What is Kip Winger’s deal?

[ParaDime77]

Was listening to Eddie Trunk interview Kip today for the new Winger Box set. It’s not the first or second time I’ve listened to Kip being interviewed. He’s a very mercurial individual in listening to him speak. I can’t tell if he’s bored, burned out, depressed or or a flat out jerk when answering questions about music or his band. To me personally, Winger is a supremely talented band with a lot of very good songs. Listening to Kip, you would think the whole band and genre are old hat and he’s absolutely indifferent in speaking about it. I’ve watched the band live while being very close to the stage, same odd vibe. To those who know or have met him, what’s his deal?

[sicktwistedfreak]

Worked with Winger when I was working for Atlantic Records and he never gave off a weird vibe to me. I think he's just a very direct person and seems to lean more on the serious side. Always came across as thoughtful and very smart.

Reb and Rod were over the top nice and it made working with them a pleasure!!

[Zabooka]

Listen to him answer about how he feels about the Lars dart incident. You'd think Lars ran over his dog.



VIDEO: https://youtu.be/3KFaKtowsMo

[greengoblinrulz]

He's 64 now, so a lil older for that 88+ debut group of acts
His 5yr run with Alice gives him the, "Im better than others" attitude
We've joked he had a light form of Asbergers due to his inability to communicate with people he deems "under him"

[DonJuanDeMarco]

He's always been like the reluctant rock star. Obviously, he was happier during the first 2 records when they were selling millions and had hit singles. Other than that, he always mumbles. Has a real laid back quiet personality. He's from Colorado if that has anything to do with it! Not a New Yorker or LA dude!

He's a big ballet and classical guy too which is more quiet and peaceful than 80's rock!

In general, REB is the guy that really brings Winger songs to life with his guitar playing. Without Reb I have a feeling Kip would be doing all prog rock kinda stuff.

[dmbrocker]

He's always been like the reluctant rock star. Obviously, he was happier during the first 2 records when they were selling millions and had hit singles. Other than that, he always mumbles. Has a real laid back quiet personality. He's from Colorado if that has anything to do with it! Not a New Yorker or LA dude!

He's a big ballet and classical guy too which is more quiet and peaceful than 80's rock!

In general, REB is the guy that really brings Winger songs to life with his guitar playing. Without Reb I have a feeling Kip would be doing all prog rock kinda stuff.

And then you have Rod, who is a supremely talented drummer from his Dixie Dregs days as well. There was plenty of musical talent to go around in prime '88-'93 Winger.

[BDG135]

He'd probably be happier spending time composing Classical pieces, but Winger is how he can make $$.

[DangerZone]

That initial backlash against 80s rock was brutal and his band/name got it the worst.
He’s probably a bit gun shy.

But it’s one of those damned if you do situations.
Someone’s gonna interpret you as a jerk either way

[Whatever Happened To…]

On that recent three part hair metal documentary, I Wanna Rock, Kip came across as a decent guy who was wistful and regretful that the band's fame didn't continue. It really affected him when it all came down. He's made a good living as a movie music composer, but he did say that once you've experienced the high of being onstage and successful, noting else could ever compare.

His were some of the best interviews in that doc. Well worth a watch if you didn't catch it.

[Bono Nettencourt]

What did he think was gonna happen? He got a bunch of studio cats together to chase the latest trend and cash in. It's not like they were making some kind of art that suddenly went over the publics head. Was all gonna end sometime and he got 2 more platinum records than a lot of bands doing the same thing did. If he was really all that he would've been able to go forward with his own style. He was lucky and connected enough to be in the right place at the right time.

[Wednesday 13 Fan]

What did he think was gonna happen? He got a bunch of studio cats together to chase the latest trend and cash in. It's not like they were making some kind of art that suddenly went over the publics head. Was all gonna end sometime and he got 2 more platinum records than a lot of bands doing the same thing did. If he was really all that he would've been able to go forward with his own style. He was lucky and connected enough to be in the right place at the right time.

Exactly this. Several hit singles, and even then barely went platinum. Waiting three years for his third album, and pussing out in Playgirl didn't help either.

[MetalSludgeCEO]

This is what I know about Kip Winger... some from first hand experience, some from people who worked with him and some from random hearsay.

1. I have met Kip a handful of times, and he has always been very polite, very cool and an overall good guy.

2. A girl I knew said she went back to his Hotel room with him, this is early 90's and that he had a max horse dick! She said "No way, I am not fucking you", and he told her "I will wear 2 condoms!" lol... swear on Wolfie's inheritance.

3. A buddy used to roadie for them and he said that Kip would come out of the bathroom completely naked, into the dressing room and just start doing jumping-jacks in front of the band and crew. Lol. Also, serious as an E-Z-O heart attack here. I guess he is quite the funny guy, and of course, everyone runs out of the dressing room.

*Note: This roadie also confirmed full on Horse dick.

3. I am no true musician's musician here, and I can admit that. But, I have also heard from several others, Kip is on another level compared to 98% of the guys in these bands, along with most rock or metal guys in general. A very smart, very talented, very experienced musician.

The jumping-jacks story still has me laughing.

$tEvil

[aznsquirt]

Wait, why would wearing 2 condoms make a huge dick more fuckable? Or did he misunderstand her reluctance?

Anyway, I the OP's guesses are correct. I'm a huge Kip fan and have listened to tons of interviews from his whole career.

I think these days he sort of has a combo of generally being tired, uninspired by the interview, and a humbleness that makes him come across maybe a little more grumpy and/or bitter than he really is.

