In the early 2000s, Puddle of Mudd was everywhere.
For a moment, it seemed like the band was destined for greatness... but then, something
happened.
Wes Scantlin happened.
"You got a ring on your rrrringer…?"
"Yeah, do you like it?
It's a Pisces ring."
"Oh, you're good.
You're solo.
Alright.
Cool."
This is the troubled history of Puddle of Mudd.
The success of Puddle of Mudd instantly turned frontman Wes Scantlin into a controversial
figure — particularly in Kansas City, Missouri, his hometown.
But honestly, Scantlin would be a rather controversial figure anywhere.
"It's summer and, you know… possibly everybody will get laid."
According to a 2003 Pitch article, Scantlin became something of a pariah in Kansas City's
local music scene after he became famous.
Long story short, a lot of people felt like he'd abandoned his former bandmates when he
hit the big time.
You see, the Puddle of Mudd that we all know today isn't the original Puddle of Mudd.
The first iteration of the band was popular in Kansas City, but the bandmates were reportedly
prone to bickering.
They broke up two years before major labels showed any interest in the music.
Scantlin reportedly resurrected the band singlehandedly, and he didn't end up taking any of his former
bandmates to the next level… though it sounds like he certainly enjoyed that "next level."
"When did you have that moment when you realized Puddle of Mudd has made it?"
"Um, I was in my car getting a b----.”
Really, it's hard to believe Wes Scantlin wasn't always a rock star.
"What are you gonna do?"
"ROCK!"
"That's right."
But hey, we all start somewhere.
According to Noisecreep, Scantlin got his first big break when Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst
went nuts over a Puddle of Mudd demo.
Wait… sending out a demo tape can actually work?
"It works, man.
Anything you can do, man.
There's a door you have to get into, y'know?
And you gotta find a way to get in somehow, man."
By the time Durst heard the demo, Scantlin was the only active original member of the
band.
But Durst reportedly loved the demo so much, he invited Scantlin to L.A. to sign with Geffen
Records.
The rap-rock superstar also introduced Scantlin to loads of industry people, helping him find
musicians to form a new Puddle of Mudd lineup.
Durst's hands-on involvement should have felt like a godsend.
After all, Scantlin became a millionaire when Puddle of Mudd's 2001 major label debut Come
Clean sold nearly 5 million copies.
But the singer apparently grew weary of Durst.
In fact, by 2004, Scantlin was so tired of Durst-related questions, he started slamming
the guy in interviews.
He even told Chart magazine:
"We have nothing in common.
He doesn't even call us.
He has his assistant call us to congratulate us on our record.
Yeah, that's how pathetic he is."
To be fair, Scantlin seems to have softened his stance in recent years.
In 2008, he said:
"If it wasn't for him, you know, we probably wouldn't be sitting in this room doing this
interview right now."
The Puddle of Mudd frontman attributed his 2004 comments to a creative argument, telling
Noisecreep:
"He said some stuff in the press and I have too.
I think it's all in the past now."
Wes Scanlin certainly knows how to get himself in trouble.
"Wes Scantlin is being held on disorderly conduct charges.
He was arrested for an incident at Mitchell International Airport."
"Earlier this year, he was arrested at Denver's airport for riding on a luggage carousel.
See him right there."
And here's a rather impressive feather in Scantlin's cap: In 2007, he even managed to
get himself permanently banned from Graceland, according to Music News.
Just as Puddle of Mudd was gearing up to release the Famous album, the band members decided
to take a tour of the legendary mansion that once belonged to Elvis Presley.
Partway through the tour, Wes Scantlin apparently decided to cannonball into a swimming pool.
As for why he did such a thing, Scantlin artlessly explained:
"I just wanted to go for a swim."
We wonder if The King would've been impressed by Scantlin's splashy spectacle.
However, we know for a fact that security guards just weren't having it.
Of course, the pool was strictly off-limits to visitors.
