Attention: Bands who... (edited version)

Attention: 

Bands who join annoying battle of the band contests and nag your closest friends and family members, maybe even strangers, into voting for you so that you can have an ill placed sense of accomplishment... or believe that somehow this will bring you closer to your dream... ...
                   Heck~!
What. The. Fuck~! ...Stop!  
                                                                                                                              
If you spent half the time dedicated to practice and writing... If you took all the energy you use in 
annoying others
promoting your band and put it into some thoughtful, edgy, meaningful, new creative anything from the depth of your soul... you will be heard. 

These disgusting excuses for talent searches don't reward talent, they reward and exploit those who bring the most people to the events. You aren't paid, as if that was even an option... the show promoters are paid. These events are Scams. A type of pyramid scheme. 

                    hecks 
These sick fucks prey on your weakness and take advantage of your dream. And they know what they are doing.  
                                         dummies                                                                                                    dummies
The plan is simple, the winners, or maybe two move on to the next round, with other winners who were very popular in their show and brought out a lot of close friends and family who they talked into it or they "just want to see my kid/buddy succeed." "He's following his dream". The shows rake in t thousands! Big thousands!! 

           dummies                                                dummies
Those winners get together with regional winners, who go on to a semi final round, to a final round, to  the goal... maybe a record deal with some subsidiary or a big show with a celebrity, some endorsement... whatever!                                                                        
                          
                                     do something dumb
If you want to be famous, good luck. If you want to be a musician, then sit in a room by yourself or with your friends and create something new and amazing.And Practice all the time... ALL THE TIME. That is proactive. Going out and getting fans by playing real shows and not looking for shortcuts. That is proactive. Touring on a shoestring budget, paying your dues and sleeping sitting up in a van is a time honored tradition. That is proactive. There is no easy way to follow your dreams.
                      
                             producer want-to-be assholes
                             assholes

Don't let these producer want-to-be's twist your dreams or shape your career... don't let anyone tell you how the "industry" works. The industry is an illusion... ... Be successful on your own. Please.

Red Bacteria Vacuum: The Tour 2012 (Debrief)

Red Bacteria Vacuum California Tour 2012

We received plenty of notice from RBV to begin production on booking and promoting this tour. Unfortunately many venues had never heard of the all girl super group from Japan. After months of stressful emails and phone calls the tour was booked and the dates went up!

The girls were excited about this tour because it was their first international headlining experience. They had never toured the US alone (aside from opening the entire "A Perfect Circle" Us tour in 2011)

6/5 San Francisco

We checked the girls into their hotel and let them rest up. Tom and I ran around  San Francisco tying up all of the loose ends. At 7pm we had a welcome dinner for the band at Kyoto Sushi (our "go to" spot for welcoming bands). Dinner was great, we invited Tom Gatewood (of Robot Octopus) Chris Mayrena (Hyper Raje Records) The Coo Coo Birds (musicians opening SF show) and Alicia (SSP coordinator). RBV invited a few friends too :) Dinner ended and then… to the bars. The girls are very friendly and so even though there wasn't a show, they made friends with everyone and turned a regular Tuesday at a dive bar into a dance party!

6/6 San Francisco

The show at Broadway studios was great. We had hoped for a better turnout, but never a better crowd! The venue management tried to take control of the show, but luckily we had a great promoter, Scott, to talk them down! The show was great, with opening sets from The Thunders, and the Coo Coo Birds. The after-party was pretty wild ( I hear) I went home to bed, because I take the first driving shift to LA in the morning.

6/7 LA

We get down to LA in 6 hours with just a few stops. We are so tired from the drive and the night before that we check into the hotel and take a power nap. Then we're up and to the venue. Amplyfi is a great spot run by Kota. An inmate venue gave us the opportunity to hang out and meet everyone comfortably. The turnout was fantastic, and we had the chance to meet our new friends from One High Five and of course many old friends. The after party was small at location we like to go to after the Pillows tours… we ate and drank and caught up with old friends. Then to the hotel for sleep? No… one more beer and about an hour of a laughing fit! Maybe a gas leak?! Then bed.

