Death of a Life

As I write this, someone I know is in the hospital as a result of chronic alcoholism. This is the second hospitalization for liver issues in less than six months. She’s now in multiple organ failure, and her body is shutting down.

She is not expected to live more than a few hours.

She will die today.

The person I’m writing about had so much promise. Her family seemed perfect…A Midwestern home that could have been used in any movie depicting exactly the kind of place where you’d want to raise children. Green, grassy hills for the kids to roll down in the summer. Lots of trees that shed so many leaves in Autumn, as a kid you’d be knee deep in them if you took the dog for a walk in the ravine. Woods to explore. And a tiny creek.

Well-rounded educations with plenty of extra-curricular activities for the kids…Little League. Girl Scouts.  Karate lessons. Football. Violin. Flute. Band. It was all the right stuff to get the kids into college for bright futures. A Journalism major for one, West Point for another. The person I’m writing about chose Business.

She graduated at just the right time: it was that period during the ‘80’s when Fortune 500 companies realized that women could not only be assets to the company’s bottom line, they could be good executives as well. The person I’m writing about was one of these women; she got in the “Executive Training Program” of a company that would go on to become a household name. Like the home she grew up in, with her power suits, blonde bob hairstyle and winning smile, she could have been straight out of Central Casting for her role.

I’m not sure when she started drinking. I was closest in age to the baby in her family (the West Pointer), and we had very different interests: She was in that executive training program and was married to a very straight-laced looking guy with short hair. I was a teenager who was interested in music, concerts, and rock bands, and hanging out with boys with long hair. She swore, but not in front of her grandma. I swore openly and burned incense in my room, so my grandma’s husband told my parents I was “smoking dope in there.” (I actually wasn’t. I just liked vanilla incense.)

She was the person people said I should be like.

“Look at [name omitted for privacy],” one of the adults used to say to me. “She’s going to be something! You’re not.” (At that age I probably told the adult who said it to “f*ck off,” because I knew it wasn’t true.)

I never resented her. She was always kind to me, so why would I? Her lifestyle just seemed kind of… boring to me. She probably thought my lifestyle was weird, too. (It is!) That doesn’t make either of them wrong…Just different.

Actually, as I write this, I do remember something we had in common: she liked Aerosmith. And I have a funny memory of playing in her grandpa's vegetable garden when I was little: she was singing just the chorus of Paul McCartney and Wings' "Listen to What the Main Said," which I'd never heard before. I didn't know it was a song from the radio and asked very seriously, "What man?"

And In hindsight, career-wise, she was probably a bit of a pioneer.

That’s all gone now. When her drinking escalated, it faded away. Marriage number one, rehab, husband number two (who hung in there as long as he could until a second rehab was in order)…The great corporate job went away around that time too, I think.

God her parents must be devastated…

I am, and I haven’t seen her since I was a teenager. (We moved to California when I was 13.) I write about her in the past tense, because everything I ever knew of the person she really was is already long gone.

Last I heard, she had a really scummy boyfriend who was an active user. For the past year, she’s been in and out of the hospital with liver issues due to chronic alcohol abuse…

…which is where I began this entry.

[Sigh…]

It took me two and a half hours to write this. Is she…?

I have no more words.

RR

4:57 P.M. -- I decided to post this journal entry on my blog in hopes it will be a wake up call for anyone who needs help, or incentive for people in recovery to keep working their programs. I've been intentionally vague and changed some of the details in order to protect her family's privacy. We haven't been in each others' orbits for a long time, and they don't engage in social media so it's doubtful they'll ever know it exists.

As I was formatting this just now, someone in the family just called and told me she died. There will be no funeral, because all of her friends left long ago due to the drinking. Her parents and siblings were at her side when she died and are devastated.

R.I.P.

Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings and Information / U.S. and Canada



©2013 Randi Reed and MusicBizAdvice.com . All rights reserved.

 

30 Years Gone? The Real Story of Richie Sambora’s Current Status in Bon Jovi

 I posted this to the MusicBizAdvice.com website last night.... --RR 

I hope everyone affected by the subject of this post understands why I’m writing it. Longtime readers of MusicBizAdvice.com know my mission: to give musicians the truth and help them protect their interests, even when it’s hard to hear. This post has certainly been hard for me to write.

Today I’m breaking my policy of never speaking publicly about an artist, because someone’s health is at stake, and our mutual friends and colleagues are worried. It concerns Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora and his future with the band.

2013 is the 30^th anniversary of the release of Jon’s first single, “Runaway” and of the subsequent formation of the band Bon Jovi. Unfortunately, the band’s anniversary is overshadowed by Richie Sambora’s absence from their current tour to promote the band’s 12^th studio album, What About Now.

