WEBBTIDE 2001-2002 @ SHORELINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Volume 37 No.14 Apr. 26 - May 09, 2002 [ ARCHIVE ] [ FEEDBACK ] [ HELP ]
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Hey kid, wanna be a rock star?

.
      Many a kid has dreamt the dream of becoming a rock star. In this modern day world rock-star fame is pretty much the closest thing to actually being a god. You could be the biggest loser on the planet, then have a guitar thrust into your hands and be adored by millions. It's this power that makes musicians sleep on concrete floors, live off peanut butter sandwiches, and give up the everyday amenities in pursuit of rock stardom.
      My experiences with the music industry range from that of an avid music lover to that of a musician on the verge of recording, playing shows, and getting signed. I have come to realize that getting into the music business is one part talent and four parts luck. I also know how much music means to the people involved, so when I go to a show I try and keep and open mind.
      When I went to review the band Damnaged at the I-Spy I really didn't know what to expect. I had not received a CD to preview and the press packet contained no real insight as to what caliber or style of music I was about to be subjected to. I arrived at the venue around six, got my name checked off the list, and waited patiently for the music to begin. The show turned out to be a showcase for Very Juicy Records, a Seattle based label trying to get its feet off the ground. It was an all ages show and there were two bands to go on before Damnaged.
      The opening band was Skylab. From California, they played a sort of guitar-driven melodic rock. Of the three bands I heard that night Skylab has the best shot of any to actually make it in today's music world. Their sound was reminiscent of current bands like Radiohead, The Strokes, or Phantom Planet.
      Skylab's lead singer is from Britain and has a great stage presence, I couldn't help but giggle when he belted out phrases like "cheers mate" in between songs. You could tell these guys have been playing together for quite awhile, their set was seamless and all their songs had been honed to perfection. I couldn't help to think how disappointing it must have been for them to drive all the way to Seattle to open a six o'clock show for about twenty-five unenthused people who had obviously showed up for one of the other bands.
      The second band, Underide, took a different approach in entertaining a crowd. Their sound lay somewhere in the graveyard of eighties, leather clad, devil-rock. Smoke bellowed from off the stage; and, while rare for a small club show, they even shot off some pyrotechnics at choice moments. The lead singer yelled obscenities at the members of the audience that weren't showing enough enthusiasm for his band (I haven't heard such beratement since Lemmy of Motorhead insulted the entire city of Seattle for its lack of good strip clubs at last years Bumbershoot festival).
      The members of Underide obviously know that there is no place in today's music world for their sound, and in an attempt to still play the music that they know and feel, they have had to make up for it by putting on a style of performance that is more about the stage show than it is about musicianship.
      I should have known what I was in for when the kids who were setting up Damnaged's equipment actually turned out to be the band. They looked like they were in high school, and the group of twenty or so seventeen-year old girls who had surrounded the stage told me I was probably right. I also realized that the lead singer was the same kid that I saw weaving in and out of the crowd at the I-Spy like he owned the place.
      There must be people in this kid's life telling him that he is the next big thing, that it won't be long before fame catches up with him. I felt sorry for this him, there's just no way in the current music scene that he or his band will ever achieve any sort of rock fame.
      Damnaged's music reminds me of bands like Metallica or Megadeath. It's angry, full of power chords, and loud. This style of rock isn't even heard in the music world of today. Metallica has sold out (according to their fans) and the rest of the bands like Megadeath aren't to be found.
      Headbangers Ball was taken off the air the minute Nirvana took over, and the only remnants of eighties heavy metal can be found on VH1 in Behind the Music. Unless their brand of hard rock makes a comeback; Damnaged, and its already famous-in-his-own-head, lead singer, will never make it in the music industry.
      Now don't think that it's jealousy that's making me be so hard on this band or its front-man; it's reality. The rock world is an ugly place, right now there are countless bands out there that deserve recognition, and just the same, there are ones that don't deserve any.
      Every city has good bands from every genre just waiting to break into the mainstream so they can have their shot. It's like a chain reaction, one band in a genre has some relative success then the record companies send out their scouts to find bands that sound like them. Whether it's rap-rock, boy bands, heavy metal, or retro; it's all relative.
      I myself know the let-downs of trying to break into the music world. Up until recently I have always been in a band. My most recent musical venture gave me the opportunity to record which added a whole new twist to the idea of playing a creating music. We also had several offers to play shows as soon as we were ready.
      Subsequently, as soon as things actually started to get serious the problems began to arise. The commitment factor had an affect by driving some of the band members away, and others to take unconstructive leadership roles.
      Eventually, the whole band dismantled right before we even had the chance to share the music we had been making for all those months. I would have been disappointed if I had let myself get caught up in the whole thing, but I was just doing it for fun and came out relatively unscathed.
      The music industry will eat you up if you're not on your guard. Take it too seriously and you set yourself up for a fall. Take it too lightly and you'll have to be content with small dreams. This is my advice to someone that is trying to get into music or the music business: Have fun, be true to yourself, be creative, and play your fucking heart out. Music is a direct link to the soul, there's an undeniable feeling you get when you play music; it's like a high, your body stops functioning and the music takes over.
      What I'm talking about only fellow musicians will understand, everyone else can laugh all you want. But remember, as with everything good in life there is a downside, so be careful.

