A few days ago someone ask who do I follow here on tumblr, well here is one of them.

His name is Zack Zarrillo he started PropertyOfZack a little over two years ago now. Since the start, the whole team has worked incredibly hard to bring content to readers that they want to both read and watch. If you don’t know about the site, it primarily focus on the “pop-punk” scene. Big stuff’s that is happening, so make sure to check it out! Zack says
“I can see the future going in any one of a few ways, so we’ll just have to see which way it pans out”

So here is Zack from @propertyofZack on 5 questions with Themerchdude.

1) You interview many bands. Some are great guys and friends, but all of them have something that tides them together: music. Of all the bands you have interviewed, have any of them been rude if you ask them something that other people have asked?

It’s hard to ask completely original questions. One thing that we certainly pride ourselves on at PropertyOfZack is the quality of our interviews, and we think we do a pretty damn good job with them when it comes down to making questions. I don’t think we’ve ever interviewed a band that has been rude due to the same question being asked repeatedly, but we have definitely dealt with a few..less than talkative or friendly bands. It’s just part of the job. Interviewing is my favorite thing to do on the site though!

2) You have a well written blog (Not like this one where I can’t type for the life of me). What are some of your favorite blogs where fans can get reliable information on their favorite artists?

Some of my favorite music websites are: AbsolutePunk, AlterThePress, Under The Gun, HypeBot, Musformation, and Digital Music News.

Not totally related, but some of my favorite tech sites are: TechCrunch, Parislemon, BoyGeniusReport, Pando Daily, Mashable, and Mac Rumors.

3) Lets say you are wealthy and you are not hurting for money. What would you do to change the music business?

My favorite part of the future of the music industry is technology. I’d most likely spend my time figuring out how artists could properly be benefited by streaming services such as Spotify and Rdio. They’re rad services, but I do think artists somehow need to be given more royalties.

4)You are being chased by hungry lions with your favorite artist. which one of them would you trip over so the lions eat him or her 1st (you can’t say KESHA haha)?

Any artist? I’ll pick Skrillex.

5) What are some of the best new bands in your opinion that need to catch a break and why?

Some of my favorite bands that I think need some more credit are: Mansions, Citizen, Seahaven, Now Now, Young Statues, and The American Scene.

I heard that one time that Thmerchdude got in a fight with a band member who threatened to reveal his true information to the Internet. He then tripped him so he would be eaten by the lions mentioned earlier.

So if you like well written interviews, with great questions, music and the videos of your favorite bands please feel free to follow one of the best blogs out there. Propertyofzack. Below you will find the different places to find him, send him my regards and thanks for taking the time to do my 5 questions.

Website: http://propertyofzack.com/

Twitter: @PropertyOfZack

Facebook: PropertyOfZack

Merch Store: http://propertyofzack.bigcartel.com/

Anthony Amore he is a Merch Guy. he has been out on the road for 5 years now - started with Set Your Goals and ended up working for New Found Glory, Gallows, H2O, Good Charlotte, Chris Cornell, Matisyahu, and Blink 182 over the course of that time. He is currently on tour with Henry Rollins.

So have fun with Anthony on 5 questions with Themerchdude.

1) You have been doing merch for a few years for few bands and we all know that its an easy job made harder by the questions we get asked on a daily bases. What are your top 3 least favorite questions and why?

It is truly unbelievable the type of things that I (we) get approached with…it’s hard to explain to civilian types and non merchandisers. my least favorite are:

1) “Can you show me a couple, they are all cut different”. although this one is more rare than others, every time it’s asked, my blood begins to boil. for those that have asked, keep in mind - you are hated.

2)”Is this the only merch stand?” - completely valid question in an arena…however, this seems to be most commonly asked in rooms the size of my living room. yes, dummy - this is the only stand.

3)”Where’s the bathroom?” - when will concert goers put 2 and 2 together and realize I don’t live in the janitor’s closet and come out when there is a show just to sell merch. I don’t work here, I don’t know…stop asking.

2) For some reason bands have in their heads that a lot of merch items means more money. In your experience what is the perfect amount of items for a band and why?

Anything more than 4-6 items starts to become a mess. Give the kids the quality over the quantity. Avoids problems on all ends when you’re left with hundreds of shirts of a design you thought you were going to sell but instead the “shitty” one was the best seller.

3) Some merch people use tip jars some dont but we all have fun making funny signs. What has been your most successful sign and best amount in tips you have done?

I’m not a tip hustler and apparently I don’t work for bands with a large tipping fan base…or maybe my signs just suck because I don’t really clean up like some of the other guys and girls. But my best night was in Vegas a few years back, made a sign that said i’d throw my earnings on Red. Made upwards of $150 i think. and lost it all on Red.

4) You are a huge Morrissey fan and by huge I mean you turn into a 13 year old Justin Beiber fan. How many times have you seen him and have you managed to use tricks to get backstage to meet him?

This is true. It is no secret i’m a big fan. I’ve only seen him 7 times due to my touring schedule and his never really allowing me to travel as much as I want to. I haven’t done anything weird like that to meet him, nor would I ever. i’m not sure I even really want to meet him anyway.

5) You have no money and Morrissey is playing 4 towns away. How many sweaty crew balls would you grab to get tickets for that show?

Luckily i’m rich, and won’t ever have to be in that position. (i’m not rich) But i would sell my blood by the pint to buy a ticket to the show.

Anthony asked: How do you find hats that fit your box head? i find them in COSTCO

Keep your eyes open for Anthony on tour somewhere this summer, he is easy to spot he usually wears tight shirts with a picture of Morrisey laying down in a tub full of green jello. His twitter is @anthonyamor

Sammi is into Photography, she sells Merch, she can sing, and is still humble, she sees both sides of the spectrum, working the tour and being the band on tour, she also see the good and the bad of dating someone in a band.

Below is a little bit more on Sammi and also her 5 questions with themerchdude.

I am Sammi Doll, keyboardist and back up vocalist for the Los Angeles based indie-electro band, My Satellite. I split my time as a professional photographer, taking promo and portrait shots of musicians for endorsements or creative purposes, and also part time on the road with various artists as a merchandise manager.

1) People may not know but you’re a musician/artist and also work as a Merch lady, So you get to work both sides of touring. What are the pros and con of each side?

I’m definitely able to view it from both perspectives. I’ve always liked working behind the scenes of a production because I’m never really mentally satisfied unless i have 10 things going on at the same time to challenge myself… and i don’t have to get all dolled up to do any of that. I enjoy working in merch management mostly because it’s the experience of living life to the fullest, meeting genuine people that become your family, waking up in a different city doing the same thing .. but it’s always different… and getting the most out of traveling without having the pressures of the performing artist. I meet some intense people out on the road, it definitely puts who i am in check. I’m especially appreciative for the privacy of home when I come back to LA… but I’m home for too long - I’m burning to get back on the road. It’s the same thing with photography - it becomes a second nature routine, but every situation is unique. When I play with my band, i have to be ON all the time from start of the day the to end.. it’s the same formula - I’m in charge of 10 different things that all have to happen at the same time. Although it’s more forgiving to receive funny looks if you mess up a sentence while explaining the size of a product to someone, than it is if you sing the wrong lyrics in a song ha.

2) Worst and best touring experience?

HA! I was touring with an artist who’s demographic was 50+ years of age, usually sit down theaters. We were in Sante Fe, NM and this one lady was in hysterics because she was offended there was an opening act, and she wanted her money back. The venue lost control of the situation and sent her to me, being the closest physical person involved in the tour itself. She yelled at me for a good 10 minutes demanding her money back as i politely stated that she need not get upset, most all artists that tour have an opening act, that’s how this event was being run tonight and that if she waits patiently for another 15 minutes, that the artist she came to see would take stage. She went on to say how i was unprofessional and too young to understand how to respect for the situation and how she was a tough girl from new york (LOL) … yadda yadda yadda … in the end, she kept on and on and i opted to not pay her any attention… so she threw her glass of wine all over me and and the table. Some crew guys on my tour came out immediately from the back and took care of the situation… nobody messes with crew - we are like a family when we are out on the road - we have to be. I’m not sure if that counts as a best story - or the worst time!

