[Q&A] King Buzzo of Melvins rants about the end of the music biz, the radness of writing endless awesome riffs and how dead Kurt Cobain still is
june 03 2011 interview by Daniel Brockman
The current state of the music business has a lot of people in a state of agitation-- after all, when the walls of the temple are crumbling, there are quite a lot of people who either have some gold pieces invested in the place or have to move those fucking lit candles out of there stat. A band like The Melvins will of course persist through this current situation, because they've soldiered on cockroach-like through several decades of this shit already, from the "home taping is killing the record industry" 80s to the grunge hype balloon of the 90s to whatever it is that's going on now. In part it's because they are a ridiculously great band that never gets tired finding inventive ways to re-configure their signature sound-- but it's also because they are consummate workaholics, constantly keeping busy with new albums and new projects and new tours.
Lead Melvin Roger "King Buzzo" Osbourne brings the band to Boston tonight and tomorrow night for a two-night stand at the Paradise that sees them running through a whopping five of their albums front-to-back, three the first night, two the second. We ran a feature in this week's paper where Buzzo opined on the band's legacy and his view of the current state of indie music. But we thought it was worth showing the full conversation in its full glory, so you could see the flow of the talk, and how it went from a relatively polite chat about the band's art to a somewhat unhinged rant on the state of things. Anyone who is familiar with Buzz knows that he doesn't mince words, and he gloriously lets loose at a number of targets here, while oddly sticking up for the major label system that briefly invested in his band in the early-to-mid-90s. Say what you will, but the man calls it like he sees it, and it's refreshing hear an artist who isn't afraid to let the public know that it's hard work being a band nowadays and navigating the changing tides of the business.
check the whole interview at the link below:
http://bit.ly/l3GphI (http://bit.ly/l3GphI)
I'll have to read this later, however i just know its gonna be an awesome read. Thanks BS.
Seriously great interview. Thank you for posting this!
I love Buzz's insights into the current state of the music industry and how to survive.
i really don't quite grasp this whole major label discussion. it's confusing. pil on a major record => sex pistols/punk. melvins? => nirvana. those were different times! of course nothing like that would happen again. it's 2011! people have become stupid! technology sure leaves a path of destruction everywhere and kills humanity, but it also enables the melvins to sell merch online pretty much all by themselves. the melvins have a very loyal fanbase worldwide, i'm sure many of them would gladly support their favorite band.
and i think ipecac selling less records than 10 years ago also has a lot to with with their 2001 releases (tomahawk, melvins, fantomas).
Quote from: Bigval on June 06, 2011, 12:15:20 PM
4-5 tracks on a CD and sell em for whatever, $10 each maybe.
+ sell them online both in physical and digital form.
if they enable the 'pick your price' option, sadcorps could pay $200 for his release to help out the band and compensate for the downloaders :mrgreen:
Quote from: norecess on June 06, 2011, 12:21:05 PM
Quote from: Bigval on June 06, 2011, 12:15:20 PM
4-5 tracks on a CD and sell em for whatever, $10 each maybe.
+ sell them online both in physical and digital form.
if they enable the 'pick your price' option, sadcorps could pay $200 for his release to help out the band and compensate for the downloaders :mrgreen:
Yeah exactly maybe $5 for a digital copy of the EP, $10 if you want the real thing. Eats into the potential for downloading for nothing as what's $5 helping out a band you like? If the album you want to hear/get is $25 a digital version for free is a much easier decision to make.
Different kettle of fish compared to NIN I understand but Reznor supposedly made millions selling that Ghosts 1-4 double album for $5 in mp3 format (along with all the more pricier limited editions versions of the album he released). Im no hardcore NIN fan but I was really curious to hear that album and I could've downloaded it for free from somewhere or bought it from them in mp3 with all the artwork etc for $5 so I did. Liked the album enough down the line I went and bought it on CD eventually too.
The whole EP thing is what Nomeansno is doing now. They've released what? Two tour EPs now of stellar material (IMO) that are only available at shows or for download on the internet.
There will always be a percentage of fans that want to own something physical. Yeah, that percentage is smaller than ever but bands just need to come up with different ideas to make money.
Sure, some refuse to pay for music and will just download because it's free but they'll be the first in line to buy a ticket to a show or to buy a t shirt and merch at the table.
The fact that they are selling out of their limited edition merch is all that they need to know. They are doing it right. As Buzz has already said - the music is free.
Great interview. It is always nice to see an interviewer ask intelligent questions of Buzz.
Quote from: Bigval on June 06, 2011, 12:15:20 PMpersonally I can't think of any band I'd pay $25 for a new album of theirs.
