So the grizzled monster won’t let the mentally challenged queen of reality TV sing his song on "America’s Got Talent".  What’s gotten into this has-been with only one hit?  He can’t say no to the matron who was last year’s Christmas sensation!

But for how much longer will Susan Boyle be able to sell product, does anybody truly care?

Or, as Chicago once so eloquently put it, does anybody really know what time it is?

Conventional wisdom is you say yes.  You take the check.  The more people exposed to your music, the better.  You’ll hear that mantra from labels, managers and agents, all looking to take their cut of the instant revenue.  But what happens when you’re old and gray, when your label is done, when you’re no longer speaking to your original manager and your agent’s long since retired?

If you’re a true Lou Reed fan, you hate Susan Boyle, everything she stands for.  And by refusing to allow her to sing "Perfect Day", you feel that Lou’s on your team, that he’s got integrity, that he won’t do anything for a buck.  Lou’s about the artistry, what’s right, not about the money.

So she sings his song and a lot of casual listeners hear it.  Is this really going to help Lou’s career?  Well maybe he could orchestrate a victory lap, get the press to tell his story and get a Kennedy Center Honor.  But is this what a denizen of Max’s Kansas City is really looking for?  Andy Warhol always stood apart from the mainstream.  And if he was involved in it, he laughed at it.  Wasn’t that the point of the Campbell’s soup cans?  To challenge the audience?  To make people analyze what is and is not art?

Musicians used to challenge the audience.  Before they became whores who would do anything for a buck.

They just cleared the decks at EMI.  Imagine if you were championed by the old regime.  Deadmau5 was championed by Nick Gatfield, now Nick’s gone, will the new players feel the same way about the deejay?

The businessmen don’t care about you.  It’s all a ruse.  Even David Geffen.  He’s nice to you today, but tomorrow he could be your enemy, or extract fealty you don’t want to pay in order to maintain the relationship.

Whereas fans are enthralled.  They’re dedicated.  They’re your real customers.

I don’t think it would have been wrong for Lou Reed to allow Susan Boyle to sing his song on TV, but the fact that he had the right to say no and exercised it makes me feel good about him.  Lou thought about it!  Weighed the options and the consequences.  And came down on the side of not doing anything for a buck.

Wall Streeters don’t care if they bring down entire countries, as long as they get paid.

Network TV is about evanescent reality stars with no talent.

Then there’s Jonathan Franzen.  Who wouldn’t let Oprah hook up with his book.  He didn’t want the mainstream imprimatur.  His "faux pas" was supposed to kill his career.  But now, half a decade later, he’s the industry’s darling.  He’s bigger than ever.  He’s on the cover of "Time". His success is causing its own backlash.  Isn’t it supposed to be the opposite?

No, not really. Not when you’re a true artist.  Not when you write something as good as Franzen’s "Freedom".

I’m barely into it, but "Freedom"’s everything the mainstream best sellers is not.  It’s honest.  It refers to a liaison between teenagers as a "fuckfest".  Franzen played by his own rules and won.

Rock stars used to play by their own rules.

And isn’t it funny that when they started playing by corporate rules, their recorded music sales and live business decreased.

The fan-centric acts are doing quite well.  Their road business has hardly suffered.  They don’t have to cancel tours.  But you don’t hear their stories, because the mainstream press is only interested in Katy Perry-style celebrity train-wrecks.  Mix some boobs in with a movie star, stir in the producers du jour, throw in Snoop for insurance and you’ve got momentary success.

The radio hits of the past ten years are forgotten not long after they leave the airwaves.  But I heard "Walk On The Wild Side" in Ibiza.

But really, I love the first solo album more.  With "Ocean".

Yes, I’m a Lou Reed fan. I’m always interested in what he’s up to. Not that I like it all.  But I know that Lou’s still testing limits, not just home collecting checks in retirement.  So my fandom continues.

I was never a fan of Susan Boyle.

Come on, is anybody really a fan of Susan Boyle?

As for "America’s Got Talent"…  A wispy summer contest with the nutritional value of cotton candy.  You eat and eat, but you get little nutrition, but your head ultimately hurts because of the sugar.

