This Or That? (Part 2)

[Zzzptm]

Do the tour and try to compose new stuff so we can say as we talk about the next album how that's no way to make a record so we get a pass from fans if it's good but not great.


Got 8 songs on the album... 7 loud and one quiet. For the quiet song, an acoustic ditty about being sweetly in love or an electric piece with the volume down about the pain of a recent loss?

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

Love... yuck!

Pain for me please!


You've finished the album and it's all set for release on a good date. But you find out that Taylor, Kanye and Adele all have albums out the same week... do you:

a) Release it that week anyway as it's not the same target audience

or

b) Delay because the publicity for them might drown out our own?

[Zzzptm]

Release that week because we don't have the same audience and there's a chance one or all of those three blinks and reschedules a release and drops it on the week we picked to shift it to.



The club that gave us a really big break back in the day is having some financial issues and might close down.

Shrug and wax philosophical about the passages of time OR announce a benefit concert to help it out OR buy the club outright and brand it with our band name?

[Charger]

There's been pretty bad history with bands buying venues...So I think a benefit concert would be in order!


The benefit concert is tomorrow but the bass player got a nasty bug and won't be able to play.

Scramble around frantically trying to find a last minute replacement whose playing would be sloppy at best or play the show without bass and create more guitar and keys jams?

[Zzzptm]

We can find a local hero that will do the job. Bass playing is all about adding bottom to the sound and keeping time with the drums. We can get a bass player in any big city, no worries.




Times are hard and dammit, they did it again! They billed the marionette show over our band's name, when WE are the headliner, not the freakin' marionette show!

Refuse to play and risk a riot of about 3-5 individuals at the venue or play anyway because we really need the gas money?

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

Play anyway, and sneakily cut the strings of the marionettes... BWAHAHAHA!


We do a cover of Metallica's Creeping Death to flesh out the set-list. You see that James Hetfield is in the backstage area (he's here for the puppets!), do you:


Include the cover anyway    or    drop it in case he's offended

[Charger]

Play it anyways! Who knows he might like it and promo us on his instatwitter!

And he does! And reception is great. So the record company thinks we should do a covers album.

Yes or No?

[Zzzptm]

Yes, but we pick them carefully.



Buzz develops and Ritchie Blackmore asks if we'd like to back him up on his next hard rock tour that he does to keep the lights on.

Take that crazy ride or respectfully pass due to other commitments that we make sure we have?

[Charger]

Hell no! No Ritchie level drama please!

Alice Cooper wants some of the band to come in and do some studio work for his next album as session musicans.

Yes or No?

[Zzzptm]

Sure thing, Alice Cooper's cool. And session work is just a few days, not a whole tour thing.




We just found out that the lead guitar player has been involved in the bootleg market, doing sounddesk recordings at concerts and making money for himself selling them to bootleggers.

Fire him and start legal proceedings
OR
Fire him and just end it
OR
Keep him around and see about getting our cut of the bootlegs going forward...

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

Give him an un-signable contract.



He has a garage with 5,000 copies in it...

Sell them thru our web site    or    Destroy them

[Charger]

Make them official limited edition releases and rake in a few bucks on the guys expense!


So now the hunt for a new guitarist is in full motion.

Look for an established player in the same age group or look for a hot young talent?

[Zzzptm]

Established player, I want someone who isn't hungry and looking at us as a stepping-stone.



What sound do we want? Fluid Fender or chunky Gibson?

[Charger]

Gibson please! But I wouldn't be against Jackson either.


The established player wants to do add one song from his old band to the setlist.

Yes or No?

[Zzzptm]

Sure, let's have some fun!


Turns out, it's a mushy ballad that's totally not anything like what we do and would likely feature just him, a pre-recorded orchestral track, and a singer... ours, by the way, has real trouble with the key it's in.


Give the song a total re-write for our stage sensibilities and risk making him mad OR walk back that earlier enthusiasm and possibly make him even madder?