It's tough to be a musician

I was just thinking a lot recently. I had a 14 hour drive home yesterday from Phoenix... so the mind goes a little silly after a while. I was thinking about actors compared with musicians. I was thinking that musicians get totally gypped if you compare the two.

When an actor does a great roll, he is done with it. The roll stands on its own, and he is NEVER asked to repeat it. That is pretty cool. Also, he/she gets super rich and doesn't even have to remember a word. The actor does not have to spend the next year on the road performing the character for 90 minutes in every town. There is no tour, just sit home and count your cash. Now, think about musicians... the better they do the harder they have to work.

What society basically says to a musician is 'prove it'. I know that was a great song you wrote. However, I won't really care or give you money unless you come to my town and play it for me in person. A movie and a rock concert are both about 90 minutes. Imagine if Tom Hanks had to go town to town 6 nights a week to perform 'Forrest Gump' in it's entirety for every podunk backwater jerktown. That would be kinda cool, but nobody asks an actor to do that.

When a band is on a TV show, they have to play their hit song. Yet, an actor is never expected to do some real time character work... they just chit chat. Nobody ever has a band on to chit chat. Nobody. Dick Cavett did, and they killed him for it. Just kidding, he's fine.

How else do musicians work harder? Well, they have to write their own songs, play their own instruments, and dress themselves. An actor does NONE of that. For an actor, the words are chosen, the mood is chosen, the scenery is chosen, the microphone and light placement is chosen, and even the outfits are chosen. What is heroic about that? I mean, they even tell you where to stand.

Do you know why the Who tours? Prolly because they love the craft? Nope. They tour because they are broke, Pete Townshend admitted it. That is schlepping town to town like a trained monkey playing 35 year old songs just to make rent. That is really tough work, and tends to kill people.

Remember Quiet Riot? They were HUGE, and pretty much re-invented heavy metal for my generation with 'Come on feel the noize'. They are still touring, because they are broke. How broke? Singer Kevin Dubrow lives with his mother.

I mean, look at that picture up there. Remember the Coreys? Corey Feldman has a mansion, a reality show, and a smoking hot wife. How? Dude hasn't done any work in about 15 years. See his house? It is sick. Probably 10,000 square feet, because he was in some kids movies in the 80's. Remember the 80's musically? Remember Corey Hart? He still wears his sunglasses at night, I know because he is my garbage man. Thomas Dolby is selling used Toyotas up the street to make rent. I know because he blinded me... with Scions. Come on, you had to see that one coming.