Part reality - part life-calling - and part rock & roll fantasy. A Rockumentary From A Rockaholix Perspective dedicated to Free Speech that leads us all to peace through the power of Rock & Roll... YES! Rock is that powerful! ©2003

A healthy Rockaholix is in touch with their Inner Rockstar and is Rockin 4 Peace.

The R.A. Serenity Prayer: ROCKIN' Higher Power... grant me the serenity to see the best in people especially when they make it really hard to and give us the good fortune to hang with people who make things fun and the wisdom to know that there is enough ROCK for everyone to ROCK ON - so that we can all ROCK ON together in the name of PEACE! The R.A. Watch Words Of Our Faith: Being lead to ROCK our ROCKIN' Higher Power shows us signs everywhere everyday that we are all here to ROCK ON & to inspire others to ROCK ON by allowing the love, light, & freedom of expression - that is at the essence of ROCK and how it leads us all - each in our own way - to PEACE! R.A. Affirmation: I am a Rocker 4 PEACE – a rockaholix who is healing by allowing the force of ROCK to heal me, my life, and all those around me. Long Live ROCK! R.A. Tools: With the R.A. 12 Steps - leading the way - we can help other fellow Rockaholix as well as ourselves. And YES! ROCK can be practiced safely... so we don't have to give up our addiction to ROCK if we can follow the pathways to practicing "Safe Rock" R.A. Matto: (best done as a rap) Jazz feed the Funk – Funk feel the soul and ROCK has the heart that makes us whole. R.A. Conviction: We can do it. We can save the planet with the power of Rock. Rock roots go deep – they are dedicated to Freedom of Expression - Free Speech is at the heart of ROCK and can lead us all to Peace through the power of ROCK & YES... ROCK IS THAT POWERFUL! And let us always remember the wise words of the Rockin' Prophet... Robert Plant: "To be a ROCK and not to roll!" ADVICE FOR NEW BANDS: Be very glad you found each other always... it is not easy to find band members that play well together - better yet have amazing energy on stage and continually improve with each gig. So APPRECIATE EVERYONE - EVERY GIG & keep writing & recording your own CD's & paying gigs - these goals keep bands together - as long as they are not rushed & continually get better. So go slowly - working smart - not hard towards goals at a pace that is comfortable for everyone & get the most bang for the buck. And allow the band name to come naturally... take out your list with everyone and see if you can find one that hits home. Your name, look, and music feel should all match so people can identify you and your music easily and know if it is something they are into. (**Choose one great gig a month where everyone comes - because it is well promoted and at a good location people want to be at.) THE GOLDEN 5 SUGGESTIONS: 1. Become each other's best friends... and take good care of one another - and keep each other growing musically, emotionally (spiritually as each understands it). 2. Always have fun playing together... if you don't like an idea - still try it out... it may surprise you. When it is really good... everyone can feel it... so agreement is easier. 3. If you are not sure, be sure you tape all rehearsals and have listing sessions together after rehearsal - as part of rehearsal and talk about it. When it can go either way... try it both ways and let the audience choose by how they respond to it. 4. Let everyone contribute in the band and keep the split of songs on who contributes - yet if the whole band did - give credit to the whole band equally. If just one of the player's the songwriter who brought the song in - they have the last say in its arrangement. If others change the song for the better - they are now co-writers of the song. BE FAIR - THIS ISSUE BREAKS UP A LOT OF BANDS. An arrangment is an ot a song but it can make the song fly... however SONGWRITERS NEED TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED TOO - so spit up the royalties on the song so that it reflects what is true & be fair. If you want to keep you band going these royalties can be pay-offs that you can give to memebers for hanging in there with your songs. 5. Rehearse a 3 minute version of songs (Closed Fan: V/C/V/C/B/V/C) for recording them and then for gigs where you play a longer set or all night - you can "Opened Fan" and add solos and longer bridges with slow moods that jump into funky breaks for cool interesting arrangements. ABOUT TECHNOLOGY: T.F.U.'s (Technical F#$K Ups) happen... learn all about production and internet promotions and use technology to help you. If you ask anyone in the business... the real success is creative freedom - and self-production is the way to do that. So learn as much as you can about web, music, graphic, & video production as you can... all of this is part of being in a band. ABOUT MANAGMENT: Your manager needs to be promoting CD's, getting reviews, and booking better and better gigs... photos... and promo materials. Most of this is done electronically on the Internet now - so they have to be all over the internet and on top of all the ways to get your music out there. If this is not happening get a new manager or help them with direction. It can be a friend or loved one doing this at the begriming - until the band grows into a place where they need someone well connected in the business to be the Manager to get a record deal, CD's playing on Radio & TV, and more prominent gigs like opening for headliners. Then, you make the former manager who is a dear friend by now... the head of the fan club and street team promoting your band and their CD's and other things like T-Shirts, Cups, Bumper stickers, Buttons, at the shows and on-line.

