Melodic Rock Fest - South Bend - October 6

Calling all fans of melodic rock - If you have any interest in supporting the genre, you need to do what you can to support the upcoming Melodic Rock Fest in South Bend, Indiana on October 6. Australian website www.melodicrock.com is hosting the event, and site founder Andrew is coming over for it.

Let's show the world that the USA still strongly supports quality melodic rock!!

www.melodicrock.com/southbend/

Hope to see you there.

Simply Remember 9/11

I know it's over-hyped and is quite emotional, but please take a moment on 9/11 and remember those events of 2001. If you find yourself not still affected by that day, do a "Google" search on 9/11 attacks and view some of the video of those events. I remember watching it all unfold live on TV, and cannot watch replays without experiencing the disbelief and anger. The truth of the images cannot be hidden.

Remember:
- The terrorists attacked primarily non-military unsuspecting civilian targets (with the exception of The Pentagon), using commercial planes.
- There was no explicit warning or message given prior. No opportunity for civilians to escape (unlike when the USA military attacks)
- The goal was to destroy as many lives as possible on USA soil, regardless of race, religion, nationality, gender, etc. It wasn't only USA citizens that were attacked.
- The USA (and world) is now having to fight a war against an organization that swears no specific loyalty to any country or government. They will hide wherever there is room or sympathy for them. They refuse to make themselves visible to the world.
- The USA military is visible and does not hide or mask themselves. We are open and clear about who we are, and what our purpose is. We continue to attempt to fight within the rules of engagement, while the enemy continues guerrilla attacks on civilian targets.

The attacks from 9/11 are unbelievable due to the veil around the plan and those who would be involved. A massive attack on primarily non-military targets, largely inhabited by non-military civilians is not something the world can afford to forget or excuse.

We must continue to pursue these terrorists around the world, or risk more death and destruction on our own soil. There is no third option. The terrorists want all USA citizens dead. Period. Yet, they refuse to reveal themselves, and continue to hide. If Bin Laden and/or his team are so strong and powerful, why not make themselves/himself visible? Why continue hiding?

We didn't start this war, but we will fight!!

God bless the USA, and those who stand with us against evil. Rest in Peace to those who died on that fateful day, and from other terrorist attacks. And may justice prevail against these cowardly murderers.

Hammster

Review of The Police concert

The Police – The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan - July 17, 2007:

After waiting since early March 2007, the “mighty” Police finally rolled into the Detroit area. Having sold out in a manner of minutes, the crowd was primarily fans that loved them dearly. This was becoming the “show to see” of 2007, and many were watching to see if the trio would be able to keep their personal differences in “check”.

Around 8:45pm, Sting, Stewart, and Andy opened the evening with the signature tune “Message In A Bottle”. The setlist (see below) continued with much of what has been past reported, with no noticeable difference. The band was on stage for almost 2 full hours.

Sting was in fine voice, although not as high as in the past. I am not able to confirm if songs have been lowered in key, however we suspect they have been. His bass playing was in fine form, and he has appeared to take some tricks from his solo career with various jazz musicians (some nice improv moments). Stewart appeared to be very serious and focused on his playing, while enjoying the occasional improv moments. Stewart had his main drum kit, while behind him was a selection of various cymbals, chimes, bells, a marimba-type contraption, large drums, and gong. Andy was the more “understated” of the three, while sporting a “South Park” themed guitar strap. His playing was outstanding, covering the entire spectrum from ambient echoes to blazing lead solos. Stewart and Andy provided occasional background vocals.

The band didn’t have any major visual changes during the show. Sting was stage right, Andy stage left, and Stewart in the middle. Sting stuck with his Fender bass for the entire night, and had a “not huge” amp setup behind him. Sting did have a set of synth pedals, which he only used occasionally to add some “rumble” to a chord. He did have a side stand for his coffee cup (I would assume tea, but didn’t really know). Andy stuck with Fender guitars, primarily a Strat and a Tele. He had a small set of MesaBoogie amps behind him. I couldn’t see his pedal board, but he didn’t seem to be hitting pedals often (everyone once in a while). Stewart had a Tama kit with various sized toms and cymbals, as well as the additional percussion gear behind him (mentioned above).

