VMS MAgazine June

Issue 4 Lazarus Dog H

UPDATE:

WOUNDED WARRIORS

A VISIT TO

P REMIER DJ ACADEMY Bat Masters Steveolio Mill Tycoon Gavin Zane Joel Eilde Rock Doghouse KevinMThomas David Csiszer Seamore Wildeheart Chance Jampuler

SecondLife Musicians and Venues

VMS 2

VMS 4

VMS Reopening Party Bat Masters Steveolio Mill Tycoon Wounded Warriors Benefit Gavin Zane How to use Gestures Lazarus Doghouse Joel Eilde Premiere DJ Academy KevinMThomas The Wharf Rock Doghouse David Csiszer Seamore Wildeheart Chance Jampuler

vms magazine may 2011 publisher

Design editor managing Editor Reporters

What a month it has been. After a short hiatus, our VMS venue has reopened its doors to the music world, feted by superb artists and a lively crowd on May 22nd. We have a new and improved website which will soon be complete. So, we have lots of changes happening at VMS, but that’s a good thing. Change is good!

This fourth edition is packed with interesting, fun and informative articles showcasing the talent of Second Life’s music scene.

We talk to the talented Lazarus Doghouse (our cover boy) about his first and Second Life musical journey with some great anecdotes along the way.

We follow up last month’s article on Patriot Island with one covering the April 201 2 Wounded Warrior Benefit.

Want a hint on creating the perfect avatar? Have a read of the June ‘How To’ Segment. “How To Use Gestures Properly” is filled with great advice from professional musicians and agents on getting your avatar sparkling sexy.

Journey with us as we explore the lives, inspirations and aspirations of artists: Chance Jampuler, Dale Katscher, David Csiszer, Bat Masters, Gavin Zane, Joel Eilde, KevinMThomas Carpool, Mike00 Carnell, Mill Tycoon, Rock Doghouse, Seamore Wildeheart and Steveeolio.

Visit the DJ Academy and Wild Girls Wharf Café, catch a seat, listen to a spin.

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Photographers

Producing an inworld magazine to a professional and readable standard is hard work, however, the end produce is so worth the effort and this month’s magazine reflects the dedication and professionalism of our staff.

Thanks to the expertise of VMS Owner, Jay Hurikan, my fellow editor, Thirza Ember, our fabulous writers, photographers and event staff, we have produced another original, unique edition.

We present to you the June Issue of VMS Magazine! ~Happy Reading~ Klarissa Huntress

VMS

re­opens its doors!

VMS saw its doors re-open on the 22nd May to an enthusiastic and supportive audience.

Performing from 1 0am to 2pm, stellar performers, AMFORTE Clarity, Dee Timeless, Tukso Okey and Terrylynn Melody kept the party rolling.

AMFORTE opened up the night with her trademark original song, ‘Falling’ and the audience fell to her charm, literally. Sidestepping the prone bodies, others engaged in local chat banter encouraged by AMFORTE’s wit, warm presence and popular comparative questions.

“What would you rather be, a Lionel Ritchie impersonator or a hobbit pimp?”

At VMS we always love to hear AMFORTE's originals. This evening, she shared with us ‘My Way’, a song she wrote for her mother, ‘Nothing Concrete’, and she finished her set with ‘Crazy for You’.

Original, Live music in Second Life is always a joy, and a perfect way to begin our evening.

Dee Timeless next entertained the crowd with his own take on the rock classic genre. His smooth voice combined with exquisite finger playing on a 6 string guitar brought more followers to the floor.

Dee opened with Jim Croce’s, ’Got A Name’ and continued in the same vein with Oasis’s ,‘Wonderwall’, Vertical Horizon’s, “Everything You Want’, and Amercia’s, ‘Horse With No Name.’

His rendition of the Bread classic‘Diary’ brought tears to the eyes of some audience members and when it ended, his voice was full of emotion, “Oh man, it’s been too long since I did that one, anyway I just

did it.”

