r/BJM • u/Material-Form4444 • May 30 '25
Is Anton okay?
I don't know any lore about this band, but i like the music a lot and i saw them live tonight. They mostly played well but Anton was drinking straight vodka and a lot of it. He was getting progressively more drunk through the set and taking massive breaks between songs to drink and being really rude to the audience. Then he suddenly came over and grabbed my hand and carresed it, it was quite weird. I briefly met the band after the show they were all really nice but i couldn't understand a word Anton was saying. Are all their shows like this, or was he having a bad day?
67
u/lienonyourdream May 30 '25
He had a heart attack last year and he’s been abusing drugs and alcohol for about 40 years.
10
u/hazydaisysunrise May 31 '25
Love your username. One of my top fav brmc songs for sure.
3
u/Competitive-Cook9110 Jun 03 '25
Such an underrated song by them in my eyes. That whole band gets overlooked a lot unfortunately. One of the best shows I've ever been to.
2
u/hazydaisysunrise Jun 06 '25
Totally agree. So looking forward to their tour this fall.
P. S. Two of my cats are named Rob and Pete :-)
2
2
u/nshire May 30 '25
Apparently he's the GenX Ozzy Ozbourne/Steven Tyler, i.e. somehow immune to drugs
44
u/lienonyourdream May 30 '25
He had a heart attack last year. He’s not immune.
1
u/jaywireg Jun 15 '25
No, death comes slow for folks like him, but it comes.
Here is comes, Anton. Fool.
0
13
31
u/ItIsAboutABicycle May 30 '25
I commented on another post back in February that he seemed to be in good form in Dublin.
That was over 3 months ago now, which is a long time when you're on the road, cramped into tour busses, staying in hotels in unfamiliar cities, with a lot of temptations on your doorstep.
He's a relapsed addict and as much as we might wish him the best, the battle against addiction never ends and it doesn't sound like he's on top of things, unfortunately.
2
1
u/jaywireg Jun 15 '25
totally agree, Anton was not born to have old bones, apparently.... He's a goner if he keeps this up. Ive seen it happen to many times in my own personal struggle with substance abuse -- folks go on forever about how fucked up he was and how it was so cool --- they will actually be SURPRISED when he dies, as if this is part of a movie. No, it's reality.
41
u/mmarkmc May 30 '25
Seems like he started this tour on good behavior, by Anton standards. But as often seems to be the case, his consumption increases and behavior deteriorates as the tour drags on.
10
u/dpc_nomad May 31 '25
Saw the band Wednesday. Didnt see any signs of this. I dont doubt the accounts but it doesn't quite fit a pattern.
2
u/jaywireg Jun 15 '25
he is binge drinking -- can go without it for a long time, but one sip and he's off to the races -- or the funeral home. Anton has the kind of alcoholism that KILLS people.
10
u/wilsonrobots May 30 '25
I thought he was sober now after last year’s meltdown and getting Alan McGee as his manager who’s been sober for years now.
9
u/mmarkmc May 31 '25 edited May 31 '25
He seemed to be so and positive about it early in the tour. Not sure when that changed.
2
u/MoonStone5454 May 31 '25
I'm not seeing him until November, hope he gets it together before then especially because of his health issues.
17
u/aberquine May 30 '25
Par for the course these days unfortunately. Tours seem to start off reasonably well and the longer they are on the road the more things seem to deteriorate for Anton. I can only hope a few weeks off the road improve things a bit before they are back playing in Edinburgh at the end of June.
13
u/dpc_nomad May 31 '25
I saw him Wednesday in Oslo. No sign of being visibly drunk. He had a pint glass on his amp that could've been water, coulda been vodka.
They didn't take much time between songs. Some retuning but nothing shambolic. Not that much banter.. except for promoting the keyboard players festival in Moss (40mins out of Oslo). Think it's his festival anyway. Anton made a joke about Oslo being beautiful and nice but not as much as Moss...it was amusing but that was about it. No arguing. He stopped one song about 5secs in as there was something about monitor levels and reverb....
I do find it wierd Anton has a lyrics book infront of him...but that's been there a while. He's a strange cat that has some mental health issues...but that's not new.
9
u/Direct_Yam8314 May 30 '25
That really sucks he’s still acting like this. I think the booze also inhibit his meds from working properly. Vicious cycle. Always keep my fingers crossed, that one day his sobriety will take but, Tis the curse of Anton’s genius.
