AbsolutePunk.net interview

Over the years I've worked on this website, there are a handful of interviews that have really stood out to me. A handful that I sit back and think, "yeah, those I'm really proud of." When I finished typing up the interview with Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem -- I immediately re-read through it, and had that feeling of pride. It's an interview that talks about a variety of topics, from the band's new album and the lyrical themes and "punishing sound" throughout, to the recent Against Me! news and Brian's thoughts on a wide range of topics. It's an interview that I think gets a little deeper into the mind of one of today's great songwriters -- and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did doing it! Wanted to share with you guys ... make sure you see it!

http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=2747652

Fantastic interview. Not only was it insightful, but it filled me with warmth knowing there are such good people out there.

Why can't more interviews have the high standard that oozes from that one? Fantastic work.

Klown wrote:

Why can't more interviews have the high standard that oozes from that one? Fantastic work.

THIS!

Jason, that interview was wonderful. It's so great to see where Brian is coming from on different topics, and I really appreciate you taking the time to link it here as well.

"Here Comes My Man" has moved up my list to the song I want to hear the most off of this album. From what Brian said about it, it just sounds incredibly moving and totally different in terms of the point of view than anything TGA/THC has done in the past. I think it's really going to stand out on this album.

My favorite part of this interview was when Brian was talking about Tom/Laura and about the whole Red Bull event. He really got fired up and I love that! I wish everyone would think more like him and just try to be an upstanding human being. Who cares what scene you're from, what you believe, or how you live your life, just be nice!

Oh, and now we know for sure that You Got Lucky is Tom Petty's song and Sliver is a Nirvana cover. Awesome!

What interview do we think he was talking about where he thinks he came across as an egomaniac at the end?

Shrewsbury_Stars wrote:

What interview do we think he was talking about where he thinks he came across as an egomaniac at the end?

I have no idea! I can't remember ever thinking that Brian sounded like an egomaniac, joking or otherwise. He always comes across as very humble, in my opinion at least.

I just started reading it but I completely lost it reading this HAHAHAHAH

Quote :

and first of all: I didn't know that everybody and their mother had an engineering degree all of a sudden.

one of the best interviews i've read in a long time. you really asked the questions that were on every fan's mind at this precise moment, so great job Jason!

plugga wrote:

I just started reading it but I completely lost it reading this HAHAHAHAH

Quote :

and first of all: I didn't know that everybody and their mother had an engineering degree all of a sudden.

He's right to an extent, but a lot of people who listen to Gaslight consume music quite ravenously. If you're constantly exposing yourself to new artists and listening to their albums, you can figure out which ones sound (relatively) good and which ones don't.

And it's become even easier in recent years with a lot of music being compressed so much that it literally hurts to listen to. I don't need an engineering degree to know that Red Hot Chili Peppers albums make my ears bleed like a motherfucker.

Awesome interview Jason. Great stuff.

And thanks for hangin out with us over here occasionally

to be honest, I've been listening music for all my life but guaranteed I can't always tell you if an album sounds compressed or not, it's honestly something I've not paid attention to mainly because I am not a musician or something like that!

Ahhh, great interview.

A good interview, but gotta say Im a little pissed off about Brian's attitude towards the Red Bull interview. IMO he gets pissed off about little things far too easily. So what if the guy was asking questions about punk rock. Its not up to Brian to write the questions, and so what if the guys there weren't 'punk rock' enough for him. I thought he didn't seem quite right in that interview.

Ive always respected how humble and down to earth he was and how appreciative he was for getting to where he was but now he seems to feel he's above certain things. I just think the Brian Fallon of two or three years ago would have been happy and grateful that he even got an event like that with Red Bull, that people were taking an interest in him and the band. I love the guy I do, and God forbid I say anything bad about him on here but the more interviews I see and hear the more I think his attitudes changed. Just me being honest, I know it will be a vastly unpopular opinion. Hes still one of my heroes at the end of the day, and I kind of relate to him in a way cos Im easily pissed off too.

Jerseyrain wrote:

A good interview, but gotta say Im a little pissed off about Brian's attitude towards the Red Bull interview. IMO he gets pissed off about little things far too easily. So what if the guy was asking questions about punk rock. Its not up to Brian to write the questions, and so what if the guys there weren't 'punk rock' enough for him. I thought he didn't seem quite right in that interview.