He continued his rich, strong playing with the Pretender’s, ‘Back in the Chain Gang,’ and ended his set with a change of pace and lively rendition of ZZ Top’s ‘Cheap Sunglasses’.

Up next was the talented Tukso Okey. As usual his growling, thumping tempo drew in the crowds as hie invited all his fans to 'Make Some Noise!' The VMS venue was electric as he went from song to song, whipping up the intensity of his set.

'The Cat's Got the Measles' and Papa Charlie Jackson's lyrics really expressed the feeling in the room: 'Now I think I heard a rumbling : deep down in the ground, Well it must have been the devil : chaining my good gal down.'

There were plenty of good gals and guys dancing to the music. Among them, Rebecca Ashbourne who runs the Tuckso group on Flickr, where you can add your pictures of his events around the grid.

Rebecca is a huge fan. "I love Tukso's sound, cos it rocks! He is my favourite performer in all of SL. He's an amazing musician who lays down his backing track live on a digital loop playing keyboards, drums, bass guitar, rhythm guitar, and then plays awesome wailing electric

blues guitar over it and also sings. Outstanding."

After Tukso, we had the great pleasure to hear TerryLynn Melody round off the evening. The tempo changed, and the mood became thoughtful and mellow.

TerryLynn gave us some awesome covers, from Janis Joplin's classic 'Another Piece of My Heart', to more recent numbers, like Sugarland's witty number 'Stuck Like Glue' and Grace Potter's 'Paris'.

As always, TerryLynn brought plenty of 'oo la la' to her set.

In the audience was the delightful Sparkie Cyberstar, and (in rabbit form) Mother Faulkwing, who's been married to TerryLynn for 23 years.

" Terry has a way of singing about the human condition.

She seems to write songs people can relate to. Her album is coming along nicely, hopefully we'll be releasing it in the fall. It is a full production of her original music, and has been funded by SL. I couldn't be prouder!"

All in all, it was a great night. As Catcha Ballyhoo commented, "VMS is so important. It gives SL artists a place to experience one of the best parts of Second Life - live music."

Ciske Crumb agrees.

"It's always fun to be with Jay, when he's around! He is never too serious. This guy is working hard for Live Music in SL, both at the VMS club and also the magazine. We love you Jay!" The grand re-opening was great fun and we thank all the people who attended, and our great musicians, and look forward to seeing you all at VMS on a regular basis for a long time to come. ◄ VMS►

Bat Masters

They call him Bat on account of his real life

name, Burton A. Tienken. Now, with the support of his band of old friends , the "Mount Pilot Party Girls" this 30-year veteran of the guitar is bringing high enthusiasm for music and fellowship to your door. .

Bat chose the last name Masters because his band was originally going to be called Masters Of Leisure. However, the name Mount Pilot Party Girls was the idea of his drummer and originated from the Andy Griffith shows. They agreed it fit perfectly and thus the band was set.

Recently returned from the Nashville Music City Jam 201 2, he is still “buzzing and bouncing in his chair. It was one of the most amazing and fun experiences I've had."

Bat Masters’ raw sounds compliment his voice. His high spirits, boastful self-confidence, and self deprecating humor puts the audience at ease.

His songs play in humor and fun, with a tinge of sensuality leaving the crowd asking for more.

Blessed with a family that supported his musical abilities, his father

played the organ and his older brother played guitar, he was inspired to try his hand at music in the seventh grade with a guitar class and involvement in theatre. He also found to his delight that the girls liked him bringing the guitar on the bus--a definite plus.

Eventually he ventured into his first band where he played bass.

“The first song I ever played was House Of the Rising Sun”, which has since grown into an extensive set list in Second life. “I never planned on going professional, I wouldn’t mind just playing now and then but my fan base is quickly building and the demand for my music is growing, so I may be playing just a bit more rather than now and then.”

