Vegas Dragons - "LOVINGLY CRUEL"_

Personal diary of Brian Taylor

The life of Brian Taylor, the singer of the band. This is a history of my Sellaband journey. Latest entries first.

Sat 10 May - My brother's birthday

I have been doing a lot of overtime at my work to save for the three filmclips I want to make this year count. It is 6am and I am going to work on my day off. Just got to save and think of the big picture. It's my brother's birthday today. I am looking forward to seeing him tonight.

Fri 9 May

Did a 12 hour work day and not much else. Thank you so much to Ray Baisden, Walter M, Triff and Martin who bought parts in the live account. I am working my ass off not to let you down.

Thu 8 May

Long, long day at work. Just slaving and saving.... trying to think of the future and stay positive. Great to see Lucretia back on Sellaband. :) :)

Wed 7 May - Tiff at $31K!!!!

It is so great to see Tiff explode to $31,000 in budget!!! I think she will be there soon and I know that she can't wait. I may even get to do some singing on her CD. That would be great!

Tue 6 May - 351- Vegas Dragons live over 10%

I really wanted to stock up on Vegas Dragons LIVE cds to sell over the next few years, so I have bought 35 parts and taken the total to $5230. I am deadly serious about making Vegas Dragons a success around the world and on Sellaband. 

I am flying over to The Netherlands at the start of June to promote "Lovingly Cruel" and the new Vegas Dragons account. There will be a listening party in Amsterdam. If you can make it, I would love to thank you in person and shake  your hands. I am going to do everything in my power to really make this the year of the Dragons!

Mon 5 May - 352 - Mandyleigh gives birth to a boy!

Congratulations to Mandyleigh and Gary who had their 3rd child this morning! I actually got an sms at 4am from her. It woke me up and I am thinking : "who the hell could that be?" It was great to read that the child was born healthy and that all is good.

Thanks to wijnand for being our 112th Believer in VD Live! We are now only 14 parts from 10%. Thank you! It was another up and down day for me personally. I worked my hours and got my money. I was very tired and came home and went to sleep staight away. I woke up about 11pm talked to my girlfriend and then got on the net.

Mandocello and Mysti contacted me on Skype and I did a fun interview for them for their Tribune. In the interview it will unveil my plans for the CD launch. That should take place in early June. So that should be fun.

I compiled my top ten songs of all time here:

http://www.sellaband.com/forum/off_topic/your-top-10-most-loved-songs-of-all-time-7371/

Electric Eel Shock (EES) are now at $11330, which is very exciting! They are over 20% in budget in just three days!

It is now 2am and time for me to go back to sleep. Another day of work awaits me soon.

Sun 4 May - 353

I had a very trying day yesterday with personal problems making it the worst day of the year. I picked up Tony Robbins "Notes from a friend" to try and inspire me again. Looks like I have to find a new place to live. The next few months will be very trying. I finally pay off my debts and now another problem rears its ugly head. I am trying to find the positives in my life and focus on them. I love that we have created such a great CD with so many cool songs on it. I just want the world to hear it and for me to be able to play the songs to the world. Is that asking too much?

Great to see the Electic Eel shock over $8200! :) Good luck to them!

Later: I just spent some time reading over the blog I have kept on here for 10 months. It has been some journey so far. There have been some really great times on Sellaband and I really believe the best is yet to come. Thank you for Believing!

Sat 3 May - 354 - welcome Electric Eel Shock (EES)

Firstly, I want to say how proud I am of my friend Martin Nicholas. I was able to talk to him yesterday and he has really done something yesterday that shows how brave and smart he is. I can't go into details because it is not my place to do so but he is a great man. I think you are awesome Amigo.

So I got up very early on my day off and have been on Sellaband ever since. It is so great to welcome Japanese band Electric Eel Shock (EES) to Sellaband. I think that they will do very well here. I have nothing but admiration for them. They are a rocking band and I love the way they operate. Here is some info on their page:

EES have always always embraced the independent way of doing things. They started out releasing their first albums on their own label Micro Music in Japan. EES then toured over 20 countries around the world, paying their way with CD and merchandise sales before finally signing their first deal with a record label in 2004.

All EES deals since then have been short term licenses for specific territories and we have released 3 albums with labels such as Roadrunner, Bitzcore, Gearhead Records etc

In 2006 EES set up the Samurai 100 which gave 100 fans the opportunity of guestlist for life, they have been thanked for their support on every release since then. We see Sellaband as the natural next step (We are sorry we can't offer all believers guest list for life but we promise that will invite you to all our parties!)

