Check out more of the build photos on Flickr
Friday, July 23, 2010
John Horsfall's Drag Cars
My buddy John is into all sorts of mechanical endeavors. Before he was doing all the gas pump restoration his life was filled to the brim with custom drag cars. Check out some of his builds while he was racing down in Florida.
Check out more of the build photos on Flickr
Check out more of the build photos on Flickr
Hi Fi & The Roadburners
Way back in those years called the 90's a band we used to play with called Barbed Wire Necktie was huge into another band called Hi Fi & the Roadburners, well more specifically, Butch the singer was. Our band, Union 75 was all about drinking as much beer as possible and playing hardcore in the vein of H20, Sick of It All, Clutch, Next Step Up, Killing Time and other killer East Coast bands that we deemed our hero's. Butch kept tellin' me that Hi Fi was coming to a town close by and we had to roll down and check'em out. I thought, well, its a weekday, there are no parties going on and we had no shows, so why the hell not. We get there and funny enough there is another upstart band called Anti Flag playing as the openers from Pittsburgh. We were sorta in competition with them but they had no clue who we were as we were in competition with every band that picked up an instrument in our hardcore influenced dna. Needless to say, once Hi Fi hit the stage, my jaw sorta dropped. I hadn't a clue about this genre of music called rockabilly but they had tattoo's and were bikers so I felt a kinship. Here we are about 16 years later and I still to this day think of them and potentially Reverend Horton Heat as the only rockabilly bands I enjoy, well and of course the Belmont Playboys since I listed them below. Give ol' Hi Fi and the Roadburners a listen. Hung out with the guys after the show for a while. They were solid dudes and I still listen to all three of their albums regularly. Can't say that about many bands out of the thousands of cd's I own...
Hi Fi & The Roadburners - and their bike shop Fear City Choppers
Hi Fi & The Roadburners - and their bike shop Fear City Choppers
Bull City Rumble - Sept 3 - 4th
Its a few weeks out still or if you prefer to call it a month and some change, but I just wanted to galvanize as many folks as we can for this cool event. It moved over to Durham this year instead of Raleigh thus the "Bull City" Rumble instead of the "Raleigh Rumble" but its going to be a damn cool event. One of the bands of note are the Belmont Playboys outta Charlotte. I am not huge into rockabilly but they stand out like white guy in rural China, amongst that tired genre. Much of it is due to the distinct sound of Mike Hendrix's vocal presence. If yall do make it out to the show definitely stick around for these guys.
Belmont Playboys on Myspace
Belmont Playboys on Myspace
1953 International R-110 Restoration
John was kind enough to pass along some more photos of his award winning restoration on this bitchin' 1953 international R-110 restoration.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Ride For Lightning Run Map
Hey folks, got the run mostly cooked right here ye'ol google maps, have a look. Some cool spots along the way are of course the Blue Ridge Mountains and old roads that Nascar driver Junior Johnson used to run shine on. My personal highlight is to once again roll up to Mt. Mitchell, its the highest point on the whole east coast and is quite impressive. Your carbs shouldn't be an issue at that elevation, I had two of my bikes up there and nary an adjustment. As Tim was mentioning earlier the leaves will be changing and this area is about as damn close to beautiful as it can get in the fall. We will have chase trucks with us as this route is also going to be quite remote.
We’re back at it again...
We were so stoked the response to the Revenge Run was and all the friends we made that we’ve been counting the days till next year….. but why wait till next year? The Revenge Run started the year off with a bang so why not go out the same way?
The Ride for Lightning (October 15th and 16th)
Initially Ralph and I decided we were gonna do a small ride and camp jam (no sponsors and very little organization) to get back together with all the cool people we met on the RR. But recently, we both caught wind of Lee Bender and his fight against Multiple Sclerosis…… And while neither Ralph nor I know Lee personally, we figured why not help out in whatever way we can. So, we decided to do another proper run and raise as much cash to help Lee out as we can.
I got into bikes for the same reason I got into skateboards...the brotherhood. And while I don’t know Lee personally I dig what he is doing and feel a certain kinship……….. Lee was a sponsored skater (OJ, Nike, Indy…) who was diagnosed with MS in ’07…. What started as slight numbness in his hands and feet quickly became numbness from chest to toes….. his balance has been affected making skating impossible…although he can still ride a bike (some of you have probably seen his blog – onesickrace.com)…... but the real fear is that MS is a degenerative disease – so, it will likely only progress from here………. but there is hope…….. Lee has found an experimental treatment that has shown real promise in relieving the symptoms of MS and returning those who undergo the treatment to a more “normal” life………… to undergo this treatment Lee has to trek to Poland (the procedure is not sanctioned to be performed in the US)…… To do this Lee needs $11,000…….. he has raised a little over $4,000…….. so, there’s still quite a ways to go……………. And we can all help.
