Committing Career Suicide With Two Words

[@KevinKeith]

I was a synthesizer repair tech in Phoenix, Az in the mid 90's. One day a guy comes into the shop stressed out because he had a session and his keyboard was down. I was completely swamped with work and was at least a week away from being able to get to it but I had been in his shoes before so I asked him what the problem was. When he described the problem I told him to hand me the keyboard because I knew it just needed a hardware reset. I reset the keyboard, told him no charge even though he insisted on paying. The next day he came in with a letter of recommendation but I didn't realize he was a major music producer. Three years later I moved to LA and was interviewing for a job with Neve Audio Consoles. I passed all the tech tests but I was unknown and they needed a character reference. When I handed them the letter they reached out to the producer "because they knew him very well". He gave me a glowing review and I was hired at Neve. That job changed my life because I met everyone in the biz. It led to mix gigs, tech work and a music production contract with Warner Brothers. Be good to people because it's the right thing to do. Follow that and everything else takes care of itself.

[@harrisleck3960]

"Be good to people because it's the right thing to do." Nailed it!

[@Takyodor2]

Nice to hear a positive story, so many of the comments are filled with regret :)

[@joshuabuena8049]

Your kindness is inspiring.

[@TMats100]

Just. Right.

[@martynh5410]

Did you ever work on the Neve board at Sound City studios? I just realized you moved to LA way after that board was acquired by the Nirvana drummer guy.

[@paulgehres2796]

As a matter of policy - never trash talk anyone at anytime in public. You never know who is listening.

[@BillPeschel]

And it doesn't have to be the person you're trashing. The story WILL get back to them.

[@nielshoogev1]

That's a good policy. I try to live up to this one as well: Never say anything about someone that you wouldn't say to them directly.

[@Merseyrock]

True. Even if they choose not to take it up against you, it is still in poor taste to do so.

[@pitpride1220]

Yup, free speech isn't freedom from consequence.

[@Infinite_AM]

I feel like we can extend this to online chatter as well. We think we can hide behind the screen, but we're still talking to and about real people. Words matter...

[@MarkPossin]

Here's a motto to live by- "Be nice to people when you're on your way up and maybe they'll be nice to you when you're on your way down". Great story, Rick.

[@Trepanation21]

Damn. That's something to really contemplate.

[@theboomers420]

Trombone Shorty sings a song about this very thing !!!

[@c.d.woodbury7806]

The hand you bite on the way up is attached to the butt you have to kiss on the way down.

[@georgehopper7310]

The other one would be "Be careful. The toes you step on today may be attached to the ass you will be kissing tomorrow."

[@NothingNowhere-vu5oq]

That's an Ozzy Osbourne quote. Have the decency to give him the credit.

[@diplenski]

Don’t trash talk, don’t get wasted, be professional, be more discerning about the company you keep. Plenty of good lessons.

[@ФеофанЭтополедолжнобытьзаполне]

So, basically don't be a rock star. Got it!

[@dad1432]

This applies to all of life, seriously. Speak whatever good you can about others, and word gets around.

[@xrxs1020]

@@dad1432 A wise man, I forget his name, said ''Do unto others that which you'd like done to you.''

[@RainbowGhostOverdrive]

Two words for carrer suicide? He could just have done it with one like N word lmao

[@sideskroll]

I always got wasted. ALWAYS. In fact, thats one of the things I miss the most about the "band life". That and chicks 😅

[@mayorofthenonsense]

The one thing I really noticed about Rick’s channel is that he never, ever, ever says anything negative about anyone. Now we know why..

[@SayAhh]

He even says good things about Guns and Roses' music just that he doesn't understand why they refuse to allow their music to be appreciated by others.

[@rexwave4624]

Watching Rick on David Bendeth’s remix contest of The Warning’s song, Money, I got the impression that Rick is underwhelmed by The Warning, but he never said anything negative. This video is a great lesson!

[@pfelice157]

Well... he did make a video called "The Latest Top 10 Is...Sh*t" and he was absolutely right. I think he calls it like he sees it but genuinely tries to see the positive aspects when it's feasible.

[@tankthelord1178]

Yup.

[@dominikaksiazek7177]

@@pfelice157 even in those "Latest Top 10..." videos Rick talks about positive aspects first. He tries to find something cool in almost every song. I'd love to have the same outlook on life.

[@CaptainBakerJason]

The lesson actually seems to be that professionals need never speak ill of their peers, no good comes from it. It goes along with other aspects of professionalism, and is too often overcome by ego, jealousy, resentment and other human frailties.

[@RockandRollWoman]

A lesson John Lennon could have used.

[@anthonyc1883]

@@RockandRollWoman Right?!? lol. I'm from the classic rock era and always marveled at bands or individual musicians from back then that had bad things to say about others.Seems like Blackmore pretty much hated everyone, Zeppelin made fun of Jethro Tull, Joe Perry was dismissive of EVH, etc. etc. But I guess it's partly because they were young(ish), very competitive and had a lot of testosterone flowing.

[@vitordelima]

Creed still sucks though. I just listen to music so I'm supposed to be allowed to say it.

[@stoneysdead689]

LOL- This is rock and roll, not Dr. Phil. Countless professionals, many of which went on to become super successful, talked smack about their peers. I'm not saying anything great happened for them as a result- but it didn't derail their career or anything like that. This was a petty manager with an ego problem. Most managers would totally understand that you shouldn't hold something like that against the whole band- nor let it affect you to the point you would spend actual effort and time trying to harm them in some way professionally. Besides- Creed did suck- Rick's band apparently knew that before the rest of us- but we caught up.

[@jonolacy2644]

I don’t know, Noel Gallagher made a nice side career off it. It can work for some…but is Ill advised.

[@ThePopOptic100]

"It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently." - Warren Buffett

[@tlb2732]

I have an unrelated but heartwarming story. In the early 2000's, my band opened for Country artist Toby Keith at the county fair near our hometown. He was riding high on a string of hit songs and was very popular at the time. Our set went very well and was well received. We had learned a lot by then and knew how to get the audience pumped up for the headliner. We were flattered when we noticed members of Toby's band had came around and were watching us. As was usually the case, we had reserved stage side seats for ourselves and our families to enjoy the show. When the encore reached it's end, Toby left the stage as the band played on for several more minutes. After the applause, the musicians all proceeded backstage, except for one. Guitarist Rich Eckhardt placed his guitar on the stand and walked over to our side of the stage. He introduced himself and congratulated us on a great set and sat down on the edge of the stage and started talking to our three children. I think they were ages 12, 14, and 16 at the time. He noticed me looking at his gear and invited me to go up and try his rig out. By this time, I'd realized that he was homesick. Not wanting to be disrespectful of his offer, I climbed up and looked over his guitars and gear. But as much as I wanted to, I didn't play his guitar. I didn't want to interupt his conversation with my family. He was interested in their school experiences and the sports they were involved in, if they were in the school band, their interests and aspirations and such. After talking for the better part of an hour, the crew, having broken down and stowed the backline gear, yelled to tell him that they were pulling out. By this time, the crowd had all left and most of the lights in the grandstands had been shut off. He told my kids and wife and me goodbye, and I could see in his eyes as he turned to leave that while my kids gained a memory they'll never forget, maybe he got a much needed taste of home and family to raise his spirits for the rest of the Summer fair season.

[@lifeinlimbo2186]

Fantastic experience and thank you for sharing.

[@nicodio2709]

R.I.P. Mr. Keith ⛅🙏

[@pbenson56fran]

Aw, that was a beautiful story.

[@mv9787]

You are a good human clearly, because you value good things and share them ❤ God bless you 🙏🏻

[@ardeet]

This is not just a music story, it’s life advice.

[@johnn.2017]

When a friend of mine was in Art school, they did a thing where the students critiqued each other's work. He apparently was so harsh that he made a girl cry. Years later, guess who was the curator of a museum that he had been (unsuccessfully) trying to get a show at?

[@jamesslick4790]

@@johnn.2017 👍👍

[@dahawk8574]

It's more than advice. It's my creed.

