This email we got is from a great long-time friend and supporter of ours and is for a VERY worthy cause. If you value community-powered music--quality radio is an endangered species!--please pass the word and give to the best of your ability! We thank you for your support of great, genuine Colorado music!
Dear Friends,
I hope this finds you well. Please forgive the mass mailing / formal nature of this email. There's a lot of folks to get to and this is the most efficient way of doing it - at one time.
I just wanted to touch base with you because the KRFC Fall Membership Drive is coming up, and I need your support on my show.
The Drive begins this Friday, September 26th, and runs through Sunday, October 5th. As you know, The Colorado Sound airs on Saturday from 5PM to 7PM. I will be on the air this Saturday September 27.
My friend, Greta Cornett, President of the Fort Collins Musician Association will be sub-hosting for me on Saturday October 4th.
Every donation, of any amount, is important because it will help me reach my goal of $3000.00 and helps to ensure that my show not only stays on the air, but can be proven viable for other stations throughout Colorado - who we plan on approaching about syndication this coming year.
As you're also probably aware, KRFC has taken a leadership role in promoting Colorado music this past 2 years. The Rocky Mountain Music Network was launched partially as a result of the efforts of KRFC has made. The Colorado Sound has the highest market share of any program on KRFC today - a HUGE 12.5 market share among 25-34 year old radio listeners in Northern Colorado (spring 08).
I make no money from this endeavor. The contributions you make are important to the station. I honor them deeply. I appreciate them with all my heart. If you think you cannot call in this Saturday at 970-221-5075, please to to the website at www.krfcfm.org and donate through our online service.
Thanks so much for helping me out in my efforts to promote Colorado music around the state, the country, world.
Chris K.
~goat
P.S. Our theme for the drive this year is "Get Involved," because KRFC wouldn't exist without community support. That's why every gift is so important.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
NEW TOUR DATE ADDED!
NEW TOUR DATE JUST ADDED!
We'll be at Owsley's Golden Road on Saturday, September 27 with Train Back Home and the Demon Funkies!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Updation by Kurt
From Kurt's myspace blog
well well well, look who's back......so, yesterday i had to pick up a couple of references(cd's) from the mastering studio. Airshowmastering.com check em' out, kool stuff.
It felt good to see gold/platinum records on the wall, and to hear that the head guy there personally worked on our album and from what i heard he was way into it. Hopefully soon we will be pushing this cd harder than buttah rocks on a cold city night.
The summer was kool, we got to play Red Rocks Ampitheater, which is the shizznitty. Felt good to be on that stage, and even signed my name on that crazy tunnel underneath the venue right next to Mariah Carey's crazy ass. ahahah
Every show we play i feel that we are getting closer to where we want to be. It still takes mad work, dedication, and focus to get there. We have lost some people along the way who i thought would be there all the way, but i guess you never know...good luck to y'alls....
My main focus right now is to minimize all of my monthly bills down to near nothing so that i can go out on the road for very long amounts of time....it's not easy, but will happen. And to practice my ass off till i never want to play this damn bass again...........stay healthy, stay positive, and stay up.
PEACE
well well well, look who's back......so, yesterday i had to pick up a couple of references(cd's) from the mastering studio. Airshowmastering.com check em' out, kool stuff.
It felt good to see gold/platinum records on the wall, and to hear that the head guy there personally worked on our album and from what i heard he was way into it. Hopefully soon we will be pushing this cd harder than buttah rocks on a cold city night.
The summer was kool, we got to play Red Rocks Ampitheater, which is the shizznitty. Felt good to be on that stage, and even signed my name on that crazy tunnel underneath the venue right next to Mariah Carey's crazy ass. ahahah
Every show we play i feel that we are getting closer to where we want to be. It still takes mad work, dedication, and focus to get there. We have lost some people along the way who i thought would be there all the way, but i guess you never know...good luck to y'alls....
My main focus right now is to minimize all of my monthly bills down to near nothing so that i can go out on the road for very long amounts of time....it's not easy, but will happen. And to practice my ass off till i never want to play this damn bass again...........stay healthy, stay positive, and stay up.
PEACE
Giving BACK! by Citrus
From Citrus' myspace blog
I replied to a call for help from Madison Amps yesterday and was honored to be the cat given the go ahead to help out with their Myspace page!
An incredible little company that really reaches out and helps the little guy.
I got thru 9 pages of unread mail and comments and stuff this morning!
I replied to a call for help from Madison Amps yesterday and was honored to be the cat given the go ahead to help out with their Myspace page!
An incredible little company that really reaches out and helps the little guy.
I got thru 9 pages of unread mail and comments and stuff this morning!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
No hiding at Herman’s by Citrus
From Citrus' myspace blog
We played a show last Saturday with Ben Taylor..that dude was cool. He was a hot mess of drugs and stuff...but way cool! He had a great voice and played the guitar with style and finesse. I guess the apple fell RIGHT under the tree huh?
I enjoyed his songs and his attitude...he really had that ..."shut up and listen to me man" thang....even playing songs in the dressing room and expecting airbody to shut that fuck up and listen...which we did!
The Flashmob was up next and true to form they ROCKED the house! I really dug hearing them and running upstairs to peep them from time to time while I wasn't being entertained by Ben! D. Scott is a monster! His guitar tone shure doesn't match the tone of his voice! They really rocked the Ska tip and I enjoyed their vibe...our fans should definitely peep the Flash Mob if you haven't yet!
We got up onstage and it was very nice to have some lights and some fog and some engineering that was worth a shizzle! Herman's has obviously spent some chedda on making the evening more of an experience for it's patrons...Kudos Roth dudes!
We seem to have a new energy about us...and I think that it's just gonna get better from here. The line up changes have been for the better and the hard work that we have been putting in is paying off...I DID look around the stage and imagine the cats that have played with U.S. on that stage in the past and get a little reminiscent... Thanks to ALL of YOU mugz that have played with the Pipe over the years!!!!!!
Luckily, that hallucination passed quickly enough that I didn't mess up because of it or anything.
WE even had a brand new sax player and our buddy from the Filthy Children up on Bone...they were loose..but FUNKAY! I must say that we are getting tighter and tighter and having more and more fun up there on the stage lately.
I had a gig without Breaking a string! WTF???
How did that happen?
I was told that there was some betting going on about when the FIRST one would pop! LOL
I had switched to a lighter pick just to preserve my strings for the night! PLUS they were brand new! ...I was tuning up all night and not really enjoying the attack that the weaker pick gave me...but hey...didn't have to change guitars or strings on the fly for ONCE!
We Do really need a tech tho...just the simple things like the Kick drum mic moving away from the drum made an impact. I could feel that it was missing for a grip...but was too focused to look around and check that mic...sorta a good feeling tho...my techy-ness is fading and my musicianship expanding. In past years I would have stopped playin all together to find out why it was wrong.
I was super stoked to have some talented dancers and good party people in the house all night long...People came to PARTY!!
Nothing is more inspirational to a funk band than a bunch of mugz gettin it on out on the dance floor! I personally LOVE to play to a person or people dancing...it changes EVERYTHING for me....I can try to match them or follow them or guide them. It is an experience that few things can even come close to in MY world
...I bet a few of them continued that dance at home in their beds!
It is the TANDAVA:
"Tāndava or Tāndava nṛtya, the divine art form, is a dance performed by Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. According to Hindu mythology, Shiva's Tandava is a vigorous dance that is the source of the cycle of creation, preservation and dissolution. While the Rudra Tandava depicts his violent nature, first as the creator and later as the destroyer of the universe, even of death itself; the Ananda Tandava depicts him as the enjoyer of his creation - the universe. In Indian tradition, Lord Shiva as Nataraja (lit. "Lord of dance") is the supreme lord of dance."
"How many various dances of Shiva are known to His worshipers I cannot say. No doubt the root idea behind all of these dances is more or less one and the same, the MANIFESTATION OF PRIMAL RHYTHMIC ENERGY. Whatever the origins of Shiva's dance, it became in time the clearest image of the activity of God which any art or religion can boast of. --Ananda Coomaraswamy
that was from wiki by the bye.
I see all of you dancers as Shiva and Shakti....dancing the world into existence and void. The tru reason I play music at all..
