rock stars who went back work.

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**Vic Godard (Subway Sect) is a postman**

Once he delivered my mail for a week or two. It's true!


**I saw Debbie (guitar player) from Curve/Echobelly working at a used disc store in London right across from the Notting Hill tube stop in 2000.**

She still does, Alex. It's the big Record and Tape Exchange (or Music and Video exchange as it's now called.) She's usually in the rock rareties section upstairs, where Epic Soundtracks also used to work.

Dr. C (Dr. C), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 10:38 (nineteen years ago) link

Pat DiNizio of the Smithereens was, until very recently, the music teacher at my son's elementary school in Manhattan.

James Williamson of the Stooges does something w/computers in Silicon Valley.

lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 11:22 (nineteen years ago) link

has Jah Wobble been mentioned? i think he quit his first band to become a tube driver.

Stevem On X (blueski), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 11:33 (nineteen years ago) link

jah wobble, yesterday

ihttp://www.electroharmonix.co.jp/tubeworks/img/911.jpg

the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 11:37 (nineteen years ago) link

Philip Kramer of Iron Butterfly went on to become a rocket scientist before he disappeared.

aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 11:48 (nineteen years ago) link

The drummer from the Bodysnatchers and the Belle Stars is a technical writer. I used to work with her.

KeithW (kmw), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 11:51 (nineteen years ago) link

"Vic Godard (Subway Sect) is a postman"

"Once he delivered my mail for a week or two. It's true!"

It can't be all that frequent for a customer to ask a postman to sign something he hasn't even delivered....

Last year my old mate N* (who's a delivery driver) was asked to deliver a package to an address somewhere in Surrey.

So he turned up at the door of this cottage and knocked - and it was answered by none other than Bruce Foxton of The Jam / Stiff Little Fingers.

The ensuing converstaion apparently went something like this:

N*: "Bruce Foxton?"
BF: "Yes?"
N*: "Bruce...? Foxton...?"
BF: "Errrr.... yes?"
N*: "Bruce Foxton!"
BF: "Can I help you?"
N*: "But you're.... you're.... Bruce Foxton!"
BF: "Ummm.... yes, I know!"

On his return to the depot, N* was apparently asked to explain why he hadn't obtained a signature for the delivery and the only explanation he was able to offer was "He was Bruce Foxton.... Bruce Foxton? Oh, you know: Bruce Foxton!"

I believe N* got a bit of a bollocking for leaving the package without getting a signature but he still insists that his biggest regret was failing to ask Mr. Foxton to teach him how to play the bass line to "Precious".

Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 12:09 (nineteen years ago) link

Philip Kramer of Iron Butterfly went on to become a rocket scientist before he disappeared.

His body (and the wreckage of his minivan) was later found at the bottom of a ravine off of Highway 23 in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 18:40 (nineteen years ago) link

"Justine Frischmann of Elastica has done some school teaching since 2001"
ah she ain't gotta work, isn't her dad some big-deal london real estate tycoon?

-- noizem duke (dan...), February 2nd, 2005.

We all gotta work; it's part of God's plan.

Snappy (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 18:44 (nineteen years ago) link

the bassist for jesus jones was (and may still be) a bartender at a bar in chicago (logan square). this was pointed out to my friend and me by a drunk woman who called him over to confirm then openly mocked him for his past. we were taken aback, but apparently she was a big tipper or something, so he took it through gritted teeth.

john'n'chicago, Wednesday, 2 February 2005 19:37 (nineteen years ago) link

tipper gore became mrs vice president of the USA.

(she was a drummer in an all girl band)

rumming around in botswana, Wednesday, 2 February 2005 21:12 (nineteen years ago) link

Tony Blair and John Kerry also had bands, now they've got some kind of job in politics or something.

Don Van Vliet paints too, but I don't know what his stuff sells for.

nickn (nickn), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 23:48 (nineteen years ago) link

David Lee Roth now works as an emergency medical technician in New York.

He probably does this for bragging rights.

Big Paul Ferguson of Killing Joke is now an art restorer, specializing in pre-Islamic Afghan scupture (Ghandaran?)

Doesn't Jim Martin, ex Faith No More, now raise genetically enhanced super-sized vegetables (ala Woody Allen's "Sleeper")? I seem to remember reading that somewhere.

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 23:54 (nineteen years ago) link

milo went to college.

Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Thursday, 3 February 2005 00:09 (nineteen years ago) link

Durango is definitely a lawyer.
Brian Vollmer of Helix gives vocal lessons, advertising in a London, Ontario, urban weekly.
Zalman Yanovsky , the guitarist of the Lovin' Spoonful, owned a restaurant called Chez Piggy in Kingston, Ontario, before his death in 2002.
Peter Quaife, the original bass player for The Kinks, works as a visual artist in Belleville, Ontario.