Nothing from that show will last.

But Lou Reed, the guy with the imperfect voice, is in the fifth decade of his career.  And the Velvet Underground inspired countless innovative bands.  He’s going to jeopardize all this for a small check and the chance for millions of people who don’t care about him to experience one of his songs?

I don’t think so.

And neither does Lou.

Live review: Despite failures, FYF Fest gives crowds a lot to cheer about

This blog does not do the story justice.

I woke up to a large photo of a throng of fans with their hands in the air on the front page of the Calendar section of the "Los Angeles Times".

At this point, I only get the paper for the LATExtra section with the local news, because not being a TV watcher, certainly not of the news, I’d be completely out of the local loop without it.

The Calendar section used to mean something, but that was before Nikki Finke took over movie business reporting on Deadline Hollywood.  As for music reporting?  Bob Hilburn’s been retired for years and Ann Powers moved to Alabama and if you don’t know the players, you can’t trust the information.

And I don’t know the three people who wrote this story, and that’s just the point, what I don’t know.

Actually, I do know some of the acts on this bill.  But read the review, they’re writing like these bands have fans, like people know the songs.

But what’s really important here is 20,000 people came.

They paid $20 in advance.

$30 day of.

Tickets were sold at record stores.

It happened, but I was out of the loop.

And the mainstream music business was out of the loop.  These acts are on indie labels.  They get almost no commercial radio play, and needless to say, are not on TV.  But they’ve got fans.

This is the future.

Yes, it’s hard being a baby boomer.  You want the good shit served right up to you.  But young people don’t expect that. They know it’s about foraging for music.  And that if it’s on the radio or TV or in "Rolling Stone", chances are it sucks.

In other words, the mainstream music business is eluding these kids.  More accurately, they’ve rejected it.  They know it’s manufactured crap.  Prepubescents might listen to terrestrial radio, might even make an impulse buy at iTunes.  And those of drinking age might want to bump asses to the famous cut in the club.  But almost no one wants to see these acts live.  Why would you?  You might stop at McDonald’s in a pinch, to get fueled up.  But you don’t sit at home salivating, making a date to meet the girl of your dreams at the Golden Arches.

Then again, you might make a date for In-N-Out, or Five Guys.  Because although they’re cheap, they’re quality.

Ticketmaster was not involved.  And there’s no reason for big fees, because kickbacks are unnecessary.  The service fee was $1 or $2.

FYF Fest Tickets

And tickets went UP in price if you waited.

And you’ve never heard of the promoter.

Who, by all accounts, did a terrible job.  Just like the unknown promoters of the initial rock festivals forty years ago.

The major labels and in most cases the big promoters are built for a business that doesn’t exist anymore.  It’s falling of its own weight.  A new business is being born, of small acts that may never achieve world domination, but satiate hard core fans and then die.  Or live.  Depending on the perseverance and tenacity of the players. They’re performing for the love of it.  They see their fans as equals.  And the fans don’t look like reality TV stars, but regular people.

In other words, music is leading the way once again.

In an era when movies are unwatchable bloated behemoths made for worldwide consumption by people who in many cases don’t even speak English, when big time TV is all about the lowest common denominator, reality shows featuring nitwits who will do anything for money, music is about emotion, expression, unfiltered, from the performer directly to the fan.

Anybody who says the Internet revolution killed music is invested in the old ways.  There’s a vibrant scene.  Being built by people who those in power won’t give a chance.  There’s a burgeoning audience.  It may be incomprehensible to oldsters, but the youngsters understand.

