An Open Letter to Bret Michaels From a Dedicated Fan
Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 12:02AM Dear Bret,
Did you know that you front one of my all-time favorite bands? When I saw Poison's video for "Fallen Angel" on MTV when I was, oh, nine or so, that did it - I was a Glam fan for life. And Poison's other videos never disappointed! I still love them all. That's why this letter is hard for me.
I suspect, Bret, you are getting some bad information. Someone (cough, Donald Trump, cough) is telling you to constant grab headlines - and not for being the bad boy rocker we all love. No, it's for just being...I don't know...famous?
Look, I get fame. Man, we live in a world of 24/7 chaos. The hottest thing one day is nothing the next. What captures headlines one day is relegated to the back page the next...if it is even covered at all. And you have to be "all-platform" famous now. It is freaking insane, I know. It is hard to stay on top of Twitter, Facebook, TV and People magazine. Plus, you've got all those reality shows. Kids today know you from your TV stints more than your music. I think that is a little sad.
Free will means, dear Bret, you can do absolutely whatever you want. I pretty much support you fully but the lawsuit against the Tony Awards is a bit much, no? I'm no doctor and I never claimed to be very smart either, but I suspect the fact that you never showed up for dress rehearsal has something to do with the fact that a piece of staging whacked you on the head. Did that hard whack cause your subarachnoid hemorrhage? Well, again, I'm no doctor so I have no clue. But if you hadn't been doing a solo gig and had practiced with the rest of Poison instead, you probably wouldn't have gotten hurt.
Is this summer's jaunt with Motley Crue really Poison's farewell tour? I've heard that rumored a few places. Word on the street is that you are not interested in making new music with Poison. I think that sucks, but again, free will. But I think when push comes to shove, you identify yourself as a musician: not an actor, a celeb-reality star or whatever. And really, wouldn't you want to leave a complete legacy with a final album of new material? After all, 25 years at any one job is amazing - but when you're talking about a rock band, forget about it - you and I both know how hard it is for bands to stay together five years let alone 25.
Here's the big question: does it matter if your name fades from the headlines for a few months while you work on a new Poison record? Would Rolling Stone care about a new Poison record? Probably not but your die hard fans would - and they put you in that mansion before all the TV shows and pitchman deals came along.
That is all.
Signed,
The Glam Mistress.
XXOOXX
Reader Comments (26)
And I know he can write better songs than that... but "better" is also a pretty subjective term when it comes to music. :)
But again: it's his music and his choice. For me, I have no expectations of Bret (which shouldn't be confused with having low expectations).
Oh god, and didn't we ALL want to be Susie Hatton! :D I remember telling my brother that was Bret's girlfriend and he just laughed and told me I had "no chance!". Bastard.
Oh, Kookie, ever the comedienne!
I knew you would get all cranked up over what I had to say about your long lost love, your precious Bretty Wetty!
Love is so blind no matter how long or how lost it is!
We sure have come a long way from your proclamation you once made to me, and I quote, "I want to bear your children!"
Gee, was it something I said? No doubt! Sheeeeez!!!
Look, I'm not saying I have high expectations for Michaels.
This is not about expectations. This is about possibilities.
It IS indeed up to Michaels what road he wants to take. Yes, some artists can have both a solo career and continue with their band. We've seen it work well or even okay (Jagger) for some.
As far as Michaels finding the quickest path to redemption and salvaging any semblance of artistic integrity he may have left, the choices are clear for Brett -- either be a REAL ROCKER or be a has been Rodeo Clown.
Rockstars and their Rock Bands have made comebacks before. Why not Bret Michaels and Poison?
All I'm doing here is making the simple observation that he could do so much more with Poison, than from the corner he's pointed himself into as a solo "artist", at this point. Even if Michaels wants to make it all about marketing, it's his best play at this particular moment of his career.
Also, if they wanted any kind of shot at one-upping Crue, they should debut a new song or do SOMETHING DIFFERENT, even if it's just changing up the set list or adding a fresh cover.
I am going to make a prediction... Poison will go into the studio at some point after they tour with Crue. It just makes common sense at this point. We are operating in a vacuum here on this site. I actually think Glam Metal is back more than we think...
Just look at the recent resurgence of the genre and it's growing momentum every day... Kix playing L.A. for the first time in 20 years not too long ago. They went to Europe for the first time ever to play Sweden, too. Look at all of these fairly recent album releases... Ratt, Whitesnake, Stryper, Crue, Vince Neil, Tesla, etc. Look at the huge Glam Metal scene in Sweden. Look at the new American bands getting major contracts, i.e. Bad City signing to Atlantic, etc., etc. Look at the resurgence of Journey among kids today.
The timing is right for Michaels to take a look at his own band, Poison. Even if it's all about the $$$ for him (Kari and Kiki all but admit this, acknowledging his penchant for rehash), here's his best shot at the moment to do something lucrative, if only in the guise of artistic integrity.
