The "What Happened to the Slip" Thread

[Caleb]

Guys,

What really happened? Everybody just says "they wanted to do something else", but there's got to be a little more to the story.

Anybody?

Didn't like touring so much? Didn't like the "Jam Band" stigma? The Barr's moving away was too much? Tension within the band? Money? Something else?

I always kind of got this "Brad wants to be a singer songwriter type musician, Marc was more into the jam/jazz thing" but that could be completely fabricated.

They pop up once a year now... It's just terrible.

If anyone could set the record straight once and for all, I think there are a lot of us who would like to know.


C

[Kevin_Kjr]

thats like asking, who created the universe

[lucasdavidsamuels]

seems simple.

The Slip would always be a cult band (and I'm sure they all knew that)

The Barr Brothers had the ability (and are on the right path) to 'making it'

[johnhk4]

well, i heard that that marc was abducted by aliens somewhere near allston, MA, and in the ensuing space journey, he lost all ability to play the bass. ditching the aliens somewhere near uranus, he hopped an asteriod back to earth, re-learning the bass with each passing light year. once he learns the ins-and-outs of walking on earth's gravity again, there is talk of a new slip album recorded at abbey road studios, mastered by jack white, with studio guitar work from the original paul mccartney's ghost, and a slew of voice overs throughout the album including WBEZ Chicago's Carl Castle. they will then make an appearance in season 87 of the simpsons, set to air in fall of 2065.

clear things up?

but in all reality, yea i miss them terribly, although i really like the barrs stuff!

[Rob Turner]

Could it possibly be as simple as The Barrs wanted to move to Montreal and Marc didn't?!?

[Kevin_Kjr]

i would imagine it had something to do with the direction of the band... Marc probably wanted to do more of the jazzy stuff of the old, and Brad wanted to do the more Rock/ Folky stuff.. and andrew was like Drums Bro

[bear]

I thinks its as simple as they couldn't make money. They were getting older and needed some security. They pushed the band big with Eisenhower and still could sell only 22 tickets in places like Nebraska, it wasn't sustainable. I think Harry's right, they are a cult band and the BBros stuff appeals to a much wider audience and has more potential for success. Musically, they are constantly evolving, even within the SLip. Given that Marc just joined Big Light, I dont think he wants to do "the jazzy stuff of old" at all. Actually, I would say Marc had the biggest influence in the band gravitating away from the jazzier sound and embracing the indie rock, avant-rock style

[bear]

from the man himself - " I think you’re right to say a lot of it is just that so many years of doing it one way, and finally kind of knowing that if we’re going to do this we want to do it right. Like The Slip had a very niche audience and it was never going to become something that really we could make a living. In your 20s it’s fine living, but you get older and it isn’t really sustainable. So with this we, even though it was kind of coincidental, we knew we had good music and if we wanted to do it we were going to do it well and get a good team together. Good management, booking, and all that stuff. And that’s just sort of what we set out to do with it."

nice interview with Brad http://stylusmagazine.ca/2012/07/19/the ... confident/

[stlbadger]

Brad has told me personally that a new Slip album is in the works. So to insinuate that they're "over" is kinda odd. The Slip stretches far and wide, and I think it will always be there for them.

[bear]

I dont think anyone is insinuating that the Slip is over, just on the back burner. They have 2 albums left on bar None and I believe one is more or less in the can but the Barrs are busy with their band and Marc produced and joined Big Light which are releasing their new album in September and touring this fall. The SLip is now just a side project as weird as that sounds, hell they introduced "Take the Bus" as a new song at this years High Sierra, i saw them play that tune for the first time in June of 2009.

[Kevin_Kjr]

They have so many great live songs that never made it to a studio album. Im surprised they dont just release a mix of great live songs from over the years. Or just take songs they've done in the past and redo them for a studio album

[booher]

They have so many great live songs that never made it to a studio album. Im surprised they dont just release a mix of great live songs from over the years. Or just take songs they've done in the past and redo them for a studio album

I think I've said it here before, but I think a lot of the songs they did would be great redone as BBros songs.

And if I can throw this out there, if they want to keep a theme of putting a cover on their new album (BBros, not The Slip), they should definitely do Ride On. They nail that one. the one from the 1-13-2011 Parima show is awesome.

[johnhk4]

broke the promised land.... see 3-21-07...

[gbrignoli]

agreed on Broke the Promise Land. i would love to see that put on an album.

[johnhk4]

so much buzz lately about jack white and the black keys, and even devotchka or mumford and sons, or avett bros, or lumineers, or head and heart etc etc everyone saying there's this 'roots' music and 'americana' revival... but i gotta say between the barrs and the slip, they could easily be at the top of that list of bands with another album release. i'm not trying to rush the creativity, but it seems like the bbros could climb pretty high pretty fast in this current trend! i think the bbros LP is a good momentus start, but keep that momentum up fellas! drop some info about a new album coming soon to stoke some interest in the first album. i'll be happy to plaster my trendy brooklyn 'hood with posters too.