_____________________________________

Meanwhile, I just received this in my inbox:

Subject: FYF FAN FEST TODAY- DETAILS- $5

Hey All- Yesterday was FYF Fest. We know all the problems… The lines… And are addressing them now. In no way are we sleeping on these problems. The bands were amazing and the turn out was unreal. I’m speechless.  Today is the FYF Fan Fest. 3 different shows. The plan was to charge $10 each for these shows. After yesterday we decided not to… Sure, we have bills but would rather eat the costs and make these special for you, the fans.  If it wasn’t for you there would be no FYF Fest.  Tickets for the Rapture show at the EchoPlex are $5 at the door. Panda Bear at the Glasshouse is $5 at the door.  Davila 666 at the Echo is free.  If you purchased a ticket to either the Rapture or the Panda Bear show you will be refunded $5 at the door (your name will be on will call). Doing a free show is a disaster. When there is no cover too many people show up and always hundreds of people are turned away.  That is the last thing we would want, hence why two of the shows are not free.  Here are the details. It’s going to be amazing time.  Hope to see you in the future. Sean Carlson & FYF Fest  FYF FAN FEST #1 Sunday, September 5th Panda Bear The Goat @ the Glasshouse 200 W. 2nd St Pomona, CA $5 / 8:00pm / All Ages FYF FAN FEST #2 Sunday, September 5th The Rapture Big Freedia @ the EchoPlex Los Angeles, CA $5 / 9:00pm / 18+ FYF FAN FEST #3 Sunday, September 5th Davila 666 Don Juan Y Los Blancos Audacity @ the Echo 1822 Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA Free / 6:30pm / All Ages

This book should be required reading for everybody who wants a career in rock and roll.

How do you make it?

You take one good-looking performer with focus and an unyielding desire to make it.

You connect said person with a manager willing to bend every corner, lie, cheat and steal in order to see his charge succeed so he can take his twenty percent.

And you get your songs written by Desmond Child.

Desmond is the unsung hero of the Bon Jovi story.  Reading this book, you realize that without him, Bon Jovi is just a band of big-haired wannabes with a minor radio hit featuring the piano playing of a member of the E Street Band.

Oh, where to begin.

This book was written by Rich Bozzett, Bon Jovi’s original tour manager.

I don’t know about you, but from the time I was conscious I remember my father telling me I was going to college.  It was not an issue of choice.  He demanded it.  Had it inserted in my DNA.  If I’d dropped out, not only would I have been cut off financially, he would have killed me.  Literally.  That might not be his intention, but his rage would have gotten the better of him.  I know, I saw that rage in action.  I remember bringing home a bad report card.  My father took me out to the garage and started banging my skis on the concrete floor.  I wasn’t so worried about these wooden Northlands, I was just stunned that an adult could lose control in this way, could almost be foaming at the mouth.

My dad wanted to protect me.  Wanted to make sure I didn’t earn a living with my hands.  That I used my brain to get ahead.

Jon Bon Jovi’s parents lived by their hands.  His father was a hairdresser and his mother a florist.  Maybe this is what imbued him with a desire to make it, to escape the almost poverty of his upbringing.

But in order to make it, you need a team.  Which is how he got hooked up with Doc McGhee and Rich Bozzett.

Doc McGhee wanted to make it in the world of rock management.  That requires money.  Sure, you can get rich if your band breaks through, but how are you going to keep that band on the road in the meantime?  In Doc’s case, by dealing dope.

And his man on the touring front, Rich?  He’s an uneducated bloke who gets mixed up on a dope run to Colombia where the plane gets hijacked and ultimately crashes in the Caribbean and…

Who makes choices like this?

People without opportunities.  Rich details the sad saga of his best buddy Richie Fisher, who ended up in a psych ward after trying to commit suicide by jumping off the Waldorf Astoria.  Richie’s big job before that?  Road manager for Motley Crue.

And there are certainly some Crue tales here.  But the really interesting story is of the crew itself.  The ragtag bunch of dope fiends, you’ve got to be high to do this job, setting up and tearing down every day you’ve got to be up, yet able to sleep.  You can only do this with the aid of pharmaceuticals.  You work for almost nothing, then you’re thrown upon the scrapheap.  Like Rich Bozzett.

Do I believe every word of this book?  Hell, his description of record royalties is so off it throws into question the veracity of so much more.  And obviously he wrote the book because he’s pissed, he never got his promised 5% of Bon Jovi.

