The RTYD Committee

Friday night I got the first RTYD committee together for its inaugural meeting. The idea is that in order to move RTYD forward, wherever that may be, five heads are better than one.

Colin Gillman once helped me come to terms with the fact that I have zero business sense. I would work for nothing, me. I just like to be busy, productive and, especially, creative. I wish I was driven by a desire to make loadsa money, but I am not.

I saw how unhappy and unhealthy my dad's work made him. And he was well paid, but he wasn't rich. He commuted to London where he worked in advertising, eventually as a managing director of the agency. While I liked the sound of London, I didn't like the sound of my dad after a hard day at the office.

I started RTYD because I want a 'scene' to play on over the next 30+ years. Don't you?

If, with the help of The Committee, and any other people who wish to get involved, RTYD can make some money in the process of creating this scene, and without affecting its co-operative ethos, then all well and good.

But if not, at least we got a scene, eh? Where there's gigs to go to. Music to listen to. Bands to aspire to. Opinions to be heard. New music and bands to get excited about. You often hear those over-40 complain about 'new' music, that made by young bands. Well, I actually like a few of the new up and coming bands. But I also like a lot of the old, here and staying, bands.

I have a lot of great new music and bands to get into right here on RTYD. Great lyrics, catchy tunes, musicianship, personalities, rock stories. Have a listen. Go to a few gigs. You'll see. I'm looking forward to seeing a number of bands on RTYD, again! I'm getting to know the songs. I'm recognising intros and getting to know lyrics, looking forward to hearing intros, and guitar solos.

I go to as many gigs on a local level these days, as I did when I was living in Camden in the early to mid-90s. One thing we discussed at the committee meeting was why mature music fans (mostly, anyway) won't go out to gigs as readily as they once did. Instead, they make excuses about days of the week, and adult responsibilites, and work and stuff. Then they pay £50 to go and see Rush at Wembley Arena on a Tuesday night.

We are all spoilt by ubiquitous rock music. We are spoilt by having lived through some of the best years of rock history. Many of us spent our teens and twenties seeing bands, great and not so great. Some, now legendary. Is it this? Is it that we feel we've seen it all before? Or is it simply laziness? Perhaps bitterness? I think it's that many of us feel 'out-of-the-social-loop. If we knew people going to a local gig in town, I am sure we would be more inclined to go.

As I've always said, we need each other.