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I recently had an exchange on social media with my friend, Mark Knight, formerly of Bang Tango.

For the record and to be perfectly transparent, I am more acquaintances with Mark than best buddies, but truth is, we’ve never had any real beef.

Nor do we have a beef now.

However, like many relationships at the workplace, in business, and with general friends, people don’t always see eye to eye and perhaps disagree on some things.

I wanted to write about this, as I feel there is a part of our industry that is often criticized, misrepresented or misunderstood.

It’s the perfect time, as Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts gear up for a summer long run on The Stadium Tour package.

When someone tries to down-play an artist on tour for playing their hits and continuing to work, even if based on success from days, years or decades gone by, I feel that is wrong.

Or maybe, the picture has not been properly articulated or painted clear enough for some to see it like I see it.

With that, here is my take.  

Mark Knight recently blogged on his Facebook about “Not having much luck” in the music business, be it with labels, managers, agents, etc… as he hearkened back to his former band Bang Tango and in modern day, his solo project and side-projects.

From my perspective, Mark is not thrilled for not getting the desired reaction or success from his solo project that he once had with Bang Tango it seems.

I will link Mark’s initial post HERE, and it’s also seen below right (1st image) in its entirety.

I will also share my reply in Mark’s thread, and on my own post found HERE, which is also screen-captured and shared below left (2nd image).

Since my first reply, a common person in our lives, 2-time Grammy Award Winning Producer of the Year Howard Benson also chimed in (shared bottom right – 3rd image) with a subsequent reply from Mark that is shared bottom left near the end of this article (4th image).

I am not sure if Mark is insulting me here, or the other band he mentioned, or if he’s just picked the wrong words to express himself.

But I would like to break down what he said and make some points here.

Mark’s reply (unedited) to me was the following: “”To my post, however: I have no intention of keeping the Bang Tango “brand” relevant. Kudos to Tuff and Pretty Boy Floyd. I think you have missed the point of my post. My musically direction has completely changed from the music I am known for. It’s the transformation of style that can be frustrating. I’m not living in the past and trying to cash in on the benefits of my past band and brand! As you know I have moved on in a completely different direction musically for the last 23 years! It’s being a artist at this point and making music I love and want to make, not trying to keep any brand or be relevant from my passed success. As far as Steve Sinclair he was a brilliant man and took a chance on us. At the time He was just a start up label and thank god he believed in us to give us the chance to share with the world our band and muisc.””

Some of this in my eyes seems to be a bit disparaging towards myself, and others.

Unless I am reading it wrong?

“”””””I’m not living in the past and trying to cash in on the benefits of my past band and brand!”””””””

This is an interesting choice of words.

Its common knowledge, that the term or phrase; ‘living in the past’, is usually used in a derogatory way, to demean, or speak less of someone or something.

I don’t recall anyone saying you were ‘living in the past’, or even hinted at that but now that you have stated this, I would assume based on your “Kudos to Tuff and Pretty Boy Floyd“, you are insinuating that our bands are doing just that?

And of course, the same could be said for Guns N’ Roses, Poison, Metallica, Limp Bizkit, Skid Row, Warrant, Green Day, Sugar Ray, Garth Brooks, Pat Benatar, Paul McCartney and every other artist who still decides to play live and perform songs from their past, or releases from years or decades gone by.

Fair enough?

I recently saw an online video from June 4^th 2022 of English pianist, singer, songwriter Joe Jackson out on tour, and he performed songs of his from the 70’s including the song “Is She Really Going out with him.”

Is Joe Jackson ‘cashing in’ and ‘living off his past’ as well?

Are all of these bands, my band, Steve Summers’ band, simply ‘living in the past’ or just trying to ‘cash in’ as you stated?

If so…

I wonder if you are playing any songs in your set from your earliest solo releases Mark Knight and The Unsung Heroes.

I did a little digging and see that you have released at least 6 CDs in the last near 20 years.

If you are playing any of your older material, I ask why?

Why would you continue to try and ‘cash in’ on that past?

Or are you only playing your newest songs off your most recent release.

If you are playing any of those older songs, well then you are a hypocrite.

I wonder if your mindset was that you and the guys in Bang Tango were all going to ‘live off your past’ and ‘cash in’ when you decided to do that reunion a few short years ago?

That is until you all started fighting (your words) and the word is, that select members – you included – didn’t want to play M3, the Monsters of Rock Cruise or other related 80’s festivals unless it was all on your terms.