“Personal issues” was the explanation given for Richie’s absence. Guitarist Phil X was hired to stand in, and the first leg of the tour came and went.* Richie was still absent when the band hit the UK and Europe on the next leg of the tour, and Jon Bon Jovi said questions regarding Richie’s absence were best answered by Richie himself. (Bon Jovi have never been a band to air their dirty laundry in public, and as Richie Sambora’s employer, legally Jon Bon Jovi can’t speak about him due to privacy laws.) Meanwhile, Richie stayed mum and began promoting his fashion line with Nikki Lund, leaving fans baffled as speculation about his employment status went public via the tabloids. Now well into the band’s August break, Richie appears to be more focused on the fashion line than music.

I’ve been in and around bands since I was a kid, and I’ve seen this scenario play out before. From a personal standpoint, it’s especially sad to see this happen, because Bon Jovi was the first globally successful artist whose entire career (thus far) I’ve observed.

There’s much I could say about Bon Jovi from a professional and personal standpoint…like that time when, as a young intern new to the job, I picked up my boss’s phone to hear a voice I recognized from MTV interviews. It was Jon calling to negotiate his own deal. (It took maybe less than five minutes, everyone hung up happy, and it’s still the most amicable negotiation I’ve ever witnessed. I learned a lot from Jon that day.) Since then we’ve had many mutual colleagues and friends, and I’ve known the real story of what’s happening with Richie and the band for a while.

Again, it’s not my policy to speak publicly about artists. But the tabloid media are spreading tales that my colleagues and I know are lies, and it’s getting uglier, so here’s the truth:

1. Richie has NOT been fired. As one of my colleagues said, “Jon’s not going to kick a man when he’s down.”Additionally, Bon Jovi band policy is, as an original member of the band, Richie retains the title of “Bon Jovi Guitarist.” Whether or not Richie is actively using his title depends on him.

2. Richie is in control of his own destiny in the band, and there are conditions and parameters for his return if he wants to come back. He can’t just walk in and be welcomed back with open arms as if nothing has happened. Jon and the band love Richie and want him to be well, and his health is the most important thing to everyone. They want to welcome him back, as long as he’s healthy.

3. If you have a job, no matter what your title is, from Walmart Associate, to CEO of a Fortune 500 company, to Wall Street magnate, if there are multiple instances when you don’t show up for work and no one can reach you, there are repercussions. If you’re an athlete on a sports team and are a no-show without talking to the coach or the team, you’re suspended. If you’re in the army and you don’t show up, you go jail. And for all those jobs, when you show up, you must be physically able and ready to perform your job.
Being a rock star is no different. If you don’t show up or are physically unable to perform when you do show up, there are repercussions.

People count on you to be there: the audience who paid to see you (and maybe even traveled to do so). The fans who support you. Your crew members who take care of you and help you sound great and look pretty. Your Brothers onstage. Your singing partner. The talent buyer, record label, and partners in your 360 deal. Your corporate sponsors, and the TV and radio networks who invest millions of dollars to present your talent. The venue staff. All those people count on you to show up and do your job with the same excellence you ask of them.

4. It kills me to say this…but I happen to know there are multiple times when Richie didn’t show up for work, or was unfortunately physically unable to perform.

There are multiple, documented times when Richie was physically unable to perform in the studio and at the band’s important events– including live concert broadcasts attended by press and music industry people who are important to the band’s career. The “Unplugged” show in Brooklyn is just one example of an event when Richie was unreliable.

5. This is not about slagging Richie. It’s about concern for Richie’s health.

6. Everyone wants Richie to be healthy, happy, and well. They all love Richie and are united in this. There’s no “Team Jon” and “Team Richie.” It’s The Brotherhood.

7. The major news organizations who copied and pasted or cited the “Rumorfix” article as a source never called the Bon Jovi organization for comment. They did this to stretch out headlines and get more ratings and page views out of it. When people learn the truth, there’s no more story.

8. Someone who has a lot to gain–I won’t mention names–is orchestrating a full-on media takedown of Jon Bon Jovi, and they’re taking advantage of the fact that Jon, as Richie Sambora’s employer, is legally prevented from saying anything about Richie’s absence from the band. Even worse, the people orchestrating the attack are using unsuspecting, well-meaning Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora fans to do it.

That’s why I’m writing this: my colleagues and friends are hurting, and we all hate what these people are doing.

9. It’s painful for Jon’s friends and colleagues to watch Jon take the fall for his Brother Richie’s actions and take the high road while people make up tabloid lies about Jon. (Would you be strong enough to do that for a friend?)

Everyone I’ve ever known in the industry who has worked with Jon Bon Jovi says he’s a good guy who inspires decades-long loyalty. I’ve never heard anyone who’s worked with him say anything bad about him (and believe me, they say plenty about other people).

10. Everyone I’ve ever dealt with in the Bon Jovi organization has been a pleasure to work with. In any organization, the CEO sets the tone, and it comes from the top down. Bon Jovi’s teamwork, loyalty, and “can do” spirit start with Jon Bon Jovi.

