I am perplexed. I am wiggy. Whoa, I'm dizzy. What the hell is actually happening in the Alternative/Indie music scene? I guzzled so much music, that I didn't really wrap, that which wears a hat, around two underlying problems. One pure bullshit, and one I ask loudly, “where in the blue blazes is everybody man”?
Something felt left, when it should have felt right. While club-housing in my personal club-house, doing personally fun club-house uh stuff, a burst of thought appeared. It hit like a Vegas hotel imploding (shout out to Steve Wynn)! Emotions set afire once again. And not the kind you get when playing with a cluster of Meerkats.
I was nicked up. My not so wild musical oats wobbled, breaking loose from it's sad sow. My excitement factor sprung a bloody leak. Boo hoo! Red, heart shaped tears descending. The boundless energy I discharged for this material emptied out....faster than the day after a night spent in Mexico - knockin' back Tequila for hours on end while munching and sometimes special crunching street vendor hot dogs.
I've sung the praises of a myriad of bands to just about every person that fell between 16 - 40 years of age. Primary communication accomplished with two cans and string. Lack of clarity became very frustrating, so I had to resort to the tried and true method of out and about, telephone talk, email, forums etc. Granted, I'm not as active as I was once was, but geez what the hell? I would estimate that 1% knew what I was spouting. That is the Grand Canyon of crazy! "Garcon, straight jacket for one please".
Smoke screen, I declare! Smoke screen! Why? It was time to don a Fedora and a trench coat. Carry a whiskey flask in one pocket, several packs of Camel non-filters in the other. Pin-up girl photo located inside visor of surveillance vehicle. Any 1940's Dick worth his salt is prepared just so. What can I say....I'M a DICK!
Kinda-sorta managers, venue operators (bars mostly), kinda-sorta record label representation if lucky, band members, and a waterfall of websites disguised as professional music entities. So many churn out completely misleading info, embellished truth and some flat out lie. Those mentioned are the worst offenders.
Make no mistake, the bull has been slung as though it were infused with steroids. Tall, mighty, galloping away unfettered! Get in the way, get a hoof up your uh, crack-a-lack-a. This info bounced around my brain for a while, then finally linked up. String it together and the research kept inching back to ugly. The European side carried much the same theme.
The scope of this situation is substantial and unprecedented! This stage is global. Judging from my research, I can confidently state that this is indeed "the" accepted practice. It planted a wholly false sense of where the bands are professionally. What their about etc. It messed with my essence evaluator! I don't dig that man!
Words orchestrated to dance like a Marionette Queen! I was blindfolded and led stumbling to a trough over-flowing with un-friggin-believable. I over-dosed on stuff like they are so successful, they are so successful, they are so successful! Ground breaking work! Another triumphant return! Forged a new trail in blah, blah, blah country. Uh, wrong! The data unveils the truth!
Successful and it's uses with “Headline Tour” is a beaut! That one specifically gives me the sarcastic giggles. Talk about pretending something seems like a huge success, when it most obviously is not! Cold hard fact dudes and dudettes, many Alternative/Indie bands are kiss a Leprechaun lucky to be playing in front of 25 peeps! Lets go up to 50! How about 100! Numbers in no way capable of carrying such high octane, ozone poking bull-pucky! Global warming does not need the added stress!
In spite of all the bull, once you have scratched the surface, then chipped away at the layers, you can feel an honest appreciation of what it takes to be a successful band! This particular route for success is an extremely poor business practice. And it is learned very early. Not good for the consumer or the artist in the long run. Even with the bull, I still feel strongly that in the end, successful bands do deserve what they earn. Need we re-visit “repetition” and list it again under deserving what they earn? That one sooooooo badly wants to give me nightmares. Ha, ha, ha repetition, I no longer retain dreams. True that! No, no, no, don't ask...."Dude, if your dream falls in the forest, and you don't remember, did it make a sound"?
I have to jam on the brakes. This post was longer than my Sigmoid colon. I had to whittle it down while fantasizing that I was Edward Scissor-hands on meth. Perhaps I will continue it one day. Doubtful though. For now, I'm bummed. It turns out to be an expansive area to cover that would keep me prisoner here for a long time.
Sneaky European festivals alone, could be as long as this post. One area of particular interest to me is a type format followed when shooting concert video. A certain flavor of editing they prefer. And how they sling their special brand of bull through that.
This whole bloody situation is alarmingly dis-tasteful. 6 ways to Sunday wrong. Every entertainer whores themselves out in one form or another. Part of the game. For that matter, we all do at some point. It's the vehemence level in Alternative/Indie that I take issue with. It shouldn't be in the game this early for up and coming bands! This is a morbid comment on how screwed up this situation is. A strong dis-service to many.
Man this has become tedious. I'm gonna hop a train and and pop a Pellegrino. As it pulls away, I'll crack a slight smile as I watch the silhouette of UGLY fade beneath a snoozy, boozy setting sun. I can no longer write about this subject". I will continue to search/listen to new and exciting music in this genre, but I will go no further. It's a bloody smoke screen! And baby that ain't cool!