“Second Life is great. I can show up in my jammies and play with my band in the basement and rock it out. The only down side is the delay in chat after I finish a song, which can be 1 0 to 1 5 seconds. Gauging the delayed reaction of the audience to decide what to play next is one of the more difficult parts to overcome because audience response is very important to decide what to do next.”

"To the folks who come to hear me I say a heartfelt thank you. You all really make the show go. And to new SL musicians, well, stay cool and listen to how others do it. Find your groove and have a blast!" ◄ VMS►

SMOOTH BLEND: STEVEEOLIO Continuity and novelty are the words that came to mind as SL singer and guitarist Steveeolio played to a small but responsive crowd at Ye Olde Wolf n Hawk pub.

Continuity because he has developed his jazz/folk fusion skills over many years from when he was a teenager in RL; Novelty because he brings an original touch to otherwise faithful covers of classic songs, and because it is only in the last year that he has begun, in his fifties, to explore the digital environment of SL. During his set, Steve showed how he blends long experience with an open-minded search for new approaches and audiences. He covers and gives his own twist to everything from songs by Judy

Garland, Jimmy McHugh and Chick Corea to the Beatles, Glen Campbell, and more contemporary musicians.

The resulting sound, both acoustic and electric, is based on a powerful voice, solid guitar work and his long apprenticeship. Steve applies skills drawn from jazz and folk in a deft and nuanced manner.

“In 1 972, I then became an active musician in an inner circle of friends that shared the same passion. Played for two decades with only the ear and talent of my gift. Then, thanks to a good friend, Jim Cooper, who stopped and shared the importance of reading music, I then learned every jazz and blues music along with many popular covers. I learned one new song a day for the next three years.”

The long practice and willingness to learn paid off, equipping him with a strong but versatile vocal style and lively guitar technique. His guitar work is earthy and plangent, but he squeezes a surprisingly broad tonal range from a limited register of notes, a jazzy improvisation lingering beneath the chunky, well judged chords. But it is his rich voice, ranging from a powerful baritone to a sinewy tenor, that really distinguishes him.

It is a singing style that weaves hypnotic patterns in and around his chosen lyrics. He played a variety of covers and the full potency and cleverness of his approach best emerged in his version of the Beatles', Strawberry Fields. Here he gave us a subtle and intriguing rendition, his voice, ably supported by well judged guitar sequences, working to extract every resonance from the poetry of the original track, whilst constantly suggesting new intonations and nuances.

This is a difficult trick to pull off, and clearly his years of devotion to his craft have given him an understated control over his performances. He also engages easily with the audience, inserting little asides into the middle of songs in response to comments and requests.

He cleverly varies the playlist, switching smoothly from Procul Harum's, 'A Whiter Shade of Pale', to a track by the Band. Underneath the smoothness is deep knowledge. By his own account he enjoys “working music from many greats such as Gershwin, Cole Porter, Thelonius Monk and John Coltrane. Great guitar influences by Pat Martino, Pat Metheny, Wes Montgomery, along with many other greats.”

Beneath the seamless and soulful professionalism there is much dedication. Steveoolio has plainly learned a lot from his past and is still willing to learn more as he explores the new world of Second Life. The result is a pleasing, heartfelt and at times distinctly subtle sound that will add much to the pleasure of music lovers in SL. ◄ VMS►

Mill Tycoon : an uncommon talent "My name, MillTycoon, is short for Millionaire Tycoon, which refers to an early composition of mine (a 1 997 piece called The Millionaire Tycoons). The inspiration then was from the Parker Brothers' Game of Life."

"Virtual worlds had never been a priority of mine, until a friend wanted to join for her own potential business interests in August, 2011 . When I was reminded that this could be a fun, viable way to share my performances with the world, I quickly purchased the necessary equipment, contacted a few venue managers until one hired me, and began playing in November."

"I began piano lessons at age seven. I took classical lessons for five years and jazz reharmonization lessons for four more. I then had two brief periods of lessons for classical and jazz as an adult."