6/8 San Diego

The drive to San Diego took a long time. Traffic was terrible the whole way down. We quickly realized this would be a problem for our San Diego show. The show was early, we barely had a chance to drop our gear off at the hotel before we had to be at the venue, Bar 11. Ziggy, our San Diego promoter met us with open arms and we set up. He agreed that the turnout would be slim due to the traffic and time of show. We played the show just the same to a group of no more than 15 people. RBV melted their faces anyway! Luckily for us a friend of Ziggy's had a show later in the evening and invited us to join the performance. The girls quickly agreed. We broke down our gear, thanked Ziggy, and headed to The Tower Bar. We didn't have time to promote, we were just  hoping that Friday night would bring a large audience… and it did! The place became packed, and all the bands were in great form. Aside from some very drunk and persistent concert goers, the show was a huge success and a redemption from our ill-fated Bar 11 spot. The crowd couldn't get enough of the band and we had to wait in the venue until 3am to leave. Tom and I woke up early to bring Esal (All Ages drummer) to the airport. He had a previous commitment show in San Francisco, and would drive down to San Louis Obispo to join us at The Z.

6/9 San Louis Obispo

The drive up the 101 was beautiful! We arrived in town a few hours early and went straight to the hotel. We got a call from Esal, there was a problem with rent-a-car place. Time was ticking and we had to find a solution. Tom and I became stressed and took a nap. We woke up to head to the venue with messages from Esal saying he was on his way. His good friend agreed to drive him 4 hours down to SLO. We got to the venue and met the players in Derailed and Blind Story who opened the show! We also picked up a great article written for the girls to announce their show. We have to thank John for setting everything up!! What can we say, this was the perfect place to end the tour. The audience was spectacular, and just the type of people we love to hang out with. The night turned into a party of it's own. There was singing, dancing, and drinking until 2am… when we had to pry the girls away from all the lonely boys and get them back to the hotel.

6/10-6/12 San Francisco

We got back to SF in time for the girls to make an appearance in Japan Town to sign autographs and take pictures with fans. 

Later we met up with Tom of Robot Octopus to begin planning and shooting a new music video for Red Bacteria Vacuum. Shooting continued into the late night on Monday. Today is Tuesday, the girls are shopping and Tom and I are debriefing our team. Tonight is our goodbye dinner… Tomorrow RBV heads back to Japan, with their first headlining tour in the United States under their belt. 

We are just happy to come home safe and we are pleased to have seen our friends again. Now, back to the office to plan the next tour… who will it be for? … tba

Red Bacteria Vacuum Tour 2012

The amazing Red Bacteria Vacuum from Japan are coming to play select dates in California. The girls are fresh of their tour with "A Perfect Circle" and will be playing San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and a special event in Fresno. 

Featuring the always over-the-top antics of San Francisco rock band "All Ages" 

June 6th, 2012 San Francisco, CA Broadway Studios

June 7th, 2012 Los Angeles, CA   Amplyfi

June 8th, 2012 San Diego, CA      Bar 11

June 9th, 2012 Fresno, CA        Geek Jam (all ages event)

Music Video "Words of Love"

We've just released "Words of Love" the video and single...

All Ages was on tour in Japan when the earthquake and tsunami hit. We had to cancel our shows and came back to the US. Frustrated, Inspired and Hopeful, we began the Words of Love charity in which we collected thousands of signatures and little notes from people in more than 15 languages. Over the 6 weeks of charity we were able to fill more than 60 yards of banner with beautiful, hopeful and encouraging words of love. This song was inspired by the humanity shown in Japan and by all who participated in the US.
Once the banners were full, we returned to Sendai and delivered the banners. Your kindness has given strength to millions!

