Local rock scene makes Atlanta magazine the butt of its joke
January 10th, 2008 by Chad Radford in Music newsI don’t want to be a snitch, so I won’t name any names, but it requires no stretch of the imagination to figure who the guilty party is here.
For at least two weeks, talk has spread through text messages, MySpace, e-mails and word of mouth. Atlanta magazine is going to run a story about Atlanta’s music scene, and the unofficial sequel to Tony Gayton’s 1987 documentary Athens, Ga.: Inside/Out, titled We Fun. The film examines the present-day Atlanta rock scene and the various enclaves of debauchery and society that bind the many scenes of the city where every day is opening day.
Time and place: 2:30 p.m. at Variety Playhouse. Come one, come all. Alcohol and food will be provided.
Being the punctual journalist, I was there at 2:15; fashionably early right alongside Tommy Chung of the Selmanaires. First words upon entry, “Sorry guys, no alcohol.â€
It didn’t seem like a big deal at first. There were easily 20 pizzas from Savage lined up next to a cooler of Coca-Cola and water. But as the scattered trickle of musicians began to arrive, the absence of alcohol sent a hushed echo of disappointment around the room. These are musicians we are dealing with here, so no one really showed up until after 3 p.m., and with a lack of any official intoxicants in the room, one should have expected the worst. After all, this is an open invitation to Atlanta’s rock scene. These people need to be sedated — which we all learned the hard way.
Everyone was there: the Coathangers, the Baby Shakes, the Carbonas, Knife and the Fourth Ward Daggers, the Black Lips, some folks from Chopper, Deerhunter, One Hand Loves the Other, Snowden, Beat Beat Beat, West End Motel, Gringo Star, All Night Drug Prowling Wolves, the Gaye Blades, the Selmanaires. Representatives from Rob’s House Records, Douche Master and Die Slaughterhouse were also on hand, along with the Nashville-based We Fun documentary filmmakers Christopher Dortch, Matt Robison and producer Bill Cody.
The call came and everyone crowded onto the stage for the shoot. The rig was impressive and a pasty photographer climbed to the top of a tall ladder and began yelling at everyone to move forward. It was an impressive endeavor, but the camera clicked maybe three times before an alarming hiss sounded and the entire mob was engulfed in a cloud of white carcinogenic fog. Someone — I won’t say who — unleashed a fire extinguisher and turned the entire scene into a clusterfuck. At first people laughed, then they realized that they couldn’t breath. A film of white dust coated everyone and the taste of salt and latex was on everyone’s tongue.
The Atlanta magazine photographers and the Variety Playhouse staff were not pleased, to say the least. Someone who looked exceptionally pissed off demanded to know who was taking responsibility for the fiasco.
This is all part of the Faulknerian dilemma I was talking about when I wrote the year-end piece about Atlanta’s music scene. Everyone who mattered was there. The folks from Gringo Star were dressed up in bandito costumes, and Tommy Chung looked like a red army expatriate. Not to mention that it is quite an ambitious task to wrangle so many hell-raisers under the same roof during daylight hours. But the efforts were all for naught because of one moment of chaos, buffoonery and a fire extinguisher.
Alas, there was solidarity in the music scene here in Atlanta. No one was talking. The crowd congregated outside in hopes of maybe snapping some pictures, but the joy was gone. Inside, tension filled the air as the photographers broke down their equipment and bitched about the thousands of dollars they just lost. Outside a new plan was circulating, “Let’s go next door to El Myr and gets some drinks!â€
Which was what these people needed and were denied in the first place.
Read more Chad Radford blogs at chadrad.blogspot.com.
January 10th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Like having your shitty band all over lame ass indie blogs isn’t enough to stroke your ego. Oh, I know, lets go ruin it for some real musicians! Your band isn’t the only band in the city, Douchbag.
January 10th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
We all knew it was the short, little dousche from the Blacklips that shot off the exstiguisher. He wasted around a hundred people’s time just so he could make it all about his band…or himself….who knows. I guess years of drug use and self indulgence ended in his lack of braincells and respect for people trying to help his band out. Honestly, karma is a bitch and your reputation is easily tainted….Good Luck, little self-centered black lip! Maybe one day you will realize you don’t have to be self-conscience if you aren’t the focus in the crowd…or maybe it is the short man, short dick complex? You know? Allways vying for attention because you’ve always been overlooked….
