Gig in Salzburg to happen.

I was going to pull out of the show in Salzburg, with the wheels not falling my way, yet i figure its a good idea to play the show, I’ve not performed in Salzburg, it makes sense to look around the city, see how things are for music and life. When i told my sister i was going to Salzburg, made sure i go on the sound of music tour, practically booked the ticket for me to go. Tonight i’m going to see Jana play some music in Prague. It’ll be interesting to see how many arrive on a coldish rainy Tuesday night, to Czech original folk songs, in Solo environment.

The gig was good and the room full.

Everything is falling apart

On the show at the tea house on Saturday night my guitar broke for the third time. The head/neck parted from the body. I had to borrow a guitar that did not have a pick-up, the show was difficult, yet somehow worked out being ok. Now i start to realize that i have to buy a new second hand guitar, i went and had a look at prices in a shop in Prague today. Prices are as much as double what i’d pay for the same guitar in the US, makes it almost worth a trip to the US, to buy a guitar second hand.

Also:: the space where i was to play music in Salzburg, for some reason did not list the gig on their website http://www.argekultur.at . And the organizer of the event, listed the gig in an awkward way http://www.Subnet.at , it just seems confusing for the public. The night was to be a night talking about Creative Commons, licensing and issues that relate to rights organization AKM, with some tunes between. Creative Commons in Austria also organized an event on the same night in Vienna though, so people interested in the commons might have gone to that.

Georg who organized the event mentioned that the cultural space was worried about AKM, so they refused to publish the show on their site.

This was my response thought that i wrote in cafe to myself:

some info: the venue would most likely pay a blanket license per year for musical performance, artists that perform in the spaces, then put a claim to the rights organisation and the funds are supposed to be divided up accordingly. Basically almost all of what is collected, goes to publishers, thus most of the performance spaces (for original music) are funded by governments in EU, as regular cafe’s/venues want pay for live music that their public have not heard, in 9 out of 10 times. Even when i was not with a rights organisation, AKM would charge out my show. For live performance of music AKM have never paid anything to me and i’ve played around 30-40 shows in Austria. Many of the cultural centres have tight relationships with AKM, so I understand why they might not want to talk about these issue. The best situation would be to have lawyers from AKM involved in the discussion. In many instances though, AKM are sponsoring events, people involved in culture don’t want to go against the stream, especially if it might effect funding. Its ironic that often the touring acts from the US (that call themselves independent, yet are owned by major publisher/label through a backdoor) mostly use culturally funded spaces to have their music heard. How is the self published artist in the community able to compete in this situation, without the help of the government. How to be a musical punk, outside the frame of the net?

AKM is the equiverlant of Gema in Germany, APRA in Australia or ASCAP in the US. AMK contract is exclusive, and excludes licensing music without a fee being paid, in some cases commercial venues the spaces have even been known to get the artist to pay for the use of their own work.

moon the movie

I watched the film 2012 in German as i had to kill time, train was leaving late from Feldkirch. I speak little German, so it was a silent film with lots of noise. Its interesting that a sci-film called moon that only cost five million to make, seems a much better film “to me” than 2012 with a cost of over 200 million. Moon is a story based around a man on a moon bass, the whole thing goes wrong when he starts to see things. The story is based around the concept that all our power in the future would come from Helium 3. The film was requested to be played by professors at NASA, in question time after the film, someone brought up the idea of why the bass was so sturdy, as materials would need to be light to bring from earth. You can also find out about a new substance in development called Mooncrete

April Cafe

Thanks Rahel and Ingo for organizing and having me perform at April cafe. Its nice to be back in this area, its been almost a year since i played around this way.

Bought a second hand pair of pants in Lindau today, stayed at the youth hostel, visited cafe Marmossal for possible gig in the summer. Met with Peter who rents equipment yesterday. Get late train back from Feldkirch to Prague tonight. Direct train.

sky lab

lone tree

Originally uploaded by jamtea

Had a great gig at the Duckbar.cz on the weekend, thanks Nina and Ivan for hospitality, great bar, someone told me that it was voted as the best bar in Brno, not so bad for a bar that looks to be made partly of recycled parts and spontaneous art. Think it kind of shows how people don’t want the clean cut bathrooms with well planned gimmicks, throw whats around the neighbourhood at the walls around a space and people feel at home. thanks Duckbar..

also: i found out something interesting, about being able to license through ASCAP, previously i had been contacting GEMA or AKM to license my music, i found out though that i would have to contact ASCAP to ensure that the license would be free. ASCAP would in effect issue the license as i would like it to be, this is kind of weird, yet seems the only way to ensure a direct license in a live environment where the venue does not have to pay a fee. Just to fill those in that are lost with what i’m saying, artists that join rights organisations in Europe are unable to license any aspect of what they create musically without charge, in the environment of the internet and also the amount of spaces that allow live music, this is not so practical anymore, esepcially for those without a publisher. One way around this “possibly”, well a way that i’m exploring at getting around this situation is to join ASCAP, as the contract is non-exclusive. Although, the news that i get from ASCAP is not so good for creative commons though, the reason being that in order for the creative commons license to function, the need of a rights organisation is supposed to be ruled out. This means artists (with ASCAP) would have to confirm licenses with ASCAP, for the license to work. What would be practical would be for ASCAP to create licenses similar to that of creative commons, yet more in the style of the artists needs. I’m still not 100 percent sure about any of this, so make sure you don’t act on what i say here. The license that i would probably take out with a venue, would be a license that would go for-ever, in effect i would deal direct with the space without Gema, AKM or partners. Established artists with publishers and long term touring acts that get paid well via Gema, ASCAP and AKM and all the rest, would probably not favor this, as it would create competition and exclude many acts. For the self publishing act unable to get music into the live space, yet sometimes getting paid, this is a practical solution. Maybe?

