About Live

Milton Keynes

What they are really saying is “See how happening I am and how happening you’re not!??” I guess nobody ever told them not to brag and that humility is attractive. Bottom line is…Nobody wants to hear that crap!! And I mean NOBODY! Say “i’m doing fine” and shut up!! See, A big ego says, “What are they gonna do, ha ha..replace me?? replace me?? who can replace me??” A Big ego says, “they’ll put up with it because I am the man!” A big ego says, “ I can do whatever I want, because I am the man, and they know this!!” A big ego says, “I don’t have to rehearse because I am far above all this crap”. (I say, why are you doing it then?) A big ego points the finger and says “He sucks, he Sucks, She sucks and he sucks, and because I am so great I know, who’s got it and who don’t. Respect my word, look up to me because I am the man” A big ego also says..”I’ll just play so good they’ll forget about my being late..” and they might for awhile, but..one thing you can count on..Things change. The tables turn. The tide changes. Those who were the hippest get older and music is fickle. The hippest of hip today become yesterdays sound and then everybody recalls the attitude you had when you were ‘the man’.

Milton

Manchester

THE UPS & DOWNS

Another age old rule my father taught me: You meet the same people on the way up that you meet on the way back down!” Which means, things always have a way of leveling out, so watch what you say and to who. That guy you said sucks so bad might be playing absolutely great 2 years later and be in a position to give you the nod for a great gig. That session that you didn’t give two cents about, it turns out that the producers got a few hit records and works with everybody that did that session except you, and now they pay triple scale. That girl you pointed out to your friend as “so Ugly” might end up being the love of his life! You never know who will be a king tomorrow, so watch who you piss on today!

IN CONCLUSION

Now I know it might sound like I’m preachin’ and I guess I am. What I am really trying do give you young players out there some sound advice. Advice that will help you avoid some pitfalls that may harm your career. Hopefully, when sit down and reflect on your career, you will be thankful that you are working so much! Maybe you will have a nice list of clientele that call you and are glad to see you! Once again, these tips are based on my opinions, which are based on my experiences. I’m not trying to say they hold all answers, but they might just help. Keep playing’ and practicing and by all means, check back next month. All the best, Dré

Bands

The live music scene in the UK is still active but diminishing due to corporate entities acting in the name of progress. To see a live rock band of any value you have to ask your local musicians on what’s on. Pubs, clubs, social clubs, festivals and arenas alike have a range of musical taste. The advent of talent shows like X-Factor and The Voice have rendered most rock guitarists to becoming YouTube stars. It’s either a live gig on YouTube or a bedroom guitarist teaching lick number 1 or lick number 2. It’s the equivalent of a dildo in sex. People prefer the real thing mostly and live rock bands are being marginalised by TV brainwashing in the form of Karaoke and artistes crying and begging to become rich and famous.

Being cool is now officially over – you have to have a sob story, be totally inexperienced and beg and cry for rich guys like Simon Cowell to sign you up. It’s a bit like the thumbs up or down in the Colosseum. If you’re a rock guitarist, well rich people don’t like your politics, so they have created the meme of being out of date! How old is a fuck? Did that date? No! So don’t let the media establishment condition you to mediocrity. When the next wave of Rock Guitar Bands occurs, there will be no room for shark faced greed gnomes like Simon Cowell. Stock, Aitkin and Waterman did the same in the 80’s until Guns’n’Roses blew out all the nursery rhyme shite pop in the charts. It’s just a cycle. At the moment it’s shiny happy people who are in your face, yes everything Simon Cowell touches turns into plastic. 2013 is the pinnacle of ‘ultimate shallow’.

For musicians who want to self promote, here are some tips. Streamline your marketing and promotion with niche streaming web sites. The amazing online tv rage is right here and growing. Internet marketing attention is focused on broadband streaming media and nothing could be better for your music than a slice of that attention. This is a marriage made in heaven with streaming media and music video. With the free, built into Microsoft, Movie Maker almost everyone can take their audio file and with a little creativity make it into a compelling video.

Music videos are no longer a barrier for bands – take advantage of the online tv revolution. Just pop some cool pictures or some video shorts from your mini-cam, lay in your audio tracks and voila! You have made a simple music video to get that song out. A video with title, credits, lyrics and a message where viewers can buy. It will more than suffice as a promotional tool. Don’t forget “Where is the next gig?” Who has not heard of YouTube or Google Video? These amazing amalgamations of everything under the sun stand as monolithic compendiums.