.

by Brian Kerin

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Hey kid, wanna be a rock star?
.	Many a kid has dreamt the dream of becoming a rock star. In this modern day world rock-star fame is pretty much the closest thing to actually being a god. You could be the biggest loser on the planet, then have a guitar thrust into your hands and be adored by millions. It's this power that makes musicians sleep on concrete floors, live off peanut butter sandwiches, and give up the everyday amenities in pursuit of rock stardom. My experiences with the music industry range from that of an avid music lover to that of a musician on the verge of recording, playing shows, and getting signed. I have come to realize that getting into the music business is one part talent and four parts luck. I also know how much music means to the people involved, so when I go to a show I try and keep and open mind. When I went to review the band Damnaged at the I-Spy I really didn't know what to expect. I had not received a CD to preview and the press packet contained no real insight as to what caliber or style of music I was about to be subjected to. I arrived at the venue around six, got my name checked off the list, and waited patiently for the music to begin. The show turned out to be a showcase for Very Juicy Records, a Seattle based label trying to get its feet off the ground. It was an all ages show and there were two bands to go on before Damnaged. The opening band was Skylab. From California, they played a sort of guitar-driven melodic rock. Of the three bands I heard that night Skylab has the best shot of any to actually make it in today's music world. Their sound was reminiscent of current bands like Radiohead, The Strokes, or Phantom Planet. Skylab's lead singer is from Britain and has a great stage presence, I couldn't help but giggle when he belted out phrases like "cheers mate" in between songs. You could tell these guys have been playing together for quite awhile, their set was seamless and all their songs had been honed to perfection. I couldn't help to think how disappointing it must have been for them to drive all the way to Seattle to open a six o'clock show for about twenty-five unenthused people who had obviously showed up for one of the other bands. The second band, Underide, took a different approach in entertaining a crowd. Their sound lay somewhere in the graveyard of eighties, leather clad, devil-rock. Smoke bellowed from off the stage; and, while rare for a small club show, they even shot off some pyrotechnics at choice moments. The lead singer yelled obscenities at the members of the audience that weren't showing enough enthusiasm for his band (I haven't heard such beratement since Lemmy of Motorhead insulted the entire city of Seattle for its lack of good strip clubs at last years Bumbershoot festival). The members of Underide obviously know that there is no place in today's music world for their sound, and in an attempt to still play the music that they know and feel, they have had to make up for it by putting on a style of performance that is more about the stage show than it is about musicianship. I should have known what I was in for when the kids who were setting up Damnaged's equipment actually turned out to be the band. They looked like they were in high school, and the group of twenty or so seventeen-year old girls who had surrounded the stage told me I was probably right. I also realized that the lead singer was the same kid that I saw weaving in and out of the crowd at the I-Spy like he owned the place. There must be people in this kid's life telling him that he is the next big thing, that it won't be long before fame catches up with him. I felt sorry for this him, there's just no way in the current music scene that he or his band will ever achieve any sort of rock fame. Damnaged's music reminds me of bands like Metallica or Megadeath. It's angry, full of power chords, and loud. This style of rock isn't even heard in the music world of today. Metallica has sold out (according to their fans) and the rest of the bands like Megadeath aren't to be found. Headbangers Ball was taken off the air the minute Nirvana took over, and the only remnants of eighties heavy metal can be found on VH1 in Behind the Music. Unless their brand of hard rock makes a comeback; Damnaged, and its already famous-in-his-own-head, lead singer, will never make it in the music industry. Now don't think that it's jealousy that's making me be so hard on this band or its front-man; it's reality. The rock world is an ugly place, right now there are countless bands out there that deserve recognition, and just the same, there are ones that don't deserve any. Every city has good bands from every genre just waiting to break into the mainstream so they can have their shot. It's like a chain reaction, one band in a genre has some relative success then the record companies send out their scouts to find bands that sound like them. Whether it's rap-rock, boy bands, heavy metal, or retro; it's all relative. I myself know the let-downs of trying to break into the music world. Up until recently I have always been in a band. My most recent musical venture gave me the opportunity to record which added a whole new twist to the idea of playing a creating music. We also had several offers to play shows as soon as we were ready. Subsequently, as soon as things actually started to get serious the problems began to arise. The commitment factor had an affect by driving some of the band members away, and others to take unconstructive leadership roles. Eventually, the whole band dismantled right before we even had the chance to share the music we had been making for all those months. I would have been disappointed if I had let myself get caught up in the whole thing, but I was just doing it for fun and came out relatively unscathed. The music industry will eat you up if you're not on your guard. Take it too seriously and you set yourself up for a fall. Take it too lightly and you'll have to be content with small dreams. This is my advice to someone that is trying to get into music or the music business: Have fun, be true to yourself, be creative, and play your fucking heart out. Music is a direct link to the soul, there's an undeniable feeling you get when you play music; it's like a high, your body stops functioning and the music takes over. What I'm talking about only fellow musicians will understand, everyone else can laugh all you want. But remember, as with everything good in life there is a downside, so be careful.	.
by Brian Kerin