paper skies

brown padic

Originally uploaded by jamtea

The weather gets colder, still no sign of a more regular flow of heat in the flat, my Czech is not good enough to explain to a 75+ year old lady that i would like to regulate the heat in my room not the thermostat in the warmest part of the flat. I know its kind of ecologic to live in a flat that is not heated properly, living off the hot air from beneath and above, i notice now that the old lady starts to cough.

I’ve been thinking seriously about making a move to Berlin for the winter, i liked that in Berlin i walked around the block when i was doing a show and an art gallery was having an exhibition and giving away pumpkin soup.

show in Decin to x-files convention in Berlin

Thanks Jarda and Adela for organizing me to play at tea house in Decin, and thanks to Monika’s and all who helped out with the x-files convention in Berlin. The support for the songs in Berlin was a big buzz. Thanks a lot, song bellow is Island. Taking me some time to catch up with all this, sorry for that.

super markets

One thing that i start to notice more and more in Prague, is how difficult it is to get really simple things. example: i goto supermarket and walk around every isle, looking for a shaver. I can’t find one, so i buy a couple of things i don’t really need. I get to the check out and ask, so where are the shavers (in sign language), the lady says, “oh you have to go to that shop over that way”, speaks perfect english and points, agree’s that its ridiculous that Billa does not stock them, i walk out to the other shop (also a multi-national), i then walk every isle, and can’t find a shaver here, so i goto check-out, more sign language. Shavers are in the farthest corner of supermarket, i notice though that the cosmetic shop is selling health food, yet Billa is not, its a huge stand for organic dry foods, next to cosmetics. Also both Billa and cosmetic shop don’t sell vitamins, yet a vitamin shop is in between both. In the Vitamins shop prices can be three times that of the price of Australia/ quality worse.

The result is that if you want washing detergent, vitamins and a shaver, i’d goto three different shops. It seems as if supermarkets will not sell one brand of a product, or compete with any shop near it, or maybe its just that if these goods were stocked that people would not buy them, as habit/patterns are different.

The only shops that seem to innovate are the Vietnamese shops. Its strange though, the tesco supermarket around the corner, does not stock any of the products (vitamins, shavers, washing detergent), its also not in a complex. Maybe the supermarkets have such a huge chunk of the consumers income in Czech republic, they just don’t have to care or maybe the distributors only deal with some companies, i’m not sure why it is that way, maybe its as all tied to the habits of shoppers. I thought they were called super, cause they had everything, yet maybe my habits are just way out of step. Its weird to think that i can’t find anything to wash or clean with, in an inner city supermarket.

Its an art to get the dishes done, stay healthy and have a shave in Prague.

emotional

Its all lost in the ups and downs of moving from Australia a to Europe, live gig fallen flat, waiting for a new breath of air, in every different breath. Time seems the only way to settle, its got to the point now where i’m thinking, well what am i waiting for, with pain a permanent fixture, might as well get on with it. As you probably guess, things seem a little sensitive, winter starts to arrive, the old lady that i rent my room from is hesitant to leave the heating on (to save energy), so the room is not warm, yet not really that cold, yet cold enough to not call it warm.

Uranium

This documentary is worth watching, it mentions that the uranium mine in central Australia, “Olympic park” uses 32 Million liters of water per day, a billion liters per year. BHP Billiton get this water from ancient bores near the mine, many of the springs around the mine stop flowing.

What’s the cost of Uranium mining? Much of that water is polluted, then left in dams around the mine, when the last of the uranium is mined, toxic water is often left in large pools, its said that these pools of water remain radio active for upto 10,000 years. Australia has 40 percent of the worlds Uranium. Every point of contact of the Uranium leaves radioactivity behind. How can uranium be said to be better? what about tide, solar, wind, better public transport?

The things that seems most unfair is that no independent authority monitor how the mine works. BHP Billiton are in charge of all the data and research for the mine, if something goes wrong/ regulations slip, is anyone going to find out?

According to this documentary, the mining company is supposed to be responsible for the nuclear bi-product of the ore for 10,000 years. The ore is refined into a gas, then more waste is created after the gas is used at the nuclear power station to produce electricity.

