Elliott

                               

Bands!  Are you doing your Rock N' Roll Duty?  The song by Canadian rock legend and now Q107 DJ Kim Mitchell resonates in my ears as I blog about it's essence: it's your DUTY TO DIY!  "I'm just doing my Rock N' Roll duty, creating a buzz buzz buzz." 

Even in the Internet-less '80's where LP and cassette sales were the benchmark for success, Kim knew that bands STILL had to create their own buzz.  It was hard to do then, and it's hard to do now, the objective is the same, but the methods are completely changed.

WORK YOUR SOCIAL NETWORKS
You still have the old faithfuls of gigging, flyers, posters and mailing lists, but the #1 addition for today's scene is to WORK YOUR SOCIAL NETWORKS!  Naturally utilize supernova.com, but others as well.  And working means, interaction, content, and constantly updating.  Interact with your fans and make new ones.  Post your content (thoughts, music, video, pictures).  And constantly provide new content.  Release an Internet only track.  Blog about a gig.  Take a picture of your drummer passed out at a party.  Whatever, just keep engaging your fans so they RETURN to your site.  It's challenging.  It requires dedication.  I requires tenacity.  But good music isn't enough.  Create your own buzz, buzz, buzz... it's your Rock N' Roll Duty.

THE LYRICS
For the whole song (it's an '80's beauty eh?) released on the "Rockland" album in 1989, I've pasted the lyrics below.  I haven't asked Kim if I'm allowed to re-post his lyrics here, but what the hell, it's on a million lyric sites right now anyways:

my Rock N Roll heartaches end up in song
sometimes i get it right sometimes i'm wrong
and my love of Rock N Roll makes me a one-night-stand
sometimes i'm enriched sometimes i'm tanned
i'm just doing my Rock N Roll duty
i'm just doing my...
i'm just doing my Rock N Roll duty
creating a buzz buzz buzz
some say i'm in it for the money
man i'm in it for love love love
the love of Rock N Roll is never right or wrong
that's why you can identify as the day is long
so this is for us
the hard-driving beauty
we can dance in our minds
we can do the tutti-frutti
i'm just doing my Rock N Roll duty
i'm just doing my...
i'm just doing my Rock N Roll duty
creating a buzz buzz buzz
some say i'm in it for the money
man i'm in it for love love love
i'm just doing my Rock N Roll duty
creating a buzz buzz buzz