Best part .. lets see - would it be shitty if I said the airline miles? haha! I’m kidding!
The best part about touring for me is honestly getting to see a lot of the places i have yet to visit, or probably wouldn’t ever visit otherwise. Granted, I don’t get to see much of the actual cities unless we have an off day, but that is usually every 2-3 days depending on the artist I’m touring with. I’ve been able to check out the beaches in Florida, explore the historic Boston, eat incredible catering at Wolftrap, stayed at an incredible New York penthouse in Gramercy Park… been to Maine! (who goes to Maine besides Stephen King!?!)… Seen a HUGE crocodile swimming from the bus while driving over the bayous in Louisiana… It’s the novelty of it all, I still get giddy when I find I’m venturing into uncharted territory. The people I meet along the way always have your back, they’re usually super experienced road dogs who have been doing this for 30+ years that laugh at the newbie girl with her merch cart at first, haha, until they get word of what merch brings in every night! You gain respect as long as you keep respectable.

3) You are dating a great friend of mine Jinxx from the Black Veil Brides and his fans seem to either love you or hate you, What the hell is wrong with these super fans that feel they have the right to call you names, bully and still feel that they can call themselves fans yet disrespect You which clearly you’re important to the person they are fans of?

It honestly blows my mind, the audacity a lot of these young kids have with some of the things they say. Not all of them - there is still a good portion of them that are genuinely in it for the music. I believe the accessibility of social networking and internet has given kids the sense of entitlement, like they deserve special treatment because they ‘do the band a favor and listen to the album, buy their merch,’ etc. Some kids get caught up in imagining a sort of fantasy of what the members are like, and are extremely disappointed when they find out otherwise…(like how they have private lives and girlfriends).
I have established an eclectic group of followers because of who I’m dating … A lot of them are girls from the fan base who are looking for a sort of positive female to look up to and a lot of them have deemed me that person. I never asked for that, but through just being myself and expressing my opinions on matters, It just sorta happened. It’s a unique situation I’ve been put in - it allows me the power of spreading what’s important in life - integrity, morals, values, self respect, and uplifting self esteem to kids who need that sort of guidance. That sometimes gets me in a heap of trouble - Not everyone is going to like what you have to say, and always somewhere, someone is going to have something negative to throw back in your face. Especially over hormonal teenage girls looking to pick a fight. I’m an easy target, I’m in the way of what they want, or they wish so badly to be in my position… or they just plain out don’t like my face haha. It’s no skin off my back, in the end, I go to bed happy and content with my life, my love, and all I’ve worked for… and nothing i could argue is going to change their already made up minds.

It’s all part of growing up I suppose. you have to experience those catty feelings and get embarrassed when you’re wrong to understand what is right. It’s how we grow from our experiences and they shape us into the people we are meant to be. I often forget most of these kids are 10-15 years younger than me, and they really are kids…. they don’t understand what morals or respect is - these are the years for figuring it out. That still, is no excuse for lashing out profane strings of half typed sentences in my direction out of blind hate or jealousy… even when i was growing up at their age, I was always taught to have respect for my elders.

I speak from deep down when i say that it breaks my heart to see the youth bully each other every day based on superficiality, aesthetics, who has the best love life/interest, or how they are kicking someone out of the fan base because one person doesn’t feel open enough to understanding the other … when the entire message of my dude’s band is anti-bully, being yourself and standing up for what you believe in. It’s fairly hypocritical, and I’ve done my best to keep my tongue held, but there are certain times that I feel I need to speak out just to remind kids to be human to each other … nobody is better than the other, everyone shits in the morning, and everyone needs their privacy. Including us.

4) When and where is your band going on tour? and if you’re performing who is selling your Merch?

We are planning on doing a mini tour to SxSW festival in Austin, TX- we are still working out all the dates and stops in between and back so we can visit as many cities as we can while we are out. As it stands now, I’m in charge of all the merchandise and inventory because I’m OCD about it. When we are at home, I have someone I trust handle the selling and money while I’m on stage - I can imagine that when we are out I will be in charge of sitting at the booth after the show, setting up, selling, and tearing down. At this point it would feel unnatural for me to do otherwise.

5) What is 5 thing people don’t know about you?

I have a ganglion cyst on top of my right hand that is also nicknamed a “bible bump” … legend has it that they used to cure the growth by hitting it directly with a bible. We tried using the Necronomicon on it, but it keeps coming back. Maybe now I am possessed with that grim darkness that flows within my veins.

We have a variety of animals and animal parts, both dead and alive in my residence.
Alive being: 2 snakes - California King Snake, Reticulated Ball Python. 2 Cats. 1 Algerian Hedgehog named wedgie.
Dead animals because we are into artistic taxidermy - rabbit face, fox head, alligator head, animal skulls, skins, and a variety of bodies in jars.

I have dual citizenship in England and America

My idea of a good time is being at home with my animals, dinner, wine, xbox and my dude with our phones OFF.

My first art show is the upcoming Metallica’s “Obey Your Master” Exhibit with 40 participating artists all making art based on one of Metallica’s songs. I am displaying a conceptual photograph which will be available for viewing on my website after Jan. 20 for those who cannot attend the event. Brutal!

Contrary to popular belief, themerchdude just posts pictures of the inside of arenas to throw you off - he’s actually a janitor at the staples center. He gets photos of arenas, buses and empty merch boxes by milling about outside as the takes out the garbage. But don’t doubt his credibility - he really does do merch as a side job - He prefers the company and music of indie-hipster bands… that’s how he knows so much about hipsters and hipster fashion! He wears beanies in the summer and rides a fixie bike. If you’re looking to find out who themerchdude REALLY is, come to a My Satellite show! haha!

There you have it, if you think you don’t have time to do things check how Sammi is doing like 15 things at once. Remember if it was easy everyone would be doing it. here are a few places where you can find out more about her, her band and what’s she up to.

Twitter: @SammiDoll
Tumblr: Sammidoll.tumblr.com
Website: Sammidollphoto.com

I am a firm believer of doing my own thing, not listening to what anyone tells me about anyone unless I meet them personally. Which brings me to this.

Many of you may or may not know Jinx’s he is a personal friend and great human, most people don’t understand that he is very blessed and cursed for being in one of those bands that everyone loves…to hate.

Take your time see a few things though his eyes and maybe understand that hate is the one thing that keeps Jinx and his band going.

Here is Jinx on 5 questions with themerchdude.

1) You are in the band Black Veil Brides, you dress up, wear makeup and have some of the most loyal fans, my question is, Do you feel that having such loyal fans, upset the fact that many people hate your band even before they listen to it?

Sure it does. I always think it’s funny when someone tries to inform me that my band sucks when there’s millions of our fans out there who will vehemently invalidate their statement. I think for many people they are put off by our sudden rise of success because it scares them. Like that it’s due to some sort of black magic or something, that it just couldn’t possibly be because our music is actually good or that we really are a great band. So they write us off before they even actually listen to our music, and in their minds it makes them more ‘cool’ to hate us. Besides, all hate comes from ignorance. The truth is, when you have all the right ingredients for a great band, or have a dream and the balls to actually take it all the way, there’s no limit for how far you will succeed. There’s magic, yes, but not black magic.

2) What is the reaction of people that have never heard or seen your band play live and what is their reaction after they listen and watch?