There must be more than 100 million videos on these sites containing an inexhaustible variety of material covering every topic under the sun. This makes them the world’s largest central repository for video. Like a dictionary containing every word, it has a drawback.. it cannot be read even if using an index to find something. If you’re not the most popular featured darlings, your message never sees the light of day, except by you. Google’s top 100 videos are populated with soft porn girlies and that’s hard to compete with. Never let it be said that having your music video on Youtube or Google should not be done. Au contrary, that is the first thing you would do followed by posting that video to your MySpace account. What did you say? You don’t have a MySpace account? Then go get an account now! The accounts are free, easy and worth the effort.

Ipswitch

In 1981, just one year after their third album was released, their fourth album hit the stores. Ghost in the Machine flew to a ranking of number one in the UK and number two in the USA. Spirits In The Material World, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic and Invisible Sun captured the imagination of fans and were placed in constant rotation on radio stations from coast to coast in the USA. These songs proved that the band could make occasional changes in their sound without evolving away from their fan base as others had.

In 1983, the band released Synchronicity, their fifth and final album to date. It reached number one in the UK and number one in the USA. The album won the group several Grammy Awards and lots of critical acclaim. Songs like Every Breath You Take, King of Pain and Wrapped Around Your Finger became instant favorites that crossed over musical formats and received a huge amount of airplay. Synchronicity II became a favorite song of rock and new music disc jockeys. Today, that album is considered a classic and much beloved by most fans and music critics.

During the 1983-1984 Synchronicity Tour, members of The Police were obviously feeling the toll that touring, arguing over everything and constantly being together took on them individually and collectively. This might have been evidenced by the presence of back up and guest musicians on stage. On top of that, Sting, Summers and Copeland all seemed to be making future plans at that time that didn’t include the others.

Bristol

– To be successful in the entertainment field, you must be active. Affiliate yourself with others, by joining music and singing associations and groups. There you will have the opportunity to meet others who can help you now as well as in the future.

– Package yourself and your talent. Build an official you website, to sell yourself and your talent and other comparable means of advertising your talent. For instance, you could record a sample song to provide to a variety of recording companies, as audition material.

– Bring together all your potential contacts. When you have the option to change from one music label to another, take the chance if it sounds good, while putting those companies that hold auditions on a regularly. Be sure to check out any entertainment establishment such as hotels, since they also employ singers.

If you have the talent, you only need one regular big gig to uphold you. Before you know it, people will be searching to find you, rather than you finding them. Practice your singing and relax – the best singing gig for you may soon be found in one of these steps to finding a singing gig.

Rock World

MusicTV.com has always worked for the independent musician and labels. Independent labels are invited to form groups and showcase their bands. There is a special program for selling your CD’s or downloads through http://www.VideoSeconds.com/ the online DVD and audio CD sales outlet available on MusicTV Video Share.

The important thing is to get you onto these sites when they start and are fresh. MusicTV Video Share is new and will launch out in full this September. You have the opportunity to be the first there and that means front page! Google cache!

Niche streaming is the future and finding a place where you can stand out within your niche gets more difficult each day. You will see more niche streaming sites growing out as the proliferation of site offerings becomes overwhelming. Finding the bests sites to get your music heard and seen will be of great significance. When the next big wave comes are you ready to ride it? Get on http://www.MusicTV.com/share so I can see you already!

– To be successful in the entertainment field, you must be active. Affiliate yourself with others, by joining music and singing associations and groups. There you will have the opportunity to meet others who can help you now as well as in the future.

– Package yourself and your talent. Build an official you website, to sell yourself and your talent and other comparable means of advertising your talent. For instance, you could record a sample song to provide to a variety of recording companies, as audition material.

– Bring together all your potential contacts. When you have the option to change from one music label to another, take the chance if it sounds good, while putting those companies that hold auditions on a regularly. Be sure to check out any entertainment establishment such as hotels, since they also employ singers.

If you have the talent, you only need one regular big gig to uphold you. Before you know it, people will be searching to find you, rather than you finding them. Practice your singing and relax – the best singing gig for you may soon be found in one of these steps to finding a singing gig.

