When Bogus Slogan last played Berlin, the promoter did a no-no. The long story is that the band wanted to play 5 dates in the city. Two stadium size venues, two large theaters and one "oversized" club appearance. The gigs in the theaters and the club had no problems. However, the promoter had lost the second stadium date. Even though he had sold over 45% of the seats, he failed to pay both of the stadium's deposits.
Not telling anyone, he continued and sold out the second show. Then two days before the first show, publically announced that the second show had been moved to the first show date as a matinee. Clever, no?
When concert goers showed up, the fraud was exposed. The promoter had closed his office and was found sitting in the waiting room of a local police station. A lot of money was in the briefcase on his lap.
Bogus Slogan played a 2 hour sound check and the band and the stadium management split the briefcase in two.
Bogus Slogan Poster #66 - Inside View
Pacific Trust Collection of Laguna Beach
Ninety Eighth Annual American Natural Objects Competition
2007 Gallery Poster
ZenithPointStudio of Laguna Beach, California has released the gallery poster for the promotional use of the Pacific Trust Collection of Laguna Beach for the 98th Annual American Natural Objects Competition. Tiitled "Nice & Easy," the studio has taken the competition theme of "family life" into a unstated realm of understanding. 16" x 20" prints, signed by the artist, Robert Soelberg, are avaialble for sale at the CityView Gallery's Merchandise Store or by mail order from the Gallery Web Site. The poster comes unframed, in a professional mailer, for only $19.95 insured.
Founded at the turn of the 20th Century, the Pacific Trust Collection of Laguna Beach originally was a small co-operative involved with local art promotion.The PTC, organized the annual American Natural Objects Competition to expand the scope of artistic expression on the West Coast. The PTC has continued as title sponsor, exclusively retaining ZenithPointStudio to create posters to publicize the ANOC.Located in Laguna Beach's Capitol Building CityView Gallery, the American Natural Objects Competition is presented in the 8,000 sq. ft. A.R. Powell wing. The Pacific Trust Collection also maintains a permanent installation from their holdings in the CityView Gallery's main salon.
Gallery hours are 10am - 4pm, Monday through Friday; 1pm - 5pm, Saturday; Gallery is closed Sundays. Admission is free, photography is not allowed.
Bogus Slogan Poster #65 - Inside View
When out spending your entertainment dollar, your discretionary income, remember some history. Not much is needed. Just remember your favorite Bogus Slogan song. Your favorite album.
In the band's multi decade career there have been many favorites. This causes the significant problem of the playlist selection. Some sacrifices have to be made. Certain songs are a must. Others can be rotated in and out of the concerts. Thanks to the electronic web, local voting contests help satisfy most of the fans.
For Bogus Slogan Poster #65 at the Wetsworth Cabana, Miami Beach, Florida, the concert was a private party. The sufficiently wealthly Mentine family's youngest daughter, Kelly had her sweet sixteen birthday party. A life long fan of Bogus Slogan, she asked if she could make out the playlist. A concession, for band tour manager Terry Pressner to approve the playlist, was accepted by Kelly. When the band arrived, they were given sealed envelopes.
Kelly choose the B-side from every band single before 1979. Total playing time was 2 hours 10 minutes. Perfectly acceptable timewise, but over half of the songs could not be remembered by anyone in the band.
Immediately afterwards, the record company released a BS rarities and B-side compilation. Pressner was charged full retail for his CD.
Expressions: No Bad Habits (2004)
Let's say you have at least one significant other in your life. Since your live in the same location, you have a front row view of his or her character. Day after day (after day). You get the picture.
No Bad Habits?
Bogus Slogan Redux
With the arrival of 2007, the members of Bogus Slogan reflect back on a wonderful year in the entertainment industry. Sales and downloads of the music from the latest album, "A Little Heart" (2006), were all time records. The amazing concert grosses from the American and Central American tours were based on sell outs at every event.
The Band's fan appreciation concert was at the Griffen Palace Theater in Chasen, South Carolina, home of super fan, Olivia O'Neal. Gifts, including cars, vacations, VIP future tour passes, mp3 players, were bestowed on fan club members at the Griffen and to many of the fans registered on the web site which streamed the audio from the show.
2007 will bring several DVD relaeases, one of which is the heavily traded bootleg concert from 1970's Heat Club in Montreal, Canada. The currently circulating "best quality" digital audio file has only 12 of the 15 song set recorded from a single microphone in the audience. The DVD not only has a 2 camera video for the first 8 songs, but the entire audio performance in stereo. The soundboard audio analog tape has been "rescued" and restored. From this show comes the only performance of the forty minute epic "Mona's Little Friend" (unfortunately not captured on film).
Plus lots of new merchandise... So please start saving your money... Oh yeah, there should be another album (or at least an EP) and a summer tour of Europe and the Mediterranean... Align yourself with Bogus Slogan.™
Bogus Slogan Poster #64 - Inside View
D.C. Comics is the other great comic franchise. Home of Superman and Batman, many other amazing characters.
Today's Superman has been re-invented so that he can reflect the anxiety of human kind. But what noble beginnings he had. Batman's never ending quest for revenge has been slowed by his concern for not killing. But his origins are born in the most crushing of human experiences, death.
