: The music business . . .
“The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There’s also a negative side.”
This quote is attributed to Hunter Thompson. He didn’t say exactly this, but it’s pretty close.
I “retired’ from the music business back in the early 80’s – basically I got tired of banging my head against the wall. (Or as my mother used to say when I asked her what to do when I got bored – “Geh klopfen kopf in wand”.) But I digress.
Occasionally a family friend will say to me “Hey, I know this person who’s really talented and wants to go into music. What should they do?” My response is typically something along the lines of “They should take all their money, sell their house, sell their children into slavery, and buy lottery tickets. Because you have a better chance of success that way than in the music business”.
Of course someone always wins the lottery and someone always gets to be star – but the odds are against you. There is almost no relationship between talent and success. OK, there are exceptions in classical music & jazz – you cannot be a successful classical musician unless you are extraordinarily talented – but even then you also have to be lucky and be in the right place at the right time.
Many of the musicians I play with are every bit as talented as the musicians you might see on one of those awful bands that you might see on Saturday Night Live or any of the evening talk shows. So how did those people get in and not others? Luck of the draw, right place/time, having a talent at making connections or ingratiating yourself with the right people. Many times it’s just a matter of guessing wrong – you think a particular group is going to make it to the big time, so you invest a few years of your life and then things go south – or maybe it turns out that the music you were playing goes out of style or any of a hundred other things goes wrong. Now you’re a few years older. It breaks my heart to see these great talented musicians struggle just to pay the rent and take care of their health.
I had a life choice back there in 1982. I could have joined a wedding band. You can make a decent enough living in the right wedding band. If I did not have my technical skills I might have gone that route. But I didn’t want to play music simply to pay the rent. You gotta play New Year’s Eve, you can never turn down a gig. Also there was that little minor incentive that I could make a much better living as a computer programmer – with a lot less wear and tear on my body. And there is a decent (but not perfect) correlation between talent and success in computer programming.
But to end on a somewhat positive note, yes, I do have a few musician friends who have been reasonably successful simply based on their own talent – albeit after a lot of struggling.
Meanwhile, this is an unusually busy month for me.
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Dec 5th, Saturday, 8-9:30 PM – Lunatic Fringe, Glen Ridge Community Center @ The Glen Ridge Train Station, 228 Ridgewood Avenue (corner of Bloomfield Avenue), Glen Ridge, NJ Reservations: (973) 429-1527
The daily news may be confusing and disturbing but there’s lots of stuff to laugh at out there. Tickets: $12 at the door; $10 with a reservation
http://www.lunaticfringeimprov.com
https://www.facebook.com/Lunatic-Fringe-107666908746/?fref=ts
Dec 6th, Sunday, 3:00PM-6:00PM – Mostly Blues Jam Session at Hat City, 459 Valley Street, City of Orange, NJ 07050 (862) 252-9147
Al Gold runs this most excellent jam session every other Sunday afternoon. I’ll be in the house band, but typically other keyboard players show up and get a turn playing as well; so if you show up and I m not on stage, I will be back. It’s Sunday afternoon – so those of you who usually fall asleep at 9:00 have no excuse not to come on out.
http://www.hatcitykitchen.com
https://www.facebook.com/al.gold.9?fref=ts
Dec 11, Friday, 7:00-9:00ish PM – Kevin Kiley, Ruthie’s BBQ, 64 1/2 Chestnut Ave, Montclair (973) 509-1134
It’s been a long time since Kevin & I played together – 2 years is it? – so I’m looking forward to this reunion. If you’ve never heard him, Kevin is a great vocalist who works at the intersection of rock, blues, and country. Over the years, Kevin has introduced me to many great but lesser known musicians – in particular James Booker – and he taught me to appreciate the finer points of singers such as Hank Williams & George Jones. Friday Nights at Ruthie’s tend get crowded, so you may want to show up a little early to get a seat. BYO.
http://www.ruthiesbbq.com/
http://www.kevinkiley.com/
Dec 12, Saturday, 8:00 PM-11ish – Shuffle, Jump, and Moan at Maxfields on Main, 713 Main Street, Boonton, New Jersey 07005 973-588-4450SJ&M makes a return visit to to this finely appointed venue (and I promise to never use the phrase ‘finely appointed’ again) SJ&M has been hot – it seems like every show we get tighter and pump up energy a little higher. Good vibes, good food.
http://www.maxfieldsonmain.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shuffle-Jump-Moan/379081422265206?fref=ts
Dec 18, Saturday, 8:00PM-11ish – Better Off Dead and Al Gold & SRK at at Hat City, 459 Valley Street, City of Orange, NJ 07050 (862) 252-9147
It’s Al Gold & the SRK Allstars 5th Annual HCK Holiday Party – but this time it’s a double header. First up – Better Off Dead doing their unique off beat takes on roots rock& roll, followed by Al Gold and the Suburban Rhythm King Allstars. Somehow at this show I will manage to be both better off dead and an all star – although not simultaneously. We are also expecting a bunch of guest musicians sitting in – so basically it’s just a big old musical party.
http://www.hatcitykitchen.com
http://www.betteroffdead.com/home.htm/
https://www.facebook.com/al.gold.9?fref=ts
December 19, Saturday, 9:00PM-1:00AM – Better Off Dead at The Great Notch Inn, Route 46, Little Falls (973) 256-7742
And closing out this busy, busy month is BOD’s annual Christmas theme’s extravaganza and “Da Notch” Once again I will have to humiliate myself and wear an elf’s cap. Oh – the things I have to put up with…..
http://www.betteroffdead.com/home.htm/
http://www.agreatertown.com/little_falls_nj/great_notch_inn_new_jerseys_rockin_roadhouse_00089580