Reason given from you, as quoted HERE, “It wasn’t appealing to (some) people (in Bang Tango), to get on a boat (Monsters of Rock Cruise) and play amongst that group.”

What group?

What does that even mean?

My next question is…

Was Tom Petty ‘cashing in’ on his past success when he played the Hollywood Bowl on September 25th 2017, just1 week before his death?

I wasn’t there, but I am going to go out on a limb and say that he likely played “Free Fallin'”, “American Girl”, “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” and “Refugee” that night.

All of these songs are 30-40+ years old.

Was Tom Petty simply ‘cashing in’ and ‘living off his past’?

Are Metallica ‘cashing in’ by playing “Master of Puppets” or “Enter Sandman” in their live set?

Let me pose it a different way…

When Pete Rose appears at a signing event, and people ask him to sign a photo or baseball card of him in a Reds uniform from 1976 that he charges $100 for, is he ‘cashing in’ and ‘living off his past’ success?

Now let’s take away the celebrity status altogether and just use a regular guy analogy.

If an 18 year old kid learns the trade of being a Plumber, and perfects his craft over decades and now 30 years later, with a family and kids, if he goes to a job site and installs a sink and new piping is he ‘cashing in’ and ‘living off his past’ experience, success, knowledge and skill?

Same applies to the Mechanic who was known for fixing high-end motors on race-cars, who started turning wrenches as a teenager, but now at 50 uses those same skills working at a local NAPA Auto Parts store to collect a paycheck to support his family.

Are these guys also ‘living off their past’ and trying to ‘cash in’?

Should McDonald’s stop selling the Big-Mac, which made its debut in 1967?

How about Burger King and their Whopper?

Are Dominoes just ‘living off their past success’ by still selling Pizza?

What is wrong with any of us, be it L.A. Guns, Faster Pussycat, BulletBoys, Enuff Z’Nuff, or >insert any band name here< going out and playing songs they wrote, recorded and released 30 years ago?

Are they all just ‘living off their past’ and simply trying to ‘cash in’, or are they making a living and doing something they spent a decade, two or three learning to do, perfecting their trade or craft in a manner that allows them to feed their family, pay the bills and move forward in life.

If you choose to step away from Bang Tango, and don’t want to live in the past, or cash in (as you say) that is your choice, but maybe choose better words, in describing me or anyone else for doing what we do.

Truth is, you don’t know what I do, and know almost nothing about me as a person.

Also Mark, this started with you claiming you had never had any ‘luck’ in the music industry, and went on to note Bang Tango, along with past labels, managers, agents, and more.

I will happily argue that your ‘luck’ was greater than most of our bands who fell short of those Platinum or multi-Platinum awards.

You and Bang Tango had 2-3 times the opportunities that many of us had.

Between 1989 and the early 90’s, Bang Tango released 2 E.P.’s and 2 full length records, 3 of the 4 were on a major label, MCA/Mechanic.

And if I am reading this right, there was a 3rd LP “Love After Death” that was recorded but MCA shelved it just before it was to be released, so, call that shot #5.

I would have loved to have had a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th shot with any label, during that same time frame, but we only got 1 shot.

Just a few comparisons, of similar bands around the same time that got 1 or 2 swings at the bat, your band got more.

Trixter got 2 shots with MCA
Love/Hate got 2 shots with Columbia
Danger Danger got to shots with Epic
Steelheart got 2 shots with MCA
Rhino Bucket got 2 shots with Warner Bros. & Reprise
Little Caesar got 2 shots with Geffen/DGC
Every Mother’s Nightmare got 2 shots with Arista
Tuff got 1 shot with Atlantic Records
Pretty Boy Floyd got 1 shot with MCA
WildSide got 1 shot with Capitol Records 
Heaven’s Edge got 1 shot on CBS
Roxy Blue got 1 shot on Geffen

And I could dig up and list another 3-4 or 5 dozen examples.

All of us had something to stand out in the crowd, be it on the Sunset Strip, the East Coast or in the heart of Tennessee.

But aside from that something we all had, or your band had, not everyone gets the Platinum or multi-Platinum plaques.

There are levels to this game and the truth is, not every musician, not every band, nor every song or every situation is on the same level.

Only a few get to be the chosen ones, ie; Jon, Gene, Ozzy, Tyler, Angus, Axl, Slash, Sixx, Lars, Durst, Manson, Roth, Edward, Prince, Bret, etc…

I accept my time at the various (lower rung) levels, and as they say, I ‘get it’ and understand how, when, where and why… and most of all, why not.

