Monday
Apr152013
Help Stephen Shareaux of Kik Tracee Record A Solo Debut
Monday, April 15, 2013 at 12:01AM
Stephen Shareaux, lead singer of Kik Tracee, is trying to raise money to record his solo debut. He doesn't have much money raised yet and he's only got a couple days left, so I thought I would put it out there for your consideration.
Reader Comments (26)
This goes for ANY musician. If you're good enough, or want it bad enough, you'll do something about it & nothing will stop you from achieving your goal of producing a record. You have to "suffer for your art", & make cuts somewhere else in your lifestyle to make your dreams come true. If you can't,you didn't want it bad enough. This "handout" bullshit has GOT to stop. OK, Soapbox rant over.
Bob, did Shareaux SAY he feels "the world owes" him the bux to make his new album. You were better off at level one when you pointed out there's better causes for which to make a donation like world hunger or a cure for cancer rather than his solo debut.
Ripper, seriously? Ya really think it was this dude who was "the first in line" for a telephone provided by a government program called Lifeline to low income U.S. citizens? The program, created during the REAGAN administration and has existed ever since, is designed to make sure people living at the poverty level aren't cut off from emergency services, job searches or communication with family members.
Christian makes valid points, which figures, since he is more than Christian in name as he accepts Christ as his Lord and Savior, something many of you obviously haven't based on your comments.
However, I am actually siding with Ace on this one, a rare occurrence, considering his typically Far Right leaning positions. Regardless of his extreme Right Wing politics, Ace is absolutely correct, or "Right", as I'm sure, in this particular case, he would appreciate me saying...
Shareaux should heed Ace's uncharacteristic wisdom here, a universal truth about what makes one's art true and great, whether it sells one album or millions -- and I quote, "If you're good enough, or want it bad enough, you'll do something about it and nothing will stop you from achieving your goal of producing a record. You have to "suffer for your art" and make cuts somewhere else in your lifestyle to make your dreams come true. If you can't, you don't want it bad enough."
And though I don't adhere completely to Ace's proclamation, "This hand out bullsh*t has GOT to stop" -- try working a soup kitchen or walking the streets of Chicago or Boston at night during Winter -- when it comes to Shareaux, he ought to get a clue regarding what making REAL art is all about.
Hell, look at POISON, for example. It was 90% Perspiration and 10% Inspiration that drove them to succeed! Just ask Ace, who could probably tell the story better. These guys came out to L.A. without a dime and through sheer grit and determination, made it happen. Nobody handed out more flyers on The Strip, worked harder on their image and their songs, even if they ripped a lot of it off, as some might claim, and got it to all pay off.
Same holds true for his own band, Kik Tracee. How the hell did THEY make it? I'm sure they worked their a*s off for it, which may account for why Sharaeux doesn't wanna go through it all again. Sorry, Stephen, as Ace makes clear, there are no short cuts.
p.s. Got all Kik's sh*t, BKallday, including the "Field Trip" EP. I especially enjoy their "Headbanger's Ball" hit, the quite amusing and borderline awful, mainly because of Shareaux's over-the-top vocals, cover of Simon & Garfunkel's classic, "Mrs. Robinson" from their Dana Strum produced "No Rules" album from 1991. It would also be great to hear "Center Of A Tension", Kik Tracee's unreleased 1993 album, obviously another Grunge casualty. FUN FACT: Shareaux also auditioned, albeit, unsuccessfully, for "The Project", later known as Velvet Revolver. I also bet, if he got Kik Tracee back together, as BK suggests, they would garner some attention, play the Summer Festivals AND The Monsters of Rock Cruise, etc.
Granted these probably have a bit more money behind them, but I think it's a pretty good idea. It's not that they're asking for handouts. If you pay the $15 (in this case), you help them make the CD, plus get a physical copy, download and acoustic CD. Not a bad deal if you ask me.
Given there are so many people getting the music for free these days I think it's a cool way for bands to get something back. Plus, if you got the money I think a weekend in Texas with Bowling for Soup would be pretty damn cool.
As for Shareaux, hey, $20 for a physical CD and download might be a bit much for my tastes, but if it helps him get the CD made and you get the music out of it, what's the problem?
Ginger from the Wildhearts has done several projects like this recently. Granted the output has been a bit iffy, I love the Wildhearts and had no issue "donating" and getting a 5 disc set of songs that wouldn't have gotten released any other way. No record company today in this market would go for that.
Anyway, just another 2 cents there.
People are essentially buying a CD in advance. Now I get it. Your point about the artist actually getting paid for their music is valid and something that's become such a thing of the past, idiots like me and the others here didn't even get this concept.
