen.

It´s a humbling lesson that many celebrities never learn, but in reality they are often no more interesting than the pizza delivery boy: he holds my attention while he´s delivering the pizza, but I really don´t want to hear his opinions on life, love and the pizza business.

John Lydon is amazing to watch on camera. He's like the worst person to ever talk to.

Some vintage footage.

Right here he's supposed to be promoting a video game or something.

~~James~~ · 12-27-2014, 04:28 PM

Some interviews can be very revealing about an artist. If it's an artist that seems especially smart and insightful I love an interview.

Ian Mackaye talking about politics. Although I am not American I love Mackaye's politics, and think he says a lot of things that are relevant to world politics too.

Bob Dylan is a slightly different case because I think while he has some incredible views on life he does come across quite rude and doesn't say much of worth. But the way Dylan acted was so unashamedly cool and so human that I love watching his interviews.

Neurophobic · 12-31-2014, 06:33 AM

I definitely enjoy interviews but I think this is largely dependent on the interviewer and his/her questions.

I often get the impression that journalists/interviewers read interviews that the band has recently done and just regurgitate the same series of questions because it makes their job easier because the goal is, seemingly, to just get a quote, not seek out quality answers.

Generic questions lead to generic answers and it's not hard to imagine the apathy that bands feel when doing interviews.

blackdragon123 · 12-31-2014, 07:12 AM

I remember watching the Glastonbury highlights this year and being genuinely embarrassed by the interview with Kasabian following their head-line slot. They were obviously drunk and came in swearing, arsing about and being cocky (like so many bands tend to) and one of them stood on the table to moon the camera for a bit. None of this I found particularly offensive, but what really embarrassed me was that the band either felt like they had to (or really wanted to) make this behaviour seem rebellious and youthfully irreverent. The interviewers (the same desperate nobodies approaching thirty and hating themselves for it) laughed and said things like "oh my god you guys are so mental. what are you like" for a bit whilst they waited for the band to calm down and sit down. I sat there thinking "is that it? Is this rock and roll?" It was unarguably, truly tragic. Interviews are pretty lame these days, mostly due to the way interviewers have changed.

Bands like the Sex Pistols, the Stones and the Beatles had such a wealth of opportunity to appear genuinely cool, witty and rebellious in interviews because those asking them questions were the squarest people on earth. With their ties done up to eleven, their comb-overs and their questions like "why do you play such ghastly music?". These days, the bands haven't changed. Their answers haven't changed, the only thing that's different is that their interviewers are wannabe hipsters who appease their rowdy behaviour and often encourage it to make their programme seem "down with da kids".

Maybe there's just nothing left to rebel against anymore...just misogyny and non-vegetarianism...and we've got to have some fun...

Lisnaholic · 12-31-2014, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

John Lydon is amazing to watch on camera. He's like the worst person to ever talk to.

Some vintage footage.

Right here he's supposed to be promoting a video game or something.

HaHa ! A couple of great clips, Batlord. In the first, by keeping his comments simple JL manages to be offensive with considerable dignity, while the second performance is enough to terrorize the most stalwart interviewer I should think.

Some good points made by Neurophobic, and blackdragon123´s analysis is spot on :-

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackdragon123

I remember watching the Glastonbury highlights this year and being genuinely embarrassed by the interview with Kasabian following their head-line slot. They were obviously drunk and came in swearing, arsing about and being cocky (like so many bands tend to) and one of them stood on the table to moon the camera for a bit. None of this I found particularly offensive, but what really embarrassed me was that the band either felt like they had to (or really wanted to) make this behaviour seem rebellious and youthfully irreverent. The interviewers (the same desperate nobodies approaching thirty and hating themselves for it) laughed and said things like "oh my god you guys are so mental. what are you like" for a bit whilst they waited for the band to calm down and sit down. I sat there thinking "is that it? Is this rock and roll?" It was unarguably, truly tragic. Interviews are pretty lame these days, mostly due to the way interviewers have changed.