[@bryandale7125]

So what you're saying is the ego of the little immature boys from the band Creed got their feelings hurt from you telling the truth about them being alcoholics, so instead of accepting this reality and changing their ways, they took out their anger on you by trying to destroy your career? How pathetically sad little boys they are.

[@america1st721]

If you believe what your saying then say it. If this was a drunk saying it, then the rest of the band should have stopped him or apologized on stage and spoke directly to "creed" to resolve any issues.

[@JimVincitore]

My guitar teacher back about 1995, a 40 year old Italian guy that played clubs forever and I think still does, told me "Don't have drunks in the band because they only get worse when you start playing clubs."

[@robertmessing6846]

or Junkies

[@dr.juerdotitsgo5119]

As an alcoholic myself, this is absolutely true. I f*cked up my bandmates so many times I lost count, and that's when I actually showed up to the gig, and was not passed out somewhere. I would also add: never keep screw-ups in the band just because they are your friends.

[@PaulXPZ]

Idk, Metallica turned out alright :))

[@JimVincitore]

@@PaulXPZ I read back in the 90's there are 10,000 bands in just LA trying to make it. Do you want to risk/ruin your music career because of a drug addict or alcoholic. Of course not. Would you pay a guy to fix your car transmission while he was plastered? Or worse yet, operate on your broken leg...LOL! Nothing wrong with partying, we all party, even those guys in suits party hard, but...big difference between partying and a drug addict or alcoholic. I partied pretty hard when I was young, but I always made it to work and gave it 100%.

[@dangibb1329]

​​@@PaulXPZThe band is huge, famous, and successful, but I wouldn't trade my life for any one of those guys'. They are all phucked up! In the immortal words of Garth Brooks, " I thank God for unanswered prayers".

[@TheDeadTheories]

A couple of band mates blew our chance with two words as well. I was in a band in my early 20s and we did a battle of the bands. Turns out the whole thing was a publicity stunt for one of the bands which was signed. Well, even though they “won,” we packed the house and brought it down. After the show, the manager of the signed band(and father of the singer) approached us and wanted to get us hooked up with an agent from his company(Epic Records). He asked us one simple question, and I knew it was to test how well we could handle ourselves. “What did you think of the winning act?” And without missing a beat, one of the guys said, “they sucked.” I knew right there that he had blown our shot. We never heard from him again.

[@kazkylheku1221]

This is not the same thing at all. That guy was just a wanker who couldn't handle honesty. From some rockers in their early 20s, too. He asked for an opinion and he got it, in a private exchange. Probably, you might have dodged a bullet there.

[@ambientrelaxingandhealingm7552]

Another great cautionary tale about not burning bridges (although, I hope you'll read my parting sentence/paragraph, below). I'm curious, not saying this would be the right answer, but I wonder how it would've went over if the dude who said "they sucked," instead had said something like "Well, to be honest, I can't speak for the rest of the members of my band, but I personally feel that the winning band had possibly won due to it being part of a publicity plan, etc. That said, however, their skills are damned excellent. They are indeed an epic band." I wonder if the manager would have appreciated the honesty and considered signing them. There is another point to the story though: this manager was part of this unethical publicity stunt. So would one want to do business with a manager like that anyway? Maybe your bandmate did your band a favor in the long run. Hard to say.

[@michaelbacchiocchi8111]

Mama always taught me if you don’t have something nice to say about someone don’t say it at all

[@wellesradio]

@@ambientrelaxingandhealingm7552”This s manager was part of this unethical publicity stunt.” I don’t know what kind of world you live in, but “unethical” is a word best left to medicine, academia, and law. Not the weekly battle of the bands or pub quiz. The point of these events is exposure and this OP’s band got this, and it seems OP was even grateful for it. Fact of the matter is that any sane band would DEFINITELYwant that kind of manager. “You mean, he could set up exhibition events for us like this, too? Sign me up

[@Imw101]

George Martin: " Is there anything you don't like?' George Harrison: "Well, for a start I don't like your tie." And THAT is why the world never got to hear of The Beatles.

[@DodgeDartSongs]

That kind of negativity never looks good on the person committing it and, as your story so vividly conveys, the consequences can be a lot worse.

[@KillerBill1953]

I remember reading about Jimi Hendrix and his love for watching other guitarists play and hearing them. The writer stated that he always had something good to say about every one of them, no matter how bad they were. I believe the real take from your story is don't trash anyone.

[@thabilsterone]

Right On!

[@uremawifenowdave]

He also used to like to rip the piss out of guitarists too. He once singled out Eric Clapton and asked if he could come up and tune his guitar for him after he debuted a rendition of “Sgt. Pepper’s” on stage. And what about his run-in with Pete Townsend backstage at Monterey Pop Festival about who would go on stage first? Townsend told him The Who were going to “leave a wound” on the US music scene. The Who won the coin toss, went on stage and Townsend smashed up the stage. Jimi upstaged them by fucking his amp with a guitar and then setting it on fire. Baller move😂

[@AC5SH]

I suspect that Jimi honestly did find something good about almost every player to emulate. Being the guy who is always learning is the way a guitar monster's skills are built :)

[@irubberyouglueonethousand5384]

“dont trash anyone” 💯💯💯

[@ltfringr]

The trick is you just wait until you get home to trash talk, only nice stuff at the gig. Theatre people do this too I think.

[@jeffreysalzman1497]

One of the best lessons I ever got at music school was in my music business class. The teacher had us name all the people involved in a live performance at a bar. The band, the owner, the manager, the waitresses the janitor were all listed as participants. Then he asked, which of these people is the least important. Some answered the janitor some answered the waitresses, but the music teacher said no. The band is the least important, a single word from the janitor or a waitress to the owner could lose the band any future gigs. It was a very valuable lesson in humility.

[@Cobra-ky9bt]

Powerful. That's a good lesson to remember.

[@pamelah6431]

That owner has a high opinion of his janitor.

[@LoserHands]

​@@pamelah6431if there were needles in the bathroom or some other incredible mess, the janitor tells you that... The boss associates the bands they invite with the crowds that come in to see them.

[@adamabele785]

Yes, that is absolutely true. There are so many things that a band depends on, especially when things do not work out as planned.

[@markleigh530]

I'm a bass player and a painter. Never, ever, criticise another artist. The world and the media will do that. They are putting it out there and that takes moral courage. Respect that, as a fellow artist who is doing the same and running the same risks.

[@JHimminy]

Mike Patton disagrees 😮

[@DylanWOWilliams]

As a fellow artist(filmmaker and music producer) I actually agree with most of what you said except for the moral courage statement. Most artists I’ve worked with are narcissists and put their art out there out of a sense of entitlement. I don’t respect that. To them moral courage would be staying with their spouse and raising their kids, or to call their mom or dad and save that relationship. There was a season where I had to put my art way out on the back burner. That’s more courage that letting my family starve while I try to make my career happen. I’m still struggling, but now I’m doing it with a road map and providing for my family.

[@JamesRichardsPlays]

I don't agree. Constructive criticism is fine. Outright trash-talking and insults is unacceptable. I've been in a couple bands, helped produce demos for a few more and helped find talent for one. In my one failed band, I should have taken criticism to heart more. I would probably be more successful of it. Several local artists were always offering constructive criticism and feedback. We were all looking out for each other.

[@DylanWOWilliams]

@@JamesRichardsPlays That’s how it should be. Art isn’t as subjective as people want it to be. There is objectively bad art.

[@maxi-me]

Lets hope we've fully established once and for all what _IS_ objectively bad cause it's all academic now... AI is fixing to turn creative autonomy over to the talentless masses like it's candy crush

[@jobikanobi]

Love the story, I will admit it is nice to know I'm not the only one that can screw up a moment with a couple poorly placed words in a big moment. You ended up doing well for yourself and I'm glad you're here sharing all your knowledge and stories with us.

[@mattcostello1200]

Someone once gave me the advice, "Be careful what you say, you never know what job you're interviewing for." That advice has always stuck with me. Thank you for sharing your life experience.

[@Eastsidetalker]

Excellent to keep in mind. Or, could someday be your neighbor.

