Pete in the Daily Mail
'I'm convinced someone is going to murder me,' reveals Pete Wentz
Pete Wentz could have been the next Beckham, but gave it all up to form Fall Out Boy. Bad move? Well... he's now a music and style icon who earns millions - and he even has a pop-star wife
By Jon Wilde
Last updated at 11:20 PM on 28th February 2009
Looking at the queue that snakes along New York’s Broadway, it would be fair to assume that thousands have turned out for a glimpse of Tom Cruise, the star guest on tonight’s David Letterman show. But then Fall Out Boy pull up in a limousine and, from the deafening cheers, it’s clear that most have come to see America’s coolest pop-punk band.
Band leader Pete Wentz leads the charge into the building. Diminutive at 5ft 6in, he looks every inch the rock star in shades and hip-clinging leather. In recent years, he’s become one of the most talked-about artists on the planet. He has bipolar disorder and hit the headlines in February 2005 after overdosing on prescription drugs. Further notoriety was achieved last year with marriage to singer Ashlee Simpson (Jessica’s sister) and the birth of their son, Bronx.
Born in Chicago, Wentz, 29, showed an early talent for football, but in 2001 he formed Fall Out Boy with guitarist Joe Trohman. Their breakthrough came in 2005, with the album From Under The Cork Tree selling 2.5 million copies worldwide and earning them a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. Their most recent album, Folie à Deux, was released in December. Wentz also co-owns bars in New York, Chicago and Barcelona, and lives in Los Angeles.
I refuse to answer my front door because I’m convinced someone is going to murder me.
I used to think that some day I’d end up murdering a close friend or relative. Now it’s reversed and I’m convinced it’s going to happen to me. That’s the way I’m going out, I’m completely sure of it. So I refuse to answer the front door - it greatly minimises that risk.
I never want to hear Jeff Buckley’s ‘Hallelujah’ again - it was playing when I overdosed in 2005.
It’s a hard song for me to listen to now, because it brings the moment back so vividly. It’s become such a popular song that it’s always on at parties these days, and I have to leave the room.
While I’ll always be bipolar, I find it easier to deal with now.
I remember being extremely happy at the age of four. I went to visit an aunt in Switzerland and remember feeling ecstatic the entire summer. But now is even better. With marriage and fatherhood, I’ve finally found two fixed points in my life. They’ve taught me patience. They’ve also taught me that I don’t need to feel guilty about being happy. My emotional seasons are less extreme.
If I didn’t have a baby I’d have a chimp.
In 2007, my band did a video for the single Thanks For The Memories with chimpanzees playing the parts of the director and make-up artists. They were amazing to interact with. There was this one chimp that kept putting his arm around me like he was trying to tell me, ‘I want to be your buddy.’ I felt completely safe around them. Only later did the trainer tell me that he’d had his thumb bitten off by a chimp. Even so, I’d work with them again like a shot. They’re great company. I just hope I never get into a fight with one. Those guys are a lot stronger than me.
If I’d kept all the underwear that has been thrown at me on stage I could open a very large department store.
I never know if it’s used or unused underwear - I’ve never investigated it that closely. I’ve usually got better things to do after a show, like speak on the telephone with my wife.
Until I became a dad I never knew peace of mind.
In the past my brain would never stop. Now I’m a father the world no longer revolves around me. When I’m with Bronx, he’s got my complete attention. He’s the only thing that occupies my thoughts. It fascinates me to speculate on what he’s thinking and feeling at any given moment. I also love to speculate about what kind of man he’s going to become. He could be another Neil Armstrong or Christopher Columbus. Who is he going to fall in love with? What’s his hair going to be like when he’s 15? Then, while I’m fantasising about all this stuff, he’ll go to put his hand in his mouth and end up smacking himself in the eye. He’s the single greatest achievement of my life.
If you’re going to be my friend, you need to know the difference between the real person and the rock star.
Judy Garland used to say that people would go to bed with the actress and wake up with the person. I can relate to that. If I’ve learnt one thing it’s that I need to surround myself with people who want to know the real Pete Wentz, not some myth they’ve concocted from a bunch of press clippings. I can open the door a centimetre wide and some people think I’m showing them the whole room. But all they’re getting is a glimpse. That’s all I want to show most people.
To get our son to sleep we play him Bob Dylan’s ‘You Belong To Me’.
Or a little Sinatra. My boy’s probably the last person in the world to appreciate my singing voice. Although I wrote a lullaby especially for him - you’ll find it on our new album if you look hard enough - it’s a hidden track. We had so much fun doing it I’m going to put out an album of songs for children.
