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Up early this morning updating some client sites. Yes, I have clients who I do Web design and monthly maintenance for. It pays the bills and for the most part I enjoy it.
Music is starting to be a close second in the income department but I'm still a long way from quitting the "day job". But the great thing about my occupation is that they let me work from anywhere there is an internet connection. No 9-5, no office to go to and as long as I make my deadlines no boss to chew my ear off. It's definitely the best way to work for someone in my position. I'll be working even when we are in Korea and Japan. At least I will be working when there is a break in the day.
The tour itinerary came in yesterday and WOW are we gonna be BUSY.
Photo Ops, Meet n Greets with CO's and local politicians and radio interviews, dinners with the troops, autograph sessions and miles and miles of travel by day. This is a full blown well orchestrated machine and we will be on the go 10-12 hours a day.
I STILL can't wait! :-) 17 days and counting.
But back to the point of this blog. We played the Back to the Bricks Event in our hometown of Flint, MI last night. It's a Car show with music and food and Hundreds of incredible cars. Flint's downtown has been doing a slow metamorphosis into a nice and viable area.
It's great to see all the people and new businesses such as Raspberries and Blackstones coming into the area.
My only regret is that most of the acts which play for the people all day do so for free. I guess it's a growing pain thing. This event started small and so didn't have a lot of money to pay the bands. I can understand that. But now there are 10,000 or more folks down there and everybody on the strip is taking in a good return... except the bands. We were fortunate enough to be sponsored by a company which sells parts and has a large booth at the event as well as some beautiful cars so we were compensated very well for our concert but we were one of the few.
I know it takes time for an event that started from the ground up to get all the details worked out but I hope they remember the musicians when all is said and done. Everybody who works hard should get paid is my philosophy.
I take care of my people even if it means it comes out of my own pocket because they are trusting me to be the boss and to look out for them. They don't have to do that. They can just as easily do there own thing so I view it as my obligation to live up to that trust by guaranteeing them a certain minimum amount for every show.
It's just the right thing to do and in return I have a hard working group of the finest players in the country. Come see us live if you doubt me.
Being a professional musician is HARD work. Preparing the show, rehearsing for hours and hours a week, marketing the event, then packing the vehicles, moving heavy gear, playing your heart out for 90 minutes in the blazing sun or under hot lights at night then running to the booth to meet with fans and friends then packing it all up and driving to the next show to do it again.
We always joke with promoters that "we get paid to move the gear, the music is free". but that IS a joke. Good music is hard work and those who work hard should be taken care of in my opinion.
Later,
Rusty
