As a counterpart/antidote to the Band of Assholes thread:
If you were looking to assemble a band of—what’s the opposite of assholes? good guys (or gals)? mensches? fundamentally decent human beings? Anyway, who’d be in that band?
Dave Grohl.
Alice Cooper has a very good rep.
Brian May as well.
Jerry Garcia was probably too nice for his own good sometimes.
My super-group, called The Happy Good Joy Time Project has:
David Lee Roth - Vocals
Cab Calloway - MC / Vocals
Dave Grohl - Drums
Annie Clark - Guitar
Les Claypool - Bass
Rush
Weird Al and his band.
I would presume he wouldn’t put up with asshole behavior from his band.
I’m going to nominate Howlin’ Wolf. Despite his ferocious on-stage persona, he was actually a kind and gentle family man. He not only paid his sidemen generously, he even provided them with health insurance and made to sure to deduct taxes and health insurance from their paychecks so nobody ever got in trouble.
Yep, any band that can keep the same lineup for 30+ years must obviously be able to play well with others.
Along those lines I would also nominate Old 97s who have been playing together over 25 years and seem like genuinely nice guys.
Guitar: Mick Ronson - a man who came back from touring with Bob Dylan owing money because of his habit of buying everyone in the bar a drink. If you think that’s just stupidity then alternatively:
Phil Manzanera - just comes over as a really nice bloke, someone you’d like to chat to over a pint in the pub
Keyboards: Rick Wakeman - as for Manzanera
Drums and vocals: Karen Carpenter - not a happy story, but I don’t recall hearing a bad word about her (foolish thing to say on this board)
Bass: Norman Cook, AKA Fatboy Slim - seems like a nice bloke. As I have reported here before, sponsors (or at least sponsored) a youth football team in Brighton. I know this for a fact because Trep junior played against them. Clearly revered by the team. Seems like a good guy to me.
j
OK, I’ll toss in Peter Frampton. From everything I hear, he’s been a genuinely nice guy for many years.
I got to meet him a few years ago; based on an hour or so spent with the man, I agree.
Everyone seemed to like Nicky Hopkins.
I’ve always felt that I would like Jon Bon Jovi personally if I knew him, and Alanis Morrissette and Tori Amos too even though I’ve never cared much for their music.
I’ll just put it this way: At the height of their fame, there was a 1-hour block on my cable guide titled “Hootie and the Blowfish.” It was not on MTV or VH-1, both of which still broadcasted music occasionally; it was The Golf Channel, and sure enough, there they were hitting the greens with IIRC Arnold Palmer and some other famous pros. Say what you might about their music, I said then and now that I don’t think we’re going to read about any of these guys being found dead with a needle in his arm.
Frank Zappa.
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My sister is a big Stevie Wonder fan, and saw him in concert a few years ago. He had about 20 backup musicians, and introduced all of them by name over the course of the show. She could tell that he gave them the same respect as he did his regular backup band, and knew that a lot of performers aren’t that way.
I’ll second Rush and Alice Cooper, and add in Alan Parsons. He’s a classy gentleman.
Willie Nelson by all accounts spent a huge amount of time after shows meeting with fans. He also seemed pretty open to getting high with just about anyone based on a Colbert bit I saw a while back.
I attended Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch guitar camp for many years. Not only is he an amazing guitar player, he’s a genuinely nice guy. Warm, friendly, down to earth.
Keanu Reeves is a bassist.
I believe Springsteen is the genuine article.