“That ruined me for the rest of my life”: The one thing about playing in punk bands that causes Chris Shiflett problems to this day
He says it’s hard not “letting the devil get in your head”.
Image: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
In a new interview, Foo Fighters‘ guitarist Chris Shiflett has opened up about a time from his career that still causes him problems.
- READ MORE: Why Chris Shiflett spends his Foo Fighters downtime talking to other guitar players about guitar
Speaking to Guitarist, Shiflett’s asked if he ever questions what he’s doing as an artist. He replies, “I think most musicians are battling insecurity on some level. It’s funny because musicians are all narcissists, too. It does take some ego to say, ‘This is my idea, listen to it!’.
“The hardest thing with performing is not letting the devil get in your head. It can be the best fucking crowd and there’s one guy at the back laughing – and that fucks up your whole thing.
Shiflett continues, talking about something that’s had a long-lasting effect on him. “The thing that fucks me up the most was in my younger days playing in No Use For A Name, where the barometer for a good gig was how hard the crowd danced and how wild the pit was. That ruined me for the rest of my life because I don’t play music that garners that reaction. You just try to keep the dark thoughts out when you’re on stage.”
Looking towards the future, however, Shiflett also says that he’s hoping to get back to the UK soon, while he’s touring with the the Foos through until January. “Beyond that,” he adds, “I’m a fucking musician – so who knows what will happen?
“I gave up trying to even think about it because, after these last two years, it’s like the world has a funny way of changing your plans.”
And speaking to Guitar.com last month, Shiflett said that he thinks guitar playing is having a renaissance, with “so many great players out there” – and not just in rock music. His comments came as he’s gearing up to play not only with Foo Fighters but on a solo tour, too.
You can find out about Shiflett’s live shows on his website, here. And, you can get the lowdown on the upcoming Foos shows on their website.