"I took several years of classical voice lessons, mostly in college and graduate school, though I don't know how much they help me with the material I typically sing in SL. I have never taken singing lessons related to performing rock songs."

“Paul McCartney, Ray Charles, ABBA, Elvis Costello, Aerosmith, Maynard Ferguson, the Bangles, David Bowie, Billy Joel, Joe Cocker, Huey Lewis and the News, Queen, Duke Ellington, Elton John, Indigo Girls, George Gershwin, Van Morrison, and Tom Waits are among the artists who have influenced me."

He doesn’t have favourite songs; they change every month, recently, for example, he has rediscovered a love for William Shatner's "Common People."

Mill can sing Western, Rap, Rock, Grunge, Folk-rock, Crossover country, R&B, New Wave, Boy Band Pop and even Opera, though he admits he is not a great opera singer.

"I often prefer ballads, because I can draw more emotion into them than I can for a lot of fast songs. However, I think that a set with too many ballads tends to either be

boring or to reuse some of the same techniques and thus make them less powerful. So I usually sprinkle about four ballads into my hour-long shows.

As with any field requiring practice, I think I perform songs best when I can remember them well and they feel familiar under my fingers."

He is also willing to try songs outside of his comfort zone, one example being singing both roles of a Sonny and Cher duet.

He works hard to practice and extend his range, focusing on music by (among others) Johnny Cash, John Legend, and John Denver.

The weirdest request for a song he's ever received?

Probably been Dolly Parton's "Joshua."

More orthodox requests are Billy Joel's "Piano Man", Elton John's classics "Your Song" and "Tiny Dancer", Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" and Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer".

“It’s comforting to get instant feedback on his performance, unlike in real life where I spend lots of hours wondering about people's reactions to my work. A lot of my life is spent doing things that only have a payoff after they are complete."

"There are a lot of hours spent inside my own head, imagining what people's reactions might be someday. SL gives me the opportunity to perform in front of a real audience , and get immediate feedback on my performance."

"People have been very nice. Everyone applauds and says complimentary things about my performances. I could not ask for more from an audience." ◄ VMS►

Giving back: the Wounded Warrior Benefit Concert On April 29th, 201 2, the US Military Veterans Group held their fourth 201 2 Wounded Warriors Benefit Concert in the Events Hanger on their home base, Patriot Island.

SL star Frets Nirvana helps organize the event.

“I put together the monthly Wounded Warriors benefit every month. Done it for over two years. It’s always held on the last Sunday of each month. As a result of the support of many in Second Life this effort raised over $9200 in 2011 . We hope to meet a target of $1 2000 in 201 2. We are going for 1 2 in 1 2! Year to date in 201 2 we have sent $3200 to The Wounded Warriors project, so we are on our way!”

Four guitarists, PonDman Haalan, Reggie Sunset Rookswood, Frets Nirvana and DirtyDee Sweetwater were this month's lineup. Each artist actively encouraged the crowd to be generous, often matching donations from their own funds.

Their skill, fabulous music and charisma managed to achieve a record sum!

Dahlea Milena, a Manager of Patriot Island, showed me around. “To the right of the stage there’s two real life pictures. One is a young flight engineer during a combat mission. The other, is the same woman, now a wounded warrior. This is just as small example of the many wounded warriors out there you have the opportunity to help, and thank you so much for your kindness and support.”

First up was PonDman Haalan (Alton Rex), a songwriter from Austin TX and former military vet. Alton is renowned for writing songs for and about veterans and in 2002, founded the VA Hospital Concert Tour in 2002.

His smooth voice, enthusiasm, compassion and admiration for veterans was evident, and by the end of his set, donations had reached $50, 000L. Up next, Reggie Sunset Rookswood, an avid supporter for the Military Veterans group. His mellow, yet delicate strumming of the guitar provided a great counterpoint to his light tones, a very different sound to PonDman.

Reggie alternated with a few covers, but his originals such as, “A Love Song to a Song” and “By the Sea” hit the spot. His smooth voice, and silky guitar again evoked an emotional response from the crowd.

