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Hype! (1996)
[Sea gulls calling]
lions gate entertainment lions gate entertainment [Birds singing] [Chain saw buzzing] [Chain saw buzzing] [Tree crashes] [Radio being tuned] Announcer: it is, for better or worse... The birthplace of grunge. Second announcer: seattle-Based bands... Have topped the rock charts for the past few years. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden Have sold millions of records. Announcer: independent releases to a major label debut-- [Static] A musical movement centered around seattle, And a sound and style that became known as grunge. A month before that album came out, they were-- [Static] The basis of the generation... [Stammering] a--X society. Woman: part of the grunge movement, As I understand it, is the fact That these kids have the ability to say Anything they want to say, Express anything they want to express, Any anger, any pain, Any anguish, any torment, And they feel a kinship, a oneness, That this young man has been through tragedy... That this young man has been through tragedy... [Guitar music begins] Man: thanks a lot. This is gonna be the last song. Man: thanks a lot. This is gonna be the last song. Dd enough of your doctrines your manifestos i'm a simple man and I speak with simple words talk about inclusion, not exclusion talk about inclusion, not exclusion i sing my song across these rivers and valleys mountains, seas fields and oceans fields and oceans i am a teacher you're a teacher, too i am a pencil pusher i am a ditch digger i am a loser oh oh let's start a riot walk in the night air walk in the night air Remember those big bubbles that used to Float through the middle of town? [Laughter] yeah! These big--Like, bubbles, man. They still do. Yeah. You see them once in a while. They've got this big pit out in the bay That's like, all-- Like, this weird shit That they--Comes out of the process, And--And the way-- The bubbles, they're, like, this big, And they would float around, And they're bad, toxic things. [Laughs] so, the way to get rid of it Is they got these big water sprinklers, And they just, like, run sprinklers over it-- A bubble still gets out once in a while. They're huge. They're like-- The bubble of death. I went to bothell high school, Which is, uh, a suburban hell hole. Um... There's a sign as you enter town. It says, "welcome to bothell, for a day or a lifetime." [Chuckling] and someone... Someone--I wish i had've done it-- But someone erased the b-O-T at one time, So it was, "welcome to hell for a day or a lifetime." The northwest is where "flying saucers"-- The term "flying saucers" was coined. The northwest is, uh... wherelouie, louieis from. The northwest is where-- It's the serial killer capital of the world. We have more unsolved serial killings up here Than any other place in the united states. I mean, the manson family used to vacation up this way. This place is weird. Lot of occult stuff. All this stuff is a factor In what happened in the music. [Guitar music begins] [Guitar music begins] Man: I mean, when the weather is crappy, You don't want to go outside. You know, you basically feel like staying in the house. And, uh... It's a very logical thing To want to go down into your basement And, you know, make noise to take out your frustrations, Because you can't go outside And do anything when it's raining all the time. don't get off the bus 'cause there ain't nothing for you here in my hometown Man: is seattle a nice place to live? It's the best place to live. And i've traveled all over the place, And I honestly wouldn't live anywhere else. It has all the amenities of a big city. But... You know, there's nothing you're missing out on By being in seattle as opposed to another city. And it's pretty, you know? There's hills and mountains and trees and water. Art chantry: so all these people come here, And then there's all this publicity, Andnorthern exposure, andtwin peaks. And everybody wants to come up here, And live the good yuppie lifestyle, But all that time, there's all these people... That are underneath that were here first, And are just starving, and they're all crazy. I mean, it's like one of those end-Of-The-World places. You can't go no further and still be in the u.S. [Guitar music begins] [Guitar music begins] oh yeah oh yeah since 14 years ago i saw you out my door can't you see me in that, so oh, baby, it's one night, so and I watch outside and I see you there and I wonder where and I take a stare i say, I watch outside watch outside i watch outside watch outside, yeah watch outside, yeah i watch outside i see you there i wonder where i take a stare i say I watch outside watch outside i watch outside watch outside i watch outside, i see you ride i watch outside and I see you ride i watch outside, i want outside i watch outside, i take a ride i watch outside In 1980... i think bands Stopped coming to seattle. Bands never used to come here, 'Cause they'd go as far as san francisco And then not come all the way up to seattle Because it wasn't worth it to play one show. There were 2, maybe 2 1/2 clubs Where you could play If you were playing your own music. Carla: some people used to rent halls, Just put their whole show on themselves. Take tickets, run up, do the music, And at the end, pick up the broom and clean it up. let me call you about it let me call you about it woke up this morning Well, seattle was really lame. You know, specifically in the early eighties, I mean, seattle was like a million second cities. It had a fake talking heads, It had a fake pere ubu, It had a fake killing joke, It had all the fake ramones you could shake a stick at. You know, and people from bellevue Singing with english accents. Woman: there was this big, uh, poodle metal scene-- Bands with, uh, big, fancy guitars, And, uh, just tons and tons of hairspray, eyeliner. See, all the extra-Sleazy punk rockers Used to hang out on first avenue. There's a donut shop right there Which is right next to the showbox, Which is right there-- It's a comedy club now. And that was, like, the big, uh, punk rock venue. Art chantry: opening night, The very first punk club in seattle. This is probably worth... you know, 3, 400 bucks. [Guitar music begins] [Guitar music begins] solid solid action Nobody was too worried about success, Because we knew we were living in seattle. You know, it wasn't l.A. Nobody was gonna come and sign us. We played a show, some small club... The audience consisted of... Members of the other dozen or so bands That were playing similar bills and similar clubs. [Guitar music begins] say goodnight then take a bitedd Ddthen dig it a hole take a light then take a bite then dig it a hole Jack endino:the bands that stuck it out Did it because they really, really, really enjoyed Playing their music. And that was really the only positive reinforcement That anybody got. We really started playing music 'cause it's fun, Which probably most people say, but... With us, it's true. [Laughter] Yeah, everybody else is lying. Everybody else is lying. [Guitar music begins] [Guitar music begins] after all the trouble has come and gone D it was here for so long d now i've got this sinking feeling Dd everyone seems to be leaving oh, whoadd i can't believe how lonel y it is here on k street there's no one like me here on k street how lonely it is here on k street today today today, today I've never been in any other spot in the country Where so many people play, you know? You know, there's tons of shitty