I Told Steve He Needed A Hot Guitarist
08/24/08
MEMBER REVIEWS from
www.nowplayinginbashville.com
By Ken Carey
I wasn't the most excited when Steve announced to me that he was going to abandon C&M to chase the dream to become a rock star with a new project called Lackey (yes as my son pointed out it was first to have been called Drywall but the name had already been taken).
It wasn't that I didn't like the new material and sound. It was amazing just like everything Steve set out to do. I just felt it was a mistake for Steve to abruptly close the C&M project and loose track of all of the thousands of fans that had made a connection with his music. Lackey was very risky. Nobody had heard of Lackey and they would be loosing good income from the very loyal C&M base. His vision was to put a band together with his close friends (now being married to four band mates instead of one), produce a short EP demo to show off the new band to an as of yet unknown record label with deep pockets and get his new benefactor to shell out the big bucks to make them all rock stars.
Now keep in mind that NOBODY had heard of some new band called Lackey, they did produce a great EP that they gave away by the thousands, they had no back story or fan base (hell, they hadn't even played a show together yet as a band) and no radio play, but some unknown benefactor was going to dump a million dollars on something tat was at this point just a dream, not bloody likely. It's just not done that way.
In the mean time Steve didn't completely give up his roots. He played three sold out solo performances. But his original partner, Matt Maher, had already got bitten by the rock star bug and declined to participate. Matt had decided that the old act wasn't cool any more but being a rock star was. As the hunt for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow continued it was consuming more and more of Steve's energy (and financial resources) and his successful solo career has put aside to devote his entire focus on the increasingly expensive and time consuming search for a record deal.
But the search was taking it's toll on the band. Steve had the band crisscrossing the country arranging meetings with industry insiders following up on every lead he uncovered no matter how small. Steve was introduced to an entertainment lawyer from L.A. by the name of Leslie Frank by their licensing agent BMI. She was beginning catalyst for the groups performing in public by arranging a date at L.A.'s famed Opium Den and then NY's Brownies. Of course all of this was 'pay to play' engagements and sometime they had to rent the hall outright and the fees they were charged rose with the industry buzz. Drummers and bass players came and went but Steve and his two original partners, Matt Maher from C&M and Grey Garner an old college friend, slowly began creating a buzz inside the industry. The result of all of this work was, as Matt later accusingly proclaimed, that Steve shrewdly negotiated an unprecedented multi-album, million dollar record contract with Capital Records becoming one of the oldest in age new artists ever signed to the label. So they all packed up and rolled into L.A. to become rock stars. Mission Accomplished?
Let's just say then that long standing differences of opinion that were obfuscated during the hunt for success came rushing into the open once the big money hit the table and the band didn't survive the melee that ensued. The album was never released and the band never played together again.
But how did I get here? Oh yah. "I Told Steve He Needed A Hot Guitarist." Although Grey had his charms, lending a moody guitar musical background the bands sound, his moodiness also spilled over into the band in other ways on and off stage. But Steve is fiercely loyal to his friends and wouldn't consider a change. But think of what might have been if Steve had brought in a real, honest to god, hot rock-n-roll lead guitar player.
Well wonder no more. He finally did just that this April at his 12th and Porter show in Nashville and here is the result.
- Event Name: Steve Curnutte - Event Location: 12th & Porter
-
"Incredible! Great to see him back on stage after
10 years!"
Review posted by: G. Daniels from Tennessee, May 23, 2008
This guy left the music business and a Capitol Records deal nearly 10 years ago. I lost touch with him - but heard he was playing again. He seemed relaxed and happy - and his songs were awsome as usual. One bonus - this time he had some really great musicians playing with him. In his previous acoustic duo and his previous band - there was no really good guitar playing. The guy he had with him this time was off the hook. From what he said that night - my guess is he will not play again for several more years...why do the good ones stay home? Steve! If you read this - make another record at least! Or play a concert or something!
By Ken Carey
I wasn't the most excited when Steve announced to me that he was going to abandon C&M to chase the dream to become a rock star with a new project called Lackey (yes as my son pointed out it was first to have been called Drywall but the name had already been taken).
It wasn't that I didn't like the new material and sound. It was amazing just like everything Steve set out to do. I just felt it was a mistake for Steve to abruptly close the C&M project and loose track of all of the thousands of fans that had made a connection with his music. Lackey was very risky. Nobody had heard of Lackey and they would be loosing good income from the very loyal C&M base. His vision was to put a band together with his close friends (now being married to four band mates instead of one), produce a short EP demo to show off the new band to an as of yet unknown record label with deep pockets and get his new benefactor to shell out the big bucks to make them all rock stars.
Now keep in mind that NOBODY had heard of some new band called Lackey, they did produce a great EP that they gave away by the thousands, they had no back story or fan base (hell, they hadn't even played a show together yet as a band) and no radio play, but some unknown benefactor was going to dump a million dollars on something tat was at this point just a dream, not bloody likely. It's just not done that way.
In the mean time Steve didn't completely give up his roots. He played three sold out solo performances. But his original partner, Matt Maher, had already got bitten by the rock star bug and declined to participate. Matt had decided that the old act wasn't cool any more but being a rock star was. As the hunt for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow continued it was consuming more and more of Steve's energy (and financial resources) and his successful solo career has put aside to devote his entire focus on the increasingly expensive and time consuming search for a record deal.
But the search was taking it's toll on the band. Steve had the band crisscrossing the country arranging meetings with industry insiders following up on every lead he uncovered no matter how small. Steve was introduced to an entertainment lawyer from L.A. by the name of Leslie Frank by their licensing agent BMI. She was beginning catalyst for the groups performing in public by arranging a date at L.A.'s famed Opium Den and then NY's Brownies. Of course all of this was 'pay to play' engagements and sometime they had to rent the hall outright and the fees they were charged rose with the industry buzz. Drummers and bass players came and went but Steve and his two original partners, Matt Maher from C&M and Grey Garner an old college friend, slowly began creating a buzz inside the industry. The result of all of this work was, as Matt later accusingly proclaimed, that Steve shrewdly negotiated an unprecedented multi-album, million dollar record contract with Capital Records becoming one of the oldest in age new artists ever signed to the label. So they all packed up and rolled into L.A. to become rock stars. Mission Accomplished?
Let's just say then that long standing differences of opinion that were obfuscated during the hunt for success came rushing into the open once the big money hit the table and the band didn't survive the melee that ensued. The album was never released and the band never played together again.
But how did I get here? Oh yah. "I Told Steve He Needed A Hot Guitarist." Although Grey had his charms, lending a moody guitar musical background the bands sound, his moodiness also spilled over into the band in other ways on and off stage. But Steve is fiercely loyal to his friends and wouldn't consider a change. But think of what might have been if Steve had brought in a real, honest to god, hot rock-n-roll lead guitar player.
Well wonder no more. He finally did just that this April at his 12th and Porter show in Nashville and here is the result.
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