A mere $25 for something that is kick ass, that you'll love and you STILL wouldnt pay that much?? Come on man.
Quote from: sadcorps on June 06, 2011, 02:15:53 PM
The fact that they are selling out of their limited edition merch is all that they need to know. They are doing it right. As Buzz has already said - the music is free.
The music isn't free. And no, I would not pay 25 dollars for a CD. Thank you thieves.
Aw - you don't have an internet connection? Wait - how are you here? Any album you want by any band that you might want an album by can be found FOR FREE on the internet. Filestube, Torrent etc.
Everyone knows this - including Melvins.
This is the REALITY of today - whether that is right or wrong. Whether you are someone who downloads music for free, or someone who pays for music. It is still and probably always will be available for FREE to anyone who wants it.
The Melvins are doing the right thing. They will survive. There records will cost more if you want a hard copy. Good for them. I am glad that they are finding their way around the current state of the music industry.
Oh yeah, I wouldn't pay $25 for a CD either. But I would pay $50 for a vinyl album of that same CD.
Yeah they will survive...that's a great way to rationalize thievery. It's not the music industry's fault.
Quote from: Jackie Treehorn on June 06, 2011, 09:26:37 PM
Yeah they will survive...that's a great way to rationalize thievery. It's not the music industry's fault.
You're like a liberal idealist who refuses to recognize reality. Ironic, isn't it?
Quote from: Jackie Treehorn on June 06, 2011, 09:26:37 PM
Yeah they will survive...that's a great way to rationalize thievery. It's not the music industry's fault.
What is this theivery you're talking about? I don't understand how the Melvins have apparently ripped you off so bad.
I chose to pay $50 for the Bride lp, I chose to pay $200 for the Ipecac box set, I chose not to pay $25 for the Black Betty 7". That said, what will keep me from buying future "pieces of art" is not the price, it's that I'm tired of having to camp out in front of the computer for the super secret release info. to get posted in some obscure place only to have it sell out before I can get the page to load and other similar hurdles. If this is the future of Melvins releases do a fucking presale and offer it to EVERYONE that wants one, make enough to fill the presale and obviously make a few extras for tour or to put in the AmRep shop.
I agree. It seems like the Melvins are shooting themselves in the foot by limiting some of these releases and not selling them online.
Was the Ipecac box set even available online?
Quote from: Jackie Treehorn on June 06, 2011, 09:26:37 PM
Yeah they will survive...that's a great way to rationalize thievery. It's not the music industry's fault.
How am I rationalizing thievery? I am just stating that it is "how it is" now.
Quote from: Dr.Benway on June 06, 2011, 10:50:12 PM
I chose to pay $50 for the Bride lp, I chose to pay $200 for the Ipecac box set, I chose not to pay $25 for the Black Betty 7". That said, what will keep me from buying future "pieces of art" is not the price, it's that I'm tired of having to camp out in front of the computer for the super secret release info. to get posted in some obscure place only to have it sell out before I can get the page to load and other similar hurdles. If this is the future of Melvins releases do a fucking presale and offer it to EVERYONE that wants one, make enough to fill the presale and obviously make a few extras for tour or to put in the AmRep shop.
Your presale idea is a good idea.
Quote from: ManWithNoName on June 06, 2011, 11:39:02 PM
I agree. It seems like the Melvins are shooting themselves in the foot by limiting some of these releases and not selling them online.
Was the Ipecac box set even available online?
They may still get those online. I think almost all of the albums in the box set are available online, but not as a package.
I think what they could do, especially with something like the Endless Residency boxsets, is to take pre-orders for the set for say, a month, and then produce the sets to order.
This way anyone that wants one is able to get one and they can still charge $50 or whatever they want for them and they'll only maufacture and sell as many as have been ordered.
What sucks about how they've done it at the moment, is that these are selling for about $150 on eBay for those who can't get to the shows or even those who go to the show and miss out on one.
Quote from: rimb on June 07, 2011, 08:20:30 AM
I think what they could do, especially with something like the Endless Residency boxsets, is to take pre-orders for the set for say, a month, and then produce the sets to order.
This way anyone that wants one is able to get one and they can still charge $50 or whatever they want for them and they'll only maufacture and sell as many as have been ordered.
What sucks about how they've done it at the moment, is that these are selling for about $150 on eBay for those who can't get to the shows or even those who go to the show and miss out on one.
they could talk w/ Cory for some ideas
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/threelobed/three-lobed-recordings-10th-ann-4xlp-set-sonic-you (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/threelobed/three-lobed-recordings-10th-ann-4xlp-set-sonic-you)
I agree with almost everything Buzz said there.
