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Rockstars Get an Afterlife in the Gaming Genre

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Gaming and music might have a symbiotic relationship, but it goes much further than just providing the soundtrack to some shoot ‘em up. The value of the rockstar has exploded in all areas of gaming from casinos to mobile and the big open-world adventures popular on Xbox and Playstation. Could this explain the enduring allure of the aging rockstar?

The casino scene is prolonging the touring potential of old-time rockers

Take KC & the Sunshine Band. Half of the 23 dates on their latest concert tour were at casinos. Casino venues are ideal tour stops according to lead singer Harry Wayne Casey, as most have a multitude of hotel rooms, restaurants, luxury facilities and of course the gaming tables themselves. “I try not to play for free,” he says.

In fact, regional casinos’ growth across the US has seen a number of states open Las Vegas-style resorts with the ability to hold concert performances. And this increased opportunity for musicians has given fans another chance to see their favorite stars of yesterday still performing like they were back then.

In recent years, the Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Kiss, Guns n Roses and even guitar legend Santana have all had residencies in Las Vegas-style casino resorts big and small across the US, not only prolonging their music legacy but thoroughly entertaining sell-out crowds.

The video slots phenomena

This gaming and rock connection goes one step further. There are a number of online gaming titles that use the enduring image and swagger of the rockstar to promote games. One quick look on the mobile slots at Lucky Pants Bingo and you can still find Ozzy Osbourne rocking the reels on the Ozzy Osbourne Video Slots where players get to grab their air guitars and rock out with the Prince of Darkness.

Then there is the Guns N’ Roses Video Slots with its epic soundtrack including Appetite for Destruction and Welcome to the Jungle. And of course the legendary Jimi Hendrix Online Slots will absolutely have you slamming the keyboard like it was 1975.

Gaming titles utilize the power of 80s and 90s rock legends

And it’s not just video slots that have kept rockers rocking either. Gaming fans will also have no doubt enjoyed the soundtrack of the Grand Theft Auto V and the Los Santos Rock Radio show hosted by Kenny Loggins featuring rock anthems from the likes of Queen, Steve Winwood, Def Leppard, Robert Plant, Stevie Nicks, Foreigner, The Cult, and the king of soft rock, Kenny himself.

One of the biggest console games ever to come out has to be Guitar Hero, which released three iterations of the game and couldn’t have existed without the music provided by some of the greatest rock stars ever.

Video games have always managed to utilize that heavy metal relationship within games. All the way back to Quake in the 1990s then featuring the powerful sound of Nine Inch Nails all the way to the 2016 reboot of Doom, Gods of War, Twisted Metal and Metal Gear Solid all trading off this unique guitar and metal-heavy theme that put gamers firmly in the hot seat.

There is certainly a strong argument for gaming, mobile-oriented slots and casino venues in keeping alive the aura of the rock star, aging or otherwise and it has, for many of them, meant an afterlife of performing that might otherwise not have been nearly so lucrative or readily available to them.

VR is Here and The Music Industry Can’t Wait

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Technology is moving at a rapid pace. Augmented reality and virtual reality are on the rise, and the applications of these advances are only just becoming apparent. Already both of these new developments have found their way into the gaming industry, with AR being incorporated into popular apps and games like Pokemon Go and into online live dealer casino games. However, other industries are poised ready to seize the potential, with the music industry at the forefront of change.

Marshmello’s Fortnite concert was a ground-break precedent in both the gaming and music industries, showing how they can converge to promote artists’ careers in new and exciting ways. More than ten million people attended Marshmello’s concert in real-time, making it one of history’s most far-reaching virtual musical events. This is just one of the ways in which these two sectors are beginning to work more closely together to bring music within easier reach of more people, and to make it a more immersive and engaging experience for listeners.

The VR Music Video

Virtual reality is beginning to become a go-to medium through which artists can connect with their fans. Facebook and YouTube have both launched 360-degree video posting platforms which have led to more people creating immersive video content. Musicians have been leading the way in this, transporting their viewers into more interactive experiences.

