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[03 Dec 2009|11:53pm] |
I wrote this email to my entire band, regarding our studio time, and so far, only Chas has gotten back to me. It's only been about an hour, and below, is entirely what I wrote, and entirely what Chas responded with. I am proud to be a member of this band. I'm proud to know all of these guys. And I'm proud I've put my future in their hands.
I wrote:
Ok, guys, we're getting down to the wire so on the technical front of things, we all need to be practicing as much as possible at home, on our own time, and as well, we need to be practicing and making use of every minute of our full band practices, like we did last Sunday. I think we all agree that as tedious as it might've been to go over "Never Forget" for as long as we did, it was very beneficial, and very important. Not tedious as in painful (Chas), just tedious as in we didn't really take a break, and we didn't run over most of the new songs for the EP. But we've got FIVE practices left, and they need to count, in every way that a practice can count. This portion of my lecture ends here though, as Chas is our resident Technical Supervisor.
Regarding everything in this email, I urge you to speak up now, or forever deal with whatever circumstances force us into as project manager. This is your chance to voice your thoughts on everything that is said within this email.
This brings me to my next point -- EXPENSES! The studio time comes with expenses -- I have everyone's portion for the studio deposit right now, and it's deposited, as I already sent the check before I had everyone's money, haha. The total for the studio time was $1,680. We have already sent in $420 (Make your stupid fucking jokes, Dirk, hahaha) as our studio deposit. That leaves us with a remaining balance of $1,260 to be paid off within the first day or so of the studio. Since Doug is promising to go above and beyond for this EP, for us, I would sincerely like to pay him in full, up front, on the first day of recording. Or at least by the end of the day. He actually said we didn't have to until day two, because that's where our rate-per-day is covered for, by the deposit. But again, first impressions, you know?
That means everyone needs to have $252, ready and raring to go, by the time we enter the studio.
But what of our hotel and living accomodations?? -- Fear not -- I did some research, and actually reserved a room for us at one of two hotels within a 30 minute radius of the studio. The place is called Lockport Inn and Suites, and you can check out their website for yourselves at www.lockportinnandsuites.com The place looks VERY fucking nice. Let me reiterate -- VERY. FUCKING. NICE.
Here's a rundown of feasible options for us, to sleep "four people" in a room in their hotel, for seven days. I say "four people" because we are sneaking Bailey and Myke (videographer for the studio diaries) into the room. I say seven days, because we will want to be there the day before we enter the studio to ensure that we're there on time, and prepared and well rested for day one. We'll want to be packed up and checked out, before we leave for the final studio day on January 3rd, to save us from having to pay for another night, which is not an option for Nick, and myself, due to work. So seven days is our total number of days. The best I can offer us, is six days, and that's ONLY if no disasters happen to us on the way to the studio -- and keep in mind that in Lockport New York, they'll have already been getting lake effect snowfall for about...oh, since a month ago. Is saving $25 worth the risk of being late to the first studio day? You be the judge and get back to me with your thoughts.
Getting to the point, the difference in these prices, and prices for a room that sleep six people (six people is our actual number with Myke Vollero filming us the entire time), is an additional $70 per night. Listed below is a rundown of the cost per room what that room entails, and what that amounts to for each of us in parenthesis beside it. All prices are listed WITH TAX INCLUDED, to prevent any confusion later -- I confirmed with the innkeeper (keep in mind this is a family run housing facility). All rooms come with the obvious standard hotel accommodations ((bathroom, small end tables, a few chairs, etc)).
Room #1: $121 per night gets us two (2) queen beds, plus a sitting/living room area, and then standard hotel accommodations. ($170 /each for the week)
Room #2: $110 per night gets us two (2) queen beds only, with standard hotel accommodations. ($154 /each for the week)
Room #3: $100 per night gets us two (2) double beds only, with standard hotel accommodations. ($140 /each for the week)
In my personal opinion, I think for the extra $30 each that it would cost us as opposed to the $140 for the two double beds only, we should opt for the two queen beds, with the sitting/living room area. If you would rather pinch pennies, and do the two double beds only, with standard hotel accommodations, I understand, and will not put up an argument regarding it. I just want everyone to be happy with the hotel we choose, and I think the more space for six dudes in a room, the better. Now, regarding New Year's Eve, Lisa has offered to pay for a room for the girls, so we can all have a good time and not worry about angering the hotel management.
