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Parenting & Family Quote by Rob Zombie

"White Zombie was a bunch of kids with the worst equipment playing in a basement. But that is what is so great about it. There is no reason to think that you can't do it"

About this Quote

Rob Zombie is selling a myth that’s also a manual: the origin story where limitation isn’t a hurdle, it’s the fuel. “Worst equipment” and “a basement” aren’t just gritty details for the scrapbook; they’re a deliberate antidote to the professionalization of art, the idea that creativity requires permission slips in the form of gear, training, or industry access. By framing White Zombie as “a bunch of kids,” he collapses the distance between icon and audience. The band becomes less a destiny and more a dare.

The genius is in the pivot: “But that is what is so great about it.” He’s not romanticizing poverty for its own sake; he’s praising the freedom that comes from having nothing to protect. Bad equipment means low stakes. Low stakes mean experimentation, noise, accidents - the raw conditions that incubate subcultures before they get cleaned up for mass consumption. It’s a subtle critique of the gatekeeping economy of music, where authenticity is often marketed as a premium product.

“There is no reason to think that you can’t do it” lands like an ethic, not inspiration-poster fluff. He’s arguing that the real barrier is psychological: the story people tell themselves about what “counts” as legitimate. In the context of underground rock and DIY scenes, it’s a reminder that scenes aren’t built by perfect conditions; they’re built by people willing to start before they’re ready.

Quote Details

TopicMotivational
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Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Zombie, Rob. (2026, January 16). White Zombie was a bunch of kids with the worst equipment playing in a basement. But that is what is so great about it. There is no reason to think that you can't do it. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/white-zombie-was-a-bunch-of-kids-with-the-worst-85157/

Chicago Style
Zombie, Rob. "White Zombie was a bunch of kids with the worst equipment playing in a basement. But that is what is so great about it. There is no reason to think that you can't do it." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/white-zombie-was-a-bunch-of-kids-with-the-worst-85157/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"White Zombie was a bunch of kids with the worst equipment playing in a basement. But that is what is so great about it. There is no reason to think that you can't do it." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/white-zombie-was-a-bunch-of-kids-with-the-worst-85157/. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

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White Zombie was a bunch of kids with the worst equipment
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About the Author

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Rob Zombie (born January 12, 1966) is a Musician from USA.

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