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Words of Wisdom - Not My Own

And since you know you cannot see yourself,
so well as by reflection, I, your glass,
will modestly discover to yourself,
that of yourself which you yet know not of

William Shakespeare

 

There’s nothing to writing.  All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.  ~Walter Wellesley “Red” Smith

 

Joseph Pulitzer: Quotes about Writing
Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it, and above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light.

 

Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man wanted to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion.
L. Ron Hubbard

A young musician plays scales in his room and only bores his family. A beginning writer, on the other hand, sometimes has the misfortune of getting into print.
Marguerite Yourcenar

Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.  ~E.L. Doctorow

 
I would hurl words into this darkness and wait for an echo, and if an echo sounded, no matter how faintly, I would send other words to tell, to march, to fight, to create a sense of hunger for life that gnaws in us all.  ~Richard Wright, American Hunger, 1977

Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.  ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

Do not put statements in the negative form.
And don’t start sentences with a conjunction.
If you reread your work, you will find on rereading that a
great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing.
Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.
Unqualified superlatives are the worst of all.
De-accession euphemisms.
If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.
~William Safire, “Great Rules of Writing”

  You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what’s burning inside you.  And we edit to let the fire show through the smoke.  ~Arthur Polotnik

Dancing in all its forms cannot be excluded from the curriculum of all noble education; dancing with the feet, with ideas, with words, and, need I add that one must also be able to dance with the pen?  ~Friedrich Nietzsche

Imitation is the highest form of pissing me off.  Quit stealing my content and violating my copyright.  ~Jen T. Verbumessor

The Kevens Interview (unabridged)

So, due to the fact that i only had about space to put about 1/3 of the Grooveshark interview with Kevens on the actual site — here’s the extended mix:

GC

So I’ve been reading up on you for the past couple weeks and it doesn’t say where you’re from. It says you’re based out of Ft. Lauderdale, but where did you grow up?

Kevens

Actually, Miami, man. Miami is my base.

GC

You started as a DJ before you got into the rock scene, right? Or was it the other way around?

Kevens

Yes, I was a DJ. I got discovered when I was a dub specialist, spinning dub and reggae back in the day, that was my introduction to music.

GC

When was that?

Kevens

Oh, you would ask. Way back, man, after high school. Way back in the day.

GC

So you were in the band, Le Coup, right?

Kevens

Yes, sir, I was.

GC

And you were doing that with Bob Marley’s brothers?

Kevens

Richard Booker and Anthony Booker, yeah.

GC

How’d you get hooked up with them?

Kevens

Well, actually, I met Ziggy first. It was a long, long time ago and he introduced me to Anthony and a guy by the name of Johnny, and he met me and he liked where I was at musically and asked me to join his band - that was Le Coup. When I started, I had no idea who he was. I went to the house and rehearse and — again, I was amazed when, after a couple hours of rehearsal, he came out and asked if anyone wanted anything to drink. I said, Oh my God, where the heck am I? He said, you’re in Bob Marley’s house. I’m Anthony Booker, Bob’s youngest brother. I couldn’t perform the rest of the night, I was in shock.

GC

That would freak me out.

GC

You’ve got to be the only drum and bass artist that tours with a full band. How did that originate?

Kevens

I used to work in London doing films, you know, commercials, I was the face of Coca Cola back in 93/94. So living out there, working in England, you get to hear different music - especially ragga, which is now called drum and bass. Anyway, I was working with Rabbit in the Moon back in 97/98.

GC

Around the time of the Zen Festival, right?

Kevens

Yes, actually right after that - 98 to be exact. At a music conference, I saw Roni Size/Reprazent with Rabbit in the Moon. At the time Rabbit in the Moon was really huge. So I was watching two of the most amazing acts and I had a revelation. I’m like, I see what they’re doing and what they’re not doing - because Roni Size is all electronics with MC’s and someone sings part of the time and he has a band that plays some times and Rabbit in the Moon being what they are and they were using singers at the time. So I decided, I wanted to create an act that is in between Rabbit in the Moon and Roni Size/Reprazent, and something that would bring the rest of the musical world together. Something right in between rock and drum and bass with a hint of dance music. I wanted to amalgamate these three together and it’s been a mission ever since then. I spoke to Roni Size about it and Anthony Booker about it. Both were like, no one does it like that.

GC

I know, I’ve never actually — When I came down to Ultra, that’s actually the first time I’ve seen you live and I knew that there was a lot of instrumentation behind it, but i was blown away that it was drum and bass coming from actual people instead of just a machine. It was kind of amazing.

Kevens

That’s right.

GC

How did you meet Rabbit in the Moon?