Bruce S. Urquhart (BanjoMania), Thursday, 3 February 2005 00:10 (nineteen years ago) link

When I interviewed Barbara Manning a few years back she said she was going to pursue a forestry degree in Northern California. A quick scan of barbaramanning.com suggests she's doing so.

She's at Cal State Chico and spends time in her trailer out in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

xpost: Milo is a chemistry chair (?) at the University of Delaware. I went to the same college that Milo originally went to while he was still there doing his PhD candidacy and my friend BB and I would go into his office and antagonize him to no end... hehe.

gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 3 February 2005 00:11 (nineteen years ago) link

Chris Mars is a painter.

Wasn't/Isn't Greg Graffin of Bad Religion a professor at UC Berkeley?

cdwill, Thursday, 3 February 2005 03:12 (nineteen years ago) link

kyuss bassist scott reeder opened a petstore when they disbanded.

ave satani (lemike), Thursday, 3 February 2005 03:16 (nineteen years ago) link

In (I think) 1998/99, Anton Fier was doing a few days a week at the record store I used to work at in the West Village. I got an editorial gig and split. For all I know, he's still there (though this seems unlikely/impossibly depressing).

michaeln (kid loki), Thursday, 3 February 2005 03:32 (nineteen years ago) link

this thread is depressing... dreams have been shattered

firstworldman (firstworldman), Thursday, 3 February 2005 03:45 (nineteen years ago) link

For those in NYC who want to see Chris Mars' work, there's a gallery opening this Saturday which will apparently showcase some of it.

http://www.jonathanlevinegallery.com/

cdwill, Thursday, 3 February 2005 03:48 (nineteen years ago) link

Geordie Mick from Prolapse currently works in a box factroy making boxes for vacuum cleaners. Scottish Mick from Prolapseruns a small ceramic ornamnet shop in Oslo, while Linda Steelyard from prolpase is a jounralist for the Leicester Mercury.

Gareth steamy specs, Thursday, 3 February 2005 11:51 (nineteen years ago) link

Doesn't Jim Martin, ex Faith No More, now raise genetically enhanced super-sized vegetables

Amazing, if true. Just like that Bruce Dickinson story. Wow.

Jay-Kid (Jay-Kid), Thursday, 3 February 2005 12:58 (nineteen years ago) link

boston rapper mighty casey works as a school teacher.

ppp, Thursday, 3 February 2005 13:06 (nineteen years ago) link

One of Six By Seven works at our local branch of Fopp.

mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Thursday, 3 February 2005 14:26 (nineteen years ago) link

this thread is depressing... dreams have been shattered

On the contrary, I find it inspiring, especially the many examples of those for whom a music career was just one chapter in an interesting and varied life.

briania (briania), Thursday, 3 February 2005 14:49 (nineteen years ago) link

I heard that David Yow from the Jesus Lizard was restoring antique furniture

Ben Dot (1977), Thursday, 3 February 2005 21:19 (nineteen years ago) link

Daniel Johnston worked at McDonald's!

Curt1s St3ph3ns, Thursday, 3 February 2005 21:23 (nineteen years ago) link

Raekwon owns a Subway restaurant, but I'm not sure if he works there despite the fact that he is a Chef.

his face was burned off in a flaming crossbow accident (King Kobra), Thursday, 3 February 2005 21:32 (nineteen years ago) link

Stephen O'Malley of doom-metal contingents Sunn O))) and Khanate was a graphic designer at the last fucktard ad agency I worked for. He's a swell guy.

Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 3 February 2005 21:36 (nineteen years ago) link

six months pass...
Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs, Deep Purple, etc.) worked as an airline pilot for a while, before joining Kansas.

And I think we can all agree that piloting an airplane is the more inspiring of *those* two choices.

And Pat DiNizio as an elementary Music teacher somehow strikes me as insanely cool. I'll bet the songwriters-turned-teachers list is quite long, given the number that come to mind immediately.

Paul Roub, Tuesday, 9 August 2005 13:46 (eighteen years ago) link

Pat DiNizio teaching kids music sounds insanely scary to me. He ran for NJ Senate a couple years back, he's a right wing nut.

kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Tuesday, 9 August 2005 14:00 (eighteen years ago) link

David Lee Roth now works as an emergency medical technician in New York.
He probably does this for bragging rights.

Roth worked the night shift in a hospital before Van Halen took off. His dad's a surgeon. Don't think he needs the money, but he's more of a "live life to the max" kinda fellow, ja?