One of the things people like about working with Jon and the Bon Jovi organization is that when the project begins, their first question is a sincere, “What can we do to help?” Or “What do you need from us?” Later, they follow up with “Do you have everything you need?” It’s such a simple thing, but Bon Jovi is the only artist I’ve ever dealt with who does this consistently.

So to see Jon Bon Jovi portrayed as the bad guy by people who have their own agenda (or by their team of minions who’ve never worked with, let alone met anyone in the band’s orbit) is unfair beyond words. It’s also unfair and disrespectful to Tico Torres, David Bryan, Hugh McDonald, and Bobby Bandiera, who have known and worked with Jon since he was a teenager. It’s also unfair to Phil X, who’s doing a fantastic job in a strange situation.

I’m not a spokesperson for the band, nor do I work for the band, but I’ll try to address some concerns Bon Jovi fans may have, based on what I know:

1. “The Brotherhood” is real. As a band, Bon Jovi may be big business, but they’re not just business. After 30 years together, the ones on the inner circle think of each other as Brothers. That doesn’t mean they don’t have disagreements, or that they don’t get angry or frustrated with each other. As in any family, you can laugh with your brother, you can cry with your brother, or you can be irritated or even angry with your brother, but you still love him no matter what and want him to be OK.

2. The band and crew hate the whole “Team Jon” and “Team Richie” thing. Jon hates it when the band’s fans fight amongst themselves. That goes against the concept of the Brotherhood. These are the guys who wrote “Undivided,” remember?

This situation isn’t about hate. It’s about love…tough love, but love nonetheless. It’s also about worry, and about fear for someone’s health.

3. The onstage chemistry between Jon and Richie was real. Here’s how I see it: I once saw a T.V. interview with Lucille Ball in which she talked about working with Desi Arnaz on “I Love Lucy”(a huge pop culture phenomenon of a TV show) and about making people laugh when their marriage was collapsing. Lucy and Desi were collaborative partners who were great onstage together. In the interview, Lucy said, “It helped to go to work.“ What she meant by this was, onstage, the magic was still there. I think that’s how it would be with the band if Richie came back healthy.

4. As to why Jon didn’t cancel the tour, this answer is based only on my experience in the industry:

i. “The Show Must Go On” for the people who bought tickets, and for the crew, who count on that employment. There are only so many tours out at a time, with very few crew slots available.

ii. Contractual obligations to AEG and the label. A recording contract includes promotional clauses that require artist and label to each do their part to promote an album, and a 360 label deal structure brings additional weight and meaning to the word “promotion”. Jon’s label is owned by one of the largest media organizations in the US, so it’s advantageous to keep them happy. Regarding AEG, the Michael Jackson O2 Arena contract for ten shows had a clause that gave AEG the right to sue for $24Million if Michael could not perform. You can imagine how large that figure would be for an entire long tour. (Tour insurance coverage varies depending on the situation…I’ve seen a situation where an artist with a cancer diagnosis had a hard time getting the insurance company to pay, and another where a flaky artist cancelled with no hassle from the insurance company. Then there’s the question of whether or not everyone in a given band is insurable.)

There you have it. I’ve given you facts and I stand by my words enough to post them under my real name. Hopefully, you understand this was written out of concern for Richie’s health and that no one wants anything to happen to him. He has not been fired, and the band wants to welcome him back if he’s healthy and meets the conditions and parameters for his return.

Randi Reed
Founder/Editor-in-Chief
MusicBizAdvice.com
August 27, 2013


*ETA 7/20/14: Correction: Richie actually was on the first leg of the tour and no-showed for the band's first show (Calgary) after the band's spring break. My apologies. Having been at some of those shows before that break, I should have remembered that.



I stand by the rest of the above post, and except for that one fact, I would write the exact same post today. Had I not been running on just a few hours' sleep before posting it, it would have also included this:
The Paramount Studios backlot show stands out for me, because having worked my entire career in sunny places, it was the first time I'd seen the band in a downpour. The band was great and it was a fun show, but I remember noticing something was "off" and hoping it was just the cold weather and rain, or hoping that it was the funkiness of restarting the engine again...Doing a show in the rain is a pain in the a** because equipment and water don't mix, and cold makes fingers stiff. And the first couple of times in front of an audience after studio lockdown are always weird for an artist, what with debuting new songs while sense memory about old ones comes back.

The show was outdoors, and although the stage was partly covered, things were leaky and there were puddles all over the stage--which Jon splashed and jumped around in like a little kid. I remember laughing as my teeth chattered and thinking, "For the love of God and rock and roll, Jon, don't slip and hurt yourself--the tour hasn't even started yet!" He seemed resolved not to let the rain get to him and to try to have fun anyway. Richie seemed not himself. But rain is harder on guitarists than singers (voices love moisture). Later, things became more obvious and as mentioned above, concerning for our mutual friends.