With their latest album EES returned to their roots set up Double Peace Records to release the album in Europe as well as licensing to large independent P-Vine Records in Japan.

It is too early to decide how we will release this album but because one thing is certain we will continue to be in control...

They are a great addition to SAB and they are a real inspiration to me. I have bought a few parts in them and I think that they could get to 50K in record time. Okay, well - I have planned a very busy and constructive weekend. I hope you have a great weekend too!

Later: My constructive day got shot to hell. Tragic really.

Fri 2 May - 355 - Congratulations Angie

Great to see artist #21 reach 50K!! I really like her music and I am happy to see her in the "recording section". It is also great to see Tiffany Gow at $28,200!!! :) :) I am so proud of her and I can't wait to see her recording for Sellaband and all us Believers.

I feel so tired after a long day at work. Tonight the staff at my work are having their quarterly drinks night. So I could have gone and got lots of free drinks and mingled with the staff. It would have been great to get lots of free Jack Daniels and cokes if I wasn't trying to stay away from drinking. It was tough not to go because right now I feel like a drink or three. I work my butt off for what is the equivilent of 10 parts a day (after tax). Vegas Dragons live is now at $4850 because I withdrew a part from one of the artists I believe in because they are not even trying on this site and put it in the Vegas Dragons account.

 I think of how much money that I have invested on this site and I will freely admit that I have made some very poor investment decisions with the artists that I have chosen. Some of the 50K artists don't give a damn about their Believers and it really hurts. It hurts me as a Believer, as a fellow artist and as a great believer in the Sellaband concept.

I am so in love with Sellaband that I have let it cloud my judgement and I have invested in a few lemons. It is a harsh learning curve for me but it makes me want to try all the more harder to make a profit for Vegas Dragons Believers.

I am one of the biggest Believers in Vegas Dragons (within and outside of Sellaband) and I know that if I don't make money for my Believers then it is ultimately my fault and my failure. I will not shrug that off like other artists, who I don't really think care if their Believers make money or not. I take my Believers and Sellaband VERY VERY seriously. I can promise you that.

Ultimately I want people - even if they don't like the music we create - to say "At least he takes his fans and Believers very seriously." Which I do.

Later: saw that my dear friend Lucretia has been ill and has had a death in the family. Was very sad to read this and started this post on the forum:

http://www.sellaband.com/forum/about_sellaband/get-better-lucretia-7335/

Thu 1 May - 356 - Congratulations Dan Ward Murphy!

Daniel Ward Murphy has become artist #20 to raise $50K! (The million dollar artist!) congrats buddy! I was watching it when it happened and I was delighted! Great work and I was so happy for him. Now I am watching with great interest as Angie Arsenault heads towards 50K! As I write this she is just a few parts shy of $46K. I am going to try my best to get that last part but it will be tough, she has a lot of fans.

Work was okay. I got voted "Employee of the month" and as of today I am officially debt free! I paid the last of the money I owed my mother today, so now I can save up for Vegas Dragons related expenses - of which there are so many. Main priorities are film clips, promotion, gigs, merchandise and getting the band to Europe.

A BIG thank you to Killer Queen and Ray Baisden, Class of '06 who bought 2 parts each and brought the new account to $4840 - only 16 parts shy of 10% in budget!

Wed 30 April - 357 - Ray Baisden's birthday!

I have woken up early and gone straight to the new tribune. It is great to get an update on the business front and the future of Sellaband. I am very excited about what lies ahead for Sellaband and Vegas Dragons.

http://www.sellaband.com/tribune/edition80/

I am 100% commited to making this CD a success and this consumes me. I can't wait to unveil the plans of the months ahead but must remain patient and not jump the gun.

Tue 29 April - 358

The days pass so quickly. 1/3 of the year is nearly over! How scary! All the excitement is on page one this week with Daniel Ward-Murphy - the Countdown is on! at $46,090 and Angie Arsenault up to an amazing $41580! She is flying along, getting 50 new parts in one hit today from Angie Arsenault Believer. I would love to buy more parts in both artists and I would really like to try and get the last part of Angie... however my funds are very limited, so if I do manage it, it will be by fluke.  I am really looking forward to an exciting month ahead.

