Museum Monday: An Evening w/ Randy Blythe

, , , , , ,

MUSEUM MONDAY

An Evening w/ Randy Blythe

About last night…

I love my band Pigface for all kinds of reasons, but a big one is being able to say “Randy Blythe” and “band mate” in the same sentence. Being introduced to Randy by Greta Brinkman in 2019 really re-kindled my love of the random rolodex of collisions that is Pigface.

It’s great to see anyone stretching themselves, and I know very well it’s not a simple move to go from onstage with a mic (Lamb of God) to onstage with a mic (speaking). It was really great: Randy launched into stories while pacing from all the way on the left over to the right – consciously (or muscle memory?) mesmerizing the entire close-to-sold-out crowd at The Forge in Joliet IL. I was immediately pulled in to Randy’s drug-addled punk rock past, and references to 90’s NYC pressed all of my “alphabet city” buttons. It was great, also, to hear non-preachy references to sobriety – valuable coming off the stage of the man with the NY Times bestseller. Fantastic stuff. 

One remark I disagreed with, and I think Randy does, too — He was, theatrically, of course, laying out his regular Lamb Of God insecurities, anxieties and concerns that one wrong step could escalate and have massive knock-on consequences, almost becoming the end of the world.  He pointed out that this was a ridiculous mindset — that one small thing today wasn’t going to really have any larger consequences – it stopped me for a moment. Here’s why:

30 minutes before this, I was sitting in the dressing room. As Randy says, I guess I judged the two other people on the couch by their covers – or by the situation – “of course Lamb Of God fans from Joliet IL, I’m sure there’s always a few that go way way back, right?” – wrong.

They were a father and son from Arkansas, Scott and Todd. The son, Todd, had been a match in Randy’s ‘Be the Match’ campaign – what? – National Donor Matching Program (NDMP). Randy introduced us and mentioned how one depressing Xmas he had received the news that the son was a match and a lifesaver for a leukemia patient. He drove to be present at the extraction of the life saving marrow! So, yes, small actions DO have large consequences (kind of a theme around here). So, Randy was wrong in the most wonderful way. How delightful to call this human a band mate of mine, and to be inspired to keep doing small things in the face of massive reasons to curl into a cheese ball.

Don’t stop doing the small stuff. Be kind. You never know. I’m delighted to be opening up the museum today to the father and son, who turn out to be huge fans of something I’ve been involved in too. Buy Randy’s book if you can HERE – it in turn supports small bookstores where possible!

Later at the Museum…
I sat in the studio at the museum with Scott (Todd’s dad). We listened to some Killing Joke demos and the early NiN stuff, and we got talking about the match program and how small things etc etc… He told me that he is so proud of Randy – which seems to be 50% the match campaign and 50% that Randy has a pickup truck full of crap! But also that although Randy has done an amazing job of making LoG fans aware of the importance of donation. It is black women who are most disconnected from the possibilities of a data match, so if you’re able to continue to spread awareness in your community – then that would be a great thing!

Don’t stop doing the small stuff. 

Yesterday I bought a life saving medical kit for a Ukrainian soldier – of course, I shared the post and waited for someone to have a problem with that  (FFS!) which of course they did. Don’t stop the small stuff. Be kind. You never know.

(Second to) Last but not least I just saw that Curse Mackey is now providing a 1 on 1 consulting service that seems intriguing and a great idea – he brings a DEEP alternative underground sense to complex problems that don’t stop at the organizational and logistical. His philosophical questioning and creative mindset place solutions in a meaningful context. If you’re stuck, or just in need of a meaningful next step chat – this feels like something useful AF! There’s a great deal on this at the moment – sometimes another pair of eyes, another mindset another human can be really pivotal. Check out more 1:1 w/ Curse details HERE!

OK, by now you might have forgotten the very important new auction to help fund the museum is up – we keep finding more amazing stuff and my drum track is back up, too!

Don’t stop doing the small stuff.

 

EVENTS AT PPIM

Not only are we excited for another NiN Day coming up in March, but also a day to celebrate Skinny Puppy’s, The Process.

1994 was a chaotic time. In the middle of some fierce Pigface activity, I was brought in to make sure that the new Puppy album on American Recordings materialized. Over three months I worked to take the 80 ideas, and focus the best of them into 16 or 17 songs  — which were ‘delivered’ at the end of that period in the hills of Malibu – 2 full years before the album was released! It’s important for so many reasons to celebrate this band and this album, the last to contain Duane’s energy.

There is so much puppy at the museum – from the blood stained banner from Aint it Dead Yet, to the latex pieces, lighting plots, words, demos, videos, clothes, photos, itineraries and much more! I’ll be around to (mis)guide you, and tell some stories — maybe play you a couple of my work mixes – check out the rest of the exhibits, too – it’s magic!!