We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Credentials!
By April on Oct 2 Filed In ACL, Austin, Texas, Live Music 3 Comments
“Credentials”
Just reading that word conjures up images of press passes and people with more degrees than sense. What does it even really mean?
Dictionary.reference.com defines the word as: 1. Evidence of authority, status, rights, entitlement to privileges, or the like, usually in written form: Only those with the proper credentials are admitted. 2. Anything that provides the basis for confidence, belief, credit, etc.
Ok, fair enough, but then what is “street cred”? And does it come from deep within a person or is it gained by experience?
Follow me on my journey to coolness; you’ll find that it’s more about having the confidence that you are SOMEBODY and that you truly believe in yourself.
OzzFest 1999
Back in the summer of 1999, I had a wicked in to see Ozzfest for free, back-stage included. My credentials for this heavy-metal extravaganza? My husband’s cousin is Mike “Riggs” the now, ex-guitarist for Rob Zombie. We were granted back-stage passes but were only supposed to visit with Riggs and not be annoying. I took this golden opportunity to beat the heat in the catered food tent, sitting amongst members of Static-X, Deftones, Slayer, and the master Tony Iommi, from Black Sabbath. Did we talk to any of these characters? No, we wanted to be seen and not heard, so our cover wouldn’t be blown. I am not much of a metal fan, but was still in awe of my rock-star surroundings. I got to see a very young Jack Osbourne shoot off a bunch of Black Cats backstage, had my picture taken with Kerry King (Slayer) while asking him if he was actually “slaytanic”, and the coolest thing? I got a picture of my friend and I with Les Claypool. If you have to ask yourself who that is, please go school yourself on one of the best bassists on the planet. It will be worth your time. But what does any of this have to do with credentials?
Me standing back-stage with Les Claypool
Fuzzy Timeline
Fast forward to a couple of years ago when Particle was in town and played a couple of secret shows that were really intimate. Thanks to the magical world of Myspace, I had become “friends” with Darren Pujalet, the drummer for Particle and was invited to come to the 2-night gig. We bought tickets for the 1st night but held out for the 2nd night, as we were hoping to land ourselves on the guest list. Sunday night I hopped on Myspace just to check and lo and behold, I had a note from Darren offering to put Wendy and I on the guest list. Our confidence high, Wendy declared, “we will be hanging out with them after the show tonight.” I apprecatiate my best friend’s attitude but figured she was crazy. Lo and behold, after their show, we were hanging out with the whole band back-stage, just chilling and talking. My credentials for this show? Having the guts to talk to a member of a cool band on a social networking site and acting like a normal person and not a crazed groupie.
SXSW 2009
With no wristband and not much money, and my friend Wendy in-tow, we ventured out to see how many shows we could cheaply buy our way into, or just annoy the door person until they’d let us in. It worked! Wednesday night I got in to see Echo & The Bunnymen for free at Emo’s, Thursday night I paid a doorman $10 to see Primal Scream in an at-capacity venue, after paying a low price to see Peter Murphy over at Elysium. Friday night, Wendy and I paid a little bit to see Primal Scream again, but this time at La Zona Rosa. Saturday night was the most difficult, as we wanted to see Perry Farrell at this tiny, posh place. We kept being told that it wasn’t going to happen and to just go away. Persistence is the key! We decided to walk around to the back door, and approached the door man with the same spiel I had used since Wednesday night. “I really live here, I don’t have a lot of money, I’m madly in love with this band and I am not a numbskull.” Like every other time, I got a hearty laugh and was told that it was going to cost me. Perry Farrell was a $200 show, which was EXPENSIVE but there were 5 of us that got in and it was one of the best small shows I’ve ever seen. I got to go up and talk to Perry afterward and I told him how I got in. He laughed and congratulated me and thanked me for thinking he was worth paying that kind of $ to see. He’s one heck of a showman! I wasn’t waving my credentials (a badge) around like I was some bad-ass in anyone’s face. I just utilized my Aprilness and made it work.
Wendy and myself @ Explosions in The Sky, SXSW 09
ACL 2009
Working for Sweet Leaf Tea gives me some built-in credentials, which I really appreciate. Wendy and I will be working the SLT booth, slinging tea all 3 days of the festival in order to get to watch some of my favorite bands rock this town for FREE. Do I plan on working my April-dentials during this festival? You better believe it! I want to meet my future husband, Jack White of the Dead Weather, shake hands with Medeski, Martin & Wood, and give one spastic high-five to Mos Def. Stay tuned to your Twitter stream to see what kind of shenanigans Wendy, Sweet Leaf Ashley and I get ourselves into. Go forth and work your own concert magic!! Any tips? Share with the rest of the class!
Repeat after me while clicking your heels together: CONFIDENCE, BELIEVE in YOURSELF, CONFIDENCE, BELIEVE in YOURSELF!
Your are SOMEBODY in my book!
Thanks Gigi!!
[...] was very lucky that my “Credentials” blog won me a crew pass for Friday. What did this mean for me? I was able to see MMW, and [...]