Then again, I know this story.  Bands will screw you not only to make it, but to keep it.  The music business is a microcosm of life at large.  Everybody trying to get some bread when there’s not enough to feed all the hungry mouths.  What would you do if confronted by famine?  What laws would you break?  What choices would you make?  Meanwhile, the record companies hide behind a facade of legitimacy when they’re the biggest thieves of all.

But the real story is Bon Jovi just didn’t have enough talent.

Jon highlighted his hair upon the advice of stylists.  Research was done amongst the target demo in order to plot direction.  But after the second album stiffed, there was no road to success, because Bon Jovi, the band, just couldn’t write hit material.

And that’s when Doc McGhee brought in Desmond Child.

Would David Krebs or John Scher have made the same move?  They wanted to manage Bon Jovi too.  But Jon went with the upstart. Sometimes you want someone hungry.  And as important as money is, it’s the idea that ultimately triumphs.

They wrote "Livin’ On A Prayer" the very first day.  In a bedroom in Jon’s house.  Jon, Richie Sambora and Desmond.  According to Bozzett, it was all about Diane Lane.  Who could party harder than any member of the band and ended up partying too hard with Richie when Jon thought she was HIS girlfriend.  Mmm…

Then again, what broke up the band after "New Jersey" was money.  Because Jon thought it was all about him.  And the four others were getting screwed.

You pay your dues, work ultra hard, but eventually you want yours.  Do you get it?

Rich never got his 5%.  If only he had a lawyer.  But did he have an educated father, did he grow up in an environment where people said it was wise to pay a little now to make a lot later?  I doubt it.

Then again, Jon’s wife-to-be, Dorothea, was afraid to order room service in the early days, for fear Jon would become incensed over the expenditure.  I’ve got to give Jon credit.  How many acts have started off broke and ended up broke because they didn’t know the value of a dollar.

This book is horribly written.  It’s one man’s viewpoint.

But I know it’s true.

I’ve worked in the music business.  I’ve met these characters.  It’s one field where education is not a requirement to play.  You’re thrown in with a bunch of rapacious scoundrels, and only the smartest, with the sharpest elbows, succeed.  If you haven’t been ripped off, if you haven’t been physically threatened, you’re not in the music business.

This is one man’s tale.  Published by an outfit I’ve never heard of.  I’m sure major publishers passed, they didn’t want the lawsuits, didn’t want to get on Jon’s bad side.  As a result, impact will be limited.

The supposed draw is black and whites from an aborted publicity shoot with naked girls.  You can see better stuff on the Internet for free.

But you can’t find the true story of how one inexperienced, uneducated limousine driver did whatever he was told to earn a one in a million shot as the right hand to the biggest band in the world only to lose it all six years later.

Actually, that’s a long ride in this business.

You’ve never heard of Rich Bozzett.  And there are a zillion more faceless people who work to make these bands succeed you’ve also never heard of.  You can’t do it alone.  As Rich Bozzett says, be loyal and take care of the little people, keep your promises.

Then again, without Jon.  Without Doc.  Without Desmond.  You’ve got nothing.

The best team can’t do anything with a stiff.

A mediocre team can have some success with a highly-talented performer.

But combine a great team with a great front man and you can achieve world domination.

But I know my father was right.  You’re better off going to law school.  Or becoming a doctor.  You want to be a professional, with a leg up.  Otherwise, you’re Rich Bozzett, pledging fealty to people who need you today, but discard you like a dishrag tomorrow.

Sex Drugs and Bon Jovi

http://www.sexdrugsbonjovi.com/

This is important.

Historically, there’s been a buffer between star and audience.  And this buffer was managed by professionals who’d seen it all and told you how and when to play.  It was like everybody with a media profile had a coach.  And if you disobeyed him, you were booted from the team.

But now, through the magic of the Web, through the magic of Twitter, a celebrity can speak directly to his audience, can tell his side of the story, sans the reinterpretation and the agenda of the media.

Yes, the media gets it wrong.  If you haven’t been misquoted, if your words haven’t been turned around, then you’ve never been interviewed for a story.  What if you could tell your story directly to your fans?  You certainly know it best.