Ive always respected how humble and down to earth he was and how appreciative he was for getting to where he was but now he seems to feel he's above certain things. I just think the Brian Fallon of two or three years ago would have been happy and grateful that he even got an event like that with Red Bull, that people were taking an interest in him and the band. I love the guy I do, and God forbid I say anything bad about him on here but the more interviews I see and hear the more I think his attitudes changed. Just me being honest, I know it will be a vastly unpopular opinion. Hes still one of my heroes at the end of the day, and I kind of relate to him in a way cos Im easily pissed off too.

I getcha but I have a feeling it's not that he's a different person from a few year back. He probably always was this way, we just see it more now because he's more public. And probably as he's gotten older he's gotten more (idk aggravated?) I think also people (not saying you necessarily) forget he's human and he's still figuring it out like the rest of us. The man's only 32! Also, and I'm sure many fans on here can relate to this, as a person who goes around with heightened levels of every emotion, I can relate to how easy it is to get worked up about something and sometimes even come across as angrier than you really are. He could do an interview like that and then go home and laugh at sitcom.

Idk, I can't speak for the guy and I understand your reservations. I guess I just think we are at more of a distance than we sometimes realize and don't really know what's going on in his head or what kind of mindset he was in before an interview. This interview, to me, sounds exactly like the kind of rant I go on, frequently, and afterwords I might think "well I meant that, but maybe not totally."

Just something to keep in mind

That was very well said, Shelby. I also get very worked up over minor things, so I understand when it happens to other people. I actually found that whole interview to be pretty hilarious though, and wasn't bothered by any of it.

Jerseyrain, you are of course entitled to your own opinion, and you should feel free to voice it around here, even if it might not be popular. Just remember that Brian said he was having a bad night, like we all have sometimes, only his was captured on camera. I think normally he really watches what he says, and that night he was a little more of a loose cannon. It doesn't necessarily mean that he has changed as a person.

Really nicely done, Jason. No agenda, no trick questions - just an insightful conversation. And I too can't wait to hear "here comes my man" now!

I agree with jerseyrain slightly. i actually had a view about this after reading the artical but I refrained from posting because I felt it would of kicked up too much anger. So to start off I'm just going to make a few things clear so people dont get pissed off.

I in no way think that Brian is a dick, he is a truely great guy, and i have nothing but respect for the man.

I completely understand he is human, and hey we all have bad days. I always found it funny actually that people were shocked that he cursed/drinked. Because he is a normal guy and human.

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So i noticed sometime around elsies release Brian's attitudes in interviews started to change. Maybe someone noticed it started before that, or after, but I noticed some type of change at some point. I used to remember Brian, in interviews, before then always being happy and respectful/ humble. But since then it seems he's sorta gotten a little angry or attitude esc. Maybe hes having trouble adjusting to the "life in the spot light" I can only guess and assume. All artist in some way shape or form have a "front"or "persona"that they allow their fans to see. What they want to inspire and or be a role model with. For Brian it was not openly drinking, cursing, being a nice and honest guy etc. But then there's their private life, and really, who they actually are. The guy that the friends and family know. I personally like to think that the two are exactly the same if not similar. But I'm sure there are differences that we (being fans) don't see. Now I'm not saying Brian is some "rage driven a-hole" in his private life. But he probably has his buttons that can get pushed like any other individual. And, unfortunately, one of the stress full parts of being a public figure is seperating your personal issues from your public image. And since around elsie the attitude, in interviews, has gotten, I guess I would put it, a little more harsh. Hey, I completely understand we all have our bad days, and I can't even begin to comprehend the stress that performers deal with seperating this from their public life. But idk, I feel like maybe Brian might be having trouble adjusting. and hey I dont blame him, if someone took a picture of me fixing my door I would be creeped out too. Or was stalking my wife on instagram I might want to punch someone in the face. So are the nice humble interviews we knew years ago of him completely gone for good? I guess time will tell. It may just be a phase.

(Oh and this isn't saying Brian is completely mean in his interviews just theres been this little kick in it I've noticed lately)

Maybe someone will see what I see and better explain it and or describe it than i can. I'm not saying Brian has completely 180* just that I've noticed somethings been off....anyone else see what I see?

Yeah, I've noticed the same thing that Alex and Andrew are talking about. He just seems to have changed a little bit over the years, which is completely normal and understandable, but it's just kinda weird to see. He seems, for lack of a better term, more cynical. Not saying he's a total dick or anything, because I still think he's a great, great guy, but maybe now he just sees things a little differently than he used to, and of course that comes across in interviews.

