George Hrab and Dani Cutler talk with Jack Mangan about how to survive the Independent Music lifestyle. And about Duran Duran. And Ringo.
George Hrab: https://www.georgehrab.com
Dani Cutler: https://danisdiner.podbean.com/
Author: supportlifeandmusic_ofjqpe
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S.L.A.M. Summit – Surviving the Indie Music Career
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Marc Lopes – Ready for Anything at Any Time – Part 1
Marc Lopes of Metal Church, Let Us Prey, and Ross the Boss talks to Jack Mangan and Erika Lynn Schautz about his career, his megapowered voice, and how he’s survived the highs and lows of the music life.
His story leads through darkness, drinking, brushes with suicide to triumph and inspiration. And pizza.
https://www.youtube.com/c/MarcLopes
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Ariel Jean – It’s your dream and vision. It’s not anyone else’s.
Ariel Jean is a rising star in the world of Rock and Country. She was kind enough to sit down with us for a few minutes to talk about music, and also about how she balances family and music dreams.
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Bill Chinnock – Learning to Survive in the Modern Age
Asbury Park legend, Bill Chinnock (1947 – 2007), as remembered by his son, John Chinnock:
“Since he was young, my father always wanted to be a musician. Even though he never reached any fame, through hard work and dedication, he was able to make a living for many years and have a long career. He was one of the founders of the Asbury Park Jersey Shore music scene. This led him to record deals and tours. When this part of his career began to slow down, he pivoted into a successful career focused around writing music for television. He even went on to win an Emmy award for writing the theme song for the hit show “Search For Tomorrow.”
By being both hard working and also adaptable, he was able to make a lifelong living doing what he loved. Sometimes it was on the stage, and other times it was behind the scenes, but he was able to pay his bills and live a happy life through music.
Modern musicians have an advantage that my father never had. In the past, musicians had to deal with record companies as middlemen in order to get their music heard, but now through the internet, music can easily reach the entire world. In many ways, it is easier now than ever for aspiring musicians.“
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The Greatest Songs of All Time, Like Ever
What is the Greatest Song Of All Time, and why is it “Fish Heads”?*
Support Life And Music seeks to transform the musical world into a safer, less treacherous, more survivable place, and part of that mission is to communicate the fundamental human need for music and its creators, benefitting us as individuals and for our shared global cultures. There are songs that have transformed and inspired multitudes across generations. The “Greatest Songs of All Time, Like Ever” S.L.A.M. column will present musings/essays/articles/quotes on the most awesome, important, and culturally impactful songs ever released.
Music is life, blood, intellect, heart, and soul.
More than the music itself, though, as recordings of notes in patterns and rhythms, it’s the connection and impact of music that is transcendental, that is important, that is vital. People only bond on emotional levels with four things: other living beings, visuals, stories, and – – music.* Each of those kinds of connections feels unique; e.g.: your deep fandoms for Spider-Man (or Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Bernie Sanders, Sydney Sweeney, Martin Scorsese, Bridget Jones, Robin Williams, your cat, etc.) are not the same as your swooning for your favorite songs. It’s this blissful connection that we wish to discuss and understand better. Rapturous musical affinity doesn’t require greatness or grandeur; you can feel something in your bones for a jingle or a ringtone. But the momentary endorphin rush of a pleasant or catchy melody can’t be equated to the profound experience of one of the GSoATLE. These are the songs which change our lives, and which change our shared society.
So, to answer one of the questions in your mind: what will qualify a song for analysis in this series? Topping Billboard charts? Grammy Awards? Getting played at weddings and/or funerals? When every drunk in the bar sings along to it on the jukebox? Covered by Kidz Bop? Must the “Best Song” recipient be some kind of enduring cultural phenomenon, or can it be an obscure personal favorite? Well, none of the above would disqualify a song from this feature. . . But no. S.L.A.M.’s chief writer and founder, Jack Mangan, along with guest writers, will be identifying the GSoATLE by more intangible qualities, a sense of widespread human resonance to them, songs that appear to be profoundly and enduringly meaningful to a large number of people. The criteria for inclusion will not be based on anyone’s personal tastes, although biases will come through in the analyses.
So, “The Macarena” and its dance have been inescapable since it was unleashed in the 1990s. Will that be covered? Probably not, but you’ll just have to keep reading to find out. . . “Beat It” was a massive phenomenon when it hit; will it be listed as a GSoATLE? Or is “Eat It” more worthy? Beethoven’s “Fur Elise?” “Stairway to Heaven?” “Respect?” “Hey Jude?” “Rhapsody in Blue?” “Fight the Power?” “Just a Friend?” (RIP Biz Markie) “Islands in the Stream?” “Smells Like Teen Spirit” “Imagine?” “The Salaminizer?” “Theme from ‘Star Wars?’” “Superstition?” “Free Bird!!”