[@Vanity0666]

All this tells me is that I get to say whatever I want because I work for myself

[@Dowlphin]

Investigative journalist maybe. 😉

[@DirtyDan720]

Always be nice to the people going down the escalator when your going up. You never know which side you’ll be on when you see them again. How bout people just learn to respect people just to respect people what the f**k ever happened to the golden rule?

[@thedubwhisperer2157]

And never say or write anything in private you would not say to a person's face...

[@fmmaj9noname332]

One guitar teacher used to sell his Top Ten Tips For Guitarists on cassette (and then CD). One of his tips for guitarists was never to trash other guitarists. "If you're stabbing someone in the back, you're behind them. The guys in the front don't have anyone to trash." Insulting other musicians makes you look small, jealous and petty. True top performers aren't jealous, and don't need to trash others to make themselves look good.

[@glentz716]

I will say this though. Eddie Van Halen is mostly remembered as a very sweet friendly guy, but I can remember him trashing other guitarists in the 80's in magazine interviews. It was always a bad look, especially when it was guys who idolized him.

[@aldito7586]

Very well said. What's the point anyway?

[@AL_1991]

oh so deep lololol

[@GPS.GhostPirateSloan]

Speaking of petty… how about that agent of Creed??

[@Pocketnotes-sq2gk]

Not true. Even Clapton admitted being jealous of George Harrison. Jealousy is around the corner in everybody, it doesn't matter who you are..... if one is big enough to admit it... that's another thing

[@hughmcevoy4119]

I admire your courage in telling that story to 3.54M people.

[@JS-jo3wj]

It really makes me wonder if he ever talked about this with Scott or connected with Mark Tremonti at any point

[@jensenraylight8011]

@@JS-jo3wj should just gave the guy who trash talked the band as an offering, or let him do humilliating thing in public as an apology to makes things right again it just such a wasted potential and time from one single screwed act

[@alexandermacdougall7873]

Technically he didn't.

[@matteorebeschi6824]

Courage? Ever heard of water under the bridge? Decades have passed, why should Rick care at this point?

[@jlo9993]

3.55 now

[@PaulGriffith]

My dad was pulled from a contract job and reassigned to another petrochemical plant because of a comment he made to one of the plant employees. Speaking before thinking may have been honest but sometimes it is better to keep your mouth shut. In high school I had a band director say "never burn your bridges, you may need to cross them again" I've remembered those lessons that others learned the hard way, and had to learn some on my own, the hard way. I have crossed bridges again because of my profession behavior. Word does get around.

[@tiagocreep]

I am a music coordinator for Disney, Netflix and Amazon in latin america for 2 or 3 years now. But before that, I had a band, and in some random festival, amidst tropical weather, we were late, and every other band were late. When I land on the stage, I thanked the producers, and everyone else. I'm employed to this day. Kindness, and professionalism goes a long way. I love being the nice guy in the business.

[@ClassicConnectionsCa]

I just clicked your picture and subscribed to track back to your channel after this video because of your comment, only to discover you have no videos (and I've only done my first weeks ago) Regardless, You are bang on in your response here. Cheers man! 🔊🌠🎶

[@ThePlockets]

@@ClassicConnectionsCa I strongly suspect that most individuals in a public facing position who work for or with well known media companies would never make any kind of unofficial post from an account that could be tracked back to their work or employer, that is just basic Cover Your Ass 101

[@dannycrockett9878]

Yes I have heard of you and your work with Disney and Amazon. I am not in the music business but do know a little about a little bit. My occupation is best described as being a person who does the things for my Island nation that no others are ... well, let us say, equipped to do. My name is Bond, James Bond.

[@strangfangers]

Even when ya don't wanna!

[@davimadmac]

é o resumo da minha vida enquanto integrante de banda

[@thejoshfigueroa]

You gotta get Tremonti on. It would be a great conversation.

[@Cestariarts]

IMAGINE THAT HAPPENING!! HAHAHAA

[@sethmeottel1658]

What makes this song great on "Tremati sings Sinatra "

[@doublek321]

Would love to hear that interview!

[@CharlesLeftwich]

You do have a tradition of interviewing great Italian Guitarists. Also, Vito Brata is a good candidate too. Just saying!!! Love your work, Rick.

[@doublek321]

I remember I used to think he wasn't a "real singer" but, wow has he ever improved!

[@tandycorbin5601]

I once had a coworker who was leaving her current job to take a position with twice the pay and amazing benefits. She did not apply for this position, it was offered to her because her future boss dealt with a problem with our organization through her. She told me " You just never know who is listening or watching." That has stuck with me for a long time. Perfect example here.

[@Maxim.Teleguz]

Your example doesn’t make sense. She left but didn’t apply for it. Cause her future boss???

[@tandycorbin5601]

@@Maxim.Teleguz Her future boss dealt with her at our organization and he offered her a position, after seeing how she handled his problem.

[@Blayzed_247]

Basically she was a customer service rep, helped a customer, and that customer liked the way she helped that he offered her a job with his business for twice they pay

[@ambientrelaxingandhealingm7552]

That is actually a great example of how this can work in reverse. You can sometimes BUILD bridges by being good at what you're doing and acting in a way to not "impress" but because you're doing the right thing.

[@BigBlackBe4r]

@@Blayzed_247 Excellent example of "You reap what you sow". Always be respectful in life. The opposite = bad reputation.

[@Laura-lh6sm]

Trashing Creed was definitely wrong, but an apology should have sufficed. Seeking vengeance against a smaller band, hurting them every time they could for who knows how long is immature, it’s lame and it shows how insecure they were. What you did to them was stupid, but what they did to you was appalling and shameful.

[@Dacre1000]

Yes. Thank you. Seems you are one of the few here who got that. Nobody came out very well here.

[@OndaPiloto]

I was going to write something similar, one thing is not to help them and another is to hurt them at every time they could. Billionaires were immature and stupid, but the other were huge assholes. From one thing you learn, the other I don’t think can be changed

[@RonJohn63]

Don't rely on other people's benevolence (especially if you've trashed them *multiple times.)*

[@Laura-lh6sm]

@@RonJohn63 it’s not about benevolence, it’s about these guys making a mistake and Creed dedicating their lives to seek revenge and purposely hurting someone smaller than them forever and ever because they made one mistake.

[@Laura-lh6sm]

@@metallikat05 I don’t remember him saying the Creed didn’t know anything about it. If you have your agent pulling this kind of crap on your behalf for years and you have no clue this is going on, then you have even bigger issues and you’re still responsible for what your agent did on your behalf. Edit: not “the Creed”, that Creed*

[@TimmBieryMusic]

Great story, Rick! I can TOTALLY relate. In 1980, I was in a heavy rock group that was just starting to open for larger bands in arenas. We were always struggling to keep up with whatever tour we were on; we had a silver Econoline while the headliners had Silver Eagles. The road manager of one particular group really went out of his way to look after us, making sure we had good food, soundchecks if possible, and decent dressing rooms. One night, I asked him why he was so good to us when so many other road managers had been, shall we say, not good to us. He said "I'm nice to EVERYONE. The last band I fucked turned out to be Van Halen." Fast forward 2 years and I was now playing with a headlining band. One night, we were waiting at DFW airport for a new lighting designer to show up. As soon as he arrived, I burst out laughing - it was the aforementioned road manager, now an LD! We had a hug and I reminded him of what he told me. He said "See? If I'd fucked you then you'd make my life miserable now." A valuable lesson learned. A little kindness lasts a lifetime. Cheers!

[@beatweezl]

The sad part of your story is that the manager had learned to be kind 1. because it could benefit him in the long run and 2. he lost out on the benefit from the lesson itself. My point is, why can't we just be kind for kindness' sake?

[@donaldaxel]

@@beatweezl :: Yes, I second that, even if we also don't die if we think how to earn money and stay afloat. Those two interests do not always align, but often do.

[@albertdesalvo7273]

What a great story. Thank you for sharing.

[@MrJest2]

Indeed. Just be nice to people; we're all in this together... something a lot of people never learn. It doesn't cost anything to be kind, and the benefits can be beyond imagining, depending on circumstance. Politeness is the lubrication that makes the gears of society run; don't neglect it!!!

[@kevinohalloran7164]

Your last line is a major piece of wisdom.