bands, But there's, like, tons of great bands, too. The most interesting music around here Is--Is definitely coming from places Where--Where people are just playing in the garage, They're playing to themselves. They're playing to their friends. Across the street lives-- These guys are in a band called sister psychic. And then there's another band who practices there, And they're all friends, And then her fault, my little brother's band, And--And--They're all friends. They go to the show. It's just friends playing music. oh, and I can't believe d how lonely it is here on k street there's no one like me here on k street how lonely it is here on k street today today today, today today today today, today Charles peterson: we were all so fucking bored Out of our heads, that it was get drunk, Fall down, and, uh...you know, Throw your body around. And all the bands that came through seattle At that time-- Scratch acid and big black-- Said that seattle had the most exciting, Potent scene going on in the u.S. They all loved to play here because everyone Would just, like, go nuts and drink themselves Into a frenzy and throw themselves onstage, And it was very flattering for these bands, you know, Whereas you go to los angeles and new york, And people stood there and went, "hmm... I don't know, he missed a note there." [Hard guitar music playing] [Hard guitar music playing] Best bands in seattle were, like, malfunkshun... The u-Men... who else? Skin yard, my eye, feast, 64 spiders, bundle of hiss. Nobody ever remembers psycho pop, man. We could make a long list If we wanna talk about all tom's bands. We were a good band, man! Jack endino: we had a band called the farts. Charles peterson: red dress...blackouts... Steve fisk: the blackouts were an excellent band. You know, three swimmers, beakers, Little bears in bangkok... Max band... quack quack quack... Nobody knows these names. This is ancient history. One generation out from a band is--Is every band That shared a member directly with that band. For instance, you know, uh... Stone gossard was in green river, And then he went to mother love bone. That's one generation out. So, for instance, you could take, like, An early band like the blunt objects And it asks you how many generations-- Let's go 4 generations out. Um... So, you sort of have these 3 columns, The mainstream, heavy metal, hard rock thing That, you know, mother love bone and Pearl Jam have done. Then there's the fastbacks, the posies, and, uh... The young fresh fellows, which were probably The first band to really make it out of seattle All by themselves, without moving out of town. And they were just, you know, sort of a pop sound. And then, the third branch is noise/grunge rock. That was closely related to green river and mudhoney And the thrown-Ups whole sort of sub-Pop, You know, grunge sound. And it's pretty incestuous, But you keep bumping into the same old people. Charles peterson: green river... This was the genesis right here. Steve and mark from mudhoney. And stone and jeff from Pearl Jam And alex, who is now studying to be a lawyer. Art chantry: room nine became love battery, Bundle of hiss became tad, pure joy became flop, Skin yard, among other things, became, uh... Uh, grunt truck. Jesse bernstein, who's dead. Watch, folks. Hundreds of dollars. Don was in, uh, butt sweat. And, uh, they played at one skate contest. You were, too, tom. Don't lie. And, uh, heh heh heh. And he was also in the kings of rock. So was jim tillman from, uh... Ex--Uh, love battery. What? Jim tillman wasn't in butt sweat. He played rhythm guitar. Did he? Yep. Ha ha ha! Remember, friends, this is only a movie. You're free to leave the theater at any time. [Guitar music begins] [Guitar music begins] well, I got batter oh, you just aone oh, you just aone a beginner let's go like a sun let's go like a sun heat up the syrup whoo this is gonna be fun this is gonna be fun these hotcakes flapping like a gun flapping like a gun talkin' 'bout them hotcakes you know what I mean talkin' 'bout them hotcakes talkin' 'bout them hotcakes knocking back them hotcakes i don't think they leave D talkin' 'bout them hotcakes d give me some more of them , give me some more of them give me some more of them hotcakesdd give me some more of them , give me some more of them give me some more of them hotcakes give me some more of them, give me some more of them give me some more hotcakes right now Someone said to me once that there was The aesthetic of dumb about the seattle music scene-- That the music wasn't stupid, but it was dumb. You know, mudhoney is not stupid, But they're a little bit dumb. My mom has always told me That I am not a loser. So, the whole loser thing... I never believed in, 'cause... Clearly, i am not a loser. Mark, I think your mom has told you The same thing. We're not losers. I guess it's really easy To think of yourself as a loser, 'Cause then you don't care if people like you or not. You know? That's sort of the idea. And then you can do whatever you want. And then you can do whatever you want. And it's funny. We were the guy in high school Who people used to beat up. And we couldn't even talk to the pretty girl. I mean, we couldn't-- We're nerds, god damn it! Well, I think ever since spinal tap came out, I mean, they were, like, pointing the finger at... Bloated, overly commercialized, diluted bands, And, uh, we just looked at ourselves and said, "We don't have to point at somebody else. We can..." you be the cat, i'll be the mouse you be the cat, and i'll be the mouse you be the cat, see? I'll be the mouse invite me over to your mousetrap house it's a mousetrap it's a mousetrap you be the cat i'll be the mouse you be the cat and i'll be the mouse invite me over to your mousetrap house running in and out of your steel catch yeah, that's what it's all about to you, to you to you, to you mousetrapdd a mousetrap a mousetrap mousetrap a mouse trap trap aah mousetrap mousetrap [Guitar feedback] [Guitar feedback] Man: when you've been through periods Where you've had keyboard players With 50,000 pounds worth of kit onstage, 82 keyboards and 95 samplers, you know, Uh... After a while, you just go, "hang on. "This is like eating too much food at one sitting. "There's too much sound. It's too many colors. "It's--It's all got poncey and posey. "Um...let's go and see some bands Where they just bash it out." eat my dump tell me if you love me eat my dump help me smell my pie Some bands get onstage, and they're basically... Entertainers. They have-- You know, they have a shtick. They are giving you a show. Some bands get up there and they rock. And you can tell the difference. That's why seattle bands tend to be A little bit inconsistent live, I think, Is because most of them aren't really up there To be entertainers. They're up there to rock out. And their best shows are when they're having the most fun, Not when they necessarily have their act down, Because maybe they don't have an act. If it's connecting with the audience right, I get chills. I mean, I can just-- I finish a song, and it feels right, And I can just tell it's gonna start going fine. Man, I get chills. And they're rockin', and fuck yeah, let's go. you're putting on me and dealing with society dd the forces are close they're over the line i got a freaky feeling in my soul nerve going out of control nowhere to turn, nowhere to hide i got a train driving through my head D fever burning in my bed d my telephone rings somebody dead on the line i say 54/40 or fight 54/40 or fight D 