For a singer to survive there will need to be a booking for several gigs, you need an audience to offer your heartfelt songs too. To survive in the field of music, you must have successful gigs. Every singer lives and breathes gigs; it is an essential aspect of following the path that leads to stardom.

So how do you find singing gigs? You need to simply follow these steps and let your imagination run free.

– Find an agent. Once you prove your talent you will taken in. Agents find gigs for you. Then you simply practice your singing and live life, while managing your schedule.

– Look through the advertisements in such places as newspapers, magazines and newsletters that relate to music. You should find listing for such places like a music lounge or bar. You will also be able to find television and radio announcements online. If you do the research, you will find opportunities to make the most of your talents.

– Advertise yourself. There is nothing wrong with singing your own song, so to speak. Singing skills are sell able. Remember to include your contact information on all your promotional material, since there is no telling who may be interested in hiring you.

For those just starting out in the music business, you must measure you progress in small steps. Everything in manageable; the largest aspirations can be accomplished by planning and moving forward at your own rate. I’ll tell you my story; maybe you can learn from it.

It is hard to believe that only a year ago I was just getting my toes in the water regarding performing again after a thirty-year hiatus. I had begun a year before that with a single song and quickly adding two others; at the time I was thinking that if I do get to play an open MIC somewhere I would have three songs ready. Small goal indeed; but my first milestone.

I practiced those three songs hundreds of times. My primary goal was to have an acoustic show with lots of humorous songs built in. I waited and watched my song list grow slowly. I search the internet for funny songs. It took a long time to build my list because I utilized a Zen approach to my performance. I was less concerned about performing an accurate rendition of the covers that I was playing, and more concerned about utilizing my particular skills and talents. I wanted to personalize each piece—put my own spin on them. Everyone knows many players who can accurately depict and reproduce the songs that we have heard over and over. My plan was to provide a fresh view of these songs.

The sandwich shop turns out was a good performance workshop. The clientele changed every twenty minutes or so, so if I wanted to I could work on a song over and over. No one seemed to take notice of me. There was no pressure to do well. Although I still managed to invent reasons why I couldn’t open MIC there, Carla’s stubbornness was unyielding. I kept playing and kept improving; they liked me there and most nights let me play all evening. I kept buying equipment.

In the beginning of 2005 Carla took me on a whirlwind tour of Open MICs all over Chicagoland. Seven or eight stages in a two week period. I was in heaven. I was beginning to build confidence as a performer. Carla looked on the internet for “gman blues” no one had the name, and she suggested it. I began to perform under that name. Milestone number 4. Having a name, is the beginning of having your own “brand”. My Brand Identiy Statement became: Upbeat Acoustic Rock and Blues

After that first round of open MICs in the competitive world, I continued to open MIC around the city. I played Wednesdays at Ballydoyle Pub, and every third Friday at Sandwich open stage. Ballydoyle had a state-of-the-art Bose sound system, and a professional sound man who recorded the performances. They were a wonderful refinement tool. One of the problems with Ballydoyle however was the excessive number of players. Often I had to wait hours to play. At that time I only drank water because I still was somewhat unsure of myself. One of those times I broke protocol and started drinking “Black and Tans” while waiting for my set. I was feeling pretty good by the time I got on, and asked the house band to play with me.

The manager supposedly had some sort of connection to the clueless band and angrily replied, “And who are you lads? The bloody music police?” A few minutes later Sting, Copeland, Summers and Padovani took the stage. The vengeful manager allegedly blurted out this introduction over the sound system: “Right. Here are some lads who think themselves musical royals. The ___ (distorted by a microphone problem, the manager was trying to say Music) Police. According to the rest of the story, the name stuck and the band members liked it. True or untrue, it’s a cool story.

Looking to get their sound on vinyl, The Police tried laying down some studio tracks in late July of 1977 with the help of music producer John Cale, a Welsh musician and one of the founding members of The Velvet Underground. The recording sessions went nowhere and revealed that Henry Padovani lacked the guitar skills needed to keep up with the others. As a result, Padovani left the band in early August. By the fall of 1977, The Police became the threesome of Sting, Summers and Copeland that we know so well. The trio with a unique sound bigger than the band was tailor made for the small clubs and venues of England’s Punk and new wave music scene. As a result, they became popular with British Fans.