[@professorronsprivateclassc2850]

Don't trash other bands, other people, etc--it's all ego talking. Just do your thing the best you can always. Don't compare yourself with anyone else. Comparison is the thief of joy. Great video, Rick!

[@clg68]

"Comparison is the thief of joy"- That's fantastic

[@jritechnology]

Ruining the career of musicians for the trash talking is just as bad as the trash talking. It's all stupid ego BS.

[@AdamRainStopper]

So you're definitely right on the comparing yourself and your band with some member of some other band or the other band itself. There is NO reason for the arts to become a competitive business, it's how everything and everyone become a bunch of uniform clones of each other and the entirety of the scene becomes monotonous and repetitive and boring. On the other hand, I can easily understand why a small bar band, who carry their own gear, who often play their hearts out for free drinks or gas money, might resent seeing a band like Creed getting rich for some of the least original (after all, they really did just copy that bubble-in-the-mouth singing style that EVERYONE did in the 90s) and most lyrically vaccuous tripe. It's like Green Day doing the thing that Berkeley bands did, where they basically faked british accents, in order to be more convincing to punks. It doesn't convince anyone, and the *fans* you'll wind up having to cater to are kids who just heard you on the radio and like you because they think they are expected to. Here's the thing. I bet you play guitar, you may be the same kinda "multi-instrumentalist" that I am, being slightly better than mediocre at drums and owning a bass and knowing how to do some decent stuff on it as well, but being that you're here, I am guessing guitar is your main instrument. If I am incorrect, just substitute your main instrument wherever I say "guitar" and everything still applies. When you got your first guitar, maybe from a parent or older sibling who already played, maybe you saw something on tv or heard a song that made you want to be able to play it and asked for a starter kit, and you got that thing and set about trying to learn, right? So as you were making your fingers *bleed* those first few months of learning, what was in your mind? What did you envision? Did you foresee crowds of hundreds or even thousands of people, hearing you play your heart out, imagining the looks on their faces and the interaction between you and them? Maybe you envisioned impressing chicks somewhere in there, that's not unheard of...... but mostly, you were thinking of that JOY you mentioned, right? You were NOT crunching numbers in your head, how much you'd spend on your first 'real' guitar and amp and how soon it would pay for itself, or how much you'd make once this label executive happened to get a flat tire out in front of the club you were playing and saw you and signed your band. You were *NOT* thinking about cashing checks. That ain't the dream, it's an obstacle to overcome. Mostly, musicians accept payment to make it sustainable. We want to be able to spend as much of our time and energy writing and recording and performing as we can, so it has to pay for itself. That's it. Stardom only even enters the picture much later, usually in the context of "I would love to be heard by a million people a day!" It only becomes about the money once you've already gotten taken aside by some vulture, and it being about the money is a surefire way to get you into that competitive mindset, thereby robbing you of most or all that joy. How joyful is the life of the washed up old rock star, who peaked 20 years ago, with "can you taaaaake meeeee highyyaaa"? Specifically, the artistic life, how much satisfaction is really in that?

[@Scornfull]

@@AdamRainStopper Competition is natural and is one of the strongest driving forces to be better than your peers

[@AdamRainStopper]

@@Scornfull Natural? Poison ivy is natural. Alligators that will bite your dick off are natural. Competition ..... well, it's no less natural than cooperation and collaboration, but these things are morally neutral, and competition in the arts completely robs it of all its meaning. What does it it even mean to be "better than your peers" on songwriting? Can you measure that? I'll give you a hint: no. No go practice for the career as a rock star that you will definitely get if you are just competitive enough.

[@ricktaylor1548]

Priceless advice! My Dad told me something similar while I was growing up. "Dont say anything about anybody that you wouldn't say to their face." That has kept me out of trouble many times.

[@cahg3871]

My father gave me that exact same advice.

[@badcornflakes6374]

I got "If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all."

[@dooley9621]

I pride myself on my honesty and saying what I feel and it has got me in plenty of trouble lol.

[@rodneykingston6420]

I'm ashamed to say I learned that lesson the hard way! But I haven't talked about anyone behind their back or given my straight up opinion on a person since I was fourteen and you know what? No one has ever called me on it. If you don't gossip, or dish or talk smack, and you keep that as a policy, you just don't lecture other people about it, they won't notice, at least not consciously.

[@PhilAndersonOutside]

Smart dad!

[@UncleT-wo2ny]

I never trash talk bands. I've played bass for 30 years as a hobby. If I don't like the music a band plays it doesn't matter as someone else will love it. Even watching amateur bands live I don't criticise.we were all beginners once. It's about the journey not the destination.

[@tommeyer6033]

I think the lesson is don't drink when you're working! Great story Rick. You've recovered nicely 😉

[@AveragePicker]

Or don't be a d1ck band. Oh no someone said you suck. You're pulling 20k+ people...why give two sh1ts what some drunk guy says?

[@internetguy8075]

@@user-ts5lz2fc7f Anyone so quick to jump to alcohol's defence probably especially shouldn't drink when they're working lol

[@JeffMTX]

Or, just don’t be a dick to other people ;)

[@buskman3286]

A shot/glass of wine, etc before you go on is OK for most people. But two or more means that the only person who will think you were good is you! ;)

[@wills2140]

This is exactly why just about every small band I have known takes the bulk of the "complimentary" intoxicants *after their show is done* . Anything heavy before performing is often bad news. 😉

[@armlesswalrus]

Definitely need to get Scott or Mark on the channel, do the interview, then hit them with this story right at the end!

[@tribzman3977]

AWESOME IDEA!!!!

[@andrewg5639]

would be awesome to see some of Mark T's guitar setup.. I'm not even a massive creed fan but the dude can play, & pull tones

[@zubrycky]

Do it! Now!

[@shotakuervo]

@@andrewg5639 I'm a Creed fan lol, but what hooked me from the very beginning was Tremotti's guitar playing. That dude can play.

[@andrewg5639]

@@shotakuervo 100% - Scott Phillips is a great drummer too!

[@Charlie-Oooooo]

If that bad moment hadn't happened, the Rick Beato YT channel might have never been launched. So grateful for all the cool things you have given us!

[@lindacowles756]

G'day, Charlie-Oooooo! In another video, Rick recounted that there would never have been a a Rick Beato KZbin channel called "Everything Music" had it not been for his playing string bass in a chamber orchestra's performance of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto #3 in sixth grade.

[@Charlie-Oooooo]

G'day yourself Linda! Super cool how it seems everything works out great in the end.... unless it doesn't ;-) I think the big takeaway from this tale, is that Rick never stopped because of these unfortunate events; and his life-long passion for music was not thwarted by the unfortunate interpretation of a band member's untimely drunken antics, by some important and influential people. So basically, most of the time, you're not defeated until you tell yourself and others that you are. Of course, there are many exceptions to that theory, but successful folks like Rick just keep on truckin'. ;-)

[@LongDogRacing]

This is why your content is gold, Rick. I have no doubt that Billionaire would have been a great long-lasting band, but its the culmination of all our experiences that makes the man, and I, for one, am happy (in light of your current success, of course) to have your reflection as a lesson of my own.

[@aleithiatoews6452]

I think the main lesson here is be not drunk. Had Mark been sober, he probably never would have said something so stupid, even if he truly felt that way.

[@nickwilkinsmusic]

absolutely right

[@dixonhill1108]

Seriously, would never have anything to do with a band who gets drunk on stage. Pretty sure even among alcoholics that this is a big no no.

[@barbarusbloodshed6347]

Yes, a thousand times yes. I don't drink, I don't do drugs and I've been in bands. If something went wrong it was basically always because of one guy being drunk or high on something. 90% of the time. If I ever start or join another band it will be under the condition that everyone stays sober until a gig is done and the gear packed.

[@ivanbardov]

You know, there are people who do all sort of shi~ when they're drunk and there are people who *never* do anything like that when they're drunk. As much as I am against alcohol, you can't blame alcohol alone. It just removes certain 'safety guards': if someone is good person, he won't cause a problem. But also, perfoming drunk is just unprofessional.

