The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: John Barnett From Ned

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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

I am the lead singer and guitarist for the band Ned and we play a loud, brash, Appalachian version of Stoner music. We started in 2014 In a small holler called Southfork with John Barnett and Stevie Watkins as the two founders. I always just wanted to be a guitar player or a drummer until the band I was in at the time (Whip lash) needed a singer and everyone refused to do it and I kind of got nominated. Even though I never sang before, within 3 years it was all I did because the other members hired two guitar players and there was no room left for a third guitar player even though I was the first. I kind of just got stuck on singing there for a while. This was all before Ned and kind of the reason I was the guitar player and singer in Ned and the only one at that. I never wanted to do just singing. I didn’t know where to put my hands and I didn’t realize being a singer meant you were the front man also meaning you’re an entertainer. At that point in my life I was only ready to be a musician, later on I learned how to be more of an entertainer and not just a musician.

Describe your first musical memory.

I actually have two; the first one drew my curiosity to music and the 2nd got me involved in playing music. The first one I have faint memories of and it was when I was about three or four. My grandfather (Andrew Jack Mullins) used to come over and play the guitar for me. He was a professional musician, who back in the 1960s, went to Nashville and recorded a couple singles. His biggest hit, in my opinion, is “Tonight I’m So Lonesome My Darling”. The second memory came from when I was going to church when I was about 12 or 13 years old. I walked into church before service and I noticed one of the older kids at the pool pit playing what I assumed was a guitar, come to find out it was a bass. I expressed my interest in learning how to play an instrument and he took me under his wing and showed me how to play three songs; “Smoke on the Water”, “Iron Man”, and the intro to “Carry on My Wayward Son”. He was also one of the guitar players who replaced me later on. Although I wasn’t happy I was only singing, I was happy that my guitar teacher was in my band and he was a great guitar player, better than me. So ultimately it was the best decision to make him a guitar player in the band.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

This is a tough question to answer because I have good memories in different parts of music. But I will make it short and sweet. When it comes to mainstream bigger bands ,hands down, it had to be the scream from Slayer on the song “Angel of Death” at Riverbend in Ohio. Hearing it live for the first time, it’s so powerful. Local bands now; The best memory I have is the show that I booked up in a small town called Birdseye Indiana. We threw a benefit show with my band Ned, my other band Artificial Hatred, and several more. We raised money for a women’s halfway house so they can get new plumbing installed and continue treatment. Unbeknownst to us, a member of the community’s house burnt down and we were able to raise some money for them as well. I feel like this is one of the best things I’ve ever done with my music. Now, this next one hits close to home. I moved from Richmond KY back to my hometown Jackson KY in July of last year and for quite some time, Stevie wasn’t the drummer in the band Ned but that was going to change. Ned was back home and Stevie was able to be a part of it again. We loaded up generators and went to our old practice room and got in two songs before the amp killed over. Luckily we got to go do that, even if it was for two songs. Stevie passed away shortly after that day due to medical malpractice at our local hospital. Even though we only played for the 6 months I was back home, I’m glad that I chose to move back home to spend it with him.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

This is gonna be a long one! So as I said before I used to go to church, that doesn’t make me holier than now but I do have some morals. I don’t steal, I don’t kill, and for me money is the root of all evil but we gotta have it to survive. I say this to set up what I’m about to say next. We booked a show with a person within a day’s notice because one of my dearest friends was a vendor and overheard the festival saying the sound guy quit and took the bands with him. Her being as helpful as she is recommended having Ned. Now Ned hasn’t played in a couple years in a live setting, we didn’t even have a drummer. But we showed up, found drummers while we were there, and we gave them a hell of a show. We were also invited back for another gig with my other band (Artificial Hatred).

