wStoned Out Loud
As the Rolling Stones began their tour while welching on the more than quarter of a million dollar deal they made with my Friend, I started this e-Blogazine journal to document some of my experience of the fallout, and to create a forum for discussion and resources to reform the Music Industry. May Artists, Musicians, and Free People everywhere find it useful.


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wWednesday, August 07, 2002

Stones Tour Fraud 9 - My Say prelude; "He won't call here today."


"He won't call here today."

When Delene was down there working on the WAAF contest questions, she offerred to go into NY to Raindrop's offices and Jane Rose's office where the contract is supposedly awaiting her inspection and signature. Again Mike Decaro put her off for the umpteenth time. As I said before, every time Delene asks to be paid for her time, there is always some excuse.

Welcome to the world of the Music Bidness, Delene. Mike Decaro's are legion here.

When Delene returned home after enduring I95 North Construction gridlock in her non-air-conditioned car from Stamford to Guilford, it was around 5:45pm (she left around 1 or 1:30 she said). She went to the computer, got online and began to plough through her email. I asked if little Mary Sunshine was gonna be calling and calling and calling and calling again tonite.

"He won't call here today." she flatly stated. "He won't call unless he has some money for me."

At about 11:10pm the phone rang.

For the first 40 seconds, Delene explained we had been having problems with the internet line, so what is normally the voice line has been busy being used for the internet. The 2nd line, normally used for the internet, is ok to use with the phone, just not the computer, so People have been calling that number instead.

Mick has both numbers.

For the next 10 minutes Delene reiterated the first 40 seconds of the call, when she could get a word in edgwise.

For the next 20 minutes after that, Delene explained (I counted four times) that she was tired and going to bed. (She was, and she did).

I later asked her: I had heard the first 10 minutes of the repeated 40 second explanation of the phone deal, which any 4 year old could grasp the first time.

And I had heard the last 20 minutes of the phone conversation in which she emphasised that she was retiring for the evening. But I had not heard her address any content for the conversation. Was there any reason he called, any burning, pressing issue that made him call her after 11 o'clock at night, something that just had to be discussed NOW, something that could not wait?

"Was there any content to his call, at all?"

"No, he just had some minutes left on his cell phone he wanted to 'burn'," she answered.

Nice.

How kind.

How considerate.

What a real Prince of a guy.

I'll bet the Rolling Stones are proud to have such a go-getter, such a People Person, on their staff. (the "Rolling" link above will take You to the "Official" fan club deal where you can buy tickets. I linked the word "Rolling" because the Stones seem to be rolling all over my Friend. Click it. Buy a ticket. See the show. Have fun. But do me a favor. When You go, maybe get a little chant going: "Pay Delene. Pay Delene. Don't be mean. Pay Delene." She deserves it. She's put up with this shit since april, and quite frankly, 2500 bucks a week ain't enough to babysit the likes of "Mick" Decaro. Not in my opinion.

Also btw, the stonestour site commissioned by Decaro isn't real fancy at the moment, one might notice (It's a mockup at a free hosting place...the commercial version would have to be hosted with it's own registered domain, etc.) If You were not being paid to do it, just how fancy would You make it? Who works for free?

I guess You get what You pay for. Or not. Raindrop. (or should I say, Musidor?)


posted by gathering moss at 9:15 AM




w

Stones Tour Fraud 8 - My Say prelude; Manual Spell Checking for Idiots with MS-Word


Manual Spell Checking for Idiots with MS-Word

Btw, before I forget, the day after Trooper Trott's visit Delene went down to Mick's to work on the contest questions...WAAF is running a contest to award some lucky fan a concert nite with the stones themselves. She slept on the Decaro's couch overnite, spell-checked his questions (idiot-stick Mick claims his MS-Word installation won't let it send him if the spelling isn't right...maybe (probably) he's got the settings fu-barred, but, duh...he don't know how to use the built-in spell-checker? No...just that his consciousness generally is so soaked with alcohol and methadone that he doesn't have the focus do so, that's my speculation), and played taxi to him half the day.

She took him to the bank to cash a sizeable check. He did not offer to pay her anything. He did not offer to pay for her gas to go down there, or back. He did not offer to pay for any mileage. He did not pay her one red cent.

Oh, he did buy her a pack of cigarettes.

Yes, he did buy her a sandwich at McDonalds.

Big spender.

How many packs of cigarettes has Delene purchased with her money from her disability check for Mike Decaro? Many.