Therapy, maybe?
January 10th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Hey this is Chris one of the “We Fun” fellas and while I have to say i’m sorry to all the folks that took time out of their day to be a part of the aborted shoot and sorry to the folks at the venue as well as the ATL Magazine crew for any time that may have been wasted or equipment that got damaged. I’ll say only this. You don’t go to a Gallagher show, sit in the first three rows and forgot to bring some protective plastic when the melons get to flyin’. To all the bands who were there in earnest to support the project and to get their name out there a bit who might feel a bit angry or slighted I hope you guys will remember that this press coverage that we’re getting now is nothing compared to the full-on We Fun revolution that the movie will cause when we complete it this March. A revolution in which each and every one of you will get your due, your turn in the spotlight, and fuck it i’m going go ahead and put it out there, we will totally get you guys some alcohol. Least we can do. We is fun afterall. No worries my friends. We’re making this movie for you and the train hadn’t even left the station yet. We’ll make you guys proud.
January 11th, 2008 at 12:26 am
John, you’re the “dousche”-bag. Atlanta Magazine wouldn’t have even bothered to do an article about the local scene if it weren’t for the success of the Black Lips. And who says it takes years of drug use and self indulgence to have few brain cells? A lot of musicians start out that way, and that’s what makes rock and roll fun and entertaining, not some well rehearsed, polite entertainment designed to be splashed across some lame magazine pictures. Karma is a bitch, huh? I could be wrong, but if spitting piss on people, throwing a bottle and hitting someone’s head with it, stopping a show and having a venue evacuated for same extinguisher incident, etc… hasn’t resulted in “bad karma”, I don’t think this latest incident will have any supernatural consequences either. And he may have a small penis, when flaccid, but he probably had the biggest set of balls on that stage, literally. Thems are huge!
January 11th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Sometimes when I wake up, the hair on the sides of my head sort of sticks up where it is thicker than the hair on top. This is because the hair on top is thinning. But anyway, if I’m in a hurry (which is never really: laziest producer ever) I’ll sometimes put on a hat.
I don’t really like to wear hats, though I do support the Boston Athletic team known as the “Red Sox” and I think it is so cool that they don’t give a shit about spelling “socks” the way they really should. So this means I wear this hat with a “B” on it on those hair stick-up days.
So on those Atlanta mornings after I’ve been pushing the red button to start/pushing the red button to stop all that night before, I just take a shower and place the side hair in such a way that it doesn’t stick up and make me look like a dick.
Really though, I should just shear my hair more often. But the truth of the matter is that I just don’t feel like wearing a Boston hat in Atlanta.
You see friends, what if some of the guys I was pointing the camera at were really emotional about baseball and I just reminded them of loss and yankees (not the hated NY Yankees baseball club, who spell their name right but decided to have a really stupid name instead) and their plantation-era city just burnin’ away a la Civil War?
There was this one video I did where the singer guy was standing too close to this totally weird cannon heater and his white polyester blend britches just went up in a kooky blaze, and we put it out with the beer I supplied for the shoot.
So if we didn’t have the beer, the burns could been badder than they were I think.
So it makes me wonder if a fire extinguisher is really something any building full of beer really needs anyway. Like if someone says “Is this fucking building safe?” I’d be all like, “Well, I don’t know, because I haven’t seen any beer and the room isn’t covered in fire retardant or anything.”
And if I was wearing the Boston cap I’d take it off in a real thoughtful Gregory Peck way and look up and to the right and say “I just don’t god diddly damn know” and hope that the person I was saying it to was a sort of scared pretty girl (that later emerges as very heroic) who would find the sticking-up hair really romantic in its devil-may-care arrangement.
Shame on you, Chad Radford: that was cocaine filling the auditorium of the Variety Playhouse. Just because you can’t handle your drugs you went and made up shome shit about a fire extinguisher getting shot off.
A fire extinguisher that wasn’t there, because I removed all of them from the premises (it’s called pre-production, friends) once I knew there would be beer and fast-acting folk heroes all over the place.
It’s just common sense.
One last thing, Chad Radford: you weren’t even there, MAN. Sending one of your interns to do your job and then making them stay up all night ghost writing your piece was the real crime.
