First off let me say that if you like them don't be offended, this is just my take. People often ask why people of NE Ohio give NIN, and MM such crap. My opinion is this, back in the late 80's and early 90's the old industrial alternative crowds of Cleveland/Akron were very cutting edge for our cities. We had clubs in Cleveland like the Alter House, the Lift, the Phantasy, and in Akron, Carols, and Thursdays. Now for that time it was a lot for a boring state like Ohio. I often snuck into the Phantasy, and Alter House at 16, or 17 years old, We would see Trent there and no one thought anything of him, he was just another gloomy looking dude. Now you see this same guy a year later and he's more or less exploiting our little subculture to MTV, it made some of us a little pi**ed off. When Pretty Hate Machine came out a guy I knew at High school went to Trents going away party at his apartment in the Flats, the pics had Bob Marly, and Rush posters on his walls. Now not to say there is anything wrong with having a open mind to music but I just got the impression he was an outsider ripping off our music to advance his own career. Back in 92 at Skinny Puppy's Last Rights show at the Agora Trent sat down at the bar next to my buddy Murph trying to play it cool with the fans. The funny part is everyone went up to Murph and said " hey arent you Steve Murphy!". We even paid a skinhead we knew named Scott to go up and diss Trent for a dollar. I know it seems mean, but you have to understand how annoyed we felt back then. That if you ask me was the beginning of the Industrial/Goth Posers. And of course creation needs a messiah, thats where Manson comes in. Trent created the posers and Marilyn led them. We ran into him too somewhere between 89-90 at a Dennys in North Canton, I wasnt impressed. Over the next few years I watched Manson rip off almost every trait from Shock Rock, and Industrial filling his own pockets full of money off the ideas of others, some who were destitude financially. Within a couple of years the underground version of the scene was dead in NE Ohio. Bottom line is this, I would be a liar to say Ive never liked anything Trent has done I just feel other bands from Ohio like Devo, the Cramps, and the Dead Boys did it better without suffocating the public. (Thats right Chrissie Hynde-no props to you! Next time Ill put my cigarette out in your eggs!) But thats another story. Thanx for reading!