Mon 28 April - 359

Worked 8-4, came home and just felt exhausted. I am gearing myself up for a big May with lots of exciting plans and I will be spreading the word of Vegas Dragons on a big scale. I feel great pressure to repay "the loan" I have taken up from Believers and I will stop at nothing to do that. Who knows what the future holds? I just have to maintain a positive never-say-die attitude and see what happens.

Sun 27 April -360 - New song!

I have been working on a new song this weekend. I really love the feeling of creating a new composition. It is another dark and haunting song. I think it has a lot of potential. I want the Vegas Dragons Live CD to have at least 4 new songs as well as lots of live tracks from our future gigs in Europe. Thank you Martin Nicholas for buying 2 more parts in Vegas Dragons live. We are headed towards 10% in budget! :) :) :) :) We will cram LOTS into the next CD. The future is a bright one. Thank you for Believing!

Sat 26 April - 361- 2006 weekend

Paul Mc Master came up with the great idea of having a 2006 weekend where we celebrate all the artists who joined in 2006. Vegas Dragons joined November 2006 and it is great to be a part of the celebrations! :) I would like to thank logical-one... is loving this '06 weekend!!! :o) , Walter M. (joined 12 days to late) and Harro for buying parts in the last few hours and taking Vegas Dragons live to $4770.

I saw Henry Rollins last night and he is a great story teller and entertainer. I really want to do more with my life and suck the marrow out of life. It is too short to waste.

Fri 25 April -362 - Anzac Day

Today we celebrate Anzac Day in our country. It is a very special day for Australians and New Zealanders as we remember all the brave people who gave their lives defending our great nation. Thank you for your sacrifice. Lest we Forget.

Today is our guitarist Jeremy Barne's birthday. I hope you have a great day mate.

I read the following on Sellaband CEO's page. It was very special to read:

"Yesterday truly was a great day for me personally. I never made a secret of my love and respect for Vegas Dragons. The man and his music have touched me since the day he arrived. He had the will and determination to reach $50,000 on SellaBand and he did it.
He spent months in the studio with his long time associate Phil Tweed (another great talent) working on his SellaBand album. Yesterday the master of 'Lovingly Cruel' arrived at our office and the 14 tracks were blasting out of the stereo. Needless to say we were blown away. This is not an album for the faint-hearted, although it does have its sentimental moments.
Phil and Brian have done themselves proud. They had the vision and dedication and have made an album that is more than just one step forward from their previous work. Listening to 'Lovingly Cruel' made me realise why I joined Pim when he pitched me with his concept in the first place: the love of music and the desire to leave my footprint in the music industry.
Things didn't always go as planned and the concept still needs a bit of tweaking, but the basic principles still stand: fans invest in artist's music, artist gets the chance of a lifetime. Just like others did before him, Brian has risen to the occasion and the whole SellaBand experience has turned his world upside down.
Thank you Brian, for making an awesome record. And thank you for reminding me of the responsibility we have as a company to do the best we can for you, your music and those who invested in you. It's not that I didn't get the message already -ploughing through the Forum has not been a great pleasure lately- but you let the music do the talking.
Message understood..."
Thank you Boss!

Thu 24 April - 363

I went to work today but then promptly left a minute later. I went home sick. I just can't handle it. The people that work there are wonderful but I am just not cut out to work in an office. I know that my life would be a hell of a lot easier if I could just be a normal "9 to 5" living guy. I wouldn't have felt the need to invest tens of thousands of dollars into my music. I would be happily paying off a mortgage and going about my normal life.

However I honestly believe I was born to share my creativity with the world. Every day I spend at my job I feel that life and my dreams are slipping away. I keep thinking of that quote from the movie The Lion King: "You are more than what you have become."

I am not afraid of hard work, not at all - but I want to do work that I love. I feel I am betraying my dreams for a few extra bucks and security. Next week I will go and give my notice at the job. I think of the story about how Jon Bon Jovi was working in a shoe store. He had an arguement with his boss and he quit. Imagine if he had stayed and not taken a chance? Imagine if he had just settled for that shoe store?

Very shortly I intend to do something very special. Something that I feel destined to do. Next month is going to be very exciting and so will June. I will let you know very shortly what that is. I am really starting to live my life as if I only have a limited time... and that of course, is the truth. We don't have forever. Why do we put off the things we want to do most? Is it fear of failure? Fear that we may actually succeed? If you want to do something - shouldn't we be brave and actually go for it. Sadly, so many of us don't and settle for less than the best. I can't do that any longer.

