This got me thinking about what other rock stars I would or wouldn't particularily like in person. I recall a friend noting that, notwithstanding a love for the Doors, Jim Morrison was probably a real dick. I concurred. Judging by the stories and the songs, I think it's clear that Jim was not only a drug-addicted womanizer, but he was probably also painfully pretentious. I bet he was the type of guy you'd want to knockout, if not because he was a total jerk to your best friend Jane then because he talked to you like he was walking somewhere over your head. Seeing as Jim's dead, I guess I can't really hold off judgment like I'm doing fo Bob, so I'm going to go ahead and judge Jim a complete ass.
What about Kurt Cobain? Again, I love his music, but I'm not sure about the man. I don't know much about him. I know his widow (Courtney Love) is a real tool. I think your left thumb harbours more intelligence than Courtney Love's entire body. But worse, she just annoys me, period. But does that reflect the type of man Kurt Cobain was? Probably. I've read some stuff about him, but I don't really know what to think. Certainly his own music is great, but he seemed to have a knack for choosing only great songs to cover (especially The Man Who Sold the World). I don't think he was a very happy person though. He'd probably totally bum me out. I think I'd talk to Kurt for a bit then loose interest and move on to someone I would actually enjoy being around.
In this rock-star-studded party who would I actually enjoy being around? A few names come to mind. I think, of all the Beatles, I'd get on best with Ringo Starr. He doesn't abuse his wife (McCartney), he never supported a communist party in Great Britain (Lennon), and he didn't seem excessively dedicated to the psychedelic lifestyle and sitar music (Harrison). He was a late addition, he was always in the background, but, being the drummer, was the heart of the band's live performances, and he seemed to be the most low-key. I bet he had great stories to tell, and I bet he'd talk to you like you mattered.
I also think Eddie Vedder would be a good guy to chill with. I've read some artcles about him and interviews with him. He seems like a chill kind of guy. From his music, he seems socially conscious, but not conspiratorial like Dylan. He has always seemed to me to be down to earth. Having said that, he's a rock icon, so I think he's got some stories to tell. He seems charismatic, but not too charismatic. I think the years spent fighting Ticketmaster and the music video phenomenon probably helped ground him.
Then there's Bono. The man seems to ooze charisma, but more importantly, he seems 100% real. When he was one-third of Time's People of the Year the article exposed him as a hard working, down-to-earth, sincere man. He's had more musical success than almost anyone else in the past 25 or so years, but he still fights for people who have nothing. I once stood about 30 feet from him and what a thrill! Not many people can inspire that kind of emotion in me. The funny thing is, at that time, I wasn't really a big U2 fan. It was when he appeared at the Liberal Leadership Convention in Toronto. He spoke flawlessly about debt and AIDS relief. I bet I could sit across a table from him for days without ever losing the wide-eyed-little-hockey-player-who-just-met-Wayne-Gretzky look.
Some other rockers I think I could be friends with:
- the entire roster of BNL
- Eric Clapton
- Chantel Kreviazuk (mostly because she's smokin' hot)
- Andre 3000 (OutKast)
- Amy Lee (Evanescence)
- Pete Doherty (Babyshambles/The Libertines)
- the Gallagher brothers (Oasis)
- Gene Simmons (Kiss)
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