So it’s not the first time, probably won’t be the last time, but I went off a bit half-cocked about the Soundgarden tour in my previous blog, posted late last night, and in the interest of avoiding spreading any false information I’ve removed that post as it’s own entity and replaced it with this, wherein you will still find my original post (pasted below), so as not to be any more douchey about the subject and try and cover up my foolishness. I don’t usually go off half-cocked, last night was just a failure to censor or even slow down and read what was in front of me. We’ve been swarmed with escalating ticket prices lately (I’m passing up going to see The Deftones and Dillinger Escape Plan because of the ~$80 ticket price – if it was a benefit for the Deftones bass player, who was in a coma for a couple years, I’d be down, but none of the information I’ve seen has suggested that) and I was soooo excited to get the email that Soundgarden’s tour had been announced I began racing around in an ecstatic daze, an ecstatic daze that soon became a bit confused and then slightly irritated that I had to go create a profile on the band’s site just to get the info for the presale (why does everybody’s website have to be a social networking event these days?). From there it was only a matter of moments before I made the blunder and went off in a fit of crushed, frustrated stupidity. I should have paid a bit more attention. It’s kinda like the time I went around talking shit about Justin Beber before I found out just how awesome he is!
No, seriously though, I fucked up and I’m happy to admit it and take the appropriate steps to make peace. I’m still not too happy about the ticket prices – $119 base cost for two is fine, but the mandatory pairs means that I’m still screwed – with shows where the ticket cost is over $50 I tend to go by myself (unless it’s someone my wife can’t live without seeing) to save money on a second ticket price, so in my mind they’re still slightly douchey about this whole thing, but for the average folks I’d imagine it’s a swell thing.
Original Post, feel free to lambast me for my ignorance:
Ah, you know, two bands from my teenage years that I loved and never saw live were Faith No More and Soundgarden. Last November I was able to see FNM on their reunion tour and although it cost a pretty penny (~70 something after rape fees) I’m very glad I went*. Now as some of you may know Soundgarden got back together about a year ago and after playing a few shows under various pseudonyms (Nude Dragons) have slated five summer tour dates, one of which is in my back yard. I read the news in my email this evening with some relish – I’d already been pit-falling into what is turning out to be a massive spring concert season, what with Man Man coming up, Raveonettes, and now, low and behold, The Ocean Collective arriving on our shores all the way from Germany. Seeing Soundgarden’s name made me happy happy happy and I followed the somewhat vague instructions to ‘create a profile’ on their site in order to see date/venue/price.
And that’s when I think I might have stopped being a Soundgarden fan.
I’ve kinda seen some stink coming a mile away with this one – the band, never really all that fan-friendly to begin with back in the day** seemed to talk a good game but honestly, there really wasn’t any doubt why this reunion was happening. The spring before the announcement was the spring Cornell released his Timbaland produced solo album (after three solo albums that I tried to like but didn’t and that ridiculous project with the three muscle-headed dildos from rage-against-the-machine-that feeds-us) and after taking one listen to that album I told my wife and some friends – if this bombs Soundgarden will be back together in a year.
Low and behold yet again.
Along with that consider that the band sent out an email burst a little over six months ago for a new release, that was a cleverly packaged greatest hits and you’ll see why I started to smell a rat. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I want them to tour and make music and make money enough to live and continue, but when I saw the ticket price of the upcoming show at the Forum, base cost $119, well, I said fuck it and swallowed the fact that I will apparently never see soundgarden live. But honestly, now I don’t really feel like I want to. And I know, in this day and age with the music business staggering in its death throws touring is the only way a band can make money (for the most part). However, again I present for your consideration – $119?!? I hate to say it but this is making Cornell and the boys kinda look like the new eagles, and if there’s one central thing me and The Dude agree on, it’s that I HATE THE FUCKING EAGLES.
Enjoy your summer tour soundgarden – when the four of you find yourselves unable to stand one another again in two years and go back to lackluster solo careers maybe the booty you sock away from this raping of your fans will come in handy.
Fuckers.
………..
* review here: Faith No More
** I remember my friend Jake going to see them for what I think was a Down on the Upside tour – they sold out the first night, which he’d waited in line to acquire tickets to, and then added a second show the day before. Fine, no big deal, except that apparently at some point one of the members of the group (Ben Shepard I think) made a few derogatory comments about how the people at Jake’s show “must be their real fans” because they were there on the second night, obviously not realizing he was talking shit to the people who waited in line to get tickets to the first show. Tell me that’s not a dick move, eh?