The anticipated Frets Nirvana performed next. His reputation as one of the ‘premier guitarists of Second Life’ was yet again confirmed, as he strummed and fingered his way through a variety of original and covers.

Frets closely matched many of the donations and his dedication, compassion and passion for the cause he does so much to promote is evident in every word as he encouraged the crowd to further effort. By the end of Fret’s set, the Wounded Warriors Donation Fund had reached $1 53, 000L. DirtyDee Sweetwater was the final performer. The deep, rich tones of his guitar, different from the delicate fingerings of Reggie, and the wailing chords of Frets provided a great contrast and finished the event to sizable donations. The crowd had not lessened, and money continued to pour in.

Thanks to the efforts of the musicians, organizers and the audience, the Wounded Warriors Benefit Concert managed to raise $21 4,000L, an impressive contribution to the 201 2 target goal, and one they can all be proud of.

"Last month, I was out across British Columbia with Blackie & The Rodeo Kings. It was awesome , hanging around with those guys is way too much fun!"

"RL is for sure more nervewracking , and I think there are several reasons.

Of course depends on the artist but for me RL is definitely harder. SL is consistent. I have my gear set up, and there is no diffrence between venues. so it's easier to stay focused. However SL has for sure made my RL gigs far better. The hours I put in in SL shows at any performance I do , and the more comfortable I get in SL, the more comfortable each gig in RL becomes."

"My top three favorite covers are : 'Willies Diamond Joe' by Willie P Bennett , he is a Canadian songwriting icon, 'Sex & Candy' by Marcy Playground , it's just a fun song , and 'Jack & Diane' by John Couger Mellencamp. As for originals , I love playing 'The Radio Song', but I haven't written my 'best song' yet - I'm quite hard on myself as for originals. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and my own worst critic."

"SL helps big time. I get a lot of inspiration from SL, not necessarily from the game itself, but from the people who come to my shows. People chat, and maybe don't think I really absorb it all during a show , but people's life stories come through. I also find it easier to write in third person. SL lets me view the world through Gavin's eyes, so to speak." " My avatar is like a bridge between the 'real' me and my public. A lot of musicians don't use their real names, for legal reasons and so on, but it helps to 'slip into character' if that character is removed from yourself. I would say at my RL gigs, people are getting Gavin more than my RL self, although those two are the same person."

Gavin Zane in conversation with

"I've been playing since I was 1 5 or so , but never took it seriously until I was into my 30's. Over the last 5 years I've been immersed. I have no income other than what music brings to me. I get most of my work doing Sound Tech jobs for other artists RL. So both lives are pretty much filled with music."

"I also run a venue in RL and have a promo company that specializes in Reggae world music, and Gavin is a welcome addition to all that. It's the kind of thing where you need a little luck and be willing to go out and make the phone ring to get paid, but it's my passion."

"When I'm not in SL , youll probably find me at The Duncan Garage Showroom, a RL venue in Vancouver Island BC Canada where I have it all set up for streaming shows. A lot of what I've done with the website in RL is from what I've learned about streaming and video from SL." Second Life is notorious for its little quirks - from problems with streaming to lag, to over-enthusiastic fans.

"I'm little lucky in the sense that investing in my RL work allowed me to have Mac's and nice computers around , so I usually don't have to many technical issues."

That said, Gavin's no stranger to the 'odder' side of SL. "Well I think the " kind letters of adoration" from female fans can be ... uhm ... funny and wierd, but being an artist means you've opened yourself up to your fans. So, while I don't encourage personal relationships, I am very happily taken in RL, I think that artist who dont respond to fans is doomed to lose them. It's a tightrope. There are definitley less inhabitions on SL. That goes for either gender, I suppose. Not that it's bad , it's just points of view."

