Nolan Cook booted from The Residents

[chutnut]

https://www.instagram.com/theofficialresidents/p/C3k-H5TJSXd/?hl=en

A MESSAGE FROM THE CRYPTIC CORPORATION

The Residents recently came to me with an unusual and specific request. The group, as most of you know, is an ongoing partnership, with collaboration being their most cherished value. As they prepared to begin a new project, they reluctantly came to the conclusion that Nolan Cook, one of their longtime associates, no longer fit into their future plans. Fearful of the negative impact this decision might have on the musician, they asked me to break the news.

With sadness and regret, I informed Nolan of the group's decision. Forever stoic, he took the news with grace, saying he had several other projects he now felt free to pursue and conveyed his appreciation for the nurturing and support the band had provided during their twenty-five year long relationship.

Thanking him again, I wished Nolan well, while expressing a sincere desire that his next pizza delivery job proves more satisfying than the last.

Homer Flynn
President of the Cryptic Corporation

Dunno whether to believe the explanation, obviously the lineup changes loads but bit of a coincidence that it comes 2 days after they cancelled their tour. Whats he done?

[Goldentony]

this is all via a Ralph group i'm in on Facebook - so four days ago they cancelled the God In Three Persons tour, Nolan is pictured in a screengrab on Facebook replying to a fan commenting the reason being "lack of interest" with "correct" and then to further posts clarifying that none of the shows came close to selling out and then the ominous phrase "prepare for the end"

couple that with Homer Flynn's line at the end my guess is Nolan Cook has said this isn't worth the lack of money any more.

[Sean Ymphs]

That's a shame. His guitar work is my favourite part of their more recent material.

[Famous Mortimer]

It's been a very long time since the Residents made anything I could bear listening to - it might have changed in recent years, but everything past "God In Three Persons" has sounded like they don't understand what people liked about them in the first place. Or maybe it's just me. But I just picked a later album at random - 2017's "The Ghost Of Hope" - and it's almost unlistenable.

I can understand Cook's comments, though. If they toured near me, unless tickets were very cheap, I'm not sure I'd be bothered, and I was a really big fan of the first 15-20 years of their career.

[iamcoop]

It's been a very long time since the Residents made anything I could bear listening to - it might have changed in recent years, but everything past "God In Three Persons" has sounded like they don't understand what people liked about them in the first place. Or maybe it's just me. But I just picked a later album at random - 2017's "The Ghost Of Hope" - and it's almost unlistenable.

I can understand Cook's comments, though. If they toured near me, unless tickets were very cheap, I'm not sure I'd be bothered, and I was a really big fan of the first 15-20 years of their career.

I'm loathe to post negative stuff in a thread about a band I don't like (usually just ignore them) but I got offered a ticket to see these for free last year and everything I listened to on Spotify beforehand just sounded terrible to me so I didn't bother going in the end. They strike me as one of those groups that have made tons of different stuff though so maybe I just wasn't looking in the right place?

[Brundle-Fly]

It's been a very long time since the Residents made anything I could bear listening to - it might have changed in recent years, but everything past "God In Three Persons" has sounded like they don't understand what people liked about them in the first place. Or maybe it's just me. But I just picked a later album at random - 2017's "The Ghost Of Hope" - and it's almost unlistenable.

I can understand Cook's comments, though. If they toured near me, unless tickets were very cheap, I'm not sure I'd be bothered, and I was a really big fan of the first 15-20 years of their career.

Yeah, pretty much my opinion too, although I do love Demons Dance Alone from 2002.

Their shows are probably quite expensive to put on because of the theatrical element and if ticket sales are struggling then it would be prudent of them to cancel. Must be very disheartening for them but I guess a lot of people simply can't afford these nights out anymore.

[Brundle-Fly]

I'm loathe to post negative stuff in a thread about a band I don't like (usually just ignore them) but I got offered a ticket to see these for free last year and everything I listened to on Spotify beforehand just sounded terrible to me so I didn't bother going in the end. They strike me as one of those groups that have made tons of different stuff though so maybe I just wasn't looking in the right place?

They're absolutely not for everybody. You have to persevere to let the weirdness wear off but some people don't have the patience. I know I don't anymore with challenging music. I always imagined I'd get more avant garde with my tastes but I went in the opposite direction.

[Toki]

Yeah, pretty much my opinion too, although I do love Demons Dance Alone from 2002.

I think Animal Lover is almost just as good, especially stuff like Inner Space, My Window, leaning into the melancholy and misery. Anyway, the statement about Nolan Cook leaving, I find that pizza delivery part a bit off. It reminds me of a certain absolute twat's remarks about people who should work in Tesco.

[Goldentony]

sounds like it's exactly what it sounded like, per Nolan Cook on Facebook -

Hello everyone. First, allow me to correct some of the reporting.
I've actually been gone since the stroke of midnight, April 20, 2023, immediately after the U.S. tour. I just decided not to make a declaration about it. I consider that sort of thing as private and undeserving of a public airing.
Secondly, while I have never delivered pizza, I have indeed worked as a driver from time-to-time over the years in order to supplement my music income. This scenario is common to the great majority of artists around the globe. I suppose that the present-day Cryptic Corporation looks down on working people. This is a great example of what I mean about
heart / lack of...
Thanks everybody for your support and friendship and I hope to entertain you in the near future. There are some fun new endeavors on the horizon.
Love, NC.

[Pauline Walnuts]

[timahall]

I find it more disappointing that they ('they' meaning Homer) no longer respect the faceless, anonymous band concept. You do not need to announce that your guitarist has left, you're The Residents. They didn't announce the departure of Jay or John in the early '80s, and they were original members!!

