The Tools of success

Most people will tell you that a major rock concert is a great experience; in fact, few will tell you otherwise. The popularity of these concerts is obvious by the hoards of individuals pulsating through venue parking lots and by the sound of faraway music that fills the neighborhood air.

Perhaps on the same night a few miles down the road there is the humble local band show where 15,000 people are reduced to 50 dedicated fans and friends. But how does the small band reach the paramount of the music industry? How do four individuals command the attention of 15,000 fans?

Many of this bands may think that it is all luck; by some stroke of magic a record executive will hear their music and instantly snatch them up and birth them into the world of rock stardom. Others think that relentless self-promotion will hold the key to their success. But the truth is that there is something more behind the bands that are packing the venues night after night and leaving fans talking about the show for a week.

On Saturday night, the enigmatic progressive rock band Tool performed to a sold out Cricket Pavilion in Phoenix. Before the band took the stage there was a silence over the crowd that erupted when the band settled into its first tune. Throughout the show the crowd could be heard singing along with every lyric and rhythmically swaying with each pulsating section.

It immediately became obvious what makes this band an act to be seen and not just four guys playing in a bar. Even behind the smoke from the machines at the sides of the stage, the frantic light show and the projection screens their secret was clear.

Great music and emotional energy. While many smalltime musicians may be talented at their craft, it doesn't always translate into worthwile compositions. Great music is something more than mere ability; it is that release of emotion and the interaction of the group members that governs what we feel everytime we put in that CD. Sure there are a plethora of guitarists in the world that can play more notes in a minute than others have played in their lives. But I would rather listen to the one who can play one note that can make me happy or make me cry.

So the next time a local band is sitting and waiting for their luck to strike, perhaps they should realize that the most important thing is the product create and the way in which that product comes to be.