Song Used in X-files film

x-files_film

Originally uploaded by jamtea

As i play some songs at the x-files convention in Berlin, i decided to blog this again. Thanks Monika from X-files convention.

slow train thought

Good to ride a slow train, life takes shape as appose to a blur. Been absorbing the idea of memory, or at least the state of this memory. The world around goes into memory. Time spent in memory, time spent in moments, or moments that did not happen, or happening that could un-happen. Pondering whats been, what is, mind flickering in denial. Drifting through action as if its predetermined, water trapped in a dam, looking for the meaning of the ocean, deaths radar in the far off distance hums its tune as the rain purrs on its feathers.

time to sleep- song sketch

song sketch empty house

Song Sketch

song scetch- crimes of passion

tram to tram

I moved from Barandov to IP Pavlova, much better location, no 3 cats a dog and a Russian lady. It was strange i arrived in that flat and was able to pat the dog, yet then the lady said the dog had changed its ways and i was not able to pat the dog. I thought it was a good idea to move out of the flat when she threw her shoe at the dog, when the dog came over to say hello. Also one of her 3 cats knocked over my guitar and the head of the guitar broke off. It fixed up ok though. Was a great view of Prague, yet the flat at IP Pavlova is much more private, its a flat within a flat, much more comfortable to live in, looks out into court yard and is only 500 meters walk to the center of Prague. Space has a loft space and living space beneath, these older style buildings, make me more inspired to write something. Its relaxed.

Although it was a bit strange as some people arrived with a key to my room on Sunday saying they had rented the space as well, it sorted out though, couple was very angry about mix up. For a moment i thought he was going to throw me out of the space.

Beatpick unfair use of music

After all the copyright issues i had that were caused by the licensing of song “memories child” to a fox film, via Beatpick. I went back to Beatpicks website just tonight and explored, company says that its based in the UK, yet is really based in Italy, why?

to go on: Creative Commons license deal with both the sound recording and the publishing rights as one. The music business does not deal with rights this way. This means that for “music” the creative commons licenses are mostly good for the use of the public and not on any commercial level. Yet even with photo’s its kind of the same, how can the user of the license be sure that the person has got a model release or they really took the picture and who is liable?

Also: Beatpicks contract is a copy of the Magnitude contract, yet Magnitude is based in US. In the US competition exists between BMI and ASCAP, contracts the artists sign are non-exclusive, this means that artists are able to collect and publish direct. Example: song is played on TV, yet i can also license the song to a telephone answering machine company and collect for both uses, to do so would need to control 100 percent of the copyright. This is not possible outside the US for artists that are with the local rights organisations. Artists that are serious about art have to consider effects of Beatpick, rights organisations are often tied into many aspects of how the music business works in each country, going with the US business model and not being based in the US can create conflicts with other artists that you might have associated your copyright with. Also ASCAP tend to deal with artists that are not with a publisher as if they are a communication’s company that somehow does not have to care how they deal with you.

Beatpick in my instance made the choice to license the mechanical rights for the use of my song without all parties being in agreement, in other words not having 100 percent control of all the copyright, yet telling Fox that they did. In reality 100 percent of the copyright means you have the producers, all writers and the song taken care of. Once an artist is in an exclusive copyright situation its not really possible to change to a none-exclusive situation.

The fox film generated 20 million dollars in DVD sales, although my mechanical rights are under exclusive management, Fox were able to get around having to pay anything for the pressing of the song or the sound recording to DVD. Even though they knew prior to pressing that those rights were exclusively managed. I refused to take payment from Beatpick, as the license they negotiated was so small and so not in my favor. As soon as i told Beatpick that i would not give them my publishing rights, Beatpick created a contract that did not take into consideration my situation. Yet Beatpick is not a publisher.

Having a company take care of both the publishing and recording rights to your songs, is a really personal thing. Sure a lot of music does not get used, when it could be used. When i joined with Beatpick it advertised itself as a fair play music label, at least they have fallen off that trip.

Its interesting that Beatpick says on its website, Non-commercial projects use our music free of charge. Where can a non-commercial project be broadcast with out commercial royalties having to be paid. Any public performance of music is considered a commercial use. The license is good if you want to use the song at home.

I used to be a big supporter of creative commons, things change though. I like the idea of some kind of middle ground, so the artist gets to make up her/his own license, when commerce arrives that artist might then integrate into the regular system. The licenses seem best for the user of content not the creator, better ways for creators exist to give what they create away freely. Yet who is going to create these licenses, for sure not Creative Commons, and for sure not the industry of music. The regular system is not good, if you want to make your music free, the artist needs to build it free from the word go.

The inner swamp

A brick in my body slammed into my heart today, felt lowest i felt in ages today. Being back in Prague has been a buzz, today things just fell wrong though. The sludge of that manic winter triggered some ghosts and i found my inner swamp. I expected we could be friends, yet new walls, doors and moats have been built, what chance do i have with those homeless sand castles, the tide sunk them and they probably weren’t as good as i remember them. Life goes on..

arch

i got info via the open rights mailing list, about an organization called ARCH, action on rights for children, its interesting what is happening with GPS technology, finger prints and surveillance. For sure a different kind of kind of punk is going to evolve, locked into GPS under surveillance, prints and DNA. Every stop planned from crawl, walk to talk. what is the future for out of here thinking? up down good bad left right, software programs designing the patterns we crawl into, beyond z.