This past weekend, a certain DAILY NEWS columnist attended two rock 'n' roll concerts in Milwaukee. On Friday night, Justin Hawkins, lead singer of The Darkness, engaged the crowd in a game of call-and-response, each hollering favorite swear words (that began with "f" and "c") back at one another. And the night after, the Australian punk band The Living End had the audacity to take the stage more than an hour after it was scheduled to.
These sterling examples suggest rock 'n' rollers must obviously feel they can do whatever they want. But there are two kinds of debauchery: These kinds of playful, we're-not-like you mess-ups that make rock 'n' roll attractive and the kind that requires a harder look at this country's justice system.
Take Courtney Love. Her recent wardrobe malfunction on The Late Show with David Letterman notwithstanding, she was arrested that same day, and charged with reckless endangerment and third-degree assault for hitting a fan with a microphone stand. Concurrently, according to the Toronto Star, she is facing drug charges (again) in California.
The authors of "Hollywood, Interrupted," Andrew Breitbart and Mark Ebner, count Love "among the most troubled and twisted alumni of the entertainment industry annals of fame."
The authors claim Hollywood, as well as major press outlets, "condones -- if not outright rewards" the kind of behavior that lands everyday people in jail. Think about it. Since Led Zeppelin and The Who became destructive mythological icons, rock 'n' rollers have trashed countless hotel rooms, heaved innumerable tirades at flight attendants or journalists, and have likely taken more illegal drugs than any other cultural demographic. Yet try to name one musician who has faced serious, life-altering criminal charges. Love can't even count her arrests on her fingers, but she retains custody of her daughter and has a well-paying job. If history is any indicator, the ability to sing must trump the need to adhere to the law. Or maybe record labels hand musicians get-out-of-jail-free cards when they sign recording contracts.
Consider Bobby Brown. After finishing his 60-day sentence in a Georgia prison, he flew to Massachusetts, where he owed child-support payments. There he spent one day of a 90-day sentence in a Norfolk County correctional facility before paying $60,000 and getting released. On May 5, he'll head back to Georgia, where he faces charges of misdemeanor battery for allegedly hitting Whitney Houston. But he walks free.
Then there's Scott Weiland, part-time singer of Velvet Revolver and Stone Temple Pilots, who faces another set of drug-related charges in April. This hearing will occur after his progress in drug-rehabilitation programs was evaluated twice in March even though he faced DUI charges (again) March 15.
Maybe because rock musicians are so expendable, so unnecessary, we hold them to lesser standards. Weiland or Love can ingest crippling amounts of heroin into their systems but a teacher, doctor or police officer caught with one ounce of it would be fired, ridiculed and would likely never work in their field again.
No one cares if musicians swear, miss interviews or stay out all night and break hotel lamps. That's rock 'n' roll. But when they are caught with drugs or charged with assault for the fifth or sixth time, that's no longer rock 'n' roll. It's criminal.
Write to Allyn at aswest@bsu.edu
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