The blond hair was actually the result of a commercial they did to earn some quick money. Afterward, they decided to stay with the look. The trio did drive around from gig to gig in a leased Ford Cargo Van that had seen better days and was long past the original return date. The van contained ‘borrowed’ instruments and equipment. Actually, according to statements made by the band members during that time, they rented the instruments in New York City for a club date and forgot to return them until their tour was finished. It’s said the band made good on the extra charges for the van and instruments.

Like The Beatles, The Police paid their dues and perfected their music the hard way. They played small venues and one night stands. They closed ranks and forced out a less talented band member. They stayed in cheap motels, wrote and practiced during the day; played sets late into the night and used whatever time remained to get to their next gig. Unlike the Beatles who took six long and hard years to get noticed, The Police were suddenly thrust into worldwide stardom in less than a year and a half.

They woke up one morning in a drive up motel and received news that Rolling Stone Magazine photographers wanted to do a shoot with them that afternoon. It happened just that fast. However, if Sting, Summers and Copeland thought that fame would cut them a break, they were wrong. The accommodations got better, the performance venues were bigger and the recording sessions were longer and more high tech, but the pace never slowed for a moment.

Sting was the obvious leader of the Band at the live show, but not in a dictatorial sense. Anyone there could see this was a team effort. It was hard to believe how comfortable these guys were on and off stage. While Police albums were disappearing from store shelves all over the Country, the band seemed like regular guys who lived across town, threw their instruments in the back of a van and headed over to My Father’s Place to play their gig. They were friendly, unpretentious and seemed to really enjoy interacting with the crowd.

Although few in America understood their sound of Ska mixed with Reggae and Rock, enough people liked it to cause The Police to burst out into the mainstream. And they did it without all the bells and whistles other groups were using in those days. While lots of bands were wasting huge sums of money on elaborate stage shows and gimmicks, Sting, Summers and Copeland just got up and played. Their amazing music and dynamic live performances were more than enough to keep people buying records and coming to concerts over and over again. Well educated and penny wise, they watched where the money was going and avoided being ripped off while other bands had their financial bones picked clean by shady managers, accountants and handlers.

In 1981, just one year after their third album was released, their fourth album hit the stores. Ghost in the Machine flew to a ranking of number one in the UK and number two in the USA. Spirits In The Material World, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic and Invisible Sun captured the imagination of fans and were placed in constant rotation on radio stations from coast to coast in the USA. These songs proved that the band could make occasional changes in their sound without evolving away from their fan base as others had.

In 1983, the band released Synchronicity, their fifth and final album to date. It reached number one in the UK and number one in the USA. The album won the group several Grammy Awards and lots of critical acclaim. Songs like Every Breath You Take, King of Pain and Wrapped Around Your Finger became instant favorites that crossed over musical formats and received a huge amount of airplay. Synchronicity II became a favorite song of rock and new music disc jockeys. Today, that album is considered a classic and much beloved by most fans and music critics.

During the 1983-1984 Synchronicity Tour, members of The Police were obviously feeling the toll that touring, arguing over everything and constantly being together took on them individually and collectively. This might have been evidenced by the presence of back up and guest musicians on stage. On top of that, Sting, Summers and Copeland all seemed to be making future plans at that time that didn’t include the others.

Sting hit it as big without The Police as he did with them. Anyone paying attention to radio, broadcast television or cable during the 1990’s could not escape him. The Soul Cages, Ten Summoner’s Tales, Bring On The Night and other albums brought the S man lots of attention, accolades and money. Few performers create the kind of musical presence that Sting does and that sells well. It seemed that Sting traded one pressure cooker for another, but now he was in the driver’s seat. There were no coequal band mates to give him any hassles. That may have been good and bad. Without anyone to apply the brakes except himself, S man could do whatever he wanted and as much as he wanted. However, on top of his paid gigs, everyone was after Sting to do charity events and say a few words on behalf of this cause or that. It must have been completely exhausting.

I think the defining moment of his fame as a solo performer during the 1980s and 1990s came at one of his concerts. I happened to see a video filmed for some project about the S-man. After finishing the concert, Sting came back stage. It appeared that he had turned in a long performance and already done one or two encores. He looked thin, almost frail, couldn’t catch his breath, was bathed in sweat, had tight fitting clothes on and all but collapsed against a backstage wall. He was wearing at least four or five Cause Ribbons on his lapel and yet couldn’t get anyone to bring him a bottle of cold water. Sting had become a tool used by the entertainment industry as much as a Craftsman of it. Perhaps that is what brought him back to the band that started it all.