As for the run route, well, the two coolest things North Carolina’s past has to offer are pirates and moonshine (well, maybe not all in the past). So, it only made sense to pay tribute to NC’s deep moonshine history this time around!
The Ride for Lightning will follow some old moonshine roads through the mountains of North Carolina. The run will start somewhere near Winston-Salem, go up to Cherokee where we’ll camp for the night and then head down to Pendleton, SC for a blow-out after-party (same as last time – bands, booze, bitches…)…… same recipe as the RR except the first day will be a little shorter………… We will be riding through the Blue Ridge Mountains just as the trees are changing….. no better roads nor view in the country………….
We are gonna sell some swag and have a few raffles with all profits going to help fund Lee’s fight…………. There is also gonna be a small entry fee to go on the run which will also go to Lee………….. so, you spend a couple bucks and get to go on the run or buy some rad shit and all the while get to help Lee………… how could that suck?
Next week we’ll have all the details up on the route along with shots of the run.
For now, here's a general idea.... BUT the final route will be on small 2-lane roads and not on I-40.......
View Ride For Lightning in a larger map
We’re back at it again...
We were so stoked the response to the Revenge Run was and all the friends we made that we’ve been counting the days till next year….. but why wait till next year? The Revenge Run started the year off with a bang so why not go out the same way?
The Ride for Lightning (October 15th and 16th)
Initially Ralph and I decided we were gonna do a small ride and camp jam (no sponsors and very little organization) to get back together with all the cool people we met on the RR. But recently, we both caught wind of Lee Bender and his fight against Multiple Sclerosis…… And while neither Ralph nor I know Lee personally, we figured why not help out in whatever way we can. So, we decided to do another proper run and raise as much cash to help Lee out as we can.
I got into bikes for the same reason I got into skateboards...the brotherhood. And while I don’t know Lee personally I dig what he is doing and feel a certain kinship……….. Lee was a sponsored skater (OJ, Nike, Indy…) who was diagnosed with MS in ’07…. What started as slight numbness in his hands and feet quickly became numbness from chest to toes….. his balance has been affected making skating impossible…although he can still ride a bike (some of you have probably seen his blog – onesickrace.com)…... but the real fear is that MS is a degenerative disease – so, it will likely only progress from here………. but there is hope…….. Lee has found an experimental treatment that has shown real promise in relieving the symptoms of MS and returning those who undergo the treatment to a more “normal” life………… to undergo this treatment Lee has to trek to Poland (the procedure is not sanctioned to be performed in the US)…… To do this Lee needs $11,000…….. he has raised a little over $4,000…….. so, there’s still quite a ways to go……………. And we can all help.
As for the run route, well, the two coolest things North Carolina’s past has to offer are pirates and moonshine (well, maybe not all in the past). So, it only made sense to pay tribute to NC’s deep moonshine history this time around!
The Ride for Lightning will follow some old moonshine roads through the mountains of North Carolina. The run will start somewhere near Winston-Salem, go up to Cherokee where we’ll camp for the night and then head down to Pendleton, SC for a blow-out after-party (same as last time – bands, booze, bitches…)…… same recipe as the RR except the first day will be a little shorter………… We will be riding through the Blue Ridge Mountains just as the trees are changing….. no better roads nor view in the country………….
We are gonna sell some swag and have a few raffles with all profits going to help fund Lee’s fight…………. There is also gonna be a small entry fee to go on the run which will also go to Lee………….. so, you spend a couple bucks and get to go on the run or buy some rad shit and all the while get to help Lee………… how could that suck?
Next week we’ll have all the details up on the route along with shots of the run.
For now, here's a general idea.... BUT the final route will be on small 2-lane roads and not on I-40.......
View Ride For Lightning in a larger map
Eleventh Annual Gathering of Juggalo's
Imagine you wake up in an alternate reality and the notion of putting on clown makeup and calling yourself a juggalo is just a normal day in the life. Would this be the normal crack smoking diet or just operating at an IQ level in the barely in the double digits, who's to say. If you haven't heard of the Insane Clown Posse well Faygo yourself over to the volume nob and just have a listen to this infomercial. As other folks have also said, they are perversely intrigued into this strange phenomenon known as the Gathering of the the Juggalo's and I have to say I am the same as well. Its sorta like driving by an accident, you just have to look. So take a lunch break and watch this clip about the Juggalo Gathering. I honestly don't know what to think but any group that offers tshirts in medium to XXXXXL must really know their audience.
Juggalo Gathering Dot Com
Juggalo Gathering Dot Com
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
MetalSucks.net - Blogpost About Touring
For those of you that have been or currently are in bands and constantly hit the road for shows, I think this article and the commentary is quite interesting. The jist of the post is about corporate sponsorship for shows. Is it good, is it bad, well read through and see what you think. This story is in response to their earlier post and is written by Ryan McKenney of Trap Them.