There's nothing I want more than for Richie to be healthy and happy.


















































 

Media Crisis Aversion 101: 5 Things Musicians Can Learn From False Rumors of Jon Bon Jovi's Demise

Twitter and Facebook were aflutter yesterday with the (false) rumor that Jon Bon Jovi was dead. So rampant was this rumor, media types such as Piers Morgan, Showbiz Tonight, and TMZ took to social media to dispel it. Not long after, Jon Facebook posted this photo of himself in front of a Christmas tree, holding a handwritten sign that read,"Heaven looks a lot like New Jersey" with the date and time.

End of rumor, yes. End of media reports? Quite the contrary...with a pronounced twist: now, the angle was about Jon's good-natured response.
 
By taking charge of the rumor in a way that was organically in line with his image and his band's image, the story now had legs that worked to his advantage and reminded people what they like about Jon Bon Jovi. Nearly 24 hours after the rumor was put to rest, the national media and people who weren't even Bon Jovi fans were still talking about it. (Person who started the rumor: 0. Bon Jovi: 10,000.)

I heard that...Some jaded person in the back of the room just accused Jon Bon Jovi of starting the whole thing as a publicity stunt. I'm jaded myself, and have smelled more than a few rats in my time, and this doesn't stink. Starting rumors of his own death isn't Jon's style. What is Jon's style, is taking control of a situation and turning it into a postive situation.    

Here's what you can learn from Jon Bon Jovi when adverting a potential media crisis:

1. Take hold of the situation, in a way that gives you control of the message.

2. Remember what your fans like about you, and make sure your message fits. Setting aside his music for a moment, as a celebrity Jon Bon Jovi is known for his charm, his looks, and being comfortable with who he is and where he came from. In the picture Jon tweeted in response to the rumor, he looks the way his fans and the media expect him to look, and the sign he's holding up affirms his New Jersey roots and sense of humor.

3. If your image and previous campaigns have been consistent, find a subtle way to tie the message in to something you did in the past and make an inside joke of it for  fans in the know--without alienating potential new fans. For longtime fans, part of the humor in Jon's picture is that the sign he holds up is slightly reminiscent of something a kidnap victim might hold up, harkening back to the imagery from the band's New Jersey-era "Jersey Syndicate" tour. For anyone not familiar with that tour, subconsciously the message might be, "Jon's day may have been partially kidnapped by social media reports, but he wasn't about to be a victim."    

4. To pull of #2, the message and your image have to be organic and believable. The reason people are still taking about the incident today is that people who'd been following Jon Bon Jovi's career long enough to know anything about him smiled and said, "That's so Jon..."  Jon's been at this long enough that "Jon the person" and "Jon Bon Jovi the image" have grown organically together into something he's comfortable with, so doing things that fit his image comes naturally. New artists should always ask themselves,when considering anything image or media related, "Is this an image I'm comfortable with? Can I live up to this image ten or fifteen years from now?"       

5. Get in, state your message, and get out. After Jon's Facebook post, he went back to preparing for that night's charity show and let everyone else do the talking.


© 2011-2013 Randi Reed and MusicBizAdvice.com. All rights reserved.  

A Birthday Candle for Randy Castillo

This morning when I got up I did something I've never done before, for anyone: I lit a candle for Randy Castillo. Today would have been his birthday.

Randy Castillo was best known as the long-time drummer for Ozzy Osbourne, but, cool as that credit is, he was so much more than that. Ask anyone who was part of the L.A. music scene in the early 80's and 90's (or who grew up around it, as I did), and they'll tell you: Randy Castillo was a legend in the very best sense of the word. And people who knew him loved him, with a capital L.

Long before he joined Ozzy's band, when it came to drumming Randy Castillo was the L.A. "go-to-guy"...a fantastic drummer and true pro who was always happy to help out a friend on a session, or even a friend of a friend. Randy Castillo played on so many recordings, I'm convinced the majority of his work remains uncredited...most likely sitting in assorted boxes of long-abandoned demos and unfinished projects of various bands that never took off. Time may have altered my memory on this somewhat, but it seems like until he got sick, Randy Castillo was always either in the studio, or out on tour.

Growing up on the perimeter of the L.A. music scene, and later working in the industry, many people I knew, or their bandmates, or their friends, or their brothers, worked with Randy Castillo, but I never met him until around 1992. Ironically, it wasn't in L.A.; while I was on vacation, a friend who was going out to visit her boyfriend on an Ozzy tour called and invited me to go along, and we were on the road for two days.  I didn't know the band, so as someone who wasn't a relative, a groupie, or working with them, and was ultimately just tagging along, I was extremely conscious of intruding on the band's space. But they were all great, especially Randy Castillo, who treated me like one of the group and made me feel like a welcome little sister.

As there always is on the road, there was much hurry-up-and-wait during those two days, and during that downtime Randy and I usually sat  together, sometimes talking, but more than anything, just observing. For the longest time I wondered why a rock star of Randy's stature would be so nice to someone who clearly wasn't a groupie. It wasn't until after he passed away that I found out he had sisters.

