Episode 3: Where Rock & Roll Meets Content A.I.
A Rock & Roll Feud for the Ages
Today's rock & roll inspiration is slightly different from normal because it's not very old. I'm talking, of course, about the Great War of 2022.
No, not that one - or that other one. I'm talking about the war that broke out on social media between metal band Falling in Reverse's founder and vocalist Ronnie Radke and veteran rock DJ Eddie Trunk.
Yeah, it's ridiculous, but I think the topic they fought over applies to what we do as modern content creators. Before we get to that, let me catch you up on how this battle started. It all began when Falling In Reverse was forced to pull out of a scheduled festival appearance last month.
Radke went on social media to apologize to fans:
"I regret to inform you that we have to cancel, and we have no other option. I'm really...sorry. We walk into rehearsals, and our laptops were missing that we've run all of our show on and stuff, and as you know, as a band in 2022, you need your laptops."
Then, in response, Eddie Trunk posted this message to his Facebook page:
"This is astonishing... First I heard about this I thought it was a joke to wind me up. How much longer are fans, promoters , media, just going to accept the epidemic of live rock shows… not really being live? Paying your hard earned money to see a band play 'live' that's not truly live?! And there are countless bands in 2022 that hone their craft and play live! Tons! New and old !! Including the one that subbed for them in their slot, Jackyl. No laptop needed there! This is just unreal. But at least I give them credit for being honest. Wow. I am closer than ever to launching my own band. And I can't sing or play a note .. simply amazing."
Radke fired back with some other stuff. I'm not going to include all of that. You can find it if you want to. Somehow, Sebastian Bach, the former Skid Row singer, got involved. I don't know why.
Digital Tools and Effects are Here to Stay in Rock & Roll
The main thing I took from all of this was if these guys wanted to have a nuanced conversation about how digital tools are used in modern rock music, they could have done some good for rock & roll. Instead, they woke up an angry Sebastian Bach. Nobody wants that.
I love old-fashioned analog rock and roll, but what does that mean? Sure, some musicians still run a totally analog rig, but at this point, even the old-timers have brought digital effects into their sound profile. Digital effects and sounds date back to the seventies with some of the original synthesizers.
Musicians like Rick Wakeman and Brian Eno used early synthesizers in their music with Yes and Roxy Music, respectively. Eno became a collaborator with David Bowie on the experimental albums known as "Berlin Trilogy." Speaking of Berlin, a whole genre of ambient, experimental electronic rock & roll arose in Germany in the 1970s known as "Kraut Rock." Electronic and digital music continued to meld with traditional rock and roll through the eighties, nineties, and into today.
It's no surprise that modern hard rock and metal bands are incorporating digital technology into their music, both in the studio and live.
Eddie Trunk rails against digital tracks all the time. By that, I think he means vocal tracks with digital enhancements or sometimes even digital recordings or lip-syncing, as it used to be commonly known. He's hated the practice for years, and he talks about it all the time.
I'm sure that's what he means here. Falling In Reverse is not a band I know well, but I listened to them a lot while preparing for this post.
They are a good band with talented musicians.
Digital Automation Improves Live Music Experiences
What bands like Falling in Reverse do that I suspect Trunk doesn't quite understand is to make use of orchestral tracks, layered vocals, and other enhancements that support the sound and experience that fans expect when they see the band live.
Digital technology makes it possible for triggers to be fired to sync up automations of digital sounds and even stage effects. It lets touring bands who might not be able to afford to bring a whole string section or background singers on tour to deliver a sound that resembles their studio recordings.
A recent interview on the Become the Knight YouTube channel featured an interview with Ben McConnelly, a live sound professional who tours with country music artist Kane Brown. He filled us in on what those missing laptops might actually be doing:
"It runs this stuff called timecode, which runs to our pyro guys. It runs to our lighting guys. It runs to all of our players - the piano, the keyboards, the fiddle players, axe (guitar) effects...It's changing the patches. That's all it is for them. It's queuing lights...not all, but most of the pyro stuff with lasers. It's not playing their instruments in any way, shape, or form. Our guys are up there after rehearsing, after putting in all the work, playing the parts."
He continued:
"It's just so they don't have to stare down at a pedalboard and hit multiple (pedals) at once. It just does those simple things. It doesn't take away anything musically from any of our guys...it allows them to be way more entertaining on stage. It allows them to look out in the audience and have a better time. It allows them to purely focus on playing their parts and doing their job, which is entertaining."
The feud between Radke and Trunk is not really important except to illustrate how digital automation and effects support today's live musical artists. It's the effects. It's all the support systems that help great musicians put on a fantastic show.
The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Digital Content
That's where I think we can pull some inspiration from today for content creation. If you're listening to this podcast or reading this post, you're probably a digital content creator or digital marketer. When I talk to content creators, specifically writers and designers, about digital tech like artificial intelligence and machine learning coming into the content world, I often hear negativity and dismissiveness.
There's a reason for that. When A.I. for content first came on the scene a few years ago, the big belief was that writers would be out of a job in five years' time. Further, that brands could save money by eliminating human writers in favor of A.I. content generators. Some tools purport to do that, and they're getting better, but they are just not ready to be put into use without human support.
Just like in a rock and roll show, technology can be used to enhance what good writers and good content creators are already doing today. It won't fully replace it, at least not right now.
A.I. is not going to do all that heavy lifting. It lacks that human understanding and the knowledge and context required for great storytelling. It doesn't have a sense of humor. It doesn't have real emotion.
Marketing Automation
Beyond A.I., perhaps the better comparison to draw between digital technology in rock & roll and digital content would be in the realm of marketing automation.
Tools as simple as MailChimp to as complex and powerful as Marketo and HubSpot allow marketers to set up digital triggers and automation. Sound familiar?
Marketing automation tools help to nurture leads and take care of some of the most time-consuming administrative tasks that go along with modern digital marketing.
What else does this do? It enables marketers and creators to spend more time being creative, educational, engaging, and informative, with less time stuck in an endless task list.
What automation does for rock bands is what marketing automation does for digital marketers. Now, A.I. can do the same for content creators. Though this post focuses primarily on writing, it's a whole new world for A.I. in graphic design and video too.
What can A.I. do for content creators?
One thing that A.I. has gotten good at in content creation is editing and proofreading.
Tools like Grammarly, which I use religiously, use A.I. to find context in text and deliver more accurate suggestions in terms of grammar, tone, clarity, engagement, and delivery. Other apps like Writer have similar functions built-in.
For content writing, A.I. can also do things like create captions and social media descriptions. It can provide insight and recommendations for search engine optimization. It can help with tasks like planning, research, and outlining.
The next time someone asks you for an opinion on A.I. in content, don't be an Eddie trunk. Don't be a Ronnie Radke (although I think he's on the right side of this debate). Look into the nuance and think about how it might be helpful to have a little robot buddy, helping you with your content.
Maria Brink of In This Moment, 2022, Blood 10th Anniversary Tour, Omaha, NE
Halloween Album Pick:
In This Moment’s Blood
At the time of this post's publishing, I got to see the Blood 10th Anniversary Tour from the band In This Moment. I thought it was a fantastic show for Halloween. In This Moment's stage show and performance is always so visually interesting, spooky, and creepy.
Their album Blood came out in 2012, and I would consider it their best. It's certainly their most popular. I've linked to the album on both Apple Music and Spotify. If you like metal, it's great music to get you in the mood for the Halloween season.