The hotel balcony that Courtney Love bizarrely said is the easiest to shit from
What came first, the rock star or the trashed hotel room? It seems that while one had existed, so has the other, and in the wake of rock ‘n’ roll going mainstream, hotel rooms were really put through their paces. Courtney Love is no stranger to a trashed hotel room, and this is perfectly reflected in the fact that she has specific hotels she likes depending on the chaos she wants to ensue.
Why are rock stars so obsessed with ruining their hotel rooms? Well, being a famous musician might look like a lot of fame and glory, but it’s actually a very stressful way to live. There is a lot of pressure on rock stars; they need to write excellent music, be in the face of public scrutiny and go out on stage every night to deliver exceptional gigs to paying crowds. When your life has so many stressful factors, you need a form of release.
Noel Gallagher backed up this theory, suggesting that the destruction of a hotel room is one of the best ways that people can cure depression. “If you’re depressed, buy yourself a television, go to the nearest hotel, open a window, throw it in the car park,” he said, “Done. That’s your best cure for depression. Fuck your drugs and all that. Go see the doctor and tell him Dr Noel told you.”
In the wake of the tradition that rockstars should destroy hotel rooms comes a barrage of stories about different musicians and their affinity for destruction. Whether it was Led Zeppelin, The Who, Nirvana or Hole, whatever branch of rock ‘n’ roll you’re looking at, sofas were destroyed, beds broken, minibars raided and TV screens thrown out of windows whenever a touring band were passing through.
Courtney Love was notoriously a wild character in the world of rock, and she maintains that reputation to this day. After recently appearing on the new series of Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Greg Davies recalled how hard she was to manage as a team captain, admitting he reverted back to his old primary school teacher persona when trying to make her agree to the gameshow format.
“What am I supposed to do with that as a host? With that sort of energy?” he said, “The last thing Courtney said before she left the studio was, ‘Oh god, I hope they can get something out of that in the edit’ […] The producers, I don’t know if they’re wilfully destructive or geniuses.”
During her time on the show, she spoke briefly about her experiences in hotel rooms and, in doing so, revealed the perfect one to take a shit off. The streets of Paris may be ones paved with love and romance, but not when Courtney Love is in town. She confirmed that if you go to Paris and stay at the Chateau Marmont, you’re going to have an easy time leaning off the balcony and taking a shit. It’s not something the hotel advertises on its website, but it is useful information to know.
Love’s comment is a bizarre insight into what actually went on in a lot of hotel rooms, especially during the boom of rock music, punk and grunge. Artists seem more subdued today; there is no doubt that a lot of hotel rooms are still trashed as they tour, but the recklessness has been reeled in slightly. Subsequently, Love’s advice on the best balcony to shit off in Paris may unfortunately be coming a decade or so too late.
Still, make sure you keep this in mind: if you’re ever in Paris and Courtney Love is staying nearby, walk in the middle of the road.