Virtual reality is making it possible to physically enter one of your favorite music videos. The Amplify VR platform is just one example that allows audiences to watch a music video of their choice in a reactive and immersive VR environment, giving users the opportunity to actually interact with content by applying different audio effects, remixing their experience and manipulating environments via movement. 

This use of technology enables fans to enjoy their favorite music and artists in entirely immersive and new ways. Even 2D video content can be turned into a three-dimensional experience, meaning artists no longer need to create new content solely for virtual reality, significantly reducing their costs.

Allowing Remote Viewing

No matter how much you love a band or artist, you can’t always make it to their concert. Now, you can enjoy the experience of actually being there at the venue with VR concerts. Fans can experience the action from close up, actually being able to move about the event and experience it from different vantage points – even from the stage. Coachella has already harnessed the potential of VR remote viewing. At their 2016 event, they allowed festival-goers to watch videos of the performing artists and discover the festival grounds all in three hundred and sixty degrees through a headset.

The Possibilities Of Change In Music Education

Of course, the music industry isn’t all about performance – it’s about teaching a new generation of players too. Virtual reality is set to change how we practice and learn musical instruments and how we use them to entertain ourselves. There are numerous apps already in development that will make musical learning a more exciting and shareable experience. Teach-U:VR is one solution that gives individuals a more immersive and engaging way of playing drums and piano in virtual reality. Users are able to use a headset to play virtual instruments and to interact with other people in a shared virtual space. This opens up the possibility for music education even to those who are unable to afford lessons or who are unable to attend.

Apps like this will redefine the ways in which we understand how music is created. Music lovers and music creators alike will find new ways of expressing themselves and experimenting with sound that has never been seen before. Not only will they be able to enhance their existing musical abilities, but they will also be able to learn more about how music is developed in an interactive and engaging manner.

While virtual reality remains in its infancy at the moment, there have already been significant changes in the way it allows us to interact with the creation of music and how we listen to it. It is already allowing us to see, hear and experience music in a brand new, nontraditional way. Virtual reality is set to create more personal, more impressive and more thrilling musical experiences and with new digital technology advances lying ahead, we can only begin to imagine what music’s future will hold as VR grows and develops.

Whatever changes are set to take place in the music industry, you can rest assured that virtual reality will almost certainly be a part of them.

In Conversation With Jimmy Page

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In Conversation With Jimmy Page

Jimmy Page shares the story behind his legendary 1959 Telecaster, which began life in its factory White Blonde lacquer finish, then became the “mirror guitar” before transforming into a one-of-a-kind, hand-painted dragon Tele.

Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Are The Champions,” and “We Will Rock You” On The Grand Piano

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Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Are The Champions,” and “We Will Rock You” On The Grand Piano

Pianist Eshan Denipitiya performs a hypnotic and swelling mix of classic Queen songs, Bohemian Rhapsody, We Are The Champions, and We Will Rock You on the grand piano.

Canada’s Youngest Reggae JUNO Award Nominee Chelsea Stewart Releases NEW Self-Titled LP and “Forever Your Girl” Video

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Canada’s Youngest Reggae JUNO Award Nominee Chelsea Stewart Releases NEW Self-Titled LP and “Forever Your Girl” Video

Canadian reggae-jazz dynamo Chelsea Stewart is back, once again bringing her name to the forefront with a newly released self-titled album, Chelsea Stewart — and premiere single “Forever Your Girl” — available now!

A reflection of Stewart’s rich Jamaican Canadian roots, Chelsea Stewart was mostly recorded in Jamaica, and features production influence from the likes of long-iconic and GRAMMY Award winning and multi-nominee artists, Sly and Robbie, and songwriting influence from Canadian Renee Brown.