That’s the fun part. There will be those people who have never actually heard our music, only ‘heard of’ us, that are at the show to see another band on the bill. They boo us, throw bottles at us and flip us off when we enter the stage; then we start playing… I’ve seen people do complete 180’s at our shows and it’s awesome. We saw this a lot on our recent arena tour with Avenged Sevenfold. People would be there to see Avenged, and of course never heard our music only ‘of’ us, and already hated us. But then after our set would go out and buy our cd because they realized our music is very complimentary to that of Avenged’s. Winning over new fans will never get old.

3) What brand of makeup do you wear and would you ever consider to do a cover girl commercial or be the spokesman for a tanning salon?

We have an endorsement with MAC and they make all of our eye makeup and “warpaint” that we wear on stage. Haha I wouldn’t be opposed to doing a cover girl commercial if they gave me a truckload of money, but I’m doing just fine right now so I don’t see that happening anytime soon! The tanning salon sure, because I am constantly tanning, you know.

4) You have met many bands guys of the 80’s (Skidrow, Mötley Cru, Twisted Sister) and they all talk highly of your playing and band, How sweet does that feel having guys like those supporting you and your band?

I think it’s fucking awesome. What better way to fight off the attacks of our haters than the endorsement and approval of the very bands that inspired us to do what we do? But even more than that, these guys have become great friends and like big brothers and mentors to us. Nikki Sixx is constantly helping us out and giving us advice on songwriting and the life in general, Sebastian Bach even stayed at my house for a while this summer. These guys are more than rockstars to us, they are family.

5) What are 5 things you can tell us that your fans have no clue about you? (I won’t tell anyone)

1. In High School I was tan, worked out, and had long blond hair past my ass. I still wore eyeliner though!

2. I grew up very poor and had to work my ass off to get to where I am today. Some people will never comprehend that.

3. I am NOT rich. Though sometimes it’s fun to perpetuate the myth that I am :)

4. I am an atheist. I don’t go around trashing other peoples’ beliefs though so you would probably never notice.

5. I am NOT a robot. I am a living, breathing, caring human being that eats, poops, and enjoys having a personal life just like anyone else. It would be nice if some people respected this.

I met themerchdude back when I was a poor chimney sweep working off the docks of New Jersey. I was bathing in the ocean to get the soot off (because I had no place to shower of my own) when I found myself being attacked by a great white shark. Themerchdude came along with his huge yacht (because he is very, very rich) and harpooned the beast and rescued me. He then offered me a job in his sweat shop making t shirts for rock bands by hand at gunpoint. It was through this that I discovered music and all these great bands, and I knew what I wanted to do and that my t shirt making days were numbered. But if not for themerchdude, I would have never known a life outside of chimney sweeping. And probably would’ve been eaten by that damned shark.

So now that you know a little more about Jinx’s and the Black Veil Brides you can follow him or even have fun watching them play live on tour.

Twitter: @JinxxBVB
Facebook: www.facebook.com/blackveilbrides
Official website: www.BVBarmy.com

Angel should come with is own warning label that says “Do not attempt to do what he does because you will get hurt.” he says what he wants and that is how it is. Although you may not always agree what he has to say I can tell you that everything he says will never be sugarcoated.

So here is Angel’s 5 questions:

Angel tell us about yourself:

I’ve been touring for about 6 yrs, I started late in life. Started by working for my good friends Taking Back Sunday, I thought after they were done touring for Louder Now I would probably go back to a regular job. Now the idea of working a 9-5 in an office seems completely insane to me, so here I am. Working for TBS led me to working for Henry Rollins, Killswitch Engage, Saves The Day, lamb Of God, Chiodos, The Black Keys, Jeff Dunham, My Chemical Romance, Anberlin, Alice Cooper and probably a couple more I don’t remember.

1) I want to 1st off congratulate you for learning how to ride a bicycle last year, What are your next 3 things you want to learn to do?

I’d like to learn to swim, conquer my fear of heights and how to quickly and effectively choke someone out. Basically all skills I would need to succeed on The Amazing Race, which I really want to be on.

2) You have this great I don’t give a fuck attitude, you say what you think and are also a loyal friend to many top band guys/Merch and crew, how important is loyalty these days where everyone wants to write tell all books about the celebrities/bands they work for?

Loyalty is very important to your friends/employers etc but honestly loyalty to yourself is most important in my opinion. I’m not saying you should only care about yourself and nothing else but my experience has shown me that at the end of the day its most likely that no one is going to look out for you better than you. With that said I know who my friends are and they know they can trust me with their lives and not just their merch money. Which brings me to something I’d like to mention in regards to merch money and loyalty, a lot of American bands take their entire crews with them everywhere they go, except for their merch guy. They will opt to use someone from the countries they are going to. I’ve always thought this was shitty and didn’t make sense. You take your guitar techs, TM’s, sound guys etc but you trust your money to someone you don’t know. Why not hire an entire overseas crew? Anyway in terms of loyalty, a band that chooses to have someone else do my job when they are overseas without giving me the choice to come or not is not loyal to me and therefore when they are back in the US I’ll only be working for them only if something better hasn’t come along. Yeah.

3) What’s your opinion of the top Ten song/albums on iTunes today? (Name like 5 of them and write a small review on them “a la Angel”)

Let me open Itunes real quick because I have no idea what’s on there. Ok I’m back.

Top 5 albums:

1.Adele - I just listened to a few of the clips here. Actually my first time hearing Adele, not really my thing but she can actually sing. Good for her, I’m surprised she has done so well, talent like this is usually ignored.

2. Attack! Attack! - I won’t even listen to this, I’ve heard of this band and I know what their deal is, they are awful. Shitty music for people that don’t know any better. Just a bunch of haircuts.

3.Lana Del Rey - From the 30 sec clips, its not bad, I could probably get into this. I should mention here that I have an affinity for shitty pop music. Britney, Gaga, Katy Perry, I’m all about it.

4. The Black Keys - Now here’s a good one. I’m not just saying this because I work for them but The Black Keys are awesome, great band, great dudes, great crew. They bust their asses and deserve all the success they are getting. Can’t wait to be out with them again.

5. Drake - I liked him better on Degrassi. Did I mention I was on an episode of Degrassi? The one with Taking Back Sunday, I have 2 lines, it was awesome.

4) We all have that band or artist that we would never work for no matter what, mine is Kings of Leon. Which ones are yours and why?

Skrillex, or any DJ type thing. I HATE that kind of “Music” because its not music. Though I don’t choose who I work for based on what they do, I’m more concerned with the work environment and what I’m getting paid but I would not be able to hide my disdain for this whole scene and would probably get fired. Also I would never do warped tour, warped tour for merch guys is the worst, out there first thing in the morning in the muck and the mire dealing with whatever the elements have in store, not to mention the thousands of shitty kids and shitty bands. I think if you do warped and like it you are surely some kind of crazy person.

5) You are in the desert and it’s hot as fuck, you have the choice to go in a room with AC drinks and food but with Yanni, Kenny G, Nickelback and Creed playing all day all the time or stay out in the heat, which one is your choice and why?

I’d be in the room. I love AC and I REALLY HATE the heat. I’m really good at tuning out music/people around me that I don’t care for.

I’ve never actually met themerchdude, other than online, via text or phone I don’t really know who the hell is on the other end. I think he tweets too much but I also appreciate that he takes the merchlife so seriously and differentiates between real merch people and the jerk offs who are working for their boyfriends band and don’t know what they are doing. I think he is also hispanic and we share some Puerto Rican heritage so VIVA LA MERCH MUCHACHO!

So as you can see Angel is very straight forward, honest and loves haters so if you are into laughing at the stuff he says feel free to follow him, his info is below and if you are a sexy female please give him a hug he likes hugs.