Wed 23 April - 364

I have been an emotional mess the last few days and I hate it. I am having yet another day off work as I get myself and life together. What the hell am I writing this for??? What is it achieving? Don't be surprised if this whole diary is wiped out soon. However while I am writing it, I will keep it 100% honest.

I have just had another long sleep because I could not deal with life and the depression. I have woken up feeling better and I hope that things will be better now. My girlfriend has helped me a lot and Tiff has called to try and cheer me up. I got a great message from my great friend Sue and that was nice. She is a good friend.

Yesterday I created a Vegas Dragons Facebook page and wrote to all my friends asking if they would join. It took me hours to set up but I felt I was being productive. Less than 24 hours later the account has 50 fans in it. Thank you to all who have signed up. I am hoping to build that up quite a bit in the months/years ahead. Here is the link, it would be great if you would join, it would be great to have you on board:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vegas-Dragons/15447931317?ref=share

I got to see the photos of my girlfriend's Gay Mardi Gras shoot today. She did the make up for all the models. They are very impressive. She has so much talent and I am so proud of her. Here is the link if you would like to check out her make up work:

http://www.emmanuelgiraud.com/home.html#sticky

As of today I have gone one month without any alcohol in my system, which is quite an achievement for me. It would have been so easy for me to pick up the bottle when I have been down, especially this week and I am glad that I have not. If I want to get physically and emotionally fit, it is best that I avoid it. So now I hope to make the most of the rest of my day. I have been on Sellaband for a while today but trying to avoid all the negativity and stay positive. Vegas Dragons have 149,814 profile views! Nearly at 150,000 views!! That is very special. I am still very focused on getting 1,000,000 profile views to this page and being the first to sell all 5,000 limited edition CDs.

It is payday and once again most of my money is going to paying off my debts. I am hoping to be debt free before our CD is released.... then I will save up more money to pour into Vegas Dragons.... AC/DC were not joking when they sang "It is a long way to the top if you want to rock n' roll." A long, long way.... but we must keep climbing!

Tue 22 April - 365 days to live

I have really felt terrible the last couple of days. I feel very depressed and I hate that I can't shake it. I am not sure that I should even be writing it here. I am not sure if I should keep this blog anymore. It does me no good. It does the band no good.

I should be feeling happy. The CD sounds great and it is only a few weeks from being shared with my Believers. However I feel lousy. I had to leave work early yesterday and I didn't go to work today. Why? I think it is a lot of things. There are personal problems, debts I have to pay, the negativity on The Sellaband forum of late and the frustration that my great friend Tiffany is struggling on Sellaband - (she gets a few parts, then loses them) are among them.

Also I feel that life is passing me quickly and I am not happy with the amount I am doing to realise my dreams. I want to make Vegas Dragons a really great success. I want to make money for our Believers and I want us to be one of the biggest success stories that this site has ever and will ever produce. I want to proudly tell the world that I love Sellaband and that it is because of them and my Believers that we succeeded. However if I continue down the same path that I am following now it will only end in failure. Failure for me and failure for Vegas Dragons. I need to step up and bring my "A" game.

From today I will approach my life as if I only have one year to live. I will pretend that come April 22nd 2009 I will be dead. Who knows, it may come sooner than this and I want to make the most of what time I have left. I will do a countdown to this day next year and I will make every day count.

Here is a list of things that I would like to accomplish in this time:

1. Let every person possible know of Vegas Dragons and hear our songs.

2. Tour Europe with Vegas Dragons and my good friend Tiffany Gow.

3. Make 3 quality filmclips. (The first is being made now)

4. Spend quality time with my family, friends and my girlfriend.

5. Get fitter than I have ever been in my life.

6. Meet as many of my Sellaband friends as possible.

Thanks to Sellaband we have the "quality product", I just have to let the world know that Vegas Dragons and the songs exist. This is what I will do with all my heart. From now on, I am a full-time Vegas Dragons promotional machine. My funds are limited, the odds are stacked against me but if I don't try I certainly will not succeed. It is time for me to really fire up and go for gold.

One life only.....

Mon 21 April

Korn were amazing. One of the best gigs I have ever been to. The power and passion was just fantastic. It made me feel happy to be at a great hard rock/metal gig. There is a certain electricity at such a gig that you don't find elsewhere. Hard loud music makes me feel alive and it is just so much better to get into then a mainstream band like Matchbox 20. It was really great night.

So now it is Monday morning and I am catching up with Sellaband. Not much happening and SAB still have not got my masters, so I think Phil is going to send the songs by computer files.

