And every band I know, when on tour, watches the other bands playing. They know what it's like to play to tiny or non-existent crowds, so they support their fellow musicians.

If the members of Sunn O)) are jerks or acted that way in a certain situation it's unfortunate, but what interests me here are the comments about their band being a "hoax" and a "prank." In a Sunn O)) discussion on another forum someone made a remark about "niche-music P.T. Barnums." At first this annoyed me -- some people just seem to think that anything even slightly "out there" must be somehow dishonest -- but in this case I can almost kinda see it, and EA posters in general don't seem inclined to dismiss music just for being extreme. Can you expand on the "hoax" thing without going into what assholes they may be personally? Does the "hoax" view have to do with how derivative they are of Earth or whoever (I honestly wouldn't know) and/or how they market themselves (I gather they do very well selling expensive tour-only merch)? Does stuff like that, combined with the severe minimalism / maximalism of Sunn O))'s music, necessarily spell BULLSHIT for their work as a whole? 'Cause their show definitely blew my wig back, prank or no prank, but a week later it doesn't feel like a really deep or lasting effect. Just wondering.

its not a "hoax" or "prank." i think they're probably committed to doing what it is they do, and what they do happens to be something that leaves itself susceptible to criticism from cynics or elitists. when a band makes the decision to play an outsider style of music and perform cloaked in fog (and in cloaks), there is a certain mentality that will scoff at them. the costumt-gimmick argument surrounds acts like interpol (suits) or the danielson famile (nurses uniforms and a giant fruit tree), too. both are jeered at times and called gimmicky (interpol, of course, has the unfortunate luck of actually sucking and looking like dweebs while doing so).

nevertheless, it shouldn't really be something that is considered when forming an opinion about the music. i don't know if sunn are jerks to promoters, club owners, or fans, and maybe their ideology is a bullshit prank. i like the sunn o))) albums that i own and it's certainly a unique live show experience.

I've been very much enjoying the records lately, after saying I didn't so much. So hasty with the judgements in the ever changing flux. Ah, what it is to be human bladdy bladdy bladdy blah.

I didn't really consider Sunn O))'s visual presentation in mulling over the "hoax" angle. It does seem central to their whole thang there, though I wouldn't necessarily say it's specifically meant to draw attention away from some lack of substance. At any rate it worked for me, for an hour or so anyway. Still don't know what was up with Atsuo standing on crates for a while with wires in both hands.

How can this music be a hoax or a prank?

A hoax or a prank purports to be one thing when it is in fact another thing.

Sunn's music is what it is. They get up there and do it. If one doesn't like it, you know, whatever. I understand not liking it. But it's self-evident. There's no hidden agenda there.

I think they're a great live experience. I've never gotten into the records that much, but I have never had a chance to play them loudly enough, either.

I don't really care to analyze their reported behavior. They're friends of mine--Greg Anderson is a longtime, very close friend. I know what they're like as guys, at their best and their worst. If one of them did something shitty on a given evening, well, that would suck, but even decent people can get out of their heads and do things like that. Sometimes it's a mistake to read a lot more into it.

If you already don't have any use for their music and don't know them personally and know this other guy so well, I understand why it would set you off.

tmidgett wrote:How can this music be a hoax or a prank?

A hoax or a prank purports to be one thing when it is in fact another thing.

Exactly. I don't think Sunn ever claimed their music to be anything other
than an Earth tribute.

As for this staying to watch the bands thing. Personally I rarely stopped
to watch bands just because after seeing 10 gazillion bands on a tour,
the last thing I really wanted to do was stand and watch another band.
Other people differ, but it certainly isn't a matter of disrespecting those
bands, sometimes you just canny take any more captain.
Me, our stand in drummer and driver had a collective nervous breakdown
in Bratislava, started ranting and raving and then ran off from our hosts
(who were more than gracious) into the night because we just couldn't
take any more easter european hardcore at this outdoor disco they took
us too. Never forget, touring makes you go very slowly insane.

b

Maybe the hoax/prank theory is meant to suggest that, like the Cowsills and the Partridge Family and Milli Vanilli, the members of Sunn O)) were selected by a svengali-manager for being cute rather than for their musical ability, and that the music on the albums is actually played by anonymous session musicians, and that when Sunn O)) play live they're air-strumming to prerecorded tapes.

i almost like that version of the story more than the truth.

Clearly this needs to happen in the drone/doom metal world. I volunteer. I'd look SO HOT in a cloak.