Are Band Members Consumable Goods?

Is one drummer (or singer, guitar player, etc.) as good as any other, or are some musicians so special, they just can't be replaced. Bob Lefsetz thinks the latter, and I agree in some cases. Maybe you can replace the bass player in Bon Jovi, but nobody has ever really replaced John Bonham.

'Flying High Again'
Posted: November 19, 2009
Conventional wisdom is musicians are fungible. If one dies or quits, you just get another. But players are not like cars, which you crash and then replace, they're not like workers on an assembly line, in the best cases they're unique, which is why we love them so, which is why their legends live on long past their deaths, which is why when bands pick up and go on without them, they're oftentimes missing a crucial element.

See the rest of Lefsetz' article here:

http://encore.celebrityaccess.com/index.php?encoreId=223&articleId=33157

Chickenfoot Live Video - Where's Van Halen's??

So Chickenfoot, which has had one album and one tour, has a live concert film coming out:

http://www.sonyclubdates.com/chickenfoot.html

World Premiere Theatrical Event on Tuesday December 1st, 2009

Come experience the very first filmed live show of the new rock collaboration Chickenfoot. Yes, Chickenfoot! In Theatres on December 1st.

CHICKENFOOT LIVE the concert film features Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony formerly of Van Halen, world-class guitarist and band founder Joe Satriani, and the “funk/alternative” drummer Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Don’t miss one of the greatest rock music collaborations of all-time live in Full HD and 5.1 Surround Sound coming to select theatres on December 1st, 2009!

All of this is great for Chickenfoot and for Chickenfoot fans. What's vexing about this is that Anthony and Hagar's former band still hasn't put out the video they paid a ton of money to shoot of the 2007 tour with David Lee Roth.
This isn't the first time they've done this, either. They had some shows filmed back in the Fair Warning days that have never seen the light of day, save for three videos long out of print that used to air on MTv.

C'mon, Eddie and Alex, release some of this stuff, already. Why shoot it and not put it out? The interest is there, but who knows for how much longer? Are you waiting for someone to offer you more money? What is it?

You guys are rock legends, and your fans would love to buy live videos.
Look at the Cult. They were selling just-shot video of their live shows on thumb drives.

Get on the ball while somebody still cares.

Is he in, or is he out?

First, I heard that Steven Tyler had quit Aerosmith and the band were considering breaking up.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1225927/The-end-Aerosmith-Steven-Tyler-quits-band.html

Hard Rock band Aerosmith are on the verge of splitting up after members revealed they are tossing up whether to call it a day or replace front man Steven Tyler.

The singer signalled he is ready to work on solo material, and the rest of the band are considering their options.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1225927/The-end-Aerosmith-Steven-Tyler-quits-band.html#ixzz0XAMJcRT7


Then a couple days later, an announcement that he hadn't quit after all.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jXi1MQ8581IwUXTZ7Uc4Wdsao4ZQD9BTHAU00

Which is it? My guess is the boys had some kind of spat that unfortunately went public, but they've made up now.

There was also a pretty ludicrous sounding rumour floating around that he might be touring as the singer of Led Zeppelin next summer. Huh??

Steven Tyler: Aerosmith not breaking up

(AP) – 6 days ago

NEW YORK — Relax, Aerosmith fans: Steven Tyler says he isn't leaving the band.

Tyler made a surprise appearance with guitarist Joe Perry and his band Tuesday night at a New York City venue. Tyler told the crowd: "I am not leaving Aerosmith."

Rolling Stone and Billboard magazines report the two then launched into their song "Walk This Way."

The appearance seemed to put an end to speculation about the band's future.

Perry recently tweeted that Aerosmith was "looking for a new singer to work with" and told the Las Vegas Sun that Tyler had quit, at as far as he could tell.

Musicians - jeesh!

Gibson Raided?

Apparently a Gibson plant near Nashville has been raided in order to investigate whether they're using illegal rosewood.

http://www.musicincmag.com/News/2009/091117/091117_gibson.html

I can't imagine how much longer these materials will be available. Rosewood only grows in rain forests, and export from a lot of the locations where it grows has already been shut down. Maybe it's time to look for an alternative?