Glam Halloween?

We're midway through October - it's time to start thinking about Halloween. I'm going as a devil this year. Of all my costumes (and I have a strict "no repeat" rule), I've never been a devil. I had half the costume at home - and I made the other half. I didn't feel like it was responsible to buy something real expensive this year.

I spend a lot of time thinking about Halloween. It's my favorite holiday. I mean, it makes sense. Halloween is, after all, Metal. You get to dress up as something scary. You go to parties. You gorge on chocolate.

I tried to think of a Glam costume, but it's harder for a woman. I did toy with the idea of making my husband Slash - and I would be Axl, but I just didn't have the kilt! I thought about Lita Ford...but I don't think anyone would get it these days.

To a large extent, I think the 80s are back in fashion. When I was browsing at a costume shop I saw an entire section dedicated to the 80s. There was a Madonna ("Like a Virgin" era) costume, a Michael Jackson (one glove era) costume and Metal rocker dude costume. The Metal costume featured black and white zebra pants! I did suggest to my husband that he get that costume so we could go as David Coverdale and Tawny Kitaen. Perhaps someday.

Do you have any good Glam costume ideas?

Holy Crap...Chinese Democracy Available on Pre-Order

Best Buy just posted a link on their website - offering pre-orders for Chinese Democracy. From what I can tell, the album will have many covers to choose from - and it will also be out on vinyl.

I am not going to pre-order this album. I want to go to the store and see just how many other people are buying Chinese Democracy on day one. I still predict a lot of in store sales - but the pre-order excitement will get to people and I expect a lot of fans will go ahead and buy now. At least charging ahead saves money on gas later.

I predict a lot more money in the pockets of Axl Rose very soon...

Motley May Be Making a Big Mistake

Look, I don't like Hinder. I've written that before. You all came in - somewhat vigorously I might add - to say I should give them a chance. Fine, I'm giving them a chance. I'm seeing them live in December. I have make-up tickets because X-Fest was canceled. Once would be enough.

Now, Motley Crue has announced they will do a winter arena tour with Hinder. Ok, so Hinder slipped and made the announcement, but I figure Motley's big press event is just around the corner. I think Nikki Sixx - and therefore Motley - is making a huge mistake. There are so many reasons. Let's drill it down:

1) The economy is crap and Motley just toured. That means market saturation.
2) AC/DC is touring this winter in North America. There are just a few bands that can withstand economic crisis. AC/DC is one.
3) See number one again. Motley Crue just toured. Seriously.
4) Since Motley Crue just toured (we're driving a point here) the chance of filling arenas ain't looking good.

Ok, so there are my four big points. You'll notice none of them mention Hinder. Here's the fifth point: Hinder may be a great band. Hell, I don't like them, but my opinion doesn't count for too much. I just don't know if they have the draw Motley needs to put butts in the seats. I feel like I'm becoming a broken record here, but I've said "music is a business" over and over to anyone that would listen nonstop the past couple of weeks. I  live and breathe music. I do not, however, pay my mortgage through music. No, the individual members of Motley don't have to worry to much about the current economy. Other bands - our favorite smaller Glam bands - do. Big time. When big bands, with big money and big power continue to make big mistakes (notice a buzz word here?) it's the little guys who often suffer. Not to mention that people that do the actual business of making music. You know, tours just don't pop up. Bands just don't land on Larry King Live. Promotions do not fall from the sky. Hordes of people work to support an industry that has been under fire for quite a long time. It's usually the youngest (and therefore poorest) staff members that get the shaft first when a bad decision trickles down. Remember kids, shit rolls down hill. And it always stinks.

So back to Motley Crue and their winter escapade. Will I go? Yeah, I'll buy another over priced ticket to see Motley. Again. Will I watch Hinder, too? Yep. Will I like them? Meh. The point is not everyone is like us. Remember, dearest readers, we're a very special breed. It would not occur to 99% of the population to Google the words "Glam + Metal." The elite 1% of us that get it know just how important it is to make delicate - yet direct - steps in the music world these days. Promotion is so much more than getting a band on the cover of Rolling Stone. It's also giving your fans their money's worth - by touring with acts that add value.

Why isn't Crue Fest 2.0 or Winterfest or whatever the hell this upcoming tour is called a double bill? Is it because Motley hate the term Glam? Is it because they don't want to share the stage? Is it because another headline act would eat too far into the profit margin?

Whew. All that said, I feel like I need to step off the soap box and explain the passion here. Motley Crue are very important to me. I honestly don't give a fig about their opening band - except that I think the act should fit the demographic. I believe Buckcherry was an excellent act to take as the second headliner on Crue Fest this past summer. Maybe Hinder will work. Maybe not. Truth be told, I do not think I can bare watching Motley playing to near empty venues. When I saw Def Leppard a few months ago - the size of the crowd devastated me. In times of recession, people pick and choose. People may very well pick a tour by a band that hasn't been around in a while. That makes fundamental sense. I'm worried that if this winter tour goes belly-up, Motley will either 1) call it quits for good or 2) be forced out immediately again by Live Nation. Neither scenario is great.

Ok, time for your thoughts.

How to Get Music Videos Back on Mainstream Television

The other day I wrote about my plan to fix Metal Mania. Then it dawned on me: perhaps there is a way  that YouTube and music videos could intersect regular television.