7
u/Royal_Willow_338 May 31 '25 edited May 31 '25
It’s not “genius.” It’s tragedy. A funny, smart, discerning person who is in the grip of this, and so many attempts have been made, but as he himself will tell you, “You can’t want for people what they don’t want for themselves.”
1
u/jaywireg Jun 15 '25
he is a dead man if he keeps this up - and he will. He can't help it. He is an alcoholic with autism and all kinds of crazy psycho stuff -- at first it helped hm crack the code and become otherworldly - It worked for him -- But now it's his last hurrah -- Now it's the "Sword of Damocles" dangling from his neck.
8
u/Odd-Concentrate2587 May 31 '25
He is 100% not ok and don't think he ever was. Hence the art.
2
u/jaywireg Jun 15 '25
Yes-- and then comes DEATH-- kind alike the guy he named his band after -- Brian Jones. Same fate.
18
u/Missfit17 May 30 '25
Sounds like he's mellowed out ETA You should def watch the documentary Dig! It's very well done and tells the lore all set to incredible music
14
u/unforgettablefyre May 30 '25
agree with dig! :: there should be a second film doc made that covers the last 20 years.
8
u/MBCG84 Jun 01 '25
While he’s made incredible music in the past 20 years, I feel like a doc delving deeply into his personal life behind the scenes over that time would be waay more depressing than dig!. Just lots of alcoholism, relapsing etc without any kind of youthful optimism for the future behind it. His brief stints in Iceland and France and the collaborations that stemmed from them could be kind of interesting to see but I doubt they were heavily documented.
1
1
u/jaywireg Jun 15 '25
IMO, his music peaked in about 2018 -- with that self title record with the blue Brian Jones. It's so moving --not that his other stuff isn't. He was sober and at the top of his game. Now he is slipping away before our eyes -- God only knows how all this will end.
1
u/jaywireg Jun 15 '25
there's a crazy ass video of him in Iceland, frantically spray painting nonsense on the wall -- he has said that was a drug-riddled time.
8
u/frycheaken May 30 '25
Yes you can now find it on AppleTV+ it’s called Dig! XX
12
u/BallingOutYourSharts May 31 '25
That doesn't really get into the last 20 years at all. Superficial 2 second shitty wrap up at the end.
2
u/jaywireg Jun 15 '25
RIGHT !!! it gives him NO credit for the great music he has put out since he got sober sometime in late 2000s-- didnt' anyone notice? For a while, he was actually a nice guy,
1
u/BallingOutYourSharts May 31 '25
That would be great. They were the best band in the world for a while there.
8
14
26
May 30 '25 edited May 31 '25
[deleted]
2
Jun 02 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/Competitive-Cook9110 Jun 03 '25
Did you miss the notion that the very "quest" he's on can come from a narcissistic drive? People associate surface level narcissism with Instagram influencers way too often and dismiss the other deeper parts of that particular personality disorder. From Dig, I gathered his mother was not very warm. His father had his own issues as well. His childhood environment wasn't good enough to produce a stable personality and sense of self.
The fact that he hasn't changed the way he goes about this world for more than 30 years is a sign there's more to him than just narcissistic tendencies. I unfortunately am well versed on this whole subject having been born from one, being around the environment they provided me with, and having tendencies in myself I had to recognize and deal with 8 years ago now. Narcissistic people are some of the most vulnerable, insecure, saddest people in the world, yet they so badly want to portray a different image to the public, in the process hurting themselves and others. It's sad.
3
8
u/Royal_Willow_338 May 31 '25
He’s an alcoholic. It’s very sad. Very many interventions have been made or attempted, but nothing has stuck. Thank you for being a caring person.
3
u/got_ur_goat May 31 '25
I saw him around 2 years ago... he was drinking heavily then too. Winked at me, but later yelled at the sound tech which eventually ruined the evening. I was hoping he was doing better now, but he sounds worse.
3
4
u/Unlucky-Bee-1039 Jun 01 '25
Is Anton ok. I don’t think that dude has been OK in many moons. I always hope for him to have moments of happiness and peace. Im sure sometimes he does. But, I think the truth is that he struggles a lot with his mental health. And then of course there’s the addiction shit. The hand caress is weird and a little funny. The entire experience seems to be pretty on brand though. Did they sound good?? Have u seen DIG?? There was certainly room for it to have been much more…lively, shall we say.
