Daniel Johnston and guests Whelans July 27/8

indiewindy

Support acts look much more interesting than seeing a seriously disturbed man on stage

Supported by a stellar cast of musicians, performing a medley of their own songs, tributes and covers, before gracing the stage together as Daniels backing band.
Sparklehorse, Scout Niblett, James McNew of Yo La Tengo, Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub and Jad Fair of Half Japanese

http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/3219436

i'd much rather just see the support act playing as headlimers

Kinetic Eye

True, I can't think of any reason why anyone would want to see a "seriously disturbed man" on stage. I mean, look at the rubbish that people with bipolar disorder come up with. Van Gogh, Edvard Munch, Ernest Hemingway, F Scott Fitzgerald, Brian Wilson, Ray Davies (of the Kinks), to name but a few. What a pile of rubbish! I believe Kurt Cobain was bipolar too, maybe all those people that went to Nirvana concerts were really there for the support act because after all, nobody wants to see a "seriously disturbed man" on stage.

indiewindy

Kinetic Eye wrote: »

True, I can't think of any reason why anyone would want to see a "seriously disturbed man" on stage. I mean, look at the rubbish that people with bipolar disorder come up with. Van Gogh, Edvard Munch, Ernest Hemingway, F Scott Fitzgerald, Brian Wilson, Ray Davies (of the Kinks), to name but a few. What a pile of rubbish! I believe Kurt Cobain was bipolar too, maybe all those people that went to Nirvana concerts were really there for the support act because after all, nobody wants to see a "seriously disturbed man" on stage.

Your hardly comparing like with like, I suggest you watch the devil and Daniel Johnston or listen to some of his "songs"


In 1990, he played at South By Southwest, a music festival in Austin, Texas. On the way back to West Virginia on a small, private plane piloted by his father, Johnston had a manic episode and wrestled control of the plane away from his father, removing the key from the ignition and throwing it out of the plane. His father, a World War II fighter pilot, managed to successfully crash-land the plane in a wooded area. Although the plane was destroyed, Johnston and his father emerged unharmed. As a result of this episode, Johnston was involuntarily committed to a mental hospital.

Kinetic Eye

indiewindy wrote: »

Your hardly comparing like with like, I suggest you watch the devil and Daniel Johnston or listen to some of his "songs"

My point wasn't so much to compare like with like, just pointing out that many artists have had serious mental health problems, so Johnston's not alone in that regard.
I've seen the documentary and heard a few of his albums. I know the story about the plane crash too. Music is a subjective thing, so obviously Daniel Johnston's not going to be for everyone, but I personally enjoy a lot of his songs, especially the ones he did in the early 80s where it's just him on piano and vocals.
Yes, he has done some pretty crazy stuff in the past when he wasn't on medication, but that's not all there is to him, people are more complex than that. I think the documentary was much more biased towards showcasing his pathology than towards examining his music.
I just wanted to make the point that some people do sincerely enjoy his music, and while his mental illness may be part of who he is, it is not his sole defining feature.