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What It Really Takes to Stay a Working Musician
Description
Staying a working musician for 30-plus years is harder than most people think — and Rick Menary has lived every part of it. In this episode of The Riff, we sit down with Rick, singer, guitarist, and co-founder of the Toronto blues rock band The Spitfire Kings, for one of the most honest conversations about the music life you'll hear anywhere.
Rick shares how a childhood Kiss performance sparked everything, how he learned to sing by screaming Led Zeppelin at full volume in an empty house, and the exact moment he knew music was going to be his life. He breaks down the real challenges of building a band — finding the right people, keeping personalities aligned, and surviving the long road from garage rehearsals to paying gigs.
Then there's the story you have to hear: the time his band drove all the way to Newfoundland, got fired after two nights because the wrong promoter pitched them as a Top 40 band, blew the motor on the truck driving home, got stuck in a snowstorm, and had to call their dads for credit cards just to survive. If you've ever wondered why the music business is brutal, this is your answer.
Rick also delivers genuinely practical advice: how to use Facebook, YouTube, and booking agents to get your first real gigs, why versatility is the most underrated skill a working band can have, the iPad debate for live performers, and why band politics never fully disappear — they just get easier to manage with age.
Plus, hosts Gary O'Brien and Jeremy Green break down the surprisingly dark underbelly of the classic '80s hit "Let's Hear It for the Boy," and the team samples authentic Thai cuisine from PAI Northern Thai Kitchen, one of Toronto's most acclaimed restaurants.
Whether you're a musician, a music lover, or someone building something creative in Toronto — this one's for you.
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PAI Northern Thai Kitchen — 18 Duncan Street, Toronto (Theatre District) | 2355 Yonge Street, Toronto (Yonge-Eglinton)
https://www.painorthern.com
CHAPTERS
0:00 Welcome to The Riff — Episode 2 Intro
1:30 The Passive-Aggressive '80s Song Nobody Noticed
8:00 Introducing Guest Rick Menary
9:30 How Kiss Changed Rick's Life at Age 10
13:00 Learning to Sing by Screaming at Full Volume
16:00 From Garage Band to Paying Gigs
20:00 Why Most Bands Never Make It
24:00 The Newfoundland Disaster Story
30:00 How to Book Gigs: Practical Advice for New Bands
36:00 The iPad Debate: Is It Cheating to Use One on Stage?
41:00 Reading the Crowd and Adapting Your Set List
44:00 Toronto Food Break: PAI Northern Thai Kitchen
48:00 Band Politics and Keeping the Peace
51:00 Passing the Torch: Musical Kids and Father-Son Jams
55:00 New Music Worth Knowing: Polyphia and Landreth Brothers
59:00 Toronto Events This Week and Show Wrap-Up
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