As a visitor to the band's home on the road, it's not my place to invade Randy's privacy, especially since he's not here any longer, so I won't. I'll only say that Randy Castillo was a true gentleman who had the respect of everyone I met in their touring party. He had amazing, positive energy--a rare combination of humble and dynamic presence rolled into one. Around the time I met him I was reading about shamanism, and as I got farther into it, I realized that's the kind of energy he had. His energy was so warm that sitting next to him literally felt like sitting in the sun, even though we were in those cold, hard folding chairs so often found in backstage areas in those days. 

Our paths never crossed again, but because we had mutual friends and later, colleagues, I just somehow thought they would. When I found out Randy passed away from cancer I felt a huge sense of loss, not only for the music community, but knowing how much he was loved by people who knew him far better than I. 

The world needs more sunny energy like Randy Castillo's. That's why I lit the candle at 7:00 this morning. I wanted it to shine brightly, so I chose a votive candle that had maybe an hour or so left on it, in a clear glass holder that would reflect light all around the room.

I lit the candle, then I used the flame to light some Nag Champa incense. I don't know if Randy Castillo was into incense, but I always think of Nag Champa as creative incense (even though it's traditionally spiritual), because it's what I often burn when I write. In addition to being a fantastic drummer, Randy was also an amazing mixed media artist, so I lit it in honor of his creative spirit.

Now here's the weird, freaky Twilight Zone part: The Nag Champa went out, unfinished, not long after I lit it.

And that candle that looked like it only had an hour or two left on it? It's just after noon as I write this, and it's still burning brightly.

Here's hoping every musician who reads this lights a candle, too.

Happy birthday, Randy Castillo, and R.I.P. . 

 


© 2011-2013 Randi Reed and MusicBizAdvice.com. All rights reserved.



 



   

Concert Review: Adam Lambert / Orianthi/ Allison Iraheta Pacific Amphitheatre, Costa Mesa, CA 7/28/10

by Randi Reed
 
Adam Lambert: 
 
Having been a cheerleader of Adam Lambert from his first audition on American Idol, it was easy to say yes when a friend asked me to come along to see his show at the Pacific Amphitheatre...
 
…but I also didn’t know what to expect. Would it be the pseudo electronica alterna-dance Adam of his current CD, For Your Entertainment? Would it be the guylinered, leather-and-black-nail-polished “Rocker Adam” my girlfriends and I all crushed over during his early American Idol episodes?

What about the music? Would it sound like the album, or would the arrangements be the slightly guitar-heavier sound of his TV talk show performances of late? So many questions! Between you and me, after years of working in the live concert business and seeing “the man behind the curtain,” it was nice not knowing what was going to happen going in.

Adam Lambert is so good at what he does, and has such a commanding stage presence, it’s easy to forget this is his first major tour as a solo artist. He has a beautiful voice, which has become clearer and richer since Idol. His stage persona morphs easily from slightly dark magician-esque court jester, to gay cabaret rave dance host, to concerned friend of teens who are worried about feeling like a freak…all while somehow seeming to remain uniquely himself.

Watching him, I kept forgetting that, musical theater experience aside, he’s still pretty new at this. In fact, in my notes I’d just written “Adam Lambert is the male Cher”--which is a good, cool thing by the way; Cher is a fantastic performer--when I was reminded of his newness by a far-too-long “quick” change, complete with empty stage. That would never happen to Cher. Why weren’t the dancers sent out? Since the long “quick change” seemed planned into the production, here the problem stems from poor planning in production design and stage management, not necessarily Adam Lambert. Unfortunately, Adam’s name is the one on the ticket.

Until this point, I’d almost forgiven him for the fact that the show’s opening intro--a recording of “For Your Entertainment,” his CD’s title track--went on too long and that his entrance needed reworking. The logical thing would have been for Adam to go live and pop out from somewhere unexpected on the line “I’m here for your entertainment.” But that never happened. Instead, we were left staring at an empty stage with a backdrop of Adam’s face (from the CD cover) as the song played on…an unnecessary disappointment, and a waste of precious set time.

Additionally, though his musical theater experience serves him well, it hinders his performance as a pop star when it comes to crowd energy management. He commands the stage, but has not yet mastered the crowd. He had them, then the spell--and its accompanying energy--was broken by the long quick change, and then again later by an awkwardly placed introduction of every dancer (individually, by name) in the middle of a high energy dance number that had the crowd dancing only seconds before.

These issues likely stem from the fact that musical theater requires its performers to ignore crowd distractions and keep going according to script. Conversely, being a great live pop or rock star requires paying attention to everything happening in the crowd and ad libbing it to your advantage. … It’s a tough switch, but with his talent, Adam Lambert can do it. Until then, a few changes to the production design could help him out.

Oh, and as for the guylinered, leather-and-black-nail-polished “Rocker Adam”? I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss seeing this side of him live. But sometimes guylinered, leather clad rock and roll guys are a dime a dozen. Unique artists like Adam Lambert are needed in this world. Adam’s message that it’s OK to be different is especially important for gay teens…or for that matter, for anyone who’s ever felt awkward or out of place. And that’s every bit as cool.