Metal Sucks Dot Net Article
Last week, as part of his recurring MetalSucks column, Blogronaut, Intronaut’s Sacha Dunable asked the question: “Are corporate-sponsored metal shows killing the live concert market?” The blog garnered a large and impassioned response, not just from our readers who left comments, but from industry insiders who e-mailed us their thoughts directly. One of those people was Trap Them vocalist Ryan McKenney, who, with no prompting whatsoever from us, wrote the below. And since we like to think of MetalSucks as a place where all kinds of points of view can be weighed and considered, we’re running it! We hope you enjoy…
Long time reader, first time caller… that’s how they say it, isn’t it? I’ve gone through great efforts to not invest too much time into internet blogs and message boards regarding extreme music of any genre. I’m more of what they call a troll, I believe. Except, I never say anything at all, while many will at least chime in once in a while to give an opinion that is consequently ripped apart.
I’d like to at least make an attempt at responding to Sacha Dunable’s write up about corporate fests and whether they are ruining the live concert market. I consider it an important issue on many fronts. The truth is, ask a hundred people their opinion on this, and you’ll probably get a hundred different answers. Unless, of course, you ask the question to people in groups of five or more… if you do that, the odds are only one or two people will give their honest view and then the rest will just say, “Yeah… what he/she said.” I’d like to put my two cents in on the subject. Some may understand what I’m saying, and some may consider me an asshole, which I’m okay with. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve heard it lately (or even today).
I think Sacha makes a lot of good points. Considering the many different levels of extreme music that are related to these fests and shows, it’s a lot of ground to cover. Being in a band that has played (and is about to play) these events, I’ve been able to form my own opinion from both sides of the fence. As I write this, I wonder what the “me” of ten to fifteen to twenty years ago would think as I was being opened up daily to new music and new genres, trying to make sense of punk ethics, and which once I believed in and which ones I realized right away were/are a bunch of bullshit.
When Sacha said he’d “…take a fat check from freakin’ Nike,” he actually hit the nail on the head, whether he doubted himself in the next sentence or not. That’s what it has come down to for a lot of us. Being a smaller band that is willing to tour relentlessly is both extremely difficult and, truthfully, a pretty stupid idea, but some of us don’t know any better, or have no other route in life to take. This is what they call being “a glutton for punishment.” The average age of my band is 32 years old. None of us have degrees or trades to fall back on when touring finally hits a brick wall. None of us can look more than six months into the futur… and we accept that. Most of us have been touring since the 90’s with various failure of endeavors. You would think we would have smartened up by now, but it’s not that simple. This feels right.
To expand on what I’m saying: We played roughly 180 shows in 2009, and if we hadn’t taken this certain corporation’s generous offer, we would have eaten more shit than we had already choked down. We opened a tour for one of the most legendary grind bands of all time (THE best, in my opinion) and were payed a pretty small amount. We were first on a five band package… there was never a doubt we’d make peanuts. It didn’t matter… we were on the road for six weeks watching the band play songs I used to listen to while delivering newspapers in seventh grade. But, with the amount of 10+ hour drives in our beautiful fartbox of a van (lovingly referred to as “Big Ben”) that that tour entailed, it was almost monetarily impossible for us to come close to breaking even, let alone make money that would take care of a home life.
We NEEDED this tour. Luckily, this corporation stepped in and made us a small offer. We did something small for them and, in turn, they made the tour attainable for us. What they asked us to do did not, for one second, make me feel like I am compromising any of my integrity. In fact, they told us to go out of our way to not advertise, or even SAY their name.
The same company offered for us to play a free show last summer which, again, helped us immensely in the middle of a tour we were struggling on. Again, they wanted us to not even acknowledge they existed, instead just allowing us to do what we want to do… which is just play a show.
Even with all of this “corporate funding,” we ended the year (after spending half of it going back and forth from coast to coast, over and over and over…) around $5,000 in debt to various areas. The only way being $5,000 in debt is not that big of a deal is if mommy and daddy pay your rent and bills while you’re on vacation (oops… I mean tour). The rest of us come home to roll burritos, work at record stores, flip burgers and walk dogs for “a living”… the rest of us eat shit at home as well as on tour.
You know what makes that shit taste a little better? Someone you don’t know, giving you money to help you do what you want to do. If this makes me a bastard, then give me that fucking crown and put a spotlight on me… I’ll take it all day, week, month, year, decade and century. As long as no one is telling me how to write lyrics and songs and present myself or my band in a live setting, I simply do not care who helps me continue to do this. ( But, since this is the internet, home of the dipshit, some idiot will probably say something along the lines of, “What about the KKK? Or Ann Coulter?” Well, of course, the answer is no to certain pathetics… There. I clarified. Happy?).
