Canadian Music Week

The kick off event of my CMW experience this year was the Nikki Sixx celebrity interview conducted by Jeff Woods in the Ballroom of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel. In addition to playing bass for the rock band Motley Crue, Sixx is a photographer, syndicated radio show host, and best-selling author. But in a world where every aging rock star is a photographer, has his own radio show, and tell-all book coming out, it helps if you look really cool, and are funny to boot.  It’s also a bonus to have Q107’s very own legend of classic rock asking the questions. Woods brought extra colour to the eye too, with arms covered in tattoos equal to Sixx.

 

Born Frank Carlton Serafino Ferrana, Jr., a native of California, Nikki replied “honest”, when asked to describe his photography in one word. Sixx also says he yells and throws things during his photo shoots, and when his subjects break down and spill their truths, he hopes he captures it in his work. Nikki embraced social media to show off that work too, but the staff of Zuckerberg deleted his images from Facebook for being too explicit. The revealing shots he’d posted of himself however, were allowed.  Whether the popular online social site is a place for his art or not, the man’s page has accumulated 286,000 FB followers.

 

The first book Nikki Sixx released was the Heroin Diaries, a collection of late eighties journal entries that debuted in the top ten of the 2007 New York Times Best Seller list. But unlike that book, his current release This Is Gonna Hurt:  Music, Photography and Life Through the Distorted Lens of Nikki Sixx, is a book proudly authored without a ghost. Describing himself as an unprofessional writer with a tempo ala the Beats, Nikki  admits it took a lot of hard work. He wrote hundreds of extra pages, wrapped up in the self-therapy that writing can be. Arguing with himself, he became too wordy, which is how Vince Neil once described his bandmate’s lyric writing. “I have a lot to fucking say,” Nikki laughs.

 

The word “honest” is also how he describes his new album. He wrote a love song for the city of Los Angeles and says it was pretty much written from the front seat of a car, while driving, trying to figure out a life that’s nearer to its end, than not. Nikki Sixx still rides motor bikes and sky dives, but when Woods quoted him as once saying “chicks = trouble”, and asked how that equation applies to him today, the father of four skirted the question. Woods then asked if there were more demons to be slayed, and Sixx replied, “I just want to stay positive and keep evolving. I continue to have ‘fuck you’ urges, but I try to be a better man, a better artist, and a good father. The toughest thing about being a dad is letting go. And that goes for just about everything really... letting go”.

 

Woods brought up how the internet has changed the way we listen to music and live our lives, and Sixx, like so many rockers who came up in his generation, agrees. It feels strange to him too, to look out at an audience of raised cell phone cameras, or people looking down instead of at the stage, communicating through hand-held electronic devices. He’s as concerned as the next guy about the loss of human contact.  But what Nikki Sixx has learned most along the way is humility. “I try to stay humble. Humility is everything. And for a rock star, it’s hard to be told what to do. I’ll probably go to hell for making fun of Jesus on my radio show, but he was the first rock star (laughs)”. The Crue will be going on tour again soon, but it looks like Canada gets only one stop on the map.

 

Next on my CMW agenda was attending the panel discussion: Ticketing: Who Owns the Ticket? And the reason I chose this particular event was because industry insider Bob Lefsetz was the moderator. With a passion fuelled by insights as an entertainment lawyer and major label consultant, Lefsetz is well known for spewing strongly held opinions on the music business in his blog, The Lefsetz Letter.  Some may also remember the hot debate he got into with Gene Simmons a few CMW’s ago. These days, Bob Lefsetz makes his living from his writings, and personal appearances such as these.