54, 54, 54/40 or fight d all right all right let's go let's go D you're watching it drop d Ddhad it to here D they're taking him home d gotta get away gotta get away had it to here gotta get away gotta get away There's a million people out there that could do What i'm doing-- As far as producing, Recording, anything like that, A lot better than i'm doing, Have better equipment. But still, it's, like, The only way you get good at anything Is to be doing it all the time. So, this is a lifetime chore for me. Basically, it's just to have complete control Over everything. To be able to do it the way you wanna do it. Have it come out the right way, And to not really... Have anybody that can tell you what the hell to do, Where you can play, how you can look, how you can dress. What songs to record, which ones not to. Man: it keeps it on a personal level. It keeps it where rock and roll-Type things Really should be. It's very much just happening... Right there. It's not happening in somebody's... Big offices or in somebody's big bank accounts or anything. It's... It's really exciting for the people that are doing it. [Guitar music begins] some say, "dude, just forget her "in a world of your own d d "you let it make every day pathetic you're in need of a cure." She is one you'll survive a vegetable the meat's diseased and she said so i won't try to persuade you anymore i won't try to persuade you anymore a long time ago when I lost my way hey hey Man: popllama was a big influence. Conrad can do it, sub pop can do it. We wanted to do our own record--Well, hell. If these guys can do it, We've seen these guys so drunk they can't stand up. You know? They can't drive a car, So--And they can do this, so we can do that. Calvin johnson: that's just a given, I think, With people here. They don't sit around Going, "oh, nothing ever happens here. Nothing ever goes on here." You know, By the time the kid's out of high school, He's already been in a band, put out a couple fanzines, You know, recorded a few records. Started a label, did a radio show. And that was the whole lesson we learned when we moved up here. Like, you just do it. Heh. We moved up here And we saw other bands, you know, no different than us. Just putting out records. All you really need to do that Is some magnetic tape and a microphone. And--And that's really all you need, And then, you know, maybe-- Just maybe-- Some bad reverb. And they smell good. Records just smell good. There's nothing like cracking that cellophane And pulling that record out. It just smells great. Ddow Ddow ooh Man: when deep six first came out, It was chronicling something That was suddenly going on, I guess. It was by a fluke of providence. Kind of a, uh-- The initial document of... What later turned in to be a pretty big scene. I think we all became aware That there was a certain regional sound developing. And nobody had a name for it. [Playing punk guitar] [Playing punk guitar] That's punk rock, and... One day, they just sort of started going, um... [Playing grunge guitar] [Playing grunge guitar] And that was grunge. And that was grunge. The most noisy... Most absurd... Heaviest thing that was going. Heaviest thing that was going. Jack endino: yeah, we know this is heavy rock, And heavy rock is kinda stupid, but it's fun anyways. It's when you had a band like the melvins doing kiss covers. It was all in fun. It was, like, "We know this is that this is the cheesiest thing We could possibly do. We gotta do it." It's just ridiculousness, complete ridiculousness. What can we get away with next, you know? looking for one like you were holding like so long ago dd like a hotel like a fish store my world war tissue wah wah Bands like green river, basically. They were, sort of, the definitive grunge band. It was a euphemism for, just, extremes-- Extremes of anything. And a lot of people say that it's a throwback to metal. Heavy metal is part of it. It was one influence. Punk rock was one influence. Basically, anything loud, And crushing and extreme was an influence. We'd all been in bands that were more controlled, And...more dynamic, you know, and... You know--More--Better-- Better bands, actually. And we just--Well, our whole thing was We just wanted to get away from all structure And just be chaotic, and not worry about that. It was a kind of joyful release. It's taken rock right back to its basics, Which is go out there and make a hell of a noise. And make sure you play music your parents don't like. [Guitar music begins] [Guitar music begins] wait i can't wait life's too short for all the pennies that wait D selling your time, put down a lot of new ways d calling for lisa calling for lisa calling for lisa calling for lisa calling for lisa First thing, actually, Was when we were doing the first Soundgarden single, And we were doing a song callednothing to say, Which was just... At the time, just seemed amazingly heavy. I thought this-- You know, these guys Can't possibly be really playing this song. It sounds like...you know, this sounds insane. It sounds way too good for 8-Track, And it sounds way too good for a, you know, Crappy little seattle band. someone said my words are out of balance nothing to say you got nothing to say Jack endino: bruce pavitt originally had the name sub pop, When he was living in olympia, I think. He had a sort of cassette fanzine network, Where he put out these little compilation cassettes Of local bands. He was interested In making it a vinyl magazine. The bands he was interested in At the time were green river and us. And john, also, was a huge fan of ours. He wanted to make a record-- Start a record label, So we kind of talked about working together To put out a record. Up to that time, everyone played it really safe. All the small labels-- "We'll put out a single "Every 3 months, and, you know, "We'll sell 1,000 copies of it, And that's cool, because i've got my day job." And jon and bruce were having none of that. They said, "we don't want to work day jobs. "We don't want our bands to work day jobs. "We want them out there on the road. "We want them in the big magazines. "We want their records everywhere. "It is punk rock, but we don't care. We want to make it bigger than punk rock," And that's why these 2 gentlemen Are the kings of the scene, as you might say. There was a real... Indie ethic in the eighties That you weren't supposed to be proud Of having hit records, Or being a hit machine. And jon and i, as fans of, you know, The history of pop music In this, uh, this country, Really admired labels like motown And their hit factory... Mentality. Yeah. They definitely picked a certain kind of band For their label, which makes everybody think That that's the only thing that was going on in seattle. Um, they-- By default, I ended up engineering all of them, And they had charles doing all of the photography, So there was definitely a package and an image And a sound. Jonathan poneman: i think every community Has their pools of talent. It's just a matter of being able to take on The responsibility of marketing. You know, i'm a failed pop musician myself, so... You know, I kind of decided Well, i'm going to play in crummy band after crummy band. I may as well rep some of these bands Who might have a chance at doing something. Basically, he said, "hey, you sing about dogs, "You sing about being sick. You got a shtick, it'll take you to the top." And he basically gave us, like, 5 chords, But he said, "don't use more than 3 within one song." [Playing alternative music] [Playing