Now, the above being said, it's important to stress that our room choices listed so far, only allow us to accommodate four (4) people, so we will need to be on our ABSOLUTE best behavior. I don't want them finding out we have six dudes in there, and kicking us out, or risk anything the sort. Our only option for accommodating six people, is a leap to the first and lowest suite price of $185 a night, for 7 nights. That's a jump from $170 for the week, that each of us is responsible for, to $276 for the week, that each of us is responsible for. Keep in mind, these are finalized numbers, with tax included.
Now, below, to save everyone the trouble of having to do the math to determine exactly how much money they will need as of the night we arrive at the hotel, to give to me to handle the business end of our studio visit, I have compiled yet one more list of the final expense numbers. These numbers will not reflect the money you will need for your own personal expenses (KFC visits for Nick, money to order pizzas, drinks, booze, and anything else. Nick, there will probably be snowboarding places nearby. Regarding booze, real quick, I suggest we keep this to a minimum. Not only are we in need of too much money to be getting shitfaced at all hours of the day while we're at the studio, we should be very diligently focused on the production of this EP, not getting wasted and dicking off non-stop when you aren't recording your parts. Dicking off is partially what got us into our Chin Music Studios situation in March (Nick and Dirk and I know how that trip went from Day One, until we were finished). Without further adieu, here's the final expenses list for essentials, at the studio:
Studio Time + Room #1 = $422 /each
Studio Time + Room #2 = $406 /each
Studio Time + Room #3 = $392 /each
And to put things into perspective, I'll include in this list, the price for the low end suite as well:
Studio Time + Suite = $528
That's a jump of an extra $100 a night per person, for the week. But again, keep in mind that this doesn't include our actual living/recreational expenses, while we're there.
I reserved our room on my credit card from Sunday, December 27th, through January 2nd. Meaning, on the morning of January 3rd, our asses are up at 7 am, packing and getting ready to vacate that room by 9:30am, so we can check out, and get to the studio for our final day of recording.
As I said before, I opt for Room #1. I would rather spend an extra $30, and be in a room that has a living area to sleep the extra two people that we aren't technically supposed to have in the room, than to be in either Room #2 or #3, without that space.
Please get in touch with me as soon as possible. Our other option might come through when the other hotel in the area calls me back, but to be completely honest, I don't think $422 per person for both our lodging, and studio time, is a bad deal. Especially for seven days. But again, it's important that you voice any concerns here.
I would also like to go on the record to say that by sleeping six people in Room #1, we will only be doing what my mother, and probably most of our parents have been doing since we were little, if we were taking a trip with them. So while ethically wrong, it's not exactly morally reprehensible, and it would save us an extra $106.
I await all of your responses. Dirk, please print this email, to show to Bailey, and to have around your apartment for future and personal reference.
Gee guys, feels like we're in a signed band, with all of this important reading getting done, and these important decisions being made, hahah.
Last but not least, my final announcement -- Chas wrote the first verse and prechorus to What The Hell Is A Jiggawatt, and it is phenomenal. We tinkered with it tonight, and there are already some great ideas flowing forth from the both of us. I'm writing the second verse, as soon as I send this message. Dirk, so you know, this song is slated to be played at about 220 BPM, so if you're click track practicing at home (which you should be) -- that's your tempo. Chas' homework as Technical Supervisor is that he is finding out what the appropriate BPMs for each song should be.
I won't see you guys at practice tomorrow, but stay focused! Five more days, of practice, then we have a week off. Then it's game time! Be excited!!!
--
-Jonnie
To which, Chas responded:
Thanks for the thorough email, Jonnie. I hope you know how much we appreciate you working out all of these plans for us.
Nick and Dirk (and Bailey, thru Dirk showing this to you), I thank you all for your patience last Sunday as we worked on Never Forget. It sucks to work on the same thing over on over again, especially without a break; the last thing I want to happen is for us to get sick of the song before it's even done. That being said, I think it's very important to make Never Forget a fun song for all of us to play. Like I texted Nick and Bailey earlier this week, I have some cool parts for the two of you to play in various sections of the song. Now that we have the groundwork done, it's time to layer on the fun and create an entertaining masterpiece that's as fun for us to play as it is for our fans to listen to. We're going to push ourselves as musicians on this one and have fun while doing it. I'm going to bring all I've got to the table for this one, and I encourage you all to do the same.
That being said, rest assured that we won't be going over Never Forget the whole time. I'd like to go over it quickly at first, explore some new parts, and then give equal attention to our five songs (Jigawatt, The Hollow (Tasty Licks), The Fight, Winter, and Never Forget) for the rest of practice. What we're going to focus on tomorrow is perfecting the tempos of our songs. This is especially important, considering that the varying dynamics of our new songs (which are good things) lend themselves to us fluctuating in tempo throughout playing them. We want to get into the studio fully prepared when it comes to timing, so we can have as strong and complete of an EP as possible. Please understand that this is certainly not an issue of drums only; both guitar parts and the bass part have to be locked into the proper tempo as well, especially when we are playing alone without drums to keep the beat. I've figured out the BPMs for each song, and tomorrow we're going to be playing to a click track through the PA system. Hopefully, this equal attention to each of our EP songs tomorrow will be refreshing and add some variety to what we need to accomplish.