"Gavin is here to stay , he has become too much apart of my music , and SL is my medium for gaining expierence , confidence and pushing myself musicaly. My RL musical gains would suffer, if SL wasn't here." ◄ VMS►

*+.¸.•*(¸.•*´♥`*•.¸)`*•.¸.+* +♥+*`*♥Use Gestures ♥*`*+♥ *+.¸.•*(¸.•*´♥`*•.¸)`*•.¸.+* Sparkie Cyberstar: At music events, the best gestures are tip gestures! I use them, but try to

do it sparingly. Most musicians appreciate gestures. I don't 'Howl', but I don't mind any of them, really I think they boost the crowd and the singer. But I have to say, I keep Sounds off.

Gestures should be sound free. I make some gestures myself - ones giving information about my musiicans and so on, but generally I either buy them, or ask for a copy, or 'steal' gesture text - they're too tedious to make.

Anek Fuchs: Big gestures? I mute them, as I don't like being hooooo'd over. It's everyones choice, to make noise or be quiet out of respect, but, its also all our choices whether or not we wish to hear, so its no matter to me. While I'm playing, of course, I mute everything but audio and video, so I see them in general. I appreciate it, and vocalize that in the mic so they know I'm aware, again, it can be spammish. I've made gestures, and use them too sometimes. I have a fun one that Ann Wunderland gave me that a couple years ago. I didnt make it, but i use it a lot. It's short and funny . Having fought my way up to the "arrogant one" status, I took things too seriously for too long, these fun gestures help us break that up.

Kalli Birman: Good gestures at a concert are not noisy and not 1 0 or 20 lines long. A few line simple applause gets the message across. I'm not sure who started making gestures that have sounds, but clearly, they never considered that: #1 . musicians turn off sounds, so they are not even hearing the sounds and #2. because of all the gesture noise, you might miss something the musician is saying between their songs.

So good gestures are simple and not noisy, and bad ones are huge and spammy with lots of sounds.

Lingual Markus: Shorter is better. Ten line gestures are annoying. A lot of people get muted for doing that. For example my business partner 's girlfriend mutes anything over 5 lines. I don't mind giggles, but the howls like a wolf, or the train, or all that other bullcrap, is annoying.

It's a problem for promoters too. I remember working with one musician, every time I put info out about her websites and so on, someone would howl, then the train, then another 1 0 liner, and all the links would go off the screen. Gestures aren't important to me - they seem more important to the fans, but I guess it depends on the gesture? Applause are always welcome, but the train, or the howl -no! enola Vaher: It's about balance. I don't like it when a manager or host will spam about websites and such every 5 minutes. I train my hostesses not to do it. Once in a while is fine, but a lot of gestures are way too spammy, aspecially the long ones. Gestures can be great, they help make the atmosphere friendly. I'm a howler myself - just not all the time!

Kalli Birman is Brandy Maltas, a manager, blogger, and venue consultant.

With Mankind Tracer, she runs the Village and Club Graffiti.

Anek Fuchs is Dave Smith, an award-winning guitarist.

Offstage, he is a technical consultant to both musicians and venue owners Lingual Markus runs Marcus Management. He mentors musicians and venue owners.

His club is on the ROOF of Studio Markus NYC Gallery. enola Vaher manages the historic Chelsea Hotel, a music, art, and poetry sim, based on New York's Bohemian landmark.

Sparkie Cyberstar manages TerryLynn Melody, and is booking agent for some of the best SL music talent.

Lazarus Doghouse: Deep Blues Man “Joining SL was a no brainer, there was a group of us already playing in There.com, so when it closed we all came here. There.com was nice, but it did not support music.”

Unlike the stories of many other SL musicians, Lazarus’s music career started easily. “Jadzia Vasser and Perkey Felwitch made it easy for me. They set me up with the programs and stuff, and got a gig with Solana Python at Two Kats.” The next show was booked at Dottie Iceberg’s venue Guthrie’s, and he’s been playing there ever since.

“Guthrie’s is a good one. There are lots of new artists and old ones. It seems like one of those trial-by-fire venues where you just go out and do it; let the pieces fall where they will.”