alternative music] i feel bad i feel bad yeah, i've felt worse yeah, i've felt worse i'm a creep yeah yeah i'm a jerk oh oh touch me, i'm sick touch me, i'm sick i won't live long i won't live long and i'm full of rot and i'm full of rot want to give you, girl everything I got oh oh touch me, i'm sick touch me, i'm sick touch me, i'm sick touch me, i'm sick When sub pop finally got their act together, And they started somehow getting This underground hype-Thing going-- Which started very small-- They flew an english journalist into seattle. They took him to see a mudhoney show, And gave him some singles and had him meet everybody, And he went back and wrote a big article In one of the english music papers, And that sort of started this big frenzy in england. It just seemed like it was a worthwhile business move. Yeah. And fortunately, Everett was a brilliant enough guy That he could piece together a story That essentially sold the world on seattle. love me, i'm rich love me, i'm rich come on, baby now, come with me if you don't come if you don't come if you don't come you'll die alone you'll die alone Sub pop-- The hype machine. And we went along with it. It seemed pretty funny at the time. They didn't really hype their bands. They hyped their label, Which is a much different thing, A much--A much more original thing. Jack endino: it gave a record this desirability, This, perhaps, fictional desirability, But nonetheless, it made the collectors Try and get a hold of these things, And made people talk about them. So, a lot of people talked about sub pop And how cool their records were, And how cool the packaging, and the bands were cool, And--"Oh, you can't get the record. It's worth a lot of money already." People started looking for the seattle sound The same way that d.C., and boston, new york, And l.A., and all those places Had this crazy little identity All of their own. Seattle started getting its own identity, And sub pop decided to exploit that. And sub pop decided to exploit that. we're all right yeah, all right so, you're looking for something super aren't we all? yeah, all right never knowing if it hit you right between the eyes yeah, all right gonna lift you up gonna bring you down gonna let you oh, gonna slide your heart gonna let you follow your own dream it'll turn your head around for the first time in your life you might find that for the second time in a year i don't mind for the last time i think it's time to fly i think it's time to fly freedom's right between the eyes Daniel house: suddenly, there were 3 times As many people that had been here all along. Going out, seeing bands, and supporting those bands, And allowing the scene to be far more viable. What you actually see happening in seattle Is this kind of explosion of sub-Culture. I think it's a very important thing And a very healthy thing to have happen anywhere, Uh, particularly in a place like seattle. It's so conservative and so reserved. To have something like this happen here has been Nothing short of, like, a major electrical shock. Everything was suddenly just buzzing with activity. I mean, singles were being put out, Uh, there was no point earlier in history That you could have a magazine devote An entire record reviews section Just to local record reviews. Um, people from underground fanzines across the country Were already starting to snipe about seattle And how much hype it was receiving. When things started to become spotlighted, More venues opened up, And more opportunities opened up for people to play, But there was never a lack of great musical talent, And it was always really diverse. And there was always An unspoken sense of community about it. An unspoken sense of community about it. i'm so happy it's sunny outside i'm so happy it's snowing today i'm so...oh i'm so happy the world's gonna explode They won't let us in because we're not 18. And age doesn't have anything to do with music! burn the house down burn the house down ooh ooh-Ooh-Ooh ooh-Ooh [Song fades] [Song fades] The seattle music scene right now is really vital. I mean, it is so alive. It is--It's better than london in the 1960s. It's better than new york in the seventies. I mean... Margaret, I was in london in the 1960s. I was in london in the 1960s. It was awful! If you say the word "scene," Everybody rolls their eyes and laughs at you. It's, "scene. Ha ha!" You know, "there's no scene!" So, a lot of people thought that it has reached its peak, And by next year, we were all gonna go back To doing what we were doing. And we were all gonna go back To our little small town utopia. And about 1990, we all sort of went, "Oh, good. It's over." "Oh, good. It's over." [Music begins] [Music begins] come out and play make up the rules i'm not another child as well Dd it's not enough to raise you it's not enough to save you d d hello, hello, hello, how low hello, hello, hello, how low hello, hello, hello, how low hello, hello, hello well, i'm lyin' and i'm famous here we are now, entertain us i feel stupid and i'm waitin' here we are now, entertain us yeah hey Jack Endino: Nirvana kind of came out of left field. Uh, namely aberdeen, which is a town Sort of out in the middle of nowhere. And, uh, you know, we just got a phone call At the studio one day from this guy, you know, kurt. He said he was a friend of the melvins, And he wanted to come up and just record some songs. And I said ok. A friend of the melvins, a friend of mine. Come on up. I didn't know who the hell he was, And nobody else did, either. He just came up, blew out 10 songs in 5 hours. We recorded and mixed them in one afternoon. And, uh, blew me away. I thought, "oh, my god. This is amazing." I said, "guys, can I please keep a copy of this for myself Before you go back to aberdeen?" That was the tape i gave to jonathan. That was the tape i gave to jonathan. This is my penultimate grunge photo. Kurt cobain spinning on his back. Everyone asks, "how in the hell is he doing that?" I don't know. i'm a negative creep i'm a negative creep i'm a negative creep, and i'm stoned i'm a negative creep, i'm a negative creep i'm a negative creep At that point, I think Soundgarden had put out Their first major label record. It was doing ok. I think screaming trees Had put out their first major label record. I think it was doing ok. Alice in chains had put out Their first major label record. It was doing ok. But, Nirvana was kind of the little brother. You know, the runt of the litter, so to speak. And I remember jonathan telling me in 1990-- He said, "this band is going to be huge." He said it exactly like that. He said, "jack, this band is going to be huge." [Music begins] [Music begins] The record came out in fall--September. The video came-- I remember the first time I saw the video. I thought, "this is so cool, "But there's no way mtv will play this. There's just no way." And then when that started going, It reached millions of kids instantly. Ben would go off and call up people back home in seattle. He'd come back and say-- You know, the latest sales figures. He'd go,"nevermind has done 300,000." He'd go,"nevermind has done 300,000." "Nevermind has done 400,000." "Nevermind just went gold." with the lights out it's less dangerous here we are now, entertain us i feel stupid and contagious here we are now, entertain us a mulatto a denial a denial a denial a denial It was an old, uh, brain song Called money changes everything. Called money changes everything. I think we adapted that to Nirvana changes everything. ow ow