Having worked the 18 of the last 19 days I am looking forward to a day off on Friday for Anzac Day - a very important day on the Australian calendar. I will get to see Henry Rollins live that day, so that will be great.

I started a forum thread yesterday on Isca's departure and there have been a few replies, you can find the link here:

http://www.sellaband.com/forum/about_sellaband/bye-isca-7027/

I hope you have a great week!

Sun 20 April - worst day on Sellaband.

It is a very sad day for Sellaband with my friend Isca deciding to leave the site. This is what he wrote in his blog:

" So, what's all this with Isca not participating with SAB anymore? Such a huge fan? Hasn't he quit before already? ... read on
The answers are below, but be warned that they are not for the faint hearted. I will not be entering into any discussions about the following, nor responding to any 'replies' or 'corrections'. If you don't like what you read, then stop reading . It is as simple as that.
Sellaband HQ appear to be completely inept at this operation. Sure, it started off positively and promisingly, but since the last quarter of 2007, SAB HQ have disappeared off the radar, appearing only at the odd gig (organized by bands and believers btw) to chat up the girls and drink all of the beer. There have been lots of promises made, and banners flouted, but at the end of the day, SAB HQ have seriously let the artists and believers down in a big way. I have met Johan V several times, and you could not meet a nicer person. He has genuine drive, personality and enthusiasm, but how far do those qualities take you? My brother has drive, personality and enthusiasm, and he's doing time right now.
I have met a few of the other people involved with HQ, and seem to be efficient, nice people, but perhaps too small time for the dream that they harboured.
The sellagigs that I went to in London and Amsterdam really caught my imagination, and made me believe in the concept in a big way. Since then, all we have heard from SAB is via the Tribune, and nothing seems to add up there - all piss and wind.
CDs are not getting sold, promises are not being met. The infamous ABC of Sellaband turns out to be a pile of dreams, and watch out, another one will be along soon.
In relative low key, Sellaband recently sold out a 40% investment to Prime Technology Ventures, gaining a reported 5 million in the deal. Truth is, no-one but the suits know how this money will be invested in SAB, even though it has mammoth consequences to artists and investors. This idea baffles me, since it was the suits that sparked the imagination to start up SAB in the first place!
Enough SAB bashing. Actually, no... there is more...
As far as the site goes, it has remained relatively unchanged since I joined up a year ago. Sure, some features have been added such as the playlist, some  'tools' and a few odds and sods. But nothing major. SAB promises SAB 2.0 could spring out of the investment. Great. That should last us another year or two.
But that does not change the fact that the forums, which are a joke in layout and design, remain completely un-user friendly, and open to all sorts of abuse.
Most recently, there was an incidence where a serious racial slur was posted on the site, and it was left to some of the more active members of the site to deal with it. In fact, if you read it closely, you can still follow the trail - the post is still unmoderated. When a forum is unmoderated on an international site like this, all kinds of hateful messages can come through. There were even some big mouthed members of the site trying to defend racist comments under the banner of free speech!!!! Once hate mongers get a sniff that they can abuse a site like this .. well, the rest will follow.
So why post all this here in a blog that few will read? Why not jump up and down and try to make SAB see the problems?
Well, that has all been done on the forums many times. SAB have been given gifts from all participants, artists AND believers on how to make this idea work - with very little response, and CERTAINLY no action.
Each and every participant who is active enough to care has given SAB EVERYTHING they need to make this a huge success, but we have heard nothing back from HQ. This damage is eventually irreparable.
So for my part, I have hugely enjoyed being a part of SAB over the past year, but there comes a time when I have to ask, wait a minute, aren't I being had?
Those that have been here long enough to remember will know that I quit SAB as a believer in the summer of 2007 due to a fake artist fracas (basically, a 14 year old kid uploaded a profile, and coined in a few $ before everyone realized he wasn't the artist he proclaimed to be). That was a huge turning point and a big flaw for me, but after discussing with some of the cornerstones of SAB, I came to accept that this was a one off, and this silly kid couldn't do any damage anyway. A strong community would see off fakes long before they hit 50k. So i returned, and put almost $6000 into various artists over the next 7 months.
But the community isn't as strong now as it was then. Many people are having serious second thoughts about the whole concept, probably based on some of the thoughts above, but also for their own unique reasons.