All of this leads to my view on how these corporate events affect/effect (grammar nerds… I consider both words to be valid in this sentence… correct me if need be) regular shows and regular tours. This is one of the only parts of Sacha’s entry I disagree with. I don’t think any of these events will ever sway everyday live shows/tours in any way negatively or positively. Yes, we’ve accepted that 90% of the people who’ve heard all of our (by “our,” I mean every band… not just mine) records didn’t pay for them… possibly 95%. Bitter? Maybe. Realistic? Absolutely. To me, I witness live shows being comparable to record sales… times have changed, but most people are still stubborn in seeing the truth of the matter. Everyone still wants something for nothing, regardless of free, corporate sponsored events. They want everything fast, cheap and easy. You can’t have all three.
Fact: American extreme music enthusiasts are spoiled. You know what? Fuck this… Fact: WORLDWIDE extereme music enthusiasts are spoiled. The complaints about prices of shows is, to be blunt, goddamn ridiculous. Punks don’t want to do the math. Hardcore kids are too busy being a caricature of themselves. Metal fans are hiding in their homes, searching the internet for the next kvlt epiphany before dismissing them within months for selling out and recording at a real studio… and they probably go to six shows a year because they get wasted and black out before they get out of the bar to go next door and see the band they want to see “so bad.”.Generalizing, aren’t I? Well, yeah… but if the shoe fits, motherfucker, put it on and shut up.
We’re spoiled. Period. And our rationalizations are shit.
Guys and gals, I’m not trying to be a dick. I’m trying to put this in a way that actually exists.
Tell me if I’m delusional here… I’m sure many of you will.
A five band show. In Europe, this is called a fest. In America, we call this a nightly occurance. I’m sort of joking… sort of not. Anyways, a five band show: two bands on tour, three locals. The two bands drove seven hours to get there. After the show, they have another seven hour drive to the next city/town/whatever. Fourteen hours of driving in any of our sardine buckets on wheels equals to about $300 or more. Just think about that number… also think about TWO bands on tour together. That’s $600 in gas alone for two bands to play a show on tour.
A five band show, and I’d bet my next paycheck (sorry so little… I don’t have much to work with) that you’d hear endless whining if that show was anything over $12. This goes for any show of any genre. The bitching and moaning doesn’t stop… it never, ever will.
Guess what? You want the bottome line? Depending on the show, anything less than $25 is a deal. And ask my wife… my sense of humor sucks, so I’m being quite honest here and there’s not one bit of humor in what I’m saying. I mean this, even though capitalism still somehow fucks me in the mouth each and every day.
Yeah. $25.
And to all of you (okay, again to clarify… not ALL of you) lovers of distortion that are part of the problem, no matter what genre gives you the wet dreams, I really mean this: Fuck you. Fuck your narrow-minded, black-and-white, simpleton opinions.
To expand on this as well: Really, really think about it. Fifteen dollars for a show is unacceptable, yet you’ll drop $18 to sit in an IMAX theatre and jerk off to Avatar or something else along those lines. You’ll get a large popcorn and stuff your fat face and wash it down with a 128 ounce big gulp of Mountain Dew. You’ll drop $30 dollars to see a two or three hour film (and probably buy it for $20 on DVD later), yet spending $15-$25 on admission and, maybe, a shirt or record at a show… an experience that is different every night… spending that $25 is too expensive? It’s compromising your values? Seriously, I can’t say “Fuck you” loud enough right now.
Local punk or hardcore or metal shows with bands on tour are too expensive, but you’ll drop $150 for two tickets in the balcony of a Lady Gaga show because your girlfriend wants to go… you’ll drop $300 for tickets for Opening Day because your boyfriend has gone every year. Comedians charge $75-$150 to have you sit down and laugh for an hour with absolutely no crowd participation. You’ll go to see a flavor-of-the-week hip-hop artist with nothing to say that has gone multi-platinum, pay $40 for admission, and consider this awesome in some sort of fucked up ironic way because it gives you something to tell your friends so that they think you’re crazy or funny.
But $15-$25 extreme music bills are ludicrous. But bands are too greedy.
Somehow, despite all of this, underground music is trying to be forced to stay the same as it was thirty years ago… trying to be forced to stick with the same values. Change is no good, right? We’re not supposed to update ourselves to the reality of modern living, right?
You know who else says expressions like this? Conservatives. Just sayin’.
