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Music Memories + Songs

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

heavy metal drug blues

Is taking a damaging amount of drugs a job
requirement for heavy metal musicians?

Years ago, I had a job going door to door in St Louis
signing customers for cable TV.

One guy with very long hair opened his door, said,
"Wow, you've sure got balls to sell like this" and
invited me in.

Turns out, he was looking to recruit for his
multilevel marketing water purifier business,
which I didn't want to get involved in, but
his story was interesting.

He told me he used to be a musician in a heavy
metal band. Naturally, I asked him why he stopped.

He cited two reasons. The first was that he got
tired of problems with the big name groups. His
group was the opening act for some big names.
According to him, the big name heavy metal groups
would get into their equipment and sabotage it to
make sure that his band did not sound better than
the big name group.

The second reason blew me away.

"I got tired of having to go into the hospital
every 6 months."

He said that as though it were a requirement for
the job.

"Why'd you HAVE to go into the hospital every
6 months?" I asked.

"Drugs. I had to take so many drugs, I had to
go into the hospital every 6 months." Again, he
said this as though it were a law that heavy
metal musicians just HAD to take this many drugs.

I wanted to ask him why he didn't just cut down
on the amount (or kinds) of drugs he used, so
he didn't have to go into the hospital so often.

But I didn't have the nerve.

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