The DRAMATIC RISE & SAD FALL of PUDDLE OF MUDD & WES SCANTLIN

Fan of Puddle of Mudd? Been meaning to do this story for a long time. In the small town I grew up in, people LOVED this band.

The wife and I saw them in Ocean CIty this year. Other than the sound system in the joint, they were great for a small venue. All of these different groups have had their demons and so on, but Wes is still out there putting on a good show. Dont knock them until you witness them live for yourself.

Saw Wez in the Whiskey bar on Melrose about 4 years ago with his dog. He was clearly outta his mind he just walked up to me smiled giggling in my face and he split. It scared the shit outta me! Fast forward a year or so and a friend of mine was mixing Puddle at the Whiskey so I didn’t expect much BOY WAS I SURPRISED! Home boy was on point the show was packed and Wez did a killer show! He blew the crowd away and impressed everyone! He’s a quality musician when he’s sober!

Doesn’t matter what people say about them. Back in 2002 I had my first big love in life, I was allowed to stay over night, which was like a miracle for me. Outside the weather was cold and we cuddled on the couch under a big warm blanket. No worries in that moment, life & everything was just perfect. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was. None of us admitted to be tired, we just enjoyed holding each other. But shortly after that she felt asleep first, I just looked at her face. I thought she was the most beautiful being I have ever seen. i looked at her until I fell asleep myself. For some reason there was a Puddle Of Mudd CD in the stereo. The player was broken and kept repeating the song “she f*cking hates me”. Even we fell asleep, both heard it in our dreaming. After the 20 times or I woke up in middle of the night and wanted to turn off the stereo. Then she woke up and asked me “Did you also think this song was never ending in your dream”. We both laughed and went to bed. Every time I’m hearing something from Puddle Of Mudd it takes me back to that night and this moment. Since then I never was in love like that again, since then I never felt the same again for any person. I carry this until I die.

I grew up with Wes and his family. Dreaming of becoming rock stars, we would draw electric guitars on plywood and my dad would cut out the pattern with a jigsaw.  We first met around 1976. Our parents were good friends. Even as little kids, my brother, Wes's brother and I all knew that Wes was different and had star power. We had a blast growing up in Antioch, Missouri. Nothing but great memories from way back in the day. Of course I've always followed his course and wish Wes nothing but the best.

I just remember being in high school when these guys came around, and nobody liked them because they were just another one of those “lurr” bands when every word they sang began and ended with either an R or a Y 😂

Imagine going to Fred Durst and asking his permission to be a musician

imagine getting kicked out of your hometown cuz you started wearing a hat

Puddle of Mudd played The Cuban Club here in Tampa, Florida in 2017. They were AWESOME 👏 Wes was great & I got to meet him. One of the best shows I’ve been to.

Blurry is still a tear jerker

I used to go to Puddle of Mudd field-parties back in the day. Wes Scantlin wasn't in the band. Puddle of Mudd was basically done, members on their separate ways before Scantlin ever came on the scene. Had various friends who opened for Scantlin over the years and they all said the same things- a dick and a diva.

The 90s was a wild time for music.

I met Wes in 07 just before he got married while I was working as a revenue auditor at a beach resort. His fiance kept calling the front desk asking for his room number (of which I could not disclose) So I would transfer to his room. After a few hours he unplugged the phone and eventually came to the front desk with a very high end escort asking which strip club in the area was the best and for a cab to take them there. Fiance called maybe 15 times or so... I knew that marriage would never last lol.

The puddle dried up ...

I was never a fan of this band, and that cover they did of Nirvana really sealed their fate

Literally the worst band I've ever seen play live, even trust company was better and they didn't even show up.

I started really listening to Puddle of Mudd in high school, originally because a girl I liked was really into them. It was right when they'd release the album Famous (2007), which blew them up again for a while. I thought that album was alright, and I'd remember liking some tracks from Come Clean that were big on the radio when I was a younger kid, but what really intrigued me was their early stuff from the 90s - The albums Stuck and Abrasive, as well as their early demos from around that time. Those show that the original lineup of Wes, Jimmy, Sean and Kenny had something substantial to them, even if its execution was rough around the edges. Interestingly, "Drift and Die", "She Hates Me", and another song from their major days, "Nobody Told Me", were all written and recorded in the 90s. Nowadays, it's difficult to get a read on them, with their many lineup changes, and especially with Wes's erratic and seemingly bizarre behavior over the years. I liked how their latest album was led by a re-recording of "You Don't Know" from Stuck, and how the four original guys all seem to be on okay terms with one another, but they're like a mixed bag.

My band Dead Amsterdam opened up for them in August and had a bunch of people say we we're better. Took them over 2 hours for soundcheck and then later on when it was time to go on they turned their amps way up so the soundcheck was meaningless. Wes was cool but you can tell he's a loose cannon.

They pissed it all away.

I wandered into the parking area of their bus one time in Burlington VT, and he was outside throwing football with the crew, he saw me, and threw the ball to me, and I am still amazed how I caught that ball, but I did, threw it back and I knew I was ok to come and hang for a few. He had his little dog with him, crushing coors light cans, and being super cool. Took some pics, and chatted for a few and headed back to find my wife (now ex) in line and brag to her and everyone else where I just was. Met him again and was still a very nice and cool dude, but there was a whole lot people with lucky encounters like that didn’t see the real struggles he was going through, until we saw the headlines come across our newsfeeds. Hopefully with the news about him being quiet lately, he’s getting his life together. Unfortunately we’ll never see a full reunion, too many bridges burned, better opportunities, and Paul is battling illness that will make him probably never able to perform again.