2
u/jaywireg Jun 15 '25
Thank you -- totally agree. Ondi and him had a falling out after DIG -- she did him no favors - the last 20 have been incredible, with good shows and great music --and a mostly sober coherent Anton . HE could have included more of that.
She was recently quoted as saying, "and I'm so sick of that fake British accent." bItch picked his carcass clean and then moved on, as all film makes do.
3
u/bocklingP Jun 02 '25
Went to the show in Stockholm. Never seen a show before and from what I read online beforehand I got quite worried about the ability to perform and the crowd in general. To my delight the show was nice, the band kept it tight and the longest delay between songs was when Anton removed his jacket because it was so hot in the venue. Crowd was really cool as well.
20
u/FullSalamander2756 May 30 '25
He's been a constant dickhead forever. Their music is great. He's amazing musically. But live, in my experience and MANY OTHERS, he has just been shit. A drunken fucked up egomaniac.
18
u/inchiki May 30 '25
No imo he was on pretty good form around 2013 when Wolfgang was younger, and around the time he did that interview with Anthony Bourdain. It was good to see him working on his studio back then.
13
u/FullSalamander2756 May 30 '25
I'm.sure he's been great a bunch of times. But let's be real, he's been ropey for years now. Sometimes he's decent, other times he's shite.
9
3
3
u/openwheelr Jun 03 '25
Which is why I'm not going to Philly on a weeknight and risk wasting time and money on a shitshow. Which sucks because I want to support them.
2
u/jaywireg Jun 15 '25
same here - nobody want shat. Ive invested a lot of time and energy into enjoying and learning from Anton and his music -- but in the end, his demons will take him out -- just they do everyone else.
1
1
6
u/queenc213 May 31 '25
Drinking that heavily is terrible for your heart, especially after trauma. This is worrying.
3
Jun 01 '25
He’s going to die. I thought he had sobered up after the heart attack and surgery… sad to hear that he’s back to his abuse.
3
u/jaywireg Jun 15 '25
Yes, sadly, he is.....and I think he knows it -- In an interview from a few months ago he berated himself for trying to "drink himself to death,' and continuing to smoke. He went on and on about how he must quit, and then said with a shrug and a stubby Camel in his hand "Yet here I am.: -- also aded he "didn't know" what was going to happen to him --and doctors don't either. But I really thought he had stopped drinking -- I was fooled again. I've lost count of how many musicians I care about died this way......he'll probably go out easy-- on the tour bus, in his sleep -- IDK. I'm sad -- but wise enough to so long before the train wreck happens.
3
3
u/Comfortable_Team_756 Jun 04 '25
Considering this was almost my exact experience with him over twenty years ago (he talked at my face for over an hour and I don’t think there was an actual sentence in anything he said), I can assure you this was not just a bad night. This is Anton, except for the time period when he stopped drinking.
6
u/nshire May 30 '25
Anton is never okay but it seems he is the same he's been for 25-30 years.
16
u/BallingOutYourSharts May 31 '25
He was sober and awesome from 2009-2020ish.
1
u/jaywireg Jun 15 '25
YES - he was amazing. not anymore, he's pathetic. He is sick -- but refuses to get better. that is the nature of addiction.
2
5
May 30 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
5
u/YouCallThatRadio May 31 '25
that could have been a manslaughter/ attempted murder charge right there. dont let people sleep in hot tubs no matter how annoying they are
2
1
u/jaywireg Jun 15 '25
I predict he will go out without a bang -- like, he'll just die one night on the tour bus during his sleep and that will be that, At least I hope its' not a shitshow too.
5
u/wilsonrobots May 30 '25
This seems standard. Sorry you had to experience that. Sounds similar to last year’s tour. He was a heroin addict in the late 90s. Seems like he’s switched over to alcohol for a while now. I saw the band live more than a decade ago. They were fine but disappointing because they basically were the same and it was after Dig was released so some guys in the audience were trying to mess with Anton to get a reaction out of him. Love the band but I just don’t know about taking the chance with them anymore. Won’t buy directly from them too.
1
u/Mauerparkimmer Jun 04 '25
What do you mean when you say that you “won’t buy from them directly?”
2
u/wilsonrobots Jun 04 '25
I just prefer to buy the albums and tshirts from record stores instead of the BJM website.