[@japhygoldman8856]

Drink AFTER the show, not before

[@bradleyrembolt]

Playing in bands as a kid I never realized how much onstage gratitude can pay off. It took a while to understand that thanking bigger acts had a consequence in a business sense, as well as being the right thing to do.

[@dabarnhoorn]

Being friendly to the sound engineer (if you don't have your own, or the venue provides one) is also the smart thing to do 😀 (And I'm not implying you shouldn't be nice to your own engineer lol)

[@didybopintitys]

@@dabarnhoorndefinitely overlooked, tho I think you can carry this policy to a lot of facets in life, being thankful for thankless situations/jobs sometimes makes people’s days and that’s just a nice feeling in itself whether it pays off or not.

[@crosswalklarry]

Back in 2004 my buddy and I did a east coast to California road trip. We stayed with a guy who was an comedian(my friends cousin). He even did a bit part in Mind of Mencia. So the Comedian was the MC of a small comedy show in LA. I am sitting watching a comedian on stage and the MC walks up to me an asks if the guy thanked him for the set. He did not. Instantly the MC shined his blue light on him to end his set. Keep in mind the guy was on stage for about 2-3 minutes. I was blown away at how petty the MC was. Even the comedian onstage said on the mic..."Already?!"

[@davidowens5898]

Duhhhh, ya think....?!

[@Zundfolge]

The huge irony is, much of the hate that Creed got was because Scott basically did the same thing that your friend Mark did. Definitely an important lesson for the young'ns out there. Don't throw shade on people you don't know because you never know when it'll come back to bite you. Great story.

[@5roundsrapid263]

Yep, it’s well known that Scott was a mean drunk. I’ve known several nice people who flip like a switch when they drink.

[@danlentino5885]

Great Story Rick and equally great advice! Every band I manage, especially my own band, as well as well all the artists I have ever mentored, I have a saying or advice that I give them. "We never speak badly about, or criticize another entertainer, artist, musician or anyone associated with the industry." Love listening to you and watching your channel. Thank You!

[@mvpautodetailing]

Excellent story Rick! Not music related but similar!!! I'm in the automotive business and a new customer came by with damage to his new Bmw I3 door. It took me 1 hour to fix. I chose not to charge him because I felt like it and he was very concerned about who would work on his car (trust issues). Same customer comes by 3 years later, he never forget me because of what I did for him!! So he brings me his car again for an insurance body repair because of the 1st deed. Last week, he calls me for a blown tire, I go to his house to help him and I tell him I have a son who struggles a bit with drugs to find out he and his wife run a rehab center and offers to gladly help my son. Always be kind, don't be rude and honor people with respect!! You just never know.

[@ph03beuwu]

wow!!

[@obgfoster]

As a classical music free-lancer, I lived by the "creed" - always play your best because you never know who is listening, and always be a professional because there's always someone else who's just as good who can replace you if you're a jerk.

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

This is true of any vocation.

[@e.t.preppin7084]

Really good creed to live by

[@LRM12o8]

​​​​​@@irism903 so you're saying Creed (or their manager) should not only have accepted the humiliation, but also act like a little b¡tch with no sense of self-worth, by helping out (serving) people who mistreat them like that? WHY should they? 🤨

[@meaninglessname123]

They may even replace you with someone whose talent is *lesser* simply because they can't put up with your shenanigans anymore.

[@clayhalvorsen4578]

Rick Beato has a lot of talents, but he is a great storyteller!!

[@emilebensdorp1802]

A great story! I have a friend, a film director, who met a lady at a party and he started to bash another film director whom he thought to be an irritating poseur. After he was done the lady revealed the fact that she was living with this poseur. Ooops!

[@jrb2280]

And he’s a very objective and humble gentleman.

[@dinamoarg]

WTF. Truly boring story, nothing happened. I was expecting a grand finale and his kid chipped a teeth, wow 🙄

[@jrb2280]

@@dinamoarg Yes, I left that part out of my comment.

[@Physics072]

@@emilebensdorp1802 Sounds made up.

[@Canleaf08]

My recent carreer at a software project ended after three years when I worked during a in person event. Either my people would have rolled off if I hadn't worked and missed the deadline or they rolled me off for working. It is heart breaking. You can be very hard working but never ever disrespect your clients by working in meetings and try to leave with bridges intact as possible. It didn't matter that I was booked for another year. Currently recovering in Arizona from my mistake, next year will another chance in a new project. Being rejected last minute and "taken off the main stage" feels me like so many times. But mistakes are to learn from. Happy new year.

[@shmuelgoldstein9020]

The lesson, Mark, is don't trash anyone. I am in the performing arts as well, and there are no lack of people around me who are bereft of talent. Never trash them. They'll get the message when you say nothing. And when someone *is* good, praise them, and praise them well.

[@barronfraker5116]

I've learned the valuable lesson of you have no idea who knows each other and what history people have shared. Never trash talk anyone, ever. Praise often, and if you have nothing nice to say, be silent. That silence will speak more than any negative words you muster.

[@qwipperty]

@@barronfraker5116 well said.

[@spambrando]

Yeah, NO. NOT when they decide to jump onstage to sing background vocals poorly. The proof is in the recording. Yeah, I was NOT nice with titling...

[@canyonproductions7683]

Powerful words

[@sophiemilton5939]

@@barronfraker5116 quote ".... if you have nothing nice to say, be silent. That silence will speak more than any negative words you muster." Oh yes. The term is "Damned by faint praise." 😀

[@MichaelLewisMusic]

Man, this is such a painful story because it had such a devastating ripple effect on everything your band did for a long time. Those of us who've worked in the industry for a long time know that anything you say bad about another artist, musician, band etc... can and will be used against you at some point in your career. Note to self, do your best to always speak positively about others at all times. This is a great reminder that talking down other acts or players doesn't make us better. I'm so sorry this happened to you and by the way, kudos to you for being the sober guy that night.

[@trench1387]

Rick thank you for sharing this story. So many lessons to be learned: hubris, alcohol, regret, acceptance, kindness, gratitude. I'm playing this video for my teen. Life takes us on many turns and our choices really matter. You have a wisdom and kindness about you that is not so common. Take care sir.

[@mattyobrown]

awesome!

[@edisraf]

I spent 35 years in the music business. This lesson crosses every “industry”. Be very careful burning bridges. Years later you may meet a potential employer or business partner that if you said or did something to years before may be kill an opportunity later. Many young people learn this lesson the hard way.

[@RKDriver]

I don't know when or how it got instilled in me but for some reason I knew (kind of instinctively) that burning bridges will come back to haunt you. Karma will find its way back. When that inner voice (or angel) taps you on the shoulder and says "don't do that", you better listen.

[@maskkottube]

Came to “make it” from Russia to LA in 2002. Tried to find a singer for my band or to find a decent band to play guitar in. After dozens and dozens of bands that i didnt like or that didnt like me i ve got this audition in an outstanding band and i played everything successfully and even managed to sing the backing vocals, everything seemed perfect , i was happy and the band leader asked me if i was available starting right now. I said yeah, sure, but i have a flight to russia in a couple of weeks. He asked me if i was going to russia for good and i said “yes” because i didnt know what the expression “for good” meant at the time. I thought "well, i am going to russia for a week to see my parents and girlfriend , and that it is in fact really good for me"))) i didn`t say it outloud, though) i still remember the expression on the guys face - “why the hell did you even come to the audition” was written all over it) at the moment i didnt realise the reason of his frustration, needless to say they didnt call me back, i was wondering why, and only a couple of years later i`ve got to know the meaning of “to go for good”, it was painful, haha. i still have the record of that band, its awesome, it still meets the highest grunge/rock standards but they didn`t make it, tried to shazam the songs and google the songwriter with no luck.

[@sonador777]

I know you're really Russian because of this: )))) I lived in Russia for a few years, and I said to my girlfriend, what is that? She said "smiley face" I said nooo 🙂 :-) Must be this! lol Spasebo!

[@roryasrorri701]

oh, man....

[@siggycertified]

English language is so stupid, that's a pretty funny story in hindsight though.

[@gerritsteenbreker4781]

Great story about languages

[@ВладимирОлейников-г7г]

daaaamn, that's hard

[@PeterTea]

With a buddy currently in rehab for drinking, I think I can easily say that more bad ideas come from drinking than the reverse.