Musically, the set was nicely paced. They had some flexibility with some improvisation moments, however the band generally stuck with familiar arrangements of the hits. There were a few moments during the evening where it sounded like there were some missed cues or something. This helped reinforce that they were playing live, while showing that they aren’t perfect. Thanks to the live cameras, there were a couple moments when it was obvious the band was using supporting background vocal tracks. You could hear vocals additional to Sting, and could see that Andy and Stewart were not singing. Whether these were taped vocals or simply someone backstage was not known. You could also hear supporting percussion loops on “King of Pain”, “Wrapped Around Your Finger”, and “Walking In Your Footsteps”, although you could still hear Stewart doing his additional percussion parts.

The stage was very open with little obstruction, and was an “end stage” (not “in the round”). Stairs and a platform covered the side and back of the stage. Sting and Andy were both able to wander around and recognize everyone, as seats were filled completely around the arena. Three video screens were facing stage front, and a single screen was on each side and the back. This gave everyone a chance to see some of the close-up camera shots. There appeared to be a problem with the video system during the opening song, however this was fixed by the time they got to the second song.

Overall, I’d score the concert an 8.5 out of 10. They were very good, especially for not having been out on tour for 23 years. All three seemed to be enjoying the crowd response.

Opening band was called “Fiction Plane”, and is headed up by Sting’s oldest son, Joe. The band appeared to be not yet ready for such a big arena tour, although they are getting a good exposure opportunity here. I’d describe the music as a current 20-somethings version of The Police meets U2. Joe Sumner’s voice sounds quite a bit like his dads, and Joe also happens to play bass. The biggest problem was that the band looked kind of “stiff” on such a big stage, and didn’t engage the audience much. They may be much more appealing in a smaller venue. I heard a few comments from people who enjoyed their set.

The Police Set list:

Message in a Bottle

Synchronicity II

Walking On The Moon

Voices Inside My Head

When The World Is Running Down

Don't Stand So Close To Me

Driven To Tears

Truth Hits Everybody

Bed's Too Big Without You

Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

Wrapped Around Your Finger

De Do Do Do De Da Da Da

Invisible Sun

Walking In Your Footsteps

Can't Stand Losing You

Roxanne

King Of Pain

So Lonely

Every Breath You Take

Next To You

Changes and Updates

Hey All,

First off, let's talk some changes:
In an effort to reduce some unnecessary stress in my life, I'm backing off of some projects. Thus, the "Hammster Wheel" website has been redirected to my personal Tim Hamm website. This only means I am slowing down on the music production and web-design aspects. I am hoping to concentrate more on music.

I am also eliminating the "GR Music News" blog, as it simply required more time than I have available. It is still a good idea, but was simply more than I am able to keep up with. Maybe another time.

Moving on to band and music news:
I have been playing with the new group "Sookie Jones", and we have had some successful auditions at area clubs. We have some fall dates lined up, and hope to see some of you out there.

Updates should come more frequently, as I back off some of the other projects.

Until next time,

Tim
www.timhamm.com

Sookie Jones

"Doogie" Jones? "Boogie" Jones?

No, "Sookie Jones".

This is the name of a Grand Rapids based "cover" band,which I have joined. The name comes from a lyric in an Aerosmith song. The group was originally formed in 2006, and began playing out later that year and into 2007. The bass player position needed filling when their original bassist had trouble juggling the band and a 3rd shift job (who wouldn't have trouble with that?). So, the band started seeking out a replacement bassist, and I found their posting on the "Craigslist.com" website (I stumbled upon it while looking for other area music news).

The band is a 4-piece, with Brenda providing the lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Rich on lead/rhythm guitar, Kevin on drums, and me on bass. Rich and Kevin help out with background vocals, and I am doing what I can while learning the bass parts. For info, check www.myspace.com/sookiejones. An official website (not MySpace) is getting finalized in the coming week or so.

At this point, there is no "original" music in the setlist, but we do try to put our own slant on the tunes we cover. For example, our version of Norah Jones "Don't Know Why" is based around guitar, rather than piano. Rich does a nice job with the arrangement, and Brenda does great with the vocals. The setlist on MySpace is only about half accurate, as we are adding and removing some.

