If You Can’t Help Your Own . . . (plus new video)

The title of this blog is the name of the sixth track of Damn Right, Rebel Proud , still waiting to be released by Curb Records.

Truth is I’m a little pissed right now, and I’m sorry this shit is so long, but that’s the way it is.

Just like everyone else I’m eager for the new tour dates to come out and the tour to start, but SOME people are crossing a line that I’m not comfortable with. This is one comment I pulled off the Hank III MySpace site:

“Cancelled Again??? WHAT THE FUCK!!! This is twice now I’ve bought tickets and the show has cancelled. Do you really expect people to buy tickets in advance anymore after this shit? Who’s your fuckin manager? Are you shitheads in REHAB? Maybe you should buy a fuckin ice cream truck and quit the music biz!”

I’ve seen similar sentiments in other comments and on the Hank III message board, and I’m sure people are sending him messages like this directly.

Now I’ll be the first to tell you, I am frustrated too how the whole tour thing has been handled. In fact my ass was thrown under the bus for posting dates before they were ‘official,’ even though the way I confirmed all my dates was to make sure tickets were for sale. Are tickets not ‘official?’ I don’t know how this was my fault and not III’s booking manager’s. I also don’t know why III hasn’t ever been on Conan or Letterman or Leno or Austin City Limits or any of those places. I myself have open questions about the dudes III’s got in charge of promoting him.

BUT DON’T SPEW YOUR FUCKING VENOM AT III !!

You really want him to quit the music business? That’s the same thing Curb Records wants him to do, AND THAT’S WHERE YOU NEED TO SPEW YOUR VENOM !

Because if you can’t take care of your own . . .

Listen, I don’t know Hank III personally, but I know that the dude is a workaholic. There probably ain’t nobody itching more to see III back out on the road than III. And he may not be a perfectionist, but he wants to make sure the shit is right, and like the ‘official’ word from the Hank III camp said, they’re working in a new drummer.

Maybe the tour dates will come out tomorrow. Maybe the whole band quit and he’s having to find all new people. Maybe they finally got the album through the courts and they’re waiting to go on tour once it’s released. I really don’t fucking know and a little part of me thinks its none of our business. All I can say without knowing the exact reason is that I know its a good one.

And I know Hank III needs out help, not our hate.

In Tim Pop’s last podcast, he talked about how Straight to Hell could’ve been a groundbreaking album in music history if it was promoted right by Curb, and I agree with him. This is not because it was some super special country album. It was great, but the greatest thing about it was that he was showing punks & metalheads what country IS SUPPOSED TO BE!

Straight to Hell was the first major label country album to carry an explicit lyrics label. Think about that. But aside from the music, I think that one of the reasons Hank III made that album was because he’d been rebuked by the country music establishment. So he was going back to his punk metal roots, where he knew he had friends. And the last thing I want to see is those friends and fans turn on his ass.

The reason I don’t just write stuff only about Hank III here, but also about other artists, old and new, is because if REAL country music, or all underground music, is ever going to survive is if we all join forces. Think of it as a revival or a gathering of tribes. And the kind of shit some people are saying only helps to divide us.

SO IF YOU CAN’T HELP YOUR OWN, SHUT THE FUCK UP !!!

I’ve also seen some people asking what the problem is with the new album, which is the reason we all need to redouble out efforts in getting the word out about that.

I’ve said enough.

If you have not seen this video yet, it is an EXCELLENT interview with Hank III. The chick doing the interview wants to get in his pants so bad she can taste it, but she actually does a real good job, which I can’t say about most of the people who’ve interviewed him. But in this he talks about looking for a new drummer, the situation involving the album, the fact that he’s a workaholic, how he’s looking for people to ‘help him out’ (which is what inspired me to start this thing,) and other great stuff.

Hank III interviewed in Atlanta / Stonecold TV
..

This is also a BRAND NEW video posted on Hank III’s Official YouTube Page . Check it out:

I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that III’s ‘Status’ has switched to ‘single.’ Hehe.