SYMBIOSIS....

Current mood: QUESTIONING
Category: QUESTIONING Music

One of the things I've found most exasperating since becoming involved with professional artistes is how many expect an immediate and unswerving work ethic, faith and loyalty from others, yet are themselves completely unable to provide the same on anything other than a surface and/or irregular level...

Here's an example....

I've done an interview, recieved a disc or been to a gig and I'm working on the piece that will result from it.

Sometimes this takes a while - a very long while....

Basically, I only write a piece up when I feel I have a definite angle, instinct and/or decent knowledge that will make it a good and interesting piece to read and therefore a useful piece of publicity for the act in question and a good bit of writing for me....

Yes boss, like the act in question (if they're anything approaching decent) I'm essentially trying to create something memorable here. Something that will last a little better than a copy of The Sun. I therefore I like to make the piece good, natural and accurate rather than produce the kind of off the cuff forced crap that musicians are always complaining gets written about them...

"He hasn't even understood the LP!! I bet he only listened to it once!!!" etc etc etc


So, whilst I get this work done/play the record as many times as i need to/cogitate and of course survive the ever dangling knife myself, I suggest the band or act in question subscribe to this very blog.

I say I'm suggesting this so they can be sure not to miss the material when it's posted, but I'm also trying to eek out a little bit of return respect from them towards my work and to give them a better idea as to how I write and what they can expect from the piece when it finally arrives...

Now, I don't feel this is too much to ask. I am afterall working my skills for free to (in most cases) promote them, as well as to promote myself. I therefore see the whole thing as being a very symbiotic relationship. They do a job and I do one and neither works without the other, so we have to help each other out...


Anyway, back to the sceanrio...

To start with, in 2 out of 5 cases, I find it either impossible or very hard to get the act to subscribe at all.

Then from those that do, I've found that if the piece isn't complete within 2 or 3 weeks, 3 out of 5 acts withdraw their subscription and slink off without a word as to why or without hurling a kick to my arse to see what's happening....

I can only guess they maybe feel I'm taking too long, that music writing is easy, that music journalists are all self serving cunts to whom they owe nothing, that I should have had it done even if there are other things going on.

Shit, maybe they are anally tidy about their subscriptions, or maybe they read a few of my pieces and think my writing and or oipinions are shit and can't bear to read what might be coming about them???

Who knows???

Whatever the reason, this behaviour really does fucking annoy the shit out of me, and it tends to result in the piece in question going right to the very bottom of my priorities list and quite often it then never surfaces at all...


So, I 'm wondering is this fair and right? Or am i expecting too much??? Should I not let my own massive ego (as if) come into it at all?? Or should I just do the job, leave myself out of it and not complain???

Currently listening : The Cars By The Cars Release date: By 25 October, 1990

01:28 - 2 Comments - 8 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove

	maryJane	you're expecting too much. but maybe thats just me being cynical. ...i think you should review the burning of rome. & everything will just seem right with the world. Posted by maryJane on Wednesday, August 15, 2007 at 03:36 [Remove] [Reply to this]

: THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI :

I think in real terms I am, because most musicians see the music press as a group and as a pain in the arse for whom they have little time or respect and a lot of the time this opinion is based of bitter experience and complete disinterest... I do however think there's a bigger picture and I take exception to being judged as being part of a group... I also think there's a question of scale. I mean, if I was interviewing Madonna I wouldn't even dream that she was going to do anything other than give me my 15 minutes of lip service and then forget me in a second. But many of the bands I'm covering here are in much the same position as me i.e a basic / and or lower one than they think they should be, and in such situations working alliances and respect can count for a lot... Posted by : THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI : on Wednesday, August 15, 2007 at 11:17 [Remove] [Reply to this]