Re: Red Hot Chili Peppers To Cover Led Zeppelin At The Superbowl

[Wyatt Brake <wyattbrake@xxxxxxxxx>]

http://redhotchilipeppers.com/news/454-a-message-from-flea

Scott Tournet, lead guitarist for Grace Potter and the Nocturnals,
also shared Flea's message on Facebook and added this:
"This topic brought up a lot of thoughts for me. In the recent/modern
music climate, more and more artists are saying YES. Yes to
commercials, yes to endorsing products, yes to backing tracks, etc.
Being in my position I've been very torn about this stuff. I
personally come from the camp of old school Neil Young, Led Zep
(business wise), etc. which is "fuck off and let me do it with purity
and total idealism concerning the music". I think it makes superior
art.
That being said, about 7 years ago I was arguing intensely with our
management/label about putting a song of ours on that awful TV show
"The Hills". I just hated that show. What it stood for and how it
influenced selfishness, greed, and narcissism among a younger
generation. I also hated that it was on "Music" television and us
being "musicians", this was our only chance to actually get on MTV.
Needless to say I lost the argument.

At the time I was pissed and still thought the righteous thing to do
was to follow in Neil Young's footsteps....BUT....Neil Young has a
fuck-ton of $$$ and a beautiful ranch in which he can comfortably say
NO. Why? Because people used to BUY music. Musicians used to make
albums and then people would pay $ for them. Like anything....food,
sneakers, a car, a coat. This topic is so far gone and people get so
aggressive over their stance that we as musicians are "whining" or
aren't "creative" in finding new income. Many of my friends have laid
this on me directly as I've continued to feel strongly that we should
get paid for our music.

So how else do we as musicians get paid??? Touring and endorsing
products (i.e. commercials). To those of you who go to shows and see
it as glamorous...It is!!! BUT, only when we're on stage for those 2
hours or so. Otherwise, we're sleeping in moving vehicles, heating up
meals in microwaves, changing time zones constantly, on never-ending
flights, etc. Really though, the hardest part of it is being away from
the ones we love. I LOVE making music and playing shows but I don't
want to be doing it over 200 days a year for the rest of my life. I'm
no different than you and I'd like a family one day with kids...hell,
even a dog would be nice and this is nearly impossible to have when
you're gone over 200 days a year.

So if we want musicians and bands to say NO to bullshit commercials
and lip synching nonsense and have more control over the purity of
their music and message we have to figure out a better way for them/us
to get paid directly for the music. I know I'm gonna receive some
blowback for this but I don't give a shit. I've been sitting on this
frustration for too long. It just seems insane to me that this is even
an argument." - Scott Tournet
https://www.facebook.com/ScottTournet

On Wed, Jan 29, 2014 at 3:43 PM, Wyatt Brake <wyattbrake@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I hadn't seen the video of the actual question & response before now -
> as Brian G (Ramble On Radio podcast) and SPIN magazine have pointed
> out, Chad Smith was likely fucking with everyone.
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPYXcL-rETg
>
> http://iambriandammit.podbean.com/2014/01/29/ramble-on-radio-the-led-zeppelin-podcast-episode-45/
>
> http://www.spin.com/articles/red-hot-chili-peppers-led-zeppelin-super-bowl-joke/