Bring it with Poison, Bret. I'll take it any way I can get it, legit or not, just lose the cowboy hat (which he most likely won't, unfortunately).
p.s. I'm not patronizing you, Kiki! Read over both your own comments and mine, if you dare. You will see we do agree on a couple of points. If Poison does wind up putting out new material, I hope you enjoy it. As you can tell, I sure as hell will. As much as I'm dissing the guy (simply because I know he's got more in him than his Cowboy Rock schtick and, no, I'm not demanding anything from him), I will be front row at the Hollywood Bowl on June 14th. Granted, I'm going for it, mainly because I've never seen Poison live, but also for the whole package, Crue and Dolls, too, as I've seen 'em both before several times. It's a great way to get a "one stop shopping experience", including a little sightseeing -- The Hollywood Bowl itself! The way I figure, what could be more L.A., musically, than seeing two of the biggest Heavyweights of L.A. Hair Metal in L.A. and at the Hollywood Bowl, too boot?! Okay, maybe climbing into a time machine and going back to The Sunset Strip circa 1985 and seeing them there!
Look, I appreciate that it's very difficult to judge tone of voice when people are writing on the Internet (and I also understand that my "tone of voice" probably reads like a pretentious snob). I don't know you and you don't know me. So I apologize if you didn't mean those sorts of phrases to come across as belittling to my sense of reason and intelligence. However, I still believe that most people would read them that way.
If you want to take this off-comments, my email address is on my blog.
I don't think this is a matter of love or emotion at all: just a matter of reason. As I said earlier, I would say the same about any performer.
Would it be nice if Vince Neil gave up drinking and really re-engaged with his singing? Sure it would, and I'd honestly like to see that happen... but that doesn't mean I'm going to lecture him or tell him that's what he needs to do, and then call that an act of love from a fan. He has never asked for me to save him and it's incredibly patronizing of me to assume that he wants my opinion. I understand that the man is on his own journey. It may make me sad to see him throw away his talent, but it is his talent to throw away and I firmly believe that you cannot hector people into changing themselves or their lives. People change when they want to change. Ask any psychologist.
For what it's worth, it would also be nice if Boy George sorted his life out... or Chris Brown... or anyone else who is suffering. I don't have to be a fan or buy their albums to feel that way: I just have to have a sense of human empathy.
I haven't actually given much of my opinion about Bret's current projects, or the possibility (or lack of possibility) for another Poison album. In the end, I don't think my opinion on such things should factor into the discussion. Bret can do what he likes with his life and his art. that doesn't mean I don't care. It just means that I understand it is his life to live. I won't be disappointed by his choices simply because I have no expectation that he needs to fulfill (other than keeping himself healthy and preferably alive). That's not the same as saying I will be thrilled and excited by everything he does, and it's not the same as saying I would follow him with blind devotion. If I don't like his work, then I don't buy it.
I'm sure that fans try to tell artists what to do because they really think that they're helping, and that said artist needs to hear what fans want or how they should live out their artistic integrity. Sometimes artists will even ask fans what they want. But until they ask, why would we assume that they shouldn't live their own lives the way they want to?
Really, Metalboy? What would you say if the next Poison album was all country-rock? If that interests them as artists, why shouldn't they go down that road? And why would it bother you if they do? That doesn't take away any part of the albums they've already given you.
No harm, no foul. I apologize if I got a little smart-as*ed. It's all in good fun. I don't mean to offend you and also don't want to be misinterpreted, though it will inevitably happen.
Dare I say, you are a bit forgiving of Michaels. I just hate to see the boy miss his chance to REALLY do something, and it just so happens, IMHO, the biggest opportunity for him right now is to make a REAL ROCK record and the way to do that quick is get with those who were there with him previously when he ROCKED OUT better than most, POISON!
Michael's should just GO FOR IT!
I wouldn't say that I am "forgiving" of Bret, because to forgive therefore implies that he has somehow wronged me (or you) in the first place. I know full well that we tend to see artists as we want to see them (and often think that our interpretation of their art is somehow the key to their souls)... but I've learned not to carry around an illusion of any artist, so therefore they have no real ideal to live up to in my head. No illusion means no sense of betrayal when something comes along that doesn't "fit" that ideal - but it also means that I try not to create negative illusions of people either (eg. "that guy is a dick because he wrote a song about this horrible thing"). I do what I can to accept that any perception I have of someone like Bret Michaels is half-known and half-assed at best - just as anyone getting to "know" me through my writing will stumble over exactly the same problems. I try to just approach with an open mind and see people as people. If that makes me forgiving, then I am attempting to be forgiving of humanity as a whole.
I like and respect a lot of what the guys in Poison have done, and I have watched their careers closely for more than 20 years... but ultimately they are all strangers to me, and I try to accept that whole-heartedly.
However, it's also important to me that I try not to judge others for things that really do no harm. I fail at that all the time, but I still try. That can be as simple as not giving a damn what people wear (which I generally don't) to not being offended by art or music or TV. My aim is mostly to accept life with a peaceful soul and work on the only person I can really change: myself.
But sorry, that's probably a bit Zen for this discussion.
At the end of the day, I understand wholly how our art can change as we go through life. What excited us once as artists will probably bore us tomorrow. And we simply cannot keep going back over the same ground. We often create precisely for the purposes of letting things go.
I also understand how frustrating it can be to hit a block in our art that we feel incapable (or too frightened) of overcoming. In the end, artists are people too, and we often self-censor in order to work around the other people in our lives. Sometimes pushing through that block can put a lot of our happiness at risk. The audience will tend to want and expect an artist to suffer for their work - to really bleed - but that's neither realistic nor fair when we in the audience aren't the ones who are suffering.
Let the man create what he wants to create. It does no harm to either you or me.