I heard that it was generally understood that a resume with “former Frank Zappa band” could open a lot of doors. People knew you were musically very competent and could put up with very difficult personalities.
9 Likes
Well ain’t that just the thing with so many musicians.
I’m unconvinced that being an arsehole is actually necessary. Of course I’m not a genius in any sense, let alone art, though I have seen close up some of those power relations and I am, as I said, genuinely unconvinced.
Most big budget art is collaborative at the very least and I am convinced that, to put it in Machiavellian terms, it is better to be loved than to be feared. I think of legendary bandleaders and actually there is a huge well of love and respect there for the players. It’s why I say if Frank cared really he could have offered to write with him or something. That kind of recognition from someone you admire is worth a lot.
4 Likes
Oh fully agree. I’ve also met a bunch of hyper-competent people who found dealing with humans to be scary or difficult, and it was easier for them to be a tolerated arsehole than to actually bother to learn about people. I don’t believe it was necessary for them to be arseholes - I just think it was tolerated.
3 Likes
It gets better though… Mr Belew continues :-
"Later that day we were on a bus to an airport. I decided to break the ice. I walked to the very last row in the bus where Frank was sitting. I told him about David’s offer. I reminded him of his plan to edit his film and pay me a retainer and asked him if it didn’t make more sense for me to join David’s tour for 4 months instead. I told him I would gladly return after the tour. Frank reached out and we shook hands.
That evening, February 26th, we played a concert in Brussels, Belgium. One of Frank’s songs we did was “Yo Mama”. But for that show Frank substituted the words “Your David”. So this is what he sang:
“Maybe you should stay with your David,
He can do your laundry and cook for you,
Maybe you should stay with your David,
You’re really kind of stupid and ugly too”.
Two nights later the tour ended in London at the Hammersmith Odeon. There was an onstage occurrence which angered Frank. Frank cut the show short and stormed off. The next day most of the band members flew back to L.A. where they all lived. I was told later that Frank fired the band on that flight home."
6 Likes
Nope…that was Earl Slick that replaced SRV
1 Like
Well, that does make Frank sound like a Grade A asshole. 
5 Likes
There are a lot of fascists that used to be right libertarian. Usual pipeline goes through alt right.
Gold standard of that move is guy called Christopher “the Crying Nazi” Cantwell.
1 Like
To be honest, I still haven’t heard a tale where Frank Zappa wasn’t a toxic asshole. I mean, it seems like a schtick, but it wasn’t. Ol’ Frank was a textbook example of The Asshole As An Artiste.
3 Likes
Too bad a fed-up bison never sent him to the ground.
While he was out in Montana being, you know, a dental floss tycoon.
1 Like
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
