CAMARADERIE

With my beloved Peaches nestled in her Sleepy Pod and the murmur of the car engine humming like the inside of a pregnant belly, I am desperately struggling to stay awake as me and Kevin make our way home to Toronto after a triumphant show in Sarnia. It's been over a week since my last blog so I am desperate not to doze off, leaving only an encrusted stream of drool across my shoulder to show for what could have been a productive 3 hour drive. Besides, I have lots to write (or rather gripe) about this week.

Camaraderie. Goodwill and lighthearted rapport among people that share a common bond. In this particular case I am talking about camaraderie, or lack thereof, amoungst musicians, most specifically, bands. (*Before continuing, let me first say that I have worked with and played with many wonderful bands and the following is generalized). It has recently been my experience that camaraderie may be a dying ideology within the music community (if it ever existed). I seem to be having a growing number of unpleasant encounters with bands that are FAR too competitive and ego-centric to share the stage or even a common space with 'rival' bands. Yes, it's perfectly natural to be competitive, after all the odds of success in the music business are fierce and in order to rise to the surface you gotta be better then your challenger, however, a shitty, cut throat attitude is NOT the best defense and quite frankly may be your worst enemy. The music business is cut throat enough among the corporate hounds; we should be coming together, looking up at the stars from the trenches TOGETHER and sharing the burden of the struggle. Mi casa es su casa! In an independent world where bands can no longer count on agents or promoters, we need to rely on each other to organize and campaign our own shows. Every headliner needs an opener or two; every opener needs a solid headliner with a strong show and a following. This model isn't changing! One band shows are delusional...even at the highest level. If you get an opportunity to play with a great band with a solid following, it is most certainly not in your best interest to insult or mock them as they perform in front of fans (who, BTW, are the exact same people that watched your show earlier and are still deciding whether or not your worth investing in). As well, it's not in the headliners best interest to taunt an opener, cause life can be funny and one day you might just find yourself looking at a billboard with their faces on it. 'The people you meet on the way up are the same people you will meet on the way down'. Therefore, in your glory, if you are mean-spirited to your fellow colleagues then certainly don't depend on their help when you find yourself face down in the gutter.

If I sound a little raddled then I apologize, it is just that I make a very conscious, sincere effort to thank and appreciate every single band I have ever had the privilege to share a stage with, at any level, and it pains me when the courteous is not only NOT returned but has been replaced with obstinance.

In closing, I want to say that there most definitely has been bands that I've played with that are not only exceptional musicians but exceptional people, 'The Joys' stick out as one. I want to say 'Thank You.' 'Thank You' when we were the under dog for giving us an opportunity and 'Thank You' for your kind spirit. As I mentioned above this particular blog entry generalizes, however, there are many exceptions. To those exceptions, I say 'Thank you, thank you, thank you, and I would consider it my honor to share the stage with you any time'. <3