“I have probably been listening to music from Sly and Robbie since the day I arrived on this Earth,” she says of the legendary reggae masters Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare. “They have been responsible for so many hits that still play on the radio, and at almost every celebratory gathering in my community.

“It was surreal to be able to work with these living legends.”

Stewart was especially grateful for Sly’s daily guidance and the opportunity to observe his deep dedication to the craft. “I hope to be like him one day, and be able to go to the studio daily to create new content, tour seasonally, and collect royalties in my sleep!” she laughs. “As a young artist, watching that was incredibly motivating.”

“And Renee was able to travel to Jamaica and witness the growth of the production with my mom and I,” Stewart continues. “She helped with the songwriting and production for a few songs, and I was happy to share that surreal experience with her.

“I usually co-write with my mom, but working with Renee has been the first time I collaborated with another songwriter, and I’m very proud of the results. She, like myself, is Jamaican Canadian, and it was important for me to include Canadian content on the project so that the album truly reflects who I am.”

Much like previous releases before it, Stewart synced up with her longest-time collaborator, her mom, Karen Stewart. “Working with my mom to make this album was nothing new,” she says of the long-lauded and unique familial collaboration. “We’ve done this before on several singles and EPs. We know how to navigate disagreements on how to go about producing the project, and we enjoy singing along and dancing to the finished products in the studio, just as we’ve done at home — with the recordings of our favourite artists — for years.

“We’re happy to make our contribution to the music industry through Baby Momma Music!

“The only part of the whole album that was unexpected was the song, ‘Crush.’ I recorded it in Jamaica but had to re-record it in Canada because it wasn’t exactly how I wanted it…

“I naturally gravitate to ‘old school’ music, so I was aware my album would reflect that. In doing so, however, I had no idea I’d end up recording an album that covered almost every genre ever created in Jamaica — ska, rocksteady, reggae, dancehall, dub poetry, nyabinghi drumming — except mento, which is the first style of music to ever be recorded in Jamaica.

“When I listened to the recording, I felt it could be instantly revitalized if I were to rearrange it into a mento song, which would also mean the album would result in successfully covering seven genres of music that have come out of Jamaica.

“This is not what I originally set out to do, but it’s what happened, and I’m very excited about it.”

The full-length LP lands as a welcomed follow-up to her chart-topping and critically acclaimed JUNO Award-nominated previous EP release, Genesis, and on the heels of Stewart winning ReggaeXclusive Magazine’s Song of the Year, a Trailblazer Award, an Entertainment Award for the International Woman Achievers’ Award, and a Caribbean Entertainment and Music Award. She was also the first Canadian female to perform at Rototom Sunsplash, the biggest reggae festival in Europe, in their 22 year history.

Most notably, Stewart made waves on the Canadian music scene being the youngest ever nominee for that JUNO Award, in the Reggae category, a status that rippled forward to the production experience of this new album. “Although the musicians could’ve been condescending because I was both so much younger than them, and female — both of which they’re probably not used to taking direction from — that was not the case,” she recalls of the recording process. “The environment was very welcoming and encouraging, even though I was the rookie in the room. They welcomed my ideas and contributions, and always respected my desires.”

Though she’s released several EPs and singles before, this eponymous LP was Stewart’s first time recording the songs all at once, and within such a large collaborative scope. “The last time I recorded multiple songs all at once, for The Only One EP, my only accompaniment was from my acoustic guitarist. This time, I had to record a rough demo live in the studio, and the musicians would add to it, one by one, track by track.

“It made it so that I was able to be a part of the organic growth of the production, and it was a beautiful process that I can’t wait to do again.”

Chelsea Stewart is available now.

Canadian Death-Pop Rockers Skeleton Club’s Debut LP Death, Love & Money Hits 50,000+ Streams

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Canadian Death-Pop Rockers Skeleton Club’s Debut LP Death, Love & Money Hits 50,000+ Streams

They say the only givens in life are death and taxes, but for death-pop rockers Skeleton Club and their debut album, those guarantees are more along the lines of Death, Love & Money.

