Someone asked if I have the same relationship with BB or Aretha, I actually think I have a closer relationship with BB than I do with Joe. If I have to define one of them. I have spent time with BB and his children at his home, and the like. My time with Aretha was terrifying, because musically no one is on a higher pedestal.
As far as that goes, regardless of my friendship with a musician, or a friend who happens to be a musician, my editor knows about those relationships in advance. So she knew that I knew Joe as a guy before I was a writer, and trusted me to write what I thought anyway. But to ensure objectivity I am not allowed to write about my friend Scott, or my friend Henry. (And she cut out my Clapton story from the Joe article)
As far as my thinking that off markets are not being served, I think that is more a comment on how much Joe actually has to do. He is represented by WMA, and they also represent people like Harrison Ford...so Joes weekly operation, while significant, does not roll in as much money as other divisions. I think Zach is his primary agent, and Zach assistants all do a wonderful Joe, but WMA is a giant house, and it must be easy to miss things. As a result, Joe has to spend giant amounts of time on his iphone, and blackberry going over each market, and as a result does not eat enough vegetables or drink enough orange juice to prevent colds. I am assuming that Joe's time on the bus is spent online, and on the phone to a giant extent doing radio, ensuring all the things are there at the venue, maintaining guitars, and the like. I believe that some of this should be alleviated by tour and road management (two entirely separate things). I think that Joe is at this amazing middle point, and I think it is a breaking point for many, where the investment in his from outside sources has been signficant, but not enough to add staff, and as a result he carries that weight almost entirely himself. Like 99% of the nationally touring rock bands in this country, Joe is moving 60 to 80,000 units a year, profiting little from sales, but that profit being used to fund the touring which inevitably pays for his life.
I think looking at Bonamassa's career as a whole, in side by side use of the record industry we can see some amazing thing. Young man signed EARLY, way too early some might say, financial investment on the part of the record label, and clearly not recouped. But from that springs the beginnings of the work with Roy who has invested literally his DNA in this project for over a decade, and brought Joe to right here. Along the way as the record industry has fallen, you have seen Joe invest in the infrastructure of his orginization, managing his own masters, his own ASCAP and BMI accounts, and running the touring band like a machine.
Along the way a few giant studio gigs are there to pay for things that might happen to be great payoffs later on. The Ozzy thing directly links Joe to the guitar crowd, and puts his name on Ozzy dorks lips (I am such a dork). It allows metal kids to purchase Joe record from the past and be blown away by the sheer massive amounts of talent there is in him.
Around this time a choice was made not to seek a liscensing or full blown record deal, as profit margin keeps higher when released indie. It allows for greater control, and allows Joe to maintain ownership of his property. Decisions like this mean that expenses are in house expenses, and as a result records like Sloe Gin are a tremendous leap of faith. It is a produced, slick studio record, with all the bells and whistles. As a result far more expensive than say a Tommy Castro or Popa Chubby, who have sold similar soundscan numbers for record labels famous for low payouts.
I think it will be interesting in the next two years to see the road that Bonamassa takes. Like I said in the article, all the guitar shop guys know him. The amount of guitar wanker wanna be's is amazing now. It is amazing to see the amount of kids who openly say that tehy want to be as good as Joe one day. I think that the decision made by KWS, and the flat out punishment he took businesswise is something that is interesting to see as you watch Bonamassa's career trajectory.
I think as we see the dissolution of Los Angeles record business infrastructure, and the domination of the indie by the truly indie, I think Bonamassa is positioned for a giant career that runs forever and a day. I do not question either the talent or the orginization, but I think that it is important to be able for me as a writer, and a music dork, to be able to see it objectively. I try to refer to Joe when I am being fan boy, and Bonamassa when I am trying to be objective.
I would be fascinated by a live documentary of the tour. A true behind the scenes look at the whole thing. A life of Joe and the band type of deal. I am willing to be a giant amount of it would be Joe on the phone advancing his shows, or worrying about expenses. For example, that cool moment when Joe gets off the plane in India for the first time, and how the upstate new york guy handles that sort of heat for the first time, I bet that moment would be cool.
Watching Joe eat road food, and trying to maintain his health, while eating weird scandanavian food.
a movie, similar to the one about Rocoo DeLuca and his tour of Europe. Or "Dreaming in America" about the band Lucero.
Either way, I think that Sloe Gin was a guantlet being thrown down. Given the talent of Bonamassa, I want to see it thrown even further. I think it will be fascinating to see where it goes.
I think for you fans, this is the moment. Ten years from now, you can say you were here when Joe changed, where Joe stopped being "The Kid" and became "The writer, the artist".
As as my writing, I had approached Susan about pretty much the exact article you talked about. About Roy and Joes life in Cali, and the like. How did Joe and Roy meet? What does Joe do with his free time? Rock climbing, swimming with Hammerhead shark, a golf addict? Doe he like to cook, or run marathons? I heard he was involved with a folk singer, is that true? Does Joe have a dog? A best friend? Has Joe ever slept in a tent? Is Joe political? What kind of car does Joe own? Who did he take to prom? Why those sunglasses? If Joe could be a movie star, which one would he be?
Does Joe think this blues thing is going to fall away, and he will stand on his own, like his appearances with bands like Steely dan and the like overseas...it does not matter if he is called a blues guy here?
What inspires Joe onstage to do the things he does? Does he have a mental routine that gets him to be in the place needed to be onstage?
When was the last night of drunken confessions did Joe have? The last wrestling match with someone in his band? Who hold the World Title of on the Bus wrestling?
Does Joe like Pizza?
Being in LA, does Joe like the Lakers or the Clippers?
Does the bus change from tour to tour? What does Joe like in his bus?
Xbox or playstation?
What was the worst night on stage in 2007? What made it bad? What was the funniest thing in the crowd in 2007? What was the funniest thing the band managed to do on stage?
I once saw Joe Walsh leave the stage to go toe the bathroom, ever happen to Joe?
Who is number 1 on the speed dial?
Does Joe have a lawn? A pool? Neighbors? A poster of Freddie Mercury on the wall?
Does Joe have a postion in the Sammy versus David Lee Roth argument?
Does Joe fear spiders? I do. SPiders are tough.
I do not think Joe is a robot, and while I think the writing about Joe has been pretty one sided so far, I think it is time for someone to take some time and really spend time with the guy. Actual time. Watch him play tennis with his parents, and cards with his granny and grand dad. As a writer, a music dork, the records and the live show are givens...I know they will be excellent. But I want to know Joe.