ow ow dust rise right over my time empty fossil of the new scene i feel so alone gonna end up a big ol' pile of them bones of them bones yeah yeah [Playing alternative music] [Playing alternative music] That's probably why you create in the first place. Because of the freedom. I mean, whatever you want-- You can lay whatever you want on tape. But again, commerce is involved. And as soon as it starts going through those channels... Those money-Making channels, Everything changes. When these bands started to get popular, All of a sudden, Everyone wanted to find the next Nirvana. Everyone wanted to sign the next Pearl Jam. All of a sudden, Bands who'd never played live before, practically, Were getting huge advances. Man: the labels started bidding for bands-- To get bands signed, So that they can then sell them to a major-- The bands get all worked up And basically break verbal contracts you make with them, Because, well, you don't have a contract. I mean, whenI first started, i didn't need contracts. I didn't think I did. You know, they were "here's my friends," But someone throws 500,000 in their face, And they're like, "huh? We didn't have a contract." If the major labels are like a big, dumb baby huey, You know, that-- "Oh! What's going on in athens?" And waddle over to athens And you sit down in athens, And you start buying lunches, And you crush 3 bands by accident. You know? Wow! The party's in athens. And then you kind of look over your shoulder. You go, "oh! Minneapolis!" And baby huey gets up And goes and sits on minneapolis And kills 3 bands by accident, And buys a bunch of lunches, And, you know, kind of plays that party out. So, the idea that they were moving and... You know, sort of dedicated clumps. Seattle was just, like, part of that process. say good-Bye to your friends and family d d welcome to the menagerie dd funny how they forget to tell you this is all you will ever be this is all you will ever be, now this is all you will ever be this is all you will ever be, now this is all you will ever be this is all you will ever be The effect of this whole thing of, like, hyping a label, Or hyping a sound, or hyping a place, Is it starts to take a lot of the attention Away from the individual artists that are making music. Everyone doesn't sound the same. Everyone isn't grunge. Everyone doesn't have long hair. You know, um... They made a big mistake. They didn't go further And find more of the bands that were already here, And had been here Even before the bands that were exploited were. That's what makes me feel guilty Of the success of our band. Because it should've been, Uh, spread out to-- To the success of, like, a number of bands here. Woman: they focus on this one scene, Or one type of music, When, really, that's pretty inaccurate, 'Cause there's all kinds of bands here, you know. There's, like, weird, funky jazz bands, And weird, you know, hip-Hop bands, Or punk rock bands, Or metal bands, or whatever. It's like there's a whole bunch of stuff. Surf bands and cowpoke bands. There's a shitload Of different bands here. There always has been. Chris eckman: in europe, they just started To put stickers on things that just said "seattle." That's all the stickers said. It's like, the stamp-- You know, it's like the u.S.D.A. It's, like, seattle-- Stamp it. It's, like, seattle-- Stamp it. yeah yeah low beat Great band. I like best. low beat low beat low beat [No singing] [No singing] get down now get down now hey hey low beat low beat low beat, whoo I hate category of grunge. Grunge categorize--Oh. I only like live, loud music. I don't need grunge. I don't need grunge. how many times have you said i'm sorry to only trash me within the day i think "god, will I ever escape this?" now my body just burns beware of what I threw you baggage like fire just to thrill you like I might turn and sniff you slippery near the edge slippery near the edge Steve fisk: Nirvana happening or Pearl Jam happening, In some way seems like kind of a-- Some kind of, like, weird natural occurrence That got rolling in 1979. Like, it's that energy. Whatever that energy started as, Ultimately, you know, landed with what we got now. It's not like it's punk rock paying off. It's more like you push the pimple hard enough And it pops up someplace else. But then it becomes homogenized, manipulated, And marketed, and it's not intense anymore. So, there's a constant cycle of rebellion. I think punk's going to be there forever, man. As long as there's kids that like it. Yeah. Kids are the most important part of punk. They want to get wild. Yeah. Steve fisk: there'll be no shortage Of disaffected american youth over the next 50 years. Probably even more. Some great rock 'n' roll coming down the line. slip through you, yeah There's over 1,000 bands in seattle right now. And I think a lot of that is people moving here. Bands moving here in hopes of becoming famous. Because of all the hype and all the attention on seattle, People know that if they do something here, They're going get recognized to some extent. It won't be totally overlooked, even if it's bad. In fact, there were musicians who moved To california in the early eighties from seattle, To try and get signed, who started moving back. To try and get signed, who started moving back. Man: there's got to be at least 1,000, If not more than that, in seattle. So, I came with an idea To package boxed sets of northwest bands. So, what I try and do, is I try and find ways to exploit-- And I like the word "exploit"-- Exploit through propaganda and television The northwest music community as a whole. Volume 3 is probably my favorite set. It's got some of the most well-Known bands. You've got your hammerbox, and your hungry crocodiles, And pond, sara debell, peace, love, and guitars. Just got--I mean, it's got so many great bands in it, That if you want to know anything about The northwest music-- There's my card-- You want to know anything about the northwest music scene, This is a great place to start because all the cards Have the contact information of the band on the back. And also, if you take these cards, Turn them face down, put them together, It's a jigsaw puzzle of a traffic jam on i-5. i say fuck i say fuck and you say yeah d d i say fuck and you say yeah d d D i say fuck and you say yeah d Dd i say fuck and you say yeah D i say fuck and you say yeah d i say fuck yeah i say let's and you say go i say let's and you say let's go, man i say let's and you say go, whoo i say let's and you say go, whoo i say let's go go oh, yeah Today, I was in a music shop, And saw some people. It was like, "You moved from l.A. Probably yesterday." Like, I feel sorry for the up-And-Coming bands. They can't even get gigs. It takes them a year sometimes to get a gig. We were together 3 weeks when we played a show. You see a ton of bands? The trees weigh more than a ton. We're a ton of band. Ha ha ha! So, fuck 'em! We got bands all over this place here. We got a band in here-- Inflatable soul. Manotypical. Rap band in this room. [Drums playing] Hear a lone drummer practicing in here. Hip-Hop beat. Hip-Hop beat. Industrial nonsense comes out of that flat. It's all hallways and doorways. Have bands in the rafters. Bands to the left. Bands to the right. Kim thayil: it'd be like being a kid And setting up a lemonade stand. And having a really successful lemonade stand. All of a sudden, 10 of them open up right next to you. In your yard, on your block, All competing for the same lemonade nickel. Only they're-- They're