He also say, “I’m interested in meeting fellow haters and attractive ladies with tight pants and loose morals…who are also haters.”

Follow my tirades @angelhastherage
Facebook me : http://www.facebook.com/angelhastherage

Jeff is one of those dudes that when you see him working you can see why he is always busy, he is a pro. Something we need more and more on tour.

So here is Jeff on 5 questions with themerchdude.

My name is Jeff Maker II. I’m the sequel to my father Jeff Maker Sr. He didn’t wanna put a Jr. after my name cause he thinks Jr sounds odd so I’m the second. I like that. I was born on Cinco de Mayo. I’m obsessed with shows LOST and Seinfeld. I’m from the great city of Boston, MA and I’m a touring lighting designer. I’m currently the LD for the band All Time Low. I’ve worked with All Time Low 3 1/2 years and I’ve been doing professional lighting design for 11 years. I’ve also had the pleasure to work for/tour with artists such as The Dresden Dolls, Yellowcard, Boys Like Girls, Belinda Carlisle, The Click Five, Paolo Nutini, Flock of Seagulls, and ABC to name a few.

1) Lighting guys and lighting shows have become one of the most important things for a live show, some people may think you are just pressing a few buttons but i know there is a lot to do like programing etc, what are some of the hardest things for a lighting guy to do?

Well, as LDs we DO push buttons and faders, but so do sound engineers. We are 2 different animals. One is an artists of the eyes and one of the ears. Whether you’re a lighting tech, designer, or board op, you tend to have one of the longest days on the road (besides the tour manager, or stage/production manager, or merch guys/gals). We also spend a good amount of time on pre-production for tours. For me personally, I believe the hardest parts of being an LD is creating/bringing to life a design or concept that will best compliment the artist and their music, but that is the whole point of being an LD. The creative challenge is why I do what I do. I think it’s one of, if not the most important thing. Lighting is there to help the audience take what their ears have fallen in love with and translate it into a visual spectacle. Light can tug an a persons emotions, just like an artist’s lyrics and hooks. For example, if a song is up beat or has a “cheerful” vibe, hot colors and faster movement may be called for (red, yellow, amber). Whereas, if a song is sad and slow, I would use very cold or cooler colors (blue, cyan, lavender). The human eye relates color and temperature to emotions. People see red their brain tells them “It’s hot!” if they see blue their brain says “Holy crap it’s cold in here.” So you want to make sure each color for each song makes sense. I like to give each song it’s own personality and feeling. Just as the artist(s) attempt to do when they spend all that time in the studio writing and recording the songs people come to see live.

2) I have several friends that are lighting guys and the one thing they all have in common is that they seem to have OCD when it comes to setting up, what are some (if you have any) of your rituals before and after a show?

I am very similar. Everything has to be as close to perfect as possible. For me personally, symmetry of a focus and a very clean stage is what I love. Keep it clean, keep it neat. If someone can see it on stage it better be for a reason. I hate laziness, so I spend a lot of the day making sure everything on the visual end of things is exactly how it should be. Rituals for before the show (besides any programming or setup) would be to listen to the set list and go through my programs to check and make sure everything is still the way I like it. After every show (if necessary, I make notes on what I liked or what I’d like to make better the next show). I treat lighting like a video game. No matter how many times you beat it, you still wanna play it again and again and again and get a higher score. I also give myself a grade after every show. And no I don’t always give myself an A. If there is a little thing that isn’t quite right, even if people don’t notice it, it takes away from my ultimate goal everyday of putting on the perfect show for the artist and their audience. The audience pay good money to come to the shows and it is my duty to make sure (from the visual aspect of things) that they get their money’s worth. I take a lot of pride in what I do.

3) DJ’s have become the new rock stars but in all honesty it seems that it’s all about the light show, who is your dream tour and who are some of your idols in the lighting world? Before I forget what you think of this whole Dj show thing?

The timeless evolution and reinvention of what is a “rock star” will continue as long as there is music to be made. Tastes change, trends come and go in every generation and ours is no different. I say more power to them (DJs) for doing what they love to do! Idols in the lighting world are whoever does Tina Turner’s lighting, Deadmau5 has a great LD, MUSE has a phenomenal LD, and the Foo Fighters have a great LD to name a few. Some I have met, some I haven’t but I love watching fellow LDs at work. I consider myself a student for life. No matter how much I know, I wanna know more and always continue to learn. As far as my dream tour…I have a few. Nine Inch Nails, Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins (from the mid 90s), Sting, and may he rest in peace Michael Jackson. As a side note, Michael Jackson’s Bad tour was the first concert I ever went to when I was a kid and to this day believe it started my love for live music.

4) All time low is one of your regular tours and they seem to be nice guys, which one of them would you like to be cuddling in bed tonight? Btw would you marry them?

The All Time Low guys are amazing human beings and I’m not just saying that because I work for them. They have become some of my best friends. They take care of their crew and treat everyone, from local crew, to their crew, to their fans with respect and kindness. They are some of the best people I’ve had the pleasure to work with. I don’t think any of them would be better than the other at cuddling…they seem like equally good and caring cuddlers? haha. And as far as marriage, my amazing, loving girlfriend Alissa back home wouldn’t be too happy about that!

5) I enjoy your website Saturday nights confession, what are 4 of the most embarrassing things that have happen to you on tour?

Thank you very much! You are definitely one of the funniest/best contributes to the site every weekend. Embarrassing things on tour huh? Hmmmm…
1) My 3rd day working for All Time Low, I was in the top bunk and puked out of it cause I couldn’t get up in time to make it to the bathroom. Too many vodka redbulls before our day off in Niagara Falls.
2) Missing a flight to Hong Kong on the Click Five tour. Btw, that was the first and ONLY flight I’ve ever missed. The travel agent booked my flight leaving out of a different city than the one I lived in so it was a whole travel f*ck up. It all worked out in the end though.
3) I work at House of Blues in Boston in between tours. All Time Low was coming through that venue and I was out with them. When I walked into the venue to load in my boss had gone through all of my Facebook photos, printed them out, and posted them all over the venue with little thought bubbles. I def got a kick out of that.
4) The “9:30 Club Incident” with the Dresden Dolls. My lips are sealed on that one.

One time I thought “themerchdude” was someone I worked with on tour! This is true haha

Now that will explain why so many people at one point asked me if I was on tour with All Time Low. If you are reading this remember, every position on a tour is important it doesn’t matter what it is, if it’s on tour it’s usually an important part of the tour machine. It doesn’t matter what band it is if it wasn’t for the crew the band would have a harder time making it. So if you’re at an All Time Low show or driving through Boston go by the house of blues and say hi to Jeff, ask him “hey what does this button do?” and press the button after that I assure you (if you’re a dude) you will wake up in the middle of the ER. Follow Jeff at all these places and get the insight on touring, lighting ,All time Low whereabouts and my favorite Saturday night confessions.

JeffMaker.com - my personal website
Twitter.com/JeffMaker - my personal Twitter account
SaturdayNightConfessions.com - fun website I created via Twitter on Saturday Nights

Jeff Maker II
All Time Low Lighting Designer
email: JeffMaker@LiveNation.com
web: JeffMaker.com
AllTimeLow.com
Twitter.com/JeffMaker
HOB.com/Boston

Thank you Jeff for taking time while traveling on tour to do these questions, big hugs brother.

No one does a speech better that D. Randall Blythe, so Instead of me talking about him I’ll let him introduce himself to you guys.

My fellow Americans:

My name is D. Randall Blythe, I sing for a band called lamb of god,
and I am going to be the next President of the United States. If you
want to know about my Presidency and what’s going to happen in America
after my inevitable election to the highest office in the land, check
out my blog: Randonesia.tumblr.com. But for now let’s talk about music
stuff.