I don’t expect most people to agree with me, but I’ve got an asshole and I’ve got an opinion, and sometimes they both need to get their shit out. Of course, there are a lot of variables to what I’m saying. Everyday struggle does hinder going to shows all the time, regardless of the cost to get in. And I am also in NO way whatsoever saying every show should be this much. Local bands all driving twenty minutes to play? Hell yeah, that’s an $8-$10 show. Three touring bands that are a draw? Hell NO, that’s not an $8-$10 show… I mean, come ON… is this seriously so far-fetched? But there’s also the spoiled brats that still complain, even though they’re in their twenties and are given a weekly allowance. Or, even worse, free-loading train hoppers that expect to be let into every show without paying a dime (Has my punx membership card been revoked yet? If that last statement didn’t do it, please let me know and I’ll set it on fire myself.) Or, even better… how about there’s less shows every summer? I know it’s a crazy idea, but how about you wait until your band has more than a demo before you head out on a two month, half-booked tour during you college downtime? You know… that way a band that has workhorsed their asses off all year won’t get paid $50 less at a show because you jumped on it last minute and “just need gas money”… that’s not shitty for me to say. It happens way too much… an end result of laziness over effort.
Long winded, huh? I know. It’s a fault of mine… or maybe a subject as important as this needs more than a few lines from me to feel as though I’m truly relaying the direction of my thought process. At least I’m not one of those dicks that would stand there on stage with a feeling of self-importance because I have a microphone and go on a rant about this for fifteen minutes while the rest of the band stares at the floor, hoping I finish soon. That’s what’s great about writing: don’t like what I’m saying? Stop reading. It’s a lot harder to stop listening.
Some of these corporate events keep the bands you love in existence. Truth. Some of these corporate events give us smaller bands a chance to keep going, instead of giving up, in hopes that at some point we may actually turn into a band you love.
To bring up bands such as From Ashes Rise, and what the punx will think of them… well, I don’t really know what to say to that other than: if they don’t like it, fuck ‘em. From Ashes Rise has, in my heart, earned the right to do whatever the hell they want for however long they want to. I’ve been in other bands that have played with them at shitty church rooms in the middle of Bumfuck, Maine in the nineties. I’ve driven ridiculous hours to see them. I literally felt sick to my stomach when they broke up. They’re one of my favorite bands of all time. When they got back together in February, my wife and I bought tickets (without even checking the price) and drove from Seattle down to Portland and saw the reunion show, and that band played with the same intensity they did years ago. They were amazing. From Ashes Rise can play anything and everything they want. They are, and always have been, the real deal. Fuck what the punx think, considering they turn their backs on everything… the diehards are few and far between. I don’t believe in the “punks”… I just believe in punk itself.
No matter what way you look at it, free events, expensive multi-day festivals, etc. included, 99.9999% percent of us bands will never make good money. We have about as much hope as every 350 pound fat ass BlahBlahBlah University offensive linesman that thinks he’s going pro. It just doesn’t happen. It’s a life lottery, with no rhyme or reason as to who comes out on top and why.
So, Sacha is correct: Bands should continue to go on tour and ask for reasonable ticket prices. But, “reasonable” should be less cut and dry, and more blunt reality. There’s two sides: First, fans/enthusiasts need to put their money where their appreciation is. Second, all touring bands need to either accept that they will eat shit until the people that like them finally change their views on show costs, or they can stop touring, continue to write and create their records, and simply play shows whenever the time is right… less stress, less struggle. Either way, they’ll have my respect.
So, what do you want? Do you want to continue to worship at the altar of CGI, of mutli-millionaire cry-baby showboats that switch teams every two years for more money (yet their wives are considered the gold-diggers…), of… hell, everything but this? Just think about it… within the realm of entertainment, there is absolutely NOTHING that comes close to what extreme music encompasses. It is, without question, the most organic, intense and passionate artform that exists, especially when you consider that the average band consists of four or five individuals that somehow have to find common ground to create one fully realized piece of expression in the form of song. On top of that, the translation of song in a live atmosphere literally changes every set, every night.
Why are you trying to lowball something that assaults all five of your senses, something completely unique that will never happen the same way twice?
Do you want to pay the warranted price for passion or do you want to protest and waste your money on other forms of mediocrity?
I’m not going to fuck this up with misdirected values, ethics or priorities. I’m not going to speak for anyone. I’m no decider and I’m no educator or preacher. All I know is that if paying a littile bit more for every show keeps that sweet nectar of live distortion dripping, then sign me up forever.
-Ryan McKenney
Metal Sucks Dot Net Article
Last week, as part of his recurring MetalSucks column, Blogronaut, Intronaut’s Sacha Dunable asked the question: “Are corporate-sponsored metal shows killing the live concert market?” The blog garnered a large and impassioned response, not just from our readers who left comments, but from industry insiders who e-mailed us their thoughts directly. One of those people was Trap Them vocalist Ryan McKenney, who, with no prompting whatsoever from us, wrote the below. And since we like to think of MetalSucks as a place where all kinds of points of view can be weighed and considered, we’re running it! We hope you enjoy…
Long time reader, first time caller… that’s how they say it, isn’t it? I’ve gone through great efforts to not invest too much time into internet blogs and message boards regarding extreme music of any genre. I’m more of what they call a troll, I believe. Except, I never say anything at all, while many will at least chime in once in a while to give an opinion that is consequently ripped apart.
