Playing Guitar In A Band. Keep It Real

A relatively recent tirade by Kanye West during an MTV awards show, as the "Best Video" trophy was being presented to Taylor Swift, served as a stark reminder that the age of civility and courteousness may very well have gone the route of dinosaurs and cavemen.

Well...maybe not "cavemen", because it seems that many of today's generation of celebrities have adopted the mindset that displays of Neanderthal-like rants and tantrums are the norm.

That is not to imply that stars and celebrities of previous generations were any more virtuous or angelic than the current crop. Sinatra and the boys from the "Rat Pack" were notorious hell raisers, Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Cagney, Hepburn, Bogart, Rock Hudson and more all took part in their fair share of scandal.

The difference being, that earlier generations placed a high importance on keeping the dirt swept under the carpet, and putting on the happiest face possible for the public. The perfect example of this is The Rolling Stones, more particularly Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Mick Jagger. It was common knowledge in the 70's that they were under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. As if to prove a point, they are still regarded as 'the greatest rock and roll band in the world' as opposed to 'the most drugged-up band in the world.' Why? Because they loved what they did and didn't let any drug-fuelled antics happen on stage.

You might have read about other scandalous celebrity behavior in a tabloid, or caught bits of gossip on the street - but when celebrities walked into the glow of the spotlight, it was all smiles.

Those of us that play guitar, or any instrument, in a band can learn some good lessons from the Kanye West incident.

A group of musicians that come together to form a band are very much like a family. There are apt to be rifts, arguments and disagreements that erupt. Egos can get out of control and tempers flare over seemingly inconsequential issues.

Virtually anyone who has taken the stage in a band situation has experienced this. From the musician that plays at the local VFW, to the famous clashes of bands like The Beatles, it's inevitable that we will all be subject to in-fighting and inappropriate behavior at some point in our musical careers.

The key is to save the bickering for the dressing room, and adopt the habit of putting on a "happy face" whenever walking on stage. 

The truth on the matter is, the public really doesn't care if we are in a bad mood. They don't give a hoot if things aren't going our way, or if someone in the band made a comment to us that we didn't like. All they want is to be entertained with great music.

And if we're on stage, it's our number one responsibility to provide them with just that - the best performance possible.

I have witnessed bands that openly argued on stage, musicians cussing each other out during songs, and I've even had to break up fist fights between band members. It's all inexcusable. Playing music in front of an audience is a privilege, not a right, and we all have a responsibility to conduct ourselves accordingly.

So the question looms, in light of the Kanye West debacle, is civility with today's celebrities dead? One look at how the incident was handled by Taylor Swift, and Beyonce will give us the answer, and it's a resounding "NO". They both conducted themselves as the "class acts" that they are and proved that civility is alive and well.

The moral for the rest of us is that, no matter how bad things may seem, no matter how mad we get, or how "wronged" we feel - we owe it to our audience to check our dirty baggage at the door before walking on stage, and put on a happy face before hitting the first note.

And what of the ranting, adolescent sense of entitlement displayed by Kanye West? It only proves that the world will always be inhabited by a handful of world class jerks, with no respect for their fellow human beings.

Internet Radio

The world is increasingly beginning to revolve around the power of the internet nowadays. It seems that people are always surfing the net for work, studies, information and even for their own entertainment; well, mostly for entertainment. For many years, the internet has been the medium for much music and video download, streaming and other forms of entertainment. One particular breakthrough is the development and popularity on the use of the internet radio. With its increasing popularity there came various radio music software sites that cater to such fun entertainment. With its improved features as compared from its traditional counterpart, the internet radio has taken the whole world by storm and is getting popular every minute. 

One of the greatest features of having this internet radio is its ability to broadcast data through the internet. This means that everyone in the whole wide world can access this new kind of radio and you are assured that the programs as well as the list of radio stations you are listening to are all automatically updated. The internet radio also has a large database giving users the ability to stream over 20,000 radio stations found in over 200 countries in the world. You’ll be presented a list of the top online music radio stations of the country you wish to listen music from. With so many countries as well as radio stations to choose from, you’ll never have to worry of boredom crawling in to your life ever again.

 

The internet radio also has an easy-to-use control panel wherein you can use to surf the endless lists of online music stations in all parts of the world. The control panel is created in a way that is easily understood by all. It is well organized too. For instance, some control panels have stations categorized by region or music genre so you’ll be able to locate your favorite radio station instantly. This is really convenient since the internet does have a large database, so by having specific areas or genre to choose from, you don’t have to search long for your preferred music radio station in the control panel. In addition to the well-organized control panel, you can also store favorite radio station as well as view your previously tuned-in radio station at the control panel. 

Lastly, the internet radio has been manipulated extensively by various users. Of

course, they do want to stay modernized; therefore, they always come up with new ideas and gadgets that can promote this well-rounded radio. One of these modernized gadgets is the use of USB devices in storing radio software. This USB radio software allows you to bring along your radio in a compact form anywhere you want to go. 

Truly the internet radio has served its purpose in giving quality entertainment to all nations. Being the latest version of the traditional radio, the internet radio has surpassed the boundaries of audio entertainment by catering its broadcasts to a global audience. This enables people to feel much closer to different cultures and traditions of other countries through the power of the internet.


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Manage Your Manager Initially

Following on from my basic overview on the roles of the manager of an independent rock band, there are some finer points that I feel should point out in the hope that they are taken on-board (or at least considered) prior to launching off into your brave new world as a band with a manager.



Firstly, congratulations!....but hold your horses. After all of the documents and details have been agreed upon and signed off, I highly suggest that your manager attend at least three of your live performances to check out things like audience type and reaction and how the band manages their crowds. Any half-decent independent rock band can knock together a passable video of a live performance and demo tape. These should have been run past your new manager in the meeting mentioned in the previous blog entry.


In order for your new manager to gain an entire different dimension into your band 'in full-flight,' they should see you perform at a small, medium sized and larger performance. This can sort the wheat from the chaff. Additionally (and to my mind, more importantly), the manager should be present to witness how band members conduct themselves before and after gigs. This will really sort the wheat from the chaff. The well-behaved that were present during the initial meeting with the prospective manager may well turn out to be drunken, drug-soaked pretenders with outlandish requests from the venue at which they're performing. I would suspect that this sort of behavior would well and truly nullify any contract.



Remember, folks, just because you have enlisted a manager doesn't automatically turn you into Motley Crue. What it does do, however, is display to the manager that you are unlikely to be financially viable for them and that you will more than likely tarnish their reputation and credibility.


Now for the up-side. If you are serious about your career as an independent musician, you will continue to conduct yourself as you did at that initial meeting with your manager. This in turn will see your your musical career and creativity continue up that huge hill.....But hey; it's better than being stranded, drunk and stoned at the bottom of it.