After that show we started hearing rumors that we stole equipment. I messaged the booker and was met with “Well that’s what I heard but I’m not telling you who told me”. A couple of f-bombs later, we didn’t talk anymore and I was still no closer to finding out who started the rumor. So I went on about my business and called it a loss; oh well, there’s someone talking about me, life goes on. We wanted to book a show down in London, Kentucky, called Mountains of Metal. So, we get a hold of the Booker and we’re told to hit them back up next year because they were full. So we did the next year and the year after that and the year after that. Eventually, I found out that the booker for Mountains of Metal is also friends with the booker of that other show and runs the lights for Mountains of Metal.

Come to find out, the booker for that show Mountains of Metal was also in another band that I’ve booked two or three times and didn’t realize it. So, realizing that I had his band booked at an upcoming show, I made plans to talk one on one with him about this. Now, the story is I stole equipment off one of my ex-band members and that this guy is his friend and he’s not going to put our band on his show because that’s his friend and he doesn’t want to screw his friend over. Even though his friend’s a liar and made up rumors but we’ll get there. So the band that I supposedly stole off of I was good friends with still, they probably didn’t know that. I messaged a member of that band and he responded with “No, we haven’t heard anything like that. We were hoping that we all could get together and play music again soon.” That doesn’t sound like someone who’s mad at me for stealing equipment.

So, I put it out to the public and it was met with crickets. After I prove that rumor wrong, another rumor popped up from the same people that I apparently stole land out from under them. Now, what they’re referring to is the beginning of this story when Ned went to go play a show last minute; that show was on a festival grounds where that group of bookers threw shows sometimes but did not own. We were approached by the landowner into throwing a show there with our team. We also asked the previous bookers if they wanted to be involved and where they didn’t have control, they said no. I mean if I’m going to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on a show I’m going to be in control and not someone who doesn’t have a dime in it. They claim that we stole that land out from under them when they didn’t even own it to begin with and neither did we.

So yeah, I’m hurt over the fact that someone out there can go out and lie on somebody, get a group of people to believe it, and destroy any chances of someone taking that path in music when the person who was accused is innocent. I took it to Facebook live and asked if anybody has a problem with me to handle it with me like an adult, to sit down and have a conversation and do whatever we have to do to resolve this. Because it wasn’t fair and still isn’t fair to me that unknown people apparently know me well enough to destroy my music career at that time. That was also met with crickets online.

The last part of this story is the most mind-blowing to me because of who I am and probably to the people who know me as well. One of the people who was a part of all that became no longer part of that and became really good friends with me. And according to him, they were afraid that I was going to bring a gun and shoot up the place! First of all I don’t even own a gun, second of all if I did decide to do that it wouldn’t be directed towards a bunch of innocent people. I will go after the one who caused me the problems and make an example out of him. But again, I have morals and even though that might be a quick solution to the problem, it creates a lot more problems than a good long-lasting solution. So basically I didn’t need them and apparently they don’t need me. Did I mention the guy was accused of meeting up with underage girls but was let off because the cops messed up and now that guy is around children and young girls doing these festivals all the time and no one says a word? All I wanted to do was play music! And people like that that made it about everything but music and will spread rumors about you just because they are jealous and see you as threat was a major test for me.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

I believe it leads to more technically advanced progressive music, but it also hinders your ability to make fun little songs, which throughout the course of history, are known to be the biggest hits and make the most money. Not saying there’s not some technically advanced stuff in there but the majority of it is fully processed computerized hog slop. If success was based on skill, Beethoven would still be in the top 40 and so would Frank Zappa, Gojira, Cannibal Corpse, and many many others. The musical climate would be completely different and a lot of them bands that I’ve mentioned probably wouldn’t even existed if musical success was based on skill.

How do you define success?

It’s funny because 13-year-old me, 18-year-old me, and 25-year-old me would all have a different answer so I’m going to give you 30-year-old me’s answer. Success is doing something that you love to do and that doesn’t hinder your life in a negative way. It’s having dedicated people with the same “Why are we doing this?”. It’s finding solace in the chaotic world that we are forced to live in. And if we’re talking about being in a band, I would just love for people to come out and enjoy the show and if they enjoyed it so much be able to have merchandise that they can purchase and if they don’t have money to purchase it be well off enough that you can just give it to them. Notice how I didn’t say money equals success? For me it doesn’t. For me money is the by-product of success. You don’t get money unless you are successful. So being successful has to come first in whatever facet of life you decide to take.