I can't remember when or who right now...but I HAVE been told that babies have been conceived after a Pipe show...the toply top honor a funk band could ever have! THE BOMB!!
well alrighty then...off to work on some photography! I have an ART SHOW coming up!
We played a show last Saturday with Ben Taylor..that dude was cool. He was a hot mess of drugs and stuff...but way cool! He had a great voice and played the guitar with style and finesse. I guess the apple fell RIGHT under the tree huh?
I enjoyed his songs and his attitude...he really had that ..."shut up and listen to me man" thang....even playing songs in the dressing room and expecting airbody to shut that fuck up and listen...which we did!
The Flashmob was up next and true to form they ROCKED the house! I really dug hearing them and running upstairs to peep them from time to time while I wasn't being entertained by Ben! D. Scott is a monster! His guitar tone shure doesn't match the tone of his voice! They really rocked the Ska tip and I enjoyed their vibe...our fans should definitely peep the Flash Mob if you haven't yet!
We got up onstage and it was very nice to have some lights and some fog and some engineering that was worth a shizzle! Herman's has obviously spent some chedda on making the evening more of an experience for it's patrons...Kudos Roth dudes!
We seem to have a new energy about us...and I think that it's just gonna get better from here. The line up changes have been for the better and the hard work that we have been putting in is paying off...I DID look around the stage and imagine the cats that have played with U.S. on that stage in the past and get a little reminiscent... Thanks to ALL of YOU mugz that have played with the Pipe over the years!!!!!!
Luckily, that hallucination passed quickly enough that I didn't mess up because of it or anything.
WE even had a brand new sax player and our buddy from the Filthy Children up on Bone...they were loose..but FUNKAY! I must say that we are getting tighter and tighter and having more and more fun up there on the stage lately.
I had a gig without Breaking a string! WTF???
How did that happen?
I was told that there was some betting going on about when the FIRST one would pop! LOL
I had switched to a lighter pick just to preserve my strings for the night! PLUS they were brand new! ...I was tuning up all night and not really enjoying the attack that the weaker pick gave me...but hey...didn't have to change guitars or strings on the fly for ONCE!
We Do really need a tech tho...just the simple things like the Kick drum mic moving away from the drum made an impact. I could feel that it was missing for a grip...but was too focused to look around and check that mic...sorta a good feeling tho...my techy-ness is fading and my musicianship expanding. In past years I would have stopped playin all together to find out why it was wrong.
I was super stoked to have some talented dancers and good party people in the house all night long...People came to PARTY!!
Nothing is more inspirational to a funk band than a bunch of mugz gettin it on out on the dance floor! I personally LOVE to play to a person or people dancing...it changes EVERYTHING for me....I can try to match them or follow them or guide them. It is an experience that few things can even come close to in MY world
...I bet a few of them continued that dance at home in their beds!
It is the TANDAVA:
"Tāndava or Tāndava nṛtya, the divine art form, is a dance performed by Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. According to Hindu mythology, Shiva's Tandava is a vigorous dance that is the source of the cycle of creation, preservation and dissolution. While the Rudra Tandava depicts his violent nature, first as the creator and later as the destroyer of the universe, even of death itself; the Ananda Tandava depicts him as the enjoyer of his creation - the universe. In Indian tradition, Lord Shiva as Nataraja (lit. "Lord of dance") is the supreme lord of dance."
"How many various dances of Shiva are known to His worshipers I cannot say. No doubt the root idea behind all of these dances is more or less one and the same, the MANIFESTATION OF PRIMAL RHYTHMIC ENERGY. Whatever the origins of Shiva's dance, it became in time the clearest image of the activity of God which any art or religion can boast of. --Ananda Coomaraswamy
that was from wiki by the bye.
I see all of you dancers as Shiva and Shakti....dancing the world into existence and void. The tru reason I play music at all..
I can't remember when or who right now...but I HAVE been told that babies have been conceived after a Pipe show...the toply top honor a funk band could ever have! THE BOMB!!
well alrighty then...off to work on some photography! I have an ART SHOW coming up!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Herman’s was bout ta BLOW UP by Murphy
From Murphy's myspace blog
Sat. 9-13-09 Herman's Hideaway
There's was sum great energy flowing in tha building n it was definetly feedin U.S. Saw lots o new faces smiling ear ta ear letting loose on the dance floor ALL NIGHT!!! Didn't get a chance to catch up with all ya but BIG THANKS fer comin out! Was the best sound we've had playin up in this venue, so thanks ta Greg for that n I hope they finally keep a soundman up in tha place. Peace
Murphy
Sat. 9-13-09 Herman's Hideaway
There's was sum great energy flowing in tha building n it was definetly feedin U.S. Saw lots o new faces smiling ear ta ear letting loose on the dance floor ALL NIGHT!!! Didn't get a chance to catch up with all ya but BIG THANKS fer comin out! Was the best sound we've had playin up in this venue, so thanks ta Greg for that n I hope they finally keep a soundman up in tha place. Peace
Murphy
Thursday, September 11, 2008
My Day at Red Rocks 8-8-08 by Bubbles
From Missy "Bubbles Johnson's" myspace blog
So everyone has been asking me how playing Red Rocks was. It was FRICKIN' AWESHOME!! We opened for the movie Purple Rain, so we decided to do Prince's entire album Purple Rain. That was quite a task! Prince is a BAD ASS, and that album is genius! We added members to The Pipe for that show and practiced our ass off!
Soundcheck was great, it was amazing singing to a blue sky, hearing the music bouncing off the rocks and just feeling the excitement of the band build! Backstage at Red Rocks, what can I say? The beautiful red rock serves as one of the walls of the dressing room, and not just a wall but you can crawl up on it!
Seriously, those rocks hold some great energy!
We're supposed to go on at 7 p.m. and play til 8:10 p.m. So, while I'm getting ready, I hear that it had started to rain! I hurry up and finish and run up to the side of the stage to find out that everyone lied!! It wasn't raining it was pouring!! There was a river in the middle of the stage and I think I saw Noah's Ark floating by in the front row!! Now, we had just had 21 straight days of temperatures over 90 degrees, and you're gonna tell me that on the most anticipated day of my life (thus far!) the weather is gonna come and mess with U.S.?
You know what though, I really wasn't upset! We had been treated like RockStars and I did get to sing (even if it was just during soundcheck) at Red Rocks on the same stage that music legends and many of my heroes have performed on! But what really made me smile was when I looked out, from the covered part of the stage (DUH, cuz i didn't want to get my hair wet!), was a big group of my friends partying up in the rain, getting soaked and waiting it out!!! THANK YOU-Ray Ray, Shane, Michelle, Mr. and Mrs. Hippy Mike, Jen, Sammy, Tracey and John, Joci, Tempa and Joseph, Elaina are just a few off the top of my head! I know I saw Alissa and Zach, Heidi and Cassie, Karen, Lori and Jerry, Dr. J, Alex, and Stacey as soon as the rain slowed down!
Yep, if you don't like the weather here in Colorado, stick around for 20 min and it will change, and IT DID! They broke out the squeegees to clear the water off the stage and said we were going on!! The place started to fill up after the rain stopped and the next thing I knew we were being introduced! As I walked toward my microphone I got a little choked up cuz this was the beginning of something I had dreamed about for a long time! It was surreal, amazing, magical and over way too soon! I didn't even mind the wet spots (on the stage you perverts)! Unfortunately, our set had to be cut short because of the rain delay, so we only got to do 2 original songs, but we we're gonna get to play til 8:30ish!
So, you know when things don't go your way and people use that dam saying "things happen for a reason" to give you hope that everything will turn out right in the end? Well all I wanted was to get to play Purple Rain after the sun had set and the lights came on at Red Rocks. I even googled what time the sun was supposed to set on 8-8-08! 8:05 and we were supposed to be done by 8:10, so it probably wasn't gonna be very dark! Well, guess what, the rain delay made that happen! What a great song to end with at Red Rocks, I could hear the whole crowd singing along! I just looked up and enjoyed that last song, trying to capture one last mental picture, it was unbelievable! I got choked up twice during the end of that song, I'll never forget it and I can't wait to do it again!!
