| October 18th, 2005 10:52 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
Country punk: Hank Williams III
Hank Williams III is a rebel who wants to build his career without help from daddy or grandpa's ghost.
Jim Abbott | Orlando Sentinel Pop Music Critic
Posted October 18, 2005
Big & Rich and Shooter Jennings have taken outlaw images to the bank, a development that rankles at least one legitimate rebel who hasn't managed to crack into country music's selective inner circle.
"Big & Rich is nothing but a coked-up joke," says Hank Williams III, grandson of the iconic Hank Williams and son of the rowdy and beloved Hank Williams Jr., two towering figures that Hank III never will match in popularity or influence.
He hasn't tried.
When he plays Wednesday at the Social as part of this week's Anti Pop Music Festival, Williams will do what he always does: Divide the show equally between punk rock and twangy traditional music, the kind of stuff that doesn't have a home on today's country radio stations.
"We're still doing the Jekyll-and-Hyde thing," he says by phone from his home in Tennessee, adding that he's uncomfortable with the notion that he's a savior for traditional music.
"That would have to be somebody like Dale Watson, somebody that is all about it. I'm all about a bunch of other stuff too. We are kind of country, but we do cater to louder kinds of music."
Today's country outlaw
That would make him an outlaw, by country standards, but his defiant, outside-the-establishment approach has left him unwelcome on CMT and in Nashville circles.
He looks at all the attention garnered by so-called "hick-hop" boundary breakers Big & Rich and the long-haired son of the late Waylon Jennings with contempt.
He calls "Big & Rich" a "one-hit wonder that will be gone in five years" and criticizes Shooter Jennings for capitalizing on his father's name.
"He wanted to be in a rock band, and he was in an L.A. rock band that was a failure," Williams says. "So he waited for his dad to die and then went on the road, and that's not a good way to pay your dues.
"He ain't been out there doing his thing. He just waited for the money call and then jumped aboard. He's being safe, but one day I'm sure he'll come around."
That strong reaction reflects the fact that Williams started his career by consciously looking to shed the weight of his ancestors. He toured anonymously on a road of $50-a-night gigs with an assortment of unknown punk and hardcore bands in the Southeast. He kept partying and paying dues until child-support payments compelled him to sign with Curb Records.
Warring with Wal-Mart
On Curb, he released a pair of rootsy country albums, Risin' Outlaw (1999) and Lovesick, Broke & Driftin' (2002), but made it clear he was no purist.
Williams performed at the Vans Warped Tour in 2001 and played bass in Superjoint Ritual, a side project of Pantera's Phil Anselmo. He's a big fan of musicians such as Mike Patton (Faith No More, Tomahawk), who have established diverse independent careers.
Williams, 32, has been railing against his record company almost since the day he joined the roster, and animosity also surrounds his upcoming Straight to Hell. Originally set for mid-September release, the project was initially bumped to late October and now is slated to arrive on Feb. 6.
Wal-Mart rejected the edited version, which has Curb scrambling to find a way to market it -- and has Williams seething.
"It goes back to the fact that I'm locked in with the slow people who don't understand how things work nowadays," he says. "They have wasted eight years of my life, and now they're starting to do it again. I should have at least 10 records out by now. Mike Patton is my mentor, and he releases two to five records a year with many different bands, and he gets stuff done."
A label spokeswoman had no comment, other than to say that "Curb is excited to be releasing Hank's CD on Feb. 6."
Williams wants the label to grow a backbone.
"It would feel great if they would stick to their guns," he says. "Just because Wal-Mart rejected the clean version isn't my problem."
Williams also is mystified that his music isn't suitable to be displayed down the aisle from South Park DVD sets and movies that contain adult themes and language.
"There's a fine line between the movie industry and the music industry. You can take five steps in any store and buy South Park, which is messing with racism, religion and politics.
"My family works for Wal-Mart over 30 years, and for them to be the enemy really sucks. They are messing it up, but one day hopefully the musicians will have the same deal that the movie people do."