Orianthi:

One has to give guitar phenom Orianthi and her team a lot of credit for pulling together an album and tour after what was undoubtedly a difficult blow, both personally and professionally: Orianthi was the guitarist for Michael Jackson’s ill-fated This is It tour, which was in rehearsals when Michael died suddenly.

Had Michael lived, Orianthi would still be out on that tour as I write this. Knowing what it takes for a relatively unknown to put together an album and tour--let alone having to suddenly switch marketing plans while dealing with the death of your boss--I have a lot of respect for her.

Orianthi has fast fingers, good stage presence, and an interesting look. She clearly has strong rock roots—influences of Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, and even a little Slash are evident in her playing. Yet interestingly, she comes off as cheerful, not angry. In fact, Orianthi reminds me in a way of a blonde Suzi Quatro, if Suzi Quatro had a chirpily happy stage persona, sang songs with poppy choruses, and wore white or pastel leather…or perhaps she's like a young Lita Ford, without the F-you attitude.

Much of Oranthi’s music is radio friendly, which her voice fits perfectly. She sings it well, though her voice isn’t unique…not bad at all (if anything, she makes it look too easy), just not unique. Her first single, “According to You,” has a good, poppy chorus with lyrics delivering a surprisingly serious, positive message against emotionally abusive relationships. The juxtaposition works well, making the song stand far above the rest of the songs in the set.

On the negative side, her guitar work was a distraction rather than a plus at times, being a little out of tune and a bit sloppy on a couple of songs that had a more demanding vocal. On “Give Me the Bad News” it was…well, perhaps writing the word “atrocious” in my show notes was too strong, but close. Her vocals were fine, though, so reworking the guitar parts a bit would do the trick here.

Overall, Orianthi delivered decent songs, good stage presence, and a good performance, but her set still needs a little work...perhaps reworking the order of the set list or changing some of the arrangements to vary the tempos. But ultimately, Orianthi seems a good, accessible “starter rock star”…especially for girls who are past Disney but who aren’t quite up to someone more edgy and angry.

Allison Iraheta:

One of the frustrating things about American Idol has been its skill at killing a good artist’s rock cred. Idol’s core audience tends to be frightened by anything edgy or angry, and the audience that would usually like the edgier contestants is kept away by the perception that anyone who’s been on American Idol can’t possibly be cool.

This, I fear, may be the nemesis of Allison Iraheta’s career: the girl is just too cool for American Idol.

With powerful stage presence and a flirty-cool rocker chick stage persona, she comes off wise beyond her years. Her naturally raspy voice sounded a little tour –weary, but it somehow works for her, and sounded edgy and cool rather than tired.

In fact, she reminds me a little of the Divinyls’ Christina Amphlett, but with her own unique vibe, and I can see her potential to develop a similar cult following. But then there’s that damn American Idol thing hanging on her back.

She performed a good set overall, with a decent band, albeit with some “help”: it bothered me that I could hear her voice on the backup vocals and not just on the lead. With her talent, Allison Iraheta doesn’t need to resort to such tricks, which only further lessen her credibility in the rock world…which is a shame, because without the Idol mark on her back, I feel she could be a contender to be huge in the rock world. (A colleague remarked, “Maybe she could change her name and start over to get rid of the Idol thing?”)

All in all, I enjoyed Allison's set and would see her again; frankly, I enjoyed her performance more than Orianthi’s. Aside from the vocal help, the only major flaw I could find with Allison Iraheta’s performance was that it came to an abrupt end; she ran offstage with nary a “thank you”, bow, or goodnight.

But first tours are for learning that sort of thing.

RR


Follow me on Twitter @MusicBizAdvice.



ETA 7/14: a broken Twitter link and to correct a typo in Alison's review.--RR




© 2010-2013 Randi Reed and MusicBizAdvice.com. All rights reserved.

Relief for Haiti: where to help

Update 6:30PM 1/18/2010: The allegations against Wyclef and his foundation have been proven false by several IRS tax experts who examined the documents for various media outlets. We've added Yele Haiti and its earthquake relief fund back to the list. 

Meanwhile, the Larry King special on CNN raised over $1 million dollars for the Red Cross and UNICEF in its first hour.
   
Update 1/18/2010: Some media reports are accusing Wyclef's foudnation, Yele Haiti, and its Hatian earthquke relief fund of imporoper use of funds. Wyclef strongly and adamently denies this. Until it's all sorted out, we have removed Yele Haiti and the Yele Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund from the list of charities below.

Meanwhile, tonight 1/18/2010 on CNN from 8-10P.M. EST Larry King is hosting a 2-hour special to raise funds for Haitian earthquake relief. Guests include Ryan Seacrest, Mick Jagger, Seal, Tea Leone, John Mayer, Susan Sarandon, Ben Stiller, Nicole Richie, Ashley Judd, Christina Aguillera, and more. 