I really wanna thank my friends again for being there, it meant alot to me and you were my "light shining through that cool Colorado rain!" I gotta share this lil' story with you. While the stage was bein cleaned up and gear was getting set back up, I walked across the back of the stage to the other side where Rick Gardner and his wife, Pat, were standing. When I did this everyone started cheering and whistling, just making a bunch of noise for me! When I got over to them, Rick asked me what was all the commotion goin on while I was walking across the stage, and I proudly got to answer that those were all my friends!!
I also wanna thank all my partners in crime that night! Ya'll rocked --Citrus, Azma, Murphy, Kurt, Scott, Sherryce, Ryan, Jamie, Ryan, Amanda, Denise, Rick, John, Damon and of course Laura!!
So everyone has been asking me how playing Red Rocks was. It was FRICKIN' AWESHOME!! We opened for the movie Purple Rain, so we decided to do Prince's entire album Purple Rain. That was quite a task! Prince is a BAD ASS, and that album is genius! We added members to The Pipe for that show and practiced our ass off!
Soundcheck was great, it was amazing singing to a blue sky, hearing the music bouncing off the rocks and just feeling the excitement of the band build! Backstage at Red Rocks, what can I say? The beautiful red rock serves as one of the walls of the dressing room, and not just a wall but you can crawl up on it!
Seriously, those rocks hold some great energy!
We're supposed to go on at 7 p.m. and play til 8:10 p.m. So, while I'm getting ready, I hear that it had started to rain! I hurry up and finish and run up to the side of the stage to find out that everyone lied!! It wasn't raining it was pouring!! There was a river in the middle of the stage and I think I saw Noah's Ark floating by in the front row!! Now, we had just had 21 straight days of temperatures over 90 degrees, and you're gonna tell me that on the most anticipated day of my life (thus far!) the weather is gonna come and mess with U.S.?
You know what though, I really wasn't upset! We had been treated like RockStars and I did get to sing (even if it was just during soundcheck) at Red Rocks on the same stage that music legends and many of my heroes have performed on! But what really made me smile was when I looked out, from the covered part of the stage (DUH, cuz i didn't want to get my hair wet!), was a big group of my friends partying up in the rain, getting soaked and waiting it out!!! THANK YOU-Ray Ray, Shane, Michelle, Mr. and Mrs. Hippy Mike, Jen, Sammy, Tracey and John, Joci, Tempa and Joseph, Elaina are just a few off the top of my head! I know I saw Alissa and Zach, Heidi and Cassie, Karen, Lori and Jerry, Dr. J, Alex, and Stacey as soon as the rain slowed down!
Yep, if you don't like the weather here in Colorado, stick around for 20 min and it will change, and IT DID! They broke out the squeegees to clear the water off the stage and said we were going on!! The place started to fill up after the rain stopped and the next thing I knew we were being introduced! As I walked toward my microphone I got a little choked up cuz this was the beginning of something I had dreamed about for a long time! It was surreal, amazing, magical and over way too soon! I didn't even mind the wet spots (on the stage you perverts)! Unfortunately, our set had to be cut short because of the rain delay, so we only got to do 2 original songs, but we we're gonna get to play til 8:30ish!
So, you know when things don't go your way and people use that dam saying "things happen for a reason" to give you hope that everything will turn out right in the end? Well all I wanted was to get to play Purple Rain after the sun had set and the lights came on at Red Rocks. I even googled what time the sun was supposed to set on 8-8-08! 8:05 and we were supposed to be done by 8:10, so it probably wasn't gonna be very dark! Well, guess what, the rain delay made that happen! What a great song to end with at Red Rocks, I could hear the whole crowd singing along! I just looked up and enjoyed that last song, trying to capture one last mental picture, it was unbelievable! I got choked up twice during the end of that song, I'll never forget it and I can't wait to do it again!!
I really wanna thank my friends again for being there, it meant alot to me and you were my "light shining through that cool Colorado rain!" I gotta share this lil' story with you. While the stage was bein cleaned up and gear was getting set back up, I walked across the back of the stage to the other side where Rick Gardner and his wife, Pat, were standing. When I did this everyone started cheering and whistling, just making a bunch of noise for me! When I got over to them, Rick asked me what was all the commotion goin on while I was walking across the stage, and I proudly got to answer that those were all my friends!!
I also wanna thank all my partners in crime that night! Ya'll rocked --Citrus, Azma, Murphy, Kurt, Scott, Sherryce, Ryan, Jamie, Ryan, Amanda, Denise, Rick, John, Damon and of course Laura!!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
FREE show.. by Citrus
From Citrus' myspace blog
Check it!!!
Herman's is......well..........Herman's......so they do what they do...and what they are doing now is having a FREE entrance to our show up to 9:15.
PLEASE>>>>>airbody show up from 9 to 9:15...bring your ticket that you can print from right here:
Sat., Sept.
13! Here is your discount ticket--just click on it to open it in a new window for easy printing!
You will be let in for FREE and the PIPE will get paid from Herman's BAR Not YOUR POCKET!!!!!!!
If you DON"T bring your ticket WE DON'T GET PAID!!! grrrrrrrr
Let's work the system instead of gettin worked by it!
Show up early and Party with tha PIPE....we gonna be gettin UP to get Down!
PLUS you will get to see James Taylor's son do his thang and the ever incredible
THE FLASH MOB!
One of my favorite local guitarists is in that band...don't miss them!
Check it!!!
Herman's is......well..........Herman's......so they do what they do...and what they are doing now is having a FREE entrance to our show up to 9:15.
PLEASE>>>>>airbody show up from 9 to 9:15...bring your ticket that you can print from right here:
Sat., Sept.
13! Here is your discount ticket--just click on it to open it in a new window for easy printing!
You will be let in for FREE and the PIPE will get paid from Herman's BAR Not YOUR POCKET!!!!!!!
If you DON"T bring your ticket WE DON'T GET PAID!!! grrrrrrrr
Let's work the system instead of gettin worked by it!
Show up early and Party with tha PIPE....we gonna be gettin UP to get Down!
PLUS you will get to see James Taylor's son do his thang and the ever incredible
THE FLASH MOB!
One of my favorite local guitarists is in that band...don't miss them!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Deep Questions from Bubbles Johnson Episode 1
From Missy "Bubbles Johnson's" myspace blog
1. What song is in your head right now?
the theme song from Sponge Bob Squarepants
2. What was the first concert you went to?
Rick Springfield, yikes! I was always hoping Jesse was a girl
3. How often do you go over the speed limit?
always, until a cop pulls up behind me
4. What comes to mind when I say cabbage?
nothing good
5. Is it possible to lick your elbow?
only one way to find out
6. Did you just lick your elbow?
yes!
So you think you know me, well you're gonna get to know me even better. Welcome to the weird and wacky world according to Bubbles, together we'll explore my innermost thoughts through a cornucopia of vague ludicrous questions!
To learn more about my fellow U.S. Pipers, I challenged them to answer these probing questions! Please check out their blogs to see if they're brave enough to confront the inquiring mind of Bubbles!
Chris Murphy http://www.myspace.com/murphy_drums
Azma Holiday http://www.myspace.com/azma1
Kurt Rosenbecker http://www.myspace.com/kurt_rosenbecker
Laura "Spunky" McGaughey http://www.myspace.com/faerie_belle
Chris "Citrus" Sauthoff http://www.myspace.com/citradelic
Sherryce Emery http://www.myspace.com/sherryceemery
Mike Chiesa http://www.myspace.com/theoriginalmpc
Stay tuned for the next installment of Deep Questions from Bubbles
1. What song is in your head right now?
the theme song from Sponge Bob Squarepants
2. What was the first concert you went to?
Rick Springfield, yikes! I was always hoping Jesse was a girl
3. How often do you go over the speed limit?
always, until a cop pulls up behind me
4. What comes to mind when I say cabbage?
nothing good
5. Is it possible to lick your elbow?
only one way to find out
6. Did you just lick your elbow?
yes!
So you think you know me, well you're gonna get to know me even better. Welcome to the weird and wacky world according to Bubbles, together we'll explore my innermost thoughts through a cornucopia of vague ludicrous questions!
To learn more about my fellow U.S. Pipers, I challenged them to answer these probing questions! Please check out their blogs to see if they're brave enough to confront the inquiring mind of Bubbles!