How many meals at McDonalds had Delene bought for Mick since April? Quite a few.

So, in addition to the accumulated back pay at $2500 per week, plus 1 and 1/2 percent interest on balances due past 30 days going back to April 1 2002, the Rolling Stones owe my Friend and housemate Delene for some packs of cigarettes that went into Mike Decaro's lungs.

And quite a few chicken sandwiches eaten by Mike Decaro, as well.

So far, I must say, I am singularly unimpressed with the Rolling Stones fiduciary responsibility.

So far, I must say, I am singularly unimpressed with the company Keith Richards keeps.

Hey, Keith. If You are going to have a pet, why not keep him on a leash? He's been pissing all over my Friend Delene.

As for financial responsibility, Mick Jagger is reputed to be a good businessman. Is this how You made Your money, Sir Jagger? By screwing Your contractors?

Time will tell. Gonna be a helluva tour, I'm sure.


posted by gathering moss at 8:53 AM




w

Stones Tour Fraud 7 - My Say prelude; Interlude


Interlude


"Mick" just called again tonite at 4am. Delene was in bed asleep like most normal People. I was up working on the web like the geek I am. I told him this was much too late to call, and just hung up and turned-off the ringer.

I guess I don't need to tell You, You've probably guessed by now: Mick Decaro has been told at least 842 times in the last 4 months not to call after normal business hours, by Delene. If he were actually living up to his part of the work arrangement (umm, by actually Paying her as agreed , contracting for her time on behalf of the Rolling Stones) with my Friend Delene it might be a different story. He doesn't know how lucky he is to have her even still speaking to him, in my opinion.

If I were a Lawyer I would supoena Decaro's LUDs and ...ah, well not yet, not yet. All in due time.

I've been up all night working and have to crash now. I'll pick up the narrative with A False Report - Continued later.


posted by gathering moss at 8:24 AM




w

Stones Tour Fraud 6 - My Say prelude; A False Report


A False Report

Three nites before I called the Police, Delene and I were watching a movie on DVD. I think it was The Fifth Element, one of my favourites. Anyway, Mick called about 3 minutes into it (we didn't sit down to start watching it until after 10:30pm as I recall). Delene told him, basically, that she was busy, but would call him in the morning. Mick wouldn't let it go at that. Of course not, being Mick .

Now, Delene has an almost infinite patience when babysitting him on the phone...she just doesn't want to face the fact that some folks are that rude, inconsiderate, or liars when it comes to making promises to pay for Your time. But she's getting there (everybody learns at their own rate).

She repeated herself to him, at 10 minute intervals, for probably an hour. The message changed from being busy to being tired and going to bed (the fact we were trying to watch a movie was really none of his goddamn business, seeing as how neither Mick, nor the Rolling Stones have lived-up to their obligations they took on when they agreed at the beginning of April to pay her $2500.00 a week for her time working with - babysitting, actually - Mike "Mick" Decaro).

Anyway, Mick kept ringing the phone after Delene concluded the conversation. Finally we unplugged all the phones in the house.

Then we watched the movie. Afterward, Delene went to bed, while I stayed-up working on the internet (I do site design work among other things).

About 1:30 or 1:45, Delene was awakened by the sound of a car in the driveway. She called my attention to it (I was still up working and hadn't heard it), so I flipped on the outside lights and ventured out to see who it was. It was a Connecticut State Police car.

posted by gathering moss at 8:05 AM




w

Stones Tour Fraud 5 - My Say prelude; Patience Runs Out


Patience Runs Out

Anyway Delene came in as the Trooper was trying to get Mike's attention without much success. He was able to get him to pause (by banging the receiver on the table again) long enough to tell him that she had just come in, but that he would not put her on the phone because here hands were full (they were) and that she would call him when she got situated.

Decaro continued to ramble on. The State Trooper was very patient, but he did tell Mike that his patience was wearing thin, and that he had been nice so far, but soon would run out. Relentlessly, Mike (who likes to call himself "Mick" --I guess because it likens him to another Mick (Sir Mick) ) blathered on. Trott had taken him off the speakerphone and was attempting to reason with him. Occasionally, he would pull the phone away from his ear, roll his eyes, and have short conversations with Delene and I.

Finally, out of patience, he said so.

Repeatedly.

Finally, he got Mick to agree not to call again (a 10th time) that nite, and to hang up.

Then Delene and I explained the situation to him, and why I felt obligated to call him to our home for his assistance in dealing with this arrogant heedless putz.

posted by gathering moss at 7:22 AM





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