Sometimes musicians launch new videos at the end of news programs. This happens a lot on 20/20. I think Britney Spears just did this and I definitely remember watching a Michael Jackson video premiere when I was a kid. It may have been after that Martin Bashir documentary. I digress.

What if we go a little further? A lot of bands still front huge amounts of cash to make videos. Music videos that largely go unnoticed, except for fans that search for them on YouTube and Myspace. Record labels typically front the cash for the video and the band pays this back. It's all sort of cyclical promotion - with the musicians usually on the losing end of the financial battle. Perhaps these same labels (and therefore bands) could buy commercial air time to show off these videos during prime time television?

This would cause stipulations. Bands couldn't go hog wild with nudity or foul language. Still, the risk could mean a great rate of return. Consider this: a legacy act, like AC/DC or Aerosmith, would likely welcome new fans with videos in prime time programming around the world. A typical song is over three minutes long. The average commercial break during a sitcom is 2 and a half minutes. Sitcoms are 22 minutes in length, segmented at 30 minutes. That segment time is broken by commercials. The higher the rated show - the more expensive the ad time. A band could easily create "mini-videos"  - a song snippet that fits into 30 seconds - to air during a traditional commercial slot. New album or concert information could be billboarded at the end of the clip with the band's website. A fan goes to the website - and then clicks a link to see the whole video. This creates interest, broadens audience, helps return on investment - and makes fans feel involved. 

Now, prime time ad space ain't cheap baby, but smaller bands could get in on the action in different time buys. Younger bands could do especially well in the after school - pre-prime time slots. After a band sees a popularity (and music/ticket sales spike) they could move into the more lucrative time slots. Plus, labels could actually do the right thing and spend some cash to support fledging bands. What a concept.

What do the you think? Would my short video concept work? I know I'd rather watch a 30 second music video instead of another commercial for cell phones, home loans or food.

Does Anyone Remember Disneyland After Dark?

Disneyland After Dark formed in Denmark in the early 1980s. The band was forced to change their name to D-A-D because of obvious trademark issues.

Next month, the band will release a new album called Monster Philosophy.  I don't think D-A-D are necessarily Glam, but they are definitely melodic. They would be a great choice for one of the many Metal festivals that exist these days. I can definitely even see D-A-D playing Rocklahoma. I think having the Danish band come to America would be a great value-add. Especially since not many Americans have had the chance to see D-A-D live.

I don't own any Disneyland After Dark albums. I just checked eBay. Several are up for auction - but the price is high. D-A-D released Call of the Wild in 1989. eBay has it for $48. Too much for my blood. A few other auctions have D-A-D albums going for $10 or $20 bucks. If you've got some extra cash, now could be the time to pounce.

I don't know about the new music on Monster Philosophy, but the band has some good classic tunes. Here's the video for "Sleeping My Day Away."

Here's "Laugh'n A 1/2."

Merry KixMas...

A little birdie tells me Kix are playing another show at Rams Head Live! this year in Baltimore, Maryland. The band will play Rams Head on December 26. That's a Friday night, by the way. So, if you're up on the east coast - or just plumb sick of your relatives - maybe plan on spending some time with the dirty boys of the underground this holiday season.

Here's the video for "Cool Kids"

If Vh1 Classic Is Hiring, I Can Fix Metal Mania

I've written about Metal Mania lots of times here. I was so excited a couple years ago when my husband upgraded us to expensive cable and I found Metal Mania on Vh1 Classic. All the best Glam videos - in a giant block! Since that first discovery, I've been very loyal to the broadcast. I tape it in the DVR each week.

These days Metal Mania sucks worse than the return on my 401(K) investments.

Seriously, I just watched the broadcast from last weekend. In one program were several videos by Queensryche, Europe and AC/DC. Now, I like all these bands. Quite a lot actually, but that is not the point. The point is that there are zillions of Glam videos to go around - many of them obscure - so show them!

Each week Metal Mania shows the same crap: over and over - all this does is turn off both casual and loyal viewers. 

Please believe, if Viacom (the company that owns Vh1 Classic) wants Metal Mania fixed, I can do the job. I know the genre. I know television production. I know how not to piss off viewers. This is a no brainer: if Viacom fixed Metal Mania, they could probably extended their market share. Yes, the people that watch Vh1 Classic are die hard music fans. These are also the same fans that have disposable income and are likely susceptible to brand placement in advertising space. Viacom owns a lot of other networks like MTV, Nickelodeon, TV Land, CMT...not to mention film holdings. I mean, seriously. The marketing power is there - and it's just being wasted. Big time.

Easiest way to fix Metal Mania? Mandatory video switches. No two bands in the same broadcast. If Motley Crue's "Dr. Feelgood" is featured the first week of the month - that's it - and the band is represented by a different video thereafter. I'd also suggest bringing back a VJ - and moving the show out of the middle of the night to prime time. Create something fun, like a "Classic Video Countdown" and compare our favorite Glam videos to clips from today. Finally, I say make Metal Mania a wholly interactive experience. Have fans vote for the weekly Top Ten videos online. Twitter the show. Do the Myspace thing.

If Viacom doesn't want to spend a dime on fixing Metal Mania, there is one other little trick they can do: check the programming vault to track clips. Simply change the settings so the same four bands don't pop up non-stop. That alone would signal an end to the crappy rundowns.

I'm a genius.

***How would you fix Metal Mania?