Jerseyrain wrote:

A good interview, but gotta say Im a little pissed off about Brian's attitude towards the Red Bull interview. IMO he gets pissed off about little things far too easily. So what if the guy was asking questions about punk rock. Its not up to Brian to write the questions, and so what if the guys there weren't 'punk rock' enough for him. I thought he didn't seem quite right in that interview.

i didn't take it as him being annoyed that someone involved with Red Bull was talking to him about punk rock, but that people in the "punk community" can be shits sometimes. and how he was frustrated with that, so that's why he said shit about not liking certain bands, cause he knew people who had nothing better to do with their time would get upset like big fuckin babies and talk shit about him for it.

stepsandnumbers wrote:

Yeah, I've noticed the same thing that Alex and Andrew are talking about. He just seems to have changed a little bit over the years, which is completely normal and understandable, but it's just kinda weird to see. He seems, for lack of a better term, more cynical. Not saying he's a total dick or anything, because I still think he's a great, great guy, but maybe now he just sees things a little differently than he used to, and of course that comes across in interviews.

cynical sounds like a good word. I always think back to what he said about when he was writing Elsie how it dug up some old things that he'd buried and it made him kinda weird for awhile. I think between that and adjusting to a rise in popularity has made him really guarded. He behaves kinda like he thinks someone's out to get him. And he even talks about being careful not to get screwed over or lose himself a lot, so maybe he's even paranoid about it. Idk I think he's just got a lot on his mind right now.

yeah honestly i've noticed a bit of a switch too.

this bit kinda irked me a bit-

Quote :

You're different than me. You don't have to relate to me. I don't really want anyone to relate to me, because I grew up when I didn't really relate to anyone, and that's my life. I don't relate to you.

just considering that he makes money off people who listen to his songs and relate to his experiences. relating to Brian, or at least his public projection of himself, was one of the reasons i initially started listening to more Gaslight, started buying their albums, and started going to shows. and with all this hype he's doing about all the personal songwriting on this record, he better hope that people relate to his experiences because that's one of the reasons he bought a house off his music career.


"and not thinking that you're better cause you're still up on the stage
if you're oh so fucking different then who cares what you have to say?"

i still really respect Brian and i'm sure he's still a great guy, but i'm not a huge fan of his attitude in some recent interviews.

i think people are taking his words WAAAY too personally. if you relate to his music, it's because you relate to the way you interpret the songs, you don't know what he actually experienced or what he actually felt when writing that song. he's not telling his fans to fuck off or anything, just saying, you don't have to relate to him. and seriously, just cause you love his music, doesn't mean it's not weird for him to have thousands of people now thinking they know him and/or can relate to him. you don't have to idolize him just cause you enjoy his music.

i dunno, i just seriously think people are getting their panties into a bunch.

Well, it goes both ways, doesn't it? Brian can't really be known (in the public eye) as a nice guy if he keeps giving interviews like the Red Bull one, like it or not. At the same time, if he keeps being crotchety old man Brian instead of fun-loving "Aw, shucks" Brian (who was there in full force at the 45 video shoot) maybe he'll get the privacy he wants and he'll get left alone.

I think it's important to keep in mind how difficult it is for most people (myself very much included) to not have crazy mood swings when you're stone-cold sober all the time. I haven't smoked, smoked weed or drank in a while and some days I'm just a cranky bastard. And I'm just a baby at 20 years old. 12 more years of sobriety and I'm sure I'll have much worse days than the Red Bull interview.

Short version: Brian's just a guy. We don't really know how he feels and psychoanalyzing him (as I attempted to do in this post, admittedly) won't really do much good.

I don't actually know if that's the point I made in the post, but what the hell. It's kind of late and I'm kind of cranky.

Random thought just came into my head.

What if (to some extent) it's an act?

A) he's always talking about that separation between being who he is and the guy on stage. And if you think about it, he's always really cool when you meet him, it's just interviews that seem to go a bit weird. (I think sometimes he subconsciously forgets it's an interview rather than just venting with a friend)

B) Maybe it's a way of protecting himself from the pressure to live up to everyone's expectations (as a person, not musically). He might wanna show he's not perfect so people stop putting him on that pedestal (and stalking him). He's getting more recognized now, and even if Handwritten doesn't blow up, the band's following will still increase.

C) He said he blatantly lied at red bull and I'd say that was convincing, so he's capable.

D) If you listen to how much he talks about how different artists that he admires and how they are in their behavior both onstage and off, you can tell it's clearly something he has thought A LOT about.


Just a thought! but as several people said above, psychoanalyzing doesn't accomplish anything.

Also, I think we all relate to Brian on varying degrees but he's right that at the end of the day, we probably only know (at best) like 25% of the person he actually is.