I got asked, "do you want to be on stage again?" and the question was about becoming a "rock star". I had just watched Anthony "The Swan" Kiedis with Michael- aka Flea, at just about 50 years of age, topless in a concert taped in Ireland. Chad still sat back there hat on head, and the guitarist of the day, (ala Spinal Tap, but in a good way), had a great sound both on strings and vox. The New "Twan the Swan" seemed to be contented, not so crappy and drugged out, and wow, actually coherent. He always is coherent, but even more so- his eyes said, "Clarified".
One of my songs, "Debbie Harry", which should be live on the Ratmando Site eventually, is about all the women who inspired me from the super goddess of voice Gladys Knight, to Souixie Soux, to Chrissie Hynde, to of course, Ms. Bad Ass her own self, Debbie Harry. I used to hear 'You sound like Rita Coolidge"or, "Hey, did you record that like Karen Carpenter?" which made me nuts. I wanted to be Wendy O'Williams. It would anger me that I wasn't able to make Freddie Mercury's voice come out of my mouth when I was 10. And, if I couldn't play drums like John Bonham, how would ANYONE listen to me do rock music?
I never did become the next Wendy O. I did get a tattoo and piercings, but I never learned to play drumkits, just talking drums, and percussion toys. My voice still sounds like I'm part Rita Coolidge, part Karen Carpenter. The bands I was in tended to be part punk-pop, part pre-grunge. My body was small, my hair was big, and my eyes were bigger- and that usually added to the fact people would think I was a member of L7. Comedy ended up taking over my night life, when my body stopped being that of a 20 something. But there I have to thank Shirley Manson, Chrissie Hynde, Tina Turner, Madogga, er.. you know her real name, I can't really stomach her much... but I appreciate her role in women in music history. Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart- they are the pair that REALLY tell it. Hot rock chicks over 40 are great- but Hot ROCK chicks over 50? THAT is my next goal.
I last saw Ann and Nancy at a Pearl Jam concert in Vegas, where I live. Vedder, by the way, is touring starting this April, here in town. And the tickets are stupid expensive. Oh, wait, a hot guy with a ukelele, that makes more sense for pricing. That and his show is now sold out. Meanwhile I missed Chris Cornell, as apparently 2/3rds of the Pearl did, because the place was hollow according to friends. THAT is a singer I want to be like, on stage anyhow. Yet, not off stage. His life was hell for years. I'm drug stupid. I even wrote about how stupid I am regarding them. I can't possibly get into them- I'm on too many real meds for real issues. I hate being out of the loop on things, too. This is another story for another time, and involves Ambien, and Indian Medicine. Nevermind. Ann and Nancy- Voices blended smoothly, Robert Plantesque, as usual. Guitar wasn't a chick version- Juliana Hatfield, what were you thinking with that line anyway? If you get the June 2003 bootleg, (bootleg??boondogle- they make cash, it's not a boot.), if you get that one, though, they Rock in the Free World at the end of the show, and it's slamming.
I never appreciated Heart. I mean, Dog and Butterfly- couldn't get that out of my head for years. Dreamboat Annie was in my collection because a "born again" friend gave me all her secular music once she discovered that Satan was in charge of it all. I tried to convince her it was SANTA but it didn't matter. I never bought a Heart album. It was only for the reason- I wasn't sure how pretty voices worked in hard rock, punk, or the folky rock I was into- and white chicks wailing when I was into Motown? Couldn't fathom it. But they did worm their magic into me somehow. By the time Singles came out, I had met the women a few times, and even met Cameron Crowe at SXSW.
Ann spoke at a conference once- could have been something other than a conference- I didn't do drugs, but Ambien really messed me up- and I heard her really wake up a lot of people on their opinions of women and body image in the media. She also had a stutter as a kid, and I battle aphasia, so it was very cool to hear her words. People look at image, before they meet the humanity. I got to see her humanity and suddenly I paid attention to Heart. I learned about how the women started the band, how they wrote, and how they battled the public when Ann started to gain weight. As a child I wasn't fat, but I THOUGHT I was, and because I was never told otherwise, I thought I looked manly, ugly, and by all means, the least attractive girl in school. Public image reflects our faults in a magification worthy of the Hubble. Here was the most beautiful woman in rock, and she was having that same issue. In-sane!
If image is what matters when you do touring, then what's the point of being a woman on stage? Well, that's bullshit, is all. Pink will be doing her thing when she's in her 70's just like the Rolling Stones are doing now. (yeah, I know they're pensioners) Sharon Jones- MAN I want to be her sometimes. That is a joyful playful stage songstress. There are way too many GREAT women on stage. and of course- Debbie Harry is one of the best. Her "BITE ME"attitude is just so her. Patti Smith. And the younger gals who rip it up like Ting-Tings, and Spinnerette. Love it. LOVE it. They'll be moms, they'll be broads, they'll be kick-ass, they'll be musicians, they'll be the people I see live. See that's the difference.
Back to the point. I am in my 40's. I am not perfect, perky, and to my own opinion, as pretty as Gwen Stefani- or other gals who make over 40 something glamorous when they work. I have physical disabilities. I write songs. I write a LOTof songs. Melodies and Lyrics are my strength and according to my perfect jazz master husband, I am a hooker. Ahem. I can write Hooks really well. But, I think the days of having me in a band that plays live are gone for those reasons, and because I see how the road affects people. I see how playing by paying clubs affects music. I see how egos become a plague when you're around other people on stage. It's just not my idea of a great time. I will happily be studio bound. And that's where I head RIGHT now! I stay home with my furry family, my loving wonderful husband, and in my HOME, something I truly wanted from the time I was a very small girl. A home is so much to me- the road isn't worth losing that.
