The Cottage Industry of Rock Video Production

I have been a fan of rock and roll from its birth. I remember hearing “Hound Dog” and “Great Balls Of Fire” but the song that I would say officially introduced me to Rock-n- Roll was “All I Have To Do Is Dream” by the Everly Brothers.

I play guitar and keyboard quite badly and I sing even worse. Fortunately all of my sons sing better than I do and two are more talented with instruments. My oldest loves playing the cello and my youngest son is a pretty darn good singer. My middle son received the right genetic mix to make him an excellent entertainer. He inherited real musical talent from his mother and his interest to play and show off from me. I have to suppress my urge to show off because I lack the talent… Dave doesn’t. He is an excellent singer and a killer lead guitar player. He performs with Relayer at clubs in the Warrenton, Virginia area. They really have a great classic rock sound. For more information on Relayer, and their schedule of appearances, go to http://www.relayerband.com.

 

In recent years there has been a convergence of music and technology that has added depth to the entertainment world. The introduction of the music video as a common form of entertainment and the advancements in audio/video recording hardware have opened the door to a new cottage industry. Technically talented people with a love for music have entered the entertainment world as music video producers. When we think of a music video, we think of MTV or VH1. They are the ultimate in music videos and have been the inspiration that spawned the industry but there are now many more uses for the music video and many reasons for local bar bands to want their own videos.

With the popularity of sites like YouTube, local bands have found a way to really get noticed around the world. Video on a band’s web site gives night club managers a preview of what talent a band possesses before they are booked. The bands reach out with a stronger message and the club owners get a solid way to evaluate talent. It is a great situation all around.

Another use for a video is as part of a resume to be sent to big time shows like American Idol. Most shows of that caliber require a DVD as part of the application process.

OK everyone thinks having videos is a good idea. Does a band trust their future gigs to a member’s brother standing in a crowd holding his family video camera? That’s probably not the best idea. Fortunately there are now home grown rock video production businesses operating out of their garages much the way the bands do. They are generally technically savvy people with a great ear for rock music. Their equipment is small and easy to carry and set up and they will work for a small profit over their expenses. Most of them have a good day job and do this for the love of the music.

My friend, Steve, created HJS Productions. HJS stands for Hammerjacks Steve, a nickname that was bestowed upon him by Alive-n-Kickin’, the first band that he recorded. Hammerjacks was a very popular club in Baltimore where Steve spent many Saturday nights. I am going to tag along with Steve on an assignment to record the band Dead Ringer at the Point Pleasant Beach Bar in Glen Burnie, Maryland.

I arrived at Steve’s house in Bowie, Maryland about 7:15 in the evening. Steve was checking some of his demo disks before packing up his gear. Years ago an audio/visual professional would require a fair amount of time to pack his or her equipment; not to mention an area larger than the trunk of Steve’s Toyota Corolla.

We just dropped the stuff in the trunk and headed for the Point Pleasant Beach Bar.  It took us about thirty minutes to make the trip and then it was time to stake out a proper place to do the recording. The bar staff did their best to accommodate Steve and he chose a position close to the sound control board. Steve said that he can work in most venues but there are some that do not give him clear access to the band from any angle. He has no choice but to decline those assignments.

 Steve is a highly skilled electrical engineer whose work is praised at his day job as a government contractor.  He is very careful with his equipment.  Even with great care Steve is ready to go in twenty-five minutes; this included moving one table to the left after things were set up.  This set up in a small venue would not have been possible at all in the past.  You can see one of the two blue microphones that extend out away from the stand; the extension is something Steve added himself.  One of the challenges of recording live is to get good sound quality from the band without picking up idle chatter.

 

Keith Jones came over to discuss a little business with Steve; Keith is the one that introduced Steve to Dead Ringer.  Keith is connected to the Maryland music scene so I thought I would ask him his opinion on the value of video to a bar band.  Keith believes that promotional DVDs are a necessity for a band to be successful on the Maryland music scene.  This is the trend.  Venue managers want to see what they are going to get for their money.  I was given a front row seat, not because I was an honored guest, but to stop anyone from standing in that spot and obstructing the camera.

 

A note for my wife; yes dear I sat in that spot taking notes all night.  I didn’t dance with the ladies; I swear.

 

At nine, Dead Ringer took the stage and Steve was ready.  The one thing you don’t see in the picture is Steve’s monitor which is on the table to his left.  The band got the party started with Elton John’s “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting.  It always takes the crowd a few tunes, or maybe a few beers, to really get in tune with the band.  Steve started his constant watch over the recording.

The band was excellent; so much so that I am writing a follow up article about a bar band on a Saturday night. Any band that can nail Roundabout by Yes in a live small venue deserves more words that I can put in this article. I will just say if you’re in the Baltimore/Washington corridor check out http://mdparty.com/performers, find Dead Ringer and go see them.

During the set Steve would watch the monitor waiting to make adjustments for lighting and positioning. He also had to be a constant policeman watching for chattering people that would wander too close to the microphones.

Between sets Steve switches tapes and packs the recorded tape carefully away. He takes a break and grabs a Coca Cola; this is not a party night for him. After a few minutes Steve is back to work. He has a quick chat with Steve Gill over lighting and positioning as the band returns to the stage.

The second set starts with a rousing version of Queen’s Fat Bottom Girls. Steve is back at the monitor. The second set presents new challenges for Steve as the dancing begins. The light level changes based on the music and the breaks in the music and it was time for the band to mix it up with audience by doing vocals from the dance floor. Steve compensated for the lighting and followed the positioning as much as he could.

We wrapped up after two sets and headed out. I talked to Steve on the way home about what would happen next in the process. He said it would take two hours to move the video to his hard drive, an hour to prepare for the formatting, two hours to burn a DVD and about three hours to create clips. Including the recording Steve will put in thirteen hours of work into the creation of Dead Ringer’s video content. After subtracting materials; Steve would have worked for an hourly wage less than what he could make working at a local fast food place. Steve says that it’s not the money as much as the satisfaction of creating something of value and getting to work with talented people like the artists of Dead Ringer.

To see Steve’s work go to http://www.myspace.com/hjsVideo. There you will find video from Dead Ringer’s performance and several other bands in the Maryland music scene.

During the second set Steve Tourison, a former member of the band Friction, came on stage and sat in for two songs. He sang with Vickie on a version of One Way or Another that was a whole lot of fun. Later I talked to Tourison about sitting in and he told me that he was acquainted with the band and that Mile Russo, the lead guitar player, had been using an amplifier that Steve designed and built from scratch. Immediately I realized that highly skilled an intelligent people are finding all kinds of ways of using technology and creativity in the music scene and on this night they all seemed to be named Steve. Steve Tourison founded Torn Sun Custom Tube Amplifiers.

Today’s technology and music are giving skilled people opportunities to expand their horizons and find a new place in the world.