Watch Video

Download Single

All Ages N.A.P. Tour Set-List

The N.A.P. ~utatane~ Tour 2011

All Ages and Shameless Self Productions prepared 3 months in advance for the N.A.P. tour with The Pillows and All Ages... we slept in 3-4 hour shifts, worked side jobs, rehearsed, reworked and rebuilt over a long 2011 summer... only to find now, the tour has ended... and it has been worth the entire struggle.

The greatest pleasure I have known, being unmarried and not having children, has been touring with the Pillows and noodles from Tokyo.

The tour began in Los Angeles at The El Rey theater. This wasn't our first time to performing to such a beautiful house and more than 650 people, we were nervous however that Sawao and Manabe both stood side stage during our sound check. They chuckled at Tom and my banter, and enjoyed the freedom we have with our wireless systems... both of us love doing a long run of the venue with our guitars on!

Next we hit home, San Francisco's SLIMS! Thanks to everyone who came, we felt home, and we felt as we always do, that San Francisco is a second home for The Pillows and noodles who frequently come to SF to record, play, or just hang out! Our best friend here and designer for Shameless Self, Tom Gatewood a.k.a. RobotOctopus (www.robotoctopus.com) helped us with our final two songs Tsubasa and Class Ring.

Then, for us, the long drive to Seattle. The Pillows and noodles flew :) We arrived in Seattle much later than the rest of the group... so we decided to go grab a bite to eat... on the way, we see a familiar bunch coming back from a baseball game! They were tired, but agreed to meet up for a nightcap! The show was at El Corazon, a much smaller and intimate venue... very cool for us, but not quite what the Pillows expected... turns out, the crowd was amazing and the Pillows quickly decided that the venue was perfect!!

Here we said goodbye to our West Coast Staff and flew to New York. We were met by SSP staff at the airport, my brothers, Matt and Mark (tour manager for 2011 US and Japan tour). We played at the Gramercy Theater, once the Blender theater. This venue was huge!! This was the first time we ever saw such a large space... and full :) All Ages was very well received... we even heard a "We love you like we love the Pillows!" nice!! There we met a few great people, two of whom flew from Chicago... and others from surrounding New England and PA. Sawao came up to us after the show and made it a point to tell us how great the set was, and that he had a great time watching and listening to our set. COOL!

Finally, Austin... some part of me remained there! The venue, Speakeasy, a testament to the amazing music scene in Austin!! The show was amazing, great energy from the crowd, and all 3 bands gave their extra push...

The next morning Tom and I saw the bands off... It was difficult to watch them go, but we know they will come back and we will be on a tour of Japan in the Spring!

All in All, I have to say to those who can... quit your job, take up your art and pursue. Don't give up, ever... We may not have made much money or become famous and... almost no groupies!! But the experience is priceless... The life we live is our own.

NAP Tour 2011- LA @ The El Rey

We are back in San Francisco for tonights show at SLIMS with The Pillows and Noodles. The SSP production team in LA helped pull off a smooth and organized show. The Pillows and Noodles were fantastic and All Ages had a blast!!! We had a great time and were so happy to be so well received. Thank you to all the Pillows fans and friends who made us feel so welcome!! Peace, Love and Music.

Derrik

The Boat.

Say, one day you decide that you want to be the captain of a ship. You don't have a ship. So through trial and error, you build a ship. It isn't perfect, but it floats and barring bad weather you could sail it around the world. You need a crew, so you put together a small adventurous crew who trust that you built a sturdy ship, albeit an imperfect one. So you set sail, around the world... and slowly but surely your ship falls apart. You and your crew repair it slightly as you go... but the truth is if you don't make it to the next port, then you and your crew and your ship will sink to the bottom of the ocean... We're heading to port!

The moral is... ships have little resale value!

Lonely nights ...