What? Actually pay for the music? Thing is, it's kinda like back in the day when you would buy an album without hearing one note beforehand. But you need a really cool album cover for that and know that the music is inside.
It's different, too, holding the physical album in your hand as opposed to the "promise" of receiving great music. I remember holding Crüe's first album in my hand the day it arrived at my local record store when came out on Elektra, looking at the album cover -- it was actually an 8 Track-tape. I needed something to party to. We had my buddy's Maaco painted '68 'Stang with the cooler in back (stupid kidz!) and a Coby (hahaha!!!) 8-Track player with nothing in it!
Well, all you had to do was look at that cover, read the title, "Too Fast For Love" then look at the cooly designed back cover showing the band members, read the song titles, plus note the seal of approval of Elektra and you had a pretty good idea you were gonna get yer socks blown off.
I picked up Motörhead, "The Ace of Spades", on the same day, again, without one note heard. It duzn't take a rocket scientist to realize that album would have pretty much the same net effect when examining that cover either.
But here, we don't have a helluvalot to go on. We don't have the concept in front of us on full display using all the savvy packaging of a record company to tempt us.
All we've really got is Shareaux's spotty rep of being the former frontman of Kik Tracee. He'd actually be better off playing that up more and reforming the band, even if it meant being the only original member. Then people would have a better idea of what to expect. Right now, there's just not enough to go on.
As Endo points out, Ginger of The Wildhearts has had a lot of success with this approach. But he's also got the cred to deliver the goods. You say he's had some iffy results but that certainly can't be said for his latest album, "Hey, Hello", which may be the best damn album out right now.
Again, though, experientially, I think a lot of people are hesitant because they feel like they might not get their money's worth or that the project won't get put out.
It will be interesting to see how it all shakes out for Shareaux. In the end, I'm still sticking with Ace. Figure out how to get the music out, come hell or high water.
After that, especially after all the talk, I sure as hell would be all ears.
That will be a watershed year when government aid programs like those BOTH Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush signed into law will be perpetuated along with so many other provenly effective ideas Obama simply couldn't get through will also be enacted, along with her own, by our first female President.
Plus, with Hillary in, certain jack*ss Supreme Court Injustices will either be calling it quits or just plain kicking off, all of which will certainly save any attacks on current women's rights, wind down Right Wing Kook Lawsuits, get PAC money dialed back out of elections, as well as expedite funding for infrastructure and other worthy projects.
They said it would take 50 years to undo all the damage Bush did in eight. Well, it just might happen faster with Hillary!
Heck, Rock & Roll might even make a quicker comeback! BBG!
On a separate note to the mighty Metalboy!, have you ever heard the original release of Too Fast for Love? It's way different than the Electra version.
I have donated to all of Ginger's projects, and while the some stuff may not appeal to everyone I have absolutely no regrets putting money into albums I would have bought sight unseen anyway based on loving pretty much everything he has been involved in before.
And yeah Metalboy!, Hey! Hello! is brilliant, should easily sell millions if there were any justice in the world.
If you love what a band, singer, etc. do why not support them in making the best art they can? Is it any different than someone being a patron for the opera or a ballet company?
It's a new world out there, what worked in the 20th century does not always work now. Not as likely a band can do what Van Halen did (for example) and play 6 nights a week, five sets a night, 'till they get a record company behind them.
JAT, I couldn't have said it better but did. Same with Bob. My sentiments exactly but the both of you have said it so much better...
Essentially, it IS a bit of a gamble investing in this guy. And, yes, you CAN research his stuff. But, in his case, it just may not be enough to go on.
Still, with Ace -- with few exceptions, namely Ginger, where you do have a lot to go on before "investing" in his music before it comes out, I still believe in the ol' "Blood, Sweat & Tears" approach to making music.
And by that, I do not mean the cheezy late 60's/early 70's band. I mean the passion and effort this guy should be putting into his music without help.
I just feel like he's got to prove himself a little bit more for me or someone else to donate to his cause. That Kik Tracee crap isn't much to go on, to be quite honest.
p.s. Yeah, Bob, I got the original press of the first Crue album, "Too Fast For Love", on Vinyl. You're right! It does sound a lot different AND BETTER, I might add. I got the 8-Track on Elektra because that was the only version of the album available in that format. It's still plenty killer, believe me, as you well probably know. "Livewire" just plain took our heads clean off, as you can just imagine, when it came over the speakers for the first time on my bro's Mustang's 8-track!
God Bless Hillary!
She is the ONLY one with any REAL CHANCE to SAVE YOU!
Remember, it was George W. BUSH who was already sure to "finish you off"!