Scantlin was reportedly removed from the premises and banned from Graceland for life.
This begs the question: Was the whole thing a publicity stunt to call attention to the
band's upcoming album?
We'll never know for sure, but probably.
Definitely.
Lip-syncing during a live concert?
It's just not done by any self-respecting musician.
You probably know where this is going.
Over the years, Wes Scantlin has been accused of mouthing the words during live performances.
In the past, Scantlin has reportedly responded to such accusations with full-fledged onstage
meltdowns.
He can also get exceedingly defensive about the subject in interviews.
In a 2015 story by the Hindustan Times, Scantlin addressed the lip-syncing accusations head
on:
"I don't understand what these people are talking about.
Give me a break; we were all singing.
If they don't want us to come back, then f--k it, we won't go back.
They can kiss my a--."
No wonder he was so upset.
Does he seem like the kind of guy who'd lip-sync?
"For the 4th of July, I slept, and then I woke up, and I ate, and then I had whoppie with
my girlfriend."
Wes Scantlin is the first to admit how he feels about his fans.
However, he's occasionally disappointed those fans during live performances.
For example: In 2016, Scantlin subjected himself - and hundreds of concertgoers - to an insanely
awkward predicament.
As Billboard reports, the group's sold-out show in Doncaster, England was an unmitigated
disaster.
Reportedly, it was obvious that Scantlin was struggling to sing and stay upright, and he
allegedly appeared to be heavily under the influence.
So what did the rest of the band do?
They reportedly decided enough was enough and unceremoniously walked out on him, leaving
Scantlin alone onstage in front of an at-capacity crowd.
The audience was evidently just as upset with Scantlin as his bandmates: They started heckling
him.
Remarkably, the shirtless singer didn't immediately flee the stage.
Instead, he stubbornly hunkered down in a chair.
According to Billboard, he told the crowd,
"My band Puddle of Mudd who I thought was my band has quit on me.
They have stopped playing with me - not a surprise."
Following the show, the concert venue Diamond Live Lounge released the following statement:
"It will be no secret that last night's Puddle of Mudd gig didn’t exactly go to plan as
our 500 strong audience were certainly treated to a very ‘rock n roll’ evening, and in
the end, quite concerning performance from lead singer, Wes [Scantlin]."
The statement also clearly stated:
"Hopefully Wes gets the help that he requires for the sake of his own health and the career
of an awesome band."
So Puddle of Mudd has a reputation for chaotic live shows - even though Wes Scantlin is just
trying to give the audience what it wants.
According to Metal Injection, Wes Scantlin had one of his onstage meltdowns during an
April 2015 concert in Scottsdale, Arizona.
After the band played a few songs, he reportedly destroyed his guitar, smashed several microphones,
and mucked up part of the drum kit.
Then, he stormed off the stage, hopped in a cab, and that was that.
When disgruntled concertgoers began flooding Puddle of Mudd's official Facebook page with
criticism, the page was deleted altogether.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of the band's social media woes.
The freshly available Puddle of Mudd Facebook URL was immediately taken over by the Texas-based
band Black Heart Saints.
The band changed the page's name to "Check Out This Band Instead," writing:
"Hey Puddle of Mudd management, record label, and booking agents currently working with
the band.
Consider signing Black Heart Saints.
[...] Think about working with a band that will always give you 110%, and never disappoint
you or the fans."
But not to worry: Puddle of Mudd has since regained control of their Facebook page.
Ever been next-door neighbors with a rock star?
Apparently it can get a little out of hand - particularly if the rock star happens to
be this guy:
"'Sup?
It's Wes Scantlin, Puddle of Mudd, Be Backstage."
In 2013, he reportedly attacked a Los Angeles neighbor's house with a buzzsaw and a sledgehammer.
That neighbor happened to be electro artist Sasha Gradiva, who told The Hollywood Reporter:
"This [kind of drama] has been going on for a while, a few months.
