- BILLBOARD
- BLENDER
- BLURT
- CAROLINA LIVE MUSIC SOCIETY
- CHARLOTTE BLUES SOCIETY
- CHARLOTTE EVENTS CALENDAR
- CHARLOTTE FOLK SOCIETY
- CHARLOTTE INDIE RADIO
- CHARLOTTE MUSIC AWARDS
- CMJ
- DOWNBEAT
- FOOLS BRIGADE
- NC MUSIC FACTORY
- NME
- NO DEPRESSION
- NPR MUSIC
- PITCHFORK
- POLLSTAR
- ROCKABILLY BABE
- ROLLING STONE
- SHUFFLE
- TOSCO MUSIC PARTY
- WOLFGANG'S VAULT
The Deal: Documentary warns of horrors of rock-and-roll lifestyle.
The Good: It's Behind the Music on steroids, or in this case cocaine. Ex-Saigon Kick / Skid Row drummer Phil Varone documents his life of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll in the music biz. Meant to be a cautionary tale, it still looks like more fun than most people have in a lifetime. He had to pay for it with a mild heart attack and a divorce, but from the graphic sex scenes with groupies he documented, it looks like a pretty good trade-off. Varone is just as addicted to fame as he is to drugs. At one point, he confesses that he doesn't want to be Tom Cruise, but he doesn't want to be Joe Schmoe either.
The Bad: At 90 minutes, it's a bit hard to keep focused. He's got enough footage of him snorting coke to make his own Scarface flick, but it's not all that shocking. It's just another rock moron putting stuff up his nose. He never faced manslaughter charges, as did Motley Crue's Vince Neal, who killed his best friend in a drunken auto accident and still rocks on, nor lost any limbs as did Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen, who sacrificed his left arm in a high-speed rollover and still pounds away.
The Verdict: The message is clear: Kids, don't do what I did. Be accountants or lawyers. Yeah, but you won't have nearly as much fun.