Kevens

How did I meet Rabbit in the Moon, that’s a good question… Oh, yes: It was ‘97, my band, Le Coup — it might have been earlier than that. I was doing Zen Festival in whatever year that was and Jason Donovan who had asked me to perform with my band also said to me, you know, you are a great speaker and singer - I would like you to take the stage and you can just go talk about positivity. At that time, in that year, was when the media was having a field day with the scene - with drugs and this and that. The police were very ready to shut the parties down. So, that was basically the first time that was happening. I think CBS was there and so on and so on. It was a very sensitive time, people were being arrested and people were losing patience. I was on the Rabbit Stage and everybody was agitated. So I got on the mic and I spoke to them. I said, I know we are all here because we want to hear the kickass beats and so on. But, the government happens to think and believe that we are all drug dealers, we are all here with the drugs. I know that isn’t so. So if you are with me on this one, I want you and need you to shout, positivity is a necessity. The whole audience started to chant, positivity is a necessity… positivity is a necessity. Then it so happened it was the time that DJ Monk was spinning. So I took that positivity and just I started to rap and I’m singing. Afterwards, he was like, man that was really cool, I would love to bring you back. I was like, who are you? He says, I’m Monk from Rabbit in the Moon. I asked, Who’s Rabbit in the Moon - because I had no idea who they were. I come from a Marley background, where everything is reggae and rock and I didn’t know who they were. I took their invitation to return that same year. I believe I went to Tampa with them, I did a festival and that same year, I was in Gainesville in the theatre over there. Simon’s I think. So that was my first time appearing in Gainesville, and my last time.

GC

I hope not the very last time.

Kevens

I’d love to come back but, again, it has to be under the right circumstance. The time has to be right and the stage and everything else. But that was how I met those guys and we’ve been friends ever since then and because of them, I was able to get a proper introduction to the hardcore fans down here; because Rabbit was the biggest act and I was their MC and that gave me a lot of exposure.

GC

Yeah, I’ve been following Rabbit in the Moon for a long time, I’m with you on that - they’re awesome. So, there’s a pretty big visual component to your shows - dancers and costumes. I wonder, has it always been that way or is it something that’s grown on you?

Kevens

It was definitely there because, understand, my background is theatre. I went to school for acting and everything else, so I also needed to incorporate acting. I mean, a lot of shows, I will use a skit and have a script with a group of actors playing parts - I’ve done that several times. It’s different - definitely part of the show, along with dancers. I try to use different dancers and keep a variety at all times. When you see Kevens’ shows, always expect something different.

GC

You’ve performed alongside groups like Prodigy and Crystal Method and even Chuck Berry. Every time, everyone seems to love you, why do you suppose that is? I mean, you got a standing ovation opening for Aerosmith.

Kevens

How did you know that?

GC

I’ve reading about you nonstop for like two weeks. I was researching monk actually for an interview a little while ago and i was clicking around and I saw your picture and I thought, wow, he looks cool. So i clicked on it and I was like - funny enough - This feels kind of like Roni Size but kind of like reggae at the same time.

Kevens

That’s right.

GC

So I’ve been reading up on you and I found out you’ve worked with monk, so I’ve just been listening to everything I can. I’ve been reading up for a couple weeks trying to figure out why I haven’t encountered your music before now, given that I’ve been listening to Monk and Roni Size for so long.

Kevens

You know what happens is, when I had the reggae band with the Marley brothers and Anthony passed away, I basically played every club I could get my hands on. I got tired of doing certain shows, so I restrict myself to only the best shows I can get my hands on. I can say, I have played Japan, I’ve got shows in Croatia and Yugoslavia coming up. All of those bookings I have gotten were promoters who have watched my shows and they’re like, why haven’t I heard you on the radio or watched you on TV because you’re as good as anybody else on top. Music to me is a love. I do it because it’s my heart. Being an actor, a former actor doing commercials, I used to make my money doing commercials and doing parties and then throwing parties and playing my music. I just do the best I can do and move on. Well, the music is good enough and now it’s catching up to me because I’m getting emails like crazy and people are looking out for me, especially because after all, this is positive and now, like, I’m going to Gathering of Nations and people are just looking for it now. Mostly, my brother, i have a very, very positive message and whenever you have a strong, positive message, the masses don’t really want to embrace it at first — because basically, sex sells. I’m not selling sex. I’m selling positivity. Nobody really wants to buy it, but people don’t realize they need it, especially at this time.

The whole goal really from the act is just to bring people together. Look at dancing. Dancing is very limited to the dancer, the audience. You can’t get the rock audience to go to Ultra unless you bring certain acts. But when you bring in different acts, it goes out of context, because that music doesn’t fit what’s being played - it’s not what the festival is about. So you take the reggae act and, oh my god, it’s a rave, I can’t do that. But when you put Kevens together, because I’ve played in the rock scene, I’ve played in the reggae scene, I’ve played in the dance scene - so when people know I’m going to play, they come out. Who are they again? People who don’t necessarily listen to this or that, but they appreciate what I do. It’s not easy, but nevertheless, somebody has to do it. It’s a nice way to bring people together. My ultimate goal is just to bring people together. That’s the main reason why I do it the way I do it. I have fans across the board and right now, there is too much separation in music. This is a time in the world when we have to come together and we can. I’m just doing my part. Look at the state of the world right now. We’ve got war, we’ve got conflict, but at the end of the day, we are brothers. But do we act like that, no! That’s ignorance. There’s a spirit of humanity, and music brings that out. The schools aren’t doing it. The government isn’t doing it. We, the musicians, must bring that out. Everybody dances. Even the man with no legs dances in his mind. Everybody dances. So, therefore, music is like water, we all drink it. Like we all cry and laugh in the same language, so therefore music should be the avenue that brings people together — and it does. That’s my job.

