I know the Bouncing Souls are busy with touring at the moment, but I feel like I need some help just now. Me and my best friend have know each other for as long as I can remember, but it was only when he moved away that we really became best friends. He was visiting recently and it felt great to see him, but as soon as he leaves, he sends me an email saying that he likes me more than a friend, and I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to ruin our friendship, but I think I like him as more than a friend too. I’m really confused and I’m just looking for some advice. Thanks for your time – Erin

Erin,
If you have been best friends that long, you know all the ingredients to being best friends. For example, communication is one of the most important. There should be no danger of losing that level of friendship, especially by boldly going through a new level of experience together. Don’t do or say hurtful things, be honest with each other all the way through, now follow your hearts and see if it is meant to be more. I live by the old adage of “it’s better to regret something you have done than to regret something you haven’t.” Just be careful not jeopardize the friendship, nothing should if you proceed with respect to each others’ feelings along the way. This could be the beginning of a beautiful romance, who knows? You decide if you want to go there.

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Hey Brian…..

Thank you,
Colin Osmond

Colin-
Check out “Book Your Own Fucking Life” – it’s MRR’s how-to zine on setting up shows and booking your own tours. It also contains a list of places to play, and stay, on tour. There are so many resources out there like this one, especially now with the internet at your fingertips. More likely than not, there are other local bands at your level who you can play shows with. Keep working together with these bands and you’ll slowly build a solid scene, there’s strength in numbers. Build a network of connections with other people involved in the scene; zines, bands, etc. For every show you play, put out a notebook and take names. Let everyone know when and where you’re playing. (If you watch our DVD, you’ll see a lot of footage of our early days and how we did it.) You have to be relentless and never stop working on improving the band. Keep making better music and better merchandise, If you get good enough, eventually the world will pay attention. Make getting that good job one, it really is about the music first. Don’t wait around for help from anyone, welcome it if comes, but spend your time doing it yourself so you’re not wasting time. If you really mean it, your enthusiasm will show and become infectious, stick with it and inevitable the band will grow. Good luck my man!
Thanks dude.

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okay so this isnt really an advice question…but i do need your help, im looking to get another souls tattoo on my body to accompany the broken heart and crossbones on my hip, but i want to look at your original art cuz i was thinking of maybe the butterfly with nyc skyline…i dunno, but i know that you guys used to have your original artwork on the website, what happened to it? i miss it and that makes me sad, what also makes me sad is that when i saw you guys at the corner hotel in melbourne, you did a little rendition of hey ya! i hear that song at least 3 times a night when i go out here, and i was hoping that my jersey boys would give me an outkast free night to keep me sane, but at least you made fun of yourselves afterwards i guess… hmmmm…. i will get over it eventually… okay any help you could give would be sweet
cheers, sharon

Sharon,
I know, we somehow lost the “ART SECTION” on the site when we changed it over. I am working on getting a new one back up, but have been so busy with touring, just haven’t gotten it back up. A lot of the designs I have made for the Souls make good tattoos. I recently got the anchor/heart’ design from Anchors Aweigh tattooed on my wrist, Pete got it on his arm and Michael got it on his leg. If you want to consider the butterfly design, it is on the liner notes of the self-titled album/CD. The broken heart with skyline makes a nice tattoo also, and check out www.bouncingsouls.com/photos.html. There is a “Tattoo Gallery” there of people’s Souls tattoos. Remember that the tattoo is about you, so I can’t really give advice as to which design is best for you. I can only say to make sure you find a good artist to do it because you get what you pay for, and I assume you want a nice tattoo, it is forever after all. I just got a Hot Water Music tattoo done on my wrist/hand while in Australia, by Jane at Chapel Tattoo, in Melbourne. I love Hot Water Music, but the tattoo is more of a reminder of this era of my life, and a symbol of new inspiration, and things worth believing in. Long after the Souls and Hot Water are gone, these tattoos will carry that meaning. Don’t be sad about that little 20-second blurb of Outkast, we’re just having a laugh, nothing to take seriously. Hay-yaaah! (hehehe!)
Hope this helps,
Yer pal, Bryan