That or not having the cash to cover your bets during the Tom Chesire Tiddly-Winks Invitational Tournament. Good luck getting invited to THAT one again, Chad. And nobody much appreciated your mix cd of the “cool” Jimmy Buffet stuff.
And I totally saw you putting weird drugs in Tom’s mint juleps. I suppose you’ll blame that on the white-coated butlers wandering around just trying to do their job and buttle, racist.
It’s fun to pretend like you got it all wrong when you really got it so right, Radford. Daddy’s gonna build you that ivory tower someday, babydoll.
XOXOXOXO
Matthew Robison
Loose
Please have one of your interns spell-check and edit this fucker. No need to fact-check; I already done that.
January 11th, 2008 at 9:26 am
I agree with what Matt said. Very well said. Appreciate the WE FUN crew. Chad’s intern was wearing sweatpants by the way.
January 11th, 2008 at 11:11 am
http://www.viceland.com/blog/blacklipsmyspace.jpg ???
January 11th, 2008 at 11:39 am
“Everyone who mattered was there.” No, it appears only INDIE rockers, East Atlanta snobs were there. Atlanta has a vibrant rock scene beyond this….
January 11th, 2008 at 11:54 am
You should stick to more naming of names and plain gossip, because you’re a sorry-ass journalist. WHAT day was this event held? Was it something sponsored by Atlanta Magazine? WHO were the invitees? WHY were they there? To get their pictures made by Atlanta Mag. photogs? “Come one, come all” — does that mean Baton Bob and David T. Lindsay were invited too? Saxby Chambliss? Freddy Vomit? (long story) Miley Cyrus?
And I’ve yet to make the connection, as teasingly alluded to in the headline, as to HOW exactly Atlanta Mag. was made a joke of. A fire extiguisher went off. Did it holler “Fuck Atlanta Magazine” while spewing white stuff into some juvie rocker’s iPod? Was it aimed directly at chronically demoralized Atlanta Mag journalists… say all the ones who’ve defected from CL and the AJC to that irrelevant pile of dead-tree frothy bullshit ads for crap nobody needs in the first place?
Thank God I only read the National Enquirer. Least they can handle the who, what, why and where of Gossip 101.
January 11th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Fuck the Atlanta rock scene…There isn’t a single fucking band in this city worth a shit…100% garbage.
January 11th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Hi Chad,
I’m an art director with Atlanta Magazine and though we appreciate the
coverage of our photo shoot, I just wanted to correct a few factual errors
and make a couple of comments.
1) This shoot was not a “come one, come all†“open invitation to Atlanta’s
rock scene.†It was a shoot for everyone directly involved in the production
of the documentary.
2) Alcohol was never promised. It was discussed between Chris, Matt and
myself (no one else), but I was informed before the shoot that the Variety
would NOT allow us to bring alcohol into the venue. Which is completely
understandable. Everyone becomes the venue’s responsibility, and without
security or bartenders (as there would be at a show), it’s just not allowed.
Your statement that “these people need to be sedated†is offensive and
unfair to the dozens of local musicians who showed up for the shoot and
acted liked professionals.
3) There were five pizzas from Savage, not “easily 20.” I’m glad I didn’t
order more since the shoot, for which we had blocked out three hours, lasted
only three minutes, thanks to one person’s decision to set off a fire
extinguisher, risking the health of everyone present not to mention damage
to equipment and property.
4) Please don’t write-off the crew as “bitching†about “thousands of dollars
they lost.” There are considerable costs involved in setting up a major
photo shoot and now there will be costs for cleaning up space and equipment
following the incident. I do want to thank you, by the way, for noting the
“impressive rig†that had been set up. This photo shoot was a major project
that had been underway for weeks and photographer Chris Martin had invested
many hours preparing for the shoot.
5) You shouldn’t assume that the effort was “all for naught.” Atlanta
Magazine certainly will continue to support and cover Atlanta’s music scene,
whether or not we are able to salvage the terrific photo we planned.
Thanks for reading.
January 11th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
This is an interesting conversation. Chad gets props for bringing this out into the open. These types of stories often get passed around as rumors and nothing more. Yes, I would like to have known who the prankster was, but maybe he couldn’t make a solid ID and didn’t want to falsely accuse somebody.