I'll pay $25 for a limited ed. CD if that becomes the case, but not $20 for ONE SONG(Black Betty). And they're charging double that for the BSM AmRep LP. Sorry, a 45 minute studio album is not worth $50 to me, no matter what the artwork is.
Well i might be crazy but i'd be more than willing to shell out up to $60 for a 45min album from a band i truely loved and i wouldnt care about the packaging. Sure it would be a rip off but what the hell when it's something i would adore. Probably wouldn't pay $20 for one song tho unless it was either amazing or a 10+ minute epic.
Quote from: ManWithNoName on June 06, 2011, 09:36:40 PM
Quote from: Jackie Treehorn on June 06, 2011, 09:26:37 PM
Yeah they will survive...that's a great way to rationalize thievery. It's not the music industry's fault.
You're like a liberal idealist who refuses to recognize reality. Ironic, isn't it?
Oh I recognize the reality of it and I don't sugar coat it. It's because of thieves. Breaking copyright laws just to have that fix. Not caring who it affects. It affects more than just the band and their means of living. But the fix is more important.
uh yeah. it is reality now. been this way for awhile. get used to it.
"the general public-- and I love to generalize-- the general public is wrong about almost every single thing. "
best fucking quote ever.
"We might be able to do one more album in a traditional sense."
Fuck! I don't think it's only the theieving assholery, the recession has got to be pinning down album sales. Countries in Europe are defaulting on international bailouts, the US military predicts peak oil now, etc. Things will hopefully be better in the future, but what good is the future if all your stuff that people want is out of stock? I hope they find a way to continue doing albums, or at least some similar amount of output.
If they're gonna forget about making traditional "studio" albums because of cost i think they should just release downloadable LIVE releases from their own website. One small payment and you get a live show for each gig they do or tour or such. They could perfom new stuff and that recording would then be the record. They're better live anyway so why not play to that strength. They could still record the occasional studio song and make that available or a boxset or some other limited edition tour merch type stuff. To me that sounds like the perfect way of working for any band that has a similar or bigger following. A living subsidised by ticket prices, merch sales and downloadable live gigs without ANY studio or production overhead costs.
Excellent interview! Thank you
Buzz is wrong on this account: the music industry is most to blame for flooding the market for so long with so much crap that people felt they had to sample the merchandise and then started jacking up the prices to twenty bucks a pop. Don't you guys remember that? Prices came back down but by then the damage was done and the downloading infrastructure was firmly entrenched. Add to that the public's disdain for the industry for all the wallet abuse, and you get current environment. Pandora's BOX!
.
Quote from: swanky on June 13, 2011, 11:58:55 AM
Buzz is wrong on this account: the music industry is most to blame for flooding the market for so long with so much crap that people felt they had to sample the merchandise and then started jacking up the prices to twenty bucks a pop. Don't you guys remember that? Prices came back down but by then the damage was done and the downloading infrastructure was firmly entrenched. Add to that the public's disdain for the industry for all the wallet abuse, and you get current environment. Pandora's BOX!
.
Too true, it was all the greedy labels that wrecked it. People just gave the industry the middle finger. Unfortunately the bands are stuck in the middle of that but if you've got your wits about you they can still make a good living from being a full-time musician as the Melvins no doubt do.
Quote from: swanky on June 13, 2011, 11:58:55 AM
Don't you guys remember that? Prices came back down but by then the damage was done and the downloading infrastructure was firmly entrenched.
Perhaps but realistically it didnt matter if the prices came down to next to nothing. Like Buzz has said before "people's sense of entitlement is astounding". Everyone wants something for free. The public are usually all too easily won over by supposedly "new" technological developments and opportunities. In light of this, downloading was never going to be prevented or a solution put into practice.
QuoteVinyl sells less than it ever has, I don
some good ideas mentioned here, kickstarter is definately the way forward in my opinion,
i have backed a few projects on there already, and i think the way it works is great.
the more you pay the more you get. if melvins put a record on kickstarter with various price points with bonus things chucked in, even test pressings at a set price etc, it will raise lots of funds before they even need to spend a penny. and then the people who really want this stuff would get a fair shot at it rather than having to pay evilbay for it.
also the way the residents used to do things is worth copying i would have thought. the whole idea of being in a fan club and securing all limited editions released in that year. how many melvins fans would happily pay $30 a year just to reserve a numbered edition of all upcoming limited editions. i know i would.
and the residents always sell lots of dog tags with download codes. which is done by many bands but i havent seen melvins get in on this yet but i think they would do well out of it, for example, i dont download, i like hard copies of everything, but if they had a dog tag for $10 on the merch stand i would be buying it anyway as it would be something i would want to own. like buzz says, the music is free, and that is a way of putting the free music onto a tangible object.