Larry MILLER!

Larry MILLER!

If someone were to tell you that there is a “New Detroit Sound” happening, you’d probably wonder what was meant by that. When I consider the development of the so-called “San Francisco Sound”. I think that not only do we have something valid going on here, but perhaps an improvement. All of us who are involved in Detroit are now learning from the San Francisco scene in terms of both-the good and the bad. San Francisco developed as a major influence because it'had all the best possible ingredients. Good local talent, highly developed local press, the first significant underground radio in the country, promoters who were aware of the commercial potential and able to exploit it, and leadership in the “Hip” comminity that was aware of the importance of establishing focal points. It was a city that not only had a very heavy natural mystique, but was developing as a general gocal point for a number of social-political-artistic changes. The music was able to develop freely because San Francisco has no musical identity. L.A., New York, and Chicago had too strong a musical identity. The focal points were established, and everybody got it together. On the negative side, the musicians have had a hard lime handling the changes, coping with the high intensity off and on hype. The press has become overly impressed with itself and is generally pompous, meaningless, masturbatory, hollow, shallow crap. The underground radio scene in San Francisco, which should have by now matured into the most significant in the country, has failed miserably. San Francisco has been the victim of the over-hype. The business/end of it has wound up with Hippies still being Hippies and business hustlers still being hustlers and very few being able to be both. The San Francispo scene is collapsing from more than just Ronnie Reagan or the San Andreas Fault. Over-Hype.

Here in Detroit, we Have all the same essential ingredients that were there in Frisco two or three years ago. We have a highly developed local underground press. The Fifth Estate is easily one of the top five underground papers in the country. The college press is very highly evolved, and we hear talk of an underground High School Press syndicate. T also happen to have very high hopes for this paper. As per radio, San Francisco has three major underground stations: KMPX, which has suffered in the past* from management problems (Hut may now finally mature into something worthwhile ... it’s up to the national science | network . I.); K-SAN, which is the victim of the kind of phony greed head hype that ultimately must destroy itself, and, as the third and/or fourth stations are network tape types, § can’t even remember who they are. Here in Detroit we have the second oldest and second most highly developed Underground radio situation in the country, with three stations now programming “progressive. Rock”.

There are three stations doing underground. One is featuring real live people, another featuring people

who are following the patterns that they feel are “hip”, another which is a machine. You take your choice. (I usually listen to soul radio, myself.) And we also have here in Detroit a very advanced scene in terms of leadership, both commercial and otherwise. The professionals who are working in *he entertainment business as it relates to our scene are both reasonably hip and reasonably professional. The political leadership is taking care of their bu siness, and as maturly as anyone could expect. All the ingredients are here. What needs to be done now is to find the focal points, the areas of coming together that were found in San Francisco. What is needed is more serious communication between all of us who are involved in all aspects of the scene here. Since the life style that we are evolving' toward is all-encompassing, then in order to function effectively within this scene, we should have communication between all the levels of activity, Musicians are 'politicians, and politicians are sometimes very entertaining. And everybody’s high on something, which means, that everybody is going through spiritual changes.'So now, as we dig the energy vib.es of the Vernal equinox; why don’t we start thinking about what’s coming in the immediate future. Media' communications, with the growth of existing radio, infiltration into the magic land of TV, the further development of the press, and the possible infiltration into the aboveground establishment press, is very highly developed in Detroit. And — remember the San Francisco Commini.cations Company Gestetnered hand bills on the street, j immediate printed informatipn. Open City, have you thought about thiS? More clubs and ballrooms, plus free public concerts and Pop festivals and commercial concerts. A quick tally of local bands shows; at least four that are making a lot of noise and sometimes sound nationally. Are they being talked about as New Detroit Sound groups? They should be and, I think, will be. There are here in Detroit at least another dozen groups that are worthy of national recognition. Musicians that have paid their dues and are ready for a return oh their investment. There are eVen more people, non-musicians, that have paid a lot of dues that are ready to start collecting. Detroit’s a rough town in which to try to present any form of entertainment that is more than just commercially successful. Detroit has had more coffeehouses open and close than practically anywhere. The problem, historically, has been that anyone that really has anything going for them has Had to leave town to make their fortunes elsewhere. No Now the time has come today. I strongly believe that this city is going to be the next big scene., So everybody that has a piece of the action, right now, stop and think Are you really into a community involvement? Are you aware of the collective identity that is here? Are you in touch witH all the other levels of wHat’s happening? Will all the people wake up and support the new scene, with not just lip service but time and money? San Francisco failed because of too many people being too stoned too much of the

time, because of greed heads, because of irresponsibility, because of megalomania. Detroit can be a beautiful place. Get it together, don’t throw it away. I don’t want us" to have to worry about falling off into the ocean, too,..