[@AJ-yw7hf]

Absolutely right.

[@daviegriffin3539]

*Pffft, hold my 🍻 Beer... I saw somethin' on TV & I think I can do it.* 🥴 🤦🏽‍♂️ 🤭🤣

[@drdabsmore945]

I don't think I've ever had an above average idea at best while drunk. Lol

[@glensmith7974]

TRUE STORY. In 1981 my band was recording a no-budget progressive rock album with a 'retired' major band lead singer down on his luck. Fast-forward six years and he became a member of one of the biggest groups in his genre, based largely on the guitarist hearing our recording. The singer was so grateful, talking about us opening for them, recording with us again, etc etc. Our idiot manager took an ad out in the monthly music mag that said, "Follow [my band], the band that brought you [lead singer] !!" Well...the big band found out and was livid...yes, the whole "it's bad" thing 😀 ...and even after firing our manager, all talk of helping us stopped. We eventually did open for them once, for which I will always be grateful to experience the big stage, but our band was essentially "Billionaire'd" by the industry.

[@WatchfulHunter]

Never, ever trash any band ever. Lift them up. Applaude them. Help them. Rock with them. Be kind. Be brothers. Make that a band rule. Limit one drink before a show. I love you all.

[@chaos.corner]

Except Nickelback.

[@adam872]

Amen

[@kingofrunescapepking]

@@chaos.corner even Nickelback, Chad Kroeger clearly has connections to keep Nickelback relevant this many years after they last put out a good song

[@jmecklenborg]

what if they stole your gear?

[@Cegros]

@@jmecklenborgeven then, get it back if you can. But hold no resentment or seek revenge. That does nothing for anybody and only hurts yourself and others. Forgiveness does nothing for the wrongdoer, while it does everything for you. Now, definitely kindly let people know not to leave their gear lying around these guys though lmao

[@Ralph2]

There's something about listening to Rick tell a story that makes me so relaxed. I could listen to him for hours.

[@americanpatriots4868]

Indeed. I could listen to Rick for hours. He is like a favorite uncle. Very good story-teller and lovely man.

[@Plisko1]

We always had professional rule #1: Never trash talk other musicians from the stage. The world is too small and we all need help.

[@UrbanGuitarLegend]

From the stage, LOL, how about from "anywhere".... lol

[@CNYProd]

Also,don't trash talk your sound man while on stage in front of an audience.

[@Jason75913]

Staying sober probably helps to avoid doing stupid things, too. Well, who cares about that? lol

[@weareallbeingwatched4602]

Heckling can be dealt with a number of ways. Confronting the heckler correctly and engaging them entertainingly is an essential skill for a front man. Look at how Bill Hicks would deal with them - back yard brawls, stand up comedy and Shakespearen theatre have the highest standards of verbal competence. The streets of London can be very hostile, and you need to know how to talk respectfully as well as disrespectfully, and to know the when and where of it. You will get tested. Trashing another band casually, it depends if you're making a point about artistic separation and distancing. If you're willing to eject all the fans of that music on principal, say your piece. Do I have somebody on the the list of fans to trip a new one for? Of course! Who kill jill dando? Jim'll Fix it and N Sync. Lou Perlman AKA big poppa. Backstreet's back, alright, with another round of ponzi, payola and something up the batty crease? Oh yes, we have all that and more round my ends. We got grenfell and kids who stab each other, and talk about murder on records. Yes bro. Seriously. Say what you mean, and mean what you say. Do not raise the beef idly, get your weapons ready for warfare. This is all very much for real.

[@JohnLennon99791]

Good Rule👍

[@jaijeffcom]

Teaching through parable and with humility and candor. A generous and masterful telling of a story made unforgettable. Not only is it a watchword about grace and consideration, it demonstrates that after a lapse of those qualities it is never too late to make amends and to forgive.

[@Donnybrook10]

In my experience, it always makes you look bad whenever you dirt another band. Even your own fans tend to think it's douchey.

[@nbjohnson11]

I love how Rick is always so positive about every band and musician he talks about on his channel. Good message.

[@djdamagedome]

Learned his lesson.

[@jonathanbeatrice8317]

Because he doesn't get hammered like his lead singer

[@realfingertrouble]

Well apart from the Spotify Top 10 roundups... (I don't totally disagree but also those genres aren't his thing either)

[@drummermomcjs]

This story displays well the adage "Loose lips sink ships." Thank you for sharing Rick, I appreciate how transparent you are and I learn a lot from your shared stories and experiences.

[@Kinger1625]

Don’t trash bands on stage period, unless you want that battle. Quite a story! As always, love and respect Rick B!

[@vincentjacobsmm]

It isn't so much "don't trash bands when they're standing in front of you" - The most egregious part is that said band offered the smaller band a great opportunity. Can't really wrap my head around what made the singer behave in that way other than pure resentment and self destruction

[@mrsherwood2599]

Alcohol, baby.

[@chaallus]

For some reason he was resentful, and alcohol loosened his tongue.

[@ectobluntus]

He just wanted a good reaction from the crowd. If people cheer when you say something, you'll probably keep saying it

[@qwipperty]

Well, you do need a certain amount of swagger to be a performer on stage, even more as a lead singer. But swagger is also a sharp knife, and can cut the wrong way if mishandled.

[@AndresColumbus]

@@ectobluntus but he could've easily rectified it by saying no...its just a joke guys 'we love creed' they've been good to us...he was letting his jealousy out

[@Nautilus1972]

Ozzy said “be nice to people on your way up ... ‘cause they’ll all still be there on your way down, and you’ll see every one of them.”

[@guillermodelnoche]

I used to love to trash the bassist in our band to new people seeing our band. It was always funny when I walked on stage and put on my bass. Great story Rick!

[@MurphyKargesBass]

That’s funny dude

[@danbardos3498]

Making fun of yourself is endearing. It shows confidence, humility and humor. Mocking others achieves none of that. You did well. Always under promise and over deliver. 👍

[@guillermodelnoche]

@@danbardos3498 Thank you! I couldn’t agree more!

[@Cobra-ky9bt]

All right, that's legit. 😂😂😂😂

[@notreally-sf3df]

Nah, you're insane. That's main character syndrome and 99% of people just think he talked about himself.@@danbardos3498

[@Spetsnazty]

That’s actually awesome. I love that. I’m sorry it happened to you but the story is pure gold.

[@todhannigan8779]

We are opening for a band in Sep, and NO WAY we are pulling a Billionaire!

[@dadonthetube]

Hide the beer!

[@Issachernandez1]

Pulling a billionare! LMAO

[@ptms1232]

Isn't it nice to have such great stories to tell? your delivery is so infectious that I could sit and talk with you for hours.

[@kingcormack8004]

What a great anecdote. Booze short-circuited my music career. And being nice to everyone, especially crew and co-bills always pays off.

[@nerkbaker]

Rick, you are a teacher on so many levels! Great lesson !! No trash talk ….. you NEVER know who is listening!

[@WhiteRussianrock]

When I was in bar bands in my 20s, I was so ultra-competitive with ever other good band in the region. Treated them all like enemies. I got a little older and recognized how stupid that was. Recognized how anyone putting in the work every single day is worthy of respect. And that camaraderie with people in the industry can be helpful. It would have been nice to have had that mindset in the earlier days.

[@ValThor-g2c]

Don't feel too bad. So many other bands were also ultra-competitive too, but did a phony "super nice dude" front. Later it was different. I was cool to all, but that two faced competitive thing runs deep. You are being honest and I can dig that. I did try to reach out to other bands, but found that I was naive. The 80's punk thing did have community, but in the more mainstream clubs, no way. It is stiff competition (as in the Cheap Trick tune : ))

[@rwlane]

Great comment, man. 👌

[@AdamWestish]

@@ValThor-g2c I have to second that thought - so many times people don't realize how destructive that competitiveness is, on both sides of the equation.