[timahall]

I'm loathe to post negative stuff in a thread about a band I don't like (usually just ignore them) but I got offered a ticket to see these for free last year and everything I listened to on Spotify beforehand just sounded terrible to me so I didn't bother going in the end. They strike me as one of those groups that have made tons of different stuff though so maybe I just wasn't looking in the right place?

It's simple.

The original line up of The Residents split up in the early '80s, around the time of their first tour (The Mole Show). Everything up to that point is incredible, some of the most entertaining and imaginative 'popular' music of the 1970s and early 1980s.

Ignore everything after that, all 40+ years of it.

[PaulTMA]

Sad to see The Residents' legacy end with doxxing

[chip]

I was very close to buying a ticket for the nearest show of this just-cancelled tour, but only so I could see the Res's for the first time ever. I'm not particularly fussed about God in Three Persons as an album, to be honest. I can see the limited appeal in basing a tour around just one album of an extremely varied discography.

Still, this is all getting a bit messy. I took Homer's 'pizza delivery' comment to just be a friendly, knowing joke, but many commenters were getting wound up at it. It's a shame Nolan's gone; I liked the weird ferocious virtuosity he brought to the later years. But moaning mutinously about not earning enough money from what is supposed to be out of pure passion is a whiny dick move.

Also. Anyone discarding the entire latter two-thirds of the band's oeuvre is daft, quite frankly. The Ghost of Hope is indeed a naff one, so you got unlucky randomly choosing that. Animal Lover is a masterpiece, however, and The Ughs! is really good too.

In fact, while the 70s stuff is ostensibly classic, a lot of the time I can give or take it just due to the stupid overtly zany voice that's often put on. Duck Stab is obviously unimpeachable but listening to Constantinople or Lizard Lady can be a chore with the fucking Pinky & Perky vocals. Honestly, 80s/90s Rez is where it's truly at for me. Give me The Great American Composers series, The Big Bubble or Wormwood any day.

[timahall]

Nah. Too much of their '80s stuff sounds like one man dicking around with a keyboard, and the '90s stuff is largely boring af. I find the odd song I like (Don't Be Cruel, Harry The Head...) but otherwise I can draw a line under The Mole Show as the end of 'The Residents' as I recognise them to be.

Can't imagine someone being a Residents fan and finding the vocals on Duck Stab a 'chore'!!!

[timahall]

And come on, The Big Bubble is awful. I thought all Rez fans hated that one!

[chutnut]

Its a shame to hear they aren't selling tickets, saw them last year and there was a pretty good turnout. They were amazing too, a lot darker and angrier than I was expecting. Maybe trying to come back only a year later was a mistake? i doubt I'd see them again that soon even though I loved it.
I'm also not a massive fan of the later stuff although I haven't even really checked it out tbh, I'm happy enough with the stuff I've already got by them

[chip]

Nah. Too much of their '80s stuff sounds like one man dicking around with a keyboard, and the '90s stuff is largely boring af. I find the odd song I like (Don't Be Cruel, Harry The Head...) but otherwise I can draw a line under The Mole Show as the end of 'The Residents' as I recognise them to be.

Can't imagine someone being a Residents fan and finding the vocals on Duck Stab a 'chore'!!!

And come on, The Big Bubble is awful. I thought all Rez fans hated that one!

Don't know what to tell you mate, I like what I like. Sorry to hear if that's not enough of a 'real' fan for you ;)

[timahall]

If i'm being honest, I also find their butt ugly artwork from the '90s onwards offputting too.

[Famous Mortimer]

If i'm being honest, I also find their butt ugly artwork from the '90s onwards offputting too.

Strong agree from me on that one.

I'll push my liking to "The King And Eye", from 1989 (first Residents album I ever owned). But "Freak Show" from 1990 felt like a pivot into a band I just didn't care about - I'm sure there's the odd thing here and there, but it's very much not for me. I presume it was successful, too, as it seems to have coloured quite a bit of what they did after that.

[chip]

Don't get me wrong, the concept for both that and Gingerbread Man is weird and tedious (and cringe, dare I say) and I don't like it. And the less said about their forays into immediately-dated PC gaming, the better.

Still though, each of those records has enough good tunes (imho) to warrant keeping them (as in, those specific tracks) in my Regular Residents Rotation.

[Goldentony]

didnt think the Big Bubble was that hated, I had it on when I went through all the available Mole Show stuff and loved Cry For The Fire but I think that songs pretty typical of what people find offputting?? maybe??? since it's just Homer Flynn going HOOWOWOAOAOAOAOAOAHAHRHRHHRHR NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ARRGGHHHHHH

[Oosp]

If this really is the end times, I'm so glad I finally got to see them live last year. They were grrrrrr-eat!

The Commercial Album is my favourite. Will fight any haters and stab any ducks

[Goldentony]

Commercial Album is great, Amber is good enough to be Yellow Magic Orchestra

[Video Game Fan 2000]

i honestly have no idea why people rate the post-snakefinger residents music thats just one finger keyboard melodies with occasionally depressing dissonant chords over it

if they intended to make the most unsettlingly depressing and bleak music ever mission successful but i dont wanna listen to that. their best is the Satisfaction single

[timahall]

My favourite would alternate between Third Reich & Roll, Duck Stab and Commerical Album.

[PaulTMA]

Is The Ughs! cover artwork supposed to be a 9/11 reference?

[chutnut]

the most unsettlingly depressing and bleak music ever

sounds great tbh

[timahall]

Is The Ughs! cover artwork supposed to be a 9/11 reference?

In that it's also a disgusting crime against humanity?

[PaulTMA]

No what's depicted in the actual artwork