There are those that will bail out because eventually, with NO ADVERTISING, and NO PROMOTION, and NO INPUT WHATSOEVER from SAB, this venture will fail. With the $ as weak as it is, people could lose a lot of money.
People will be left with a pile of CDs from unknown artists with no hope of selling them. As unique and attention grabbing as the SAB concept is, it is certainly not a mainstream outlet. The deal with Amazon was incredibly attractive, but will eventually lead to nothing without other advertising and promotion - factors not included in the 50k.
On the subject of 50k artists, does it not strike anyone odd how once they hit the 50k graveyard, no-one hears from them again?
Part of the attraction of the site was getting to know the people behind the songs, and yes, sometimes I got 2 messages a day from certain artists wanting my money. But once they hit 50k - nada, nothing, the odd update generically sent to all believers. no personal contact at all.
A prominent artist who has 50k has since revealed that he was fed up with all of the arse kissing on the road to 50k, and once he got there, he announced that anyone who didn't invest in his project could kiss his arse!!! Nice!! So, here I am one minute thinking I have invested in a talented musician with great communication skills, and the next left thinking, Fuck, how am I going to shift a stack of tea coasters when he realizes that he ain't as big as he thought he was!!!
I recently asked one of the artists that I believed a lot of my monthly wages in, do you have any idea where I could send a % of them as freebies - half of my stock. The answer I got (twice) was "I dunno - no clue"
I mean - I'm offering to go out of pocket here (including postage) to send half of my CDs out as demos to radio stations, promoters etc, and the answer I get is "I dunno - no clue". Fuck, what was I thinking???? I really have been had, haven't I?
There have been others who have reached 50k, and once there, they have completely dissed SAB and FORGOTTEN whose money it was that put them there. Perhaps their ego got so stroked in the time they were here that they forgot WHY they were here. THEY ARE UNSIGNED - AND NOT BY CHOICE!!!!!!!! being an unsigned artist is not a badge - it means no one offered them a contract!!! FFS, there are some artists here who need to seriously consider whether this is a hobby or a career. Judging from some of their comments on the forums, they have absolutely no more idea about the music industry than I do.
One of the things that has SERIOUSLY got my back up in recent weeks is the amount of artists whining about what believers do with their money. Like it was theirs once it was deposited. IT IS NOT YOUR MONEY UNTIL YOU REACH THE FINAL 50K GOAL FFS!!! Even then it is not yours, it is the believers' money, SAB's money, and yes, then it is your money to do what the believers funded you to do. It was never given to you as some sort of gauge as to how better you are than other artists. There are some artists under 2k on SAB that are worth ten times some of the artists who have made 50k. Sadly, they will never make it, because SAB is aiming for the main stream centre ground, already flooded in the 'real world' by boy bands and blondes with fake tits who will outsell them 10,000/1.
In truth, I have found many, many artists who I totally admire, and will listen to their songs for many years. Apart from having to endure the attention of 30-something nerds (as one artist alluded to recently) the artists know in their heart that this is a great venue to get their music heard and loved. But it will not MAKE their careers. Only they can do that. The SAB CD is a vehicle for making a product - a CD, which incidentally are selling worse than dried prune tea in 2008, and likely so for the foreseeable future.
SAB saw all of this coming, and set out to break the mould, but what we ended up with is a system for investing in an unsellable product.
That's not to say that the artists here are unsellable. Some of them are worth their weight in gold. But not via CD, not in 2008/9/10.
There are some artists I have met who work hard playing gigs, looking for opportunities, networking, and there are others that saw SAB on the news, and think it is Myspace2.0. It isn't, and for me, it never was.
So, with all due things considered, I need to spend time on other productive things in life, and have to pull out most of my parts in SAB artists. I have pulled my favourite artists down to 5 parts, even though my fingers bled making the mouse do it. I have kept parts in other artists who were kind enough to send me promo material that will continue to be played and enjoyed.
As of now this account is permanently inactive. I might check back once in a while to see how my 'investments' are doing (not holding my breath, 15 pence in 1 year is not incredibly impressive), but otherwise I need to spend my time more wisely.
Apologies to all artists that I withdrew parts in, and best of luck on SAB
Best of luck to EVERYONE involved with SAB....
Of course these are just my ramblings, but as I said, they are mine - you didn't have to read them, and no discussion will be entered into
Isca, 20th April 2008"

Then add to this I read that Casper is suing Mandyleigh for "stealing" one of his songs... it is very sad.

Well, I am off to see Korn, need to take my mind off this.

