(... if I had any friends left, I bet they'd totally freak out once they saw this.) http://loudwire.com/worst-rock-tattoos-ever/ This Top 10 is an oldie, but a goodie... although I don't agree with #5 making the cut… that's a smart lookin' piece of artwork… and I'd have high expectations of this guy if he was a neighbour. Band tattoos… a black and white issue for most. I know a handful of people with their favourite band logo/lyrics and/or their own band immortalized on their birthday suit… it's a major commitment however you look at it. Personal opinion? I've seen some lyrics/quotes I think look really awesome… they say a picture is worth a 1,000 words but I say tasteful text makes a cleaner statement. I'm big on quotes in general though… don't make it a novel, make it legible... and I vote leave the name off. Why? #1. It opens up a chance for dialog. "That's a cool quote… who said it?" #2. Some names you just… might not want staring your partner in the face during tender moments. "Oh, those are Art Garfunkel lyrics… you wanna come in for coffee?'" (... won't you take me to... Funkeltown) Established band artwork… jury is kinda out on that one. Since bands can suck pretty bad down the road, or at least in the rear-view mirror, perhaps people should include a specific date just to clear up any confusion. Example: Guns N' Roses (1986-1994) KISS (1974-1977) Van Halen (1972-1985... plus those couple days in 1996) I think a safe rule of thumb… if you're, or think you ever will be, past the stage in life where you can comfortably hang band posters where you live (man caves excluded), maybe not a good idea. Personal band logos/lyrics… yes, there are many who say these are lame… but… the truth is, when you're in a serious band… you love your band. You love it like it like a pet, you love it like a best friend, you love it like family. You'd never tell someone their portrait of Grandma was shitty or stupid, you know it's personal. When you're in a real band (… the sense of real band is a personal connection regardless of how many shows you play, albums you've released, or your level of perceived success), it's one of your favourite things you look forward to in life. Musicians are known for questionable choices. If it weren't for being drunk on drive and passion, rash decisions and cloudy judgement wouldn't thrive, and creative output suffers. Tattoos are supposed to be personal, so how is your own band logo any different...? That being said, we all know the risk of getting inked with a lover's name. Live, laugh, and enjoy life... but always proceed with caution... while very few bands stand the test of time, some things do last forever. - Mike (... happy birthday baby.... baby... baby.)
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(... panda... *tear*) … yeah it took me a while to finally post this… reason? Well... they say the hardest part of doing anything is getting started… and that's very true… up there on the list is getting urgent/important/time sensitive things done, along with reading over these sorts of things for obvious spelling/grammar mistakes (please excuse me if there still are some). Anyway… I have plenty of pics and witnesses from my weekend in Ottawa so here's some of it... probably posting over a few days. Disclaimer: Again, please excuse any obvious errors/typos… read it out loud and it'll make sense… I mumble anyways… Day 1 (Friday) First off, I've never really spent any time in Ottawa… I've been there a bunch of times, but with bands. I got thinking about how many cities people in bands or "people on business trips" have been to but never actually "experienced". In a band setting you generally: - arrive in the city late afternoon/early evening - find venue - unload gear/setup/sound check (if possible, not necessarily in that order) - find food - play show - socialize/pretend there's something awesome going on after and/or find a place to stay that night - load/get back in the van and either find a place to sleep or head home … and that folks was insert city here! (... oh man I can't wait to play New York!!?) (... ok guys I think that's the venue up there on the left.) It's not often you get to spend quality time in a city… I wonder if that changes if a band gets more successful..? You might have others taking care of the travel/logistics but now you're probably doing press/radio, and generally shuffled around to whatever commitment you need to be at, if you're the front person(s). I imagine the best way to travel with a band is as a drummer/bassist/side guy/whatever musician... just show up for the gig… and don't get arrested, drunk, or die during the day while exploring. (... sorry fellas... things got a little outta hand at the Taco Bell.) Then again, I've met some awesome locals over the years at gigs… for the most part, people are very similar… their issues change, the landmarks they ask "if you've visited yet" change… but those are things every city has in common… give or take the level of intolerance towards outsiders. Although I did go to the Juno Cup Charity Hockey game that night… which was great since I got to hang with a childhood buddy AND see Paul Coffee in action (awesome)… the real highlight was staring out the train window for 4.5 hours. How is this a highlight? I think a lot. I brought a book. I had music/demos I wanted to listen to. I had a laptop with wifi. I was told the train was a great way to travel (which it was) and that the scenery was great (lies!?). (... lol... no.) (... lol... reality.) I swear it was abandoned vehicle after busted fence after forgotten end of a small town after pile of junk after etc. Who knows… maybe it's just because it's spring and the greenery hasn't covered it all up yet. It was a side of Ontario I hadn't seen in a while… I guess I've been away from my hometown longer than I thought. Ah well.
Still… I loved staring out that window for close to 5 hours. Hotel was nice... hotel beds are nice... glad I skipped the reception from the sounds of it... I thought it was interesting how far apart some of the venues were that weekend... ah well... couldn't wait to sleep! |
Mike Langford - Official BlogBeing on both sides of the glass, I get the chance to wear many hats in the music industry. This is a place to share my thoughts, views, predictions, rants, stories and news! Categories
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