GC

Do you have a favorite performance that you’ve done before, anything that especially moved you or helped define you as an artist?

Kevens

I have to admit, as you mentioned earlier, opening up for Steven Tyler and Aerosmith two and a half years ago. Really, this guy’s a legend and when you do a show like that and you get a standing ovation — because it was my first time playing the rock avenue, for a rock crowd. In one sense, these people don’t really know who Kevens is. They might have heard the name - like I have a song on the Ultra DVD, Freedom, but one song isn’t enough to give you massive exposure on MTV. You know how it goes out there, you have a million artists trying to get their music out. You don’t know who knows your name. But when I did that show, to see these rockers freak out. To date, that was the best show i’ve done. i’m just thinking about it right now, replaying in my head, it’s very powerful. I’d have to say that one takes the cake in the US. And in Japan, some years ago, I played in garb my first show, i had like 5,000 people and I did three encores. I went off and came on and I had to go back went off and came on — toward the end of the set, the crowd rushed the stage. You know, I’m 6’4 being lifted by little Japanese people was a scary little something something. But that for me was probably the top of live performances there in Japan.

GC

Do you have any new music coming out, a new CD, because I’m getting kind of anxious. I need more music.

Kevens

Right now I have the single and as a matter of fact, I actually recorded an album a while ago and I didn’t like it. I’m like, I don’t want to put this out. But I’m going back to the studio as soon as possible to put a new project out. I’m thinking about ten songs, tops.

GC

I guess in the meantime, I’ll hang out on your website and just listen to the loops while I’m online.

Kevens

Those are old, man.

GC

Who does your website, because that’s total eye candy. I love that website.

Kevens

That website is six years old.

GC

Really?

Kevens

Yes, it was done by, at the time, the best — well, in my view, the best web designer in Germany — or Europe. It’s Muse.de - they did it. They did bands, they did Deutche Bank, all the biggest websites back then and I was one of the first artists they had, so they made sure they did something different and exciting. That’s why I don’t ever change it, because I love it. But nevertheless, they do the best websites for artists, if you ask me.

GC

Do you have anything you’re working on with other people like Bunny - anything special you’re looking forward to sharing.

Kevens

I’m working with a couple of artists, but I don’t want to name any of them just yet. But stay put, I will have something this year or next year. I’ve been in the studio. There’s a project I’m doing right now with the producer and the artist and I’m excited about it. I’ve already recorded it and I’m going to go back and touch it up. But, it’s a hit song, it’s — you’ll hear it when it comes out.

GC

As an artist, what is your opinion on the whole debate right now with intellectual property, illegal downloaders and the state of the music industry?

Kevens

I was reading on the subject a while ago and I stopped because, at the end of they day, they’re all sort of raping the artist. See, I write all my songs, I’m a songwriter/composer, and it would be nice to get paid for what I do. When you get signed, basically what they do is they take your rights away and give pennies on the dollar to the artist. So it’s a good thing that, now, artists are getting this level of control. Illegal downloads, I don’t agree with because if you take one of my songs, you put it out there and then I’m no longer selling it because you’ve taken it. That’s taking food of my table. I think this personally, you know, unless someone sends me something in the mail and I’m like, thank you, and I give them something and we go by and by. So I encourage people to pay for your downloads, please.

Before we go, I’d like to thank God for the blessings he has given me and my family and my friends. Praise God, man - that’s where it is.

Kevens Live:

1.- April 26. Kevens live in Albuquerque New Mexico. www.gatheringofnations.com

2.- May 30th. Kevens live at the Montery music summitwww.joefletcherpresents.com

3.-July 5th. Kevens live at the Mad river musicfestival festivalwww.madrivermusicfestival.com

4.- Kevens live in Newhampshire (TBA)

5.-July 12th. Kevens live at the Sequence music festival in Salt Lake city Utah

6.- July 18th. Kevens live in Istra Croatia @ the Istrarockfestivalhttp://istrarockfestival.homestead.com/index2.html

7.- August 16th. Kevens live in Orlando, Florida (TBA)

8.-August 31st. Kevens live at the Monterey bay music festivalhttp://www.mbayreggaefest.net

9.- September 14th. Kevens live at Earthdance (California)www.earthdance.org/sf

10.- September 20th. Kevens live in Toyama Japan, 30 day of peace celebration.www.onelovefest.com

11.- September 27th. Kevens live in concert @ Camel Rock Casino. Santa Fe New Mexico

Backlog of Stuff

And so.

This will serve my personal musings and oft times, as a log where i keep extended versions of interviews (most of the hour longs) that there wasn’t room to post on Grooveshark.com/blog.

 You’d think, for a writer, I’d have a more eloquent way of introducing myself…