[@ValThor-g2c]

@@AdamWestish It sadly is. The early punk scene (80's hardcore) did not have that vibe. So I left to play in those bands after jamming Jeff Beck and Mahavishnu stuff. Then once I got to know the guys in Black Flag well, I realized they were into the same stuff as me (King Crimson etc). They also hated the BS competition scene and cooked their own gumbo up. I joined in and has a a lot of fun. Cheers Mate!

[@AdamWestish]

@@ValThor-g2c wow, very interesting...

[@thecthonian4976]

It happens Rick. I'm sure every band has an embarrassing story about one thing or another. You turned out to be a great producer with a nice degree of success. Thanks for being real and sharing that!

[@robertiola88]

My Mom told me when I was very young....if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything. She was a very smart lady.

[@olber289]

There’s only one thing to do now…it is inviting Mark (one of the most respected guitarist in the world) to talk about all of this and more Rick !! 😊

[@EnriqueGiliOrtiz]

Absolutely! I love many Creed songs, it would be amazing listening to them.

[@johnbeamon]

Rick, you've got to make this happen. Mark's a hard working beast, and seems to be a nice dude. I'd love to watch an interview show.

[@bobpurcell7175]

And the Alter Bridge stories might be good too.

[@RB-oc7ti]

Seconded! Be great to hear how he went from Creed to practicing lead guitar to the point of sheer brilliance and starting AlterBridge afterwards - where he found an enduring excellent musical yin to his yang with Myles F’N Kennedy ! Awesome songwriting duo. Great band!

[@pegtop5455]

Awesome story. Should be told to children for generations. This is how children used to be taught how to live.

[@moosecat]

Add to that posting on social media, because that NEVER completely disappears.

[@SBluesBrotherhood]

When we were doing our Blues Brothers tribute shows a few years back, we were invited to a BIG festival an hour away from home. We arrived early, set up, did our sound check, and then it POURED down rain, lightning and thunder for about an hour. An hour later the sun broke through the clouds and we were getting ready to take the stage.... for about 20 people. We did our usual show, complete with our usual props, jumping down off the stage to dance with people... everything. After the show the organizers gathered around us and thanked us profusely "for putting on a FANTASTIC show... for 20 people!". We explained that they paid us for "the full show" so they received "the full show". They thanked us over and over. I also had a FIRM rule that my eight piece band was to arrive before sound check, to be dressed professionally (black shirts, long pants (no shorts), and NO drinking or drug use before the show. PERIOD. Thankfully I never had a hard time enforcing this as most of our band members were older and more willing to be professionals.

[@JaySteichmann]

Great story, Rick! I have a good friend who had a power-pop band in the 70s and 80s (I met him/them im 1979). They were pretty big in our area, and had opened for Iggy, Pretenders, many bands coming through Detroit. I always wondered why they weren’t bigger. So my buddy told me: Their manager/agent got them a two week residency at CBGB. Not headlining, but opening or second bill. Long story short, guys in the band made cutting comments about labels, promoters, agents, and stars. Normal stuff for guys who hung out with MC5, NY Dolls, Iggy, but hey, if you are trying to get to the top, you can’t be attacking people who can help you.

[@louel9272]

I've a 6yo boy and one of the things I keep teaching him is to "always choose to be truthful and kind".

[@shambhav9534]

Don't confuse young kids with dichotomies.

[@madisonmasontv]

Ah, Alcohol! The trail of destruction goes on forever. Lesson correction: Don't trash bands...Period! What's to gain? And yeah, lots to lose. I love what you do and especially love your candor and humanity. You're the best.

[@jayheinz4624]

Yeah, I agree with you.. 👍 it seems really prevalent in the late eighties with the some hard rock bands I came across. I was popular hard rock band in the area myself.. I think a lot of it was what's the younger age of the musicians and insecurities.. if you seen the movie Rock with Mark Wahlberg that says it all. In the city I came from all the bands and musicians were really friendly but when I moved this other City during my college years, it was like a disease of negative musicians there.. 🎶🐦

[@joshshultz1250]

What's to gain? Idk... a professional wrestling style rivalry that's part of the show itself. I've been trash talked by, and trash talked other bands, as part of the show. After it's all done we have a drink and laugh about the chirps. Obviously, you don't want to get too personal but why would a band like creed feel threatened or offended at all by some indie band? Fragile egos.

[@dadonthetube]

Oh man, that is such a painful story. When I think about the opportunity that was lost just because somebody drank too much and didn't stay in control of themselves. But somehow all of that probably led to where you are right now, and I am grateful that you are exactly where you are teaching us so many cool things. 👊

[@xrxs1020]

As an appreciator of comment sections, this is one of the most interesting I've read.

[@jasons2210]

When I was growing up, my dad always told me "Be nice to everybody, because you never know who is going to be your boss one day" and Ive tried to live by that advice every day.

[@atlg8tor]

Rick...it's so crazy / awesome hearing your stories of the past. Rich and I worked together at Dark Horse ( I was the GM ) for years and it's so great hearing all the names from the Atlanta music scene back then. Love your channel and I'm sure our paths crossed at some point.

[@Studio-62]

My great friend Jon Long (RIP) once told me the musician population in (our town) is small compared to the total population, so if you say something about someone or do something stupid, the word will travel around and other musicians will hear about it which will affect your ability to find people to work with. So true.

[@cacwgm]

This is true of most professions.

[@rickstadel5285]

@@cacwgm . . except that, fewer professions include nightly standing at a mic in front of a room full of people broadcasting their biases and other poorly rendered opinions . .

[@davewolfe8033]

Don't trash anyone unless it's really important to do so. When you slip on a ladder, you hit every rung you needed to climb to where you are. Modesty and humility are great characteristics in the music industry. We had a drummer who, after an otherwise perfect gig, randomly rang a venue and threatened to burn down the place... didn't go well for our prospects in that region.

[@theunsweetkarmaway]

What I love about your videos is that you are rigorously honest about the bullshit you went through when you were young. Young artists, take note. Man, I wish there was KZbin with channels like this when I was a struggling artist in my 20's.

[@nexusyang4832]

facts.

[@MrJest2]

Yep. When I was in my twenties, KZbin was still a dozen years away... and that was _before_ they got bought by Google...

[@GutzmanK]

@@MrJest2 , when I was in my 20s, there was no Google.

[@MrJest2]

@@GutzmanK Likewise, really. My roommates and I were one of the only people I knew who even had a ISP account; command-line Unix only. Years before the web protocol was first published...

[@justpassingthrough...6128]

@@GutzmanK When I was in my 20's, Al Gore hadn't invented the internet yet, and Bill Gate just got his 1st Radio Shack TSR-80.

[@stevemcclanahan3845]

Great Story Rick, As a solo acoustic local musician you never know who is who. I have gotten numerous gigs just by being nice to people and giving them a minute to chat, even while getting setup and in a hurry. Be good to Everyone. And as a musician, Never Rip another musician or band. It Will come back to you..

[@I_like_turtles_67]

Unless it's nickleback or Lars drumming abilities. Those are always accepted.

[@JimBlakeLectures]

Mark saved you all from the horrors of bigtime rock touring: drugs, exhaustion, estrangement from families, too famous to go to the grocery store etc etc etc

[@randallpetersen9164]

Celebrity second wives, multimillion dollar estates, yachts, personal assistants and bodyguards. Yeah, who wants all that.

[@alangil40]

Rock star seems like a dangerous occupation. Overdoses, plane crashes and guns. Seems almost every big band has lost at least one member. What is that, a 20% death rate? Off the top of my head: Zep, Stones, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, Hendrix, Joplin, Doors, The Who, Ozzy (guitarist), Pretenders, Chilli Peppers, STP, Nirvana, Lyrnrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers (motorcycle crash), Def. Leppard, Sublime, Sex Pistols, Chicago,.... I'm sure there is many more if I looked it up.

[@RockandRollWoman]

@@alangil40 Unfortunately, success brings enough money to self-destruct.

[@MurphyKargesBass]

I participated in ‘big time’ rock n roll touring. While there was drugs and exhaustion, I was never estranged from my family, they loved and supported what I did, and I was never too big to go to the grocery store. That sounds silly anyway. My singer, maybe. But he’d just wear a baseball cap low, like all celebs do. It was a wonderful experience and I’m a better person for going through it all. Plus, people still listen to our music and I still get paid from it. So I guess not all stereotypes of touring fit the cliche narratives - The takeaway is that everyone’s story is different. There are lots of us who didn’t OD, got paid, lived out our dreams, and had worthwhile experiences.

