We Don't Suck!
About a decade ago, when I was in regular JOE 2.0, we used the power of the internet to make our area aware of us. We weren't the first band around here to do it. ReverbNation started helping bands book gigs virtually.
However, internet band booking wasn't as strong as a good, in your face, funny commercial. Our band had a flair for the irreverent. So, I fired up my Mac, and used a template iMovie contained. I used clips that our fans would send us via email, and plugged them into the template. Then, I did a voice over. Click here to see our You Tube advertisement video.
In the clip, you'll see our "schtick". Lots of movement, LED lights, and the rest. Our band was the first one around to extensively use LED lights, mostly because of Rick, our drummer. We played a gig a Cooter Brown's, and Rick took the club's cables for the lighting rig and pulled them all out. Unfortunately, he couldn't remember where they were supposed to go back. It took Armando and Rick the better part of two days to put them back. And even then, the system didn't work the same. Cooter Brown's never asked us back (go figure). To make matters worse, the lights were the old Parr can type lights, and were hotter than the sun. Down here in Pensacola, we don't need more heat in the summer.
To be sure Rick never did that again, I started buying our own LED lights, which were cooler, brighter, lighter weight, programmable, and more resilient. I also docked everyone's pay to help fund the light purchases.
The commercial was supposed to make light that things around us seem to collapse every 10 years or so. There's comfort in being prepared. If you believe, like I do, despite your best efforts things will get worse, then, you need a plan. And if things don't get worse for you, then that's the time to buy assets. Buy low, and sell high, right?
You'll see in the footage a video still we used for the EP, "You Wish", which Michelle, embarrassingly enough, helped us shoot at the Jellyfish, when Phil Thomas Katt came around to shoot our "Skin Deep" video. It was her "You Wish" bloomers we all thought were great. For a bunch of idiots catering to the girls, the Krewe Du YaYas, really helped us have fun and raise money for breast cancer.
It was fun, and irreverent. Have fun watching the video.