Chris Murphy http://www.myspace.com/murphy_drums
Azma Holiday http://www.myspace.com/azma1
Kurt Rosenbecker http://www.myspace.com/kurt_rosenbecker
Laura "Spunky" McGaughey http://www.myspace.com/faerie_belle
Chris "Citrus" Sauthoff http://www.myspace.com/citradelic
Sherryce Emery http://www.myspace.com/sherryceemery
Mike Chiesa http://www.myspace.com/theoriginalmpc
Stay tuned for the next installment of Deep Questions from Bubbles
Crazyness about signing a Big Label by Kurt
From Kurt's myspace blog
This oft-referenced article is from the early '90s, and originally appeared in Maximum Rock 'n' Roll magazine. While some of the information and figures listed here are dated, it is still a useful and informative article. And no, we don't know how to reach Steve Albini.
-Negativland
www.negativland.com
The Problem With Music
by Steve Albini
Whenever I talk to a band who are about to sign with a major label, I always end up thinking of them in a particular context. I imagine a trench, about four feet wide and five feet deep, maybe sixty yards long, filled with runny, decaying shit. I imagine these people, some of them good friends, some of them barely acquaintances, at one end of this trench. I also imagine a faceless industry lackey at the other end holding a fountain pen and a contract waiting to be signed. Nobody can see what's printed on the contract. It's too far away, and besides, the shit stench is making everybody's eyes water. The lackey shouts to everybody that the first one to swim the trench gets to sign the contract. Everybody dives in the trench and they struggle furiously to get to the other end. Two people arrive simultaneously and begin wrestling furiously, clawing each other and dunking each other under the shit. Eventually, one of them capitulates, and there's only one contestant left. He reaches for the pen, but the Lackey says "Actually, I think you need a little more development. Swim again, please. Backstroke". And he does of course.
Every major label involved in the hunt for new bands now has on staff a high-profile point man, an "A & R" rep who can present a comfortable face to any prospective band. The initials stand for "Artist and Repertoire." because historically, the A & R staff would select artists to record music that they had also selected, out of an available pool of each. This is still the case, though not openly. These guys are universally young [about the same age as the bands being wooed], and nowadays they always have some obvious underground rock credibility flag they can wave.
Lyle Preslar, former guitarist for Minor Threat, is one of them. Terry Tolkin, former NY independent booking agent and assistant manager at Touch and Go is one of them. Al Smith, former soundman at CBGB is one of them. Mike Gitter, former editor of XXX fanzine and contributor to Rip, Kerrang and other lowbrow rags is one of them. Many of the annoying turds who used to staff college radio stations are in their ranks as well. There are several reasons A & R scouts are always young. The explanation usually copped-to is that the scout will be "hip to the current musical "scene." A more important reason is that the bands will intuitively trust someone they think is a peer, and who speaks fondly of the same formative rock and roll experiences. The A & R person is the first person to make contact with the band, and as such is the first person to promise them the moon. Who better to promise them the moon than an idealistic young turk who expects to be calling the shots in a few years, and who has had no previous experience with a big record company. Hell, he's as naive as the band he's duping. When he tells them no one will interfere in their creative process, he probably even believes it. When he sits down with the band for the first time, over a plate of angel hair pasta, he can tell them with all sincerity that when they sign with company X, they're really signing with him and he's on their side. Remember that great gig I saw you at in '85? Didn't we have a blast. By now all rock bands are wise enough to be suspicious of music industry scum. There is a pervasive caricature in popular culture of a portly, middle aged ex-hipster talking a mile-a-minute, using outdated jargon and calling everybody "baby." After meeting "their" A & R guy, the band will say to themselves and everyone else, "He's not like a record company guy at all! He's like one of us." And they will be right. That's one of the reasons he was hired.
These A & R guys are not allowed to write contracts. What they do is present the band with a letter of intent, or "deal memo," which loosely states some terms, and affirms that the band will sign with the label once a contract has been agreed on. The spookiest thing about this harmless sounding little memo, is that it is, for all legal purposes, a binding document&183; That is, once the band signs it, they are under obligation to conclude a deal with the label. If the label presents them with a contract that the band don't want to sign, all the label has to do is wait. There are a hundred other bands willing to sign the exact same contract, so the label is in a position of strength. These letters never have any terms of expiration, so the band remain bound by the deal memo until a contract is signed, no matter how long that takes. The band cannot sign to another laborer or even put out its own material unless they are released from their agreement, which never happens. Make no mistake about it: once a band has signed a letter of intent, they will either eventually sign a contract that suits the label or they will be destroyed.
One of my favorite bands was held hostage for the better part of two years by a slick young "He's not like a label guy at all," A & R rep, on the basis of such a deal memo. He had failed to come through on any of his promises [something he did with similar effect to another well-known band], and so the band wanted out. Another label expressed interest, but when the A & R man was asked to release the band, he said he would need money or points, or possibly both, before he would consider it. The new label was afraid the price would be too dear, and they said no thanks. On the cusp of making their signature album, an excellent band, humiliated, broke up from the stress and the many months of inactivity. There's this band. They're pretty ordinary, but they're also pretty good, so they've attracted some attention. They're signed to a moderate-sized "independent" label owned by a distribution company, and they have another two albums owed to the label. They're a little ambitious. They'd like to get signed by a major label so they can have some security you know, get some good equipment, tour in a proper tour bus -- nothing fancy, just a little reward for all the hard work. To that end, they got a manager. He knows some of the label guys, and he can shop their next project to all the right people. He takes his cut, sure, but it's only 15%, and if he can get them signed then it's money well spent. Anyways, it doesn't cost them anything if it doesn't work. 15% of nothing isn't much! One day an A & R scout calls them, says he's 'been following them for a while now, and when their manager mentioned them to him, it just "clicked." Would they like to meet with him about the possibility of working out a deal with his label? Wow. Big Break time. They meet the guy, and y'know what -- he's not what they expected from a label guy. He's young and dresses pretty much like the band does. He knows all their favorite bands. He's like one of them. He tells them he wants to go to bat for them, to try to get them everything they want. He says anything is possible with the right attitude.
They conclude the evening by taking home a copy of a deal memo they wrote out and signed on the spot. The A & R guy was full of great ideas, even talked about using a name producer. Butch Vig is out of the question-he wants 100 g's and three points, but they can get Don Fleming for $30,000 plus three points. Even that's a little steep, so maybe they'll go with that guy who used to be in David Letterman's band. He only wants three points. Or they can have just anybody record it (like Warton Tiers, maybe-- cost you 5 or 7 grand] and have Andy Wallace remix it for 4 grand a track plus 2 points. It was a lot to think about. Well, they like this guy and they trust him. Besides, they already signed the deal memo. He must have been serious about wanting them to sign. They break the news to their current label, and the label manager says he wants them to succeed, so they have his blessing. He will need to be compensated, of course, for the remaining albums left on their contract, but he'll work it out with the label himself.
Sub Pop made millions from selling off Nirvana, and Twin Tone hasn't done bad either: 50 grand for the Babes and 60 grand for the Poster Children-- without having to sell a single additional record. It'll be something modest. The new label doesn't mind, so long as it's recoupable out of royalties. Well, they get the final contract, and it's not quite what they expected. They figure it's better to be safe than sorry and they turn it over to a lawyer--one who says he's experienced in entertainment law and he hammers out a few bugs. They're still not sure about it, but the lawyer says he's seen a lot of contracts, and theirs is pretty good. They'll be great royalty: 13% [less a 1O% packaging deduction]. Wasn't it Buffalo Tom that were only getting 12% less 10? Whatever. The old label only wants 50 grand, an no points. Hell, Sub Pop got 3 points when they let Nirvana go. They're signed for four years, with options on each year, for a total of over a million dollars! That's a lot of money in any man's English. The first year's advance alone is $250,000. Just think about it, a quarter million, just for being in a rock band! Their manager thinks it's a great deal, especially the large advance. Besides, he knows a publishing company that will take the band on if they get signed, and even give them an advance of 20 grand, so they'll be making that money too. The manager says publishing is pretty mysterious, and nobody really knows where all the money comes from, but the lawyer can look that contract over too. Hell, it's free money. Their booking agent is excited about the band signing to a major. He says they can maybe average $1,000 or $2,000 a night from now on. That's enough to justify a five week tour, and with tour support, they can use a proper crew, buy some good equipment and even get a tour bus! Buses are pretty expensive, but if you figure in the price of a hotel room for everybody In the band and crew, they're actually about the same cost. Some bands like Therapy? and Sloan and Stereolab use buses on their tours even when they're getting paid only a couple hundred bucks a night, and this tour should earn at least a grand or two every night. It'll be worth it. The band will be more comfortable and will play better.