I’d like to at least make an attempt at responding to Sacha Dunable’s write up about corporate fests and whether they are ruining the live concert market. I consider it an important issue on many fronts. The truth is, ask a hundred people their opinion on this, and you’ll probably get a hundred different answers. Unless, of course, you ask the question to people in groups of five or more… if you do that, the odds are only one or two people will give their honest view and then the rest will just say, “Yeah… what he/she said.” I’d like to put my two cents in on the subject. Some may understand what I’m saying, and some may consider me an asshole, which I’m okay with. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve heard it lately (or even today).
I think Sacha makes a lot of good points. Considering the many different levels of extreme music that are related to these fests and shows, it’s a lot of ground to cover. Being in a band that has played (and is about to play) these events, I’ve been able to form my own opinion from both sides of the fence. As I write this, I wonder what the “me” of ten to fifteen to twenty years ago would think as I was being opened up daily to new music and new genres, trying to make sense of punk ethics, and which once I believed in and which ones I realized right away were/are a bunch of bullshit.
When Sacha said he’d “…take a fat check from freakin’ Nike,” he actually hit the nail on the head, whether he doubted himself in the next sentence or not. That’s what it has come down to for a lot of us. Being a smaller band that is willing to tour relentlessly is both extremely difficult and, truthfully, a pretty stupid idea, but some of us don’t know any better, or have no other route in life to take. This is what they call being “a glutton for punishment.” The average age of my band is 32 years old. None of us have degrees or trades to fall back on when touring finally hits a brick wall. None of us can look more than six months into the futur… and we accept that. Most of us have been touring since the 90’s with various failure of endeavors. You would think we would have smartened up by now, but it’s not that simple. This feels right.
To expand on what I’m saying: We played roughly 180 shows in 2009, and if we hadn’t taken this certain corporation’s generous offer, we would have eaten more shit than we had already choked down. We opened a tour for one of the most legendary grind bands of all time (THE best, in my opinion) and were payed a pretty small amount. We were first on a five band package… there was never a doubt we’d make peanuts. It didn’t matter… we were on the road for six weeks watching the band play songs I used to listen to while delivering newspapers in seventh grade. But, with the amount of 10+ hour drives in our beautiful fartbox of a van (lovingly referred to as “Big Ben”) that that tour entailed, it was almost monetarily impossible for us to come close to breaking even, let alone make money that would take care of a home life.
We NEEDED this tour. Luckily, this corporation stepped in and made us a small offer. We did something small for them and, in turn, they made the tour attainable for us. What they asked us to do did not, for one second, make me feel like I am compromising any of my integrity. In fact, they told us to go out of our way to not advertise, or even SAY their name.
The same company offered for us to play a free show last summer which, again, helped us immensely in the middle of a tour we were struggling on. Again, they wanted us to not even acknowledge they existed, instead just allowing us to do what we want to do… which is just play a show.
Even with all of this “corporate funding,” we ended the year (after spending half of it going back and forth from coast to coast, over and over and over…) around $5,000 in debt to various areas. The only way being $5,000 in debt is not that big of a deal is if mommy and daddy pay your rent and bills while you’re on vacation (oops… I mean tour). The rest of us come home to roll burritos, work at record stores, flip burgers and walk dogs for “a living”… the rest of us eat shit at home as well as on tour.
You know what makes that shit taste a little better? Someone you don’t know, giving you money to help you do what you want to do. If this makes me a bastard, then give me that fucking crown and put a spotlight on me… I’ll take it all day, week, month, year, decade and century. As long as no one is telling me how to write lyrics and songs and present myself or my band in a live setting, I simply do not care who helps me continue to do this. ( But, since this is the internet, home of the dipshit, some idiot will probably say something along the lines of, “What about the KKK? Or Ann Coulter?” Well, of course, the answer is no to certain pathetics… There. I clarified. Happy?).
All of this leads to my view on how these corporate events affect/effect (grammar nerds… I consider both words to be valid in this sentence… correct me if need be) regular shows and regular tours. This is one of the only parts of Sacha’s entry I disagree with. I don’t think any of these events will ever sway everyday live shows/tours in any way negatively or positively. Yes, we’ve accepted that 90% of the people who’ve heard all of our (by “our,” I mean every band… not just mine) records didn’t pay for them… possibly 95%. Bitter? Maybe. Realistic? Absolutely. To me, I witness live shows being comparable to record sales… times have changed, but most people are still stubborn in seeing the truth of the matter. Everyone still wants something for nothing, regardless of free, corporate sponsored events. They want everything fast, cheap and easy. You can’t have all three.
