Three Hundred and Sixty Five Equals 365
by Steve Wardrip
Pretty spunky, racing time is here and getting there to start is a challenge. We can do it and it takes a lot of hard working people to accomplish this task. When you smell it it in the air, you know it’s there. It’s hard to move away from everything you knew at age twenty-two. Hit the road to the Northland with spare change in your pocket and a duffel bag, as in military issue olive drab green army duffel bag. I even packed my balsa wood airplane model kit I had half finished. I had the wings and fuselage all fabricated and all the parts, paper and paint for the rest. What a neat hobby.. I loved building model airplanes. I used to build boats and cars too. It just depends on the fantasy at the time. Right now the fantasy is a race, a rock n’ roll race to play 365 gigs in a year. Doable? Yup. Two guitars, you can rent amps and bring a bag of accessories and batteries. My rig travels cheap. The only problem I have is airlines. They don’t give a shit about musical instruments, now, in fact, they hate musical instruments and they try their best to break them in half. The have a good success rate at this breakage. Why change their record? I suggest sending your equipment ahead Fedex. I have just as much faith in UPS. Either is a good bet. USPS, the post office, I don’t trust so much. They don’t care as much as the private companies. Fedex must do a good job or be out of business. That’s why I say the same goes for UPS. Use one and you’ll be happy.
What are we racing? Time. We must schedule a relentless task and accomplish it. Sometime two or three gigs a day to earn days off. Precious days off. Out in the middle of nowhere driving all day, all night, and finally getting somewhere for a whole week, and we’re taking control of a whole year of performances, usually to a college in a cafeteria or gymnasium or classroom or seated stage. Do a show, drive fifteen hours and do another show and drive three hours, sleep six hours and go do a six hour show and drive to the next motel. Super 8 Motels become a blur, but they are simply the best with consistency of the most available cable tv channels. You can count on them for good coffee and danish breakfast rolls.
I feel it’s only fair to show the open books here. To be completely transparent financially really shows how authentic and genuinely performing in a professional manner is. This is a have to. Just as a great hunter in the forest, so is a great leader in the entertainment industry. Seed money is important. Focusing on a future goal helps keep the steady effort going throughout the year. Security which sees results strengthens a company and the longer it does it, the better. We’re always looking for some fresh meat. Even though it’s a risk, it can be worth it. Split the profits. Make some money. Let’s do it.
Who washes the rock stars underwear? The age old question never gets answered because no one wants the job. Groupies will do it for a short period of time, but then they always rebel and desert. In cities laundries will do it and even some hotels, but usually it’s a do it yourself chore. What I encourage our stars to do is to buy new underwear every week and discard of the old in the trash. Why go around washing when you can go around buying new?
As far as drug use goes, you are on your own. Sex? What’s that. Don’t even talk to me or anyone else in the company about it. Don’t mention it, bring it up, insinuate it, joke about it or even say the word. It’s nonexistent here at “Squeaky Clean Productions” SCP prides itself on human rights and supports individual privacy and citizen rights. Drugs, sex and rock n’ roll are old school stumbling blocks that kept us from advancing, so we changed the paradigm to “Vim, Vigor and Vitality” 3V’s run properly. 3V’s are everything in reliable power. 3V’s are the vital force leading the way to sustainable life on the stage.
Look in my eyes. I am present in the moment. I am ready and willing to help. Together, we are the 3V’s.
I suggest we get the thing running by jump-starting the brain with pure will-energy. Pure music that stems from the center of the Universe. Raw energy. 3V is now.
Logistics for 365 days on the road is tremendous and not only that, there must be two backup plans in place in case things change or get cancelled, rebooked, rescheduled or reworked. Changes are inevitable but always manageable. We must be flexible and we must be firm and committed at the same time. We must uphold high moral standards and we must provide the best service to our clients. We must treat them like royalty lest we lose their hard fought for business. Respect goes a long way with this company, in fact we go so far as to say it’s the key to prosperity worldwide. Honor thy neighbor as thyself and a miracle happens, civilization advances. Unity begins to heal.
Self medication while on tour is discouraged but not shunned. We understand the rigors and perils of the road, the toll it can take on you physically and psychologically as well. Medication is sometimes the answer and meditation is sometimes the answer. Eat well, sleep well, think well and be well. The road is not very forgiving and oftentimes downright against you advancing. I have been stranded many a time. It must be overcome every single time. 3V wins.
To do a successful show, one must be successful to begin with. Win first, then win. Not unlike aiming an arrow to shoot with a bow, see the target hit first, then hit it. Anticipate winning and proceed to win. After winning, smile with pride of accomplishment. While each of us could win on our own, we find it more rewarding to win as a group, a team, a cluster of living organisms unifying in a single cause advancing civilization and the living of life. 3V wins.
The living of life. Hard work, dedication. The culmination of a manifestation is a wonderful trophy to earn. As the day turns to night, the sweat of daytime work turns to clean fun and celebration into the night after a shower and dinner, a show and elation. Hard work equals hard partying. 3V wins.
We were real and we outlived out usefulness. We played out the rock band scenario for all we could milk it for. Society put we elderly handicapped disabled on an iceberg and pushed us out to sea. There was a green room backstage where this was explained in great detail to us. The data was tremendous as a matter of fact. The scrolls were spinning out of control and the transfer was accomplished. Now there is disarray of facts, making an impression on the amazing display. Still, 3V wins.
I have an answer to a big question.
They asked ”Why?” My answer is “Expand!” That makes sense to me.
It’s exactly what we have been doing. I hope we continue to expand.
3V expands.