Links and resources for Haiti Earthquake Relief
As always, we encourage you to check out any charities you may be interested in at http://www.charitynavigator.org/


CNN's website is loaded with the latest news and infomation about the quake and relief efforts. Must-see: Dr. Sanjay Gupta's reports. Gupta, a practicing neurosurgeon, is a CNN reporter who has been treating injured people in addition to filing excellent reports for CNN. At one point, fearing security concerns, a medical team in charge of a field hospital where Gupta and his crew reporting packed up and left, leaving Gupta to care for patients. Gupta trained his CNN crew to help, and all remained stable through the night.
http://www.cnn.com/
Twitter @Sanjayguptacnn


An extensive CNN web page list of charities and relief organizations can be found here: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/impact/

President Obama has asked former Presidents Clinton and Bush2 to partner on Haitian earthquake relief as Presidents Clinton and Bush1 did successfully for tsunami relief. The organization's relief fund is here:
http://clintonbushhaitifund.org/

The William Jefferson Clinton Foundation website has information and resources, including phone numbers for family members to call to check on the status of loved ones, plus direct links to organizations accepting donations. Regardless of your political views, I recommend the Clinton Foundation because they have an established history of success working in poor areas to help alleviate diseases such as AIDS and Malaria. Because of this, the Clinton Foundation has resources and partners already in place which can be extended toward Haitian earthquake relief. Also, President Clinton is the UN Special Envoy to Haiti. http://www.clintonfoundation.org/haitiearthquake/

Doctors Without Borders was in Haiti before the earthquake and needs lots of help, as their own medical facilities, plus all the hospitals in Haiti were damaged or demolished by the earthquake:
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

The earthquake damaged / demolished UN relief facilities which had been in Haiti before the earthquake, and many UN personnel are injured or dead, so much help is needed. As Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, hunger is of particular concern:

UN World Food Programme
http://www.wfp.org/

Unicef
http://www.unicef.org/

American Red Cross has links to Haiti information / donations:The
http://www.redcross.org/

Or, you can donate $10 to the Red Cross via text by texting HAITI to 90999. 100% of funds will go to Haiti earthquake relief.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is a partnership of all the Red Crosses and similar organizations:
http://www.ifrc.org/index.asp


Oxfam America is an affiliate of Oxfam International, which is an international relief and development organization that works with individuals and local groups in over 100 countries:
http://www.oxfamamerica.org/

MercyCorps is an organization dedicated to alleviating poverty and social injustice by helping people around the world build strong communities:
http://www.mercycorps.org/

Partners in Health partners with communities to bring healthcare and health information to impoverished areas:
http://www.pih.org/home.html

Celebrities working on Haiti earthquake relief projects 
Check their official websites or follow them on Twitter for information. Publicists / managers of celebrity clients feel free to email me a short blurb describing your client's Haiti earthquake relief involvement, along with publishable public contact information for the project (i.e., public website, verified public twitter or verified public Facebook) to muzbizadvc(at)aol(dot)com with "Client news Haiti" in the subject line. Please note that due to time constraints for this project, the client must be an already-established celebrity or well-established artist or band, and that the Haiti Celebrity List project is not a venue for promoting new talent. Because of the number of scams that are likely to arise from the Haiti tragedy, my policy is firm on this.

Larry King is hosting a 2-hour special on CNN Monday 1/18/2010 for Haitian earthquake relief. Guest include Ryan Seacrest, Mick Jagger, Tea Leone, John Mayer, Susan Sarandon, Ben Stiller, Nicole Richie, Ashley Judd, Christina Aguillera, and more.

Slash (former Guns 'n' Roses guitarist), is organizing a charity concert and is looking for 12 artists [with a draw--RR] who want to help out:
Twitter @SlashHudson

Wyclef Jean's foundationm Yele Haiti, has an earthquake relief fund. To donate $5.00 to earthquake relief, text YELE to 501501.
http://yele.org/
Twitter@Wyclef     

Alyssa Milano is challenging a corporation to come forward to match her $50,000 donation to Unicef's Haiti's earthquake relief fund:

Twitter @Alyssa_Milano

Lady Gaga is donating all her ticket sales and merchandise revenue from her January 24 Monster Ball concert to Haitian earthquake relief. Also on the 24th, all merchandise sales from Ladygaga.com will go to Haitian earthquake relief. 
http://www.ladygaga.com


House's Olivia Wilde is on the advisory board of Artists For Peace and Justice, which has been active in Haiti for some time and is now raising money for quake relief. Additional advisory board members include Maria Bello, Josh Brolin, James Franco,  Jimmy Jean-Louis, Natasha Koifman, Diane Lane, Michael Stahl-David, Oliver Stone, Madeline Stowe, Charlize Theron, and Peter Tunney.
http://artistsforpeaceandjustice.org/
Twitter @oliviawilde

Ben Stiller's foundation, the Stiller Strong Foundation, is an education foundation for Haiti's children. It was active in Haiti before the quake and is accepting donations for quake relief. Additionally, Ben Stiller took to the airwaves to rally donations for the Red Cross's $10 text donation program and is planning to run a 10K at the end of March to raise funds for Stiller Strong Foundation.
http://www.stillerstrong.org/
Twitter @redhourben

George Clooney is organizing and hosting the Hope For Haitian earthquake relief telethon which will air on MTV networks, plus ABC, NBC, HBO, and CNN on January 22 at 8-10P.M. EST.

