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Monday, January 28, 2013

Farts on Facebook

aka 'Over-Sharing'

Hi there,

If you were sitting on a bus and the stranger next to you told you about their fungal infection and how, in great detail, it curtailed their sexual exploits, you'd probably get off a few stops earlier than originally intended, wouldn't you?

I saw a cabaret show recently where the artist, within the 8 minutes that her show ran, told the audience about the great love of her life who had a long drawn-out battle with breast cancer and shared intimate and gory details about how she lost that battle. It was a heartfelt story and obviously deserved our great sympathy but don't you think it is all a little, well, too much information? At least for our first brief meeting with her?

I think nowadays many of us demand to know much more about the artists who create the music, movies and musings we love. We want the ins and outs of our favourite celebrities' every day lives from their underwear preferences to their spiritual beliefs. I understand why, but as a performer myself, I'd like to retain a modicum of mystery and like to think that people will take a bit of time to let my full story unfold.

Am I being old-fashioned or do you agree that the age of Twitter and Facebook is turning us into a community of over-sharers, where no bodily function is too inconsequential to require its own tweet or status update? 

Most of us have a 'story' to tell, whether it's a crime we've committed or a calamity we've confronted. I've got a doozie of the latter variety -  maybe I'll tell you about it over a glass of Shiraz one day. But I'm loathe to drop it onto an audience, who are probably just out for a night of entertainment to forget their own tragedies. Am I wrong - should I use everything I've got to 'make a connection' with people I'm performing to?

While tip-tapping on the keys to write this very blog, one of my best friends rang me to suggest that I did in fact become more public about my particular ordeal. I am trying to 'crowdfund' for my latest recording and with 8 days to go, am sorely under target. She believes that being more revealing could actually help my campaign and is, after all, simply sharing a saga that brought me to where I am today and could even prove inspirational. I respect her take on things but am still stewing on it...

Love to hear what you think.

Oh and by the way, here is the link to my crowdfunding project - your help is much appreciated: www.pozible.com/amandaeaston


Now one thing I don't mind sharing is my video - above - please pass it on - share share share!
Cheers,
Amanda



Tuesday, January 22, 2013

The Name Game - Hairy!

Hi there,

What's in an album name? I mean what was Adam Ant thinking when he released 'Dirk Wears White Sox'? Oh that's right, it was 1983. A decade for great album names, like Jermaine Jackson's 'Let Me Tickle Your Fancy'. I can see how the 70s could sire REO Speedwagon's 'You Can Tune a Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish'. But what was Paul McCartney's excuse with his 2012 offering of 'Kisses on the Bottom'?

So, I'm trying to come up with the name of my new EP. My first album was called 'Amanda Easton'. Well I'd run out of creative energy after writing all those songs! The second was 'Chanteuse' suggested by an audience member. I like that one but the pronunciation caused consternation among radio DJs everywhere who ended up calling it 'Chantoozie'.


I have been stewing on the name for the new EP for quite a while. Mentioned my dilemma to husband, as he was hanging out the washing this morning. He said, quite out of the blue, how about 'Out of the Blue'? It's the name of one of the songs on the EP and it has double meaning...

Around 10 years ago, during an annus truly horribilis, I felt that my head was on fire so I dyed my hair flaming red. Fast forward to two years ago and life delivered me another corker to send me running for the dye bottle. (At least it wasn't a tequila bottle - we all have our particular coping mechanisms!). 
'Blue Velvet' I now am and 'Out of the Blue' is the name of the new EP.

If you'd like to be involved in it, please check out my crowdfunding link: www.pozible.com/amandaeaston and check out this little vid:


Cheers,
Amanda

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Try Hard but don't be a ..Try-Hard

Hi there and happy new year!

Try Hard. It used to really bother me that these two words, when used as a noun, could be negative - how could there by anything wrong with trying your absolute hardest? Call me a try hard and shouldn't it be a compliment? 

But I think I get it now. Recently a newbie pop artist directed me to their YouTube videos. I saw an impressive stage, custom-made sets, multiple back-up singers and slickly-choreographed dancers - all there to support this artist who strutted the stage, changed costumes multiple times and... sorry, but could barely sing in tune! I respect and almost envy the confidence he has to organise and finance what were obviously his own productions, but it all looked very, well... try-hard! Some style perhaps but very little substance.

He was skipping all of the vital steps - he had some of the trappings of the popstar but none of the goods, yet at least. Talk about putting the cart before the horse - and I know a thing or two about going bass ackwards, having announced my CD Launch before actually recording the CD!

Do you remember the 'Marcus is Coming' campaign of the late '80s in Australia? Those three words adorned hundreds of billboards and bus-sides - one of the first examples of a teaser campaign that went viral, before the internet even existed. So much attention ensued that when this singer-songwriter was finally revealed and his song launched, it was slammed viciously from all quarters. It had no chance of living up to the hype.

It might be something to do with our instant celebrity culture, but this kind of thing seems even more common nowadays. Kids (I know, that makes me sound old doesn't it?) want the end result without all the hard work, all the trying hard! 

I say, let it flow naturally man and those set designers will soon be knocking down your door. 

See you next week,
xAmanda