Friday, November 23, 2012 

BUH BYE, FACEBOOK

Let's see... complete, total and cynical disregard for its users or their privacy; their ads don't work for business, so their investors will be pushing for other revenue streams; In a world where most folks won't even pay 99 cents for a song download, it's doubtful Facebook users would pay anything for a membership (and did we mention they don't give a damn about any of their users?)

And the nature of the Internet dictates that something newer & hotter will most certainly emerge to help kick Facebook to the curb.
 
My prediction: MySpace will soon welcome Facebook as its new neighbor.
 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/european-regulator-calls-for-changes-to-new-facebook-privacy-policy/2012/11/23/2e968144-359d-11e2-9cfa-e41bac906cc9_story.html

5:40 PM | |

Tuesday, April 10, 2012 

Hartley Peavey, Jim Marshall, Leo Fender

I was speaking with Hartley Peavey earlier tonight - it's no secret he's one of my favorite people in this world, one of those guys who somehow always makes me feel good about myself (how does he do that exactly?!?!? Maybe one day I'll figure it out). 

Among some other things we discussed--- which would be HUGE on a worldwide level if we can pull it off --- was my beloved, beat-to-hell Peavey Blues Classic amp with one 15" speaker. Which ain't working so good these days (pics below). 


I figure things like my amp are small potatoes compared to the other stuff we touch on, but I also figured he should know that I do play music on national TV for millions of people, plus thousands of people at live shows, etc. So I mainly wouldn't want Hartley to get irritated that I never brought up the possibility of endorsing his fine guitar amps. 

Then Hartley says the particular amp I own is his very favorite he ever made (I actually have two of them, a 15" and another with two 12" speakers). Strange, because I've had mine years and years before I ever met him. I've also played through tons of other amps: Marshalls, Hi Watts, Fenders, Randalls, Mesa Boogie, Yamaha, Crate, Vox, Kustom and a bunch of other boutique amps I can't remember. And you know what? Even though we often get to choose whatever we want for backline (i.e., drums & amps), I ALWAYS spec a Peavey Blues Classic with one 15" over all the rest. And I told him that tonight, plus how it's been kind of squirrely lately. But here's actually the point I wanted to make: 


Before I know it, Hartley Peavey, American icon-maverick-rebel-success-story-global-brand CEO instantly changes hats and becomes Hartley Peavey: Amplifier Repairman. He starts asking me about the amp's problems (random volume drops). Then he's telling me to pull out the guts, pull the tubes, how to pack it properly, and mail it to his attention in Meridian, Mississippi where he'll have it personally looked at and will throw in some new tubes - "what the hell."

While he's talking, it is not lost on me: This is nothing short of Leo Fender (the late/great father of the Stratocaster, Telecaster, P-Bass, Fender amps, etc.) tweaking out one of his priceless classics for someone; or Jim Marshall (who passed away last week) offering to have a look at a Marshall Stack --- just because.

More, here's an interesting fact: Hartley Peavey is one of the last great American-owned musical instrument manufacturers left, and I don't see how anyone could parallel his particular brand of success anymore, while keeping costs very affordable along the way. 


So thank you Hartley for (once again) making me feel good about myself; and for giving me a small dose of that personal touch, which is undoubtedly a huge reason for your amazing, blazing, lasting success.





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11:27 PM | |

Friday, March 30, 2012 

Pinterest | Hot Or Not?

I've been seeing this Pinterest logo button here & there, not quite sure what I think about it yet? I created an account & put up the new Rocker Recipe Card of Chip Znuff's recipe...



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8:41 AM | |

Tuesday, March 27, 2012 

REAL Rock Star Cooking W/ Chip Znuff

I was VERY surprised to notice something interesting recently: ZERO actual rock stars coming up with a Google search of "rock star cooking" or other variations of that term. Weird, huh? Sure, there are TONS of references to "cook like a rockstar!" or unknown musicians or civilians calling themselves "rock stars" in the kitchen. Sorry - but that's nowhere near the same as a REAL rockstar cooking a dish, folks. 