Some of you may wonder why I have moved in this direction. I have two reasons that I can point to. One is that, with Sojourn, I found myself writing bass parts that were within my already existing skills. This led to little progression in my talents, and was my own fault for not working harder. When playing with a "cover" band, I am having to learn a variety of styles, and need to play them well. Thus, I have to become a harder working musician. Second, I am trying to take a smaller role within the band's business. While still enjoying my roles within Sojourn, it is nice not having to worry about sound gear, recording, and etc. I just show up and play bass guitar. More"play" and less worry.

I'm not sure where it will lead or how long it will be together, but I am finding the experience beneficial.

Gigs are already booked for the fall of 2007, and various auditions will be taking place over the summer. Come fall, there should be a more solid idea of how I will fit into all this.

See you out there.

Tim
www.timhamm.com

Marketing 101

So, what's going on with marketing these days?

I work in a small office and one of our owners fancies himself a marketing manager. The biggest problem is that he brings in some part time people who are going to help him with the "marketing". Apparently, his definition of "marketing" only includes creating documents in Adobe Pagemaker or Photoshop. Notice, there is no mention of determining actual marketing strategies or determining customer expectations.

In my opinion, the part time person is filling more the role of "graphic designer" and not actually "marketing.

Now, I don't profess to be any marketing expert, nor have I taken any formal classes on the topic. However, I have been spending some time lately reading various marketing books, especially ones that apply to the internet and website marketing.

One of the good ones recently published is called "Call To Action" (Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg). This books says more in the first 20 pages, than most books say in 300 pages. If you have any interest in internet website marketing, you MUST read this book You can find it on Amazon. As I look today, it's released in a paperback version. Get this book!!

Also, I have been reading good things about the new book "Waiting for Your Cat to Bark" (Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg). In fact, Amazon is putting these two books together as sort of a "package deal" (if that sort of thing interests you). In any case, I've heard plenty of good things about this book, and am planning on getting my own copy soon.

I started getting interested in this sort of thing after first hearing about Seth Godin's book "Free Prize Inside". This is another great book on basic marketing techniques.

On a final note, I would also recommend the classic "Guerilla Marketing" by Jay Levinson. This is THE book on budget minded marketing ideas, and has become the introductory marketing book for many small businesses. If you haven't read this one yet, grab a copy online or at your local bookstore. There will be at least one idea that could make a huge difference in your own endeavors.

That's it for now. Talk to you soon!!!

Hammster

Random Thoughts from the week

Hi All,

It's been awhile since I've posted, so I'm just going to throw some random thoughts out.

One thing on my mind this week is the impending announcement of Journey hiring vocalist Jeff Scott Soto as their new full time lead singer. Jeff has been in the lead singer role since July of 2006, having stepped in when previous singer Steve Augeri had to leave due to throat issues. From what I've read so far, it sounds like Steve A was never really that comfortable with the vocal style Journey required. Part of this is justified by the other members taking lead vocal shots during the recent "Generations" CD. Last month, I got to see the band with Soto as the lead singer, and I gotta say that he brought some energy back to the band. His level of enthusiasm was contageous, and the entire band appeared to be playing as it their lives depended on it. I could see how making Soto "full time" would help continue the current momentum they have going. From what I see, they have new "promo shots" with Jeff as part of the band, and the "official" announcement can't be far off. I see it as a good thing, even though I never really had a problem with Augeri.

On Sunday night, I was at the Bob Seger concert here in Grand Rapids. This was a "sold out" show, and there were plenty of 50-somethings wandering around. Now, I'm almost 42, and don't have a problem with an older crowd. My problem was with these folks acting like they were 20 again. Although I understand "reliving your youth", this went beyond that. As far as Seger, he sounded fair. Not outstanding, but good enough. No fancy lighting or introduction, and no live video feed to screens. Just the basic band, playing through the hits and some new music. In my opinion, it sort of came across as a giant "bar band". I would have like to see Bob give the tour a bit more thought, and have brought along some more of the current technology found at concerts (like the live video feeds). Overall, I'd give it a 7 out of 10.

