Gaga Got it Right (In Defence of Cabaret)

Hi there,

I know Lady Gaga is not everyone’s cup of tea – and that’s ok because there is no accounting for art or taste. Certainly her recent tribute to David Bowie provoked mixed reactions. The key word here is ‘provoke’. I think it’s great when music moves people and brings out their passion – isn’t that one of the most important jobs of art? I’m a big fan of Gaga but I’m an even bigger fan of Bowie. Funny thing is, while Gaga’s detractors criticised her for being ‘cabaret’ and ‘crass’ in her tribute, that’s exactly what Bowie’s detractors used to say about him! I’m not implying Gaga has reached the artistic heights of the Starman, but I think if he is in fact looking down at us from the stars, he would have approved of Gaga’s Grammy performance.

I don’t think ‘cabaret’ is a dirty word.  I was born with glitter in my veins and I believe that stripping away the ‘show’ and theatricality from our business has been part of its demise. I’m not a fan of mother-in-law jokes, faked emotion or jazz hands, which is what cabaret gets criticised for – but great cabaret is moving and capable of lifting us out of the ordinary. I think we need more cabaret  in rock and roll, not less. Thank goodness for the flamboyant likes of Bowie and The Darkness.  And now Gaga, following in their glam footsteps. 

When we started sticking one man bands in corners of pubs, without stages, lighting and all the fanfare and pizzazz we used to expect from live performances, I think it was the beginning of the end.  And of course there is a place for shoe-gazing, understated singer songwriter types but the reason they don’t appeal to me is the same reason I’m not a big fan of reality TV. I can look around me and see plenty of ‘real’ thank you. When I watch the box, I want surreal, wild imaginings, fabulous sets and costumes and other fruits of fantasy. I want heightened reality, not the everyday drama I can see if I look out my kitchen window.

So, here‘s to cabaret, old chum. And in that theme, here is my new music video, hot off the presses, the camp, cabaret-tastic world of the post-modern discoteque, ‘Disco Disconnected’
https://youtu.be/xXXdaWcuAuM

See you next time,

Amanda
Oh, and tickets to the Sydney launch of the new album here.

Should you Produce yourself?

Hi there,

I am the person who, in between hairdresser visits, hacks at and colours their own hair. I got down on my hands and knees and sanded and stained the damaged floorboards in the kitchen rather than call a professional and I decided I could produce, direct and edit my latest music video all by myself. So I'm no stranger to do-it-yourself.

One area I don't go near, however, is my own music production. I have lots of ideas and I put all those ideas in a multi track demo that I give to a producer. He sees through my suspect sounds and mootable mixing, sprinkles some fairy dust and suddenly what I hear in my own head comes to life. I've heard a lot of self-produced artists recently and each time I've come away thinking: great singer, great songs, but there is something missing. I'm not suggesting that there are no great artists who are also great producers - Michael Carpenter at Love Hz Studios is one of those and Floyd Vincent did a great job on his recent live album. But I think that a lot of artists aren't equally good producers and, while hair does grow back, no-one really looks at the kitchen floor and I might get away with a DIY film clip for one of my songs, I know my home baked production would be half baked. Just like I think singers need singing lessons, I think artists need producers. If nothing else, it's a second brain and pair of ears to prod you out of your comfort zone... or perhaps reign in the wilder reaches of creativity and lend some consistency to a group of tunes that will end up as an album or EP. 

Songwriter's songs are like their babies and we don't take kindly to criticism of our offspring - but let's face it, often it is required. And you might think the little tacker would look terrible in a stripey onesie but it could just be that the pattern brings out the absolute best in their complexion. It takes a lot of years to become a good singer. It takes just as long to become a good producer. So if you have been spending most of your time working on your singing and songwriting, why not leave the knob twiddling and audio magic to the guys and girls that have been spending so many of their waking hours on that craft?

By the way, you can judge for yourself, my DIY filmclip (this is the remix version).

http://youtu.be/dhI5nL0jsuY

'Till next time,
Amanda

Music is Alive and Well in Sydney

Hi there,

It's very popular to bemoan the state of the music industry in this city - venues closing down, illegal downloading eating up artist profits etc. Not to say those things aren't true... but I witnessed something recently that made me feel very positive about music in Sydney town.

Twelve fabulous local independent artists joined me two weeks ago, on the video shoot for my upcoming single 'The New Bohemians'. The song is about having a fierce independent artistic spirit and all the people that I asked to feature in the clip have been important in my musical journey (now you know I really mean it when I use the word 'journey' because I cringe at its rampant overuse  - but I really think it fits here!).

As far as I know, noone that turned up for the shoot has made millions from their music, but each one has a passion for it that flares up into lots of different artistic projects. In the video I use the imagery of flowers to represent the blooming of creativity and the colour that music brings to the world - and this was very much in evidence behind the scenes as well as in front of the camera. Every artist has their 'something' and on this day everyone had their somethings on proud display. I also witnessed a lot of cross pollination of ideas between different artists that hadn't met before and the enthusiasm in the air was palpable.

You can't put a price on the way you can lose yourself a song, the way music can let you wallow, holler, scream, shout and be transported to a magical place. It can't be all about the cold hards. It may be difficult to make money from our art and even trickier sometimes to find a place to stage it, but it exists and in some sunny corners of this town, it is absolutely in full bloom.

Check out the pictures from behind the scenes of the shoot:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/87281046@N05/sets/72157649047780981/

See you next time.

Video Thrilled the Radio Star

Video Thrilled the Radio Star


Hi there,


I interrupted my 'How to Get on the Radio' series by putting in my 2 cents about The Voice last blog...but that actually segues quite nicely back to this topic today.


The best way to get on the radio is to get on the telly. I've been told this directly by people in the industry - 'Go forth and get thyself on a soapie!' Certainly worked in Oz for the two Natalies, Kylie, Jason and even cooler indies like Clare Bowditch are currently giving the box a try. And why not, the exposure is fab - you're all colour and movement in thousands of living rooms simultaneously? My problem with using the telly as a promo vehicle for the radio is that TV is even harder to get on to than the radio! It reminds me of 'There's a hole in my bucket Dear Liza Dear Liza'. Poor Liza can't get any water in her bucket because of said hole but the only way she can fix it is by using water - from said bucket...

Of course now we've got multiple audio visual mediums to aim for. YouTube and its cohorts should never be overlooked as promo vehicles - make your own music video, do a tour v-log and film your live shows. Ask fans to make a video to your new song. Don't forget Community TV - TVS in Sydney is great and is always looking for good content. 


Metropolitan Radio has to sit up and take notice once there is enough groundswell from other sources. These sources include metro regional radio stations. If you're touring in their area, organise to drop in - you're newsworthy on the Gold Coast just by touring the Gold Coast. Gold FM might get you on air for a live acoustic version of a song. Of course by this stage you've already sent a press release to the Gold Coast Bulletin (and followed up with a phone call) and maybe they've interviewed you and published a story and photo in their music section about your gig at a local venue.


An old marketing adage states that a consumer needs to see your 'message' seven times before it registers. Music promotion has to be a multi-pronged approach, so use every vehicle at your disposal until the big guns clock you. Once there's a buzz, to really get under the noses of the likes of Nova or 2Day Fm you need to save quite a few pennies and get yourself a radio promoter. Russell Thomas and Stephen Green are the two that seem to have the goods in Australia. They have already built up the networks and relationships that ensure radio programmers take their calls and listen to their recommendations. 
Cheers,
Amanda