The 60s brought the rock bands from the 50s out to diverse locations as they graduated from dance music studios to full-blown stadium sellouts if the group was talented and promoted enough. With most bands starting out by playing small nightclubs, the better groups advanced to large music festivals and a fan following that eventually led to a supergroup label. One of the firsts to get the turnstiles clicking at outdoor arenas was the Beatles. In 1965, they sold 55,000 tickets at Shea Stadium and opened the cash floodgates for groups like LED Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. These are extreme examples. If a small group wants to climb a step ladder to a comfortable living, do the following. Pick a mediocre band from the early 70s with a few top 40 rock hits. Next, practice their best 10 hits in a lip sync mode. Cover your faces and heads with gray wigs and beards. Next…..now this is the most important part. Buy their old drum set with their group name on the big bass or kick drum. Go on tour in small, off the beaten path bars like Lee’s in Rugby, North Dakota, and pawn yourself off as the original band. Last part…..collect about a grand each in cash for a 1 show, a 60-minute review of all their old hits playing through the on-stage amplifiers. Jefferson Starshit plays at 100 gigs at 100 no-name venues in Canada and small county fairs, making a hundred grand cash each member. Their fan base is old, blind farts with expendable cash that forgot that all the original members are either dead or in rehab. No one knows as long as the recorded music is from the original group. It beats the shit out of working your way up the ranks for 40 years. The used kick drum, with the group’s name on it, will set you back a few hundred. After that, it’s easy money and free sex with your groupies’ grandkids.
Torked Truth 