Bon Appetit
Bon Iver were firmly established as a major force during 2011, with their Dublin show becoming the Hottest Ticket of the Year. Mainman Julian Vernon discusses Twitter, Supermacs and collaborating with Kanye.
Ed Power, 04 Jan 2012
Backstage at Grand Canal Theatre, Hot Press is preparing for a chat with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. It is a rare audience with one of the planet’s most in-demand live performers. Over the previous 48 hours it had become clear that seats for the Grand Canal concert were like the proverbial gold-dust: it was by some distance the hottest ticket of 2011 – and one that would ultimately merit Bon Iver the accolade of Live Performers of the Year in Hot Press. No one would have imagined this kind of burgeoning superstardom for the Wisconsin outfit two years ago.
So who is Justin Vernon, and how come he has emerged as one of indie rock’s most imposing icons? One thing’s for sure: he is anything but predictable. You certainly wouldn’t guess it sitting opposite him – or listening to his ethereal folk-pop for that matter – but he has a curious and interestingly combative side. Read his Twitter feed and you’ll encounter all sorts of unexpected witticisms and bitchy asides. Just this morning, he became embroiled in an online furore with Rolling Stone magazine. Predictably the Twitter-sphere is in the process of going ape-shit as a result.
The unlikely catalyst was a feature the magazine ran recently, in which well-known artists listed their top ten hip-hop songs. Canvassed for his thoughts, The Roots’ ?uestlove was discommoded to see himself omitted from the final article. Taking to the internet to vent his displeasure, he received a virtual fist-bump from Vernon who revealed that his own contribution had been dicked around with so that his opinions were distorted.
“I find it hilarious. It doesn’t feel like news to me. It feels like a tweet. It’s funny. I do think rock ‘n’ roll is not alive and well in some parts of the world,” he says in what can only be interpreted as an oblique dissing of Rolling Stone. “But the whole thing is also kind of cute. The worst mistake would be censoring your tweets. At the same time, it is just tweeting. I don’t want to get all proud of it or anything.”
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