Williams describes the album as "not as warm" as the steel-guitar drenched weepers on Lovesick, Broke & Driftin'. Everything was recorded on vintage reel-to-reel tape recorders, including a "hidden" 42-minute acoustic track that occupies the album's entire second disc.
"Weird noises," Williams calls the bonus track, adding, "most people probably won't listen to that anyway. They don't have the attention for it."
Williams has two more albums due to Curb, and he doesn't want to make them for Wal-Mart shoppers.
"Wal-Mart is 40 percent of country-music sales," he says, adding that he doesn't care about "selling a record I don't want to sell, to 200,000 more people that are not even my crowd anyway.
"There's the Internet and there are so many new options out there. It's time to make new friends."
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| October 18th, 2005 11:08 PM |
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| the good |
Hank III is the bomb. We met him the last time he played in in Philly. He played at a shitty place called the North Star Bar on a cold, snowy, windswept night in Feb. The guy is the real deal, a true musician and a great presence on the stage. I only wish he would drop the death metal bullshit and concentrate on the country music. He would probably tell me to fuck off for saying that though. |
| October 18th, 2005 11:44 PM |
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| Bloozehound |
quote:
the good wrote:
I only wish he would drop the death metal bullshit and concentrate on the country music. He would probably tell me to fuck off for saying that though.
Oh yeah, he'd have a shit fit
funny the way Hank IIIs so quick to critize Shooter, when in essense IIIs done the exact same thing, riding the gravy train of his father and grandfathers names playing country music to pay the bills when it's pretty clear to me his hearts in the punk/death metal crap and fighting with his record label over "artistic integrity" and getting nothing accomplished, instead of releasing some albums to get out of contract
His punk/death metal is for the birds, it's not even good by hardcore punk standards imo, but his country stuff is awesome
IIIs kind of a dumb fuck
All big talk, but no action |
| October 19th, 2005 12:04 AM |
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| the good |
quote:
Bloozehound wrote:
funny the way Hank IIIs so quick to critize Shooter, when in essense IIIs done the exact same thing, riding the gravy train of his father and grandfathers names playing country music to pay the bills when it's pretty clear to me his hearts in the punk/death metal crap and fighting with his record label over "artistic integrity" and getting nothing accomplished, instead of releasing some albums to get out of contract
IIIs kind of a dumb fuck
All big talk, but no action
He is a hypocrite for criticizing Shooter, no doubt. Maybe he's projecting? |
| October 19th, 2005 12:08 AM |
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| polksalad69 |
shooter sucks and the hellbilly and assjack kick ass and I don't even like death metal. |
| October 19th, 2005 12:10 AM |
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| Blind Dog McGhee |
but Shooter is putting the O back in cuntry, whatever that means, LOL... |
| October 19th, 2005 12:22 AM |
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| the good |
quote:
Blind Dog McGhee wrote:
but Shooter is putting the O back in cuntry, whatever that means, LOL...
Is he putting the dick back in dixie? |
| October 19th, 2005 12:34 AM |
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| Bloozehound |
quote:
Blind Dog McGhee wrote:
but Shooter is putting the O back in cuntry, whatever that means, LOL...
yeah saladman, Shooter sucks bad! III is right about bashing him, I just think its ironic because he's essentially done the same shit
Seems to me maybe at the root of this their is some jealous rivalry going on
Shooters made quite a name for himself since his arrival on the scene, he basically did what everyone expected III to do, sell out big time making shitty music while riding on your kinfolks name and loving every minute with a shit eating grin
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| October 19th, 2005 12:39 AM |
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| polksalad69 |
quote:
Bloozehound wrote:
yeah saladman, Shooter sucks bad! III is right about bashing him, I just think its ironic because he's essentially done the same shit
Seems to me maybe at the root of this their is some jealous rivalry going on
Shooters made quite a name for himself since his arrival on the scene, he basically did what everyone expected III to do, sell out big time making shitty music while riding on your kinfolks name and loving every minute with a shit eating grin
I need better songwriting than Kid Rock is a yank and if you think he's junior's son, your just fucking dumb, or whatever III is singing. ditch the cuntry and metal, hellbilly all the way... |
| October 19th, 2005 01:16 AM |
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| Bloozehound |
quote:
polksalad69 wrote:
ditch the cuntry and metal, hellbilly all the way...
