THE MUSIC FACTORY: CRANKING OUT THE TUNES – JOSH (THOMAS1 BELLIC) REPORTING

Soooo…I was hopping around the Grid the other day, looking to see if anyone was having fun without me in SecondLife, and  I dropped square into THIS place.  According to the promo,  The Music Factory is billed as “SL's Premier Multi-Genre & Live Music Venue", owned and operated by veteran  SL'er, Wilson "Bluesdaddy" Camino”.  Here I met the friendly and outgoing Camino, as he was prepping for his next set.  Still, he managed to spare a few minutes to answer my questions.  He described The Music Factory as one of SL's hottest destinations. They are Multi-Genre and Newcomer Friendly, with DJs who play Blues, Jazz, Rock, R&B, Soul, and Pop. Confident in his own abilities as a DJ, Camino’s profile states “I have no doubt, there's no better Blues  DJ in SL**”

Josh (Thomas1 Belllic) (JB)    Hi Wilson.  Thanks for agreeing to chat with me.  Let me ask, how did you come up with the idea for “The Music Factory”?

Wilson Camino (WC):  I initially planned to stay working at The Fix, but when you've been an owner, working for someone else was unsatisfying, and since this isn't my first rodeo, (I previously owned The Blues Barn) and it was moderately successful, I decided the best move going forward was to carve out a place for the vision I had. I have my Muse, Mysti, and she and I went looking for a facility to start out this endeavor with, and we went to numerous places that sell buildings, we initially planned to do something with garage, but after we went to M-C Creations, we came across this building, although it was in its original form.

JB:  What is it that makes “The Music Factory” different from any other music venue out there?

WC:  First, we do have a heavy blues influence here, that's mainly my fault. It turns out we ended up with an excellent staff, one I'm very proud of, and individuals in our roster don't limit themselves to strictly one genre, they are all very talented and have the ability to mix genres. I take great pride in that, and we have Jazz Mondays, and each day of the week we sponsor different spins on what the days' music will bring.

JB:  Did you build this all by yourself, or do you have a partner or assistant who helps out?

WC:  The building and all the work on the grounds here and over the bowling alley were done by my good friend Magda 1851, who is the builder of the original building we bought to house the club. She's been brought into our group as well, and every revision we did since we opened, she's created, she's amazing and wonderful. I believe as things now sit, we are fully willing to embrace change if needed, but I don't believe we can make it any better here.

JB:   Are you a Blues musician in RL as well?

WC:  I knew this was going to come up, lol. I play guitar, I'm not in a band or anything. I don't know if it matters, I have 8 guitars, and I'm building up a collection. What I do have, is a stunning music collection, and I've been collecting music I loved since childhood, and it continues to reflect my sets in what I play.

JB:  You seem to be able to handle groups of varying sizes with a couple of dance floors.  Tell me about the layout here?

WC: Good question, at one time, this was just the building, and it had support columns, and obstructions galore, so I went and asked Magda to do a revision and she removed all the columns and removed gates that were across the stage. We operated with just the original building for a while, but the need to use the land behind the club led to the present configuration, and Magda redesigned the back of the building, (opened it up) and built it with the upper dance floor, the amphitheater seating area, and the fences around the premises. She also took on doing the grounds, front, back, and around the bowling alley. The idea was to offer a variety of settings for our VIP's, both inside, and outdoors.

JB:  What can visitors expect when they drop into The Music Factory? 

WC:  They should expect entertainment, friendly staff, and great conversation, we try as much as possible to have Hosts along with the DJs so guests can expect to be greeted and made welcome. Also, innovations- we have SL's first couples and singles dance balls shaped like guitars, there's a single neck I had made for singles, and a double-neck made for couples. I also had remote stands built for the dances and to keep things similar, they also feature the double-neck for couples and a single neck for single folks. I have subscribers for all the DJs so people don't have to use group space to keep up with their favorites, they can tap a Subscriber and keep up with all the news and schedules.

JB:   So, tell me, Wilson? Do you have any special events coming up? If so, what can guests expect there?

WC:  We have events every Saturday evening, we've done Ice skating, roller derby, costumes, and others and there's always a prize. this week, we are having a tin foil hat contest, lmao. They're all for fun, and they always generate a good crowd. We also have Formal Fridays, and everyone likes the excuse to dress up.

JB:  Tell us about your staff?   How many people does it take to keep an operation like this running?

WC:  I think, at least for my part, I have the best staff in SL. I co-own the club, I learned early on delegation is a wonderful thing. Aster,(my co-owner) and I strive to have a stable roster, unlike many other clubs, I pay a salary and tips, and everyone keeps 100% of what they make. It helps a lot, folks like stable too, and they come back looking for their favorite staff. Right now, we have 2 owners, a pair of host managers, and we are looking for others. At last count 15 DJ's, and 12 Hosts.

JB:  How can people find out what is happening here?  Where do you post your Schedule of Events?

WC:  We have event boards all over here, and right outside the front door there's one, we always update them as soon as possible. We also have a Facebook page, and were recently in the Destination Guide.

JB:  Is there anything else you would like to share with our SL Readers?

WC:  Folks, there's the old way of doing things, and our way. Come by and hang out a spell, you'll have a great time, and you'll have found a new home for your entertainment needs. We appreciate all our guests, and we welcome all newcomers to SL, and those just looking for something new. We are the home of' great times, great tunes, and great vibes for unstable minds". We also have plans to have charity kiosks and events here, For NAMI, Run For Life, and others in SL.

So there ya have it, Folks.  If ya’ll are looking for a place with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, a friendly, engaging staff, and some really kick-ass DJs, come check out The Music Factory at the SURL below.

Be There.  Aloha!

JB

SURL:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Warbunton/69/221/44