Roger Waters full 'Smerconish' interview

♪
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS LEADER
THAT WE'VE ELECTED IN THE UNITED
STATES.
>> ALL RIGHT.
>> SPEAK TO THE AUDIENCE.
TELL THEM THE MINDSET THAT YOU
PUT INTO THE PRESENTATION OF
PIGS THREE DIFFERENT ONES.
>> WE WERE RUNNING UP TO THAT
ELECTION AND I DID FEEL VERY
STRONGLY ABOUT IT.
AND MUCH AS I DISPARAGE HILLARY
CLINTON, AND I DO, I MAKE NO
BONES ABOUT IT, AND HOWEVER BIG
THE QUESTIONS ARE THAT I MIGHT
HAVE HAD, YOU KNOW, WITH OBAMA
AND THE PAST ADMINISTRATION,
DONALD TRUMP?
I'VE WATCHED THIS GUY OPERATING
FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS.
>> DO YOU RUN THE RISK OF
HELPING HIM BY GOING OVER THE
TOP?
>> NO.
I DON'T THINK HELP OR HINDERING.
WHAT WE NEED TO SURVIVE HIS
PRESIDENCY.
>> RIGHT.
>> BECAUSE IT'S TOTALLY
UNPREDICTABLE.
I DON'T THINK HE KNOWS WHAT HE'S
GOING TO DO.
>> I'M THINKING OF A FEW
CULTURAL TOUCHSTONES RECENTLY.
I'M THINKING OF THE KATHY
GRIFFIN ISIS-INSPIRED PHOTOGRAPH
SHE TWEETED.
>> YEAH.
>> I'M THINKING OF THE CAESAR
PLAY IN CENTRAL PARK.
>> YEAH.
>> IT OCCURS TO ME IT PLAYS INTO
HIS HAND INAS FTOINSO FAR AS HE
SAY LOOK AT THESE LEADERS
AGAINST ME.
HE'S SOMEWHAT INOCULATED FROM
IT.
>> WELL, MAYBE.
THIS IS THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT
YOU AND THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA
HAVE IS TO NOT ALLOW THIS TO BE
TAKEN AS SERIOUSLY AS IT IS.
I MEAN, I'VE SORT OF STOPPED
WATCHING ALL THE TALKING HEADS
ABOUT RUSSIA GATE AND THIS AND
THAT AND THE OTHER BECAUSE IT
SEEMS TO ME LARGELY IRRELEVANT.
THERE'S A LARGER PICTURE THAT WE
COULD MAYBE ALL BE FOCUSING ON.
THE PROBLEM IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT
HAS GOT MIXED UP WITH NEWS A LOT
IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND IN CONSEQUENCE YOU'VE GOT TO
KEEP -- I'M NOT POINTING A
FINGER AT YOU.
BUT IN GENERAL MY GENERAL SENSE
IS THAT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE
ENTERTAINING.
AND IN CONSEQUENCE DONALD TRUMP
IS GREAT FOR THE MAINSTREAM
MEDIA BECAUSE HE'S SUCH A
BUFFOON.
>> NOW YOU'RE A THIRD OF THE WAY
INTO THE TOUR, HOW IS IT PLAYING
IN THE RED STATES?
>> GREAT.
YOU KNOW, THE FIRST FOUR OR FIVE
GIGS WE STARTED IN KANSAS CITY
AND THEN WE WENT LOUISVILLE,
TULSA, ST. LOUIS.
AND NOW IT'S LIKE THAT WAS KIND
OF A, WOO, I WONDER HOW THIS IS
GOING TO BE.
>> I'M SITTING HERE AND I'M
THINKING FOR SOMEONE WHO'S ON
THE ROAD SELLING A NEW RECORD.
>> YEAH.
>> PUTTING FANNIES IN SEATS AND
STADIUMS.
>> YEAH.
>> YOU'RE JUST COMPLETELY
UNCONCERNED ABOUT THE WAY THAT
MIGHT BE RECEIVED BY SOME OF THE
VERY PEOPLE THAT YOU WISH TO
REACH.
>> I'M NOT UNCONCERNED AT ALL.
>> I MEAN COMMERCIALLY
CONCERNED.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, IN LIFE YOU
HAVE TO MAKE YOUR CHOICES TO
WHETHER YOU DO THE RIGHT THING
OR THE THING THAT MAKES YOU THE
MOST MONEY.
>> YOU'VE MANAGED TO DO BOTH.
>> WELL, WHO KNOWS HOW MUCH
MONEY I COULD HAVE MADE IF I'D
NOT --
>> DO YOU THINK IT'S COST YOU?
>> I HAVE NO IDEA.
IT COSTS -- AMERICAN EXPRESS
PULLED OUT OF THIS TOUR.
THAT COST $4 MILLION.
THAT'S A SHORT TERM THING.
MIND YOU THEY'RE STILL
SPONSORING THE TOUR IN CANADA.
SO IT'S NOT THE WHOLE
CORPORATION.
>> ROGER, IS IT IMPORTANT TO YOU
THAT YOUR FANS, A, UNDERSTAND
THE MESSAGE OF YOUR MUSIC S, AN
B, THAT THEY AGREE WITH IT.