January 11th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
This is why indie kids use polaroids and shoot candids.
I live in Grant Park and work in East Atlanta. I don’t consider myself a snob, and anyone who feels like they needs thousands of dollars to shoot a picture might want to re-evaluate what it is that they’re trying to do. Good for the bands who knew enough not to take everything so seriously, and good for chad for reporting it without taking sides.
Oh and since when did it become stardard to reward someone for being a rocker then expect them to act like they’re in church any time people aren’t paying to see them?
January 11th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
i’m dating the best photo-journalist in the house!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v357/hot-tub/getblowd036-1.jpg?t=1200076770
January 11th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
You might want to try and focus or maybe hold still before taking your “photo-journalist” pictures. Maybe then they might be seen somewhere besides photobucket.
January 11th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Who the hell is this Chris idiot? First he comes out with a backhanded apology with some retarded Gallagher reference and then goes on to spew some self righteous bullshit promising “each and every one of you will get your due†and “that this press coverage that we’re getting now is nothing compared to the full-on We Fun revolution that the movie will causeâ€. Did I miss anything or did this guy have anything to do with getting these bands to where they are today? I’ve seen these bands busting ass for years but thank god now that Chris is around they each can offer them “your turn in the spotlightâ€. The best is when he closes his dissertation with the promise of FUCKING BOOZE! Why don’t you go ahead and have another open call to have Atlanta musicians come get a royal blowjob by his highness Chris. What a misguided fuck!
January 11th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Uh, this “Chris idiot” was a main reason for the photo shoot. See, JWopper, if you read Chad’s article you would realize there is a documentary movie called ‘We Fun’ being made about some Atlanta area bands. In Chris’ comment he tells us he’s with the ‘We Fun’ project. If you click on his name you’ll see it links to more info about the movie, and you can see his role in the project. The photo shoot was for an Atlanta Magazine article on the documentary. So, yup, you “missed something” J-Wop. Oh, and I think Chris already has plans to end the film with a massive blowjobathon. That will guarantee prizes galore on the film festival circuit.
January 11th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Just to note…the film is supposed to be a satire on all the media hype the Atlanta rock scene is getting. Maybe the Atlanta magazine “disaster” was staged?
January 11th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
The bad news, our grandmothers don’t get to finally see us in a magazine that they can pass around the old folks home.
The good news, they’ll probably replace the article/photoshoot with that excellent recipe for creme broulet that they promised last month!
p.s. I think Bobby Brown snuck in and set off a fire extinguisher. That dude’s a live wire!!
January 12th, 2008 at 12:15 am
hey “I like saunas better”…go fuck yourself. And learn to read the comments first before you post responses you moron.
hot-tub
p.s. saunas suck you fucking hater!
January 12th, 2008 at 4:49 am
If you enjoy saunas more than hot tubs, then you are most likely a euro trash senior citizen in a speedo.. Therefore your opinions hold no water around here.. …With your universal healthcare and unshaven women… Eegads man, get ahold of yourself!
January 13th, 2008 at 12:38 am
5 pizzas?? There were more than 5 pizzas! What kind of assholes have 50 kids show up to have their picture taken by some Olan Mills reject and only provide 5 pizzas?? There were at least 15, I know, ’cause I stole 4 and took them home with me!
Seriously though, as a photographer, shouldn’t the guy have taken full advantage of something wild breaking out before his lens? ‘Specially if it’s a shoot for an article about a bunch of wild kids who get crazy and play crazy rock n roll?
Whatever, keep setting up your umbrellas and expensive lights, I’m sure that pulitzer will make it’s way to you any day… It’ll probably show up at the same time as Atlanta Magazines award for excellency in reporting on buckhead townhomes for rent.. OHHH FACCEEEEE! Yeah son, I went there!
January 13th, 2008 at 2:28 am
Hmmmmmmmmmm. When I interviewed Tiny Tim at the Variety Playhouse, about 20 years ago, now, no one let off the fire extinguisher. I’m amazed how idiotic acts of stupidity can be, sometimes, by some, defended as “rock and roll.” I don’t see how any great music was created from this, though someone may pen some good lyrics based on the event.
fuck heroin
by mikel k
(and performed by
the mikel k band)
fuck heroin
fuck heroin
fuck heroin
it killed my friend
and drummer greg psomas
fuck heroin
fuck heroin
look at that kid
with the facial tatoo
is he happy?
fuck heroin
fuck heroin
put a shotgun
in the mouth of
kurt cobain.
fuck heroin
fuck heroin
fuck heroin.