obviously selling lower quality lemonade. They're obviously selling lower quality lemonade. [Playing alternative music] [Playing alternative music] aah Right now, seattle is quarter until 6:00, On christmas eve in a shopping mall, And the mall closes at 6:00. When it's too crazy, And it's loaded with sub-Moronic idiots, Prancing around, Buying anything they can get their hands on. Buying anything they can get their hands on. By universal acclaim, The nation's media have declared seattle The coolest place in the known universe. Announcer: the music of seattle is as progressive as the people. Listen to Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nirvana. Where else can you get the seattle sound? Best buy. Second announcer: once there was this grunge singer, Who did all the things grunge singers would do. you get on a carpet couldn't help it dd i'm drinking from the toilet it's just a habit i swear that smell you smell is not from me Announcer: it's loud music with heavy vocals. Reporter: is it mutant rock and roll? Have we ever used chainsaws and axes? Have we ever used chainsaws and axes? Are they contributing anything to the world They're taking so much from? They're taking so much from? Mudhoney's sort of watching the market right now. Alex trebek: in october 1993... Alex trebek: in october 1993... Jeremy? Who is Pearl Jam? Pop music for 400. Who is Pearl Jam? Pop music for 400. Does this look like we're unhappy or cynical? Ok, our next guests are a seattle band. This right here is their newest album. Playin' the posies. "Weird al" yankovic. Pearl jam! Beavis: hey, butt-Head, where's seattle? Seattle... seattle... Seattle? Thanks, phone dude. Seattle? Thanks, phone dude. I think now's the time that I should be announcing My candidacy for mayor of seattle. The whole thing was just out of control, And press people were visiting our office At the rate of 2 or 3 a week. It seemed like very few of them had Even the most remote clue Of what was really going on in seattle. Glossy print ad with a fancy red car In the background, And they're saying something about grunge. You think people are gonna go out and buy this car? They're gonna look at this ad and go, "fuck you." When you're close to something, You feel you know the truth about it. And whenpeople magazine is writing about it, You know that they're not gonna have the truth. They have a very distorted view of it. And you realize that that's what the entire world sees, And that's what the entire world thinks about. And they're wrong. And they're wrong. Charles peterson: this is a photo of seaweed Being interviewed by mtv. A band that at the time really weren't doing anything, And here's mtv with camera crews in their face. And you know, they laughed about it. They thought it was ridiculous. And everyone thought it was a bit ridiculous. Maybe there's, like, a bunch of photographers, And they want to put you with this other person From another band that you don't even know, And they want you to put your arm around them and smile. And they want to talk about all this mundane crap, And then that's when istart to feel cynical. "You play in a band, don't you?" "Yeah. Yeah, i play in a band." "Pearl jam, right?" "No." "Aren't you the drummer from Pearl Jam?" "No. I'm not the drummer from Pearl Jam." "Alice in chains?" "No. No." "Well, what's the name of the band you play in?" "Soundgarden." Then you get the shrug, like... They didn't say anything about the music. They talked about what we wore And whether or not the girl in the band before Shaved her armpits or not. The newest thing I heard Was that we're really bad at interviews. Ha ha ha ha! Where could they possibly get that? just to wake up tells me, hell, I must be brave it hits me like a drug shot into my vein but it's not as delightful, delightful of a pain immobilizing me almost makes me think i'm dead i need a second skin something to hold me tough can't do it on my own sometimes I need just a little more help i want that chance to give every drop that's left in me i need a second skin something I cannot break free of something I cannot break free of well, I just tell myself, girl, just let it breathe it's a calmness i'm always searching for but the dirt, it gets so heavy it falls above my head seeping from under my feet it just keeps on getting deeper i need a second skin something to hold me tough can't do it on my own sometimes I need just a little more help i've got that chance to give every drop that's left in me i need a second skin something I cannot break free of You just didn't want to answer Any more stupid questions. They were all the same. What's seattle like? What are the bands like? Do you know this band? Do you know that band? Everyone had it. We put a moratorium at one point On people calling and asking for the "seattle story." There was nothing to do Except just start poking fun at the entire thing. And so, instead of saying, "No, I really don't know that person," It would turn into, "oh, sure, "Every monday morning, We eat banana splits at breakfast time." "Shooby-Doo used to be my roommate." Or, you know, "i'll tell you, "He has a horrible case of the squirts After he has indian food." And, like, you just start making up Every single lie you can And then try to-- The goal is to just get Crazy rumors circulating all the time. There's a big element of put-On Involved with all seattle music. I mean, kurt cobain's goofy name-Spellings, A lot of sub pop's world domination kind of attitude. I mean, the whole thing's ridiculous. 75% of what bruce and john say is a lie. But it's served them well. Ha ha ha! Bruce: it's essentially been one big prank. We've always pretended we were something we weren't. Now that we're huge and have a lot of money, We're trying to pretend that we're small and indie And have street cred. That's one of the great things About a lot of the bands here. You know, great humor. You know? You know, great humor. You know? So, i'm obviously not from here. Art chantry: one of my favorite hoaxes Was the lexicon of grunge. Thenew york times called sub pop records And talked to a woman there Who just started making up words. They were trying to find out what the inside secret dope was, What was the hip language. And I was, like, "Uh, why don't you just give me a word, And i'll give you the grunge slang for it." Chantry: she just started making stuff up. A lot of it was the kind of stuff That she used for herself just for laughs. And next thing you know, It's on the cover of thenew york times. And everybody around here is just giggling and snortin'. If they're lame enough to try to scrutinize This totally stupid thing, Why not fuck with them? Why not fuck with them? i try to speak my mind why'd you leave me D i could've taken you so far d walked out the way been across this fuckin' world to find my brewster put my love into the rig so I could forget her hello it's me again, baby hello, houston As you can see, I am basically A trend-Setter in the fashion scene. Androlling stone called, And they were doing a fashion spread On what the indies are wearing. I had to tell them that I didn't think They'd be interested in me, But that we had a fella here, scott mccaughey From the young fresh fellows, who probably Was just what they were looking for. So, they came, And they interviewed scott briefly. And then they got out this pile of clothes And made him, like, take off his converse And put on their tennis shoes. And take off his flannel shirt, Wear their flannel shirt, And then put, you know, in