I didn't really want to talk about it.
I just focus on my music, but yesterday was just completely ridiculous."
Meanwhile, Scantlin explained to TMZ:
"My neighbor vandalized my house, so I had to take action."
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Scantlin was asked why he'd attacked Gradiva's house
with a buzzsaw, and he bizarrely replied:
"It's called a sledgehammer, dawg."
The whole fracas may have stemmed from the fact that Scatllin envied Gradiva's view.
She told The Hollywood Reporter:
"He gets really creative with his ideas to annoy me.
He put a huge flag on the border of my wall.
On my side, it had the name of his band.
On the other, it was an American flag.
So whoever would look at it from the street would just see an American flag and from my
windows, I just see a big flag with 'Puddle of Mudd' written on it."
For the buzzsaw and sledgehammer incident, Scantlin was arrested for felony vandalism,
booked, and ultimately released.
Fortunately, the majority of rock stars tend to steer clear of bombs - but not Wes Scantlin.
To be clear, this particular incident doesn't involve any real explosives - but try telling
that to Scantlin's neighbors.
According to Louder, Scantlin was getting tired of thieves breaking into his West Hollywood
home throughout 2016 - so he decided to take matters into his own hands.
The singer developed quite the strategy for deterring future crimes: He rigged prop explosives
to the cars outside his house.
As Louder reports:
"The ‘homemade car alarm’ included a radio placed under one car with wires leading to
the motor and a second vehicle with wires leading from the door to the gas tank."
As you've probably guessed, this particular exercise didn't end well.
Terrified neighbors saw the set-up and contacted the bomb squad.
Officials reportedly evacuated four buildings near Scantlin's house before moving in on
the supposed bombs.
The move could've easily landed Scantlin in scalding hot water - but no.
Despite his many previous brushes with the law, he only had to endure a stern lecture
from the bomb squad - the proverbial slap on the wrist.
No wonder he's so enamoured with law enforcement.
For obvious reasons, marrying a rock star isn't for the faint of heart.
"We never hooked up, did we?"
"No-oo!
I mean, I would…
I would hook up with you."
"I love these guys, Puddle of Mudd, such a great band."
As Loudwire reports, Wes Scantlin was going through a messy divorce with his now-ex-wife
Jessica in 2012.
The legal proceedings should've been fairly straightforward, after all, Jessica had signed
a prenuptial agreement.
But things took a turn for the worse when Jessica decided to challenge the prenup, insisting
that it was unenforceable.
She wanted half the money Scantlin had earned from Puddle of Mudd during their marriage.
Ultimately, they settled on an agreement: Scantlin would pay his ex-wife the maximum
spousal support of $2,500 per month.
He was evidently happy with the outcome, too: On the divorce papers, he added "two smiley
faces" to his signature, according to Loudwire.
Wes reportedly filed the divorce papers in November 2011.
It's an unfortunate turn of events, considering that he used to call Jessica his muse and
claimed she'd inspired many Puddle of Mudd songs.
And here's another grim development: Scantlin was arrested for "domestic violence" in 2013.
As TMZ reports,
"Police were called to a business in West Hollywood around 3:30 pm after someone reported
Scantlin shook his ex-wife and then tried to drag her by the arm or the shirt."
The vocalist was reportedly unapologetic at the scene.
A source told TMZ:
"He was very mouthy."
As we've learned, Wes Scantlin has been through a lot of controversy over the years - and
many of his problems allegedly stemmed from substance abuse issues.
Rumors have connected him to a wide range of recreational drugs over the years.
That's why it's great to hear that Scantlin decided to clean up his act in 2017.
Judging by recent interviews, he's now sober - and he's doing everything in his power to
put his self-destructive tendencies behind him.
As he told Rock Titan in 2018:
"There was really nowhere else to go, you know?"
Should we all start bracing ourselves for the second coming of Puddle of Mudd?
Looks like we'll just have to wait and see.
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