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Post by meesta3k on Jul 28, 2008 2:37:14 GMT -5
Hi, my name's Matt. A few weeks ago someone here posted a link to a video on Youtube of me playing a song about Blind Melon. I got to wondering about how so many Blind Melon fans had found the video, so I just did a search to find a message board that might've led people there. Sure enough, I found this board and read the original thread. I'd write in that one but it's been locked. Sorry for adding clutter to your forum.
Anyway, let me level with you. I know the shooter of the video came and defended it somewhat, but let me explain myself. First off, I wouldn't really call myself a Blind Melon fan as Jeff suggested. I also don't HATE the band. "No Rain" is a good song. To be honest, I'm terribly indifferent. The song could've be written about anyone.
I was sitting around with a friend (a fellow songwriter) and somehow Shannon came up in the context of my song, I blurted out "Blind Melon had it coming!", and my friend challenged me to write a song with that as the title. Now, I admit the song is in bad taste. It's about a real person, with real family and friends, with real fans. I have this bad habit, though, of going ahead with a song as if nobody else mattered. I have a cousin serving in the marines and I sing songs opposing the military. I come from a religious family and I wrote an entire album tearing apart the hypocrisy of homophobic Christianity. I take a punk approach to my music, leaving nothing too sacred to opine about. I'm not trying to sound like I'm dangerous or edgy; it's just something that I'm ok with when a lot of musicians and fans are not.
Now, the song itself. Like I said, I'm not really a fan of Blind Melon, but they're not a band I even care enough about one way or the other to intentionally tear down. It started as a one-liner and expanded into a song. And like it or not, I happen to think it's fairly well-written, even if it's mean. I'm not out to try to make money or a name for myself using Blind Melon's name. They clearly have many fans (many more than I'll ever have, for sure) but if I was really trying to disparage a band for my own benefit, you have to admit there are better bands than Blind Melon. I could've written a song about a much larger, more relevant band like Nirvana or Weezer or Coldplay or Green Day or whatever. I mean no disrespect, I'm just saying. Also, while I DID intend insult to the singer of Drowning Pool when I used him as evidence that "it's not prestigious" in the "28-30 Club", I do in fact like Sublime quite a lot. I included Brad to kinda say "well, at least you get to hang with Brad, even though he barely missed the cut". To further demonstrate my lack of personal interest in the people in the song, I actually don't care much for the music created by Nirvana, the Doors, Hendrix, or Janis Joplin. The whole song is very tongue-in-cheek. I "diss" a singer I care little about by claiming he's not as good as other sings I care little about. It was meant as a joke and that was all.
I'm sorry if anyone was offended or upset by the song. I'm a very conscious person, and while I don't believe in karma or hell or any other kind of spiritual retribution, I try my best to do no harm simply for the intrinsic value of that which is good. While I admit the song isn't positive in nature, I feel that its joke nature is hardly enough to do any harm. It is, after all, a joke. And like many of you have pointed out, I'm a nobody who shouldn't be taken seriously anyway.
If you feel the need to discuss this with me, scold me, threaten me, etc. you can email me, hit me up on myspace, post a comment here, or even find me at or outside of any shows I play. I'm not trying to attract your attention but rather trying to address any issues you have. You have opinions and my ear, so let me have it.
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Brad Dub
Porcupine
Sometimes, nothing?s better than something
Posts: 684
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Post by Brad Dub on Jul 28, 2008 7:44:15 GMT -5
Well, your explanation sure is not going to win you any support. You actually come off as quite smug about your song and your music. Quite bold to come here and say some of the things you said. I do applaud you at least having the balls to come here and explain yourself.
All I will write is this; I would imagine you love someone in this world. I would also imagine you lost someone that you cared about and you miss them. Now take that really, real feeling. That missing love. That hurt love. Those wonderful memories. Imagine caring for that person a whole lot, even though they are gone. Now imagine someone coming a long. A stranger, trashing that someone you cared abouts name. Be it song, words, conversation. Be it humor or satire. Be it punk or rebellion. IT FUCKING HURTS!!! Shame on you! Spirituality and karma may mean squat to you, but that doesn't mean the rest of us all side with you. I will agree with one thing you wrote, it was in bad taste. One last thing, if you don't believe in karma, why is this song about it?
