by barry newman
from issue #63 - Cosmic Debris Musicians Magazine - Dec '99
As the Twentieth Century rapidly fizzles out, I
thought it might be appropriate to share some
thoughts with you, before we all get vacuum-sucked into the next millennium.
A while back, I had been contemplating a "Best
of Debris" issue... to enter the new millennium
with a bit of a bang. However, I want to produce
it properly, when I have more time & budget.
Also, from my perspective as publisher of a
musicians magazine in a province that seems to
be entering the "Third World", it seems somewhat
premature to be over-celebrating the Brave New
Mess. At the same time though, I don't wish to
join the ranks of fear-mongering Y2K prophets by
even mentioning that flesh-eating comet...
I feel it's healthy to question the very nature of
"2000". After all, for nearly a third of the world's
population... the Moslem world... this already
happened about twenty years ago. And if I'm not
mistaken, one of the popes in the Dark Ages
officially fiddled with our Western calender.
I suspect that if some higher entity or ruler of
an alien empire scheduled meteoric events, they
would probably be measured in his (or her)
realm's time units... not by the natural cycles of
our little aquarium. Golly, 2000 doesn't even
divide by 666 neatly (would that suggest that the
world ended in 1998?) !!
What I'm getting at is this... some mortal
HUMAN... probably some European guy with a
lot of coin or clout, long ago decided for folks
what year number it was... and nobody raised
much fuss about it, because we "needed" some
kind of guage to measure time, taxes and
mortgage schedules. For better or worse, the
number stuck... with the aid of Gutenburg's
printing press, gun powder and nukes.
That still doesn't make the number right... but
even the Iranian Clergy, Beijing bureaucrats and
Bill Gates have to deal with it.
For the Chinese, even the DAY that the
western New Year begins is questionable. That
doesn't mean they'll get an extra week to learn
from any of our Y2K gliches though.
So, to quote Chicago: "DOES ANYBODY
REALLY KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS" ??
New Year's Eve (even if it varies from culture
to culture) is still a nice way for people to get
together, celebrate life and reflect on our losses
and gains. Unlike many yearly gatherings, it is
more univerally understood and appreciated,
usually void of political or religious overtones.
For many professional or semi-professional
danceband musicians, it's also the "mother of all
gigs"... a chance to earn some extra money to
make up for the benefit shows, freebies and
lower-paying gigs generally played throughout
the year. The extra pay (not what it used to be)
helps with equipment loans & overdue bills. For
many, it helps compensate for the loneliness of
being miles away from one's own family and
friends on a special night.
So far, the coming year is not looking all that
bright for working musicians in BC... especially
for bands with rhythm or horn sections.
First of all, the Provincial government,
brandishing the mighty sword of the Worker's
Compensation Board will be imposing huge fines
on any venue owner who fails to enforce the new
province-wide ban on smoking. Apparently, each
successive fine, will be doubled and added to the
venue's Property Taxes!
Also, restaurants will now be allowed to serve
alcohol without food. This might help out duos or
singles acts to some degree, but will probably
lure clientele from bar venues which generally
hire the 4 to 5-piece or rock-oriented bands.
These venues (and many band gigs) are
already impacted by heavy beverage taxes AND
a major recession evident in most BC towns.
With the exception perhaps of a handful of
bars which might have the seating capacity to
withstand the combined onslaught, this all paves
the way for discos and "raves" to monopolize as
the only venues available for dancing.
Another trend which will have an impact on
songwriters and studios is the proliferation of
pirated music on the Internet. My teenaged lad
doesn't want CDs for Xmas. He can download
practically any song he wants... for free!
On a positive side, the Internet is helping to
provide faster, cheaper and more far-reaching
communication... for those patient and intuitive
enough to avoid its technical hurdles and its plethora of scams. Aliens surfing the Net might
want to quarantine the planet.
I have found the Net handy for acquiring info &
photos during magazine deadline, and I can post
between-issue updates on my website.
Financially, 1999 was a poor year for many of
us in BC's music industry, including Cosmic
Debris. A venue in Courtenay stiffed me for
nearly $700 worth of ads in the spring and I've
since had to borrow money to keep the mag
going, despite trimming it down to 16 pages.
Downsizing helped in the short term, but forced
me to postpone certain features and reviews
which discouraged some contributors.
The popular "Events" calender has always
been costly & labour-intensive to publish in the
mag, but only a handful of the listed venues ever
contributed to my costs (some venues received
listings in that column totalling to nearly 4 full
pages over the course of the past 6 years).
I may continue the full printed listing on a
regular basis, but it must be cost-effective. In the
meantime, anyone with a PC can access the
extensive listings on the website which I usually
update on a daily basis.
To subsidize the magazine I've also begun
constructing other homepages as a sideline.
Anyone interested in this service can check out
my ongoing work on the Cosmic Debris Website:
www.cvnet.net/cosmic ...or check out Monte
Nordstrom/ Groovedigger Records new Website:
www.islandnet.com/monte
Musically, the 90's were an exciting time to be
watching the music scene and I think The Debris
helped to increase awareness of the Island's
enormous talent pool among players on both
sides of the Georgia Strait and the Malahat. By
May of '97, Debris was available at nearly 400
locations, including 75 spots in Vancouver, the
interior of BC and Calgary (I've since eliminated
many mainland locations, but have managed to
maintain distribution levels on the Island).
