Interview Liars

By Oats on Nov 3, 2009

Hey everyone, let's name some notable rock folks who almost certainly tell lies frequently when being interviewed. Steely Dan have long mastered the art of turning Q&As into their own personal Marx Brothers routines. I am convinced that Paul Westerberg routinely changes his answers to questions about The Replacements, possibly out of boredom. I bet both PW and the Dan learned their craft by studying Bob Dylan interviews.

Also, who should start lying more when being interviewed? Rollins, yes. The Boss, sure. Paul McCartney, definitely.

(I'll admit that my interest in this topic is partially due to disenfranchisement with the whole interviewing thing, the idea that you can get an even minor rock star to provide a "teachable moment" by revealing something about themselves and their art. It's not so much that it's impossible, but do people care anymore? Maybe some rockers may reveal more of themselves when they're covering up their tracks.)

Comment from: Mr. Moderator [Member]
Papa John Phillips' autobiography seemed to be loaded with lies and exaggerations, which in his case made for a better read than having to hear about the truly sordid details of his existence.

I don't know if lying would help, but Eno should put a sock in it after the first two sentences of any answer he's ever given. Man that guy gives long, boring answers!
11/03/09 @ 14:40
Comment from: jungleland2 [Member] Email · http://www.ericleland.com
Billy Gibbons has never given the same answer twice in an interview. I have a book that Kurt Loder wrote about them in the mid 1980s and he had a hell of a time with conflicting accounts of the same event by Mr. Gibbons in various magazine interviews
11/03/09 @ 14:40
Comment from: cdm [Member] Email
Isn't Keef known for making stuff up in interviews? Like, for instance, the time he snorted his dad's ashes?

In addition to "Those Who Lie" and "Those Who Should Lie", I think there's room for a third category: "Those Who Genuinely Don't Think They're Lying, But Are Nonetheless Saying Things That Probably Never Happened". I would put Richard Lloyd in this category.
11/03/09 @ 14:58
Comment from: mockcarr [Member] Email
Maybe it's like Jeff Tweedy says, and their lies are always wishes.
11/03/09 @ 16:41
Comment from: BigSteve [Member] Email
I just started reading Barney Hoskyns' biography of Tom Waits, and Waits is pretty much honest about lying in interviews. Which you should be able to tell from reading the bizarre shit he says.
11/03/09 @ 22:24
Comment from: mrclean [Member] Email
The Dead Milkmen always tell the truth.
11/04/09 @ 10:34
Comment from: cdm [Member] Email
I was interviewed by the Metro once and the only reliable information I gave was the date and venue of the gig.
11/04/09 @ 11:31
Comment from: latelydavidband [Member] Email · http://msbluestrailblog.blogspot.com/
My BFF Pete Townshend has been known to tell a whopper or two in his time. That man is walking contradiction. But he says it all so well...

TB
11/05/09 @ 13:21
Comment from: bobbybittman [Member] Email
"The truth? As you want to hear it? Oh no, I can't do that. You couldn't afford me." - Keith Moon

One I've seen interviewed recently in a YouTube post is that loser, John Joseph, who was part of the miniscule group of punks let in to give some "authenticity" to FEAR's SNL performance in 1981, and is STILL claiming that the gigantic mass of hardcore punks (seeing the video of the show again, there couldn't have been more than 25 of 'em) practically burned 30 Rockefeller Center to the ground, causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage (the story the ever-reliable NY Post made up, then retracted), as well as beating up audience members, SNL staff, & police (as if NYPD circa 1981 would have had any problem "disappearing" the skin-headed little twerps somewhere out in The Meadowlands). He contradicts not only the footage of the performance, but about 4 or 5 other well documented accounts of what happened (including Ian MacKaye, who was part of the crowd). I guess if your main claim to fame is being in The Cro-mags, you need something.
11/07/09 @ 13:03

Comments are not allowed from anonymous visitors.

« This Is Your Rock Town Hall!The Kids Are Alright »