I haven't posted in a while. Back in San Francisco for a bit, writing new songs and working out lyrics for the upcoming album... (working title: Lookout! PANDA) Inspired by Nadira Mayrena, daughter of Chris "Hype" Mayrena of Hype Raje Studios. Fun new punk songs and a splash of pop mixed with our passion for catchy melodies have inspired the majority of our music. Less dark, more bright... lyrical content is a bit more extreme... Let's see what happens, we are still working out the details.

On the daily side, Tom and I are hard at work back in our Shameless Self Productions office booking shows and tours for The Pillows and Noodles (September Tour), The Heartbreakers (ex- New York Dolls) for next Spring and All Ages for a Japan tour in the Spring.

ALL AGES New Support Drummer

ALL AGES New Support Drummer 5/11- 5/20 (2011)

All Ages would like to thank Masa "The Machine" Kaida for his 9 month support with us. This post is about a month late. We wish Masa well while he pursues his own interests in Tokyo and continues his career as a professional drummer in Japan. Good luck Masa!

For the past 3 shows and for our show finale in Tokyo (all Sold Out shows) we have had the pleasure of working with our good friend Kenta Tochio. He is a drummer from Osaka and has been working with the band OFF ROCK. We asked him on short notice to support our tour with Noodles and he was quick to respond. We've never had such an astute and dedicated drummer and even though we've only been playing for two weeks together, he has brought a new life to All Ages that Tom and I have truly missed.

Our last show is this Friday in Tokyo @ LOFT opening for The Pillows and featuring Noodles and Bugy Craxone… after this show Tom and I will return to San Francisco to begin work on our 2nd Album and to rejoin our staff @ Shameless Self Productions to continue our 9-5 projects… (more like 9-9)...

This past year has been difficult and we truly want to thank the three drummers who supported us during this time and allowed All Ages to continue on in good fashion… So, thanks Josh, Masa, and Tochio.

We are excited to say we have made leaps in our expectations because of this tour and All Ages will be around for a long long time… until the next post… Peace, Love and Rock and Roll.

Sendai SHOW ------- venue: Enn

Sendai Enn

Tonight we played our show with Noodles, Bugy Craxone, Jack Pot Bell, and Channel 8 in Sendai. We delivered our original bed sheet banner and the first 15 yard banner to the club and they proudly displayed them. Neat huh? It's fun watching projects come to fruition as planned. We felt good playing too… we missed it… I missed it.

After the show all the bands and the venue staff went out to eat and drink… I'm constantly amazed by people here in Japan. I think it's because in School I wasn't forced to learn another language… Whereas in Japan, English is a standard requirement. Although broken and often bad, it's understandable. I had a great time getting to know Channel 8 and discussing a possible US tour for them… Tom hung with Bad Music (All Ages management in Japan) Maury and Chie. We are relieved to find that they don't fault us for having to leave Japan in the middle of tour as a result of the Fukushima incident. We were nervous, but now we feel fine.

We still have a lot of ground to cover and make up work to do, but it will have to come later, better planned and done out of joy rather than a need or obligation. Most of these bands have been together for 10-20 years (seriously!) … All Ages has only been together for 6 years. We constantly question ourselves… why haven't we "made it" in 6 years when so many bands come together and in just a short period and "make it" … The problem was our definition of "making it".

We were bluntly told, "You made it, you are it… whatever it is!" It put our minds at ease and suddenly the game is fun again. They call us their little brother band. We are approaching 30 (years old) but we are at least 10 years younger than the members in these groups… We are just a young band.

They say, think of this way; You are 6 years old (learning to spell) (as a band)… Bugy is 13 (their body is changing in strange and mysterious ways) Noodles is 18 (legal finally) and The Pillows (Show May 20th in Tokyo) is 24… Most bands don't make it past 2 years.

The glass is half full … but full of what?

Sendai >>

We have had limited access to the internet, so my post will be from several days ago and contain a few days of notes... hope you read this in good health and know that your prayers and well wishes are felt all the way over here in Japan...