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

Definitely the true nature of people. Also, how young people who genuinely believe that bringing everybody together is the key to a successful scene and then the old people using that same technique to create competition in the young blood while they are taking advantage of the musical environment. What I’m trying to say is the older musicians that have been around are like Hulk Hogan in WCW; they deliberately keep the younger people down to hold their spot because they just don’t have it anymore and the younger people can pass them up and they know that. So they hold on to these venues and opportunities like a lifeline because it is but literally if everyone worked together and understood the reason that this person is the headliner and it’s because he is that good and not solely based on “Well I’ve been doing it for 8 – 10 years”, we might actually get something somewhere. All these people that I looked up to when I first got into the scene are just sad to me now. How can you be the biggest thing in your scene for five-six years and never go anywhere? It’s all superficial and it’s uncanny to see with my rose tinted glasses off on this side of life now.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

I’m going to have to say, a self-sustaining band. Like I said in the previous question, I’d like for people to show up, have a good time, and buy merchandise if they like the music well enough. Now I’ve played bigger shows and smaller shows and I appreciate every single person who comes out, but to have the feeling of not being able to get in the crowd because there are so many people and running out of merchandise because so many people are buying it is the feeling that I want to create that I haven’t had yet. The feeling of being wanted and included in something that is bigger than me and doing something that generally makes a difference in people’s lives is what I want.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

For me, it’s meditation and medication. I’ve noticed when I go long periods of time without playing music I get tiresome, restless, and easy irritable. I need an avenue to express those feelings of sadness, anger and sometimes happiness. The only time I ever feel free to do as I please is when I step up on that stage and I take control for 45 minutes to an hour. The stage used to make me very nervous but now it’s my safe haven. It’s weird because I can be on that stage in front of 300 people and be unaffected but if I’m down in that crowd say at a county festival I get overwhelmed with the amount of people and the eyes on me. When I was a kid I used to get in fights in school all the time and it was either put me on Ritalin or take anger management therapy. Coming from a Christian household, they absolutely refused to do medication. So I went to therapy and the breakthrough that we had was that music is my crutch and that when I play the drums it helps release all that built up frustration and anger. I’ve asked myself why drums help me release my anger but playing guitar didn’t and I’ve come to the conclusion that when I play drums I let the music go through me and I really feel it. Now when I play guitar, at least when I was younger, I was too focused on messing up because I wasn’t a great guitar player and I wasn’t a great singer but I’m a decent drummer and it’s really hard to throw me off time. But I used to just stand there out of nervousness until one day I jumped around on stage and it got a pop so I started doing more of that and now just like the drums the music flows through me and as I’m jumping around on stage headbanging you can see it and I can’t hold it back.

Say something positive about yourself.

I’ve really worked hard at this trying to make it in music, but people’s interpretations of success don’t show it. I believe we are a lot better off than we were when we were 13. I believe we’re more talented and we have a better head on our shoulders now. I try to keep going no matter what gets me down. I have a drive for music that can’t be suppressed, not even by me.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

Wanting to be a dad. I’ve pushed aside family responsibilities throughout the entirety of my twenties just to have enough time, money, and energy to play music and when I turned 30 things changed. I quit worrying about things that were out of my control and things that weren’t really important to me. I played music for me and for my fans and loved ones, but I also did it to leave a legacy for my namesake so he or she can be proud of their dad. I want to be able to show my kids music and what really influenced me and helped me through a tough time. I’m not a dad yet but I want it more than anything and wherever the music goes after that is where it’s going to go, just like it has through every good and bad thing in my life so far.

Thank you for taking the time to ask me these questions. Doing this has helped me reflect and come to some good realizations on my musical journey.

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Ned, “Otel”