The Team in TEAM ROCK
Team Rock have inspired a welling up moment worthy of the Dickensian Orwellian Dystopia that the 1% honestly think all of us will put up with.
Let's not mince words. 2016 has been a load of ARSE. Yes, we happen to be in the eye of a brilliantly soundtracked storm on the rock underground, but it's like a bunch of planet fucking aliens have landed and zombified the xcrement factor watching sheeple.
I mentioned Dickensian.
Six days before Christmas, over 70 Team Rock staff found themselves laid off with so little notice that some where still writing! No pay. No nothing. No warning.
Team Shock.
You need all the rock n roll people that you can get at times like this, so imagine the nation's dismay at the all of a sudden news of the Team Rock layoffs.
Actually, let the Classic Rock facebook page video "2016 Just Got Personal" that's clocked up thousands of shares, and hundreds of thousands of views in 12 hours, do some of the talking in two minutes. It's got a waterfall of responses, with many a "like" for this one "Typical business strategy - screw the loyal workforce, take all the assets and walk away without conscience. Bastards all. Hope all staff get something better and things look brighter in 2017. Been a subscriber for 3 years brill magazine."
Hear hear. TheZineUK collective of "Zeenagers" are tiny dots on the media map, so can only hope that the workers who made giants like Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog, the Golden Gods Awards and the Classic Rock Awards global success, with turnover and website views in the millions, can be appreciated, financially especially, a.s.a.p.
That's not such a pipe dream, because straight in there, giving something back for all the hard work and support that they have given, the rock community have rallied to their cause. Ben Ward, front man of heavy metal outfit, Orange Goblin, set up a JustGiving campaign, saying “we, the rock community, need to pull together to help give something back.” and at time of writing (Wednesday) with 28 Days to go, 222% of the £20,000 aim has been raised.
Don't stop, there is a hell of a LOAD of money in the music industry and brands that support it, and many many rich people in the world. Perhaps new, transparent future arrangements can be instigated where journalistic skills don't go to waste. For now though, If you have money, please give. If you are poor, please share; justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ukrockcommunity
This is very personal to our story, too. Of course Team Rock are weaved into the punky picture story of under radar new rock n roll stars.
Our own Disco MarkY (in the parallel dimension, Mark Stuart) who is part of the under radar newer wave music movement of uniqulture has been in our chapters since the very first music social. TheZineUK started on Tin Pan Alley (January 2014) with the Uniqulture Road show (which was actually just two dates at the time - but the calibre of punk and poetry entertainment at the first show added the first of quite a few festival stages that night! - Camden Crawl Finale).
Multi Talents, Love Of Music, Gig-a-holics and good hearts. I'm not surprised that Team Rock have so much support, as Mark has been a beacon of music passion and artbeat family and repped with TheZineUK as part of last year's SoccerSixFest at Mile End Stadium.
Another personal friend, who works at Team Rock (sorry, worked at Team Rock) has the same qualities. I've not seen her since they were serving pints of red wine (!) in hospitality when The Manics played On Blackheath, but is the kind of lovely mate that you have for decades. In fact, a few weeks after Winegate, photographer, Daniela Fleckenstein papped Mark at our ArtBeat 2015 Freshers Party (Nova Twins, The Au Revoirs, White Room, Mourning Birds and a convention of mover shakers in New Cross) and this Spring he totally rocked as the ArtBeatFest New Music Expo's DJ, until the early hours. Much appreciation.
He's a mate you that have for years, too and via Panda Power, Playhard etc, made the effort to support our female powered live music scouting socials, "Disco MarkY is definitely a face about town." says the Music Tourist Board. Too right. Team Rock Staff, your good karma's faith in music is gonna make magic happen.
Good guy portrait. Mark is behind the scenes as Electric Owls make sessions with 2017 #OnesToHear Sisteray and SONS - crumbs, the music activists certainly gravitating together. Today (August 2016) we were back on Denmark Street, mixing with Henry Scott-Irvine whose "Tin Pan Alley Tales" film has also just been over funded. The future of humanity lies with the music people (that's how we gather in small venues and massive festivals, in love). Don't let Austerity Age life bring us down. One Love.
United Kingdom? Nah, divided mate - cheers Fartage and chum(ps) - and besides, it's been a Queendom for the longest reign. United States? You're 'aving a giraffe as Danny Dyer might say.
United Mates Of Music? Well, yes actually. You can laugh at TheZineUK's #heaven17 idea but fuck it, we'd rather try and fail, than fail to try. It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas. As a wise man said, "Look To The Future Now, It's Only Just Begun."
yakyakyak : Caffy