----
5/13
The damage here is unbelievable. We are being guided through the rubble by a friend of a friend… He has been explaining the devastation. Fires, Floods, and the sweep of the tsunami that wiped structures across the entire city. The sight is heavy… cars destroyed, upside down, inside out and even on rooftops (the few left) The entire town smells like death --(fish we say to ourselves)… Our guide brings us to reality, "We are still finding bodies… I found parts the other day." He explains that deep in the rubble are many more but they lack the resources to dig them out quickly enough. It's evident all that is being done is all that can be done. I thought I've had life changing experiences… but I was wrong. Even this moment isn't a life changing experience… It has creating life within us.
----
5/14
We had a visit to a shelter today. The conditions are good… very clean. The people are hopeful and happy… eager to talk to a stranger and tell them their stories. Everyone is separated by cardboard walls. Cardboard also lines the entire floor, about the size of a gymnasium. Everyone was friendly… Many explained that they lost every material thing they owned and all they have now is what has been given through charity. They were very appreciative of the banner. The volunteer staff hung it building-length for all to see.

We met many fisherman who had been to California and Canada, fishing for tuna. They were happy to see an American and asked to shake my hand… "please take this handshake with you…" many would say. "I'm happy to do that…" I'd reply. So many follow the law of giving and receiving and wouldn't let us leave until we consumed some of their precious rations, which we did with joy and gratitude.

A friend of ours working with "Genki for Japan" made the trip with us and we helped hand out tote bags, hand made with a message of love inside from the maker. The appreciation was overwhelming and it was difficult to hold in tears of empathy. We passed out and spoke with over 200 people, mostly older in their 70's and 80's but a few young children followed us around.

Tom did a great job, taking a microphone and addressing the entire shelter. I'm not sure what he said, but he made them laugh and smile… Some said they hadn't done either in months.

We are now heading to a volunteer post to say hello, deliver another banner and ask how their efforts are going. Just curious. After, we are heading to one more town and shelter to repeat…

It never seemed like a waste of time that we put our music and tour on hold to work on this charity and help other charities… but after talking to people and seeing them happy… the idea is confirmed. Love is the answer, ne?!

The Road to Sendai or Japan 2.0

Back in Tokyo...
Sitting in the Tokyo airport again. The time reads 0:06. Our connecting flight to Osaka is in 7 hours.

The plan: Get picked up by Tom's mom and go to his family house. Eat breakfast, shower, sleep for a couple of hours and then meet up with our new drummer and hit a rehearsal studio for an intensive 5 hour practice. After practice we load the van and head to Tokyo. Right where I'm sitting now!

These past few weeks felt like a blur. Meaningless to me, just work, work and more work. I have lost my expectations. Will we be famous? Will we be wealthy? Too many questions… I'm going to try something new and not really care too much. The past few years, this whole project has been a failure in the sense of making money, and building a larger fan-base. It has been a success in the networking area… well, time will tell...

Looking forward, we have four shows, and I think part of both Tom and I know this is the end of All Ages… at least as a lifestyle. It's too complicated to live like this…no money coming in and floods of money being poured out… We travel the world and play for hundreds and thousands of people and they love us… but the numbers just don't translate. We have four shows and I'm not sure what either of us is holding on for... but we do.

The charity work has been the greatest thing Tom has ever done. He has gained international attention and worked hard producing the song and video for "Words of Love". I'm very proud he stood up and took control. I really just feel like I'm along for the ride… I feel like I'm losing the part of me that pushed so hard… But I'm still in the game.

They make these airport benches just soft enough to want to sleep, but just uncomfortable enough to piss me off! We'll have to wait and see what happens next.

3/20 Back in the US

I just got back to the US from Japan. Tom will be back in the next few days, and Masa is in Tokyo with his family. Shameless Self Records and Hyper Raje Records will be holding a benefit/fundraiser show at some point in April with musical guests, and a live theater group. We'll announce everything soon. Thanks for all the kind words on Facebook.

