Amazon deforestation. It is an easy thing to oppose. Especially by Americans and Canadians who completely raped their landscapes and got rich. They can now tsk-tsk other people who are doing the same thing. Here’s a recent photo (Getty Images) that looks strange to me – there are no roadways, something one normally associates with farming or logging. I’ll have to ask the next time I meet a farmer or a logger. There does appear to be a wire running into the top point of the diamond shape.
Here’s a lot of information. It is all music matters today, so unless you are interested in the backstage portion of music, skip out. I ran across an older musician who was able to reminisce about the same things as myself (I started quite young). He remembers when Fender PA heads had a grounding switch. I’ve been shocked by mics, but never by phono cords. He tells me that is why some have plastic shielding. I thought they were just cheap cords. I went to the club and completely tested all my equipment. Everything was taken out of the case, run through the paces, and packed away again. All gear checks out, including items of routine maintenance. Other than a few dead batteries, I am ready to commence performing again. My act is not strong enough to take on the road so I’ll be auditioning again soon, but since I can now do my own vocals, it will be from a position of relative strength.
In the past, I’ve had mediocre people get headstrong on me because I could not sing. I’ve learned sharing the stage in Florida does not mean cooperation as effectively making sure the other person is the star only half the time. I wish it were otherwise but it ain’t. You have to arrange things so there are times they take a secondary position. For some, this is painful therapy.
I’ve analyzed the recent failure (with the vocalist) and realize it was a rather routine situation after all, and I fell for it. Musicians like a free ride, to just show up and do your part for equal pay without ever having to commit the extra time and talent needed to create the band. That attitude gets the more complex when you get people who flit from band to band hoping to score. I was on the receiving end.
Being a solo act once again, I re-do my research all over from scratch. I often get asked what my sources are. One source: GigMasters. My reasoning is simple: they have the guts to state their prices. There are exactly four country bands listed as based in Broward. They are “Atlantis”, “The Insti-gators”, “The Dave Mohr Four” and a new group from Hollywood, “The Jetstream Band”. I do not count bands like “High Octane”, “Black Gold” and several others who use “it depends” pricing.
Also, I do not count Zydeco or Bluegrass as country, nor country Karaoke, and Palm Beach bands that perform in Broward. Note, although there are none in this area, I would not include Latino country, or bands with keyboards only or backing tracks only. My target audience is clubs and pubs, for I do not like the wedding circuit as being too unpredictable and often artist-specific. I prefer lounges, but there are no country music lounges in the entire area.
Local country bands tend to be trios or larger and in my thinking there is a sustainable market for a reasonably priced duo. Reasonable is $200 to $250 for regular engagements. The lowest price for the others mentioned is $400 with special pricing up to $10,000 for New Year’s Eve. Be wary of agents, they’ll book you out of town every other week. I’ve found doing more research than what I already do is not productive.
I have never personally seen any of these bands perform. It is enough for me to know that I cannot walk into a country joint without a cover charge anywhere in this area. My overall philosophy is not dependent on what others do. Most people hearing my show say it is one of a kind. In reality, just over 65% of what I play is country. The rest is old rock and pop with a country flavor, think Dwight Yoakum doing “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”. I am seeking a niche since I have no intention of knocking my brains out by competing with the establishment. Now you know too much.
The good news for today is the readership on my Epinions product reviews has passed 10,000. Not bad for only 26 written reviews during a stretch when I had very few new purchases to evaluate. For the record, I’ve made less than $100 on all that work, but I use it to advertise my other on-line destinations.
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