Theft

This weekend Portugal. The Man's van got broken into. Stole just about everything plus a big pile of cash. It was a dumb mistake the band made. People make mistakes. It happens, it is was happens after the mistake that is important. We have to move on. They are a band that barely scrapes by. They do not have a home. They work everyday and they work hard.

The thing that really pisses me off is the concept of theft. I have been robbed myself a few times. My home and my person. When someone makes the decision to steal it proves that they are one of the worst lifeforms on the planet. How can a person reason that it is OK to take what I have worked hard and sweated for. I am not rich, my bands are not rich, we do not have extra. We have what we need. BARELY and when you take, you take more then just our stuff.

You are nothing more then scum if you steal, whether it be a guitar, money, a CD from the merch table, whatever. You are the lowest. Get off your ass and work for it. When you steal you prove that you have no respect for anyone else's life but your own and I look forward to all the bad things that will happen to you.

Top Draft Picks

Now I am not going to get into too much detail about this one but rather just touch upon and maybe later include it in a book, if some one does not steal that.

Mark Messier was drafted 48th in 1979.  The top 3 that year were Rob Ramage, Perry Tumbull, Mike Foligno.

Kobe Bryant was 13th

The point can be made with countless examples.  The point I want to make is that just one of the things that major labels get all wrong is that they draft incorrectly.  They go for that one band that has all the hype and they bid the price up to the point that that band can only disappoint.  That coupled with the lack of any development or "farm league" means failure.

Just like any sport team a record label needs to have excellent scouts.  Of course, we can all identify raw talent.  That is easy.  What is much more difficult is the ability to project what that person will be like in 5-10 years.  Can they write songs well, do they have a good work ethic, do they drink or take drugs, what are their goals.

Yes, some top draft picks do pan out.  However, if you are so excited about something today, think about how excited you will be about it in 10 years.  

Proud of Him

I have been in the music business for about 20 years now.  I have worked with many types of artists.  If I was dumb I would say I have worked with every type of artists.  I know there is always someone new around the corner waiting to break every mold or preconceived idea.  If you are lucky you work with great artists, if you are lucky you work with good people.  Every so often the 2 collide.  John is one of those instances.  

He is a true artists.  Follows his own muse and not a trend or a fashion.  His music and lyrics are decidedly his own.  I think most artists today are trying to "do something" not simply listening to the voices in their heads and I think that is a shame and that is why we have so many trends and so much boring music

John has worked hard and it it shows in the band's continued development.  They are are the edge of really having a break through if they can continue as they are and if we can put them in front of some more people. 

I am proud of him as a manager but more importantly as a brother.  The rest of the world will soon hear what I hear.  It has to happen. Thanks to Alternative Press for recognizing John's talent as the best vocalist of the year