I live in Richmond, VA. I’m 40 years young, happily married, and I
enjoy long walks on the beach punctuated by the occasional blast of
semi-automatic gunfire. I’ve been in lamb of god about 16 years (I
think). We’ve been touring seriously for 13 or 14 of those years. We
have a new record entitled “Resolution” coming out on Epic records on
Jan. 24th 2012 in the States. It fucking destroys, so go pick it up.
Daddy’s got bills to pay.

Here are D Randall’s 5 questions with Themerchdude:

1) What is the biggest misconception about you and your band?

I think the biggest misconception about my band is that we are
rich; FILTHY RICH beyond your wildest dreams. It’s a commonly held
belief by most people who are not in the music business that anyone
with a record out and a fanbase is ballin’ like Puff Daddy or P Diddy
or Diddly-doo-doo or whatever the fuck that guy calls himself now.
Folks think that everyone in a professional band sleeps on mattresses
made out of $100 bills and just sits back chilling when they aren’t
tour, spending all their free time screwing models and cashing massive
royalty checks. I got bad news for the kids who want to try and do
this thing for a living: it ain’t that way. Stop watching “Cribs” on
MTV, get in a van, go out on the road, and try doing this for a while.
It’s a quick and bitter educational experience. While I make a pretty
good living being in a band, I am one of the few. And it sure as hell
didn’t happen overnight. Also people seem to think I’m anangry, angry, ANGRY man, like I walk around screaming all the time in
the lamb of god voice or something. While it’s true I voice my
opinions, and I do so with a firm conviction and no hesitation
whatsoever, anywhere and anytime I deem fit, that doesn’t mean I’m
angry all the time. Far from it. My band is my vehicle to voice my
frustrations. Once they are out, I’m totally chill. I’m a very
relaxed, polite, and friendly guy, unless you act like a fucking idiot
around me. I’m chill because I have my band and my writing to vent my
fury with. In fact, I don’t know how normal, non-musician type people
don’t just spontaneously combust in a savage, fiery explosion of rage
& disgust every time they walk out the door. Everyone should have a
band. There would be far less violence in the world.

2) How come so many bands after working hard on their music to get signed change everything about themselves after they sign the dotted line?

Simple: because they are TOOLS. They were tools before they got
signed, now they are just tools with a little bit of money and fame.
They believe their own hype after they get a little popularity, and
they turn into giant, walking, talking, shit-spewing dildos who start
making wretched “music”.

I live in a smaller city where no one gives a fuck about how “famous”
or whatever I have become. Most people here know me as the guy who
used to be a cook or dishwasher in the local bar. I have zero desire
to impress anyone, especially in my hometown. I’m a 40 year old man,
not a 16 year old kid, like a lot of these dicks start to act once a
few people start to recognize them in line at the Starbucks or
whatever.I let my music speak for itself, and I think at times it can
be pretty impressive. Me buying a new wardrobe and a new car and
fronts for my teeth or whatever is NOT impressive. It’s not ME, it’s
me TRYING TOO HARD. I still shop for my clothes at the Army Surplus
store. What the fuck do I need a $300 pair of jeans for when I can get
killer BDU cargos used for $20? Fuck that shit. I’m just gonna fuck
‘em up skateboarding anyway. I’d rather spend my money on books and
music.

3) Some bands don’t care if fans illegally download their music and some do, what’s you stance on this?

Except in cases where it is absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to purchase our
music, yes, I fucking care. It sucks. It’s my living. Why is this such
a hard concept to grasp? And when I say “impossible to purchase”, I
don’t mean you can’t afford it cuz money is tight and you want it
really bad, RIGHT NOW. I mean like you live in a third world country
that no music ever gets to, and you ride a goat through the snow
everyday to work in the sweatshop for 14 cents an hour or whatever.

I want to own a nice sail boat really bad, RIGHT NOW. But I have
bills to pay and can’t justify that expense at the moment. And I’m not
going to fuck around, kid myself, and justify in ANY WAY stealing that
boat, even though I currently know of one in Delaware I’m sure I could
remove from the slip no problem. It’s some rich lady’s who got it in a
divorce just to spite her husband. She hasn’t set foot on it in three
years. Undoubtably she’s a bitch and I would enjoy it a lot more than
her gold-digging ass. But I’m NOT going to STEAL it from her. That is
UNETHICAL. It’s not my place or my right to decide that I deserve that
boat without payment.

People in hell want ice water. Get your wanter fixed, and do what I
did and still do to this day- save your money and actually (gasp) PAY
for something that an artist created and has placed…….FOR SALE.
WOW. Actually support the artist. I always paid for records. I didn’t
have a problem with it. Why does everyone think they are entitled to
free shit now? I honestly don’t understand.

You don’t HAVE to like the fact that money was spent to create this
product, you don’t HAVE to like the fact that the product is for sale,
you can spout all sorts of idealistic BULLSHIT about how in this
digital age everyone can create their own music much cheaper and just
release it themselves and people can just pay what they want to for
it- it’s a load of fucking marlarky being espoused by a bunch of
people trying to justify copyright infringement, pirating, stealing-
whatever you want to call it, it’s unethical behavior in my book. I
made something. I arranged for it to be for sale. You take it without
paying. You’re stealing. You suck. Go fuck yourself.

I don’t like the fact that I can’t run through the food court at the
mall totally naked, loudly singing “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee-Gees and
squeezing random cute girls’ asses. No, I don’t like that not one bit,
NOT AT ALL, because that is something I would LOVE to do. Yet somehow
I refrain for a few reason: A) Those hot girls might not want me
squeezing their cute little heiners. In fact, they might just feel
violated. This is unethical behavior. I was raised better. B) My wife
might not appreciate that too much. It might upset her. I love her,
and don’t want to hurt her feelings (she also might slap/divorce me).
This is not nice, so once again, out of respect for someone else, I
refrain. I was raised better. C) I might get arrested if I don’t make
it out through the Chick-fil-A side kitchen door (quickest escape
route- I scoped it out). This would suck. Once again, I refrain, out
of respect for MYSELF. I was raised better.

Who is raising our children now? Wolves? Orangutans? The Tea Party? I
dunno. But somehow they don’t seem to know right from wrong anymore.
Poor kids.

It’s all good for bands like Radiohead to offer their stuff at the
“pay whatever you want for it” price. How brave and cutting edge.
Guess what? Radiohead are already MULTI-MILLIONAIRES, rolling in dough
they made off of what? The old model, where people actually paid for
records. Must have been nice to actually get a royalty check. The
industry is going straight down the shitter. This is not theory- the
numbers don’t lie. Lamb of god is going to be ok, and I’m not worried
about illegal downloading killing my career at all- we’ve already got
a fanbase. We will sell tickets to shows, and we will sell tshirts.
It’s all good. No worries……..FOR US.

All you young bands? Bands that REALLY want it, bands who want to make
this crazy thing we call music their LIFE’S WORK? Good fucking luck. I
feel for ya. The party is over, and illegal downloading killed it. And
it also has opened the door for shit like SOPA, which, if passed, will
be used by the government and corporations to monopolize creative
content, effectively destroying free speech on the internet. And when
it happens, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Now go steal all the records
you can before the government enacts draconian measures to make make
sure the corporations get their money and you behave like a person who
was raised with some values.

As you can tell, I could go on about this all fucking day. But it
doesn’t do any good, except for blowing off steam. And that’s good
enough for me. All I can really do is sit back and watch it all burn
from my pimp palace.

4) Since the whole Livenation/ticketmaster take over we see ticket prices getting higher because of fees and more empty seats at venues, how come bands don’t add on their websites a place to sell their own tickets to avoid fans paying these fees or at least have the control to say ticket prices can’t be higher than X amount?

