Black Crowes - Hard to handle: the life and death of the Black Crowes: a memoir

My band The Black Crowes had a hell of a run. But, man, it was weird.

Our first album, released in 1990, was huge. Our second album was also a success, and it solidified our place among the worlds best and biggest rock bands. And then things went sideways. Over the next twenty-plus years, we lost about 90 percent of our original audience. A lot of that was by choice. We purposely avoided doing things that wouldve helped to grow, or at least maintain, our fan base. We did what we did, and we didnt do what we wouldnt, for better or worse.

But heres one good thing about The Black Crowes self-destructive streak: it weeded out our casual followers and tested the resolve of our staunchest fans. In the end, the people who stuck with us really, really, fucking loved us. And its those people to whom we owe our career. Because of their support, The Black Crowes were able to maintain a healthy touring business for decades. Years after Hard to Handle, She Talks to Angels, and Remedy came and went from MTV, we could sell out theaters from coast to coast in the 2000s and 2010s, even as we continued to test the patience of our fans with a series of frustrating decisions and inevitable flameouts.

When the band called it a day for the first time in 2002, the primary cause of our internal misery was the constant battling between Chris and Rich Robinson. From the day I met them, they fought. Its not like they got famous and suddenly couldnt get along. They were never on the same page. But they had the same last name, so they figured, Well, we have to do this together , I guess.

The sibling rivalry between the Robinsons was omnipresent, and it had simply run its course. We werent young, hungry kids anymore. When we were first starting out, we were all more tolerant of each others bullshit. At the very least, we could ignore each others bullshit, pretend it wasnt as bad as it actually was, and then get on with our day.

By the time everyone was in their midthirties, it had gotten much harder to do that. The prevailing sentiment was, Guys, fucking enough already. Why are you always fighting over the same shit? The brothers would always say, This is our business. Dont worry about it. But that was impossible. Their nonsensical sibling rivalry infiltrated every aspect of the bands existence. Everybody else in the band and crew were pulled onto one side or the other, despite our best intentions to stay neutral and do whatever it took to keep the whole thing moving forward. It was exhausting.

The Black Crowes broke up in 2002, although at the time it was classified as a hiatus, which is a great word to use when you think its over but cant quite be sure if thats the case.

By 2005, there was a prevailing sense of, Well, shit lets do it right this time around . Everybody had (allegedly) grown up, and after experiencing reality outside The Black Crowes, we realized that it probably wasnt as cool as life in The Black Crowes.

There was, initially, a very real and urgent desire to not repeat mistakes. Within eighteen months, though, it was apparent that we were back on the same hamster wheel: fight, tour, record, fight, tour, record. People dont change unless they truly want to change. And The Black Crowes didnt truly want to change. It felt very much like it always had. Were a really good band, but its a total pain in the ass to be here.

There will forever be one overriding truth about The Black Croweswe were, at our best, a great fucking band. Many people loved the music we made. But enjoying that love was simply never allowed in The Black Crowes. Its frustrating that the band could never evolve to a place where there was genuine appreciation for all we had done, and for the fact that wed found and maintained an audience. I can point a finger, and people can point fingers at me. Everyone has their own perspective. But the whole thing was tense, angry, and difficult.

To be clearthere were a million laughs along the way, and there was at times a true esprit de corps in The Black Crowes. But many of those laughs and much of the bonding was fueled by denial and a desperate, gnawing fear of facing the toxic reality of our interpersonal relationships and admitting the consequences of our self-destructive decisions and lifestyles.

Between 2005 and 2010, we made three albums and toured constantly. We found ourselves living through the same grind as before. And, just as before, it became impossible to agree upon, much less maintain, a discernible set of goals.

By December of 2010, the band had completely run its course. Chris had checked out entirely. He no longer wanted any part of a band in which he didnt call every shot. He needed to be completely in control, despite a lengthy track record of calamitous decisions and misguided efforts with very painful consequences.

He put together a band called The Chris Robinson Brotherhood and then, for the second time in nine years, initiated a hiatus from The Black Crowes, intent on forging a new path that no longer required working with his brother.

I went to see that band in 2012 in Nashville. He was actually smiling. He rarely smiled that way, so genuinely, when he was onstage with The Black Crowes. I thought, Well, good for him. I hope hes actually happy.

So I was surprised when, after the gig, he asked me about doing a Black Crowes tour in 2013.

Why do you want to go back to something that makes you so miserable? I said, laughing.

But shortly thereafter plans were in full swing to tour in 2013 as a test run for an anniversary tour in 2015, to mark twenty-five years since the release of our multiplatinum 1990 debut album, Shake Your Money Maker . The tour in 2015 would also most likely be a proper farewell to our loyal fans.

We still had a few hurdles to clear. The Robinson brothers hadnt spoken in a year and a half. As our manager was putting the tour together, Chris and Rich were threatening each other in emails on a daily basis. Ill kill you if you do this Ill quit the tour if you do that, and all that standard bullshit.