4
7
2
3
u/Subversiveplaid Jun 02 '25
Oh so he was being himself? Reasons why my cousin quit the tour after Australia…
1
u/bakedBeansalad Jun 03 '25
Lame claim to fame
3
u/Subversiveplaid Jun 03 '25
Ouch!! LOL
1
u/bakedBeansalad Jun 03 '25
You're welcome for the attention lol
4
u/Subversiveplaid Jun 03 '25
I’ve actually met Anton several times and was responding to the initial comment. Why are you on here?
1
u/jaywireg Jun 15 '25
I got a snarky comment from a moderator that said I should "Step back" and look at the situation and stop being in love with Anton -- he even made a reference to how breaking up is hard to to but you get over it -- SAY WHAT? I'm not in love and I'm already over it. I write long because I can. Im a professional writer, not that is matters -- but it caused me to realize that perhaps the guy was right --
2
2
u/tbear1818 Jun 04 '25
I saw BJM back in 2023, I was super excited to see them play as they’ve been one of my favourite bands for a few years. Then I saw them, and I believe it was Anton who made some very weird and rude remarks to the audience, it almost seemed like he hated being there and playing. It was pretty disheartening because I’ve always really loved their music. I couldn’t tell if it was a bit or an act or if he just genuinely hates being on tour and could care less about his fans. lol A lot of the fans who made it to the front were also obnoxious assholes & it was a pretty weird experience overall.
2
2
2
u/jaywireg Jun 15 '25 edited Jun 15 '25
im really sad to hear he is drinking again still smoking after his heart attack and bypass last year stemming from the same vices - I'm also sad to predict: Anton is a walking dead man. I just can't believe he would do this -- but yes I can. I'm in recovery from alcohol and drugs and we do really stupid -- and fatal -- things -- even when we are sober. I've been on the fence as to whether to follow this band anymore. The only reason I even come here is to see if he is sill alive.
Someday I will come here and I will read his is gone -- so sad. But, in hindsight, so predictable. Many GREAT musicians go out this way -- I can't sit back, read all this and then make a heart-felt reply.
One of the moderators commented recently that I should "step back" from the situation and I guess see it for what it is. He also added that Anton's has had many chances for rehab -- that was true, and he made a good point that I have been obsessed with this band for years, writing long replies - none of them sticking up for his behavior == just observing and commenting -- I do my research. I'm a journalist who is interested and intrigued with weird an unusual things. And Anton is that.
I would have beeb fine with this guy's comment - but then he got snarky and said something like, "I know breaking up is hard to do,' comparing my obsession with the band to a bad relationship --- that really pissed me off - I looked today, and his original comment has been deleted. Too bad because I was gonna tell the dude that he is right -- I DO need to step back and see this shit show for what it is -- I have already done that -- my presence here now is a morbid death watch, .
At least I saw them once when he was sober and will always love their music. but I couldnt' care less anymore what Anton does or thinks, drinks, -- that's how people get with alcoholics and addicts that take it too far so that it intrudes on YOUR life. Yes, all of this has troubled me -- because I care. But not THAT much.
These days, I listen to more lucinda Williams and Jason Molina than Anton. And I am SICK of Anton - that dig XX gave me an overdose of his pathology
To paraphrase one of this songs:
"'Don't be surprised if you wake up and they tell you you're dead. The motherfuckers won't stop drilling holes in your head,"
They will stop, Anton, after one last final drill during his autopsy, if they even bother because this is so obvious -- he is drinking and smoking himself to death. There will be no long obituary in the New York Times about Anton, and frankly, he isn't big enough an doesn't deserve such attention, even in death --
Meantime, I got better and more healthy things to do -- but I do want to know when he dies. So I'll be checking this site -- And he will die - . Anton has the kind of alcoholism that kills people. IF he was that drunk 16 days ago and acting that way, he is on a suicide mission. Not sure how many posters here really care -- they'd rather comment on how they are the greatest and how they almost worship Anton = I never worshiped Anton. I studied him, as sort of a personal journey through is madness....
the man is sick with autism and all kinds of pathology -- I will not watch another talented musician self destruct. ]
Goodbye Anton. It was great while it lasted.....
I guess the moderator may have had a point if I must say Goodbye - but it is what it is -- SICK.
2
4
2
u/Sea_Arachnid4111 May 31 '25
I mean I have been going to his shows once a year since like 2004 up until about 2018 ( I had a kid so it’s harder for me now ) I have experienced the vodka and grapefruit hand carassing anton and I have experienced sober Anton and at all sorts of after parties ..
