EPISODE · Nov 7, 2025 · 2H 35M
Dopey 556: Roddy Bottum Sticks Opium Up His Butt with Courtney Love, Faith No More, Imperial Teen, 90's, Recovery, Gay Stuff
from Dopey: On the Dark Comedy of Drug Addiction · host Dave & Chris
www.patreon.con/dopeypodcastThis Week on Dopey! I'm in Philly at the Rise for Recovery Conference! I was on Soft White Underbelly! I read Spotify comments, and one of the single greatest dopey emails ever! And Old School Dopey Kirby sends in a voicemail about what it means to be an addict. Then we welcome the incredible Roddy Bottum, keyboardist for Faith No More and lead singer/guitar of Imperial Teen, and author of his new book, The Royal We. Roddy talks about growing up gay in a hard-rock world, his early San Francisco punk days, and how Courtney Love briefly joined Faith No More before their friendship and drug use turned dark. He remembers touring with the Chili Peppers, getting arrested for weed, experimenting with heroin, and being surrounded by chaos as Faith No More blew up with “Epic.”Roddy opens up about how addiction and grief collided — the deaths of his friend Cliff, Kurt Cobain, and especially his father, who died of cancer soon after Roddy got sober. He and Dave talk about recovery, guilt, and the weirdness of surviving when so many others didn’t. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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What this episode covers
Dave gives sponsor shoutouts and plugs Soft White Underbelly and his upcoming Rise for Recovery talk in Philly. Talks about Dopey’s Instagram being deleted by Meta. Reads a few Spotify comments about the Rich Roll episode — psychedelics, Ozempic, and hypnosis talk. Reads a listener email from Bakersfield about a meth-smuggling disaster involving a “baby daddy” hiding drugs inside his body. Plays a voicemail from Kirby J. about “How do you know if you’re an addict?” Promotes Patreon and invites listeners to send more voicemails. Guest: Roddy Bottum (Faith No More, Imperial Teen) Dave introduces Roddy Bottum and his book The Royal We. Roddy says he listened to Johnny Mac’s Dopey episode before coming on and got it immediately. Talks about growing up gay and secretive in LA, moving to San Francisco, and finding the punk scene. Explains how Faith No More began as a rotating art-punk group before gaining structure. Describes Courtney Love’s short stint in the band, her chaotic stage energy, and their friendship and drug use together. Shares stories about Chuck Mosley, Mike Patton, and early tours with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Recalls being arrested for smoking weed on the road in a paper suit. Talks about heroin use starting in the late ’80s, opium with Courtney, and being drawn to downers. Discusses the “heroin chic” culture and addiction as a form of secret identity. Reflects on his boyfriend Jim’s death, mental illness in the scene, and watching friends self-destruct. Opens up about the loss of his father to cancer, his friend Cliff’s overdose, and Kurt Cobain’s death soon after he got sober. Explains how those losses grounded his recovery and changed his relationship with music. Closing Dave thanks Roddy for coming on and connects his story to Dopey’s themes of addiction, loss, and survival. Episode closes with music and gratitude to the Dopey Natio
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Dopey 556: Roddy Bottum Sticks Opium Up His Butt with Courtney Love, Faith No More, Imperial Teen, 90's, Recovery, Gay Stuff
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