Show with the Pillows in Tokyo

We can officially announce our show with THE PILLOWS and NOODLES as part of our Anti-Robot Japan Tour. The tour will be in Shinjuku @ Loft on May 20th. Officially!!

Earthquake in Sendai, Japan

The worst earthquake and Tsunami in Japanese history hit the city of Sendai wiping it completely off the island nation. All Ages began tour today in Totori, in the south. We are fine, but the people here are a bit nervous of aftershocks! This disaster of course has unified the people in great urgency. No need to tell you that the survivors are in desperate need of the worlds help! This is what All Ages stands for and in this moment our tour has shifted from a promotional endeavor, to a charity. We will be donating as much as we can from our profits from our entire tour to a charity currently being set up. And we are encouraging all the other bands to participate. In the next few days we will have more details that will allow you and other friends, fans and family to donate as well. We love you all, and we hope to come home with amazing stories of passion, courage and selflessness on our part and from all the great people we are meeting along the way.

www.iloveallages.com

Just the beginning... All Ages "Anti Robot" Japan Tour 2011

Today we offically begin our 2011 Japan tour... 47 shows (maybe a few additions) ... We are in Osaka tonight to enjoy the company of some old friends and Tom's family, maybe a beer or two! The reception has been amazing and we are so excited to go out a push our boundries! The venues that are lined up and the bands we are set to play with are outstanding!! We have a tour finale with "Noodles" and indie kings "The Pillows" in Tokyo May 20th... I was worried about headlining so many shows, but our buzz here has grown by leaps and bounds in the past year! "A New Kind of Citizen" has struck a chord with the youth here, and they understand our "Anti Robot" concept!!
I'd like to thank Tomcat and Chris Mayrena, my good friends who continue to push me and All Ages. Tom, Masa and I are getting along very well and we are anticipating huge things during and after this tour... These are exciting times and it's special to have friends to share it with. My brother Mark has also joined us here in Japan... he paid his dues with us as our tour manager for 140 US shows this past year... he can be more relaxed here and enjoy the ride.
Please keep up with the tour and shoot us a note on our facebook or right here! I'll post as often as I can, please be patient asour internet access does not coincide with our busy tour~ Lot's of Love to you! And whatever you do with your life... don't go into advertising, you may lose your soul!! And don't eat KFC... peace!!

San Francisco

Back in SF... I missed this place so much. Time off for 2 days... then another short week of touring. Our van died, Tom was arrested, and we are broke! I love my job! ... Two weeks until Japan tour.

Indiana is Ice

We are here in Indianapolis and just slid down to our hotel. The streets are ice! If your car doesn't have forward momentum or 4 wheel drive, forget it! Our van met two buildings and a tree. Not complaining, we had a fantastic time with Neal and Brad who have built a fantastic production company "Invent Fusion"... Our show tonight was at the Wheeler Art Collective. A community center built around various types of artists. We are just relaxing tonight, because this tour is $ tight and being able to stay in a hotel is a blessing. South Park, Showers, and Ramen... Life is Good, Indiana is Ice.

Updated the Website www.iloveallages.com

The Danger of this Tour (Feb. 2nd)

We are literally inching our way along on this tour. The weather is dreadful and we are in the middle of blizzards and ice storms. The fog is forcing us to drive 5mph along with the re-icing of our windshield every few minutes... We are taking serious consideration for our lives and may have to cancel shows... We are heading to Trenton, NJ and then to Indianapolis... Ice Storms into Blizzard and Tornado weather... We are trekking along our route and courageously braving the ice, snow blanket and truckers. Most mornings we wake up and need to scrape and shovel our way out, this adds a few hours to our commute.
So why do we do this? We are doing what we love! It's a little of a sense of adventure and a need for adventure... Nothing ventured/nothing gained... and because we are all a bit Crazy. The heat doesn't work, so we have piles of blankets and our spirits are still high... Looking forward to warmer weather and our trip over to Japan.
For now, we'll continue on... details www.iloveallages.com and www.shameless-self.com