One of my songs, "Debbie Harry", which should be live on the Ratmando Site eventually, is about all the women who inspired me from the super goddess of voice Gladys Knight, to Souixie Soux, to Chrissie Hynde, to of course, Ms. Bad Ass her own self, Debbie Harry. I used to hear 'You sound like Rita Coolidge"or, "Hey, did you record that like Karen Carpenter?" which made me nuts. I wanted to be Wendy O'Williams. It would anger me that I wasn't able to make Freddie Mercury's voice come out of my mouth when I was 10. And, if I couldn't play drums like John Bonham, how would ANYONE listen to me do rock music?
I never did become the next Wendy O. I did get a tattoo and piercings, but I never learned to play drumkits, just talking drums, and percussion toys. My voice still sounds like I'm part Rita Coolidge, part Karen Carpenter. The bands I was in tended to be part punk-pop, part pre-grunge. My body was small, my hair was big, and my eyes were bigger- and that usually added to the fact people would think I was a member of L7. Comedy ended up taking over my night life, when my body stopped being that of a 20 something. But there I have to thank Shirley Manson, Chrissie Hynde, Tina Turner, Madogga, er.. you know her real name, I can't really stomach her much... but I appreciate her role in women in music history. Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart- they are the pair that REALLY tell it. Hot rock chicks over 40 are great- but Hot ROCK chicks over 50? THAT is my next goal.I last saw Ann and Nancy at a Pearl Jam concert in Vegas, where I live. Vedder, by the way, is touring starting this April, here in town. And the tickets are stupid expensive. Oh, wait, a hot guy with a ukelele, that makes more sense for pricing. That and his show is now sold out. Meanwhile I missed Chris Cornell, as apparently 2/3rds of the Pearl did, because the place was hollow according to friends. THAT is a singer I want to be like, on stage anyhow. Yet, not off stage. His life was hell for years. I'm drug stupid. I even wrote about how stupid I am regarding them. I can't possibly get into them- I'm on too many real meds for real issues. I hate being out of the loop on things, too. This is another story for another time, and involves Ambien, and Indian Medicine. Nevermind. Ann and Nancy- Voices blended smoothly, Robert Plantesque, as usual. Guitar wasn't a chick version- Juliana Hatfield, what were you thinking with that line anyway? If you get the June 2003 bootleg, (bootleg??boondogle- they make cash, it's not a boot.), if you get that one, though, they Rock in the Free World at the end of the show, and it's slamming.
I never appreciated Heart. I mean, Dog and Butterfly- couldn't get that out of my head for years. Dreamboat Annie was in my collection because a "born again" friend gave me all her secular music once she discovered that Satan was in charge of it all. I tried to convince her it was SANTA but it didn't matter. I never bought a Heart album. It was only for the reason- I wasn't sure how pretty voices worked in hard rock, punk, or the folky rock I was into- and white chicks wailing when I was into Motown? Couldn't fathom it. But they did worm their magic into me somehow. By the time Singles came out, I had met the women a few times, and even met Cameron Crowe at SXSW.
Ann spoke at a conference once- could have been something other than a conference- I didn't do drugs, but Ambien really messed me up- and I heard her really wake up a lot of people on their opinions of women and body image in the media. She also had a stutter as a kid, and I battle aphasia, so it was very cool to hear her words. People look at image, before they meet the humanity. I got to see her humanity and suddenly I paid attention to Heart. I learned about how the women started the band, how they wrote, and how they battled the public when Ann started to gain weight. As a child I wasn't fat, but I THOUGHT I was, and because I was never told otherwise, I thought I looked manly, ugly, and by all means, the least attractive girl in school. Public image reflects our faults in a magification worthy of the Hubble. Here was the most beautiful woman in rock, and she was having that same issue. In-sane!
If image is what matters when you do touring, then what's the point of being a woman on stage? Well, that's bullshit, is all. Pink will be doing her thing when she's in her 70's just like the Rolling Stones are doing now. (yeah, I know they're pensioners) Sharon Jones- MAN I want to be her sometimes. That is a joyful playful stage songstress. There are way too many GREAT women on stage. and of course- Debbie Harry is one of the best. Her "BITE ME"attitude is just so her. Patti Smith. And the younger gals who rip it up like Ting-Tings, and Spinnerette. Love it. LOVE it. They'll be moms, they'll be broads, they'll be kick-ass, they'll be musicians, they'll be the people I see live. See that's the difference.
Back to the point. I am in my 40's. I am not perfect, perky, and to my own opinion, as pretty as Gwen Stefani- or other gals who make over 40 something glamorous when they work. I have physical disabilities. I write songs. I write a LOTof songs. Melodies and Lyrics are my strength and according to my perfect jazz master husband, I am a hooker. Ahem. I can write Hooks really well. But, I think the days of having me in a band that plays live are gone for those reasons, and because I see how the road affects people. I see how playing by paying clubs affects music. I see how egos become a plague when you're around other people on stage. It's just not my idea of a great time. I will happily be studio bound. And that's where I head RIGHT now! I stay home with my furry family, my loving wonderful husband, and in my HOME, something I truly wanted from the time I was a very small girl. A home is so much to me- the road isn't worth losing that.
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