My recurring nightmare is finding that Johnny Depp has joined our band.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the guy’s work. But imagine being in a band with someone who’s a million times better-looking and charming than yourself. I wouldn’t stand a chance. Same goes for Barack Obama. How could I say no if he wanted to join the band? Maybe he could do some dancing at the side of the stage. That would be cool.
Fame kills friendships.
A lot of famous people have said that it’s not they who have changed, but the people around them. You’ve just got to look out for the ones who love the hotel suites more than you. Some people happen to be pretty adept at mimicking love and true friendship. Sometimes you have to let friends go, and it’s never easy. But my coat-tails are only so long. They’ll only take so much weight.
I’m more comfortable on stage in front of 40,000 people than having a conversation with two people I don’t know too well.
Hell to me is walking into a room full of complete strangers. I don’t like any kind of attention that I’m not in control of. That’s not easy to avoid when you’re in a successful band.
I’d sooner go bald than get fat.
And I’d never settle for the Bobby Charlton comb-over. When it’s time for the hair to go, you can’t fight it. Let it go gracefully. Also, I’m not likely to grow a beard any time soon. The Beatles had the best beards in rock. They reached beard nirvana. There’s no point trying to compete.
I finally found a reason to respect George W Bush.
It was after the shoe-throwing incident - when those shoes came at him, his reflexes were so impressive. It made me think that maybe he wasn’t a great president, but he’d be fun to go out with for a few drinks.
My most prized possession is a set of 7ft tall Simpsons characters.
My wife got them, and when my family’s away they keep me company. The only thing I’d prize more is the typewriter on which Jack Kerouac wrote On The Road. I’d love to write on that thing. I’m sure I’d write at a genius level.
Football was an easier option for me, but I chose music because it felt like more of an adventurous walk into the unknown.
If I hadn’t become a musician I’m sure I could have carved out a decent career as a footballer. I loved playing the sport and there was no feeling that came close to scoring a great goal or going on a great run down the right wing and putting over a perfect cross. Doing things with the ball was a natural instinct for me. I was pretty good at it until I got bitten by the music bug. To really make it as a professional footballer, you need to be completely single-minded. Music won out in the end.
I feel a real affinity with Darth Vader.
Villains are just more interesting to me. Most of the time I’m a good villain. I’ve got a loud bark and a soft bite. I’ve got a villainous streak, but I’m no Mussolini. Even on a bad day I draw the line at fascism.
Fall Out Boy’s album ‘Folie à Deux’ is out now.
For UK tour details visit falloutboyrock.com
[source]
Pete Wentz could have been the next Beckham, but gave it all up to form Fall Out Boy. Bad move? Well... he's now a music and style icon who earns millions - and he even has a pop-star wife
By Jon Wilde
Last updated at 11:20 PM on 28th February 2009
Looking at the queue that snakes along New York’s Broadway, it would be fair to assume that thousands have turned out for a glimpse of Tom Cruise, the star guest on tonight’s David Letterman show. But then Fall Out Boy pull up in a limousine and, from the deafening cheers, it’s clear that most have come to see America’s coolest pop-punk band.
Band leader Pete Wentz leads the charge into the building. Diminutive at 5ft 6in, he looks every inch the rock star in shades and hip-clinging leather. In recent years, he’s become one of the most talked-about artists on the planet. He has bipolar disorder and hit the headlines in February 2005 after overdosing on prescription drugs. Further notoriety was achieved last year with marriage to singer Ashlee Simpson (Jessica’s sister) and the birth of their son, Bronx.
Born in Chicago, Wentz, 29, showed an early talent for football, but in 2001 he formed Fall Out Boy with guitarist Joe Trohman. Their breakthrough came in 2005, with the album From Under The Cork Tree selling 2.5 million copies worldwide and earning them a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. Their most recent album, Folie à Deux, was released in December. Wentz also co-owns bars in New York, Chicago and Barcelona, and lives in Los Angeles.
I refuse to answer my front door because I’m convinced someone is going to murder me.
I used to think that some day I’d end up murdering a close friend or relative. Now it’s reversed and I’m convinced it’s going to happen to me. That’s the way I’m going out, I’m completely sure of it. So I refuse to answer the front door - it greatly minimises that risk.
I never want to hear Jeff Buckley’s ‘Hallelujah’ again - it was playing when I overdosed in 2005.
It’s a hard song for me to listen to now, because it brings the moment back so vividly. It’s become such a popular song that it’s always on at parties these days, and I have to leave the room.
While I’ll always be bipolar, I find it easier to deal with now.
I remember being extremely happy at the age of four. I went to visit an aunt in Switzerland and remember feeling ecstatic the entire summer. But now is even better. With marriage and fatherhood, I’ve finally found two fixed points in my life. They’ve taught me patience. They’ve also taught me that I don’t need to feel guilty about being happy. My emotional seasons are less extreme.