Throughout years of playing the guitar, Lazarus has developed a unique style that he describes as alternative country punk. Artists such as Van Morrison and Bob Dylan were a big influence in his music. Ray Wylie Hubbard and Otis Taylor are recent influences on his own compositions Among these original songs, it's hard to choose which one he likes best. “It depends on my moods. I do have one my little boy and I play together at home, ‘Notredame’, a song we did for his school project. He is seven now. I think it is my favorite, maybe.”

Tennessee-born Lazarus grew up on classical music, he fell in love with the blues. His dad, a player in a college bluegrass group made it mandatory for his kids to learn the guitar. “When I was in High school my girlfriend and I used to go pick Furry Lewis up for his gigs, and we would have to stop at the pawn shop and get his guitar out of pawn.

You could walk down Beale Street in the early 60's and hear people like Sleepy John Estes and Mississippi John Hurt. So many of the real musicians there.” Deep, deep blues is what now influences his music and style the most.

“Performing in SL is sometimes hard to do. You know, or maybe not, but I play a particular style of music. Not sure it floats in all venues, if you know what I mean. People have a need or desire to hear music they are used to hearing, and not so many explore different styles.”

He writes about simple things in life, such as feelings, losses, or even a goofy car, to connect with the audience.

“In the back of my mind I think that the ones that don’t get it might not really understand music. They want what the radio gives them because that’s all they know. I have gotten to hear some incredible people play in SL that were playing to only me and a hostess, and it is such a shame.”

“I have had banjos, mandolins, and the fiddle, but I couldn’t make them do anything but cry,” he says with a laugh, “Guitar seemed to work better.” Lazarus makes sure that the song he sings is something that falls within his level of expertise. He has tried a few times to get out of his comfort zone, but it didn’t work for him. “I play whatever comes to mind. I might do a lot of covers, or do a show of all originals.

I might mix them up. It’s all about the mood.”

Outside of music, he has a gallery in real life where he sells photos, shirts, and even some guitars. “I have some guitars St. Blues let me make for them. My son worked at the factory in Memphis for a while and I hear the owner of the company is a SL player too. I love building houses and things. My son Rey Rey actually did the work on the guitars. I just got it all together. That was the easy part.” ◄ VMS►

Joel Eilde ­ Wicked good I think I saw the devil on stage Friday night, and his music has a fire of its own.

Singer-songwriter Joel Eilde growled, and strummed, and strutted his way through his hour long set at rustic roadhouse The Stump. He left me helpless, and breathless, and prostrate at his feet.

Eilde plays a wide range of songs. He gave us some covers (Ben Harper, Smashing Pumpkins, Gene Ween) and some original numbers in a wide variety of styles, sometimes switching styles mid-song, veering from spare, sweet, unadorned folk to growling riffs from heavy metal to massive whirling electronica storms, ambient and techno and lighting flashes of pure screeching guitar.

Standing on stage in his short black hair, tight black jeans, dark glasses and five o’clock shadow, Eilde, who is also front man for the group Dragonfly, was the image of the rogue troubadour. Bruce Springsteen, Roy Orbison, Jake White, Jimmie Page, Bob Dylan, smoldering, and making us smolder with him, burning cigar in his mouth, tip glowing red-hot, clouds of smoke that swirling around his head.

Then he began to sing a heartfelt cover of Ben Harper’s “Excuse Me, Mister” and his soft voice, and the way his fingers delicately explored and strummed his Mahogany Godin, proved that fallen angels are indeed still angels. And that even though the Devil gets the best music, his

d Satanic Majesty doesn’t get to keep it. And sometimes a devilish tune, sung right, does more good than a sanctified chorus.

The song is a protest song, a rant against the sloth and greed and gluttony that leads men in power to despoil. And Eilde made the song his own.

His music is a tight acoustical tapestry of many musical traditions, western and non-western. His western roots are eclectic but unsurprising: blues, rock, and a heavy dose of heavy metal, which he told me in an after concert he listened to very heavily in his teens and 20s. He then added that he felt heavy metal alone was ‘collapsing under its own weight.”