7 Pathways To Practicing "Safe Rock": 1. If you're at a concert and it's too loud.. which is most of the time.. (that's why they call them "loud" speakers) simply walk away from the speakers.. and put in your ear plugs. If you've lost or forgotten them or especially if haven't ever thought of it before.. , then ask someone for a cigarette and then walk away before they want to light it - and then, ask someone else for a cigarette. Then simply break off the filters and there's your ear plugs. Who knows, you might even get a nicotine buzz! If you've already bummed too many cigarettes and folks are gettin' pissed at you for it, then use toilet paper - but no matter what - SAVE YOUR EARS! 2. Sell your old gear before you buy new stuff (try e-bay) and if you just have to have it now, pay for it on credit so that you get to keep your electricity going.. and keep doing stuff like.. eating. If you can't afford it and your loved ones have stopped buying you gear for birthdays & holidays then wait till you can really afford it. Think of the renting option too - that way by the time you're onto new gear - you don't have to sell it. 3. If you're a touring musician and into getting laid when ever you can - use a condom, in fact use two.. and if you plan on never having kids.. do us all a favor and get fixed. If you never intend to see the person again, be sure to get their name.. so you can make amends to them later when you do your inventory. 4. Don't sleep with the chick in the band, it always leads to breaking up the band. If you ARE the chick in the band, don't sleep with anyone in the band unless you're married to them and only sleep with them.. (that's the really important part.. more than the married thing!) If you're gay, this applies to you as well, it's best to not sleep with the guys in the band, unless you're in a committed relationship and you don't sleep with anyone else or if you all agree to sleep together in one big massive orgy, but it usually does.. eventually break up the band. But if you think the band is breaking up anyway - then go for it. 5. If all else fails, use the musician's referral in the weekly paper or the Craigslist to get new band members, (for working musicians, whenever possible, word of mouth is much better) and be careful.. it can become an addiction. You know, it's like the personal ad thing and actually has a lot of similar features to blind dating. When you speak to musicians on the phone, refrain from getting into the "upmanship" thing.. about all the amazing experience you've had and the rock stars you've met - or worse yet, all the bad experiences you've ever had in a band, or going on and on about all your musical influences because you don't have a demo of your music. If possible, get your music on-line so that you each can hear each other's music before you spend hours talking about the music business and how to launch into "star-dumb" &/or which bands on the radio you're influenced by & why. Otherwise, you find out later that they can't even play all that well yet. If this is you.. then be up front about being a beginner and find other beginners to play with. Remember: being good comes from putting up with sucking for years.. until you get good. 6. Don't hurt yourself or your instrument.. unless of course if you're a punk rocker and it's part of your act. In that case, have a cheap guitar that you play in the last song that you destroy.. not your good guitar. Even Hendrix had the good sense to do that when he burnt his on stage at the Monterey Pop Festival. If you're a singer, get some training to save your voice and don't smoke. Smoking for a singer is like playing piano and smashing your fingers regularly. A "tip" tip.. If you're a budding guitarist, (or your girlfriend or wife or husband got you to stop playing your guitar for a while - until you come to your senses and break up &/or demand your rights to rock) you can use crazy glue on your fingertips until your callous get thick. Remember: you need a thick skin in the music business, in more ways than one. Seeing the comedy in situations is a great way to survive all the shit you have to go through.. every step of the way. 7. You can have a life and be a professional musician. Contrary to popular beliefs and VH1 "Behind The Music" episodes.. you don't have to trade one for the other. You can have a relationship, as long as they support you doing your thing and you support them doing theirs. It's best if you have a shared vision of making the music happens.. when you both are in the band it can make it hard at times - but then you get to tour together. However this is only good if that's a good thing. If one person is doing the business end of things while the other one is the act, make sure the biz person has some outlet for their creativity other than you and your act. Also, contrary to popular beliefs, it doesn't make you cool at all to leave your partner and kids to go touring for months and months at a time and then sleep with any one who's willing to while you are on the road. If you tour to purposely get away from your family... then you have to take a look at that. Maybe your family can't wait till you get back on the road and everybody wins. As much as possible, if you like being around them, take your family with you.. a family that tours together endures together... just look at the Osbournes. ABOUT SIGNIFICANT OTHERS: If girlfriends, wife's, boyfriends & husbands are not on board - eventually it will not work out - so everyone has to be in it 100% and choose partners who support the band in some way. It takes a TRIBE to make a band happen and there needs to be a lot of support people... so appreciate everyone who helps out - treat them like a member of the band in most ways without giving them too much power. A band leader who leads from the back and makes everyone feel needed and important to the band is golden... yet never give any one person who helps out too much power... keep the band a democracy with a band leader with a great sense of humor and no power trips. ABOUT GIGS: When the time comes book gigs and get your friends to come. If you all have 5 friends who for sure come that can be enough (25+ people who help out with the band) for a club owner to give you time to get good and build a following - if not, find the club that lets you