Eight hours ago, Kanye West took to Twitter to tell his side of the VMA debacle.  I don’t follow him on Twitter, but people were e-mailing me about it, retweeting his words, to the point where I checked out what he had to say.

Positively mind-blowing.

It’s not only the words, but the tone.  He’s not preaching from up above, not being holier-than-thou like Tiger Woods, rather he’s putting forth emotion and detail and apologizing all at once. He realizes he screwed up, but he wants to paint the entire picture, make points about society, not only resurrect his career.

You read from the bottom up: http://twitter.com/kanyewest

You want to start with this tweet:

"Man I love Twitter… I’ve always been at the mercy of the press but no more… The media tried to demonize me"

If you don’t see it on the page, scroll down and hit "more" until you do.

Kanye West has resurrected his career in one day.  He’s showed that unlike the "Jersey Shore" cast, he’s three-dimensional, he thinks about the world we live in, he’s got opinions and he’s willing to share them.

That’s why Kanye is a star and you’re not.  If you’re not willing to take a stand, if you’re not willing to endure the abuse, you’re part of the problem.

If you’ve got a public presence, stop hiding behind the curtain.  Tell your story yourself.  Who knows it better than you do?  And if you can’t see the entire landscape, you’ll be castigated.  But you can learn from the feedback and adjust, after all, aren’t these people your customers?

We’re all in it together.  The filters between seller and buyer have been obliterated.  Take it directly to your fans.  It’s what they’ve always wanted.  A private audience with you backstage.

A few more Kanye gems:

"They wanted yall to believe I was a monster in real life so you guys wouldn’t listen or buy my music anymore"

Ah, hell, I’ll print ’em all:

"I feel like they were waiting for the opportunity to go in all the way on me and when it came they beat me to a pulp"

"Even now a lot of articles start there first 2 paragraphs about how much of an asshole I am"

"I accept the idea (ideal) that perception is reality"

"When I say perception is reality I mean whatever you think is the truth… is your truth"

"Some people’s truth is Kanye is racist… It’s not my truth but I do believe it’s my Karma…. walk with me…"

"Even though the NBC telethon was widely praised yall didn’t think they was just gone let me get away with that did yall???!!!"

"With the help of strong will, a lack of impathy, a lil alcohol and extremely distasteful & bad timing … I became George Bush over night"

"How deep is the scar… I bled hard.. cancelled tour with the number one pop star in the world … closed the doors of my clothing office"

"Had to let employees go… for the first time I felt the impact of my brash actions … I felt the recession from an ownership side"

"People booed when I would go to concerts and the performer mentioned my name. "

"Remember in Anchor Man when Ron Burgandy cursed on air and the entire city turned on him? But this wasn’t a joke. This was & is my real life"

"There are people who don’t dislike me… they absolutely hate me!"

"I was chilling with this white girl having a conversation and she cut me off and said… Hold up… I thought you didn’t like us?!"

"That’s when you realize perception is reality. I’ve been straying from this subject on twitter but I have to give it to you guys raw now."

"If you google Asshole my face may very well pop up 2 pages into the search."

"Some people say… Why worry about ‘the haters?’ This is bigger that just the concept of haters."

"I have a mission in life to bring truth and beauty through my music and the visuals that anchor around it"

"The media has successfully diminished the "receptive" audience of (3rd person)… KANYE WEST"

"…taking a 15 second blip the mdeia have successfully painted the image of the "ANGRY BLACK MAN’ The King Kong theory."

"I’m the guy who at one point could perform the Justin Timberlake on stage and everyone would be sooo happy that I was there"

"People tweeted that they wish I was dead… No listen. They wanted me to die people. I carry that. I smile and take pictures through that"

"I wear my scars… It’s almost like I have to where a suit to juxtapose my image and I won’t lie… IT WORKS!"

"I wrote a song for Taylor Swift that’s so beautiful and I want her to have it. If she won’t take it then I’ll perform it for her"

"She had nothing to do with my issues with award shows. She had no idea what hit her. She’s justa lil girl with dreams like the rest of us."

