Creativity Quote by Greg Ginn

Ginn’s line is a small grenade lobbed at one of rock’s most pious myths: that “real” bands prove themselves onstage, and the record is just a document of that truth. Coming from the guitarist and SST Records boss who helped define American hardcore’s DIY infrastructure, it reads less like laziness about live music and more like a producer’s pragmatism with an anti-romantic edge. He’s not chasing the sweaty authenticity narrative; he’s chasing results.

The subtext is almost managerial: good bands solve problems. A tight live band shows up with internal tempo, arrangement discipline, and a shared sense of dynamics. That translates into fewer takes, fewer studio tricks, and less time spent manufacturing energy that isn’t actually there. In Ginn’s worldview, “live” isn’t a sacred proving ground; it’s a stress test that reveals whether the music has bones. If it does, recording becomes capture, not rescue.

There’s also a quiet jab at label gatekeeping. Big labels historically used touring prowess as a proxy for marketability and risk management: can they draw, can they grind, can they sell merch. Ginn flips the metric. He’s not auditioning charisma under stage lights; he’s evaluating how efficiently a band can become a record worth pressing and distributing. That’s very SST: lean budgets, fast turnaround, and an ethic that treats the studio as a tool, not a cathedral.

It’s a statement of taste, too. Hardcore’s best moments aren’t about polish; they’re about precision under pressure. If you can do it live, you can do it anywhere. If you can’t, the studio will only expose you longer.