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Images : Jetline Action Photo & courtesy Jarrod Aston-Assenheim |
In 1986 Jarrod was asked to join the band Cinema , having met band members Chris Frank and Ian Vine the previous year at the legendary 702 Concert in the Park , which drew over 100,000 to Ellis Park in Johannesburg . “ They were having problems with their drummer , and asked would I be keen to play with them , so I said cool , let me know , whenever you ’ re ready , and they soon phoned me to ask if I would like to play at their regular weekend gig at Gold Reef City ,” he recalls .
Having sung back-up on Face to Face tracks , Jarrod then began singing lead for Cinema , but says it almost happened by accident . “ One Sunday at Gold Reef City , I ’ d had a couple too many beers and Ian asked if I wanted to sing a song , so I sang John Lennon ’ s Imagine . When Ian left the band soon after that , I found myself becoming the new lead vocalist .”
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Initially , Cinema were known as a cover band , playing well known songs by the Eagles and Beatles , amongst others , but by the time Jarrod joined , Chris had already written the basis of a new song , My Kind of Girl , which would turn out to be a major hit for them in 1987 . “ It was really a simple song , no deep meaning in the lyrics , just three basic chords … but it became a hit , and it served me well . Still , I like music to be a bit deeper , something that tells a story and really resonates with listeners , like Lennon , Dylan or Springsteen ’ s music . People resonate with melody and beat , but when they really connect with a song or band , then it works so much better ,” he explains . |
Time to Move On
Jarrod was with Cinema for 12 years , from 1986 until 1998 , and says they enjoyed success both home and abroad , notably with the song Strangers Again in South East Asia . “ Quite surprisingly , many years after the song was released , we got to number one in several countries – the Philippines , Malaysia and Thailand – and we still get royalties for that song , even now , because it ’ s still getting played in the Philippines and Malaysia . Also , the song is a big hit in the karaoke bars over there !” says Jarrod .
“ I think somebody must have picked it up somehow in 1996 and started playing it on the radio , and I found out when I got a couple of fan letters from the
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Philippines saying how much they loved the song . The record label looked into it and found out we were being played there , so we toured the region for six months in late 1997 , along with the Irish band Boyzone .” |
However , the tour was the end of the road for Jarrod with Cinema . “ We played some concerts and small clubs , but I didn ’ t think the record label did a good enough job promoting us , so I was a bit frustrated . Also , six months of living in Asia really got to me , because I ’ d had enough of travelling , and I had a family now . In those days communicating with home wasn ’ t as easy as it is now , and making a call on a cellphone to SA was really expensive , more than R50 a minute ! Also , I felt I had lost my creative flair , and no longer enjoyed writing and performing music .”
“ I ’ d had 12 years with Cinema , after two years with Face to Face , so 14 years of my life was dedicated to playing in a band . Now I was drinking a lot , and smoking , while my wife back home was pregnant , and I just felt It was time to mature and get into the business side of the music industry instead of playing and touring . So when we got back , I decided to call it a day and left the band , after honouring two or three more months of gigs ,” he says .
Moving Into Management
Today Jarrod has four companies in the music industry , all involved in management , distribution and marketing , and he says he finds it a lot easier working behind the scenes . “ Touring and playing live gigs is a tough life , with a lot of late nights and early mornings . We found that even with relative success locally , it was tough to earn money and pay the bills . Also , Cinema became known in SA during a tough time for
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this country , when we were black-listed overseas , so it was tough to find success outside of SA . Now we have incredible technology and social media that helps artists , and I can only think what could have happened for us if we had been around now .”
“ Today I work from home , making a good living mostly by streaming content and live concerts , and I can clearly see the huge changes in the industry over the last 35 years . These are exciting times for the music business . That said , the industry is now even more competitive , with more disposable music being produced , and artists must now have a solid gameplan , across radio , TV and social media , to be seen and heard . There is an interesting stat that says , in order to have a successful music career , you need 1500 dedicated fans , who will stream your music , buy merchandise , attend concerts , and share posts . If you can put together a plan and get to that level , you can make it in the business .”
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