Aside from the success, I am just like that list of 1-name identifiable musical super-stars above, most of whom are still active, and you could say we are all: ‘living off our past’ and ‘cashing in’ on that past success we had regardless of how high up the ladder we went.

Yes, I am just like them, but of course, I am many levels below where they were, and where they still sit today.

But that’s okay, I am good with who I am.

And, I won’t go away, ever.

Your initial post was: “Over the years I’ve never had much luck with the music business. From booking agents, managers, to record companies! Even when Bang Tango got their break it was from a small little label that basically threw us a bone! Everyone was landing big deals with major labels and we took what we could get, a small little label funded my MCA with like two acts on it. Maybe it’s the original different kind of music I create that doesn’t really fit into a “marketable box” or maybe It just isnt that good?…..”

This line below jumps off the page, maybe you do get it?

“”””””or maybe It just isnt that good?…..””””””””

Maybe you’re right Mark.

Maybe your stuff isn’t that good, or great… but in reality, it’s all subjective. Right?

“”””””””(I’m) not trying to keep any brand or be relevant from my passed success“”””””””””””

I believe you meant, ‘past’ success, not passed, but either way.

All of these people on tour, who are playing their old hit songs are just trying to pay the bills.

Whether we were in an 80’s hairband, a 90’s punk group, a country artist, or you, with your solo projects.

Fair?

All based off of what we once accomplished, regardless if it was 3 decades earlier, 10 years ago, or last year.

Simply put, I am happily living off my past, and I am also living off my present, and will continue to live off of what I do into the future.

I don’t live off of just Tuff either, just to be clear. 

Tuff is less than part-time for me for the last many years, but I embrace our band at every turn.

I live off and will continue to ‘cash in’ on all of my past, present and future music related projects.

And there never was, and never will be, an ounce of shame for doing so.

I earned this, all of it.

A few notes…

With Tuff, aside from 2 major label releases (1991 & 1995), my own Indie label imprint RLS Records (which I founded and established in 1994) have released 10 different Tuff titles (1994, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2012, 2x in 2015 and 2x in 2021).

That same RLS Records released all 3 of my Stevie Rachelle solo records (1998, 2000 & 2019).

Which for the record, my solo releases are light years away from the Tuff sound, and no they didn’t blow up any charts or get too much attention either.

Much-like your solo records, or side-projects mine didn’t set the world ablaze either, but I am not claiming to be “unlucky” for it not happening.

RLS Records over the years have released more than 50 titles in total, including; Nitro’s Jim Gillette (2003), WildSide (2004) and Vains of Jenna (2006, 2008, 2009 & 2014) to name a few.

Not to forget the fun and ‘corny to some’ side-project C.W.A. which over 25 years has released 5 recordings (1996, 1997, 1998, 2003 & 2011) and collectively sold 50,000 units all through that same Indy label I formed in 1994.

Not my band, nor my label, but I have sung on, performed with and been part of 9 studio records (1999, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017 & 2022) with the German based group SHAMELESS.

Lastly, I will add that while some might say: “He is just writing on Metal Sludge while all these other bands are making music or touring”, well, to those who think or say this, that’s just silly.

They too, like you, don’t know much about me at all.

In addition to those 50 odd recordings noted above, I have also been a guest singer on upwards of 2 dozen compilation and tribute releases dating back to the mid 90’s up through recent years.

My discography to date… hmmm, honestly… I haven’t counted it, but a safe estimate is roughly 75 music projects, albums, CDs, released that I have appeared on or been involved with.

I have also performed in and toured through 45 states and 30 countries on 4 continents to date.

The Tuff debut record on Atlantic Records was a big deal for me, and for us. And I hold that opportunity dearly and close to my heart and will forever, it helped bring me to where I am today.

In closing, I will be the first to say, when someone, anyone, or Mark Knight says: “You’re just living off your past, and trying to cash in”…

My reply: You’re damn right I am, and won’t stop doing so until I am dead.

Again, I earned this, all of it.

The same applies to millions of blue collar, hard-working people around the world, who have spent years, and decades perfecting their craft, or trade who continue to use their skills to move forward in life.

The opportunities, the support, and the belief from anyone related to my journey thus far has not gone without notice.

I am thankful for all.

I am happy doing what I do.

“I went Platinum, zero times” and not a bit ashamed to say so.

#proud
#grateful
#notbitter

Stevie Rachelle

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