There are a number of industries that attract an over-abundance of narcissists and sociopaths, and music seems to be one of them. You were lucky to have the negative experiences early on, so you could adjust expectations and behavior. Would've been harder to have a bad experience later when you had more invested and could have lost more. You seem to have learned and turned it to your advantage. But the 80s were crazy in general. Kind of an out of control decade in so many ways.
Thank you for commenting. Music, film, and organised religion, it seems, all hot-beds. Luckily (thankfully) when we’re younger we tend to be able to shrug these things off and just move on, however, for sure it opened my eyes.
I've also found it in academia -- professors have a lot of power and many 'perform' when they teach -- and politics and finance (City of London, Wall Street). And as you say film and religion. Anywhere money and ego collide.
You are made of strong stuff, Nic. Not sure most people would shrug off what happened to you. But it's a great story in the re-telling!
Yes, agreed, politics, finance and academia, especially now. It seems critical thought in academia has been replaced by dogma.
I spoke with Brad offline about this experience — basically it was the first time in my life where I consciously thought and decided there and then “I’m never gonna talk with this guy ever again.” And I never have. I also don’t think I’ve told anyone this story. Now, for me at least, it seemed important to include this warts and all aspect to this tale. Thank you again for commenting.
There are a number of industries that attract an over-abundance of narcissists and sociopaths, and music seems to be one of them. You were lucky to have the negative experiences early on, so you could adjust expectations and behavior. Would've been harder to have a bad experience later when you had more invested and could have lost more. You seem to have learned and turned it to your advantage. But the 80s were crazy in general. Kind of an out of control decade in so many ways.
Thank you for commenting. Music, film, and organised religion, it seems, all hot-beds. Luckily (thankfully) when we’re younger we tend to be able to shrug these things off and just move on, however, for sure it opened my eyes.
I've also found it in academia -- professors have a lot of power and many 'perform' when they teach -- and politics and finance (City of London, Wall Street). And as you say film and religion. Anywhere money and ego collide.
You are made of strong stuff, Nic. Not sure most people would shrug off what happened to you. But it's a great story in the re-telling!
Yes, agreed, politics, finance and academia, especially now. It seems critical thought in academia has been replaced by dogma.
I spoke with Brad offline about this experience — basically it was the first time in my life where I consciously thought and decided there and then “I’m never gonna talk with this guy ever again.” And I never have. I also don’t think I’ve told anyone this story. Now, for me at least, it seemed important to include this warts and all aspect to this tale. Thank you again for commenting.
Love the stories, Nic! And the vibe of the songs you were playing on and mixing.
Got to meet Claire Grogan at a party in Glasgow with my girlfriend Abigail in the summer of '82! Great memories, Nic!
Thank you, Michael. I can imagine Glasgow was very different place back in ‘82.