Ex-Odin guitarist Jeff Duncan thinks ‘The Decline of Western Civilization Part 2’ film was accurate
Ex-Odin guitarist Jeff Duncan thinks ‘The Decline of Western Civilization Part 2’ film was accurate
Former Odin, and current Armored Saint and DC4, guitarist Jeff Duncan was recently interviewed by Mick Michaels for The Cosmick View.
Odin was featured in the “cult” favourite film The Decline of Western Civilization Part 2: The Metal Years and received quite a bit of notoriety through that. Duncan was asked about looking back now at the movie, and specifically the genre’s portrayal in the film, did he feel the movie may have done more harm than good? This was especially in terms of uplifting the artist, the scene 
and the music as a whole as something that can be taken seriously and as a positive career choice to pursue for young people. Duncan was also asked the alternative of whether the movie more intended to be tongue and cheek, playing on the genre’s and the scene’s stereotypes?
Wikipedia provides the following sypnosis for the film (with slight edits):
“The film chronicles the heavy metal club scene in Los Angeles during the 1987-88 time period, with an emphasis placed on the glam metal subgenre. While many established artists such as Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Mustaine, and Paul Stanley are featured in interviews, members of several unsigned L.A. club bands are also given a share of the spotlight, such as London, Odin, and Seduce. The film also features interviews with members of Poison, Tuff, Vixen, Faster Pussycat, and W.A.S.P.. Many of the struggling, unsigned acts appear convinced that worldwide stardom awaits them, and most appear to have no backup plan in place should this success fail to materialize.
The film is well known for its many scenes featuring rock star excess. The scenes include:
An extremely intoxicated Chris Holmes of W.A.S.P. is interviewed in a swimming pool, with his mother by his side. He stumbles through the interview, proclaiming himself “a full-blown alcoholic” and “a piece of crap” while pouring what appears to be vodka over himself.
In a hot tub surrounded by scantily dressed young women, Odin lead vocalist Randy O insists his band will become millionaires, more famous than The Doors and be “bigger than Zeppelin“. He says that the possibility of superstardom eluding him causes him to ponder suicide.
An interview with L.A. club owner Bill Gazzarri, whose “sexy rock and roll” dance contests at Gazzarri’s on the Sunset Strip are presented as being sleazy and sexist.
Discussions with various musicians about the way women in general, and groupies in particular, are treated badly in the metal scene.
Riki Rachtman and Taime Downe, owners of the Cathouse club in L.A., discuss how girls get entry to the club faster if they dress “sleazy.”
Paul Stanley of Kiss is interviewed in bed, surrounded from head to toe by three half-naked girls.
Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith talk about spending millions of dollars on drugs.
Ozzy Osbourne, while cooking breakfast in a kitchen, discusses his wild rock and roll lifestyle. In a scene that was later revealed to have been manipulated in post-production, he spills orange juice all over the table, apparently due to uncontrollable shakes. Spheeris also interviews him about sobriety, to which he replies, “It fucking sucks.”
An interview with Lemmy from Motörhead. In his autobiography, he claims that Spheeris interviewed him from a distance, possibly in an attempt to make him look stupid.
Candid and sobering interviews from various artists about drug use, abuse, and dying (or nearly dying) from overdoses.
Lastly, Spheeris takes her cameras to Sunset Strip to film the nightlife in 1980s Los Angeles.”
Video clip from The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years — Aspiring Rockstars:
The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (3/6) Aspiring Rockstars (1988)
CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/1nm0dKP Aspiring rockstars are sure they’re going to make it in this clip from The Decline of Western Civilization Part II:…