Feel free to make suggestions. And please, keep reading and keep listening.
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*The Barnes and Barnes classic absurdity was a Dr. Demento favorite.
**Forgive me if you feel like food and drink should be in this list. I won’t discount the culinary as an artform; I just think a plate of amazing food is too far afield from the things I listed.
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Brian Wilson – “I feel really grateful that I get to do what I do”
Brian Wilson is one of the most exciting young Heavy Metal drummers in the world, notably backstopping Yngwie Malmsteen, Night Demon, Hellwitch, and a number of other bands. I caught up with him backstage in 2022 and asked him what he’d tell his younger self about the music life.
“I would tell my younger self to just keep at it. Touring and being a part of the music industry is not for everybody. It’s not comfortable, there’s a lot of luxuries that you have to forego, unfortunately, to be a part of it, but I knew when I was younger, the only thing I wanted to do was be in a band and play music, so that’s all I aspired to do, my whole life, and I found a lot of roadblocks along the way. What you really have to do, is you have to find like-minded people, people who share the same goal as you, people who share the same dreams as you, and if you don’t have that, then it might not work out. . . Or you can go for it as much as you want, but you gotta find the right people. And that’s what I struggled with for a long time, but I kinda think that if you are that relentless about it, just keep going and just do it. If you keep trying, you’re gonna fail, and you’re gonna fail again, but eventually you might make it. Not everybody, unfortunately, makes it to the top, but I personally feel really grateful that I get to do what I do. I’m very grateful to be out here with Hellwitch playing alongside Wraith, Exciter, and Midnight
If I were to talk to myself when I was 13 and I was like, ‘You’re gonna be on tour with Exciter when you’re older,’ I’d say, ‘You’re fucking crazy.’
“Also, an important thing to remember is that not everyone’s going to like it. And you should expect that when you put yourself out there, you should be doing it for yourself at the end of the day. If it’s good, people will recognize it, but it’s impossible to please everybody, you gotta please yourself first.” -
Bjorn Englen – There’s Not Only One Way to Make It
Bass virtuoso, Bjorn Englen, has played with the best of the best: Yngwie J. Malmsteen, Tony MacAlpine, Uli Jon Roth, Quiet Riot, and the amazing Dio Disciples. I spoke with him for a few minutes in 2025 on the Metal Hall of Fame gala red carpet and asked him to give some advice for young musicians. This is what he had to say:
“A lot of it comes to down to: people forget about the old school of doing things, playing in a band, playing together. . . Start putting posters up. Nobody does that anymore. They will be seen, but nobody does it. It goes back to basics. There’s not only one way to make it, keep that in mind. Think outside the box. Be creative when it comes promotion and all that stuff.” -
dUg Pinnick of King’s X
King’s X are often cited as one of the most underappreciated bands of all time. I had the opportunity to chat with their iconic bassist and lead vocalist, dUg Pinnick, for the release of their 2022 album, “Three Sides of One.” He had this to say about the future of music:
“I don’t know where it’s going, but I know that. . . kids are pulling in information from everywhere they can that touches them, moves them, and wants them to create it, and there’s crazy stuff coming out. And I encourage it. My only problem is: learn to write a great song. Then you win.”
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Biff Byford of Saxon
Biff Byford just turned 74 at the start of 2025. He joined his first band in 1965, then became Saxon’s lead vocalist in 1975, and has been performing and pushing his voice to the limits ever since. He’s an icon of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement. He spoke about musician longevity in a 2022 Metal Asylum interview with Jack Mangan.
https://www.saxon747.com/Jack Mangan: You know, I won’t name any names, but there are some of these guys who sounded great 30 years ago, but don’t sound so great today. I saw Saxon on the Priest tour; you guys sounded as fresh and invigorating as ever, so my hat is off to you for that.
Biff Byford: Yeah, my voice is good at the moment. I was singing today, actually, going through a few things . . . I usually set up a microphone and play some songs through the PA and sing along to them. That’s how I keep my voice. You know, it’s a muscle, the voice, so you have to exercise it a lot. It’s a shame I don’t exercise everything else the same, but you have to keep the main muscle that forges your career. But yeah, generally just keep using it, and don’t abuse it with too much hard liquor and drugs, really. I don’t really do any of that. I suppose my worst would be a bit of red wine now and again and sometimes a rum or rum cocktail or something if we’re out partying. But generally, I’m not sort of puking into the toilet bowl drunk. Much. (laughs)
Image from Saxon’s official website. Credit sought.