the caption below, "Flannel shirt, $85." "Flannel shirt, $85." Megan jasper: who didn't get a flannel shirt For christmas from their relatives? And you tie it around your waist, And you run off and do a stage dive. All across america. But up here, because it's logger territory, All these goonballs just wear flannel anyways, And then that's what became the stereotype here. And then that's what became the stereotype here. You go around, you know, to cities everywhere, And you see some real... Stereotypical grungies, you know, With the Pearl Jam shirt And, you know, with the stocking cap, And, you know, The really neat long johns with the shorts, And you just say, "i spit on you!" [Muzak version ofsmells like teen spiritplaying] [Muzak version ofsmells like teen spiritplaying] Mannequins in stores With, like, long johns and shorts for, like, $300. It's like we dress-- We got 'em fooled. We wear long johns up here because it's fucking cold. When seventh avenue decided that grungewear Was something they'd put on the runways, And that they thought it would be an absolute knock-Over, Yes, that any of my clients Would be in their fashion shows And be in their fashion layouts, And whenvanity fair dida spread With people like joan rivers wearing grungewear, That was the only moment for me, so far, That came close to unbearable. It was our thing. Then, all of a sudden, It belonged to people who you never thought You were sharing your music with. Mainstream periodicals and fashion magazines. And you start realizing There's a whole lot of people out there Making money by selling the idea Of this seattle scene or grunge or whatever. It's so profitable. It's so profitable. And they'll just keep taking and taking and taking, And they just don't know how to restrain themselves. You know, they're frothing at the mouth over this. And the bands aren't. I mean, the bands aren't really in it for dough. I mean, they just aren't. That would--If they were, That would--That would tip over the music. Like, already it's obvious that you see The seattle scene has become a marketed commodity. But that's what makes pop culture So significant to... All the little consumers out there. They have no interest in history or economics Or science or art. They're kind of interested more in gossip, The nature of celebrity, And that's not at all encouraging to find out That... You participate in that society. One way or the other. i wonder why I do the things I do one plus one has always meant more than two happy, and then content change the channel and now i'm bent on leaving you yeah on leaving you on leaving you, you yeah on leaving you, you, yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah The bands get all big, And then everybody starts to like 'em. And then they just become so overplayed And kind of sold-Out, and I just-- I get out of them. That really pisses me off. Why? Well, i liked them first. When you hear a song that's a great song Played a million times, you never want to hear it again. Played a million times, you never want to hear it again. If I hear that song one more time... If I see that guy's face one more time... I'm gonna fuckin' find out his address And kill that motherfucker. And kill that motherfucker. I don't blame them. I've said it myself. There definitely is the idea that success is bad, And that's part of the rebellion. That's part of the rebellion against the eighties, You know, our peers, and our parents. That we didn't really want to become successful Because with that comes the trappings of responsibility. It seemed for a while that, like, celebrity Was not really what you wanted once you got it. And yet you look at any of these people That are now complaining about being too much In the spotlight Or always, you know, scrutinized by everyone. [Laughs] what did you expect? I think a lot of people whine about it, But secretly theykind of are excited about it, too. I don't think that people ever can imagine What is gonna go along with being popular. I don't think--No matter what somebody tells you It's gonna be like, I think it's a lot different Once you get there. I think so, too. Maybe we should try to find out. [Laughs] painted blue across my eyes and tie the linen on and i'm on my way and i'm on my way Dd looking for the paradigm so I can pass it off is it on my side? is it on my side? is it to the sky? is it to the sky? is it to the sky? is it to the sky? shadow shadow D painted blue across my eyes d and tie the linen on and i'm on my way on my way Dd looking for the paradigm so I can pass it off is it on my side? on my side is it to the sky? to the sky looking to the sky and down searching for a ground D with my good eye closed d I kind of figured you play guitar Or drums, whatever, sing, Make a record, play a show. If people like your record, They like your show. I couldn't really anticipate it becoming Interviews and videos and photo sessions. Sort of in the forefront of our minds, We knew that these were things That went along with the job. But you never really can anticipate it Until you're there. It's like, fuck, I can do without the fame stuff And just, you know, give me the money. And just, you know, give me the money. is it to the sky? to the sky to the sky to the sky to the sky oh oh Jack endino: you have a favorite band, right? And you think, why isn't this band enormous? You know, the world is just not a very-- You know, it's just an unjust place. And then you have a band that you know is amazing And, suddenly, everybody else in the world Knows that they're amazing and wants to get at them, And write about them and, you know, You start wondering if success is really a good thing, Because it sort of makes people psycho. Eddie vedder: it's nothing to strive for. It's actually like-- This kind of success Or trying to fulfill this kind of hype. It can destroy everything. It can destroy what's real, which is, like, music to you. Or what's real, which is your life. You know? It can destroy it. You know, it can make it, uh, A commodity. At--At--At whose cost? At yours. At your life and, you know, your music. At your life and, you know, your music. Th-They'll, you know... Th-They'll, you know... Take it all away from you. And--And you're supposed to be happy about it Because you're successful. Because you're successful. now, you kissed me once, and you kissed me twice with your messed up slobbering lips D with dribble in my brow d D i wait until you turned d and I wiped it on my pant leg and I wiped it on my pant leg oh, now i'll sign this paper for everyone to see now i'm up here singin' for everyone to hear now i'll sign this paper for everyone to see now i'm up here singin' for everyone to hear you especially you it's all for you it's because of you it's because of you my lungs are filled with smoke my lungs are filled with smoke eyes light and hazy from too many tears red and glossy from too many beers and my stomach shapes into one big knot my stomach shapes into one big knot Elizabeth davis: when you're in a band And it progresses from being in the basement And learning how to play, And then you go on to more and more steps, And that's a natural progression of a band. And you can see that. That's a good thing. It's all fine. But then, you get to this point where You're looking backwards and you're, like, "Well, maybe it was better back then." Jack endino: well, imagine you're a band. You're making music for fun, Because you like writing your own songs, You like playing your own songs. You like playing to