Although I have seen some real rock stars doing a little cooking on Daryl Hall's web (and sometimes broadcast TV) show called "Live From Daryl's House" (nicely produced show, although a lot heavier on the music over the food), they seem to avoid allowing their content to be viewable on YouTube or showing up on Google searches - I'm guessing they want to drive traffic to their website for the views, ad revenue, etc?

All that said, I'm thinking my recent video of Chip Znuff of Enuff Znuff cooking a dish is - at least for a little while - one of a kind online. A real star in every way, throwing it down in the kitchen. ENJOY!

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5:02 PM | |

Sunday, March 25, 2012 

How NOT To Direct A Show | Ginger Baker Guest Artist

I just discovered a long-lost out take from the pilot version of The Rock & Roll Kitchen, shot in Los Angeles long ago. FYI, I do not possess any of the original footage, which is another issue altogether...


It somewhat echoes a recent interview by the band leader of the just-terminated trainwreck Rosie O'Donnell Show on Oprah's Network: "I know what NOT to do."


The clip features legendary drummer Ginger Baker, ex-bandmate of Eric Clapton with both Cream and Blind Faith. He made English Pancakes, and I remember 3 things about him:


1. When I asked what he might say if I'd met him in the 60s, and told him he would be doing a cooking show in the 90s, he said: "I wouldn't have remembered."


2. He kept saying to the tall kitchen assistant with the rockin bod: "Give us a kiss, love."


3. He insisted on using an "al - u - minium pan"


But on the down side, what this clip confirms is something I knew was happening when it happened: Very bad direction. 


Since shooting that clip, I've been in front of the camera almost too many times to remember, including national TV spots, special events for major corporations, webisodes, music clips, etc. And I've also produced many many segments, interviewed people, etc. And if there's one thing I know: If the talent is doing well while the red light is on... DON'T STOP THEM!!!! Which is what you can clearly see happened with just this little clip. 

I'm delivering the line just fine and then... STOP. WTF?!?!?! Talk about killing momentum & building frustration, especially when the talent (me) was already incredibly nervous and stressed out about the whole experience (i.e., no rehearsals, uneasy about the creative direction, incredibly difficult guest interviews with Ginger Baker & Brian Wilson, etc.)

But in a weird way, I suppose you could look at it as confirming something I already knew - which means knowing what not to do.
 

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9:19 AM | |

Monday, March 19, 2012 

The Rebranding Of A Rock Star

As part of putting a "new coat of paint" for the online identities for a rockstar pal o mine, I'm THISCLOSE to locking down/merging their social media accounts with Facebook & Twitter, and it's been an interesting experience getting there.

Although I didn't set out initially to familiarize myself with this stuff - it's mostly very non-exciting time spent on research, emailing, follow-ups, etc. - I have found myself navigating the unknown waters and cutting edge of online identities, social media accounts and changes, name squatting & ownership of domain names, etc.

One problem for celebrities: It doesn't require any proof or authentication to grab a user name & account. Facebook is particularly loose with that, which is why you see so many different pages purporting to be the same famous person. 

TRADEMARKS. Although YouTube and Twitter seem to have somewhat decent response times for legit claims for those having an actual registered trademark, Facebook doesn't really seem to give a damn about anyone or anything EXCEPT paid advertisers. The only reason I had success with a user name migration was by NOT following the rules they put down for reporting bugs - and I actually got response from a real human.

And so, here's what I've done for my rockstar pal so far:

1. Recovered their domain name; 
2. Recovered their YouTube name/account; 
3. Recovered their Twitter name/account; 
4. Migrated their personal page (which had maxed out at 5000 friends) to a fan page. 

Now, I'm trying to merge two different accounts & variations (Twitter & Facebook) of their name into one - WITHOUT losing or deleting existing likes & followers. Can it be done without direct human intervention? I wonder who else out there is doing this sort of thing - anyone? And how much would they charge?


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3:19 PM | |

Thursday, February 23, 2012 

Animal Welfare League | Event marketing project

Here's a fun project & event we're happy to be involved with: The Animal Welfare League's 12th annual "Evening With The Stars" benefit (Friday, April 13th 2012). In addition to one our bands getting on the bill (Creedence Again), we also designed this shirt, we're consulting on setting up a shopping cart on their Facebook fan page AND we're producing a short digital film documentary of the event. Fun stuff in our book...



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8:25 AM | |