Outsider Enter Port City (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 9 August 2005 14:12 (eighteen years ago) link

david yow (scratch acid / jesus lizard) is now a graphic design artist. he actually designed all the jesus lizard records.

todd trainer (shellac) has been selling hair products for like 15 years or something.

brian mcmahan (slint) is now an electrician.

matt talbot (hum)owns his own recording studio and is a high school football coach near champaign, il.

wayne coyne (flaming lips) worked at a long john silvers for over 10 years.

adam pfahler (jawbreaker) owns his own video store.

kristofer@sleepcomesdown.com, Thursday, 11 August 2005 03:00 (eighteen years ago) link

One of the guys from Pennywise was a substitute teacher at my friend's high school.

goodoldneon (goodoldneon), Thursday, 11 August 2005 18:17 (eighteen years ago) link

I went to the same college that Milo originally went to while he was still there doing his PhD candidacy and my friend BB and I would go into his office and antagonize him to no end... hehe.

OH MAN, you gotta tell some stories.

Also, Deniz Tek not only became a doctor, but an emergency room surgeon in Montana. He & his wife returned to Aussie Land a coupla years ago since she missed it. He's always talked about musicians needing to keep a day job, just to maintain some connection to real life.

Mike Lutz from Brownsville Station(co-wrote "Smokin' in the Boys Room" with Cub Koda) taught me bass guitar for a coupla years. Cub Koda became a rock writer, and wrote for AMG right up until his death in 2000.

kingfish completely hatstand (Kingfish), Thursday, 11 August 2005 18:53 (eighteen years ago) link

The DJ for the Coup wasn't there when I saw them because she had a catering job she couldn't skip.

Zed Szetlian (Finn MacCool), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:23 (eighteen years ago) link

One of the guys in Mudhoney is an EMT in Seattle.

kingfish completely hatstand (Kingfish), Thursday, 11 August 2005 20:29 (eighteen years ago) link

4rt d1furi14 of the ph0t0n b4nd is working on a phd in art history at UD as well. i wonder if he knows milo!

maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Friday, 12 August 2005 09:20 (eighteen years ago) link

no recollection of starting this.

so freakee when that happens. oddly i now live bang opposite the house that john mcgeogh (mentioned upthread) used to live in, in whalley range. small world etc.

piscesboy, Friday, 12 August 2005 09:41 (eighteen years ago) link

Lean on Me Construction:

You won't WITHER when you get the BILL!

-- Hurting (Hurtingchie...), February 1st, 2005.

I had a good chuckle readint this again ...

Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 12 August 2005 11:11 (eighteen years ago) link

"wayne coyne (flaming lips) worked at a long john silvers for over 10 years."

and still does, for kicks! its the smile on the kids' faces when he sells them popcorn shrimp that brings him back at least once a year.

latebloomer (latebloomer), Friday, 12 August 2005 12:04 (eighteen years ago) link

The B52's Kate Pearson has a motel.

StanM (StanM), Friday, 12 August 2005 12:42 (eighteen years ago) link

Pumpkin from Guv'ner started a line of hip maternity clothing and then became a pediatrics nurse at the hospital down the street from my house. I've met her a few times- she's pretty nice.

You're laughing at your own jokes, Josh?

k/l (Ken L), Friday, 12 August 2005 12:49 (eighteen years ago) link

stanm: yeah, but she really doesnt work there. at least thats what ive gathered from the press about the place.

maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Friday, 12 August 2005 13:02 (eighteen years ago) link

He's always talked about musicians needing to keep a day job, just to maintain some connection to real life.

There's a lot of wisdom in this comment. I think a lot of people would have a hard time doing *nothing* after becoming famous, especially if (as most of the folks above) they never hit the A-List anyway.

I always think about Andy Kaufman, who at the height of his fame worked at Cantor's Deli and was apparently a good, conscientious worker.

mike a, Friday, 12 August 2005 13:15 (eighteen years ago) link

There's a lot of wisdom in this comment. I think a lot of people would have a hard time doing *nothing* after becoming famous, especially if (as most of the folks above) they never hit the A-List anyway.

There was a quote from Cliff Richard in the Times a while ago, in an article about (and whole-heartedly in favour of) extending copyright, in which he bemoaned the fact that some poor old musicians who'd had a single hit many decades ago could no longer earn a living off the royalties. Get a job!

ledge (ledge), Friday, 12 August 2005 13:22 (eighteen years ago) link

Bruce Dickinson is an airline pilot. Don't think he needs the money.

Eddie Spaghetti, Friday, 12 August 2005 14:59 (eighteen years ago) link

Fred from the B-52's has/had a furniture/design business

dan. (dan.), Friday, 12 August 2005 15:45 (eighteen years ago) link

maria:

this thread is depressing... dreams have been shattered

-- firstworldman ( ), February 3rd, 2005 4:45 AM.

again.

StanM (StanM), Friday, 12 August 2005 15:56 (eighteen years ago) link


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