Jesus H. Christ, tell me about it. The “service” charges and fees
and all that shit constantly amaze me. I don’t believe I or anyone
else in a band see any extra loot out of all this bullshit. It SUCKS.
But anyway, I think the main reason bands don’t sell their own tickets
is……….IT’S NOT THEIR JOB. It’s the promoter/venue’s job. I’m a
singer, not a venue owner.

Being in a band is becoming more and more difficult these days. It’s
not enough to make music anymore. You have to do all these extra
things to sell records and tickets to shows. I have zero desire to
also add a ticket vendor aspect to my business. What a nightmare. I
already pay a road crew, record producer, entertainment lawyer, visual
artist, video production company, gear storage place, booking agent, a
manager, and a publicist. Now I gotta add a ticket guy? I can barely
keep up with my responsibilities as is. I don’t want to have to deal
with the ticket guy in band meetings. I want to make rock-n-roll. It’s
why I started doing this in the first place. Perhaps the fans could
organize themselves somewhat and tell LiveNation that they demand all
these added fees get removed.

Depending on who all gets paid, what the budget is, prices to our
shows are made as reasonable as possible while allowing us to make a
decent profit. We try not crank merch prices to an unreasonable amount
either, and we NEVER EVER make openers do tour buy-ons, price match
merch, or put DB limits on them. But at this level, as unromantic as
it sounds to some people, this band is a business. And a business that
doesn’t make money goes bankrupt. Then me and all the people I pay are
out of a job. All of us have families, and we all support our families
this way. So gimme that cheddar. I want that boat, haha.

5) What would be your dream festival, band line up (dead or alive) and location and what would you call it?

If I was gonna throw my dream festival, I would have it way up in
the highlands of Scotland on a nice sunny, warm summer day. I can
think of no place more majestic for the following bands to play: lamb
of god, The Sex Pistols (with Sid), Led Zepplin (original members),
Lynyrd Skynrd (original members), Wu-Tang Clan (yes, original members-
ODB!), Jimi Hendrix, Elvis, Bad Brains (original members), Black Flag
(with all the singers), Jawbreaker, Crimpshrine, Killing Joke, The
Birthday Party, The Descendents, The Cult (Love era line-up), Big
Black, James Brown, Bob Marley & the Wailers, Lee “Scratch” Perry,
Gojira, Prince Far I, The Claw, Minor Threat, Rites of Spring,
EYEHATEGOD, Sleep, Buzzoven, Frank Sinatra, GWAR (with Cory Smoot),
Slipknot (with Paul Gray), The Clash, Cro-mags (OG line up with no
drama) Doctor Octagon, Mule, John Coletrane, Dexter Gorder, Public
Enemy, Run DMC, Hank Williams Sr and Hank Williams the 3rd on stage
together, Misfits (with Danzig of course), Jesus Lizard, Pantera,
Slayer, Metallica, The Ramones (my wife wants to see them),
Breadwinner, Sliang Laos, Dead Boys, Iggy and the Stooges, and the all
original line up of the Beach Boys. I would call it “Good Vibrations”
and it would be sponsored by Smith & Wesson and Capri Sun.

I once randomly ran into Themerchdude in a REALLY seedy part of Bangkok, Thailand. We both had a day off on two separate tours. He was in the process of trying to purchase a (and I shit you not) VERY ANGRY
LOOKING MONKEY for a few thousand bhat from what looked like a
transexual hooker. I convinced him not to, then we went and got
stir-fried grasshoppers for dinner.

There you have guys one of the Angriest looking, nicest guy on the planet. Feel free to follow him below and please don’t forget to support his band at shows or by simply buying Lamb of God’s new Record entitled “Resolution” coming out on Epic records on
Jan. 24th 2012 in the States

randonesia.tumblr.com

@lambvox

www.lamb-of-god.com

Thank you Randall for taking the time to do 5 questions and for paying for my grasshoppers!!

Sam Mitchell has several titles some as he calls them, are as follow , bullshit goalie, fixer of things, bright shining light leading the blind. He has been living the dream since 1994. His first gig was Seven Mary Three, I ask him who was his current gig and he said “The Legendary Gavin DeGraw” (haha)

Here is Sam on 5 questions with themerchdude:

1) You have been touring for awhile and I’m sure you have seen it all working as a Tour manager, what are some of the secrets to keep bands in line with bus call, phone interviews and not losing flights?

I’ve always said, “It’s rock and roll, not rocket science.” No babies are going to die if the venue forgot to get Panda Organic Black Licorice. Hence, you shouldn’t act like an ass. Treat people how you want to be treated and your day will be much easier. The main mantra, is to be on top of your own shit, so that you can make sure everyone is on top of theirs. Bands/artist are going to forget things. If they didn’t, people like me would be out of a job.

2) You have toured the world and then sum, which to many people seems like the best thing ever, How do you keep your professional life and personal life not affecting one another?

Traveling 10-11 months out of the year, is definitely going to affect your personal life. Luckily, I don’t have kids or a wife. I have the utmost respect for folks that do, and can still travel like we do. Actually, I guess I have more respect for their spouses and kids. I love what I do. You are obviously going to miss birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, etc. Always set your calendar and remember to call. I try to check in with my mom at least every other day, as well as on fly days, I have a text group of my parents, my special lady friend, etc that I send on take off and landing. I also have an expense account with 1800Flowers.com

3) I have heard legendary stories about you, specifically “Frank the tank” stories they are all amazing, let’s say “A friend” has video tapes of frank the tank doing his thing, How much would it cost to get rid of these videos? (remember its “A friend that has them)

I have a fairly stressful job. If I need to cut loose (and by cut loose, I mean climb naked on top of a cab in Germany or telling the artist “Worst. Tour. Ever.”) then so be it. Have I pushed the envelope on an occasion or 6? Probably. Pics, vids, stories…in this day and age, if you are willing to be a jackass, you have to be willing to deal with the proof! Of course, the first rule of drunk club is to never talk about drunk club.

4) The touring business has increased. it seem everyone and their mother is doing a tour mostly because they don’t make money on music, How do you see this over saturation of tours affecting the one area where band could make money?

It’s tough. I mean, the economy is in the dumper, and who really has the kind of money involved to attend a live show, once a month, let alone more often than that. Those of us “in the biz” often take it for granted but I know I’m not ever going to spend $20 on a ticket and $30-40 on a t-shirt, plus parking, food, drinks, etc. So it is kind of hard to expect the paying public to do the same.

5) Many people ask me on a daily basis if going to school to get a course in music business will help them get into touring, what is your opinion on this?

I have had crew guys that went to Full Sail and other “proper learning” graduates and I think even they agree, that hands on experience is so much better. My advice, save the $60K/year and go to your local venue and intern or work for peanuts and learn every aspect of the business, from the ground up. Or be a doctor. Yeah, be a doctor.

The TM that I replaced, brought me out to “job shadow” him (even though I had been doing it 10 years longer than him). Let’s call him Jerry. So he and I were on the road together for about 4 days, before he went home. On the 3rd day (his next to last) he got into a fistfight with one of the band members. New to me. We all pitched in, and smoothed it over as best we could. I’m a stranger in a strange land at this point, so just trying to keep the peace. Well, on his last day, we arrive at a venue in San Antonio, can’t remember the name, but it is the outdoor, mini-shed type with the humongous ceiling fans. Anyway, I go to the bus for something and when I am heading back to the office, one of the crew guys says, “The Merch Dude just punched Jerry.” Sweet. So glad I took this gig! So I turn the corner and The Merch Dude is standing there, and I, being just a bit flustered, ask, “What the hell happened?!!?” The Merch Dude calmly says, ” I told him to stop fucking with me. He didn’t.”