Leicestershire

Believe me, your attitude will translate. On top of that, play good and I tell you, you will work. People will want you. The word will travel around. The tendency is to skate and give as little as possible and for some if you are supremely talented you can get away with it…but I say, no matter how talented you are, you can’t get away with that attitude forever. There are players like me, that play good, want the gig and will give 110% with a great attitude.

REHEARSAL?

Here’s another tip: Be on time at the very least. Even better yet, be early! This was a hard one for me. It took me awhile to get it together but finally, I got it down and I tell you, people appreciate it. I know it’s cool and it shows how much you are the man by getting away with being late, but people resent it. They feel as though you don’t take them seriously. They feel disrespected, even if you’re so good they allow it and act like it’s cool. They may love what you bring to their thing and may not be able to find another bassist at the time, but the day will come when they do find a bassist they dig and is on time and you won’t get the call…Being late is unavoidable sometimes and there are times when mistakes just happen, but I’m talking about the habitual lateness that becomes the way you do things. Your M.O. Your baggage. See..Things change, Gigs open up and you don’t want the word to be on you “yeah but you know he’s always late like he don’t give a darn….He can play but you gotta deal with his ego” Because that’s what it is.

THE OL’ BIG HEAD

Leicester

Tips (to help keep ya workin’)

Hey everybody, I am going to change the name of this page of my website to Tips & Tricks because I intend to rap with the musicworld about just that. Tips & Tricks, Both musically and business wise.

ATTITUDE

OK..Here’s tip #1. It’s something that my father used to always tell me: ”Make Yourself Useful!” But no seriously…that is a real tip. To me, you have to do more than just play good these days. Go above and beyond the call of duty in any situation you’re in. Make yourself valuable. Make yourself wanted. Be a team player and let the word get around. Learn the music more thoroughly than anybody else. Give 110%. For example, be eager & ready to rehearse…This is a big point because in LA especially the first question is “Is rehearsal payin?” Most players don’t want to rehearse. They would rather read charts on the bandstand and wing it on the gig and just get the cash with as little work as possible, but I tell you from seeing it first hand, the gig doesn’t go as well and when the next gig comes around the leader is always hesitant to call those guys and ends up asking you for your opinion on that last guy, because you did a great job and were eager to put in the work.

Leeds

Since no one else stepped up to the plate, a Reporter from Fox News finally asked the one question all the others had avoided and that every fan wondered about. Would there be a new album? That brought a chuckle from the band members who seemed barely able to believe they were sharing a stage again and going out on tour, let alone thinking about new music. Whether it was some big secret or they are just approaching this whole reunion thing as merely a one-time tour celebrating of thirty years of The Police, only time will tell.

Although the new album question is left unanswered at this writing and the future of the band past the tour remains unannounced, there is another question that I think fans would be interested in having answered. If arguments over the music and artistic differences broke them apart so many years ago, what really brought them back together? What made Sting suddenly decide the time was right. What made them all willing to face the same old arguments and pressures all over again? I’m guessing it was Synchronicity. Welcome back guys!

Kinross-shire

Reporters that were present seemed as surprised and shocked as fans. Most were in awe of what they were seeing, wondered if the reunion would last past the press event and seemed more interested in enjoying the spontaneous show than asking questions. Those that did ask questions kept it unusually light. While it could be that they were just burnt out from the Grammy’s, it was more likely that they weren’t use to dealing with a musically in your face band like The Police. Even Ozzy and his occasional reunions with Black Sabbath couldn’t create the kind of atmosphere The Police could.

During a break in their set for questions, Sting shared his revelation about waking up one morning and deciding The Police should go on tour again. When asked what he did to get the others on board, the S man said that he promptly called Copeland and Summers. He obviously did so with glee surprising the daylights out of the other two band members. Copeland said the timing had always been up to Sting and seemed to enjoy shooting some verbal barbs his way. As in the old days, Sting ignored those, concentrated on the music and gave polite and anything but contrite answers to any questions that came his way. This was the S man at his best and quite a different personality from the solo artist stumping for rain forests and wearing Cause Ribbons.