Learning from Movies: Get Him to the Greek

The music industry is changing.

Piracy, downloading singles rather than purchasing albums, declining concert revenues, and more are eating away at music company income.

Add to that lip-synching, Auto Tune, and instant stardom via American Idol, America’s Got Talent, and X-Factor, and you can see how hard it is to distinguish true talent from plastic celebrity.

 Then you get an idea: Find a real rock star and set up a concert celebrating the 10th-anniversary of his biggest album.

What you can learn from an heartbroken rock star with an out-of-control substance abuse problem and a young, inexperienced, label rep after the break.

• There’s a little African child inside Russell Brand.
• He’s also an African white space Christ, apparently, whatever that means.
• It’s for other people to decide if you’re like Jesus.
• Thickening your revenue stream is good. Thicken that stream.
• Sexual blackmail doesn’t work with the penis.
• Artists are the slipperiest, connivingist, animals on the face of the planet.
• We don’t lie to people. We believe invalid truths.
• No matter how old you get, you’re still Mommy’s special little kid.
• Your mouth is smiling but your eyes look sad. What does that mean?
• Just because you’re hanging out with a rock star doesn’t mean that you can drink and smoke like one.
• Every street in Las Vegas is called Casino Way.
• Rock stars can do things easily that send the rest of us to the emergency room. Know which you are.
• The Pussycat Dolls do not need a cover band.
• The joy of the Jeffery is that it goes away, and then it comes back.
• Apparently the music industry is about drugs, booze, brawling, and setting strip clubs on fire.
• There are appropriate times to say “Namaste,” and inappropriate times - like when you admit that the man you just had sex with is not the father of your child.
• If you're really tough, you still answer your phone after getting hit by a car.
• A smart junkie can make his insanity sound good, but it’s still bullshit.
• When you believe in your ideas, put 100% of yourself into achieving them.Especially when your ideas are about love.
• Sometimes you need someone to remind you that you make people happy by doing what you love.
• A little bit of blood makes a really big cloud.

This is it. This is rock and roll. Did you enjoy the party? Now get on out there and stroke the furry walls.