January 13th, 2008 at 8:16 am
pshh, woulda been a lot more “rock n roll” if heroin woulda put a fire extinguisher in kurt cobains mouth instead.. ohhhh!!
January 13th, 2008 at 11:34 pm
“Outside a new plan was circulating, “Let’s go next door to El Myr and gets some drinks!â€
Which was what these people needed and were denied in the first place”
So, the fact that these assholes weren’t getting fed free booze in the middle of the afternoon is justification for them doing damage to someone else’s property?
That may be one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard. I don’t know who’s the bigger asshole…you for saying it, or the guy who fired the extinguisher in the first place.
January 15th, 2008 at 1:10 am
Any dictator would admire the uniformity and obedience of the U.S. media.
January 15th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Big joe here. The tallest man in Atlanta.
first and foremost, VIVA LOS LABIOS NEGROS. They almost burned down the 40 Watt when I was growing up and all of you webjunkies are hating for a fire extinguisher incident.
Viva Los Labios Negros for life neggaz. You can find me at any local black lips or carbonas show for one reason, well maybe two, number one – I grew up on this stuff. this is my music. my personal soundtrack, and when I go to shows, I have fun. two – primadonnas tend to stay away from the dirty shows, and save their energy for photobucket and myspace. the lamers all come out for Deerhunter ad nauseum.
the Carbonas and the Lips deserve all the credit anyway. They are the best bands in this town.
So in closing, Id like to say, fuck all you people, fuck documentaries, fuck, and fuck some more, read books.
you people are getting so fucking serious. internet browsing should only be something you do at your corporate jobs. this is about fun. atlanta is fun. our shows are fun. i have fun. and dance my fucking ass.
get off your fucking horses.
Was this “rock scene” “made” on myspace.com or what?
January 16th, 2008 at 12:27 am
well dortch, i guess we can out fun them all!! ATL!!! we fun as hell!!!
although i do admit i was a bit disappointed when it all went down, it is exactly what i expected. i was kind of pissed at first, due to all the work i put into getting everyone to come out through constant calls and texts and just endless reminders when i’d see everybody out.
i even went back into the variety and claimed responcibility for my friends actions. at this time the cocaine cloud was almost gone, and they told me it looked like $35,000 in damages (which i knew was bullshit). i told them we would clean up the mess. they were pissed and told me to leave; that it was over.
i still had a lovely lunch with my friends), i want to thank all for coming out. we’ll do something like this again soon!
probably tonight!
xoxo,
juggz
p.s. ubangi sez i gotta go and fuck all ya’ll!
January 16th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
“NO FIRE IN THE 40 WATT, M. F’ERS!”
January 18th, 2008 at 6:05 am
It’s so funny to me how no one that “really mattered” that was there even feels the need to comment on this stuff. They only people who do, are the people that feel left out, so they hate on everyone else. Get a life and stop being jealous of all the people in atl that are actually doing something with themselves, besides getting drunk at el myr, or the local, or where ever and talking shit about the folks you wish you were like
January 20th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
oh boo fucking hoo!
hey, let’s try to make a name for ourselves by latching onto the fun craziness of others, then piss and moan when they do what we were interested in them for doing in the first place.
fuck off
atlanta magazine can stay in fucking buckhead, write about what’s happening on crescent st. if you can’t deal with a little poison. pussies.
January 21st, 2008 at 11:52 am
Victor pretty much summed it up…how many motherfuckers were there that have never had shit to do with anything….I can name about 25 fucks.
December 11th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
“Everyone who mattered was there.”
HAHA
that is actually what is wrong with the Atlanta music scene.. so freaking exclusive, it is insane.
January 7th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Keep bringing it ’bout the ATL music scene but remember one thing, your favorite band sucks! Really does!
January 12th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
i’d like to second the above comment.
your favorite atl band sucks.
only slightly less sucky are the people who obsess over the same 3 bands playing the same 3 shitty bars every month.
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