Show business sucks

[JRL]

Well, kids, Friday afternoon I was hangin out and my phone rings and JP. my music partner of 12 years asks if he can come over to bring back a bass he borrowded and to talk to me about some dates.

Now this is weird and not like him, I'm thinking, "I've seen this movie before and last time it ended real ugly"

And guess what, he drops the bomb. He has a chance to start working with Bobby Vega (great bas player from Tower of Power, Zero, he;s the V in KVHW, and they are gonna need our 10 year standing Wednesday night to "rehearse" and get ready for the festival circuit.

So yours truely is handed his hat, got nothing to show for ten years of slugging it out every Wednesday.

Next time you think that maybe you wanted to be a musician go to your job and count your blessings. You don't know how lucky you are, boys.

[space]

I'm sorry, JR--that's the kind of up-close hurt that's hard to shrug off...

For what it's worth, nobody can dodge that particular heart-break bullet:  when people get real close, you're within real easy reach.

In my versions of that scene, I wanted to say both I can't blame the guy and I'm gonna kick his ass, all at the same time.

[Avery L. Breath]

Well shitletts.  Thats just downright fickle of the guy.  Must be the heat.

.... but what great music it will make someday.  12 years of wednezdays reflection.

In the mean time, that vega feller ain't got nothing on you bro.  Your about as authentic as they come Joe.

[JRL]

Well it takes one of the greats to steal this guys gig.//http://www.bobbyvega.com/

The bitch of it is, I got lots of history with JP, I stood by him when he had pretty much fucked up everything, even let him live in my garage for 6 months. Took the heat from club owners when he was late or didn't show, ect

A lot of people came down on the more power to him side, including my wife.

[space]

A lot of people came down on the more power to him side, including my wife.

Don't get me wrong, JR.  Sure, it's understandable...nothing personal...bizness...

Now, poison ivy rubbed all over his guitar, that's understandable, too.

[that was the dark side of space speaking--pay no attention to the demon behind the peaceable old hippie]  

[CJ]

Naw.. JRL you know where it`s at. You say the nice things,and try to think the nice thoughts,but I`m w/Space,a little

     Thing is , tho` it may not make the translation into reality as it should of, but, it sounds youv`e been a good player,and are way more intelligent to  buy into jus` 'thankyou and if`n you need someone to keep it all going......'

     A good person like I think you are may have done jus` that , kept it all going. But that don` at all mean you`ll going to be there in the future to do it all again. Well, Playing in a group has all kinds of currents going tho`.I bet.

     I`m personally pleased to have that CD of yours. Yah,some names carry wieght. Yours is there too.

    Don` let it step on you,and continue in principle like how you are by nature,I quess.

[Avery L. Breath]

could be a nice opportunity for you too Joe.  I mean...... who knows where and whence the dust settles.  breadth of vision and what not.

[judih]

Joe, it says a lot for your knowledge of the universe when you knew something was a little putrid by the nature of his phone call.

The proverbial opportunity might come knocking in some other way - dear Avery Andy Great is right.

Another man's luck could shed some fallout on you on the good side of things. Wish him well and when Vega or whoever else needs another bass, it might easily come over to you.

love,
judih

[space]

JR, you got a lot more wisdom from Avery & Judih than you did from me...I'm just here to make 'em look good   ...

[JRL]

Judih- It's not knowing the universe, it's knowing that peculiar species known as band leader, total flash back to a previous hanging.

There is more: JP, and I also are members of Stacie Eakes and the Superfreakes JP's girlfriend's band. And to top it off, RT the superfreaky drummer broke his thumb in a car wreck and guess who the sub was! So 48 hours after the bomb dropped I was on stage with them. And it was fine, at least on stage. The breaks I went out back with the herbal medicine.

Spence(the drummer, the guy that orchestrated this) came and sat next to me at the bar and in his horribly inept way tried to make me feel better. So first I said, in the tradition of SPF style humor for sure " I should have taken you out when I had the chance" LOL

Then after 5 minutes of his bullshit about how much he respects me, I stood up put my hand on his shoulder and said " don't worry man, this ain't the first time I've fattened frogs for snakes" And left it there.

Guys, in the past this would have devistated me, but I am ok. It's gonna be good, I think along with the gig I lose a lot of stress. There is talk of a pool on how long Bobby Vega is gonna put up wth JP's considerable bag of issues. My dear friend Boots said, well better get over it quick so you can go back to work with them when you get the call. My other brother Dave gave JP a call and said, "what the fuck are you doing?" I told JP, man you know I got a lot of loyal friends, He sez "so do I" I think " one less"

Stacie stent me a great e mail. she said that if it was not gonna be comfortable for me and J to work together I would not be the one leaving. She is really a sweetheart and JP is working hard on loosing her too, he is really a hellbent dude.

Thank you all for being here, I will get over it and shut up soon. You guys are great friends and I love you.

[JRL]

space. I can't believe you would suggest poison ivy. A bit shocked.......






Everyone knows we only got poison oak in California.

[judih]

you sound good. Chaos flows in and out and you're surfing the waves.

i like the pool idea! Staying afloat with humour.

judih

[JRL]

I'm like Dustin Hoffman in Wag the Dog "This is nothing!"
A few days, some good gigs and a whole bunch of good friends  are helping to put it into perspective.

Chaos surfing: Will it replace baseball in the Olympics? One sport us old timers might have a chance at!

[space]

space. I can't believe you would suggest poison ivy. A bit shocked.......






Everyone knows we only got poison oak in California.

10x Rhus radicans extract...just say the word...and some day I'll tell you the story of My Poison Ivy Vengeance, long ago and far away.

Of course, I'm not like that anymore.

 <*space adjusts his porkpie halo>

[JRL]

I'm not like that any more, but I am not like that any less. J/k  I think...........

Nah, dude suffers enough. I figure when the dust has cleared we're still gonna be brothers..... but I am gonna watch my back and count my pay, from this point on.