Shearing Pinx attacks the Melvins! (Not)

    1 of 2 2 of 2

      Those who missed the mob at the Commodore last night (August 19) —when the Melvins show ended abruptly, short of a full set—got to participate in a vicarious lynching later that night on Facebook.

      Neptoon Records' Ben Frith reported the incident that stopped the show: someone chucked a cup at guitarist King Buzzo, who took offense (see video below). The plot thickened when it was alleged that the cup-chucker in question was Shearing Pinx drummer, Fake Jazz co-founder, and Audiopile employee Jeremy van Wyck—a generally well-behaved and affable sort, not noted for drink-chucking behaviour.

      By the time the Straight contacted van Wyck for comment, Frith had pulled his Facebook post, largely out of respect for Audiopile (whom he said he regarded as “friends rather than competition” in a private message to the author), but also because an unruly tenor was growing in the comments, which included contributions from local notables Chris Walter, Dave Bowes, and Bert Man.

      Reached by phone at Audiopile, van Wyck was sheepish and apologetic, and eager to explain himself, telling the Straight he meant no disrespect for the Melvins whatsoever.

      “I was playing Melvins cover songs in my junior high bands when half the crowd that was there last night was probably in diapers,” he said. “I’ve seen them over a dozen times, and that show was seriously one of the best shows I’ve seen, ever, in my life! And it could have been 15 minutes longer!”

      Van Wyck, however, “was having an ecstatic, peak experience, tripping balls on mushrooms and drunk on whiskey. I had finished a highball with a buddy, and the right note came. Understand that the lines of reality were a little blurry at that moment, and maybe this is the ‘shrooms talking, but it was like a magnetic field: the cup had to go. It was, like, a moment of exultation. It wasn’t a calculated thing at all. It was a hiccup that resulted in a bummer.”

      Van Wyck would like to emphasize that it was a “lightweight plastic mug” that he chucked. “It’s not something I normally do, I don’t really throw things often. I mean, I get things thrown at me because I play live shows all the time. I’ve been hit with actual bottles, I’ve had beer poured onto my head. You know, ‘Do unto others as you would have done unto you’—it was a small, tiny plastic cup! I would not mind if that came at me. I think to react like that, he [Buzzo] must have thought it was a glass… but it hit him in the leg, and the show stopped!”

      “To be honest,” van Wyck continued, “I thought at that point, it was like, ‘Yeah, I threw a cup! C’mon—let’s rock 'n' roll, here!’ But, uh, no, that wasn’t the case. The show did not go on. Security totally threw down and dragged me out, I was handcuffed and put in a paddy wagon, which was so disgusting; it was covered in blood and grossness. And I wound up with a 15 dollar ticket for being drunk in public. And a ride home, I guess.” (Van Wyck, like the author, “didn’t even know they had fines that low.”)

      Van Wyck may take some comfort in the reaction of punk scribe Chris Walter to the incident: “They quit because someone threw booze on them? In a plastic cup? What the fuck? That’s lame, I’m sorry! I was at a DOA show and some idiot threw a beer bottle that almost hit Joe. We all beat the shit of the guy and Joe broke a wine bottle over his head. Then DOA finished the set.”

      That’s the punk rock way to do it, Buzzo!

      Comments

      68 Comments

      A. MacInnis

      Aug 20, 2013 at 2:46pm

      (You can see the cup toss at about 35 seconds in)

      Melvins!

      Aug 20, 2013 at 3:22pm

      This shit was just taking off too!!! that dance was the beginning of a very beautiful thing.

      Such an awesome show from beginning to unfortunate end, the Melvins killed it! Great sound and so heavy.

      Never mind rock'n'roll attitude the cup throw was super stupid and disrespectful. Anyone can take mushrooms and drink whiskey, but it takes a special type of idiot to do this, the worst. Weak excuse. Check yo self.

      Van Wiggity Wack

      Aug 20, 2013 at 3:24pm

      I'll keep this in mind next time Shearing Pinx is opening for a band i respect.

      JV_DUB

      Aug 20, 2013 at 4:04pm

      yes , very very stupid, believe me i'm sorry Vancouver , The best news i've gotten all day long was from the promoter who informed me that they were on their last verse anyways and that buzz apologized afterward for overreacting, whew!

      Stations of the Crass

      Aug 20, 2013 at 4:09pm

      Yeah, beating the shit out of people is the punk rock way. Thanks, Georgia Straight.

      Martin Dunphy

      Aug 20, 2013 at 4:28pm

      Al, "an unruly tenor was growing"? Zombie Pavorotti not behaving himself again?
      Throw him some provolone.
      Damned operatic undead.

      P Dub

      Aug 20, 2013 at 5:36pm

      Who was it that said "One of my main things that I love is cute violence. Cute violence always works. That's one of my favorite things"?

      Oh yeah. It was Buzz Osborne. Two weeks ago.

      Tim

      Aug 20, 2013 at 5:41pm

      I was super bummed when I saw that cup end the show. It was obvious that the the show was at a close. But it was a bummer. I was over it right away but then I read the article. Seeing how unapologetic he is for ending an incredible show early was a bit disturbing. Especially when you consider the fact he chucked his garbage at the band he paid to see and just wrote it off as its punk rock. If someone threw their garbage in his face at his work and just laughed it off I'm sure he would be a bit pissed off for a bit.

      Ben Gazarra

      Aug 20, 2013 at 6:08pm

      "playing Melvins tunes when most of the crowd were in diapers" bwahahaha aren't Shearing pinx a millenial internet generation band themselves? How old are you? A whopping 29? 30? I'm sure the Melvins had to endure shitty crowds in the 80s when this kind of music was underground. Why should a grown man have to endure some hipster clown use him for target practice 30 years later.? If rock n' roll is so important then why doesn't Shearing Pinx rock?