The agent says a band on a major label can get a merchandising company to pay them an advance on T-shirt sales! ridiculous! There's a gold mine here! The lawyer Should look over the merchandising contract, just to be safe. They get drunk at the signing party. Polaroids are taken and everybody looks thrilled. The label picked them up in a limo. They decided to go with the producer who used to be in Letterman's band. He had these technicians come in and tune the drums for them and tweak their amps and guitars. He had a guy bring in a slew of expensive old "vintage" microphones. Boy, were they "warm." He even had a guy come in and check the phase of all the equipment in the control room! Boy, was he professional. He used a bunch of equipment on them and by the end of it, they all agreed that it sounded very "punchy," yet "warm." All that hard work paid off. With the help of a video, the album went like hotcakes! They sold a quarter million copies! Here is the math that will explain just how fucked they are: These figures are representative of amounts that appear in record contracts daily. There's no need to skew the figures to make the scenario look bad, since real-life examples more than abound. income is bold and underlined, expenses are not.
.. ..tr> Advance: $ 250,000
Manager's cut: $ 37,500
Legal fees: $ 10,000
Recording Budget: $ 150,000
Producer's advance: $ 50,000
Studio fee: $ 52,500
Drum Amp, Mic and Phase "Doctors": $ 3,000
Recording tape: $ 8,000
Equipment rental: $ 5,000
Cartage and Transportation: $ 5,000
Lodgings while in studio: $ 10,000
Catering: $ 3,000
Mastering: $ 10,000
Tape copies, reference CDs, shipping tapes, misc. expenses: $ 2,000
Video budget: $ 30,000
Cameras: $ 8,000
Crew: $ 5,000
Processing and transfers: $ 3,000
Off-line: $ 2,000
On-line editing: $ 3,000
Catering: $ 1,000
Stage and construction: $ 3,000
Copies, couriers, transportation: $ 2,000
Director's fee: $ 3,000
Album Artwork: $ 5,000
Promotional photo shoot and duplication: $ 2,000
Band fund: $ 15,000
New fancy professional drum kit: $ 5,000
New fancy professional guitars [2]: $ 3,000
New fancy professional guitar amp rigs [2]: $ 4,000
New fancy potato-shaped bass guitar: $ 1,000
New fancy rack of lights bass amp: $ 1,000
Rehearsal space rental: $ 500
Big blowout party for their friends: $ 500
Tour expense [5 weeks]: $ 50,875
Bus: $ 25,000
Crew [3]: $ 7,500
Food and per diems: $ 7,875
Fuel: $ 3,000
Consumable supplies: $ 3,500
Wardrobe: $ 1,000
Promotion: $ 3,000
Tour gross income: $ 50,000
Agent's cut: $ 7,500
Manager's cut: $ 7,500
Merchandising advance: $ 20,000
Manager's cut: $ 3,000
Lawyer's fee: $ 1,000
Publishing advance: $ 20,000
Manager's cut: $ 3,000
Lawyer's fee: $ 1,000
Record sales: 250,000 @ $12 =
$3,000,000
Gross retail revenue Royalty: [13% of 90% of retail]:
$ 351,000
Less advance: $ 250,000
Producer's points: [3% less $50,000 advance]:
$ 40,000
Promotional budget: $ 25,000
Recoupable buyout from previous label: $ 50,000
Net royalty: $ -14,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Record company income:
Record wholesale price: $6.50 x 250,000 =
$1,625,000 gross income
Artist Royalties: $ 351,000
Deficit from royalties: $ 14,000
Manufacturing, packaging and distribution: @ $2.20 per record: $ 550,000
Gross profit: $ 7l0,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Balance Sheet: This is how much each player got paid at the end of the game.
Record company: $ 710,000
Producer: $ 90,000
Manager: $ 51,000
Studio: $ 52,500
Previous label: $ 50,000
Agent: $ 7,500
Lawyer: $ 12,000
Band member net income each: $ 4,031.25
This oft-referenced article is from the early '90s, and originally appeared in Maximum Rock 'n' Roll magazine. While some of the information and figures listed here are dated, it is still a useful and informative article. And no, we don't know how to reach Steve Albini.
-Negativland
www.negativland.com
The Problem With Music
by Steve Albini
Whenever I talk to a band who are about to sign with a major label, I always end up thinking of them in a particular context. I imagine a trench, about four feet wide and five feet deep, maybe sixty yards long, filled with runny, decaying shit. I imagine these people, some of them good friends, some of them barely acquaintances, at one end of this trench. I also imagine a faceless industry lackey at the other end holding a fountain pen and a contract waiting to be signed. Nobody can see what's printed on the contract. It's too far away, and besides, the shit stench is making everybody's eyes water. The lackey shouts to everybody that the first one to swim the trench gets to sign the contract. Everybody dives in the trench and they struggle furiously to get to the other end. Two people arrive simultaneously and begin wrestling furiously, clawing each other and dunking each other under the shit. Eventually, one of them capitulates, and there's only one contestant left. He reaches for the pen, but the Lackey says "Actually, I think you need a little more development. Swim again, please. Backstroke". And he does of course.
Every major label involved in the hunt for new bands now has on staff a high-profile point man, an "A & R" rep who can present a comfortable face to any prospective band. The initials stand for "Artist and Repertoire." because historically, the A & R staff would select artists to record music that they had also selected, out of an available pool of each. This is still the case, though not openly. These guys are universally young [about the same age as the bands being wooed], and nowadays they always have some obvious underground rock credibility flag they can wave.
Lyle Preslar, former guitarist for Minor Threat, is one of them. Terry Tolkin, former NY independent booking agent and assistant manager at Touch and Go is one of them. Al Smith, former soundman at CBGB is one of them. Mike Gitter, former editor of XXX fanzine and contributor to Rip, Kerrang and other lowbrow rags is one of them. Many of the annoying turds who used to staff college radio stations are in their ranks as well. There are several reasons A & R scouts are always young. The explanation usually copped-to is that the scout will be "hip to the current musical "scene." A more important reason is that the bands will intuitively trust someone they think is a peer, and who speaks fondly of the same formative rock and roll experiences. The A & R person is the first person to make contact with the band, and as such is the first person to promise them the moon. Who better to promise them the moon than an idealistic young turk who expects to be calling the shots in a few years, and who has had no previous experience with a big record company. Hell, he's as naive as the band he's duping. When he tells them no one will interfere in their creative process, he probably even believes it. When he sits down with the band for the first time, over a plate of angel hair pasta, he can tell them with all sincerity that when they sign with company X, they're really signing with him and he's on their side. Remember that great gig I saw you at in '85? Didn't we have a blast. By now all rock bands are wise enough to be suspicious of music industry scum. There is a pervasive caricature in popular culture of a portly, middle aged ex-hipster talking a mile-a-minute, using outdated jargon and calling everybody "baby." After meeting "their" A & R guy, the band will say to themselves and everyone else, "He's not like a record company guy at all! He's like one of us." And they will be right. That's one of the reasons he was hired.
These A & R guys are not allowed to write contracts. What they do is present the band with a letter of intent, or "deal memo," which loosely states some terms, and affirms that the band will sign with the label once a contract has been agreed on. The spookiest thing about this harmless sounding little memo, is that it is, for all legal purposes, a binding document&183; That is, once the band signs it, they are under obligation to conclude a deal with the label. If the label presents them with a contract that the band don't want to sign, all the label has to do is wait. There are a hundred other bands willing to sign the exact same contract, so the label is in a position of strength. These letters never have any terms of expiration, so the band remain bound by the deal memo until a contract is signed, no matter how long that takes. The band cannot sign to another laborer or even put out its own material unless they are released from their agreement, which never happens. Make no mistake about it: once a band has signed a letter of intent, they will either eventually sign a contract that suits the label or they will be destroyed.