Maybe one day these egos will learn.
Brad
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Post by swervehead on Jul 28, 2008 9:55:43 GMT -5
Personally, you have the right to free speech. Your entitled to express yourself, something that isn't possible everywhere in the world. And a big thanks to your cousin who is helping to protect that freedom! But I wonder if you'd play that in front of Brad, Rogers, Chris, and Glen. Perhaps Shannon's mum and his daughter Nico could sit in on this private session. I think it would interesting to see stare into the eyes of a 15 year old girl and satirize the death of her father. I don't know man, everybody says and does things that aren't PC myself at the top of the list. But by posting it on Utube kind of changes things. I'll give you credit for posting here, but thats about it.
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Post by Karen on Jul 28, 2008 19:38:09 GMT -5
I think that you have a right to explain and defend yourself here on the forum. You also have the right to free speech. I will take the time to use that freedom here. Just remember what goes around, comes around. One day you may find yourself the butt of someone's distasteful song.
If Blind Melon, Shannon, Shannon's family and fans mean so little to you, why are you even here? Why perpetuate this? Just let it die if you're not looking for attention.
You haven't even taken the time to learn about Shannon yet you take the time to satirize his death. Shannon and Blind Melon are SO much more than No Rain. I think that you should take a listen to the entire BM catalog and make an informed decision. Perhaps it will benefit your music as well.
Best of luck in your career.
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melondew
Porcupine
"I need to be on top of a mountain where I can see everything cause this paranoia's getting old"
Posts: 238
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Post by melondew on Jul 28, 2008 20:13:03 GMT -5
Matt,
You sound like a musically inclined, talented individual. However, in this case I believe your lyrics, regardless of being a joke, were poorly chosen. I listened to the whole song. All I could think of as I listened was, "Wow, if he would have just put some words to this that would effect people in some positive way, he might touch their hearts". You chose to use words that would either a.effect people in a negative way to incite anger and disgust or b.touch a few jaded individuals twisted funny bones and get a few laughs at the expense of a lost human life. That's pretty, well, shallow and transparent. You say on your myspace page that you're "not making music to earn money, gain notoriety, or change the world. I'm making music for myself and trying to make it as simultaneously expressive and entertaining as possible." To be blunt, I think your full of shit. Maybe your lying about your true motives to cover up some insecurity, or perhaps you have yourself fooled as well. Only you know the answer to that. But it's painfully apparent that you are not what you're saying you are. You mask your post under the veil of some half-hearted apology and self explanation, but it's obvious to me that you're simply making an effort to gain notoriety and attract attention. To say you're not doing it to earn money is, again, a blatant lie, as you can clearly hear you pitching your goods during the "notorious" youtube video. However inexpensive, you're still pitching your goods to earn a buck. I don't care if you're simply trying to cover any expense incurred during the making of the goods, recovering a buck is still earning it. Sorry, simple facts here.
I don't know how old you are. Perhaps you are older than me. However, you lack wisdom, common sense and basic humanity and respect. You have no reason to respect Shannon Hoon. Shannon Hoon, unfortunately did not respect himself or his own life enough to be with us today. Anyone who respects him does so by choice, and respects him for who he was and what he created. While you have no reason to respect Shannon Hoon, you do have reason to respect human life, the creation or destruction thereof, and the deep loss and effect that the destruction of his life caused. He has a mother, a father, a significant other, siblings and most importantly, A CHILD. An innocent bystander who's heart your "joke"...would tear into a million pieces. This is basic humanity and respect. Understanding this requires wisdom and common sense. These are things that you were either not taught in life or have chosen to ignore for the sake of your own personal gain, tangible or otherwise. Joke or not.
I'm going to give you some advice, because, despite your poor choices as a lyricist and comedian, I still respect you as a human being, a human life, and as a musician. Take it or leave it. Stop wasting your time with lyrics and jokes written for the sole purpose of shock value. I don't care what you say on your myspace page or what you tell me, I'm sorry, that's what it is. This path will only lead you to an end of regret and revel in your self deceit. Your music CAN touch people in a positive way, and it CAN change the world. And when it does either or both of those is it the greatest most fulfilling feeling you could ever hope to feel.