>> WELL, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO
ME AND THAT'S WHY THE BEGINNING
OF THIS TOUR WE'VE DONE 20 GIGS
SO FAR IS SO GREAT IS THAT
PEOPLE ARE GETTING IT.
>> TO THAT PERSON WHO'S GROWN UP
LOVING THE MUSIC, WHO DOESN'T
SHARE YOUR WORLD VIEW, DO YOU
STILL WANT TO LOOK INTO THE
AUDIENCE AND SEE THEM AT THIS
CONCERT?
>> YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MAYBE TEN
LEAVE EVERY NIGHT.
AND THEY GO.
I MEAN, I READ.
I READ THE STUFF ON MY WEB PAGE
FROM TIME TO TIME AND I GO, YOU
KNOW, THIS IS NO BIG SURPRISE TO
ME.
BUT I DO FIND IT SLIGHTLY
SURPRISING THAT ANYBODY COULD
HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO MY SONGS
FOR 50 YEARS WITHOUT
UNDERSTANDING.
>> WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE
WHO IS LOOKING FOR ESCAPISM?
THEY'RE --
>> GO SEE KATY PERRY OR GO WATCH
THE KARDASHIANS.
I DON'T CARE, WHATEVER YOU WANT
TO DO, GO AND ESCAPE.
>> BUT IF THEY'RE LOOKING FOR
ESCAPISM FROM POLITICS, I GUESS
THE MESSAGE IS THE LAST PLACE
YOU SHOULD BE IS AT A ROGER
WATERS SHOW.
>> YEAH, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR
ESCAPE FROM CONNECTION FROM
OTHER PEOPLE ON THIS PLANET, IF
YOU WANT TO BE, YOU KNOW,
SEPARATED FROM YOUR POTENTIAL TO
EMPATHIZE WITH OTHERS, IF YOU
WANT TO LIVE IN AN IVORY TOWER
WHERE EVERYBODY'S AN ENEMY AND
YOU NEED TO BUILD WALLS AND
YOU'VE GOT TO DO A BETTER DEAL
WITH THE CHINESE OR WHATEVER IT
MIGHT BE THAT THIS LEADER THAT
YOU'VE ELECTED THINKS IS A GOOD
IDEA, WELL, THAT'S WHAT YOU
BELIEVE.
>> ROGER, I MAY AS WELL TELL
YOU, FIVE YEARS REMOVED FROM
SEPTEMBER 11, OFF BY JUST A DAY
OR TWO, I CAME TO MADISON SQUARE
GARDEN AND I WATCHED YOU PERFORM
"DARK SIDE OF THE MOON."
AND WHEN THE PIG CAME OUT AND
HAD WRITTEN ON THE SIDE OF IT
HABEAS CORPUS MATTERS.
>> YEAH.
>> FIVE YEARS REMOVED, I WAS IN
NO MOOD FOR THAT MESSAGE.
NOW, I WILL GRANT YOU THAT WHEN
OBAMA LEFT OFFICE AND THERE
WERE, I THINK THE NUMBER WAS 41
STILL BEING HELD AT GUANTANAMO
WITH NO CHARGES HAVING BEEN
FILED AGAINST THEM, I'M AN
ATTORNEY, I'M DEEPLY UNSETTLED
ABOUT THAT.
FIVE YEARS REMOVED I WASN'T.
15 YEARS REMOVED, MOST CERTAINLY
I WAS.
SO I'M ONE OF THOSE WHO'S IN THE
AUDIENCE, YOU KNOW, I'M OLD
ENOUGH TO HAVE READ THE LINER
NOTES AND I'M EMBARRASSED AT THE
TIMES I DIDN'T QUITE COMPREHEND
WHAT YOU WERE SAYING.
I'VE NEVER WAVERED IN MY SUPPORT
OF THE MUSIC.
I THINK IT'S A HEALTHY
CONVERSATION TO HAVE.
IT'S WHY I LIKE BEING IN YOUR
COMPANY IS BECAUSE I LIKE
THINKING ABOUT ALL THESE THINGS.
BUT I DON'T AGREE WITH YOU ON
ALL OF THEM.
>> OKAY.
>> I GUESS I NEED TO SAY THAT.
>> OKAY.
BUT YOU DO AGREE WITH ME WITH
HABEAS CORPUS.
>> AFTER THAT LENGTH OF TIME,
IT'S NOT RIGHT THEY SHOULD BE
HELD --
>> THIS IS WHY THE RULE OF LAW
IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE IF WE
CAN FIGURE OUT A RULE OF LAW,
THEN THAT MEANS THAT WE ARE
CIVILIZED, AT LEAST TO SOME
EXTENT.
>> YOU ENJOYING YOURSELF ON THE
TOUR?
>> YEAH.
YEAH, I AM.
>> IS THIS THE LAST GO-ROUND?
YOU LOOK GREAT.
>> I DON'T KNOW -- WHO KNOWS.
MAYBE.
MAYBE NOT.
I DON'T KNOW.
WE'RE LIKE ALL OF THIS POLITICAL
STUFF THAT YOU'VE BEEN ASKING
ME, IT WOULD BE A LOT EASIER TO
BE ON TOUR IF I WASN'T DOING ANY
OF THIS, IF I DIDN'T HAVE
OPINIONS.
>> RIGHT.
THANK YOU.
I APPRECIATE YOU BEING SO
GRACIOUS WITH YOUR TIME.

Roger Waters full 'Smerconish' interview

Latest Posts