Yes That’s Blood: Sturgill Simpson & Band Fight Through Physical Ailments on Gn’R Tour
Sturgill Simpson got to mark off a big bucket list item over the last week or so when he was asked to open for Guns N’ Roses during their current Not In This Lifetime arena tour at stops in Denver on August 2nd, Little Rock on August 5th, and Miami on August 8th. With his new stripped down band that only consists of drums, bass, keys, and Sturgill on guitar, Simpson brought the pain according to reviews, and had to fight through some serious physical ailments to make it happen.
After a recent trip to Japan to play a festival in Niigata, Sturgill contracted a good ol’ fashioned case of “bubble guts” according to the Grammy-award winning performer, and had to fight through it as best he could for the high-profile shows. But the crowd was no wiser as Sturgill reportedly turned in rousing sets of music, including playing his own lead licks for the opening sets.
And apparently Sturgill wasn’t the only one suffering from on-stage maladies. His keyboard player Bobby Emmett sprung a leak when he broke some keys on the very first song of the Little Rock set and then cut his hand on them. But the show must go on, and the result was a bloody mess.
“My buddy Bobby goes hard in the paint and plays the organ like a caveman genius, ” Sturgill Simpson said on Instagram. “The other night we were opening for Gn’R and while I was busy shitting my pants on stage mid-solo he broke some keys and cut his hand on them during the first song. These photos are the post show aftermath. Also I should add that he was talking to the Hammond company about an artist endorsement until they saw him surfing on his organ during our SNL performance and backed out like a bunch of pussies. It’s cool Hammond..we’ll just keep fixing this one.”
If you’re worried that Sturgill Simpson is going to get a big head about him now that he’s gotten the taste of the arena life, take note that he’s now off to Ireland to play five intimate club shows with John Prine. Sturgill will then be headed to Texas for dates in Houston, Dallas, and Austin, ahead of a high-profile appearance at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
Corncaster
August 10, 2017 @ 8:29 am
*golf clap*
Nancy Rose
August 11, 2017 @ 2:43 am
Well they’re human and hey pissing me off is not a good thing.
Marcus
August 10, 2017 @ 8:36 am
Bobby is a beast and such a nice guy. So glad to have hung out with him when he was with Shooter. Guy is having the career of dreams.
Jonathan H.
August 10, 2017 @ 8:38 am
Damn Luck of the Irish.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
August 10, 2017 @ 8:51 am
wow… wow… wow…
Amazing.
TX Music Jim
August 10, 2017 @ 9:10 am
True dedication of the highest order!
Gina
August 10, 2017 @ 9:45 am
I’m using this story as an example of what it takes to be a working musician. Bravo.
RD
August 10, 2017 @ 9:57 am
How did he get hooked up with G ‘nR?
jtrpdx
August 10, 2017 @ 10:27 am
My understanding is that the Band (Probably Axel and Slash) choose their opening acts carefully, based on who they personally like. Others for the tour include ZZ Top and Deftones.
RD
August 10, 2017 @ 10:30 am
See, I thought that Axl had nothing to do with the opening acts. If you recall, he mocked and apologized to the audience when Eagles of Death Metal opened for them. He called them “The Pigeons of Chickenshit.” I think he then kicked them off the tour.
MH
August 10, 2017 @ 10:47 am
LOL!!!!!
jtrpdx
August 10, 2017 @ 10:50 am
Hmm. I hadn’t heard that. Could make sense that they are more involved after that incident, though.
Jim Bob
August 10, 2017 @ 11:25 am
I read in a review that Axel personally asked to get Sturgill as an opener.
jtrpdx
August 10, 2017 @ 10:33 am
Saw this the other day…pretty crazy. That is awesome about the Hammond endorsement…..although I can understand them not being too happy after seeing the way he treats that thing! Also, I wonder if during that set he was wearing his Diarrhea Planet shirt that he has often been wearing. Talk about irony!
On a related note, I am just going to say that EVEN with a 4 piece having a blast doing more rock-ish interpretations of his songs on this tour….and playing extended bluesy solos…and wearing a diaper on stage…..Sturgill STILL 100x more country than a lot of people will want to give him credit for after seeing video of these sets.