So goes the name of the trio’s 11-track LP, a number that wasn’t landed on with any sense of coincidence. “We only ever release music with an odd number of songs,” says vocalist and bassist Andrew Matthews. “Chris has OCD and doesn’t ‘do’ even numbers.”

He’s speaking of guitarist and synth-master Chris Anglin; the two lifelong friends are originally from Langley and Tsawwassen, British Columbia, respectively, and currently based in Montreal. From there, the pair added a third, Nova Scotian drummer Morgan Zwicker, to the mix, rounding out the sound. “It was a Kijiji ad, you know, where any self-respecting story starts,” Matthews laughs. “But we quickly found we had more in common than just being broke and incredibly good looking… With our music.”

That common ground in their core sound lands as sometimes heavy, but also sometimes soft, as the three weave together their one-of-a-kind blend.

The outfit reached its first peak of potential following a winter hibernating away in an abandoned lodge well off the grid in ‘small town’ Nova Scotia. “We were lucky enough to record most of the album in a big, old lodge on a river,” says Matthews of the time spent experimenting with vintage gear and writing what would be their debut LP. “It was a perfect amount of isolation to focus, and be creative.”

The result was Death, Love & Money, out October 10th, 2019, and on the receiving end of 50,000+ streams within its first two months of release.

“We focused on cohesiveness and on improving lyrically,” they say. “That was a priority more on this album than anything else we’ve written in the past.”

The release is a sum of the sonic parts Skeleton Club count in their vast array of inspiration (think: Leonard Cohen to Kanye West, Nirvana to St. Vincent, Jimi Hendrix to XXXTentacion.)

“I wanted to make this record with a really wide range of sound,” says Mathews. “I wanted to be able to bounce around genres, but also have a consistent lyrical theme.

“A lot of our influences are artists who also produce their own music, or are very involved and hands-on in the making of their albums. This album is self-produced; the sonic part is really important to us, and we wanted the album to be glued together by its sound, and be unique.”

Death, Love & Money is available now.

Bing Crosby remembers the Ballyhoo ‘punk’ feature from the early thirties, 1949

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Bing Crosby remembers the Ballyhoo ‘punk’ feature from the early thirties, 1949

“The most punk song ever heard in a hall,” San Francisco Call newspaper, 1899

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“The most punk song ever heard in a hall,” San Francisco Call newspaper, 1899

Three of the Best Rock Musicals Ever Made

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Rock music as a genre has much to recommend it. Dramatic, engaging, and filled with hard-hitting lyrics and charismatic vocalists, it’s little wonder its popularity has endured from its earliest incarnation in the 50s through to the rock stars of today.

From Coldplay to Arctic Monkeys to Thirty Seconds to Mars, rock hits continue to top the charts, but even outside of popular music, there’s one place where this genre reigns supreme: we’re talking about the world of musicals.

While the two may not be inexorably linked, there are an incredible number of smash-hit shows that have taken this brand of music and married it to compelling stories and complex characters. Here are three of the best.

Rent 

Rock music has long been a source of inspiration for content creators. With its inherent drama providing the perfect backdrop for everything from movie megahits like Top Gun through to our favorite TV shows, it even features in a number of slots that rock, from the ever-popular KISS game to the animated Rockstar Riches. One of the best examples of it being put to good use is Broadway phenomenon Rent. Created by Jonathan Larson, this compelling musical tells the story of a group of impoverished artists and close friends, who are living beneath the shadow of the AIDS crisis and struggling to survive and thrive in a world where they don’t fit. Compelling, clever, and occasionally tragic, it’s one of the best stage productions you could ever hope to watch.