do that. You quantum leap when you gig so the more you gig the better the band gets - yet don't do a high profile gig until you are really ready for it. Play parties for your friends often... that will build a following and people are usually not listening so closely at parties. ** Watch the people on the dance floor... if people become too tired by too many upbeat songs in a row... play a slow one to let them catch their breath. A good drummer will build a great set list that accounts for people needing to rest and varying the beat so the evening builds. If they are mostly NOT dancing - look at that... do you need more dance grooves? Bob your head at a nice comfortable pace... that is the speed most people enjoy. Always play covers and originals - 50/50. There will we times for both - a cover band with no originals is just sad. And an original bands need to gig - and you gig more with covers so choose great covers that everyone loves... that are a similar sound to yours and learn from them. Ask yourself: WHY DO PEOPLE LOVE THEM? And learn "The Art of the Encore" how do you get people to beg for more? You play a great last song and rush off quickly... let them chant... and then come back on with an even better song and then rush off quickly.. and then do it again. If you do this, they feel they got the last 3 songs as extras... and it makes them feel even better about the show than if you had just played the same last 3 songs of the set without the encores. If you can find a great regular weekly gig while you are building a following - once you have a following then spread out regionally and keep a regular monthly gig there & do more speical events & festivals. And always annouce your next gig... and spread them out so that people can come more of the time and you have time & energy to promote each one. And Video tape all gigs... watch them as a band and learn. If you end up with a great performance... let it play on Access Stations with your web site adress for more info... let it promote your band. And make music videos that can do the same. MAKE A SCENE - NOT JUST A BAND: Find other similar bands and do gigs with them... better yet - have monthly, seasonally, or annual events that you have these bands play at together with some kind of theme or charity focus. Do exciting fun extra things for your audience... learn quotes from cool covers to slip in - so it is just a little different for regulars but mostly the same... the way they like it. Give out a few Tee-Shirts, stickers, even CD's from the stage. Again, this is "The Art of The Encore" or giving them something extra for the same price. ABOUT TOURING: Don't tour until you can afford to do it right. The "smelly van test" has broken up many bands. This is when the van breaks down and you have to wait for help in a hot smelly van - or you all have to sleep in that van after a gig cause the club owner did not pay what they said they would. Gigs a few hours away can be done without hotels. $50/per person to start out with a small draw working up to $200 per/person with a good draw... then it is on to festivals and special events - it is good to have a special niche that you can offer to people that separates you from the other bands around. Focus on the people you want to show up. What do they want to hear? ABOUT BOOKING AGENTS: Once you are gigging and making money... you need to think about getting Booking Agents... so ask around to who it good at it and fair and choose well. Make sure they love the band and will really help the band achieve the next set of goals. Don't sign an exclusive contract with any agent - unless they are the best one and promise a lot of focus on the band. If you use a booking agent they can get better gigs for you and all contracts are in writing - so the club owner has to pay you or your agent will go after them and not send them anymore bands. They usually can negotiate hiring paying gigs than a band member. If someone else believes in you other than you - it always sounds better to other people. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST... GIVE A PARTY TO THE AUDIENCE - BUT DON'T OVER DO BEONG A PARTIER: If you are 420 legal... then make sure you use it for medicinal purposes as needed and that does not mean doing it all the time - and don't let it get in the way of the band. See how it effects you... listen to tapes you have done stoned - is it really better? Sometimes it is... but not if someone is too stoned. And vocalist, protect your voices with mosture if you do it... a lozenge and ice bong and totally give up tobacco. (ROCK SINGER KITS CAN HELP CONTACT US ABOVE TO FIND OUT MORE). Remember that drinking makes us stupid and unable to play well... this is a bad combination for a band yet if players can hang with a beer or 2 all night and play a great gig - cool. Better though for after the gig.. as you watch the video or listen to the audio. If someone let's drinking or drugs get in the way of the band - the whole band needs to talk to them about if they really want to do this. People become self-distructive when they have a conflict about what they are doing. Sometimes only part of them wants to be in a band... talk it out. If they party at gigs to have "more" fun - perhaps they would have more fun as an audience member - it's a lot less work & tons more fun. Perhaps they would still like to be involved somehow? (A hand drummer who drinks can play with the band at the start of the gig... then go onto the dance floor and get people dancing... and stay there dancing and drinking all night - as long as it is in check. There is always a way to use the positive energy people have and get agreements that work for all - it may be a great role that they do that allows them to be both player & audience motivator.) Each in the band needs to becoming better people all the time - to offer energy to the band. So inspire everyone to continually grow musically - health-wise - and emotionally (spiritually as each understands it). One More thing... Can't think of a band name? Don't let arguing about it break up the band... CHECK THIS OUT - an on-line: band name program (http://www.bandnamemaker.com/) And remember if you don't use them as band names... they might make good song names too. So keep making that list... as write down all the clever names you find.