Bands like the Sex Pistols, the Stones and the Beatles had such a wealth of opportunity to appear genuinely cool, witty and rebellious in interviews because those asking them questions were the squarest people on earth. With their ties done up to eleven, their comb-overs and their questions like "why do you play such ghastly music?". These days, the bands haven't changed. Their answers haven't changed, the only thing that's different is that their interviewers are wannabe hipsters who appease their rowdy behaviour and often encourage it to make their programme seem "down with da kids".

Maybe there's just nothing left to rebel against anymore...just misogyny and non-vegetarianism...and we've got to have some fun...

^ It seems like some rock band interviews can best be summarized like this:-
The interviewer is embarrassed to be asking questions; the band is embarrassed to be answering questions, and the audience is embarrassed to be witnessing it all.

Pursuingchange · 12-31-2014, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisnaholic

HaHa ! A couple of great clips, Batlord. In the first, by keeping his comments simple JL manages to be offensive with considerable dignity, while the second performance is enough to terrorize the most stalwart interviewer I should think.

Some good points made by Neurophobic, and blackdragon123´s analysis is spot on :-

^ It seems like some rock band interviews can best be summarized like this:-
The interviewer is embarrassed to be asking questions; the band is embarrassed to be answering questions, and the audience is embarrassed to be witnessing it all.

+1 lol

12-31-2014, 07:12 AM	#47 (permalink)
blackdragon123 don't be no bojangles Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Wales Posts: 496	I remember watching the Glastonbury highlights this year and being genuinely embarrassed by the interview with Kasabian following their head-line slot. They were obviously drunk and came in swearing, arsing about and being cocky (like so many bands tend to) and one of them stood on the table to moon the camera for a bit. None of this I found particularly offensive, but what really embarrassed me was that the band either felt like they had to (or really wanted to) make this behaviour seem rebellious and youthfully irreverent. The interviewers (the same desperate nobodies approaching thirty and hating themselves for it) laughed and said things like "oh my god you guys are so mental. what are you like" for a bit whilst they waited for the band to calm down and sit down. I sat there thinking "is that it? Is this rock and roll?" It was unarguably, truly tragic. Interviews are pretty lame these days, mostly due to the way interviewers have changed. Bands like the Sex Pistols, the Stones and the Beatles had such a wealth of opportunity to appear genuinely cool, witty and rebellious in interviews because those asking them questions were the squarest people on earth. With their ties done up to eleven, their comb-overs and their questions like "why do you play such ghastly music?". These days, the bands haven't changed. Their answers haven't changed, the only thing that's different is that their interviewers are wannabe hipsters who appease their rowdy behaviour and often encourage it to make their programme seem "down with da kids". Maybe there's just nothing left to rebel against anymore...just misogyny and non-vegetarianism...and we've got to have some fun... __________________ 'Well, I'm a common working man, With a half of bitter, bread and jam, And if it pleases me, I'll put one on ya man, When the copper fades away!' - Jethro Tull

12-27-2014, 04:28 PM	#45 (permalink)
~~James~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Scotland Posts: 4,483	Some interviews can be very revealing about an artist. If it's an artist that seems especially smart and insightful I love an interview. Ian Mackaye talking about politics. Although I am not American I love Mackaye's politics, and think he says a lot of things that are relevant to world politics too. Bob Dylan is a slightly different case because I think while he has some incredible views on life he does come across quite rude and doesn't say much of worth. But the way Dylan acted was so unashamedly cool and so human that I love watching his interviews.

12-31-2014, 06:33 AM	#46 (permalink)
Neurophobic Groupie Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 4	I definitely enjoy interviews but I think this is largely dependent on the interviewer and his/her questions. I often get the impression that journalists/interviewers read interviews that the band has recently done and just regurgitate the same series of questions because it makes their job easier because the goal is, seemingly, to just get a quote, not seek out quality answers. Generic questions lead to generic answers and it's not hard to imagine the apathy that bands feel when doing interviews.