J-Now the big news...(at least for me) your playing on the new Hardline album?

B-Yes, it's a done deal.  Should be out there in September, I believe.


J-How did that come about?

B-I've known the Gioeli's since back in the late-80's and even did a little playing and recording with them right after the Vinnie Vincent thing.  And,
of course, I loved that first Hardline record.  So when Johnny called me to play on the this new one - I was in!


J-What's the sound of the album like...does it stay true to the first release?

B-It's definitely along the lines of the first one but even with a bit more dimension to it.

J-Any touring plans?

B-With Hardline?  Well, we just did this festival over in England and, sure, I would be open to doing any more dates with them that might come up.  I would suspect that most of their stuff would be in Europe and Japan since those are the primary markets their label caters to.


J-How do you feel about mp3 sharing and company's like Napster?

B-I have mixed feelings.  On the one hand, in this information age, it's a great technology for getting your material out there.  There's no doubt that it makes your music much more accessible to people who might not have otherwise been exposed to you and, as the theory goes, this could lead to more CD sales and concert attendance.  On the other hand, the number of folks who actually go out and purchase something you've done or see you live as a result of their downloading your music for free is a very difficult number to quantify and probably fluctuates radically from one band to the next.  So it's a fine line because, as the co-owner of my own indie record label, I see both the value in getting exposure through any non-traditional medium, and also the importance of actually selling records in perpetuating the business and being able to finance future projects!  Nonetheless, I think we're right on the brink of seeing some major changes in how music is distributed and promoted.

J-How do you think the Internet has changed promoting bands nowadays?

B-It's really leveled the playing field because virtually any band can have a presence on the web. 
This gives you the ability to offer your fan base immediate access to your music, to all kinds of info about your band, to your
tour dates, to your photos and video clips and even to picking up your actual products...all from the comfort of their home. 
This is phenomenal.  And this is to say nothing of the grass roots promotional capabilities of the web -
the newsgroups, chatrooms, e-mails, e-zines, links and specialized web sites that all can bring a band to the attention of
listeners who, again, might not have had the opportunity to hear about them.  Now granted, this easy accessibility
of the Internet to any band or artist has definitely created a sense of over-saturation in many web-based promotional
strategies.  But still, if a band can market their web presence effectively and - always most
important - if they are making great music and staying on top of their craft,
it remains an unparalleled medium.

J-Do you have a web site where your fans can find out what you're up to?

B-Sure, it's www.bobbyrock.com.


J-Anything you want to say to your fans reading this?

B-Two things: Thanks for your continued support in all that I do, and thanks
for all of the e-mails.  Even though I'm not always able to write back, I
always appreciate when someone takes the time to drop me a line...


J-Well, that's about it Bobby.  Thanks again...and good luck with all you do.

B-Thanks, and same to you...

 

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