Take care on whatever path you choose.
Doug
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Post by meesta3k on Jul 29, 2008 2:21:45 GMT -5
Thanks for the responses. I feel like I still want to reply to some of the points mentioned. First off, both my initial post and this reply are NOT attempts to win fans or name recognition. I would have to be an idiot to try such a thing after I so obviously offended everyone here. That was never my intention here, and you have to concede my ability to recognize futility. I decided to post here because I really DO feel like I have sound morals, and I think that given the shocking song, I may be misjudged from the get-go. I'm not sure what this says about me, but I honestly care when strangers think poorly of me, especially when I feel it's unjustified.
I guess I'll further make myself look like a jerk. I'm what many people would consider a very liberal person, but I draw the line at political correctness. When I'm around people who know me, I'm comfortable telling a sexist joke because I know the others will know I'm not serious. I don't think sexism is funny, but I think it can be joked about in an ironic sense. I really feel this song is an extension of that personality trait. It's an over-the-top song from a viewpoint that isn't necessarily mine. In the context of the rest of my music, it would hopefully come across that way. If a person were to seriously hold the views I sing about in the song, they admittedly would have a tremendous disdain for Shannon and the band. I have no such strong emotion towards them, either positive or negative.
Just like the sexist joke analogy, the song also isn't intended for all situations. I've written equally meaningless songs about other persons more famous and successful than I could ever hope to be, and they always seem so disconnected from everything I'm doing that the chance that they'll even notice seems completely negligible. Believe it or not, the audience I'm used to reaching is not the Blind Melon fanbase, let alone friends and family members. I never would have predicted that it would make its way into this community, and I really would prefer that it hadn't. I do realize that it's a touchy subject for some, and if it did seriously upset anyone, it was not worth you learning my name. I'd rather be unknown to you than to cause you anguish of any sort, and I say that genuinely.
This song was written a bit over a year ago. About half a year ago I started reading a lot about Buddhism. I don't believe in the religious aspect of it (the deities, karma, etc.), but as an ethics guide, I think it's fantastic. Since getting into it, I have pretty much refrained from writing negative songs at all, unless they're negative towards truly bad people or situations. Obviously Shannon Hoon is not a truly bad person, and while I stand behind the moral neutrality of the song, it is probably not something I would write today. This is more to address the above post from Doug suggesting that I do something positive with music. I'm gay and perceive a lot of negativity in the world (including, unfortunately, being called a "fag" in youtube comments, likely submitted by someone from this forum) and I tend to write a lot of songs addressing homophobia and religious hypocrisy. I'm also a vegetarian and pacifist. I've got what I feel to be a lot of positive suggestions for the world, and I'm really trying to project that through my music now. Again, I've given up on trying to convert anyone into a fan, but I'm just trying to explain my view of myself as a moral person.
I'm not quite sure what was in my initial post that made me sound smug. It may have been because I admitted to liking my song. I guess that's a taboo thing for an artist to do, but honestly, if a musician is making music they hate, they're probably in it for the wrong reasons. I definitely need to address the money comment, though. The video was shot in Rhode Island. I live in Michigan. I'm sure you've noticed the price of gas lately. While larger bands are probably doing just fine, the independent musician is getting killed by gas prices. I'm coming from a scene where kids will complain if a show costs $10 instead of $8. Even though the cost of my tour this month was more than it would have been a year ago, there's no corresponding increase of money at the shows. So while I'm not making music for the money, selling a CD or t-shirt to someone can really help offset the inevitable loss I take while doing what I love for a few weeks at a time.
I really hope you all see that the only selfish interest I have in the matter at this point is lessening the negative opinion you have of me. Being misunderstood is probably my biggest fear, and while I don't expect a sudden influx of Blind Melon fans into my camp, I would at least like to be on cordial terms with the world at large.