Mark
August 10, 2017 @ 11:56 am
Man, any links to any video of the GnR sets? Would love to see a bit.
jtrpdx
August 10, 2017 @ 12:17 pm
None from the GnR sets I have seen, but his recent shows are the same lineup.
Here is a good compilation from a recent festival
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cdA50EZb38&t=3s
It aint all flowers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLEzx6PzPMU
And a little Freddie King!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFclD5s-xX8
jtrpdx
August 10, 2017 @ 12:23 pm
I also love that this lineup lets his bass player, Chuck Bartels, shine. He is an absolute badass. As are the other two.
CountryCharm
August 10, 2017 @ 11:05 am
That’s rock ‘n roll! Which goes to my next point, does Sturgill even count as country anymore?
jtrpdx
August 10, 2017 @ 11:22 am
I don’t think he much cares about how people interpret his eccentric nature, whether it’s a concept album or a relatively short tour with a 4 piece that doesn’t include a steel player but is heavy on rock / blues lead guitar. If he puts out some albums that don’t feature any country elements such as steel guitar or country-like backbones to a majority of the songs, and he changes his vocal style away from his natural drawl, then I think we can start calling him a rock / (or whatever) musician who started out country.
Mark
August 10, 2017 @ 11:58 am
aint gonna happen. its in his blood, he’ll never get away from it entirely.
OBD
August 11, 2017 @ 11:59 am
..coming soon – concept album #2
jtrpdx
August 11, 2017 @ 2:11 pm
Could be. But I would bet against that.
Vinny
August 10, 2017 @ 11:16 am
Bad ass
emfrank
August 10, 2017 @ 11:43 am
Is “badass” another name for “bubble guts.?” Seriously, I think it is hilarious we are commending (rightly) an artist who says he shit himself onstage. Anything for the art!
-Ed.
August 10, 2017 @ 2:13 pm
I love where country music is going. Makes me want to live longer.
Jeanne Ripa
August 10, 2017 @ 3:18 pm
Great show in Miami, basic set up, yes, first opener I’ve enjoyed out of 4 concerts!
Rob
August 10, 2017 @ 6:36 pm
Me and my dad got cracked up when the guy rode his organ on SNL
RG
August 11, 2017 @ 6:18 am
Will always have much love for Sturgill but his show at the Fox in Atlanta was too much instrumentation and not nearly enough of highlighting his vocals. Which is the sound that drew me to Sturgill in the first place. I can go to any show and hear a group rock out on the tele and keyboard. Sturgill’s appeal to me was his raw grit in his vocals and delivery.
jtrpdx
August 11, 2017 @ 8:10 am
That is definitely a fair opinion and one that he is going to hear a lot of, especially from people who are newer fans (sounds like you aren’t) who are unaware of the new lineup and format and have never seen him live. Also, it’s hard for anyone to maintain a good focus on vocal performance when they are also taking on the role of sole guitarist / rattling off leads left and right. Not to mention a guy like Sturgill who needs to focus on his vocal clarity.
Having said that, I am looking forward to the shows and think it should be a great time to see something a little different from him and his band. I think Sturgill took this impromptu tour (recall that he was supposed to be taking this year off, but decided to hit the road after the grammy win) to do something a little unique, and this is the perfect opportunity to do so because he has already toured ASGTE and played that and Metamodern and High Top songs in their original forms for fans for the past several years. And, to scratch his itch for not playing lead guitar live for so many years. I also think that the “rebel” in him likes ruffling feathers and doing the unexpected. I recall at the Florida show when he revealed the 4 piece, he said something to the crowd like “you may not live the new format at first, but you will come to love it!”.
jtrpdx
August 11, 2017 @ 8:16 am
*love the new format
Gina
August 11, 2017 @ 9:12 am
I’ve never heard him live without he horns so I’m looking forward to it. I loved the brass but I really got into him much later so I’m stoked to hear the stripped down stuff.
James Hooker
August 11, 2017 @ 10:37 am
I’m an old Hammond driver who always just sat there and behaved himself. That said, I got a huge kick out of Bobby’s rockin’ ride around the SNL stage – Hammonds decision is Hammonds loss. Looking at the photo, I’m wondering just how the fuck he managed to do that? And yes, a broken key can be like a razor. I do hope a video surfaces.