One of my favorite bands was held hostage for the better part of two years by a slick young "He's not like a label guy at all," A & R rep, on the basis of such a deal memo. He had failed to come through on any of his promises [something he did with similar effect to another well-known band], and so the band wanted out. Another label expressed interest, but when the A & R man was asked to release the band, he said he would need money or points, or possibly both, before he would consider it. The new label was afraid the price would be too dear, and they said no thanks. On the cusp of making their signature album, an excellent band, humiliated, broke up from the stress and the many months of inactivity. There's this band. They're pretty ordinary, but they're also pretty good, so they've attracted some attention. They're signed to a moderate-sized "independent" label owned by a distribution company, and they have another two albums owed to the label. They're a little ambitious. They'd like to get signed by a major label so they can have some security you know, get some good equipment, tour in a proper tour bus -- nothing fancy, just a little reward for all the hard work. To that end, they got a manager. He knows some of the label guys, and he can shop their next project to all the right people. He takes his cut, sure, but it's only 15%, and if he can get them signed then it's money well spent. Anyways, it doesn't cost them anything if it doesn't work. 15% of nothing isn't much! One day an A & R scout calls them, says he's 'been following them for a while now, and when their manager mentioned them to him, it just "clicked." Would they like to meet with him about the possibility of working out a deal with his label? Wow. Big Break time. They meet the guy, and y'know what -- he's not what they expected from a label guy. He's young and dresses pretty much like the band does. He knows all their favorite bands. He's like one of them. He tells them he wants to go to bat for them, to try to get them everything they want. He says anything is possible with the right attitude.
They conclude the evening by taking home a copy of a deal memo they wrote out and signed on the spot. The A & R guy was full of great ideas, even talked about using a name producer. Butch Vig is out of the question-he wants 100 g's and three points, but they can get Don Fleming for $30,000 plus three points. Even that's a little steep, so maybe they'll go with that guy who used to be in David Letterman's band. He only wants three points. Or they can have just anybody record it (like Warton Tiers, maybe-- cost you 5 or 7 grand] and have Andy Wallace remix it for 4 grand a track plus 2 points. It was a lot to think about. Well, they like this guy and they trust him. Besides, they already signed the deal memo. He must have been serious about wanting them to sign. They break the news to their current label, and the label manager says he wants them to succeed, so they have his blessing. He will need to be compensated, of course, for the remaining albums left on their contract, but he'll work it out with the label himself.
Sub Pop made millions from selling off Nirvana, and Twin Tone hasn't done bad either: 50 grand for the Babes and 60 grand for the Poster Children-- without having to sell a single additional record. It'll be something modest. The new label doesn't mind, so long as it's recoupable out of royalties. Well, they get the final contract, and it's not quite what they expected. They figure it's better to be safe than sorry and they turn it over to a lawyer--one who says he's experienced in entertainment law and he hammers out a few bugs. They're still not sure about it, but the lawyer says he's seen a lot of contracts, and theirs is pretty good. They'll be great royalty: 13% [less a 1O% packaging deduction]. Wasn't it Buffalo Tom that were only getting 12% less 10? Whatever. The old label only wants 50 grand, an no points. Hell, Sub Pop got 3 points when they let Nirvana go. They're signed for four years, with options on each year, for a total of over a million dollars! That's a lot of money in any man's English. The first year's advance alone is $250,000. Just think about it, a quarter million, just for being in a rock band! Their manager thinks it's a great deal, especially the large advance. Besides, he knows a publishing company that will take the band on if they get signed, and even give them an advance of 20 grand, so they'll be making that money too. The manager says publishing is pretty mysterious, and nobody really knows where all the money comes from, but the lawyer can look that contract over too. Hell, it's free money. Their booking agent is excited about the band signing to a major. He says they can maybe average $1,000 or $2,000 a night from now on. That's enough to justify a five week tour, and with tour support, they can use a proper crew, buy some good equipment and even get a tour bus! Buses are pretty expensive, but if you figure in the price of a hotel room for everybody In the band and crew, they're actually about the same cost. Some bands like Therapy? and Sloan and Stereolab use buses on their tours even when they're getting paid only a couple hundred bucks a night, and this tour should earn at least a grand or two every night. It'll be worth it. The band will be more comfortable and will play better.
The agent says a band on a major label can get a merchandising company to pay them an advance on T-shirt sales! ridiculous! There's a gold mine here! The lawyer Should look over the merchandising contract, just to be safe. They get drunk at the signing party. Polaroids are taken and everybody looks thrilled. The label picked them up in a limo. They decided to go with the producer who used to be in Letterman's band. He had these technicians come in and tune the drums for them and tweak their amps and guitars. He had a guy bring in a slew of expensive old "vintage" microphones. Boy, were they "warm." He even had a guy come in and check the phase of all the equipment in the control room! Boy, was he professional. He used a bunch of equipment on them and by the end of it, they all agreed that it sounded very "punchy," yet "warm." All that hard work paid off. With the help of a video, the album went like hotcakes! They sold a quarter million copies! Here is the math that will explain just how fucked they are: These figures are representative of amounts that appear in record contracts daily. There's no need to skew the figures to make the scenario look bad, since real-life examples more than abound. income is bold and underlined, expenses are not.
.. ..tr> Advance: $ 250,000
Manager's cut: $ 37,500
Legal fees: $ 10,000
Recording Budget: $ 150,000
Producer's advance: $ 50,000
Studio fee: $ 52,500
Drum Amp, Mic and Phase "Doctors": $ 3,000
Recording tape: $ 8,000
Equipment rental: $ 5,000
Cartage and Transportation: $ 5,000
Lodgings while in studio: $ 10,000
Catering: $ 3,000
Mastering: $ 10,000
Tape copies, reference CDs, shipping tapes, misc. expenses: $ 2,000
Video budget: $ 30,000
Cameras: $ 8,000
Crew: $ 5,000
Processing and transfers: $ 3,000
Off-line: $ 2,000
On-line editing: $ 3,000
Catering: $ 1,000
Stage and construction: $ 3,000
Copies, couriers, transportation: $ 2,000
Director's fee: $ 3,000
Album Artwork: $ 5,000
Promotional photo shoot and duplication: $ 2,000
Band fund: $ 15,000
New fancy professional drum kit: $ 5,000
New fancy professional guitars [2]: $ 3,000
New fancy professional guitar amp rigs [2]: $ 4,000
New fancy potato-shaped bass guitar: $ 1,000
New fancy rack of lights bass amp: $ 1,000
Rehearsal space rental: $ 500
Big blowout party for their friends: $ 500
Tour expense [5 weeks]: $ 50,875
Bus: $ 25,000
Crew [3]: $ 7,500
Food and per diems: $ 7,875
Fuel: $ 3,000
Consumable supplies: $ 3,500
Wardrobe: $ 1,000
Promotion: $ 3,000
Tour gross income: $ 50,000
Agent's cut: $ 7,500
Manager's cut: $ 7,500
Merchandising advance: $ 20,000
Manager's cut: $ 3,000
Lawyer's fee: $ 1,000
Publishing advance: $ 20,000
Manager's cut: $ 3,000
Lawyer's fee: $ 1,000
Record sales: 250,000 @ $12 =
$3,000,000
Gross retail revenue Royalty: [13% of 90% of retail]:
$ 351,000
Less advance: $ 250,000
Producer's points: [3% less $50,000 advance]:
$ 40,000
Promotional budget: $ 25,000
Recoupable buyout from previous label: $ 50,000
Net royalty: $ -14,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Record company income:
Record wholesale price: $6.50 x 250,000 =
$1,625,000 gross income
Artist Royalties: $ 351,000
Deficit from royalties: $ 14,000
Manufacturing, packaging and distribution: @ $2.20 per record: $ 550,000
Gross profit: $ 7l0,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Balance Sheet: This is how much each player got paid at the end of the game.
Record company: $ 710,000
Producer: $ 90,000
Manager: $ 51,000
Studio: $ 52,500
Previous label: $ 50,000
Agent: $ 7,500
Lawyer: $ 12,000
Band member net income each: $ 4,031.25
Biopsy came thu with the bad newz by Citrus
From Citrus' myspace blog
I am blessed to have two idiot fathers.
