May 25, 2000
A Personal Message From the Webmaster:

My direction in the creation and maintenance of Venice Central has always emanated from a publicist's sensibilities, rather than a fan's.  This site is designed not just to keep Venice fans up to date on the band's activities, but to cultivate new fans as well.  I spend a lot of time donating news items to other webpages, pointing out duets and cover songs to webpages devoted to the other involved artists, and requesting links back, leading people over here.  My belief is that once a music fan winds up on this page, they can't help but fall in love with Venice's music.  And I've received stacks of e-mail in the past two years that tell me this is exactly what is happening.

The main key to this strategy is the audio clips.  If a casual music fan is curious about a band, how are you going to convince them they'd like the music?  By showing them pictures or tour dates?  Of course not.  They have to hear the songs.  However, I am very careful when it comes to album cuts.  I have a very strict policy of giving away no more than one verse and one chorus of any given song.  Just enough to give you a feel for what the song is, and then leave you wanting more.  Occasionally, I get e-mailed requests for entire songs or albums, and my response is always the same, that my intention is to promote the band, not to rip them off, and if you want more, you should go to a store and pay for it.

The audio clips for Venice's new Holland release "Two Meter Sessies" did more than provide song samples for the soon-to-be-Venice-fan.  It created awareness of an album that Americans would not have otherwise known existed.  I provided links to online music stores where the album could be ordered, and I've recently learned that Venice Central is directly responsible for several hundred copies of this album being sold to American fans.  That may not be record-breaking, but I like to think it's significant.

So it saddened me to learn yesterday that the publishers of this album are furious with me for having put these clips online.  They demand that I immediately remove the "Two Meter Sessies" page.  I admit, I find it difficult to understand why they believe that promoting an album impedes its sales.  My suspicion is that the Napster debate has created a Salem Witch Trial attitude towards the internet, and a paranoid belief that any online audio is hurtful.  That's not what I'm doing here.  I do not give albums away, and I never will.  So I am upset by the label's opinion that my work is damaging to the band.  However, it is also my policy to always work in cooperation with Venice and their record labels, so I regretfully comply with their wishes.

You can still purchase Venice's "Two Meter Sessies" album at the following stores:  AOR Heaven, Rockhouse Records, and Plato On-Line.  You'll have to take my word for it that the sound quality and performances are excellent.  Unfortunately, that's all I'm allowed to give you.


May 23, 2000
Vanguard Records has just informed me that they've run out of stickers.  Thanks for the great response, and to those who didn't respond quickly enough, we apologize for the inconvenience.  Now, let's go take some pictures!


May 12, 2000
In case you weren't already aware, Venice released a new album this week, in Holland only.  It's called "Two Meter Sessies," and it contains 16 studio recordings, acoustic versions of songs from "Born and Raised" and "Spin Art" (plus a hidden track, CSN's "Woodstock").  You can order this album from AOR Heaven, but first, go listen to audio clips here.  Thanks to Rene Steenbergen for the CD cover scans, and to Marius Suiker for the "Woodstock" clip.

Also of note, Billboard Magazine published a very nice article about Venice in last week's issue.  As is my policy, I've waited until the issue left newsstands before posting.  Now, you can read it here.


May 10, 2000
Hey, anyone want free Spin Art stickers, and a chance to win a free Spin Art machine?  Of course you do!
So click here for details.