Fact: American extreme music enthusiasts are spoiled. You know what? Fuck this… Fact: WORLDWIDE extereme music enthusiasts are spoiled. The complaints about prices of shows is, to be blunt, goddamn ridiculous. Punks don’t want to do the math. Hardcore kids are too busy being a caricature of themselves. Metal fans are hiding in their homes, searching the internet for the next kvlt epiphany before dismissing them within months for selling out and recording at a real studio… and they probably go to six shows a year because they get wasted and black out before they get out of the bar to go next door and see the band they want to see “so bad.”.Generalizing, aren’t I? Well, yeah… but if the shoe fits, motherfucker, put it on and shut up.
We’re spoiled. Period. And our rationalizations are shit.
Guys and gals, I’m not trying to be a dick. I’m trying to put this in a way that actually exists.
Tell me if I’m delusional here… I’m sure many of you will.
A five band show. In Europe, this is called a fest. In America, we call this a nightly occurance. I’m sort of joking… sort of not. Anyways, a five band show: two bands on tour, three locals. The two bands drove seven hours to get there. After the show, they have another seven hour drive to the next city/town/whatever. Fourteen hours of driving in any of our sardine buckets on wheels equals to about $300 or more. Just think about that number… also think about TWO bands on tour together. That’s $600 in gas alone for two bands to play a show on tour.
A five band show, and I’d bet my next paycheck (sorry so little… I don’t have much to work with) that you’d hear endless whining if that show was anything over $12. This goes for any show of any genre. The bitching and moaning doesn’t stop… it never, ever will.
Guess what? You want the bottome line? Depending on the show, anything less than $25 is a deal. And ask my wife… my sense of humor sucks, so I’m being quite honest here and there’s not one bit of humor in what I’m saying. I mean this, even though capitalism still somehow fucks me in the mouth each and every day.
Yeah. $25.
And to all of you (okay, again to clarify… not ALL of you) lovers of distortion that are part of the problem, no matter what genre gives you the wet dreams, I really mean this: Fuck you. Fuck your narrow-minded, black-and-white, simpleton opinions.
To expand on this as well: Really, really think about it. Fifteen dollars for a show is unacceptable, yet you’ll drop $18 to sit in an IMAX theatre and jerk off to Avatar or something else along those lines. You’ll get a large popcorn and stuff your fat face and wash it down with a 128 ounce big gulp of Mountain Dew. You’ll drop $30 dollars to see a two or three hour film (and probably buy it for $20 on DVD later), yet spending $15-$25 on admission and, maybe, a shirt or record at a show… an experience that is different every night… spending that $25 is too expensive? It’s compromising your values? Seriously, I can’t say “Fuck you” loud enough right now.
Local punk or hardcore or metal shows with bands on tour are too expensive, but you’ll drop $150 for two tickets in the balcony of a Lady Gaga show because your girlfriend wants to go… you’ll drop $300 for tickets for Opening Day because your boyfriend has gone every year. Comedians charge $75-$150 to have you sit down and laugh for an hour with absolutely no crowd participation. You’ll go to see a flavor-of-the-week hip-hop artist with nothing to say that has gone multi-platinum, pay $40 for admission, and consider this awesome in some sort of fucked up ironic way because it gives you something to tell your friends so that they think you’re crazy or funny.
But $15-$25 extreme music bills are ludicrous. But bands are too greedy.
Somehow, despite all of this, underground music is trying to be forced to stay the same as it was thirty years ago… trying to be forced to stick with the same values. Change is no good, right? We’re not supposed to update ourselves to the reality of modern living, right?
You know who else says expressions like this? Conservatives. Just sayin’.
I don’t expect most people to agree with me, but I’ve got an asshole and I’ve got an opinion, and sometimes they both need to get their shit out. Of course, there are a lot of variables to what I’m saying. Everyday struggle does hinder going to shows all the time, regardless of the cost to get in. And I am also in NO way whatsoever saying every show should be this much. Local bands all driving twenty minutes to play? Hell yeah, that’s an $8-$10 show. Three touring bands that are a draw? Hell NO, that’s not an $8-$10 show… I mean, come ON… is this seriously so far-fetched? But there’s also the spoiled brats that still complain, even though they’re in their twenties and are given a weekly allowance. Or, even worse, free-loading train hoppers that expect to be let into every show without paying a dime (Has my punx membership card been revoked yet? If that last statement didn’t do it, please let me know and I’ll set it on fire myself.) Or, even better… how about there’s less shows every summer? I know it’s a crazy idea, but how about you wait until your band has more than a demo before you head out on a two month, half-booked tour during you college downtime? You know… that way a band that has workhorsed their asses off all year won’t get paid $50 less at a show because you jumped on it last minute and “just need gas money”… that’s not shitty for me to say. It happens way too much… an end result of laziness over effort.