 

Sat 19 April - music BUSINESS

I have learnt so much from this 50K experience and one thing is for sure, it really is the music BUSINESS! I love music. I love how it makes me feel and it is one of the greatest pleasures in my life. I couldn't imagine my life without music. I love listening to it, creating it and playing it. However lately I realise that so often it is so much about the money.

 The $50K budget is nearly all gone and I love what we have done with the money. We have really stretched every cent as far as we could and I just love listening to the music we have created thanks to our friends out there online. However I do not enjoy sorting out the money problems. From the very beginning of this project I have noticed that there is a fine line that must be walked between being a musician, a friend and being a businessman. Between being fair and being walked all over. I have studied business and I would like to think that I have a reasonably good business brain. However it does detract from the feeling (and the music) when so much of it comes back to money.

I went and saw Matchbox 20 last night. They were a well oiled live machine and put on a near flawless (musically) show. However it was lacking intensity and there could have been more energy. It seemed that they were just going through the motions and it was just another show.

They played many of their hits, including my favourite "Bright Lights":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxkzZcj4Vac

They were also a well oiled money machine. We paid $140 a ticket and multiply that by 12,000 people a night means that they are doing quite well. Then we went out to the merchandise stand and I saw that they were selling a recording of that night's performance that you can upload onto your computer for $50! Yes, you can get a wristband that you plug into your computer and it brings up the whole night's show, so you can remember it forever!!! WOW! Now that is technology for you. There were over 200 people waiting in line for their wristband, once again - they are doing very well.

Anyway, the point is money makes the world and especially the (music) world go around. That is why this site is so special and powerful. It gives struggling bands the chance to get some of that money. However, $50,000 is no where near enough! That is why I will be working all this weekend, to earn money so I can promote my band so that my music can be heard by more people. I hope you are having a great weekend!!

Fri 18 April - Congratulations So What on 50K!!!

GEWELDIG, VAN HARTE! (I don't know what it means but if The Boss wrote it, it must be good!) It is awesome to see So What at $50K! Now we have 19 artists at $50K!! :) :) Congratulations to Lady in RED (722 parts) and Walter M. (503 parts) their biggest Believers! I am sure they will do very well with their investments! This is a very exciting time to be involved with Sellaband and I am so proud that Vegas Dragons were the 8th artist to make it to $50K!

I worked hard at work today and I am doing well there. I rushed home and got to speak to JohanV ! It was great to talk to him on Skype. He is a very busy man and it was great that he made time for me. We discussed the budget, future plans and Vegas Dragons. He hasn't got the CD yet, which is really annoying! Hopefully it will arrive today for him.

Tiff and I are off to see Matchbox 20 tonight in Sydney. I hope it inspires me. I am working all weekend but I also get to see Korn on Sunday night. That should be great. I hope you have a great weekend. Thanks for reading.

Thu 17 April

I got to speak to Ray Baisden today on Skype with Tiffany today. That was good. I also watched a great special on Holland. I would love to go back there. Apart from that, just worked my long day and did Sellaband work.

Wed 16 April - Happy Birthday Tiffany!!!!

My dear friend Tiff had her birthday today and the kind Believers took her over $27K!!! Hopefully she will get to 30K soon!

Today was one of the most exciting days of the year as I found out that Vegas Dragons will be on the Vegas Dragons Sellaband Heineken compilation CD!!! I am so proud of that!!! It has got to be worth a couple of thousand dollars in free promotion for Vegas Dragons and I am hoping it will bring some fresh Believers to the Vegas Dragons Live account. I am very happy!!!

Jeremy our guitarist called me today and has been listening to the CD non stop for the last few days. He says that it is as good as any metal CD being released at the moment. He is so proud and happy. That also helped make my day.

I am also happy that work has begun on our first filmclip for the new CD! If all goes to plan this will be one mindblowing video. There are some other very exciting events coming up and they will help me get through the long days at work. Thank God for Sellaband! I am so glad that I found this site for our band. Thank you for Believing in Vegas Dragons. The future is an exciting one!

Tue 15 April

I'm listening to 17 Steps as I update my diary. Damn, I am proud of that song. Our mastered CD "Lovingly Cruel" should be arriving in Holland this weeks and I hope the Boss and all the Sellaband team really likes it.

Today I won a prize at my work for being the biggest order seller of the week. It is a big turn around from 2 weeks ago when I was ready to walk out on the job. I think I have accepted that I need this job and the money it brings. The key is to make the most of my time outside of work and to save the money for the exciting future.