Sam is a great Tour Manager, most people may not know his name but many people, mostly men all around the planet have his cell number. Sam likes to write it on the walls of truck stop bathrooms all over the USA with a little message that says “For a great time call this number”.

In all seriousness he is a very efficient Tour Manager he is silent but deadly please follow him and ask him questions about the day he was 5 hours late for bus call somewhere in Iceland.

@Stan_Mitchell or Sam Mitcham on Facebook

Well I haven’t been able to get in contact with @markhoppus in order to get him to answer 5 question with @themechdude so I decided to just ask the questions here and hopefully someone will get them to him.

You guys can help by REBLOGGING so for some miracle it gets to him.

1) So you have been touring or a long time and you don’t seem to take yourself as serious than other bands that are half as famous, do you think this has helped you out with dealing with a business that is so full of shit?

2) You have had friends of mine do your Merch or photography that are females, What is your opinion on bands that don’t hire Merch girls that have vast knowledge but instead hire some dude that has no clue what they are doing?

3) You are in a desert island for ever and have to choose between these two, in the desert island with Melissa Miller but always listening to Nickelback or in the desert island with the Jonas brothers but always listening to the Foo fighters?

4) Many fans believe that illegally downloading music helps bands because it promotes the band, what’s your take on this?

5) What was the last concert (not including yours) that got you jumping?

Mark, If for any reason you finally got to read these questions I thank you and all of the people that help get these to you.

PS you’re handsome. *pinching my nipple*

His name is Jason Sear @jaycore He has worked for (hed)p.e., ICP, Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Twiztid, Anybody Killa, and any other acts on Psychopathic Records. He has been touring for almost exactly 2 years now, and has been thrown into the whirlwind that is merchandising to the juggalos, including managing the gigantic merch booth at the 2011 Gathering of the Juggalos. WHOOP WHOOP!

1) You are working right now for Insane Clown Posse and your display reminds me of a Disney tour, gives us a run down on how many items you have? And how long it takes you to set up?

On this last tour I was initially sent out with 236 items. This included 38 shirt designs, 11 girls shirts, 21 jerseys, 13 hoodies, 8 beanies, 13 hats, 74 CDs, 22 DVDs, and several small trinket items. Halfway through the tour we restocked with 19 new t shirt designs, 12 new girls shirt designs, several bandanas, and random hoodies and jerseys.

It takes me from our approximate 10:00am load in time until doors almost every day to set up and do my pulls of stock for the night’s show. My display, consisted of 21 pieces of 2’x8’ grid wall and I had to build it to fit many different venues. The display only takes about an hour to an hour and a half to set up, but pulling out 12 huge tubs of shirts and hoodies, etc and figuring out what to restock took the longest.

2) As a merch person you have to have such patience to deal with crowds nowadays, how is it when dealing with Juggalos ? *looks left to right* if you can talk about it (ha)

Most of the kids are actually quite awesome. They all remember me and I remember a ton of them too. They ask about old merch guys and actually enjoy our company and stories. It’s the few bad kids you have to worry about, and make sure every piece of merchandise is secure as theft is a quite common issue. zip ties and packaging tape are a couple necessary tools. Also, like any other crowd, kids don’t seem to know what size shirt they wear, and I can count on a kid who should wear a large to order a 2XL or 3XL. Our sizes actually go up to 5XL on T’s as there are some bigger fans and many fans wear baggier shirts anyways.

3) We all seen some crazy shit on tours but you’re on the ICP tour and must seem some of the most fu*k up shit, can you give us your top 3?

The other day a woman bit my tour manager on her knee cap because she took her satin pass away for basically being a creep. Way to prove the creepiness by BITING another human being. At the Gathering of the Juggalos I was driving around in my golf cart and Ron Jeremy was wasted and hopped on my cart and refused to get off until he was talking to Vanilla Ice 15 minutes later and had to get off to hug him goodbye. Another time, some chick decided to show me her boobs, perhaps for a free shirt or something (btw never works with me) and it was a disturbing site as they looked like they were drooping down her chest and I nicknamed her “Dali.” It seems with that subject, the ones you get to see are the ones you never want to see…

4) Warped tour or ICP tour in the summer?

I would love to do Warped Tour. I know everyone seems to hate it after so long, but I think it would be a stellar change of pace and have some bands I would love to hear and crews I’d love to hang with, especially since many of them come to my other job (The Intersection in Grand Rapids, MI)

5) What has been the hardest thing for you to adjust now that you are touring more consistently?

I think the hardest thing would be just being away from family and friends. I love being with my friends and family so it is quite rough being away for a while. Communication always helps, and on this last tour I did, there was barely any time to take 10 mins to call anyone and only 4 days off in 36 days was killer. I always try to just keep in touch with the people I love and it makes things better.

This one time I was working a show and @themerchdude came up to me in full face paint and bought a jersey, tour shirt, and the 4 new CDs. I thought he was joking. Nope, he’s a juggalo.

So if you want to see how hard a Merch person has to work maybe you should come early to a show and watch Jay set up his mini mall called the Juggalo store! If you’re in a band and going to be on warped tour next year here is a merch guy that will make you money and be happy to be there. Follow him before he loses his mind and is sent to an insane asylum where he will set up for hours his imaginary Merch selling it to elfs, dragons and santa claus while wrapped in a straight jacket! here is his twitter.
www.twitter.com/Jaycore

Thank Jay for taking the time tell the ICP guys to be nice to you, you deserve it.

So Joel from Good Charlotte took some time between shows via smart phone to write his answer to the 5 questions, I left it just like he wrote it because I appreciate the time he took to do this so I didn’t alter it, plus it looks like he is yelling which makes it even better because he is so chill and i cant imagine him yelling unless he is singing. So enough of me talking here is Joel 5 questions.

1) Good Charlotte is one of the few bands that I remember have always been nice to fans and to other bands, even 10 years ago I remember doing radio shows with another artist and Good Charlotte would be on the bill and you guys always came to the side of the stage to show support, Why in your opinion we don’t see this support form bands nowadays?

I DON’T KNOW THAT WE DON’T SEE IT. I THINK THERE ARE STILL TONS OF BANDS THAT OPERATE JUST LIKE GC DOES. WE ARE STOKED TO BE DOING THIS FOR SO LONG, AND TO HAVE A CAREER DOING WHAT WE LOVE, WHILE GETTING SUPPORT FROM FANS AND OTHER BANDS, WE TRY REALLY HARD TO ALWAYS SHOW IT. I KNOW A TON OF BANDS LIKE ALLTIMELOW, YELLOWCARD, FOREVER THE SICKEST KIDS, THE MAINE, ALL THAT FEEL THE SAME WAY.

2) You have been bless with success and with a beautiful family, which I assume has the draw back of losing your privacy, specially with aggressive fans and paparazzi, how do you manage not kicking the living sh*t out of these people that don’t respect your family’s privacy?

THAT SIDE OF IT IS ALWAYS WIERD. IF THERE WAS ANYTHING I HATED IN THE WORLD, ITS THOSE KINDS OF INVASIVE PEOPLE. FROM SHITTY TABLOID MAGAZINES TO PHOTOGRAPHERS, ITS THE IDEA THAT ITS THIER RIGHT TO STALK YOU, MAKE UP LIES, AND INVADE YOUR FAMILY. I HAVE LEARNED OVER THE YEARS THAT YOU CAN’T FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE, SO I’VE RECENTLY TRIED REALLY HARD TO BE LESS AGGRESIVE AND ACCEPT THAT UNTIL THERE ARE SOME KINDS OF LAWS, I WILL JUST HAVE TO LEARN TO TRY MY BEST AND ELUDE ALL OF THAT. WE DO OUR BEST AS PARENTS TO PROTECT OUR KIDS. THATS ALL I CARE ABOUT. MY WIFE AND MY KIDS SAFETY IS FIRST. AS LONG AS I CAN KEEP THEM SAFE AND HAPPY, I’M HAPPY. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY THERE ARE MUCH BIGGER PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD THAN OUR PRIVACY, SO I CAN’T COMPLAIN.

