Niget Kennedy has brought up the classical music biz and drugs.
Why does this make me laugh a little? I dunno. Maybe because he has been so proud of being a bad boy. And now this.
He just likes to grumble, it seems. Maybe that’s why he’s a good musician?
I hardly think that Nigel was “hitting out” at drugs in classical music; the article was barely long enough for a nudge, let alone a “hit”. He really didn’t say anything that people don’t know already.
Nigel soloed with the Sacramento Symphony a couple times in the ’80s. He *WAS* indeed quite the partier (I was there!) but as he said, AFTER concerts.
One party (which I didn’t happen to attend) got so rowdy that string players were flinging green paint everywhere. The host, a violin player, got some on his instrument and kept the daub of paint on it as a memento.
I didn’t see the original article; I’m assuming it was in German, so I don’t know if he said more there.
He played with SJS as well. I don’t remember anything about it, to be honest. (I wasn’t a party girl.) I haven’t a clue if he did drugs before, after, or during. Not my biz. I just had to laugh because, recently, he’s getting more press than he has in a while. Earlier it was to put down some conductors, and later because he was cut from those British Classical Music awards because they wouldn’t let him perform the way he wanted. He’s just a very vocal guy, yes?
Part of me (yes, I’m this way) thinks this is all merely to get him back in the limelight. Any publicity is publicity, after all.
Call my a cynic.
The first part of the article is talking not about drugs such as cannabis or exctasy, but boring old beta blockers – prescription drugs that help calm nerves.
Though he may well have some after, I would find it hard to assume he does it after every concert. With the amount of travelling he does, he couldn’t very well take it with him (customs somewhere would pick him up), and I would assume it could be very hard to find a dealer when you’re only in the country for a week…
It did appear to me as if the article wanted to imply other drugs, even while not stating that. Maybe I was just reading into it though. I thought it was fairly clear that Kennedy was talking about beta blockers.
I wouldn’t imagine he is crazy enough to carry drugs with him. Especially these days. I would guess you can find anything anywhere if you know where to look. (NOT that I’m saying he does; I don’t know the guy and what he does isn’t my business.)
I just found the short blurb humorous. It appears it may have pushed some buttons though …?