If Spinal Tap was made into a computer game sim management game for the disenchanted music lovers of rock'n'roll, it would probably be called Rock Manager.
So today you probably heard about the untimely death of the drummer of rock group Feeder. Welsh born rock star, Jon Lee, 33, is to believed to have committed suicide. Feeder's manager Matt Page said, "I have known Jon for 12 years... he was the life of the party and had no history of depression or mental illness."
Lee's sudden death is the latest in a series of rock suicides. Last week Zac Foley, 31, the bassist of EMF was found dead in England. Stuart Adamson. 43, the front man of Big Country and former guitarist for punk band The Skids, was found hanged in his Hawaii hotel room in December.
Let's face it, living the rock lifestyle is a difficult thing and very few can cope with the pressure. Almost Famous? Well, not unless you happen to look like Kate Hudson and you don't mind splitting up the Black Crowes. Party pooper!
Life goes on and some even say rock'n'roll never dies. How weird is that? It's no surprise that the recent rock suicides serve as an ironic twist leading up to the much hyped computer game release entitled Rock Manager. After all, there's no business like the rock'n'roll business. Just look at Aerosmith. Steve Tyler has a lot to answer for.
Rock Manager challenges music biz wannabees to develop a successful rock or pop act. The game features "right on" cartoon-style characters and different musical styles such as rock, pop, hip-hop, thrash metal, punk, nu metal, electonica and even country & western.
The objective is to recruit band members, record an album and make a hit record - all the things a real band manager would do. The game features 9 characters including a shy musical genius who has no charisma, and a gangster's spoilt, prima-donna daughter who happens to be ugly and untalented.
Sounds familiar?
"The critics got together and they started a game, you get your records for nothing and you call each other names" - The Death of Rock'n'Roll / Todd Rundgren
The official Rock Manager homepage
For what it's worth, don't smash your Bob Dylan albums... because the rest, my friend, is entirely interactive, rock solid and filled with distortion. If White Stripes were the new Shaggs, they'd probably want to play Rock Manager.