Superman's world can be more modern than our tomorrows will ever be. Whereas Batman's urban city of crime contains nearly every nightmare we can imagine.
When visiting the cities in our world, Bogus Slogan tries to make traveling as simple as possible. Many years of travel experience makes getting the band to and fro somewhat easy. Therefore, it is the equipment crew that have all the great stories. And there is no glory for them as the most valuable instruments go alongwith the band.
Getting to the Tall Boys Cantina in Louisville, KY was one such horror story. On a December night, the band equpment bus skidded, downhill, on black ice for over 3/4 of a mile. Gaining speed, the vehicle clipped a mountain side which broke out the headlights. For the last 1/4 mile Eddie "Last Rites" Davidson just let the steering wheel loose waiting for the end.
The crew was so dedicated, they rented a truck, off loaded the stuff, and made the set up at the club, an hour ahead of schedule. Bogus Slogan sent Eddie and Mark on a three week vacation in the Virgin Islands the next day.
Photos: Mill Creek Motel (2002)
Hopes, dreams and a reasonable return of one's equity is why people build a business. Certainly a business as labor centric as a motel. At any moment some stray traveler will enter your office with money so that they can get some sleep or something. This is where having teenage children really helps.
The Mill Creek Motel, once, might have been the perfect place to stop for the night while in the Greater Bremerton area (Washington). Now it falls apart.
Washington is not known for a lot of sunlight. I visited this site a half a dozen times looking for a photo lit by the sun. It was out of the way. Spent over 3 hours of my life with this sign waiting for the sun.
I think the locals are laughing at me.
Bogus Slogan Poster #63 - Inside View
Taking to the road with a new album of songs is always a challenge. A band can have some confidence if the released single got some airplay - at least one song should go over. With Itunes and its ilk, people can now pick and choose the songs and ignore the album. Forget that concept rock opera. Ain't gonna happen.
The BS Poster #63 photo is of an intersection in a post World War II city, nearly bombed into oblivion. Similarly, the landscape of popular music no longer seems stable. A business model that was once solid as granite no longer needs the retail outlet. No longer needs the disc manufactuer or the guy who drives the product to the distributor.
Thankfully, the fans still love Bogus Slogan. Thankfully they still attend the concerts and buy the music in what ever form it is found. But, illegal song sharing is a great concern. The band is looking into a used B-52 stratocrusier. Anybody got a link for an aerial munitions dealer?
Abstracts: Bound to Fall Over (2004)
Timeless rotations spreading,
Bound to fall over.
Bogus Slogan Poster #62 - Inside View
That's Juliette Beavan of 8mm - I think she is married to fellow band member Sean - if not it still too bad. She has a lot of friends. The band's MySpace page has over 25,000 friends. That is more than you... way more. The poster's backdrop is a photograph of her by Critter. I think we see the value of Mardi Gras beads.
Silverlake, CA has resisted the world. I don't know how. I think it would look the same as the last time I drove through - maybe 20 years ago. But Bogus Slogan did a lot of giging through out the greater LA basin and saw a lot of Silverlake. In the 1960's you could get to places cheaply and, avoiding the commuter, quickly. Early supporters of the band supplied free transportation. Extra sleep and home cooked food made the six night work week doable. From San Diego to San Francisco, From the sea to the desert, even Phoenix & Las Vegas could fit.
The Cafe de Lira, while Antony "All Desire" Martin was manager, was a Bogus Slogan mainstay. AD adopted the band. Fed, clothed, some times a few dollars to help with the gas. Only he had no pull getting the band to play his club. But the house promoter finally noticed that guys from BS kept showing up. When she learned that they had approached only her club to get a job, she gave an audition.
Bogus Slogan have preached to the faithful there ever since.
SysOps Notice 2007.01.01
Dressed in black
Several of my favorites rock n' rollers got to have long careers. Jack Bruce, Todd Rundgren, Peter Framptom, Stan Ridgway... several didn't - Morrison, Hendrix, Rory Gallagher, Stevie Ray Vaughn. Bruce's career is the most interesting, the most varied. Beginning in the early 1960's and overcoming recent physical problems (liver), he continues to this day with his unique voice and superb musicanship. He can write & record & play. Been an unknown, playing in pubs, to top of the music world with Cream. I find his jazz recordings too strong, but have a listen. Start with my favorite: Harmony Row (1971).
Getting back with Ginger Baker, Bruce and Gary Moore recorded a modern Cream album: Across the Next Dream (1994). Beautifully produced and recorded, Moore plays in the guitar chair of Eric Clapton using the Gibson Les Paul signature sound. The songs are not homages, but added statements.
Bruce has played in groups with Graham Bond, Chris Spedding, John Mayall, John McLaughlin, Alexis Korner, Kip Hanrahan, Leslie West, Bernie Worrel, Robin Trower... Asked by Jimmy Page to be in Led Zeppelin - recorded with Frank Zappa - wrote songs with Pete Brown.
Recently played with the Hessischer Rundfunk Big Band.
Still doing that scrapyard thing.
PopWorks & Commercialization 10