To end my technical rant, I'd like to say that I'm very happy with the progress we made last practice. Our mix was excellent, our playing was very tight, and the fact that we can sound so good in our practice space will be truly invaluable when we get in the studio. As musicians, we are reaching that level where we realize that every little nuance of our sound is in our own hands, and that we don't need to rely on the studio or a soundguy to get that sound we want. The DIY mentality is obviously integral for a band trying to make it, and this is just as true when it comes to our sonic quality. If we keep on this path, we're going blow away the Jan 30th show (and all shows thereafter) with a performance that not only is true to the studio versions we'll record, but better in their own unique ways. If we keep this up, we'll truly, truly have something to be extra proud of as musicians. Also, along with the hard work the four of us have been working on as instrumentalists, Jonnie and I totally busted our balls as vocalists to nail our harmonies for the acoustic show at Hot Topic. The work we put into that will translate directly to our full band performances, and is another improvement we can look forward to showcasing.
As far as rooming goes, I'm definitely down for choosing Room 1. Being in the studio is probably going to be our most fun experience with this new GBC lineup yet, but it's also going to be hard work. If paying that little extra increment in money means extra hotel space that gives the 5th and 6th person a place to get a decent night's sleep, then I think it's totally worth it. We can do a rotation, or something, where we switch between sharing beds and crashing on whatever couches/etc. will be in the living room area. It's important that we're well rested so we can give it our all in the studio, and use our costly time wisely.
I'm really excited for what we have in store guys. Let's come out swinging at practice tomorrow and get a great head start on these last 5 practice sessions. If we get our 5 songs to a good point tomorrow, we'll have plenty of time to come up with that 6th song. While I have plenty of pre-written song that can eventually become GBC material, I've been working on a new song (that I've showed you guys snippets of in past practices) that we can all add to and I think fills the perfect niche for the 6th spot on the EP; this way, we'll all be a part of the arrangement process on this one. It's a good mix of heavy and melodic, of driving and catchy. It's called Pathetic, but it will show that we are the complete opposite of that as a band. If we make good progress tomorrow, I'm looking forward to sharing it on Sunday. Either way, can't wait till tomorrow. See you guys soon!
-Chas
PS: Everyone, write back so we can all be on the same page for what will be a busy but rewarding month!
I can't describe in words how great it feels to be chasing my dream.
I feel really sorry for Stephanie, for not taking the time to spend with herself, after our break-up, to figure out what her dream really is. And for not taking the time to distinguish between what it really is, and what's really just a cop-out to avoid being a disappointment to everyone.
There's this song that fits our end to a 'T' (whatever that means). It's by Paramore, and it's called "Feeling Sorry"
I'm posting lyrics for the first time in a long time, it feels.
"We still live in the same town, well, don't we?
But I don't see you around anymore.
I go to all the same places, not even a trace of you..
Your days are numbered at 25.
And I'm getting bored waiting 'round for you,
We're not getting any younger, and I
Won't look back 'cause there's no use
It's time to move forward!
I feel no sympathy,
You lived inside a cave!
You barely get by
the rest of us are trying,
there's no need to apologize,
I've got no time for feeling sorry!
I tried not to think of what might happen,
When your reality, finally, cuts through.
Well, as for me, I got out and I'm on the road.
The worst part it that this (THIS!), this could be you.
You know it too, you can't run from your shame!
You're not getting any younger, time,
Is passing by, but you waited awake..
It's time to roll over!
I feel no sympathy,
You lived inside a cave!
You barely get by
the rest of us are trying,
there's no need to apologize,
I've got no time for feeling sorry!
And all the best lies,
They are told with fingers tied!
So cross them tight,
Won't you promise me tonight
If it's the last thing you do, you'll get out..
I feel no sympathy,
You lived inside a cave!
You barely get by
the rest of us are trying,
there's no need to apologize,
I've got no time! Got no time!
I feel no sympathy,
You lived inside a cave!
You barely get by
the rest of us are trying,
there's no need to apologize,
Got no time!
I've got no time for feeling sorry!
I've got no time for feeling sorry!
I play it every morning almost, on the way to work. It bleeds into something that reminds me of total closure.
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