On a purely superficial level Nathan Williams aka Wavves is a Wu Tang Clan enthusiast and slack-eyed purveyor of lo-fi surf punk. When you dig a little deeper however, Williams stands as a greater symbol for the ruthlessness of that blog era “build ’em up” then “tear ’em down” mentality. The NME ain’t got shit on this. Like Black Kids before him Williams is a shining testament to that double edged sword called hype both a benefit and a burden, the effects of which, became painfully clear in a a very public meltdown at Spain’s Primavera Sound Festival.
Marred by sound problems, intoxication, and general confusion the show descended into farce when Williams started ridiculing the crowd, playing random chords and fighting with his drummer Ryan Ulsh, eventually prompting Ulsh to pour a beer on his head. Williams later explained his erratic behaviour via his blog: I’m sorry to everyone who has put effort into this and to everyone who supported me. Mixing ecstasy valium and xanax before having to play in front of thousands of people was one of the more poor decisions I’ve made(duh) and I realize my drinking has been a problem now for a good period of time.
The downside of hype? Check out the video below, it sure don’t look pretty…
