Re: Brothels Breeding Jazz, etc.

[AKASHMUSIC@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/22/2002 1:19:44 AM Pacific Daylight Time, pycraft@hotmail.com writes:


> Of course, without musicians being hired to play at brothels, we might never have had jazz evolve...
>  


Ya know the past is always prologue to the future.

It is the same thing all over again today and moreover these days, sex clubs and BDSM clubs are perhaps a newer breeding grounds/places for art.

IMHO it is where upper to middle income-people who already have considerable disposable income are present in abundance and likewise where we saw a chance to get outta bein in a herd of very crowded resources for talent in the mainstream bar/club scene.

Musicians these days are always reduced to playing and competing for free especially if the music you play is outside the conventional style of performance or sound which is more and more herdlike 

But AKASH delightfully claims not to be in pursuit of anything new.

& it is not entirely a cakewalk as it may sound here going this sex club route.

The challenge with the sex clubs & especially BDSM clubs, is that they tend to ALL be very cliquey and ALL about fashions/ poltics etc ( we came ready loaded with some Luminary names in the National BDSM Community and our 1st singer was Kali Morgan, a well connected Sex Shoppe owner/ Pro Domme here in Philly who with her name and presence alone set us up for easy-quick acceptance into that BDSM Alt Lifestyles Clique/Community from a National - USA/ UK perspective ).

The other challenge in the Sex CLub route is that AKASH has many people coming and going all the time and keeping old and new material fresh and compelling for the audiences and performers but essentially keeping a certain level of familiarity - we are also a lot like Rocky HOrror in that regard.

& everyone with AKASH is involved in multiple side projects ( plus all people in AKASH are brilliant with some pretty impressive credentials thoug  all of em' with different styles/backgrounds - its amazing it all works internally ) so even scheduling gigs is always an acrobatic act as well as maintaining consistency in the performances and matriculating people into the characters/roles which are already established and maintaining a space where everyone can feel they are a part of the whole package and are appreciated for the work they bring to AKASH.

But The Sex Clubs usually charge a premium for entry and have no problems sharing a significant chunk of change for work rendered and appreciate music that is different, Live and dynamic but with a visual element to engage the audience and encourage the audiences participation as an added value feature that other venues dont or have not offerd - AKASH meets that criteria.

& we are also a walking billboard for sex toy vendors BDSM skin fliks and other misc sex products and sex industry tie ins.

However, as a consequence, AKASH is usually ( when perceived ), we are seen more or less seen as a sorta Experimental ( But acceptable "experimental"  to the masses ) and way more Bizarre Lords of Acid.

or we are just simply seen as Joke-Gag/Porn Band with T&A to 
gawk at - which is just part of the territory for us - and also very true 
to a large extent, but not necessarily the whole picture from start to finish ( we are more of a live action cartoon-anime which rips off vaudeville/burns & allen/Lucille Ball with kinky inverted black humor twists)

& we certainly are not in the business of correcting peoples perceptions - rather we amplify them. 

But the Sex Club route is the most fun I can say I have ever had playing music.

& as I think about it, we are essentially more or less playing jazz or perhaps variations on jazz ...

but I've never been to a Brothel...gotta get a gig in Vegas :)

Warmest Regards,
John Price/ "AKASH"
"The World's Most Erotic Band"
http://www.akashmusic.com
http://www.mp3.com/akashmusic
"Remember To Always Kill Your Expectations"