If I didn’t have a baby I’d have a chimp.
In 2007, my band did a video for the single Thanks For The Memories with chimpanzees playing the parts of the director and make-up artists. They were amazing to interact with. There was this one chimp that kept putting his arm around me like he was trying to tell me, ‘I want to be your buddy.’ I felt completely safe around them. Only later did the trainer tell me that he’d had his thumb bitten off by a chimp. Even so, I’d work with them again like a shot. They’re great company. I just hope I never get into a fight with one. Those guys are a lot stronger than me.
If I’d kept all the underwear that has been thrown at me on stage I could open a very large department store.
I never know if it’s used or unused underwear - I’ve never investigated it that closely. I’ve usually got better things to do after a show, like speak on the telephone with my wife.
Until I became a dad I never knew peace of mind.
In the past my brain would never stop. Now I’m a father the world no longer revolves around me. When I’m with Bronx, he’s got my complete attention. He’s the only thing that occupies my thoughts. It fascinates me to speculate on what he’s thinking and feeling at any given moment. I also love to speculate about what kind of man he’s going to become. He could be another Neil Armstrong or Christopher Columbus. Who is he going to fall in love with? What’s his hair going to be like when he’s 15? Then, while I’m fantasising about all this stuff, he’ll go to put his hand in his mouth and end up smacking himself in the eye. He’s the single greatest achievement of my life.
If you’re going to be my friend, you need to know the difference between the real person and the rock star.
Judy Garland used to say that people would go to bed with the actress and wake up with the person. I can relate to that. If I’ve learnt one thing it’s that I need to surround myself with people who want to know the real Pete Wentz, not some myth they’ve concocted from a bunch of press clippings. I can open the door a centimetre wide and some people think I’m showing them the whole room. But all they’re getting is a glimpse. That’s all I want to show most people.
To get our son to sleep we play him Bob Dylan’s ‘You Belong To Me’.
Or a little Sinatra. My boy’s probably the last person in the world to appreciate my singing voice. Although I wrote a lullaby especially for him - you’ll find it on our new album if you look hard enough - it’s a hidden track. We had so much fun doing it I’m going to put out an album of songs for children.
My recurring nightmare is finding that Johnny Depp has joined our band.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the guy’s work. But imagine being in a band with someone who’s a million times better-looking and charming than yourself. I wouldn’t stand a chance. Same goes for Barack Obama. How could I say no if he wanted to join the band? Maybe he could do some dancing at the side of the stage. That would be cool.
Fame kills friendships.
A lot of famous people have said that it’s not they who have changed, but the people around them. You’ve just got to look out for the ones who love the hotel suites more than you. Some people happen to be pretty adept at mimicking love and true friendship. Sometimes you have to let friends go, and it’s never easy. But my coat-tails are only so long. They’ll only take so much weight.
I’m more comfortable on stage in front of 40,000 people than having a conversation with two people I don’t know too well.
Hell to me is walking into a room full of complete strangers. I don’t like any kind of attention that I’m not in control of. That’s not easy to avoid when you’re in a successful band.
I’d sooner go bald than get fat.
And I’d never settle for the Bobby Charlton comb-over. When it’s time for the hair to go, you can’t fight it. Let it go gracefully. Also, I’m not likely to grow a beard any time soon. The Beatles had the best beards in rock. They reached beard nirvana. There’s no point trying to compete.
I finally found a reason to respect George W Bush.
It was after the shoe-throwing incident - when those shoes came at him, his reflexes were so impressive. It made me think that maybe he wasn’t a great president, but he’d be fun to go out with for a few drinks.
My most prized possession is a set of 7ft tall Simpsons characters.
My wife got them, and when my family’s away they keep me company. The only thing I’d prize more is the typewriter on which Jack Kerouac wrote On The Road. I’d love to write on that thing. I’m sure I’d write at a genius level.
Football was an easier option for me, but I chose music because it felt like more of an adventurous walk into the unknown.
If I hadn’t become a musician I’m sure I could have carved out a decent career as a footballer. I loved playing the sport and there was no feeling that came close to scoring a great goal or going on a great run down the right wing and putting over a perfect cross. Doing things with the ball was a natural instinct for me. I was pretty good at it until I got bitten by the music bug. To really make it as a professional footballer, you need to be completely single-minded. Music won out in the end.
I feel a real affinity with Darth Vader.
Villains are just more interesting to me. Most of the time I’m a good villain. I’ve got a loud bark and a soft bite. I’ve got a villainous streak, but I’m no Mussolini. Even on a bad day I draw the line at fascism.
Fall Out Boy’s album ‘Folie à Deux’ is out now.
For UK tour details visit falloutboyrock.com
[source]