what's considered the "hellbilly" part |
| October 19th, 2005 10:11 AM |
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| polksalad69 |
quote:
Bloozehound wrote:
what's considered the "hellbilly" part
After the country he keeps the band up there and they do a little heavier set. Not quite the metal of Assjack but not country either. Sometimes he still plays acoustic, distorted acoustic, sometimes Shelton goes electric. No one else is doing that sort of thing with fiddle and steel guitar. He only plays a few tunes that way before Assjack takes over and it's hardcore.
BTW, I hear Dale Watson is leaving Texas to be closer to his kids in Baltimore. As for Austin artists, Jon Dee Graham and Scrappy Newcomb are going to be in town on the 28. |
| October 19th, 2005 10:55 AM |
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| Saint Sway |
I like to see Steve Earle kick both Shooter & Hank III's ass.
just to let them know who the real country punk is. |
| October 19th, 2005 12:36 PM |
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| polksalad69 |
quote:
Saint Sway wrote:
I like to see Steve Earle kick both Shooter & Hank III's ass.
just to let them know who the real country punk is.
is he still a fat bastard or did the atkins work for him? |
| October 19th, 2005 12:47 PM |
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| Saint Sway |
Steve has trimmed down a lot. Clean and sober too.
and he'll always be a bad ass, full of piss and vinegar.
[Edited by Saint Sway] |
| October 19th, 2005 01:54 PM |
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| polksalad69 |
quote:
Saint Sway wrote:
Steve has trimmed down a lot. Clean and sober too.
and he'll always be a bad ass, full of piss and vinegar.
knew he was sober. good for him. great songwriter, kicks III's ass in that department. hey you heard him do "Before they make me run" with the Supersuckers. pretty cool but Dancing Eagle is not Charlie Watts. |
| October 19th, 2005 02:09 PM |
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| glencar |
Tempest in a teapot comes to mind when I see threads like this. 2 "kin" of dead country stars fighting it out. BORING! |
| October 19th, 2005 02:27 PM |
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| Saint Sway |
quote:
polksalad69 wrote:
knew he was sober. good for him. great songwriter, kicks III's ass in that department. hey you heard him do "Before they make me run" with the Supersuckers. pretty cool but Dancing Eagle is not Charlie Watts.
yeah I've heard it. Pretty cool. That song could of been written for him. Its cool he covered it.
speaking of which, read his book if you get the chance. "I'll find my way to heaven cuz I did my time in hell" - no doubt! Steve Earle's lived a rough one.
I'd like to find more stuff with Steve & The Supersuckers. Theyre nuts. |
| October 19th, 2005 02:28 PM |
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| Cactus Ed |
I was speaking to Hiram last night. He can't understand what happened to Randall. |
| October 20th, 2005 12:21 AM |
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| Bloozehound |
quote:
polksalad69 wrote:
After the country he keeps the band up there and they do a little heavier set. Not quite the metal of Assjack but not country either.
I know what you talking about, never realized there was a name for that, I thought it was just how they segued between sets
Polk, what's the deal with his record label? Why can't he get out of his contract with Curb, what's holding him back or whatever, I always forget this part
quote:
polksalad69 wrote:
BTW, I hear Dale Watson is leaving Texas to be closer to his kids in Baltimore. As for Austin artists, Jon Dee Graham and Scrappy Newcomb are going to be in town on the 28.
Yeah, sucks man, sucks bad, hope its not permanent. I saw Dale a few weeks ago and talked to him after the show and that's what he told me, hopefully he's just taking some time off and will be back with a vengence.