May '97 was another high point for the Debris,
sponsoring the "Best R&B CD" category at the
First Annual PMIA Awards in Vancouver. After a
couple of years working with photo/journalists
James Dittiger and Jessica Gihon via phone, fax
and courier, I was finally able to meet them in
person. It was also a treat to finally meet a lot of
Vancouver players in person and to play at
Incognito's jam at the Yale Hotel.
The West Coast has always been difficult for
working bands without a "house gig". Travel time
between many venues is complicated by distance
and terrain; "Fast-Cat" ferries aren't making
things any quicker or cheaper; and pay for bands
at many venues in BC has been frozen for nearly
20 years.
As BC's recession became more evident in the
late 90's, technological advances & affordability
resulted in a sudden flood of CDs (almost
replacing the business card). Remarkable CDs
by bands such as Oliver & The Elements, Black
Cat Bone and Shakamoraine (to name a few)
were swallowed in a hi-tech tsunami of digitized
glitter & hype. Radio stations & music mags were
suddenly swamped with product to review.
Professional studios were now competing with
dozens of "home-studios" for musician's dollars.
But where was that dollar coming from to
finance all this? Generally-speaking... it wasn't!
As key industries (logging, fishing, mining) in
many towns began to lay off employees, a lot of
venues began trimming their entertainment
budgets. More bands began underbidding for
gigs (or regularly showcasing at jams). As their
earnings shrunk, so did incomes for many folks
providing services to them. Bartering for product
and service became more commonplace but it
rarely helps pay rent or hydro.
So, here we are today... a hotbed of musical
and technical talent, subsisting under the whims
of a bureaucracy which seems to want everyone
at home watching TV... or vacuum-sucked in
cyberspace. Earlier this year, one government
agency ran an ad (picturing music gear) in an
Island publication, discouraging teenagers from
becoming rock musicians! ... How Victorian !!
Anyway... Wishing You All the Best in the New
Year and in the Next Millennium - Barry
What I Hope to See in 2000...
Millennial Feedback from Debris readers:
Peace on Earth. Common sense in government.
Honesty in deals. More good music. Less taken,
more given back. Peace on Earth.
- Dave Davies, GSC Records, Inc. (Salt Spring)
More live music venues in Victoria (whatever
happened to Millennium?). 15-lb Leslie speakers.
10-lb. Hammond B-3s. Another decade (at least)
of Cosmic Debris!
- Adrian Chamberlain, Keyboardist with SOUL
STATION / Times Colonist reporter (Victoria)
Despite what we may think from time to time,
Victoria has a vibrant & active live music scene...
check out any number of other North American
cities and you'll see that we are doing pretty well.
What makes a music scene? Venues that stick
around, year-in / year-out and support live music;
publications such as Cosmic Debris which track
happenings & announce what's going down;
listeners who aren't afraid to get out & have fun;
& performers who come up with stuff that people
can groove to. Victoria has all that and more.
- Paul Wainwright, saxman, BIG BAND TRIO
This East Coast pseudo-celtic domination of the
country's music scene is going to be reversed
and Vancouver Island will quickly become the
newest goldmine of talent. CBC & Much Music
will finally pull their heads out of their collective
Torontonian assholes and realize, evolutionally
speaking, we have evolved a distinctive breed of
musician on the island, very well suited to the
tastes of the masses on the main continent.
- Irv 'Snakeskin' Wisenheimer, Manager, The
Valiants R&B Soul Revue (Courtenay)
A change of power in the music industry: New
recording technology and Internet marketing and
distribution has the potential to put control of
music production back in the hands of musicians
instead of "Corporate Bean Counters".
- Zak Cohen, guitarist, studio tech (Duncan)
Newcastle United win every soccer trophy going.
The Beatles regroup... and I get John's job.
Tim Readman - Fear Of Drinking (Vancouver)
I hope not to remain clinging to the shag carpet to
keep from falling through the ceiling fan.
- Chris Chandler, troubadour (US)
I'd like to see: more live music venues; more
funding for those struggling in the music industry
(where's all that Casino $ going anyway?); bands
improving their marketing skills; world peace (at
least one full day would be a start)...
- Tina Ruotsalainen, Bookings / Entertainment
Manager (Nanaimo)
The millennium change marks an age when
people can effectively communicate throughout
the world. Internet technology is offering society
freedoms it has never enjoyed. I hope humanity
will strive to advance freedoms of expression for
all into the year 2000.
- D-Tox, guitar, JOINT CHIEFS (Campbell River)
World Peace Harmony greater Spiritual
Awareness and more bands like Tea Party.
They will be by far the most inspirational band of
the new millennium.
- Jessica A. Gihon, JAG Productions, former
columnist with Cosmic Debris (Vancouver)
I'd like the WTO and the food bio-engineers to
back off and let us be individuals, not corporate
pawns, and I look forward to being inspired by
lots more great live (and recorded) music by
soulful, original musicians.
- Ramesh Meyers, Allowed Sound (Salt Spring)
I hope to see Cosmic Debris have even more
success... as a national music magazine. I hope
that more people will become musicians and
experience the joy of sharing a damn good jam.
- Dave Brand, G-Man Tubes (Ladysmith)
