Metal Up Your 455

Woah, hey, this one turned out pretty well! I like seeing them photographed...

Cliff Burton, any Metallica for that matter, will be rare for me. I got lucky finding this reissue that I felt okay about painting on at this point. I'll sell it, but you might want to jump on it if this is your band.

As the usual antithesis to pop, metal and rock are definitely not about "canned" productions. Often, bands come complete with nasty reputations and standout assholes. Lars of Metallica has pissed off more than his share, as have the Gallagher brothers of Oasis (please don't tell me they're pop just because they think they're the Beatles' second coming).

That comes with living life on the creative edge. Frankly, if they didn't piss people off they'd probably be quite disappointed. Sometimes the packaging even becomes the attitude. Sometimes they are accused of selling out, putting on an act just to sell records. Does that in some perverse way make it then pop?

Sorry, still thinking about that question and if it matters 2 hoots.

Yet packaging is still important for raw artists too. Metallica alienated their own fans when Lars shot his mouth off whining about how much money they were losing from people stealing their music online. Noel not fond of it either. But Oasis seems to get how to work the system now though, while Metallica struggles with the whole thing.

Metallica's new album "Death Magnetic" was leaked due to a store selling it almost 2 weeks early. The tracks then showed up online, which of course was what got Lars' panties in a bunch years ago. This time, maybe realizing he'd again sound like an 455 if he complained, did so indirectly, saying that it was a victory having avoided a leak for as long as they did.

They don't get it. They don't get how to take advantage of the new way media content is distributed. Oasis does.

Yesterday I learned of a plan brilliant in its deviousness. Instead of touring ahead of the release of their new album, Oasis is pulling a marketing ploy that would make Seth Godin proud. They hit the streets of New York and online to get other people to promote their music by playing it themselves. Street musicians and anybody who wants to can get sheet music of some songs from "Dig Out Your Soul", out early October. Then they can upload their performances to a YouTube group for all to see, promoting both the band and unknown musicians, creating a wonderful warm and fuzzy feeling for all.

This is what's called a win-win. This is what's called building your tribe.

Now, how do I get people to paint my paintings?

Peace.

Cliff Burton 09/17/08