 

Representatives on the panel were from StubHub, Ticketbreak, and Ticketfly, but a rep from Ticketmaster, the major of the players, was noticeably absent. All the talk of business contracts,  service and convenience fees, and the politics between venues, ticketing agents and artists can be informative, but not very entertaining.  Hard to say if the audience in the hotel’s Ballroom was as sophisticated as the panel, but I’m certainly not. I’m a music fan first and foremost.  I remember sleeping on sidewalks outside of ticket outlets hoping to get the best seat to my favourite shows back in the 70s and 80s. And for many years, I followed the Grateful Dead, a band who pioneered the artist-run, fan-friendly ticketing process, and scalpers would never be found at their shows.  Paperless tickets may possibly prevent scalping, and divulging the breakdown of fees may seem to be what the consumer wants these days, but the corruption and greed that caused the implosion of the music business and all the shady practices associated with Ticketmaster, has certainly left a negative mark on the fan.  But at the same time, Lefsetz is right in saying that just because music lovers bought or stole the album, and love it, doesn’t mean they should expect to sit in the front row of every artist’s show. (But the fans do want a night out at a reasonable price). Lefsetz doesn’t believe that most artists today have the perseverance or the entrepreneurial spirit to make it like they did back in the golden age of rock. He’s been quoted as saying, “It’s not that I’m old. You’re music really does suck”.

 

Later in the day, Bob Lefsetz also gave what was supposed to be a keynote address, but turned into an interview conducted by Jake Gold, a judge from the Canadian Idol television show and someone who managed the Tragically Hip. “We’re in a revolution”, Lefsetz says. “Since the record companies have gone down, and Limewire, Kazaa and the original Napster are all gone, my job is to make sure you don’t get into the music biz. I just want musicians and bands to make really good music.” But when I asked Mr Lefsetz if he believed in the motto “follow your passion and the money will come”, he said no.  Lefsetz will shout the loudest  anytime the biz does something wrong.  And he’ll do it without apology, alienating and gaining fans all at the same time.  One of the three Lefsetz Letters sent out following his CMW conferences however, praised the staff and services of Porter Air, his chosen mode of travel from Toronto’s island airport.

 

A few more panel discussions revolving around the business end of music were on the agenda, and one of the most informative was the Social Media- Revenue and Brand Loyalty in Cyberspace panel featuring Eric Alper, Director of Media Relations & Label Acquisitions at eOne Music Canada, and Corey Denis, founder of Not Shocking LLC, out of San Francisco. The panel talked about the importance of strategy when using social media, to build your band, brand or business. They advised to share valuable information with your network often, and regularly stimulate conversation with topics you are passionate about.  As someone who regularly uses social media for the above-mentioned reasons, this was validating for me. “Write awesome content.  Write explosive content. And write when you are inspired,” said Eric Alper.  But it was suggested to be cautious when using profanity, or sharing your politics. Corey Denis was an excellent moderator and speaker.

 

I also attended The President’s Panel featuring Denise Donlon, who some may remember from back in the early days of MuchMusic. Today, Ms Donlon is a member of the Order of Canada  and the General Manager of CBC Radio. And the panel talked about radio; how it’s always been threatened by the next best thing ever since tv came along, yet it’s still here. Talk also revolved around how everyone today is trying to do more with less. And with increasing attention deficiency and time constraints, no one is really having fun at work anymore. Not many are making the money they once did either.  But nevertheless, we must embrace all platforms, maintain integrity, and preserve the brand by keeping one foot in and the other one moving forward.  It’s about building and sustaining communities, not building and sustaining technology. “But for a woman in the business, it’s similar to being Ginger Rogers”, Donlon says. “She could dance as well as Fred Astaire, but Ginger did it backwards, wearing high heels. Women have to put in 150 percent, plus another 50 percent on top of that”.

 

The best part of CMW for this writer was once again, the Songwriters Circle featuring the Kings and Queens of Songwriting. The circle this year included Randy Bachman, Bob Dipiero, Emmylou Harris, Gordie Sampson, and the great Paul Williams, who also served as host. I had the pleasure of meeting Emmylou Harris, the Audrey Hepburn of country music, sitting at the piano outside the Concert Hall, waiting for the Circle to form. There wasn’t even one full coffee in me yet, when the lovely one appeared out of nowhere.  But I managed to pull my brain cells together long enough to share my enthusiasm with her for the forthcoming album by Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, for which Harris a part of.