3) Your band has manage to stay away of the many things that kill bands; drugs, alcohol etc and you guys are still touring hard after more that 15 years, what would you tell up and coming bands that believe talking about drugs and alcohol on the social media gives them an edge?

DRUGS ARE WIERD. I DON’T DO DRUGS, BUT I’VE SEEN PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO DO COME AND GO. I THINK PROMOTING THINGS LIKE DRUGS AND VIOLENCE IS A MISTAKE WE MAKE IN OUR YOUTH. I TRY MY BEST NOT TO JUDGE PEOPLE FOR ANYTHING THEY DO. WHILE SOMETIMES IT MIGHT BE A TURNOFF FOR ME, I’M NEVER THE ONE TO TELL A BAND HOW TO BE. AT THE END OF THE DAY THEY ARE EXPRESSING THEMSELVES AND IF THATS THIER THING, THEN SO BE IT. I’VE DONE PLENTY OF STUPID SHIT WHEN I WAS YOUNGER AND ALOT OF TIMES THATS JUST WHAT IT IS. THESE DAYS I’M ALL ABOUT A POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE, AND I TRY TO SPREAD THAT. I WILL SAY JUST FROM WHAT I’VE SEE OVER THE YEARS, THE DRUGS NEVER LAST. ITS A DANGEROUS GAME BUT IF YOU WANNA PLAY THATS YOUR CALL. WE ALL KNOW THE END OF THAT MOVIE THOUGH. USUALLY THE ENDING IS PRETTY SAD.

4) With all due respect to your wife, who is the one person you are allowed to have a hall pass with?

SHALOM HARLOW

5) Would you ever consider to start your own record label it seems to be the smartest thing to do for bands that have had success so they can have control of their music and make the money they deserve, what’s your take?

I’M ALL FOR BANDS STARTING THIER OWN LABEL. I’M NOT SURE THAT I WOULD. THATS NOT MY STRONG SUIT RUNNIG A LABEL. I MAKE MUSIC AND WRITE SONGS. I’VE ALSO LEARNED OVER THE YEARS TO PLAY TO MY STRENGTHS AND LEAVE THE LABEL STUFF TO THE PEOPLE WHO SPECIALIZE IN THAT. I’VE ALWAYS BEEN VERY HAPPY WITH OUR RECORD LABEL SITUATION. I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE SOME BAD SIDES TO ALL LABELS, I’VE JUST HONESTLY NEVER HAD TO SEE THAT. I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE IN THIS WAY.

themerchdude once hijacked a truck of yo gabba gabba merch to give to kids in need. the man is a merch superhero!!

So if you’re a fan of a band that has been doing it for awhile and still manages to be nice even when people are in his face follow Joel and his band here:
TWITTER - @joelmadden
losmadden.tumblr.com
www.goodcharlotte.com

THANK YOU JOEL!!

Next on 5 questions is a very special surprised guest, So keep your eyes open for it!

I asked Brian to tell us a little about himself for those that do not know him here it goes.

Hello! I’m Brian. I live in Portland, OR by way of Charlottesville, VA with my lovely fiancée, our two cats, and my ridiculous record collection. I’ve been touring for about 5 1/2 years now and currently work for Josh Ritter, handling merch (both tour and webstore), his websites and social networks, creative marketing, photography, some day-to-day management, and kicking ass all around. Previously I’ve worked with Robert Randolph & The Family Band, The Decemberists, G Love & Special Sauce, Ziggy Marley, Swans, and more. I’m extremely lucky to make a living doing something I love and to work with the group of people that I do.

So now that you official know Brian here are his 5 questions with Themerchdude:

1) You’re not only a Merch guy you are also a great photographer, how did you discover you had an eye for it? And do you sell your photos?

Thank you! I picked up my first and only (to date) camera in the summer of 2008 before heading off to Warped Tour. I had been touring off and on for a couple years at that point and figured I should start trying to remember all the cool stuff I get to see and do. Then I figured: I’ve got access to the stage, why not shoot the shows? 3 years later, here I am. Still clutching my well worn Canon Rebel XT in the crowd of almost every Josh Ritter show. I don’t always get the convenience of a photo pit. Sometimes you gotta mingle with the fans. Sometimes that’s where the best photos are taken.

I don’t currently sell my photos. I’ve looked into a couple options for selling prints, but haven’t decided on one and committed to it. Anyone out there have any recommendations? I have happily traded photos for records though!

2) As an artsy type of guy have you had the opportunity to design any of the merch for any of the artist you work with?

Yes and no. I come up with a lot of ideas for Josh Ritter’s merchline. Unfortunately, I’m not skilled when it comes to fleshing out designs so I ask my friends to take care of that. The concepts behind Josh Ritter’s scarf and tote bag were ideas I had and I’m pretty proud of them. Props for to Matt Fleming for his wonderful execution on both of those. I also make a lot of decisions regarding colors, fabrics and unique items, which are just as important as the designs themselves.

Did you know that buying concert tickets and records can be written off on your taxes as “research”? My CPA rules.

3) We all have had the bad experience with deliveries not arriving or out door shows in the heat or rain, what has been your worst experience?

Last fall, in the middle of Josh Ritter’s US/Canadian tour we played jump rope with the Canadian border for a few days. Which meant shipping merch between dates to avoid headaches, hold ups, and taxes at border crossings. FedEx Canada apparently doesn’t have a “standard overnight” option - you either send priority overnight (expensive) or you wait it out. Their waybill forms don’t make this clear enough. We arrive at the venue in Winnipeg, MB for a sold out show and merch is nowhere to be found. I make many calls to FedEx and the problem presents itself: I won’t have merch for the show. I have to redirect it to the next show. Thankfully I had some used drumheads from earlier on the tour and the promoter hooked us up with a bunch of leftover 11”x17” posters he used to advertise the show. I had the band sign everything and sold what I could. It was a bad day to be me.

http://brianstowell.tumblr.com/post/1429521297/dear-fedex-go-choke-on-some-dicks-seriously

4) If you could change one thing about dealing with Merch what would it be and why?

I dream of developing a system that integrates and streamlines tour and webstore merchandise. I could view stock for both worlds in one place, make adjustments and orders and drop ships, view sales statistics, save and view tour reports, compare tour sales data along timelines and geographic regions, save designs, everything. I know it can be done, but the man hours to build and debug it would be astounding. It’s scary to think that the entire sales history and organization for Josh’s merch empire is built on a foundation of my own memory. I’d like to make it web-based and searchable. GMerch! Patent pending.

5) You have to kiss one of these guys little wayne or little bowow?

Lil’ Wayne. Carter II is one my most frequently played albums. Plus, he’s most likely grape flavored.

When themerchdude was a young lad his Dad pulled him aside, with two eggs in his hand. Themerchdude’s Dad told him he was going to smash one of the eggs on his head. Themerchdude freaks as his Dad chases him around the house, grabs him, smashes the egg on his head. There is no mess, it doesn’t even really come apart, just cracks. His Dad shows him its just a gag; it’s been hard boiled.

He hands themerchdude the other egg, and says, “go get Mom.” 30 seconds later she is covered in raw egg and shouting.

So if you like music, touring, Merch, photography or just to follow one handsome looking dude go follow Brain Stowell here:
http://brianstowell.tumblr.com
http://www.twitter.com/brianstowell