Long winded, huh? I know. It’s a fault of mine… or maybe a subject as important as this needs more than a few lines from me to feel as though I’m truly relaying the direction of my thought process. At least I’m not one of those dicks that would stand there on stage with a feeling of self-importance because I have a microphone and go on a rant about this for fifteen minutes while the rest of the band stares at the floor, hoping I finish soon. That’s what’s great about writing: don’t like what I’m saying? Stop reading. It’s a lot harder to stop listening.
Some of these corporate events keep the bands you love in existence. Truth. Some of these corporate events give us smaller bands a chance to keep going, instead of giving up, in hopes that at some point we may actually turn into a band you love.
To bring up bands such as From Ashes Rise, and what the punx will think of them… well, I don’t really know what to say to that other than: if they don’t like it, fuck ‘em. From Ashes Rise has, in my heart, earned the right to do whatever the hell they want for however long they want to. I’ve been in other bands that have played with them at shitty church rooms in the middle of Bumfuck, Maine in the nineties. I’ve driven ridiculous hours to see them. I literally felt sick to my stomach when they broke up. They’re one of my favorite bands of all time. When they got back together in February, my wife and I bought tickets (without even checking the price) and drove from Seattle down to Portland and saw the reunion show, and that band played with the same intensity they did years ago. They were amazing. From Ashes Rise can play anything and everything they want. They are, and always have been, the real deal. Fuck what the punx think, considering they turn their backs on everything… the diehards are few and far between. I don’t believe in the “punks”… I just believe in punk itself.
No matter what way you look at it, free events, expensive multi-day festivals, etc. included, 99.9999% percent of us bands will never make good money. We have about as much hope as every 350 pound fat ass BlahBlahBlah University offensive linesman that thinks he’s going pro. It just doesn’t happen. It’s a life lottery, with no rhyme or reason as to who comes out on top and why.
So, Sacha is correct: Bands should continue to go on tour and ask for reasonable ticket prices. But, “reasonable” should be less cut and dry, and more blunt reality. There’s two sides: First, fans/enthusiasts need to put their money where their appreciation is. Second, all touring bands need to either accept that they will eat shit until the people that like them finally change their views on show costs, or they can stop touring, continue to write and create their records, and simply play shows whenever the time is right… less stress, less struggle. Either way, they’ll have my respect.
So, what do you want? Do you want to continue to worship at the altar of CGI, of mutli-millionaire cry-baby showboats that switch teams every two years for more money (yet their wives are considered the gold-diggers…), of… hell, everything but this? Just think about it… within the realm of entertainment, there is absolutely NOTHING that comes close to what extreme music encompasses. It is, without question, the most organic, intense and passionate artform that exists, especially when you consider that the average band consists of four or five individuals that somehow have to find common ground to create one fully realized piece of expression in the form of song. On top of that, the translation of song in a live atmosphere literally changes every set, every night.
Why are you trying to lowball something that assaults all five of your senses, something completely unique that will never happen the same way twice?
Do you want to pay the warranted price for passion or do you want to protest and waste your money on other forms of mediocrity?
I’m not going to fuck this up with misdirected values, ethics or priorities. I’m not going to speak for anyone. I’m no decider and I’m no educator or preacher. All I know is that if paying a littile bit more for every show keeps that sweet nectar of live distortion dripping, then sign me up forever.
-Ryan McKenney
Greasy Kulture Issue 15 - Revenge Run
Yeah, we are quite stoked that the Revenge Run is featured in the latest issue of Greasy Kulture Magazine. Its about to have a big feature in another magazine coming up so check it out, or buy a copy and help to support a killer mag.
Greasy Kulture Dot Com
Greasy Kulture Dot Com
International 53 R-110
Sometimes life just works in mysterious ways. Currently reading a book from a writer up in Wisconsin about one year of his life in which he is rebuilding an old International farm truck about the trials and tribulations involved. The very next morning after passing out asleep while reading, I get an email from my buddy John about a truck he rebuilt, and oh yeah, its an International, go figure. Hopefully, ya John talking to you, John will send along the story and the build process of the truck. Old stepside trucks like this are the perfect shop truck in my mind. They ooze style and nothing better than shifting 3 on the tree. Here is a sneak peak at hopefully an upcoming multi part story on this bitchin' 1953 International R-110.
John is also quite the craftsman, have a look at some of his handiwork and collections on our Flickr page. Soon we will be posting more of his projects from start to finish.
KJ Antiques on Rusty Knuckles Flickr
John is also quite the craftsman, have a look at some of his handiwork and collections on our Flickr page. Soon we will be posting more of his projects from start to finish.
KJ Antiques on Rusty Knuckles Flickr
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Cafe Racer Updated Photos
Finally got around to getting some updated photos of my 79' cb650 Cafe Racer. Going to sell it on ebay soon so if anyone is interested just let me know. Need to funnel the cash into my next build, a custom Buell Street Fighter.
Build Process Photos Of The CB650 Cafe Racer On Flickr
Build Process Photos Of The CB650 Cafe Racer On Flickr