Oprah's Angel Network has donated $1 million to the Red Cross for Haitian earthquake relief.

http://www.oprah.com/angel_network.html 
http://www.oprah.com
Twitter@Oprah

Quincy Jones is reworking and organizing a new recording of the hit single "We Are the World" with proceeds to benefit Haitian earthquake relief.

Tiger Woods has donated 3 million dollars to earthquake relief.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie donated 1 million dollars to Doctors Without Borders. Their Jolie-Pitt Foundation helps with humanitarian causes throughout the world.

Craig Ferguson has publicly challenged Rush Limbaugh to make up for his insensitive remarks by "donating 1 million dollars of his own money to the Red Cross." 

Book review: Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful

Book review originally posted by me on Amazon.com earlier today, under my Amazon screen name Randi Reed "MusicBizAdvice Editor":


Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful

****" Great photography, something for casual or hardcore fans, and even a bit of practical advice for musicians"

How does a band sum up over 25 years worth of career that's spanned more than half their lead singer's life, thousands of concerts, and sales of well over 120 million albums? Not to mention survived more than 8 different music trends (at last count)and umpteen label management changes (10? 12?), while doing their own thing. By Jovi, this'd better be good.

Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful is indeed a very good anthology of a great career. Arranged by subject instead of the more predictable chronological order, it's narrated by the band members themselves and loaded with photos from a perspective rarely seen of the band, who publicly admit to not letting many people into their tight circle. There's much here to surprise the public, and maybe even a few hard core fans.

For one thing, this is not a picture book full of pretty, posed studio photographs of cute guys in the 80's. Although a couple of those are there for scrapbook purposes, the majority of the book's photos are either original, Phil Stern-style behind-the-scenes candids that were snapped for the book and its accompanying documentary (many of these photos are in black and white) or are photos of the band onstage. In both cases, the style and quality of the photographer's work shares equal billing with the subjects, with great results.

As a serious photography hobbyist, the photos on pages 8-9,13,15,43,126-27,and 137 are among my favorites, because I know how deceptively difficult they are to do. Because of this, my copy of Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful isn't kept with the other music biographies in my collection. Instead, it resides on a shelf of favorite photography books, between works by Phil Stern and Life Magazine: these are the kind of artist photographs I'd like to achieve.

When We Were Beautiful also contains snapshots from the band members' personal collections, photo session outtakes, and previously unapproved photos. Some of these are hilariously not so great...such as the series of an extremely sleepy/sleeping Jon Bon Jovi on a plane to Moscow in 1989 (page 48-49), complete with large red X's and thick lines drawn on the photos to indicate someone's disapproval (presumably management's or Jon's). Every major artist has marked-up contact sheets of unapproved, goofy photos in their files. Bon Jovi actually lets you see them.

The text shows the expected business savvy, tenacity, and personal growth of the individual band members, as well as their wit (David Bryan, page 59--drinking liquid while reading not recommended). But it can also be surprisingly revealing, such as on page 138. There's even an "Eeeeew"-provoking gross-out moment from, of all people, Jon Bon Jovi (page 142).

From a practical standpoint, for aspiring artists (and their aspiring managers and tour managers), the Backstage section is most helpful, especially Jon's wisdom on page 139. Pages 138-144, 150,152, and 175 are of special note...particularly page 152, which gives the reader something to think about.

Bon Jovi:When We Were Beautiful is certainly not the type of sordid tell-all that publishers and the media like to see from a rock band, so don't expect this book to get much media attention. Nor is it the bare-it-all autobiography a lot of rock fans and celebrity watchers may prefer. But by all accounts, Bon Jovi are guys who deeply respect their families, especially their kids, who don't happen to be in the spotlight. In Jersey parlance, ya gotta respect that. And ya gotta respect the band for doing it their way.

After all, it's worked for 26 years.

Verdict: ****

Want it? Buy it here:





Disclosure of Endorsements/Recommendations/Financial Compensation or Business Relationships per FTC Blog Disclosure Regulations in effect December 1, 2009: In the 90's I worked for a concert promotion company that presented many Bon Jovi shows. Since that time I've received no financial compensation or free product in direct connection with the band. I have, however, interviewed their recording engineer for MusicBizAdvice.com, and the MusicBizAdvice.com website sells Amazon products as an Amazon Associate.

Randi Reed
Founder / Editor in Chief, MusicBizAdvice.com