 

The Songwriters Circle started just after Saturday’s noon hour and it was just that, with each singer-songwriter taking a turn telling their stories of inspiration and playing a song.  Canadian-born Bachman told a story that happened when the Guess Who opened for Alice Cooper and Frank Zappa in San Francsico back in the day. Feeling warm and fuzzy within the hippy vibe of the city, Randy decided to go vinyl shopping before the show. Leaving the store with a brand new stack of records, three rough-looking guys approached him as he was putting the albums in his car. He really didn’t want to fight with America, but they were giving him a glaring look. Fortunately, a brown Pinto pulled up, and a woman got out wailing on one of the boys. “You haven’t been home! You haven’t taken out the trash! Baby, you ain’t gettin’ no sugar tonight!” Bachman proceeded to play the song with the same title, which was released on the American Woman album in 1970.

 

L to R-Paul Williams, Randy Bachman, Emmylou Harris, Gordie Sampson & Bob Dipiero, CMW March 12/11

Gordie Sampson, a Grammy award winner who’s written for Carrie Underwood and co-written with Bon Jovi, sang Fear of Flying; a song about a guy who’s always threatening to leave his woman, but knows he never will. Bob Dipiero also has quite a bio. In fact, after Williams finished reading it, he said “Bob you’re too big for this panel. I think you should leave the stage”. Bob proved he’s just as quick-witted as Paul when he replied, “Hey, I don’t pick on your size!”

Bachman described songwriting as something that just comes to you if you’re open enough to receive it. “I wrote this one in an instant. And it wasn’t even supposed to be a song. I was just teasing my brother who had a stutter.” When ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet’, the song for which he refers, became a million-seller, Bachman’s brother lost the stutter. But funny man Williams, President and Chairman of the Board at ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) couldn’t resist asking,“yea, but does your brother get any of the royalties?”

 

Emmylou told us that back in the day she was like every long-haired folk singer. She wanted to be Joan Baez. Harris proceeded to sing a song she wrote about a 14-year old black boy from Mississippi who was murdered in 1955. The song is sung fom the grave; from Emmitt Till’s perspective. And Gordie Sampson, a proud Nova Scotian who now lives in Nashville, performed his big song Jesus Take the Wheel, about a car accident that happened in Cape Breton. After the song was finished,  Williams tickled the audience once again telling us,“When Sinatra and Elvis covered my songs, it got me laid. And then Anne Murray, also a native of Nova Scotia, covered Talk it Over in the Morning”.

 

Youngstown, Ohio may have given birth to Bob Dipiero, but he sang “cool as a hickory wind that blows from Memphis to Apalachicola” and dedicated it to the late Gram Parsons. Paul Williams sang a line from two of his best love songs... “Love, soft as an easy chair...” (Evergreen) and “Love, exciting and new...” , recalling many a hang over morning and the Love Boat theme playing on his hotel tv set.  British-Canadian Ralph Murphy, the go-to guy in Nashville, stood by as Bachman sang She’s Come Undone; a song I’ve heard a million times, yet hearing it now resonated with me like never before. “She wanted truth but all she got was lies/Came the time to realize, and it was too late/She's come undone/She didn't know what she was headed for and when I found what she was headed for, mama, it was too late”.

 

As the circle came to a close, Emmylou remembered her friend Kate McGarrigle, a highly regarded Canadian folksinger from Montreal who passed away little over a year ago.  Harris wrote a brand new song, a farewell to her friend...“If there is one name I could consecrate, it would be yours. It would be Kate”. Paul Williams summed up the circle of the Kings and Queens of Songwriting in his closing remarks: “May your songs live forever. And may you live long enough to see your grandkids fight over the royalties!”

 

My final CMW event found me back under the Ballroom chandelier, staring at the green vines on the backdrop of the stage. It was again time for that good ol’ rock and roll, delivered via a celebrity interview with Sammy Hagar. The Red Rocker’s mop of unruly golden curls shone red atop his red shirt and red shoes, sitting beside Tommy Nast (the fella from RBE Music conducting the interview). Hagar talked about the early days, before he knew what having an ego was. He explained how he was never looking to steal the show or thunder of others, but by expressing and putting his ideas out there, received much opposition to his enthusiasm.