[@danbardos3498]

Someone doing bad business is not good business.

[@roostir1]

Holy cow.... that was painful to hear. But, I have to say, I was glued to the story. Great delivery and storytelling!

[@joecribbin]

This is probably one of your best videos so far. To me it speaks about being professional and respectful. I had a similar experience as a fledgling artist in the UK in the early 90's when an established band which had given us massive exposure by allowing us to tour with them, our singer then slagged them off in an interview for cheap laughs. Surprise surprise, they never returned our calls after that.

[@phil4986]

What a fantastic story. Mark's comment changed the tapestry of all of your lives. Where you are today would be different. You look really happy today. We can never know where life is going to take us but to your credit, you saw the consequences and simply rolled with the punches. You sound like you guys just said " Yea, that's our buddy, he does shoot his mouth off at times." and you all just kept going together, trying to make the dream work. Thank you for telling us about this pivotal moment in all of your histories. That warning could be for anyone at any job. Careful about the pie hole.

[@MrDarkMagnus]

Honesty, humility and a life lesson. As usual, we come here for the music and always get so much more

[@raystinger6261]

The funniest thing about this story is the way that Rick tells it sounds like an episode of Seinfeld.

[@RobBob555]

This reminds me of the time I sat on the couch for 20 years and did absolutely nothing 😞

[@70mcnevin]

I'm only on year 5 and I'm already prayin' for tidal waves.

[@ArmenChakmakian]

I was in a band playing at Madam Wong's in West L.A. circa 1992. We were working with A&M records at the time and their VP of A&R (Initials MM) was the older brother of our singer. MM had done some major things in the music biz like cross over Amy Grant from a Christian artist to a main stream artist and help Janet Jackson at her peak. So we play our set and hang out in an adjacent room (bar) to the room we just played in. A band goes on after us around 12:30am. There are only 2 people watching and you can see into the room through the doorway but can't see the state. So MM gets up, stands at the doorway to watch. These guys start acting like jack asses on stage because now they're only playing to 3 people, but MM is still watching. The jack assery didn't stop, they started f&^%ing around on stage so he came back to the table shaking his head. I said, "if they only knew who was watching them?" He kinda nodded. That was a big lesson to me. You NEVER know who's in the crowd watching you perform. Be at your best, always.

[@playhooky]

Wow - also a very great story! And I just went & listened to Gypsy Rain & love it so I will be listening to much more of your music!!!!! Are you still a solo artist or in any bands or what are you up to these days?

[@danielabilez3619]

That is why you have to go for it: Every time. None of us has the luxary of time. You gotta love it just alittle more than anything else you're doing.

[@youropionmattersnot]

The problem is that young talented artists who have either a personality disorder and / or an addiction problem are usually young and talented artists who have either a person.....etc

[@xsbutter]

Was it Max Martin?!

[@ArmenChakmakian]

@@xsbutter Mark Mazzetti. His brother was Eric Eden who was an A&M artist for a short time.

[@christiankennedy2212]

I couldn't even finish listening to the story, I was cringing soooo bad! Its like watching a car accident. I feel for you, Rick.

[@MrLeiduowen]

I didn't even get that far.

[@chamuuemura5314]

I first thought the 2 words were “we can’t”. I thought he’d go into how to be honest, ask for plane tickets, or something, just don’t reject opportunities from legends that you may only ever get once. The drunken bar “2 words” were much, much worse.

[@mfisher1952]

I caught this by chance. You presented a very powerful lesson here - one that should be taught in every MBA program and every industry in the country - regardless of the line of work. Never, never NEVER talk trash about your fellow musicians, businessmen or what have you. You may work with them one day. You have a LOT to teach people, sir. And I thank you for this video. Regardless of your line of work or calling, It's a lesson too many of us forget or have forgotten until it's too late.

[@alicaramba7680]

You can always fix these things, it's not like you killed someone. There wasn't any reason why that drunk guy couldn't apologize unless he mean it - trash others publicly, drunk or not, without an argument. I would say it's a bad lesson because everything in this story is about money/fame/revenge not morality/justice/honesty. Just imagine how many times and by how many people Creed were called 'trash' even in their own concerts? Did they stopped to perform or release records?

[@doriantechgaming]

No, Rick that is definitely not the message. The message is never criticise another musician publicly or at all if you can help it. Criticism is for purposes of finding areas in need of improvement. It is done with caution and intelligence and a drunk frontman is never either of those things. Cheers from Vancouver Canada. Love your channel, Buddy!

[@petealba707]

Great story and lesson Rick. Blues Travelers' manager was in the audience at one of my original band shows in New Orleans. It was the day after Mardi Gras and everyone is completely pooped out from the celebration. Despite that we put on the best show possible and the manager came up and told us how much enjoyed us. Unfortunately some of our band members heard that he was Blues Travelers band manager and started talking trash about them. Needless to say we never heard from him again.

[@dannykent6190]

Blues Traveler is a phenomenally talented band. People trashing them doesn't make sense in general, let alone if they're around.

[@petealba707]

@@dannykent6190 totally agree. The bass player who has since passed was living in New Orleans and playing with a local Legend named John Mooney. He was a great player and well- respected. Some people are just jealous of others success.

[@benjamininkorea7016]

Man-- I've done things like that so many times. When I was in my 20s, I almost never put anyone down, but when I did, it ALWAYS came back to bite me.

[@robbdopke8670]

My dad was a great person. He was an Optimist and would often quote “ Spend so much time improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others. “ I’ve really tried to be that person. Rick’s story reminded me of that. But I have had those times where Captain, Jack, or Jameson overrode those sensibilities. 😎🎸

[@BeesWaxMinder]

That's wonderful motto to live by thank you for sharing I'll always remember it👍

[@tracyavent-costanza346]

good line. maybe I am spending too much of my time on battles that don't need to be engaged in the first place. I am pretty clear that I do not expect much GOOD to come of them.

[@nilsbrown7996]

This goes along with “Always be polite/don’t be disagreeable to anyone you meet around the music biz” You never really can tell who they are.

[@michaelsparks6084]

I felt so bad listening to your story while holding back my laughter Rick, at one point I couldn’t and actually laughed out loud! Such a tragic and funny story at the same time! Did you ever tell the guy you were writing songs with about it? You’re The Best Rick! 😂

[@garyjones2084]

I've watched this channel a lot but never realized how perfect lighting is. I know from doing online meetings it's not easy to be well lit, but somehow with the studio in the background kept nicely dim with a few scattered sources of pleasantly soft lights, somehow Rick himself is perfectly illuminated, and all without any annoying reflections coming from the guitar either. Nicely done.

[@mumbles215]

Details matter. Orson wells Lit the set not the actor. One of the few to do that.

[@endrizo]

at first i thought is was chroma. a picture as background. then i realized it was real. he should walk around to grab something

[@barryf5479]

When I was in grade school, some guy came to our class who made instruments out of carpet rolls (the forms they roll up carpet on). He made drums from them. He sang a little "diddie": "Gossip, gossip, evil thing. Much unhappiness it bring. If you can't say nothin' nice, don't talk at all is my advice". Sixty years later, I still remember that guy.

[@dionysusnow]

@@mal2ksc The song was about gossip. That's not reporting a crime or addressing a perpetrator.

[@Tasmanaut]

@@mal2ksc This is a huge L take. You've completely missed the point.

[@newyorkminute6847]

Great story. Don't trash people for any reason. It's bad energy. If you generate bad energy, it will surround you. Instead, find nice things to say or say nothing. Surround yourself with good energy.

[@paulsimmons5726]

Every band has that “one” guy who says the wrong thing at the wrong time! I’m betting half the rock icons we all know have been in similar situations. Yeah, trashing another group can come back to haunt you, sometimes, instantly! Great story!

[@thediminished98]

But why though. It's just opinions at the end of the day. Yeah unplesant and all but, to get someone of the main stage for that is king of commie behaviour.