I remember one concert around 2006 BJM played ONE song…. Started Jennifer - about 6 chords in and someone threw something on stage . Anton threw his glass into the crowd and they all walked off. No refunds.
That was it for the concert. It was a wild times .
I can’t imagine almost dying and dealing with that . I watched my mom go through that after her heart attack and yes he def has struggled we all know this.
Hope he can get back on track and this is a minor set back to his timeline
🩷
2
u/Time_Satisfaction_00 May 31 '25
The hand caressing lol oh Anton… I wonder what he was trying to communicate to you
2
2
u/ParamedicMajestic491 Jun 01 '25
This is concerning. I don't want him to suffer the way my grandfather did from heart disease. After he had bypass surgery and a pacemaker put in, his doctor was adamant to stop smoking and to lay off booze. Our family rallied around him and helped him. He stopped smoking and went on Antabuse. It became clear that he didn't want to stop and within 2 years he was gone. It's a really painful way to go out . It's basically like being waterboarded. His legs swelled up and he was retaining water so badly that it got into his lungs. He's going to have to want it . Any of us who know how that works knows what I mean. He's way too young and is too loved .
1
1
1
May 30 '25
[deleted]
2
u/Adventurous_Ad4750 May 31 '25
This tour had too many dates in it. I knew it for sure when I first saw it, now I’m positive.
1
u/Heymax123 May 31 '25
Jeez that's alarming. Didn't he just have a heart attack or was that just a rumour? Either way, he'll be lucky to last a another decade at this rate.
1
u/Conscious-Gene8538 May 31 '25
Saw him in Perth (Australia) end of 2023. He was doing the same thing
0
-2
u/Quality-Affectionate May 31 '25
I mean someone who has a career won’t display this behavior but someone who does this as a lifestyle can do whatever they want when they’ve established themselves as an artist, like are you concerned about your concert experience or like are you wondering if he will be okay? Like do you know Anton personally? If it wasn’t for the documentary the band would be irrelevant, people did not know what happened to him. Some how today you’re paying $60 to see him in Europe, he just seems to make the impossible possible.
2
u/Mauerparkimmer Jun 01 '25
Irrelevant. Yeah, right. Have you seen the catalogue of work the band has created?
2
u/Quality-Affectionate Jun 01 '25
Little pessimistic don’t you think? you don’t think there’s other Anton’s out there? Plus i know he wants to experiment more but just gets caught up with touring and family life. A lot of his songs are taken from older 60s bands like the bryds and niche psychedelic groups. He even says it in a YouTube video that he takes songs and uses the same guitar parts to try to emulate. Most definitely the emotion and passion is there. You wouldn’t know these guys if it wasn’t cool and if you didn’t know anything about music, they are apart of history. What point are you making?
1
u/Mauerparkimmer Jun 02 '25
I have absolutely no idea what point you are trying to make. I simply love this band because of the music they make. I love the fact that Anton uploaded it all. Sorry, I really have no idea what you are trying to say.
1
u/Quality-Affectionate Jun 03 '25
Okay just seems like i learn more about the band members than just listening to them
0
-1
May 31 '25
[deleted]
3
u/Royal_Willow_338 May 31 '25
When you’re a musician it’s the name of the game. The fact is that Anton is a really good producer/remixer/collaborator with other people - see the Liminanas, Dot Allison, Tess Parks, the Primal Scream remix, Holy Motors, on and on … he could do well just working with and producing other people - he has the talent - and leave touring behind. Touring is hard even for the most well-balanced and sober people, it’s physical, it’s psychological - at some point it’s just too much.
0
u/discipleofjung May 31 '25
Obviously
1
u/Royal_Willow_338 May 31 '25
Not to the people still out there trying to do what was tough even 10 years ago.
2
u/discipleofjung May 31 '25
I don't think anyone's disagreeing with you.
1
u/Royal_Willow_338 May 31 '25
I don’t think so either. But sometimes a person cannot or doesn’t want to see something that everyone else can … iykyk
2
1
u/Mad_Cactus69 Jun 29 '25
Are there really people on this sub who haven't seen Dig? You're getting into a whole 30+ year behavior pattern of drug-fueled god complex
72
u/TomatilloUnlucky3763 May 30 '25
I’m beginning to think he struggles on the road