I think he's mnaking a movie around this time too, so maybe it also has something to do with that, I dunno... |
| October 20th, 2005 12:28 AM |
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| polksalad69 |
quote:
Bloozehound wrote:
I know what you talking about, never realized there was a name for that, I thought it was just how they segued between sets
Polk, what's the deal with his record label? Why can't he get out of his contract with Curb, what's holding him back or whatever, I always forget this part
Yeah, sucks man, sucks bad, hope its not permanent. I saw Dale a few weeks ago and talked to him after the show and that's what he told me, hopefully he's just taking some time off and will be back with a vengence.
I think he's mnaking a movie around this time too, so maybe it also has something to do with that, I dunno...
Legal problems is all I know, thus "Fuck Curb Records." I don't pay attention to dat when they talk about it on the cussin board. As a certain band from Texas called it, Hank the Turd keeps shooting himself in the foot when he should have just sold out like you said above.
You ever catch the Resentments on Sunday night at the Saxon Pub. I can't get enough of dat Jon Dee Graham. |
| October 20th, 2005 01:23 AM |
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| Bloozehound |
quote:
polksalad69 wrote:
Legal problems is all I know, thus "Fuck Curb Records." I don't pay attention to dat when they talk about it on the cussin board. As a certain band from Texas called it, Hank the Turd keeps shooting himself in the foot when he should have just sold out like you said above.
I don't think he should sell-out sell-out, at least not Shooter-style selling out: posing as one those dangerous CMT "outlaw" darlings and touring with Toby Keith, not that crap, I see where the guys coming from, I wouldn't want to be stuck singing Family Tradition and Kawaligi for the rest of my life either, but I don't think it would hurt his career much to "play the game" a bit more
Naw, I haven't seen the resentments, but I've heard good things, some folks are really into them, I've never been much into Jon Dee myself
ps
A few months back I shook hands with Shooter at this music fest he played here LOL
[Edited by Bloozehound] |
| October 20th, 2005 01:39 AM |
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| Barney Fife |
Oct 19
Orlando, FL
The Social
18+
Oct 20
Jacksonville, FL
Freebird Cafe
All Ages
Oct 21
Greenville, SC
The Handlebar
18+
Oct 22
Charleston, SC
The Music Farm
Oct 23
Richmond, VA
Alley Katz
18+
Oct 25
Baltimore, MD
Sonar
All Ages
Oct 26
Philadelphia, PA
Trocadero Theater
All Ages
Oct 27
Brooklyn, NY
Northsix
18+
Oct 28
Asbury Park, NJ
Asbury Lanes
21+
Oct 29
Rochester, NY
Water Street Music Hall
All Ages
Oct 30
Amity, PA
Rinky Dinks
Oct 31
Buffalo, NY
Buffalo Icon
All Ages
Nov 02
Boston, MA
Axis
18+
Nov 03
Lancaster, PA
Chameleon
18+
Nov 04
Poughkeepsie, NY
The Chance
All Ages
Nov 05
Ithaca, NY
The Haunt
Nov 07
Cleveland Heights, OH
Grog Shop
All Ages
Nov 08
Grand Rapids, MI
The Intersection
16+
Nov 09
Milwaukee, WI
The Rave
All Ages
Nov 10
Des Moines, IA
House of Bricks
All Ages
Nov 11
Lawrence, KS
Bottleneck
All Ages
Nov 12
Springfield, MO
Rockwell
All Ages
Nov 13
Louisville, KY
Jillian's
All Ages
***Updated 10/19***
http://www.hank3.com/tour.htm |
| October 20th, 2005 10:07 AM |
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| polksalad69 |
quote:
Bloozehound wrote:
I wouldn't want to be stuck singing Family Tradition and Kawaligi for the rest of my life either, but I don't think it would hurt his career much to "play the game" a bit more
yeah, it's time to stop paying respects to Hiram Hank and Randall Hank and just play Shelton Hank songs.
As for the Resentments, I picked up their new cd and the Jon Dee songs are great, the rest, well, some are ok. I like Scrappy though although Ian Mc needed to let Scrappy play more rockers when I saw them.
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