Already work on one filmclip has begun and I hope it should be ready in 8 weeks. Phil is working out the budget and it will be interesting to see how much we still have left to spend.

Tiffany Gow will put up her new song tonight, so I am keen to hear how that sounds. I will continue to message every single Vegas Dragons Believer to thank them once more for Believing in us. It is taking a while but I just want to give every Believer the personal touch. Their support means everything.

Mon 14 April - Congratulations Angie Arsenault on 30K!

It is so great to see Angie doing so well. I was fortunate enough to be the first person to Believe in her one year ago today and I am so excited to see her at 30K and soon Amazon.uk will buy 100 parts and she will go to 31K. It is so great to see artists like Dan Ward Murphy and So What getting closer to 40K! The site is growing so much. To give you an example Vegas Dragons Live is on $4640 at the moment (thanks to Colin Acton ) That would have been enough on the 5th Jan 2007 to put us on page one of Sellaband!!! I still have a print out on my bedroom door of when Vegas Dragons made page one of Sellaband (a huge day for me!) and it only took $3750 to do that!
Now you need $22,140 (Wetwerks Rock!!!) to be on page one!

Okay, I better get ready for my day at work. I am not really looking forward to it but I am looking forward to what the money will bring me. I am very determined to promote this new album in every possible way and that will require lots of money. I am so very proud of what we have created with "Lovingly Cruel".

Oh and if you read this Lucretia.... I am missing our conversations on skype. I hope you are well and would like to talk to you sometime. All the best to you and Greebo!

Sun 13 April

Day off work! Sweet! Cooked breakfast, washed up lots of pots, then got 2 trains and a bus to visit my friend Bob Stevens and Tiffany Gow. Went to the pub. I haven't had any alchol for over two weeks now and it is certainly saving me money and helping me to get fitter. I want to make a filmclip in the next 10 weeks. Need to save every single penny.

I am also going to spend time writing a song this week for a colaboration between me and Tiffany for the colaboration CD project on Sellaband. I want a really rocking song to spice things up on that CD.

Sat 12 April -Thank you jos verwoert ! VD LIVE $4630!

I have to work today but that is cool. Focus is on raising money and saving hard. I really want to make 3 filmclips this year. Thank you Jos for buying a part. It means so much to have people spending their hard earned dollars on Vegas Dragons. It blows my mind!

I had a talk with someone yesterday about the 50K artists and how some of them could "kill the golden goose" if they do not maximize Believer's money. Vegas Dragons are doing all they can to restore that faith with 14 songs on the Limited Edition CD, great artwork and a genuine love for the Believers who invest in us. Thank you so much to everyone who has ever put a $ into our band - we will do our very best not to let you down.

Fri 11 April - Vegas Dragons CD artwork

I got to see the completed artwork for "Lovingly Cruel" today and it blew me away. It looks so good. I am so lucky to have had Chris Lawrence on board to do the artwork. He is a genuis. The CD will stand out on the shelves of music stores, that is for sure!

Work went okay today. I am focused at doing my best at work because I know that is what will pay for all the band expenses in the coming months. I have got so many great ideas for filmclips but just have to get the money for them.

We were going to see my friend's band after work but they were cancelled because the promoter thought they could only bring in 50 people and he wanted 300. It is a tough life in the music industry. I don't think any sane person would be trying to succeed in the music industry. 

Thu 10 April - Life is over before you know it

I am just back from seeing a friend off on a plane. She is on her way to Europe for a holiday. I so wanted to go!!! It really motivated me to get the band there next year. I so want to play to our European friends. It won't be happening this year but hopefully in 2009.

I worked 8am - 4pm and one person called me to say that a customer on file has passed away, so will not be needing their wine. It made me think how fragile life is. Here one day and gone the next. Then I spoke to an old lady that sounded so sick and near death that it made me sad just to listen to her. She really struggled to say what she wanted. I wondered how long she will live and if she is happy with what she has done with her life.

I don't want to be that old and have regrets. I will be able to say that I have done everything possible to obtain my dreams. 

Wed 9 April - Vegas Dragons live $4610 

Today I start work at 1pm instead of 8am so I have been able to wake up at 5.30am and do lots of Vegas Dragons work. I call it work but it is fun work, it is my dream. I love it! I really wish that I could give up my dull job and just promote full time but as we all know everyone needs cash to survive - even Sellaband!!!

I have sent a message around to all the Vegas Dragons Live Believers and have done quite a bit of work on Myspace too.

I love what my dear friend DarthKoala : Team DWM wrote: