Queen City : Day 1 Of Tour

So it was a really fun show tonite. Seeing as though it’s my old stomping grounds it was great seeing a few of my longtime friends and also some friends I’ve only known for a few months. We played and just threw it down for our first practice! It’s a bit strange that so many people I know from way back in late 80s early 90s we are all getting up there in our ages and it’s just a little surreal I guess you could say because I guess many years ago I thought that we would be young and wild forever. A great friend and former band mate in my band before buzzoven called Sewer Puppet came out and man it was definately great to actually get to hang out for a bit with him. He is an amazing musician and a great entertainer but he has a few kids and has kinda put music in the hobby section of his life. A few other old friends were there. Some I spoke with but others were there and then we played and they were gone before being able to even say hello. All in all it was a great first night as we now venture north to carry on this 1st leg of a US Tour. Hope to see everyone out there. 

Let Me Tell You This: The Past Ways Of Booking Shows,Promoting Your Band and Recording

          So here i am another day on "social media (Bleedia) " trying to figure out things like ,1.Setting up my YouTube to channel to generate some income that I've heard about alot of people doing. 2.Getting the connected mailing that's on the band Facebook page to actually allow people to sign up 3. Understand Google Analytics which controls the advertising that's on this very blog and the list goes on.I mean none of these things seem to be easy for me to understand and know the process to make these different walls I've hit with solving them become something that's comes to full Fruition.In the late 80's and early 90's ,when buzzoven had just formed ,there was manual ways of doing things that most people consider much more of a hassle and prehistoric in this age of THe INtErnet! Honestly though i have found after trying to maneuver all the various ways that you pretty much have to be taken seriously as a band in today's music bussiness, that i would much rather be back to the days of sending press kits to clubs to be considered for a show or to promote a show that's booked,actually beating the streets posting flyers for your show and networking with people in person not just through email and texting.

A West Coast Tour Story

So its been right at a week since our west coast tour with the mighty Bongzilla ended.Needless to say,we hit it off very well with the Bongzilla boys.Actually Dixie played on one of their albums and did a tour with them.Me and Michael(Pee Wee) really hit it off  and i firmly believe i have a new brother in him for life.Touring with them,renting their backline and all around working together made life on this tour much easier. Bongzilla is still out there touring so get out and see them and buy some merch if you can to support this hard working band.I have a few individual stories to tell but I'm just typing some thoughts and observations from this recent 8 day jaunt through the west.I want to be sure i tell the stories i have as they actually happened and get permission from all those involved so i don't step on any toes or piss anyone off. I never piss anyone off.HA!! While our first tours back,in 2011,after 10 years of doing nothing proved to be lucrative and full of hype,this recent leg of shows,which by the way was after another 4 year lull proved to be good but only part of the hype previously experienced was present.Its becoming painfully obvious that if we don't stay busy,tour and work harder we will slowly dwindle back to an unknown band of the past.Some musicians i feel get spoiled from certain things being a certain way and expect that every tour or show will be just as lucrative and also bigger venues with a consistent amount of crowd attendance.Which of course is not the reality of being in the music business as things change year to year and even day to day. I started working my ass off to build this band in the late 80's.I have learned over the years that most always there will be issues with various elements of touring,recording and keeping things in order to keep moving forward.I also have tried to remain humble and appreciative of all the things I'm blessed with from the hard work that playing in and running a band can be.When some people get better pay and more things handled by the few people that are hired to take care of all the responsibility outside of playing their instrument,they love being in the band.But when everything isn't always that way or not as good as previous tours etc....they have an attitude and act as if they are being screwed over or something.All i know is at one time early in my career i had to sleep in the van in freezing temperatures and eat cheese and lettuce summits just to be sure we had enough fuel to make it to the next show.If you haven't experienced tour life from the bottom ,i believe it makes it harder to appreciate the perks that come with being in a band that has already paid their dues etc....I am so grateful that there are still enough people that dig buzzovens music that I'm able to fly(not drive)out to the west coast and tour and even though things were mismanaged we didn't lose money. Expectations were much higher on that issue but ya know it was still pay for doing nothing but playing your instrument.If you can't roll with the train when when its doing really well and when its not so great then maybe its time to give it up.There are thousands of musicians out there that would give anything to simply just be able to tour and have people attend. These people aren't even concerned about money and would do whatever was asked of them to make the tour run smoothly.Sometimes i find myself trying to make everyone else happy and sacrifice my time and needs to make things easier for all those around me.Im going to have to take care of my needs as well in the future.
The plan is not to take another 4 years to get back out doing shows etc....In fact we are going to record very soon for a couple of split 7"s and our own new 7" on Rusty Knuckles.Ralph from Rusty Knuckles has been a huge help and confidant with teaching me the way things are done now as opposed to how i did them in the early 90's. We will also continue to tour but very limited amounts due to several factors that are personal as well as we have to work around Daves busy schedule with Weedeater.
So in the next few days i will have some stories from this tour and although their is very little to compare to the extreme chaos of buzzovens past ,their are some funny and interesting moments of this past short tour.Thanks to everyone who came out to the shows and watch for our upcoming announcements for the East Coast leg of the "Moodswings and Mayhem Tour" Ladies and gentlemen "Welcome to Violence!"