"She deserves the apology more than anyone. Thank you Biz Stone and Evan Williams for creating a platform where we can communicate directly"

"We’re both artist and the media and managers are trying to get between us. Everyone wants to capitalize off this is some way"

"I’m ready to get out of my own way. The ego is overdone… it’s like hoodies"

"I know there are family members friends and fans that have literally fought for me."

"There are people who have named there kids after me… can you imagine that next day in school. Even though I don’t have kids… "

"I am responsible for those who love and represent me and what they have to deal with on a day to day defending ‘The American Psycho’"

"I watched Justin Timberlake at the Grammies loose every televised award including album of the year which the Dixie Chicks won"

"I would have ran on stage for Justin that night because Sexy Back (in my mind) was that important… that impactful to our culture"

"It’s not about race America. No one in our position ever stands up and says anything anymore."

"I have given my awards to other groups multiple times on national TV… They never showed that this past year during the massacre of Kanye"

"Who’s seen the play Wicked? I’ve seen it 4 times! Other than loving the music acting and costumes… it’s my story!!! "

"The Wicked witch of the west basically is so convicted to tell her’ truth when she does it she is outcasted by society and turned WICKED"

"With new found humility … who am I to run on stage? I would never ever again in a million years do that. Sorry to let you down."

"It is distasteful to cut people off as a general rule. What’s the point of dressing tastefully if I’m going to act the complete opposite?"

"Yes I was that guy. A 32 year old child."

"When I woke up from the crazy nightmare I looked in the mirror and said GROW UP KANYE … I take the responsibility for my actions"

"I am not a bad person. Even in that moment I was only trying to do good but people don’t always need my help."

"Beyonce didn’t need that. MTV didn’t need that and Taylor and her family friends and fans definitely didn’t want or need that."

"These aren’t regular tweets… this is stream of consciousness … I want you guys to know and feel where my head is at…"

"It feels like the movie Heat when you wanted Deniro to make it… You want the bad guy to make it."

"These tweets have no manager, no publicist , no grammar checking… this is raw"

"Humanity and Empathy are 2 of the 4 principles at facebook. Those were the 2 principles I was missing on that evening"

"Why are there so many tweets? Well this isn’t a simple subject. There are layers to this beyond me running on stage."

"You’ve got the top layer… Kanye’s rude!"

"If I speak in 3rd person it’s because I’m quoting people sometimes I forget to put the quotations you know my grammar.. #ITSAPROCESS"

"You’ve got a layer of order… this is how things are spose to go this is how it’s always been etc."

"You’ve got a layer of… What is reality? You really want this guy to die over an award show???!! wooooooow ….."

"You’ve got the Media play… Who benefitted off of the moment?"

"MTV? JAY LENO? BEYONCE? ALL FORMS OF MEDIA? TAYLOR? KANYE WEST? Who gained? Who lost?"

"Walk with me people… let’s break this down for real now. I might get in trouble again lol?"

"WHO BENEFITED FOR REAL PEOPLE???!!!!!!!"

"A year later where do we stand?"

"There’s a layer of… hey Kanye said what I was thinking"

"There’s a layer of… Entertainment… we are entertainers and this is only TV… not the War"

"Why was it made into such a race issue. Taylor loves rap music… I love country music."

"TAYLOR LOVES RAP MUSIC… I LOVE COUNTRY MUSIC"

"When I right songs like Heartless I always say ‘is this melody good enough to be a country song or a broadway song?’"

"I’ve hurt, I’ve bled, I’ve learned. I only want to do good. I am passionate I am human I am real. I wish I could meet every hater"

"I wish I could talk to every hater face to face and change there a opinion of me one conversation at a time."

"I wish they all knew how much I really cared about music and pop culture and art and peoples feelings."

"I wish they could accept that I’ve grown and only want to do good for the world. I want to help as many people as I can."

"I want to help starting with the music and ending with the smile."

"I want to win there hearts back so I can continue to bring my take on culture to the masses with a clean opinion."

"It starts with this…"

"I’m sorry Taylor."