2. Rock Show – Tess
When Eliza Kerr invited me to work for Blackmore Records, I was initially hesitant. Music PR isn’t my wheelhouse. Believe it or not, it’s a completely different skillset from working with actors or politicians, who, amazingly, are very similar in their public relations nightmares. And technically, are easier to put a shine on.
Music fans are a little more nuanced than a typical audience because music itself speaks to the soul, not the mind. Lyrics and melodies call to a person’s heart and live there. Once that gets tarnished, it’s a lot harder to polish.
I welcome the challenge that this will bring, but I am not one to jump ships like this. I liked the stability of my previous jobs. I knew what to expect from day to day. I needed that control in my life. Ever since my parents divorced when I was young, and I bounced between houses I’ve craved order.
So, why I accepted Eliza’s offer, I have no idea. The only reason I can come up with is that I’d hit a mental plateau of some kind. Nothing felt fulfilling anymore. There wasn’t any purpose to anything, other than to do the same thing over and over. Rinse and repeat.
I was bored.
Chaos Fuel will be my first project with Blackmore, and in my research of the current state of their PR, it’s going to be a complete trial by fire. They’ve fired every manager they’ve had except the current one (so far). They can’t keep a bass player to save their lives. Brad Chambers, the singer, is known to be a playboy, though that’s slowed down a little bit the last few years. Emmett Cavenaugh, the drummer, is a horrible prankster that nobody wants to work with. And Stefan Karlsson, their guitarist, parties way too much.
Typical rockstars.
Brad is the one that stands out for me, and not just because he’s the incredibly hot lead singer with a voice of an angel who smokes menthols; He’s a dad. He has an eight-year-old daughter, Charlotte, he shares with an ex who is married to the bass player of Indigo King, another Blackmore Records band.
While Chaos Fuel may be typical rockstars, with typical bad boy reputations – full of too much partying, hot lingerie models, and every other excess imaginable - fixing their image won’t be so easy. The press seems to always want to find the flaws, and never look at the good stuff. So, researching anything good about the band is almost impossible. Outside of Blackmore’s own press releases, there isn’t a lot to work with. Everything positive comes from the fans themselves.
That’s got to be my angle - the connection between the band and the fans. But to do that, I’m going to need to see them in action. And that means I need to meet them. Soon.
Eliza told me that the band will be holding auditions for a new bass player next week, so that’s my opportunity to get up close and personal and get an idea of what I’m working with. I won’t know how to approach any of this if I don’t know them.
Chaos Fuel, here I come.