STP's Weiland comes clean

[wayne gretzky]

http://http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/music/2010/05/21/14033751.html

[disasterami]

Thanks Wayne

[Shangri]

Is it me or the article title has nothing to do with the actual interview?

[cgg]

He’s civil but guarded, lucid but jadedly detached, his voice a weary croak not unlike someone who just got up or shot up (though for the record, he says he has been clean more than seven years)

 

[cosmicpilot]

He’s civil but guarded, lucid but jadedly detached, his voice a weary croak not unlike someone who just got up or shot up (though for the record, he says he has been clean more than seven years)

 

Nice to know someone else thought the same! tuts  

[andrew]

What a crappy interview. I think "journalists" should have to read other people's interviews so they don't ask the same damn questions in every single interview. Gets old after a while.

[Peebs]

this statement speaks VOLUMES

I read something where you said being on drugs helped you deal with stage fright.

It wasn’t stage fright as much as social fright. I’ve never felt comfortable in crowds. I remember before we ever made it big or even got signed, going into my favourite bar where I knew virtually everybody, and just walking in and being looked at, I didn’t feel comfortable. Unfortunately, when I started doing heroin in 1993, that took away that fright. I didn’t care who was looking at me.

so for anyone who ever complained how they paid for that ridiculous "meet & greets" for VR and Scott wasn't part of it or how Scott runs from the stage door to his awaiting car while a crowd shouts his name for autograph or pictures....

[andrew]

this statement speaks VOLUMES

I read something where you said being on drugs helped you deal with stage fright.

It wasn’t stage fright as much as social fright. I’ve never felt comfortable in crowds. I remember before we ever made it big or even got signed, going into my favourite bar where I knew virtually everybody, and just walking in and being looked at, I didn’t feel comfortable. Unfortunately, when I started doing heroin in 1993, that took away that fright. I didn’t care who was looking at me.

so for anyone who ever complained how they paid for that ridiculous "meet & greets" for VR and Scott wasn't part of it or how Scott runs from the stage door to his awaiting car while a crowd shouts his name for autograph or pictures....

I've always sympathized with Scott because I know exactly how he feels. I even go for walks and to the store at night because I'm less likely to run into people.

I also think this explains the separate tour buses and going straight to it after the show is over.

[CMCracker]

this statement speaks VOLUMES

I read something where you said being on drugs helped you deal with stage fright.

It wasn’t stage fright as much as social fright. I’ve never felt comfortable in crowds. I remember before we ever made it big or even got signed, going into my favourite bar where I knew virtually everybody, and just walking in and being looked at, I didn’t feel comfortable. Unfortunately, when I started doing heroin in 1993, that took away that fright. I didn’t care who was looking at me.

so for anyone who ever complained how they paid for that ridiculous "meet & greets" for VR and Scott wasn't part of it or how Scott runs from the stage door to his awaiting car while a crowd shouts his name for autograph or pictures....

It sucks to be him and to have to deal with that feeling and unfortunately he turned to drugs to deal with it but I will have to admit that i was beyond dissapointed when he was not at the VR meet and greet after shelling out all that money to (lets face it) meet HIM

[STPaul]

Who's Dan DeLeo?  Geez...

[Casual]

this statement speaks VOLUMES

so for anyone who ever complained how they paid for that ridiculous "meet & greets" for VR and Scott wasn't part of it or how Scott runs from the stage door to his awaiting car while a crowd shouts his name for autograph or pictures....

It sucks to be him and to have to deal with that feeling and unfortunately he turned to drugs to deal with it but I will have to admit that i was beyond dissapointed when he was not at the VR meet and greet after shelling out all that money to (lets face it) meet HIM

I thought the whole meet and greet thing was absurd and I didn't bother.  The band had to know that he was leaving by then, too, and still went ahead with it for the $$$.  I'm not trying to slam the band or anyone who went, but I don't fault Scott at all for that.   I think if someone meets Scott, then great, but I don't care about meeting him, and I only care about his music, not really his personal life.

And, afterall, didn't you get to hold his hand a few times at the STP show?  So I guess you win.  

[onecagedtiger]

I have met Scott on two occasions.  Once during the purple tour in Daytona beach before they left for Europe (right before he shaved his head) and I had gotten meet and greets (free) for the family values tour.  At Daytona he was very shy and almost embarassed but shook hands with everyone- he just seemed tired and in a hurry to get out of there.  The family values deal in Tampa he seemed detached and just there.  He was friendly enough and answered any question, but he was just there.  Looking back I think the differences are more about the stages of his career- a relative newcomer vs a veteran of stage and tabloid stories.  What he lived through, all the years of that sort of attention can make a person very jaded.

[StoneTempleBrett]

What a crappy interview. I think "journalists" should have to read other people's interviews so they don't ask the same damn questions in every single interview. Gets old after a while.

This is what I do before I do interviews.  Like when I interviewed Melissa auf der Maur I read at least 5 recent interviews she'd done to avoid reasking the same questions.

[cosmicpilot]

this statement speaks VOLUMES

I read something where you said being on drugs helped you deal with stage fright.

It wasn’t stage fright as much as social fright. I’ve never felt comfortable in crowds. I remember before we ever made it big or even got signed, going into my favourite bar where I knew virtually everybody, and just walking in and being looked at, I didn’t feel comfortable. Unfortunately, when I started doing heroin in 1993, that took away that fright. I didn’t care who was looking at me.

so for anyone who ever complained how they paid for that ridiculous "meet & greets" for VR and Scott wasn't part of it or how Scott runs from the stage door to his awaiting car while a crowd shouts his name for autograph or pictures....

I am not a people person myself, but, It's interesting about the comment on the "performing" it makes you wonder though and I am rather intrigued by this!

I had to do a open night and lecturers have said to me, that they think I am uncomfortable with a large amount of people myself.  Poor Scott, I wonder if this is his trigger for the alcohol issues and in interviews you can see it.  Also I always thought about the constant pics with the fag (smoke) and wondered if it was some sort of comfort blanket for him.

Bless him  

[EyesOfDisarray]

I had the fortune of attending a private acoustic performance and meet-and-greet with STP on New Year's Eve (2002?). During the meet-and-greet, I remember Scott was very reserved. In fact, there was a huge contrast between how engaged and friendly the other three were and how reserved Scott was. At first, I wondered if it was an ego thing, but then as I declared them the greatest band in the world, Scott's face lit up with a smile and he gave me a sincere thank you.

Having suffered from social anxiety myself and self-medicating with drugs and alcohol for many years, I honestly believe this is a big part of the picture. Social anxiety is an embarrassing thing! Hell, some people still don't even believe it's real. I had it for years as a teenager without understanding what it was; I just knew something was wrong with me. Then it took several more chaotic, drugged-out years before I was able to start learning to manage it (without drugs).