 

Hagar’s first stint as a front man was with the 70s rock band Montrose. He then became the lead singer for Van Halen. When Hagar was first asked to replace David Lee Roth in 1985, his career was already doing quite well. But his manager, the late Ed Leffler got him a really good deal. Leffler also got Van Halen a better record contract. The story also suggests that the agreement was finalized when Hagar was out picking up his Ferrari at the same time Eddie Van Halen was picking up his Lamborghini.

 

Hagar cites Joe Satriani as the best guitar player he’s worked with, not just because he’s a Chickenfoot band mate, but says, “Joe plays perfectly every time. He’s so versed, versatile and soulful”. When Nast asked what the secret to the success of Chickenfoot’s break through record was, Hagar replied, “If the old classic rock guys put out a great record, it would break through too. But it helps having the chemistry Chickenfoot has, filled with white light, positive energy and love. We also have Anthony and Flea, the baddest rhythm section.” Currently, Chickenfoot is in the midst of completing a new album, and 11 new songs have been written and recorded. “I was actually on my seventh vocal track when I broke to come to CMW. The 3D album cover is done and so is the video. And this may only be the band’s second album, but we’re calling it Chickenfoot IV. Why do a second and third album, when you can go straight to IV? (laughs)”

 

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, Sammy Hagar also has a tell-all book that hit shelves on March 15. And like so many others, Red:  My Uncensored Life in Rock is full of sex, drugs and rock and roll too. Nast said he counted something like 437 “fucks” and 382 “pussys”. “I’m not the kind of guy to go around slamming people, but I tell the truth in the book.  At my age, I wanted to get it down before I forget.”

 

Currently residing in Mill Valley, California, business interests show Hagar as owner of a cantina in Mexico, and a club in Nevada. He was also in the tequila business, marketing a premium line called Cabo Wabo, which sold 6,000 cases initially, and within a year increased to 35,000 cases. Cabo Wabo was the world's seventh-largest spirits company when Hagar sold 80% of his interest for a whopping 80 million dollars in 2007. He now wants to help children and struggling families around the world.  To assist the Red Rocker’s charitable activities, the Hagar Family Foundation was incorprated in 2008. “I’m very fortunate to have come up in the music business when I did. The era of excess was fantastic. When I was performing in arenas to fist-pumping crowds, I wrote songs for that audience. I would write, picturing myself belting out the words. The business may have changed, and the money may be gone, but the reasons to be in it hasn’t changed. I may never go down as a great songwriter, but I’m happy there’s still a place for us in rock.  And I give thanks for my wonderful life”.

 

As for the CMW exhibitor booths displayed on the Royal York’s third floor, acknowledgement and kudos must go out to the folks at Indie Pool for their graffitti’d Hopsitality Suite (yes, the misspelling is meant). The booth, designed as a trashed hotel room, was complete with scattered bottles of booze, a guitar in a smashed television set, a mirror ladened with lines of cocaine, and a turn table spinning pizza slices. There was also a blow up sex doll, a hookah pipe, and a Juno award stuffed between a muffler and a tire. Throw in a kiddie bike, burnt curtains, destroyed furniture, handcuffs and condoms, and you got yourself one hell of a rock and roll pad. But it was the real life, half-naked groupie splayed across the queen size bed that got the most attention.  Well, until the real life goat arrived and brought hotel security.  A real live goat!

Canadian Music Week official website...http://www.cmw.net/

 

About Lisa McDonald: Otherwise known as Live Music Head, Ms McDonald is a vegetarian who enjoys practicing yoga and pilates, but it’s an enormous passion for music that keeps her tapping away at a keyboard.  A freelance music writer living in downtown Toronto, Lisa is currently in conversation with musicians and entertainers, sharpening interview skills and publishing articles at web-based magazines.  She may be contacted at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.