Rich Kullmann

Recently Stevie Nicks stated that Fleetwood Mac will not be recording any more studio albums.  This is not because they do not want to, she said that there is no longer enough people buying the records to make it worth the effort.

I do love spending time in the studio working on music but the question now is if it is worth the expense. 

Thanks to sites such and the one named after the first woman in Greek Mythology (who unleased Heaven and Hell upon humanity), or the one that sounds like it won't come out in the wash, few people actually buy music anymore.  In fact, my last royalty check from the above (sort of) mentioned company was $17.42.  It was returned and my bank charged me a $20 "Returned Check Fee".  I'm not sure who I should be more mad at in that case, the company for the returned check or the bank for the fee.  Either way, it cost me.

An article on "The Trichordist" (https://thetrichordist.com/2013/06/24/my-song-got-played-on-pandora-1-million-times-and-all-i-got-was-16-89-less-than-what-i-make-from-a-single-t-shirt-sale/) shows how they made $16.89 on 1,159,000 plays of a song.

Artists make their money on live shows and merchandise sales.  Sometimes, enough for gas money to get to the next venue and something to eat may be considered a good night.  Is it worth it to spend the thousands of dollars (or more) to record a studio album that may not sell?

One of the things I am looking into is recording shows live and making the recording available to the audience that evening either on CD or flash drive.  I got the idea from Steve Poltz, he said that he has done it before.  The quality won't be perfect and any mistakes will be forever imprinted but it is a good way to save a memory of the experience.  These would only be available at the merch booth after the show.

What are your thoughts?

Awhile back, when Stone Temple Pilots was starting to look for a replacement for Scott Weiland, it was suggested that I audition for the gig.  I hadn't sang anything in a long time but went into the studio and recorded vocals for a few STP tracks.  I had a lot of fun doing it but also realized that I also needed a lot of practice to get back up to speed.

As I have been playing around lately, it has also been brought up on many occasions that I should sing as well.  So, I guess I will be venturing back somewhat to my rock roots and doing some performances that way.  As such, I will be looking into putting together some singer/songwriter type shows solo and possibly having some friends join me.

I haven't decided the venues yet but if you have any suggestions, or if you want to host a house concert, let me know.

Cheers,

Time flies when your busy.  I was looking for something and saw how long it had been since I did a blog entry on here, sorry about that.  I guess I really need another manager to push me along on these things, or I need to work on developing it as a habit.  Maybe I'll try both.

As usual, I always end up piling too much on myself but it eventually gets done.  I am still working on material for the compilation that Ekam is part of, as well as some new songs with lyrics.  I have a new book that should be released very soon, as soon as we get some print layout issues resolved.  It is not music based but I will let you know as soon as it goes live.  I am also exploring the option of joining couple festivals or setting up some more public show dates independently.

Meanwhile, I will try to stay on top of this better.

Cheers,

RK

Whenever I go to someones house and there is a guitar sitting around, I almost always end up playing it.  Sometimes this may just be me playing whatever comes to mind that I feel like playing but often it ends up as me playing the "human jukebox" with different people making different requests.  I have found myself playing songs that I hadn't played in 20 years and surprising myself that I could even remember how it goes.

Then comes the request for something that I have played in concert as recent as 6 months ago, but haven't played since.  It starts off okay but then my brain goes blank as I am trying to remember a change, or how to play the next part.  I am always trying to work on new music, either composing or learning a new piece.  When I am preparing for shows I will typically, at least, play through every song in the set everyday and spend time focusing on the more difficult sections.  When I am not preparing, or not planning on playing a song in a set, it may fall to the side.  Muscle memory, being what it is, can typically go into action and play something like it had just played it yesterday.  But then there's that simple song that you stumble through.

Songs that I like, and play more often, I try to play through at least once every few weeks as a break during a practice session.  That way, hopefully, my fingers will not forget how to play it the next time somebody requests it after I had that cocktail.

Ahhh, the coolness in the air.  The sounds of a party building up, anticipating, mouths salivating like Pavlov's dog, waiting to taste that refreshing first sip of the juicy nectar of the gods.  Tap that first keg dammit so we can get the party started.  Okay, so it is a little early for me to start getting excited about Oktoberfest but we are planning the dates for some shows in September and October.  This will, of course, be around the Oktoberfest festival in Munich.

Where am I playing?  Germany, Austria, Switzerland?  The venues and exact dates are not setup yet but you will be the first to know.  Well, make that the 3rd because I will be the 2nd after I am told.  Well with the venue, booking agents, etc., I guess I will be farther down the line but you will know right after I do ;-).