Father numba two has been chain smoking since before I was born and has had throat cancer and all that crap.
His heart is so week that they wouldn't let him have a biopsy even for the longest...but he had it yesterday..survived! with a heart running at 19% no less. I had a shitty day...listening for the phone call that would tell me that he passed on the table or something
Unfortunately he was told that yes the tumor that is growing in there is malign. Just the biopsy was a huge risk and now they are gonna cut out the growth soon...which is a HUGER risk.
I am very scared for him. Pissed at him cuz he is prolly suckin down a ciggy right NOW...and also going thru a lot of shit mentally about our past and all.
It's fucked up...but I am HOPING that I will get to talk to him thru his little artificial voice box.....cuz if not...that will mean he is gone for good.
With the end in plain sight...it's time to bury the hatchet and get some sort of understanding between us.
I am blessed to have two idiot fathers.
Father numba two has been chain smoking since before I was born and has had throat cancer and all that crap.
His heart is so week that they wouldn't let him have a biopsy even for the longest...but he had it yesterday..survived! with a heart running at 19% no less. I had a shitty day...listening for the phone call that would tell me that he passed on the table or something
Unfortunately he was told that yes the tumor that is growing in there is malign. Just the biopsy was a huge risk and now they are gonna cut out the growth soon...which is a HUGER risk.
I am very scared for him. Pissed at him cuz he is prolly suckin down a ciggy right NOW...and also going thru a lot of shit mentally about our past and all.
It's fucked up...but I am HOPING that I will get to talk to him thru his little artificial voice box.....cuz if not...that will mean he is gone for good.
With the end in plain sight...it's time to bury the hatchet and get some sort of understanding between us.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Tore the Roof off the Snake...AGAIN!! by Citrus
From Citrus' myspace blog
So we rock this little joint up in the hills called the Snake River Saloon...
They have a brass ceiling and blow fire up all over it and stuff...Hell they hired us in the first place due to the fact that we cover " I call my baby Pussycat"
Tha place is always a madhouse when we are up in there. Mugs passing out on the floor, dropping their glasses to break... fights...etc..
THIS time the big story was some lucky cat that got rode hard and put away wet by a mom and daughter team friday night, the guy that wet himself AND of course a wedding party going nutzo.
It's a crazy little mountain town bar...Not a big place..but we managed to pull in some 420 folks thru the door over the two nights.
I have to mix the show from the stage...and that is TUFF....the first show is always hard to get...and the second always sounds so much better.
We have to set up very different than our norm....with me way over stage left. the cues are hard to get to the band..I can hardly see Murphy at all and locking down is really a test of our mental telepathy....
My poor brother Azma always has shit go down when we play there...THIS time..he had buried his Grandmother in the morning...and got the text that his cuzin had been shot in the evening during our set.....wtf? IT was really taxing...I didn't even realize what had happened till after the set..but knew that something was wrong with Azma...something more than being sad for loosing his Grandmother. I don't get it...why does shit havta go south whenever we go to the snake? We all had our fill of fried chicken from the service in the morning... we had chicken for pre during and post show food! Thanks to the Holiday family for that.
Well anyway...the rest on saturday was much needed. All I could do was watch Unbeatable Banzuke and laff my ass off all day...then rocked em again that night.
I think it's time for a raize up in there...cuz they more than covered our fee from the door alone...and made a MINT at the bar!
I am always amazed at mountain folk and their ability to let it all hang out...I wish that it was like that everywhere!
So we rock this little joint up in the hills called the Snake River Saloon...
They have a brass ceiling and blow fire up all over it and stuff...Hell they hired us in the first place due to the fact that we cover " I call my baby Pussycat"
Tha place is always a madhouse when we are up in there. Mugs passing out on the floor, dropping their glasses to break... fights...etc..
THIS time the big story was some lucky cat that got rode hard and put away wet by a mom and daughter team friday night, the guy that wet himself AND of course a wedding party going nutzo.
It's a crazy little mountain town bar...Not a big place..but we managed to pull in some 420 folks thru the door over the two nights.
I have to mix the show from the stage...and that is TUFF....the first show is always hard to get...and the second always sounds so much better.
We have to set up very different than our norm....with me way over stage left. the cues are hard to get to the band..I can hardly see Murphy at all and locking down is really a test of our mental telepathy....
My poor brother Azma always has shit go down when we play there...THIS time..he had buried his Grandmother in the morning...and got the text that his cuzin had been shot in the evening during our set.....wtf? IT was really taxing...I didn't even realize what had happened till after the set..but knew that something was wrong with Azma...something more than being sad for loosing his Grandmother. I don't get it...why does shit havta go south whenever we go to the snake? We all had our fill of fried chicken from the service in the morning... we had chicken for pre during and post show food! Thanks to the Holiday family for that.
Well anyway...the rest on saturday was much needed. All I could do was watch Unbeatable Banzuke and laff my ass off all day...then rocked em again that night.
I think it's time for a raize up in there...cuz they more than covered our fee from the door alone...and made a MINT at the bar!
I am always amazed at mountain folk and their ability to let it all hang out...I wish that it was like that everywhere!
Mastering with a MASTER by Citrus
From Citrus' myspace blog
We had the album Mastered last friday at Airshow Studios with David Glasser as our MASTER...he is indeed a Master!
Airshow
In NO time at all the whole thing was sounding a TON better than it sounded prior to him sprinkling his dust on it...and we had all thought it sounded pretty damn good.
Just walking into the room with 5 ten thousand dollar speakers...some 60+ Grammy's represented on the walls with TWO actual trophies on a speaker in front of the room, and countless gold and platinum records all over the place...made ME feel humble.
I just kept remembering Shider telling me.." you are never better than your surroundings"....I used it in reverse and realized that I BELONGED up in there.
We had gotten there just a bit late and Billy TEE and David G had already been at it for about an hour...Billy told me that David just never spends that much time on ONE song...he was pumped. Indeed David was having FUN...we were listening at a fairly loud volume as David said he only had our session for the day and that the music was meant to be listened to loud. I had done my homework and expected it to be a fairly quiet time.
They had run Get Up back to a BIG ol piece of Tape...but apparently we did good enough at the studio that it really didn't help us out that much...better to just stay in the digital realm David said...so we did...basically whatever this man said was cool by us! He kept commenting on how quiet we were and all.. We just kept telling him that we were there to observe and learn NOT to tell HIM what to do by any means!
It was really a great time. I had NEVER been to a Mastering session and was in awe of the room itself.. the gear...and of course the Man in the middle of the room turnin all them knobs and boppin his head.
Bill and Tom have worked together on many sessions and I could tell they were very friendly with each other. The energy was funky and fun and just what the album needed for the finishing touches. Bill kept telling me...he NEVER...does this or that or the other thing... with a shit eatin grin on his face I knew that Billy was stoked about this project...hell he MUST be...cuz he has been workin on it with me for a couple of years now with barely a mention of money or any of that stuff.....course I am gonna PAY the man..have been all along...but you know...I am poor..the band is poor...he is poor...but we are all RICH as hell in love and light!
Anyway...the experience was one I will CHERISH forever and I hope that there are more to come down the Pipeline..
Some 5+ hours and $977 dollars later....we walked and listened to the thing for the first time on the way up to play a weekend at the Snake River Saloon in Keystone....
I can't wait to put this thing out!
We had the album Mastered last friday at Airshow Studios with David Glasser as our MASTER...he is indeed a Master!
Airshow
In NO time at all the whole thing was sounding a TON better than it sounded prior to him sprinkling his dust on it...and we had all thought it sounded pretty damn good.
Just walking into the room with 5 ten thousand dollar speakers...some 60+ Grammy's represented on the walls with TWO actual trophies on a speaker in front of the room, and countless gold and platinum records all over the place...made ME feel humble.
I just kept remembering Shider telling me.." you are never better than your surroundings"....I used it in reverse and realized that I BELONGED up in there.
We had gotten there just a bit late and Billy TEE and David G had already been at it for about an hour...Billy told me that David just never spends that much time on ONE song...he was pumped. Indeed David was having FUN...we were listening at a fairly loud volume as David said he only had our session for the day and that the music was meant to be listened to loud. I had done my homework and expected it to be a fairly quiet time.
