I jumped on the myspace band-wagon, pretty much in the same way I did with Reebok Pumps back in the early nineties. I really thought those ugly sneakers were going to increase my popularity & make me fucking rad. I truly felt as though they did - until I now, when I look back on old photos with older, wiser (and yes, more cynical, jaded, black circled eyes). The Faith No More T-shirt was cool for that 13 year old Paul, as was the long-fringed 'do' which would nowadays render me emo. Well-ahead of my time. So far ahead, in fact, that I was the target of the unwanted attention of a psychopath named Troy, who chased my friends and I with a screwdriver through the streets of Darwin. We were on BMXs, he was on foot. Rad indeed. It was really just that the pumps screamed "I'm a trendy little fuck" and Troy was merely trying to help me by popping them with his purpose-sharpened phillips-head screwdriver... Troy never did catch up with me but the realisation that I should take that little BMX way off the middle-of-the-road finally did.
Back to myspace. I feel it's done my music more harm than good. Just by faffing about with my profile, I'd feel as though I'd done 'something' , where in fact I'd done nothing at all. It was my error in judgement. I really should've taken it for what it is.
If you are a band, DJ, or solo act hoping to gain new fans through my profile - please try all you need to. I hope you gain the stardom you crave. The reality is that the vast majority of my 'friends' are other bands, DJs or solo artists who came here for the same reason.
I wish this meant we could create a great big, supportive community of musicians, all listening to each other's creations - but who's really got time to listen to someone's MP3 when you are feverishly jumping from profile to profile to inflate your mock-fan-base? The shitty part is you don't even have the time to read this sentiment which is meant to both ridicule & help you simultaneously. Ambition is a beautiful thing, essential - but my suggestion is to direct the energy elsewhere. We are all privy that the Lily Allen Myspace phenomena was a marketing hoax in the same vein as The Blair Witch project. Well executed and similarly scary.
So from now on I'll be re-routing my 'myspace energy' into actually making some new music - the stuff I have here is old & I'm bored of it. I'm getting bored of myself right now, in fact. Back to the guitar.
As for my true friends on myspace - I love you dearly and you'll be the first to know when I'm ready to start playing again - I'll tell you personally.