your friends And having them clap and, you know, having a good time, And getting up and jumping around a stage, And, you know, crashing into people. And, um, suddenly, every publication And all the media in the world wants to get at you. Suddenly, people everywhere you go recognize you. They want your autograph. Suddenly, your life as a private individual Is over with. And that's probably A pretty heavy thing to deal with. What it looks like is, wow, if you want to be Really successful, do heroin. But, what I see is, i saw people Who were making really good music Suddenly have, like, This overwhelming need for money. Susan silver: it's just fucking heartbreaking To see how disillusioned people get, To where they-- That escape is so sought after. Jack endino: I think the first hint of it Was when andy wood died. When you started thinking, this is really sad Because this guy had a great future in front of him. He was a really wonderful guy. Funniest guy. The only-- The only rock 'n' roll stand-Up comic in seattle Was andy wood. And, uh, we thought, Man, you know, they haven't even become stars yet And already he's a casualty. And already he's a casualty. There's kurt on new year's day, '93. Um, this was the shoot For the cover ofthe advocate. And, uh, I really liked this photo of kurt. We were just-- We were just talking And I was just picking the camera up Occasionally and-- And photographing him. It's rare to see a picture where he's emoting Or doing something with his hands Other than in his pocket. And I really like this one. And I really like this one. the river rise... Symbolically, perhaps, it represented The death of something. I mean, I know when-- I was--It affected me in such a way That I was seriously tempted to give up everything And go be a farmer or something. It was just--It was so disillusioning to me. It was--It was hard. I didn't take it well. 'cause I could fall like a tear nothing else I can do nothing else I can do but i'm not alone nothing's beside me all I see is the others blinded but I could fall as if I was young ooh, with a lifetime to think of you ooh, with a lifetime to think of you Eddie vedder: if all this influence That this part of the country has In this musical scene has-- If it doesn't do anything with it, That would be the tragedy. If it doesn't do something with it, Like make some kind of change Or make some kind of difference, This group of people who feels this certain way, This group of people who, like, thinks these things That the underdogs we've all met And lived with think-- If they finally get to the forefront And nothing comes of it, That--That would be the tragedy. That--That would be the tragedy. Eddie vedder: restless soul enjoy your youth enjoy your youth like muhammad hits the truth hits the truth i can't escape from the common rule i can't escape from the common rule if you hate something don't you do it, too? don't you do it, too? this is not for you this is not for you this is not for you oh, never was for you you you Art chantry: to actually be this close To a pop culture explosion has been really fascinating. I mean, all of a sudden, you can understand What happened in san francisco in '66 and '67. You can understand what happened in england During the punk thing. And--And during the mersey beat era. And the subsequent stuff that happened in london. I mean, all of a sudden, you can see How ridiculous the whole goddamn thing is. I mean, it's utterly absurd. I mean... [metal scraping] Susie tennant: it's so funny that they call it "The seattle scene" Because it all grew out of the region. Everybody doing what they loved because they love it. And it doesn't matter if they're from bellingham, Portland, olympia. You had people who were in bands Because they want to be in bands, Who started record labels Because they liked their friends' bands And they wanted to put out a record. Fanzines because no one was covering The kind of music that they heard. And all this was allowed to grow without any other force Coming in and disturbing that. Coming in and disturbing that. Eddie vedder: all that's sacred comes from youth comes from youth dedication naive and true naive and true Ddwith no power nothing to do nothing to do i still remember Ddwhy don't you? don't you? this is not for you this is not for you this is not for you this is not for you this is not for you this is not for you oh, never was for you fuck you, this is not for you oh, never was for you yeah yeah Charles peterson: I didn't think i'd be making a living At doing this. I mean, I had no idea that these bands Were going to become so-- So popular, so famous. I would have taken a lot more photographs of them If I had known. [Laughs] Our first u.S. Tour was a total failure, you know? We didn't make more than 90 bucks At any show in the whole u.S. It's like, they hated us everywhere we went. But we're doing basically the same thing We were doing in '85, and now people like us. I don't know why! Let me put things in perspective for you. 5 years ago, This is a sleepy little coastal fishing village. Now, could we have the camera pan out To the skyline, here? This kind of economic development Is directly related to what john and I Have done to promote seattle. Nils bernstein: that's what's become Of the great punk rock party house Of the mid-Eighties. [Laughs] it's so harsh. It used to be this tiny little shack, Like, set way back in these terrible, Like, big weeds in the middle of This--These beautiful homes. And now--Look, it is a beautiful home. [Laughs] I would love to, In about 20 years from now, Be playing in, like, some kind of, like, Super-Loungey soul band With a horn section Or something like that. We'll probably all be playing In r&b bands in pioneer square. Probably the same r&b band onpioneer square. Dd [imitating blues singer] l'il sister, don't you-- Wow! What did I do right in a past life or whatever That I get to do this with my 3 really good friends? I get to be in a band and make music with these people. It's a really incredible experience. We just play music when we--When we can And do shows and record when we have songs. And every now and then we find out Seattle got really famous. And we didn't. And that's not too bad. That's ok. And that's not too bad. That's ok. oh, yeah oh, yeah oh, yeah oh, yeah oh, yeah it's another fine year end oh, yeah at the top of my own top 10 oh, yeah let's smash the year again oh, yeah i get so sick of you and all you're trying to be i can't deny your uselessness but what'd you ever do to me? but what'd you ever do to me? so, if you're standing in our dark corner and try to dig us up you'll find we're history and if you're standing in our dark corner don't forget to bring along your top 10 list oh, yeah oh, yeah oh, yeah oh, yeah oh, yeah it's another fine year end oh, yeah at the top of my own top 10 oh, yeah let's smash the year again oh, yeah oh, yeah let's paint a nice back-Drop Ddoh, yeah where the music never stops oh, yeah i'll be the oyster for your pearl oh, yeah dark corner of the world oh, yeah it's another fine year end oh, yeah at the top of my own top 10 oh, yeah let's smash the year again oh, yeah oh, yeah oh, yeah oh, yeah oh, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah oh, yeah oh, yeah oh, yeah oh, yeah oh, yeah oh, yeah oh, yeah oh, yeah oh, yeah oh, yeah oh, yeah Captioned made possible by lions gate entertainment Captioned by the national Captioned by the national What was the question? 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