They had run Get Up back to a BIG ol piece of Tape...but apparently we did good enough at the studio that it really didn't help us out that much...better to just stay in the digital realm David said...so we did...basically whatever this man said was cool by us! He kept commenting on how quiet we were and all.. We just kept telling him that we were there to observe and learn NOT to tell HIM what to do by any means!
It was really a great time. I had NEVER been to a Mastering session and was in awe of the room itself.. the gear...and of course the Man in the middle of the room turnin all them knobs and boppin his head.
Bill and Tom have worked together on many sessions and I could tell they were very friendly with each other. The energy was funky and fun and just what the album needed for the finishing touches. Bill kept telling me...he NEVER...does this or that or the other thing... with a shit eatin grin on his face I knew that Billy was stoked about this project...hell he MUST be...cuz he has been workin on it with me for a couple of years now with barely a mention of money or any of that stuff.....course I am gonna PAY the man..have been all along...but you know...I am poor..the band is poor...he is poor...but we are all RICH as hell in love and light!
Anyway...the experience was one I will CHERISH forever and I hope that there are more to come down the Pipeline..
Some 5+ hours and $977 dollars later....we walked and listened to the thing for the first time on the way up to play a weekend at the Snake River Saloon in Keystone....
I can't wait to put this thing out!
Friday, September 5, 2008
It’s Friday!!! by Sherryce
From Sherryce's myspace blog
Okay, so thrilled it's Friday. One, because I have a gig tonight in Keystone, Colorado, which always puts me in a good mood to gig, and two, because I'm picking up some Bourbon Chicken at the local Colfax eatery. Yummy. Oh, and number three is because I get to spend lunch time with my hubby. One more thing, holy crap sticks it's cold out today. Can I get a, "Where the heck did summer go?" Sheesh. Well, have a great weekend ya'll.
Okay, so thrilled it's Friday. One, because I have a gig tonight in Keystone, Colorado, which always puts me in a good mood to gig, and two, because I'm picking up some Bourbon Chicken at the local Colfax eatery. Yummy. Oh, and number three is because I get to spend lunch time with my hubby. One more thing, holy crap sticks it's cold out today. Can I get a, "Where the heck did summer go?" Sheesh. Well, have a great weekend ya'll.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
The DNC aftermath...and beyond... by Spunky
Hello Pipe fans!
This is my first "official" behind-the-scenes blog and I'm pleased to be getting around to this. My head was in a fog due to all the madness of Denver's hosting of the Democratic National Convention (DNC). U.S. Pipe was proud to take part in some of the festivities, including one private party, the Green Frontier Fest and the Sustainable Living Roadshow. Each of the three had their own special fun. I thought we'd all lose our minds to an extent because the logistics were challenging but we lived through it, learned much and can keep moving forward.
I'd like to thank all the people who gave us these DNC opportunities...while I can't really mention all of them by specific names here, they know who they are and they will all get a more personal thank you from me very, very soon! We are grateful to have been able to perform at these events and promote our music and some great causes, too.
The night Obama gave his acceptance speech was a regularly scheduled practice night. The kids (yes, Citrus--who is my husband for those of you who don't know--and I refer to the band members as the "kids," lol) were given a night off because of this historical moment. Citrus and I watched it together, curious what would unfold. I'll admit I was worried and somewhat anticipating something CRAZY happening, but instead I saw something BEAUTIFUL happening.
Most of the times I'm the cynic Obama wants us to NOT be anymore. I really listen to most politicians and think most of it is pure BS. I have lost faith in my government and those in power, for sure. I can't take them seriously. But Obama really moved me.
I guess what pops out at me, more than anything else about this moment in time, in Obama's speech, is his theme about not doing the right/good thing for others, but FOR YOURSELF. Do it FOR YOURSELF.
This band has presented many challenges since we stumbled into doing it. In June of 2005, my husband Citrus went to audition for a band, but then he became the focus of a new band. I got suckered into web design and press releases and now I help manage the band with Citrus. We sometimes, in all honesty, wonder what we're doing and why, and feel like giving up because it seems like so much for so little reward. We think about this in terms of others but really, we're doing this for ourselves.
It is my hope and dream to see this band, U.S. Pipe, that has weathered so much throughout time and trials, to see some level of success. It's my goal for Citrus to be able to be the awesome musician he is and make a living from his talent. It's also my goal to keep working on my ability to do what I do within this industry: to write, to hype, to connect, to help sustain what it is and deliver music that not only moves but can remove, as the great Dr. Funkenstein would say.
The power of funk and its legacy is lost on some. I am hoping we can revitalize it and take it to another level. That, I suppose, is the ultimate dream. I want there to be a little Citrus, of sorts...as he was at a young age, opening Dr. Funkenstein's album up and thinking that Afronauts and their story was a real deal. It IS a real deal. The funk needs us and we need the funk. Hopefully our funk will get its stank on some new blood and carry on.
Friends, thank you for your support. I see so many familiar faces at our shows and your love helps us to grow. For that I am extremely grateful.
Hope to see you at Herman's Hideaway on September 13. Discount tickets are on an intro page to our site at www.us-pipe.com. Tell your friends!
Thanks for reading,
Spunky (aka Laura), U.S. Pipe's pimp :)
This is my first "official" behind-the-scenes blog and I'm pleased to be getting around to this. My head was in a fog due to all the madness of Denver's hosting of the Democratic National Convention (DNC). U.S. Pipe was proud to take part in some of the festivities, including one private party, the Green Frontier Fest and the Sustainable Living Roadshow. Each of the three had their own special fun. I thought we'd all lose our minds to an extent because the logistics were challenging but we lived through it, learned much and can keep moving forward.
I'd like to thank all the people who gave us these DNC opportunities...while I can't really mention all of them by specific names here, they know who they are and they will all get a more personal thank you from me very, very soon! We are grateful to have been able to perform at these events and promote our music and some great causes, too.
The night Obama gave his acceptance speech was a regularly scheduled practice night. The kids (yes, Citrus--who is my husband for those of you who don't know--and I refer to the band members as the "kids," lol) were given a night off because of this historical moment. Citrus and I watched it together, curious what would unfold. I'll admit I was worried and somewhat anticipating something CRAZY happening, but instead I saw something BEAUTIFUL happening.
Most of the times I'm the cynic Obama wants us to NOT be anymore. I really listen to most politicians and think most of it is pure BS. I have lost faith in my government and those in power, for sure. I can't take them seriously. But Obama really moved me.
I guess what pops out at me, more than anything else about this moment in time, in Obama's speech, is his theme about not doing the right/good thing for others, but FOR YOURSELF. Do it FOR YOURSELF.
This band has presented many challenges since we stumbled into doing it. In June of 2005, my husband Citrus went to audition for a band, but then he became the focus of a new band. I got suckered into web design and press releases and now I help manage the band with Citrus. We sometimes, in all honesty, wonder what we're doing and why, and feel like giving up because it seems like so much for so little reward. We think about this in terms of others but really, we're doing this for ourselves.
It is my hope and dream to see this band, U.S. Pipe, that has weathered so much throughout time and trials, to see some level of success. It's my goal for Citrus to be able to be the awesome musician he is and make a living from his talent. It's also my goal to keep working on my ability to do what I do within this industry: to write, to hype, to connect, to help sustain what it is and deliver music that not only moves but can remove, as the great Dr. Funkenstein would say.
The power of funk and its legacy is lost on some. I am hoping we can revitalize it and take it to another level. That, I suppose, is the ultimate dream. I want there to be a little Citrus, of sorts...as he was at a young age, opening Dr. Funkenstein's album up and thinking that Afronauts and their story was a real deal. It IS a real deal. The funk needs us and we need the funk. Hopefully our funk will get its stank on some new blood and carry on.
Friends, thank you for your support. I see so many familiar faces at our shows and your love helps us to grow. For that I am extremely grateful.
Hope to see you at Herman's Hideaway on September 13. Discount tickets are on an intro page to our site at www.us-pipe.com. Tell your friends!
Thanks for reading,
Spunky (aka Laura), U.S. Pipe's pimp :)
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