Eilde spent years studying study of Persian, Turkish, and Indian traditions so he could weave them into his work. You can hear tabla and sitar side by side with guitar and drum machine.

What is remarkable, though, is how well Eilde mixes this all together into a trippy brew touches heart and head, and stirs up the soul (and other part of the listener’s body), without being aggressive or overt.

Even Eilde’s cover of Gene Ween’s Spirit Walker walks this mysterious line between the sexual and the spiritual. It is positively tantric how well the two are fused in Dragonfly’s work. ◄ VMS► Eilde’s voice is not a trained one and his range is not huge, but that doesn’t really matter. He growls out his lyrics in the tradition of his fellow Canadian Leonard Cohen. Anything lacking in his voice is more than made up for with the variety and mastery of his instruments – and of styles. ◄ VMS►

Premiere DJ Acade

emy

Spend any time in Second Life and you will soon realise how important skilled DJs are to the in-world music scene. A good DJ creates a special vibe that brings people back to a sim again and again. Therefore, a club's very survival can depend on hiring people to play the right tunes in the right way.

But being a DJ in Second Life is not easy. The attributes required are more complex than they first seem. Relationships between DJs, club owners and other staff can sometimes go wrong. There is a clear need for proper training and professional standards.

The Premier DJ Academy, operating in-world since 2008, provides just that. The

play music, but it takes someone who can Academy has trained 2000 individuals and now operates from its own sim with a staff of really work the crowd to be a DJ. The thing to avoid is being what I call a ‘music pusher’. ten.

That is, a DJ who plays music and the only talking they do is announce the next song.

The two large rooms of the Academy's You need to read and respond to the headquarters exude an atmosphere of focused and tasteful professionalism. Around audience.” the walls are tightly packed notices and “The bulk of the time is spent learning how to adverts: no space is wasted, but the mellow deal with various colours create a warm, personalities. Even more soothing atmosphere. important is how a DJ copes with criticism. Much The variety of services of the training teaches offered on the sim’s people how to handle interactive boards show 'negative comments'. You training as a disc jockey is are always going to have not in isolation. Instruction people who do not like is offered in hosting and club your music. So, finding management too. the way around that is the most difficult thing A holistic, teamwork because you need to keep people involved in approach is taken, according to Academy Manager, Loki Kahanamoku. It goes beyond the set, and keep them at the club as long as possible.” mere technical proficiency. “Our classes are probably 30% technical. Personal and social On top of dealing with negativity, the ambitious skills matter far more than mastery of DJ must also find a way of projecting a software." suitable persona. Loki explains, “For example, I am a versatile DJ. So, I have a country boy "The biggest thing that they need to learn is how to work the people. I tell them anyone can personality and demeanour when I play

country and the flirty, party boy when I play club music."

"Coordination is also vital. Each host and DJ make a team. It is so important that you greet a customer within the first ten seconds of their arrival. The failure to do so can result in that person leaving and never coming back. Plus, it is also important that they keep the local chat flowing.”

He has advice for club managers too. “A DJ should never be hired unless they can be trusted to do a good job. So, let them do their job. If there are issues, then it is okay to bring them up. But, don't micromanage.”

Despite the emphasis on human skills, practitioners should keep up with technological changes. “There are always advances in technology.

Soundboards are starting to make their way into Second Life. So, instead of controlling things with a computer, you control the music with an actual DJ soundboard that attaches into your computer. This equipment is used for live mixer DJs. It will make it easier and a smoother sound. There are mixing boards in the programs we use to DJ with, however, the difference is controlling it with your mouse versus controlling it with your hands on a sound board.”

In addition to its core training, the Academy offers 'lifetime backup' and access to its networks of clubs and contacts inside SL. Prices start at $1 600L for two hours of DJ training, $1 200L for management training and 600L for host/dancer training. ◄ VMS►