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Post by Meredith on Jul 29, 2008 6:01:30 GMT -5
I just had one question..... your friend asked us to drop this subject a week ago, and we did. We locked the post and moved on and forgot all about this song. Why did you come back and rehash the whole thing if it was such a big deal for this forum to drop it? Its not like you weren't aware of it while the post was unlocked and active...I read the comments on your myspace page from the taper about the subject while the topic was active. Doesn't make sense to me. Anyway, I don't think there is any chance of you explaining yourself to a point where most forum members would forgive that song. This is a Blind Melon forum and we love Shannon and the band more than words can say. I would say 99.9% of the members here would defend the Band and Shannon with their last breath. Its our duty as fans to support our band. I don't think anyone will change their minds on this. Thanks for stopping by and explaining things and apologizing.
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Post by meesta3k on Jul 29, 2008 6:43:56 GMT -5
I just had one question..... your friend asked us to drop this subject a week ago, and we did. We locked the post and moved on and forgot all about this song. Why did you come back and rehash the whole thing if it was such a big deal for this forum to drop it? Its not like you weren't aware of it while the post was unlocked and active...I read the comments on your myspace page from the taper about the subject while the topic was active. I'm not sure what you mean here. I knew there were comments going to the youtube video, but I actually didn't think to try to figure out where everyone was coming from until a few night s ago. Naturally, I was curious to see what else was said. I didn't mean to rehash anything, but simply chime in with a defense of myself. I didn't really have that opportunity before.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2008 7:31:22 GMT -5
Alright... You explained yourself... But, you surely won't change many minds around here. Now would be a perfect time to just forget this forum ever exsisted.
One thing, in your initial post, that you probably don't seem to think will "re"offend people would be this:
You're at the Blind Melon Forum. Here, most members have Blind Melon set as #1 on their list of music likes. There is really nothing you can do to win anyone over here. Yes, you've been given the opportunity to explain yourself. Just save yourself some time and move on already...
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Post by swervehead on Jul 29, 2008 8:01:28 GMT -5
and while I don't expect a sudden influx of Blind Melon fans into my camp,..... I would say thats a safe bet!!
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Post by meesta3k on Jul 29, 2008 15:14:09 GMT -5
Alright... You explained yourself... But, you surely won't change many minds around here. Now would be a perfect time to just forget this forum ever exsisted. One thing, in your initial post, that you probably don't seem to think will "re"offend people would be this: You're at the Blind Melon Forum. Here, most members have Blind Melon set as #1 on their list of music likes. There is really nothing you can do to win anyone over here. Yes, you've been given the opportunity to explain yourself. Just save yourself some time and move on already... Understandable, but you can't be so naive to believe that, in the scheme of music, Blind Melon is the most influential, widely-known band or the best candidate for making a name for oneself. This isn't a matter of opinion, it's a matter of fact. I listen to far more unpopular music so I'm not judging the band. I'm just saying they're not the best band to go after for the purposes accused of me.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2008 15:20:25 GMT -5
Again, you're at the Blind Melon Forum... Popularity and CD sales don't mean a thing when it comes to die hard fans. WE think Melon is the best band out there, regardless. We can't even understand why anyone would compare them to the likes of Weezer.
You really have to understand that this is an official forum, recognized by the band, and found in the new linear notes of "For My Friends" and all hard copies of recently distributed material.
If I were to go to a Weezer site, and they were claiming the band was better than Melon, I would understand that because it's a WEEZER FORUM. Same goes for any band...
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Post by meesta3k on Jul 29, 2008 16:34:32 GMT -5
I didn't say better. That's an opinion. I said more successful. Surely you can't be naive enough to think that Blind Melon is on the same level as Weezer or Green Day in terms of widespread recognition and success. It is what it is, man. Don't take personally what isn't an attack.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2008 17:44:00 GMT -5
Ok, I got ya... Maybe I read it wrong. Good luck with your "music".
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Post by tripticket on Jul 29, 2008 17:59:59 GMT -5
funny that I missed all this. not gonna hate on here. To us it's Blind F#$#)(* Melon!!!!!#rock# Yeup... but i just wanna understand something a lil more clearly ... with your song, u were going at it like a Sublime 'Date Rape' kind of approach???
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