[Nate S Axel]

I remember his first 20 Questions with Sludge, which SUCKED so bad that he eventually wanted a re-do:
https://metalsludge.tv/classic/?p=28616

Aside from documentaries, he's probably just not an interview guy, especially answering the same questions 100 times in a row.

[Bono Nettencourt]

Went thru some recent interviews and noticed that one saw he clings to is "if we started Winger 4 years earlier, we'd've headlined arenas." Not exactly humble, or realistic either. I'll give him some credit tho, he does pretty freely admit that he was a poser and that he enjoyed that part of it.

[Love_Industry]

Went thru some recent interviews and noticed that one saw he clings to is "if we started Winger 4 years earlier, we'd've headlined arenas."

Winger started in 87 and had their first album out in 88. 4 years earlier, they could have been Ratt, Cinderella or even Bon Jovi.. well maybe not Diamond selling BJ. The genre was still fresh and there was room at the top after Twisted and Quiet Riot crashed and burned.

[GoodJudge]

What's his deal? It's because anyone in the real world that even remembers Winger does so for 1 of 3 reasons:

Beavis + Butthead
Lars' dartboard
Cutting down the sleeves and collars of his t-shirts to a thin strap

The music? Not really. There was no More Than Words or To Be With You or even Silent Lucidity that broke out of the genre and still gets put on soft rock compilations, let alone anything harder. He had a decent run for what it was, and did better than most. But it's still.just forgettable bubblegum.

[Bono Nettencourt]

Went thru some recent interviews and noticed that one saw he clings to is "if we started Winger 4 years earlier, we'd've headlined arenas."

Winger started in 87 and had their first album out in 88. 4 years earlier, they could have been Ratt, Cinderella or even Bon Jovi.. well maybe not Diamond selling BJ. The genre was still fresh and there was room at the top after Twisted and Quiet Riot crashed and burned.

Right... but the two things he conveniently leaves out is that he was a studio cat still figuring out what he wanted to do, and that the genre wasn't established enough to really imitate yet.

[AlexVonHaig]

A group of about 12 of us went to a club Winger gig about 4 years ago. My and another wife were in the front row. The stage was only 2 feet off the ground. The wives had their hands up cheering, right in front of Kip. A sequence of events later had both wives hands touching his private area. Both wives can confirm, hung like a horse.

[parasite74]

He is a cry baby little bitch.

[SexxAtraxxion]

I like his solo debut album: "This Conversation Seems Like a Dream" (1997). It was recorded after his wife died in a car accident.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TDHxAa-3WU

[Psychobolia.com]

I don't care how hung he is, I've given Pull a few chances and I still think it sucks.

The whole Sludge holy trinity is crap! (yes, fuck MC94 and that shitty Weren't album too!)

[Nate S Axel]

and that shitty Weren't album too!)

Sounds like a local French band? Have you checked out Warrant's "Dog Eat Dog"?

[Bono Nettencourt]

I don't care how hung he is, I've given Pull a few chances and I still think it sucks.

I don't understand, did you pull it, or did you suck it?

[LovePowerFromTheMamaHead]

I don't care how hung he is, I've given Pull a few chances and I still think it sucks.

The whole Sludge holy trinity is crap! (yes, fuck MC94 and that shitty Weren't album too!)

Winger IV blows Pull away. It is easily their best work

[aznsquirt]

I don't care how hung he is, I've given Pull a few chances and I still think it sucks.

The whole Sludge holy trinity is crap! (yes, fuck MC94 and that shitty Weren't album too!)

Winger IV blows Pull away. It is easily their best work

THANK YOU.

[BiggusDickus]

I talked to him four times in Brazil. One time I had some LPs for him to sign after one of his solo shows, there was only me and some three or four fans, not really a M&G. I ran into the promoter and he said they had no pen. And I asked, "Why? Are you underestimating the artist you hired?" and started an argument with this guy, in Portuguese. Kip Winger saw it. He looked at us, he saw there was something going on. He came to me and said: "I have a pen on my case" (I don't know how he guessed I had an argument about a pen with that idiot). He goes down the stairs running very fast (he's short, it was funny) and comes back with a pen and signs all my shit. I told the promoter: "The talented artist you hired is more humble than you - a nobody".

Some years later before a Winger (the band) show I told Kip: "This is YOUR sixth time in Brazil". I meant HIM, not the band (it was 2nd time the band came to Brazil). We talked about other things like Psychoanalisys, Freud and Jung. He was always very cool. And as soon as the band hits the stage, I think after the 1st song Kip says: "Hello! This is OUR sixth time in Brazil"...

Always a great guy. Reb too. I once said to a drunken Reb Beach: "I'm Kip Winger's lost son". He looked at me and said: "You look like Kip"!

[Tommy2Tone84]

Listen to him answer about how he feels about the Lars dart incident. You'd think Lars ran over his dog.



VIDEO: https://youtu.be/3KFaKtowsMo

I remember that. It was around the same time Lars and his band went soft and started to suck.

[BiggusDickus]

I like his solo debut album: "This Conversation Seems Like a Dream" (1997). It was recorded after his wife died in a car accident.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TDHxAa-3WU

Actually TCSLAD was written before the tragedy. Songs From The Ocean Floor was the one recorded after the accident. Resurrection is one of the songs directly related to the death of his wife.

[SikkiNixx]

Worked with Winger when I was working for Atlantic Records and he never gave off a weird vibe to me. I think he's just a very direct person and seems to lean more on the serious side. Always came across as thoughtful and very smart.

Reb and Rod were over the top nice and it made working with them a pleasure!!

Hey dude, .... When did you stop working for Atlantic Records?? Did you work at the NYC office in the Sony building on Maddison Ave (I believe)??