(Note: This is a thought piece, but you don’t have that listed.)
I usually say that popular culture has never really interested me, but the truth is, denying pop culture is what I do with zeal. Sure, when I was a young lad, I wore Levi blue jeans, Nike Shirts, and all the other name brands that now defy advertising. In their infancy, these corporate logos were wild and imaginative, and now they have evolved into such grotesque abominations that the mere sight of the swoosh makes millions dive into the newest display case, and myself cringe. The huge dilemma with my being a musician, is how to market our image with obtaining that feel of being the abomination; how to hold my head high while people are becoming instant stars without a single iota of stage experience.
Fact: I saw that disgusting Pop Star show once, and it was their first performance in front of a large audience. This in itself is not too shocking (I’ve been on stage for about five years, and the largest crowd was about 1000 people), for bands must practice without large audiences, and many times do you play for your drummer’s girlfriend, and the bar staff; but what knocked me flat and held my chest like André the Giant, was that it was their first time ever on stage. They had become stars with only practice. I still play everyday in a basement, so am I the next superstar?
Do I deserve wealth because I rip my fingers to shreds with hours of practice a day? Hell, I can hammer nails with the calluses on my fretting hand, but I barely ever eat two meals a day.
Is this fair?
Of course not.
But when has life been fair? And if it was fair, would music contain as much emotion as I does now? Intriguing question, but I can’t answer it. So the popstars are so only because they had the right look; they can’t dance – either that, or their choreographer sucked – and the vocal harmonies were much less than I have seen in highschool musicals. Sprite has it wrong, image unfortunately is everything. So I wonder about my image, the one I’ve put onto paper, and into 3-D. Is it because I want to make it? Do I have tattoos and piercing because the current counter-culture (which is still pop culture) says they are cool? Of course, but I love the art and the affect they maintain, and the way each time a needle jabs into me, I grow more into who I’ve always seen my self as. Maybe I am a person that society thinks it needs, or maybe I am a sell-out. I really don’t care!
Corporate Schulg: Whoa, this guy has merit!
Teenage Wastebag: He’s not cool, he just said he doesn’t care so I think he’s cool.
What I do care about, is that one day I will be able to support my habits, like food, shelter, and euphoric extras through playing my bass. If it takes getting my entire body turned into a giant magnet so I become a human pick-up, and therefore I have a gimmick, so be it.
Note: J.S. Davie has officially copyrighted the Human Pick-up. 2001, May 3. Who I hate as musicians makes little difference, but in order for a person like me to survive, and hopefully flourish, we need corporate created stars, so that when a true musician, who has sweat through years of puke and shit
breaks out, people can feel the difference. At least hopefully.
J.S. Davie