Jesus Christ Superstar

Created by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1970, Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera unlike any other. Beginning its life as a concept album, its strength unsurprisingly lies in its wonderful music and gripping lyrics. Sung through with little spoken dialogue, the story is relayed through the eyes of Judas Iscariot and covers the final week of Jesus’ life. While it may sound rather highbrow and unexciting, the opposite is true, and the many contemporary takes on this unique and original work mean that it never stops feeling fresh.

We Will Rock You

Last but not least, We Will Rock You! Created in 2012, it’s an ode to the wonderful compositions of legendary British rock band Queen. Sharing the story of a group of rebellious bohemians, who struggle to fit into a world that doesn’t accept their freethinking approach to life, it’s set in a future where music is forbidden and rock unknown. Having traveled to six different continents and become the 15th longest-running musical in West End history, it’s fair to say the show has been a hit with audiences since its inception, so if you’re looking for something fun, uplifting, and thought-provoking, this is the production for you.

When it comes to rock musicals, they have the unique ability to marry two different worlds – to combine the drama and grit of mainstream music with the technical brilliance and hard-hitting stories told on stage. In doing so, they have the opportunity to create something legendary, and in the cases of these three exceptional pro

Weight Loss Pills: Why people use them

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Lots of discussions go on daily concerning the use of weight loss pills. Arguments surrounding the use of these pills are much more than the pharmaceuticals selling them. Lots of scary things have been said about weight loss pills, therefore; raising fear among users, or those who plan using them. But quite several people still prefer losing weight quickly through such pills. Many questions may run through a person’s mind on whether to take them or not. You may be wondering if they are safe. However, some weight loss pills like Clenbuterol have shown positive signs when it comes to weight loss. In this article, we are going to find out the positive sides of weight loss pills.

Benefits of Weight Loss Pills

  • Using weight loss pills will increase your body’s tolerance as well as strength levels. You can supplement the pill with some few workouts daily to shade extra pounds. Also, these pills relax your muscles, hence reducing pain after intense workouts.
  • Weight loss drugs speed your weight reduction as well as protect your heart and lungs in your weight loss process. During normal workouts, you may suffer risks like heart attack, if not properly guided. However, you can choose to buy clenbuterol, a weight loss drug that helps reduce risks involved during workouts.
  • If you have difficulties breaking down your body’s fatty acid, a weight loss pill can help you fasten the process. Weight loss pills help those who are looking for quick results. Most celebrities you see around have perfect bodies due to these pills. The nature of their work mostly requires slimmer figures.
  • Most weight loss drugs are supplemented with vitamins or energy supplements. This will control the strict diet plan that comes with normal workouts. However, healthy food is significant for the energy needed in the process of weight loss. And, you can spoil yourself occasionally by grabbing that mouthwatering burger.

Side Effects of Weight Loss Pills

  • Most weight loss pills take the work of adrenaline. However, drugs like Clenbuterol may cause a rapid heartbeat if abused. It could even lead to heart failure. Also, frequent misuse can cause muscular hypertrophy in some cases.
  • Weight reduction pills may result in addiction or dependency if used anytime you feel like losing weight. Stopping the drug may also lead to withdrawal symptoms or anxiety.
  • Abusing these drugs may lead to nausea, insomnia, and blood pressure among other issues.
  • Drugs like Clenbuterol reduces your body’s taurine, or potassium stores – leading to muscle cramping.
  • Other side effects of weight loss drugs include; excessive appetite, trembling hands, and headache.

Supplements

You need to consult your doctor before combining weight loss pills with other supplements. For example, taking a drug like Clenbuterol to speed up weight loss can reduce your body’s potassium and taurine stores. However, you can regain by supplementing potassium and taurine.

Conclusion

Weight loss drugs are effective when taken with the utmost care and proper guidance from providers. Most importantly, consult your doctor for proper direction towards these drugs. If you decide to buy clenbuterol as your preferred weight loss pill, talk to your doctor and dietician on how to use it. Unless you are the busy type, finding time to eat well and exercise regularly is recommended. This is to avoid the side effects that come with weight loss drugs

 

 

 

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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