This weekend, I will be catching the Jars of Clay concert here in Grand Rapids. I've never seen the band before, and have very little knowledge of their music. I'm going with a friend who has seen them before. I'm basically going along to get an idea of what the band is like live, and I'm not sure if I'll leave with any new opinion of the band. It would be nice to.

Other than that, I'm just kind of staying "inactive" in live performance, as I'm still not sure of what direction I want to go. After Sojourn went on hiatus, I'm just not sure what will best fit. I would like to do something more "rock", but I also realize that it's not exactly "credible" coming from a bunch of 40/50 yr olds. I'm leaning towards a more "coffeehouse" acoustic/folk/jam band type idea, but not sure about that either. I'm sure I'll eventually come to some conclusion.

That's enough for now,

Hammster

Check out Visual Cliff

Hey All,

I have been enjoying the music of a great mostly instrumental band, and I thought it would be worthwhile to pass the information along.

The band is called "Visual Cliff", and they have multiple CDs available via their website. This is mostly a "studio" band, and they are independent. The very cool part is that they told me they are doing a majority (if not all) of their production via Cakewalk Pro 9. Now, as many of you may be aware, CakeWalk Pro 9 is an older versionof the CakeWalk product. However, these guys are putting out an amazing product using this software.

The point is that you don't necessarily need the "latest and greatest" software or hardware to create some outstanding music. Excellent musicians who have a good understanding of their own gear, are able to frequently get better results than the guy with all the new stuff but no knowledge. So, my advice today is to stop worrying about whether you have the latest gear, and just get to be the best at using what you currently have.

Personally, this is a challenge also to myself, as I tend to be a person who thinks the latest versions will give me that added boost I need to get going. It hasn't worked out yet, and I'm slowly learning my lessons.

Take what you got, and make some great music with it!!!

Blessings,

Hammster

"What Is Indie" Movie

Hey All,

Just wanted to let you know about a new independent movie that is getting some press around the independent music scene.

The movie is called "What Is Indie?" and it is a documentary covering a bunch of independent musicians. Some are coffeehouse musicians, while others are in different styles.

The movie is truly a documentary, and does include course language from some musicians. Because of this, I would have to give the movie an "R" rating, although there is no nudity. The movie is "unrated" due to the director's choice.

You can find more out at www.whatisindiemovie.com

Check it out, if you are interested in a good discussion about what actually makes a musician an "Indie artist". Definitely made me think a bit about it.

Later,

Tim
www.timhamm.com

But Everyone Likes Us!

Lately, I’ve been reading quite a few books on indie music marketing, and there is a common theme that I think many Christian artists have neglected. The issue is with “branding” yourself.

You see, the casual music fan likes to have some sort of reference point for what to expect from this “new music” you are offering. The idea is to come up with a brief description of your music, which is also narrow in focus. Simply stating you play “Christian music” or “rock music” includes such a wide spectrum of styles that the term isn’t specific enough to connect with the music fan. The typical fan needs something that gives them a reference point. For example, “Christian 80s Synth Pop Music (but without the big hair)” gives a much more specific word picture. You have a fairly decent idea of what to expect from the description.

It’s a fact that you have a much better chance of being recognized, when in smaller crowds. Thus, the smaller you can identify the specific musical niche or genre, the more likely you will be more successful in that market. Many bands do not want to be “typecast” into a specific style, and purposefully try to appeal to a wide range of fans. Simple consideration concludes this method will be much more difficult to be found by music fans, while also being quite difficult to maintain.

So, make your life a bit easier, and spend some time chipping away at your musical identity, working to find the most specific description you can achieve. With some work, you should be able to get yourself out of the ocean and into a nice sized swimming pool.

On the plus side, you certainly won’t waste as much time and money, when you are dealing with those who are already interested in your style of music, right?

Feel free to post comments, or email me.

Tim Hamm
www.timhamm.com

Welcome

Welcome to my own personal blog page.

Here I will offer tips and insight into independent music, as well as how it applies to Christian musicians. I will also offer insights into various issues related to this topic.

If you have any suggestions for topics, feel free to contact me via my website www.timhamm.com

Thanks,

Tim