Indiejava BY RTFX
BREAKFAST WITH UNCLE GENE.
In a most recent conversation with someone who is touring and signed to
a label for over 5 years, they expressed how lost they felt as a musician
in the rock genre. That, coupled with a recent video of Sebastian Bach
making the classic horns and metal sign during a concert, suggesting
that it wasn’t cool to do that anymore or at least way too transparent
begs to ask the question was Gene Simmons of Kiss correct? Has Rock
truly lost its way?
We can examine this by asking a few basic questions.
In the 50’s - 60’s and 70’s the establishment held a firm grip on all the
media and those whole were falling in love with the rock and roll rebel-
lion were considered hoods. Yes, young white men in leather jackets like
Elvis were constantly arrested and considered to be a menace to society.
They were suggested to be sexual deviates and were drug users. This
continued through the 60’s and the emergence of the counter culture and
early 70’s where rock was the staple of a growing rebellion against the
establishment. Even unto the 80’s it was still an us against them mental-
ity from rock and roll fans. If you noticed, every time there was a rock
and roll rebellion, there was a republican president in office. You can
check if you like, yet, I digress. When you attended a Metallica, Motley
Crue, Guns and Roses or even Green Day show, there was an angst in
the air. Bands in the 80’s hated each other. Everyone was jockeying for
position to gain the brass ring and were vicious in their dealings to make
sure they were the top drawing act in the area. This emotion gave the
performances and music an edge that it just doesn’t have anymore. There
we fights in the venue parking lots and in the hotels. Fans flipped over
cars and set garbage cans on fire, got drunk off their ass and embodied
everything rock was. Now, bands are nice to each other. They even help
get each other gigs. WHAT? That would have never happened in the 70’s
and 80’s. I am here to TELL YOU that rock HAS lost its way. You want
your rock and roll back? Stop acting like a bunch of politically correct
do-gooders and be an asshole sometimes, its okay,
THAT IS ROCK AND ROLL!
How has social media
been to your campaign of
Neue Regel and MSFX?
MSFX: I’ve tried Twitter and Insta, but
I am truly home at Facebook. I can monitor
listenership and take requests easily. I even
have fans tell me they are sorry when they
can’t make a show in messenger. Recently I
announced our 7 Year Anniversary of Neue
Regel and my 80’s page admins let me know
that Neue Regel is all clear for promotion
and they wish us the best!!
If you could give a mes-
sage to your fans, what
would it be?
MSFX: This past year, Neue Regel alone
lost 2 staff members to untimely passings.
Remember and hold on to the things in your
past that give you fond memories, make new
friends to share them with and treat each
other with respect, ALWAYS!!
For Gina and PJ
MSFX is a Radio Host on Neue Regel Ra-
dio, every Wednesday at 7PM EST.
MSFX’s Bad Hair Daze is an all 80’s ra-
dio show including a request segment on
Neue Regel Radio Every Wednesday at
7pm est.
A Lesson in Failure
By DJ Pearlman
DJ Pearlman is the writer/singer/guitarist for the hard rock band, REVEL 9. He has a weekly
radio show based on music he’s collected on his iPod called the Hard Rock Lunch Box where he
discusses his life and dealings in and around the scene. It airs Thursdays from NooN to 2PM ES T
Why would anyone listen to me?
About anything, really? I was think-
ing this thought not 5 minutes ago while
struggling to reach a mile – a single mile –
on the treadmill. I seem to have a stunning
amount of advice at the ready for someone
that has seemingly succeeded at very little.
So is it all worthless? It sure is.
And, not so much.… IWhat do we learn
from failures? More than our successes, I
bet. Especially in an industry like live mu-
sic, where successes tend to be more about
luck and timing and connections than ac-
tual things people do “right”, but man…
failures abound! And those failures can
be avoided often times with a tablespoon
of common sense and a boatload of listen-
ing to good advice; advice from people that
have already made the mistakes you’re
about to make of extended tagging. So,
enough beating you over the head about
tags. How about I give you some instructions
on how to tag?
Even though it feels like it sometimes, I
wasn’t around when the first apes appeared
on Earth, but I’m certain they had to figure
some stuff out when they got here. I’m will-
ing to bet that one genius-level monkey didn’t
just figure it all out on the first shot. You
must realize that there was AT LEAST one
monkey (let’s call him Bob) that ate that red
berry for the very first time – you know the
one that no one should ever eat because it’s
poisonous? And that poor monkey got ma-
jor stomach “inconveniences” for his efforts.
Failure level: 77. So the next time Bob and his
friends came in contact with said red berry,
he probably waved those other dudes right
off. And that, right there, is a lesson in failure. mean they don’t have advice for days. It
also doesn’t mean that their advice can’t
be even more valuable than someone that
has “made it”. If I have to listen to another
20-something tell me to just “play from the
heart and do it because you love it and it’ll
all work out”, I’m going to smack them
in their stupid beard. Most of us do that
already junior, so I think I’m going to go
listen to the people that have honed their
craft for decades, and have made mistakes
and then learned from them, and I’ll just
see you in a year or two. Please try and
get my coffee order right when the world
is over you and all your playing “because
you love it” is as meaningless as the day
you said it. And yeah, add the extra shot;
I’ll be up late working on rewrites. #success
How does that relate to you and
your band? I’m glad you asked. Just be-
Later, ~dj
cause someone hasn’t “made it” doesn’t
For comments or questions
Email: [email protected]
CHRIS PRESTI
MSFX
MSFX’s Bad Hair Daze
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