View from the Catwalk January 2009

Guitar Hero

For those about to rock, my new XBOX band, "The Killer Koala's" and I - salute you.

At our first gig, the battle of the bands on Christmas day with my kids in the upstairs loft, the Koalas crashed and burned. Being booed off the stage by animated XBOX dudes is a bummer but having a can of whoop-ass opened on your head by your kids is down right humiliating.

Why am I so "bloody awful"? I know all the songs. Most of them are from the 70's & 80's. Songs I grew up with. I've sang most of them in the shower and can play some of them on a real guitar (the ones with less than 4 chords). I thought making the transition to the digital stage would be a piece of cake. I guess I'm not a guitar hero after all.

On the other side of the 45, why are the kids so good? The original guitar heros that played the songs have grand children older than my kids. The songs are totally new to them but surprisingly they pick them up so quick. Their "face-melting" lead solo's brings the XBOX house down every night and my 11-year old is close to signing a record deal.

The answer of course is continuous practice. Kids play with an enthusiasm for learning and the challenge of performing to their best ability. There's also a lot of competitive spirit and the incentive for house bragging rights. I, on the other hand, got booed off the stage because I hadn't practiced. I thought my karaoke and shower singing experience from the old days would suffice.

"Glory days, yeah they pass you by, Glory days..."

When it comes to selecting people to work in the casino industry, what is better? Experience or enthusiasm. For me, it's enthusiasm. Hands down.

In a perfect world, both are great to have. I respect people who have worked in the casino industry for years and have shared their experience and enthusiasm to assist the growth and performance of the industry, their organization and colleagues. (Note the word shared) I've been lucky enough to meet some great people in our business that strive to do great things with a passion that inspires. Some of these people just love the smell of napalm in the morning. Unfortunately, however, not everyone appreciates the jungle.

From my experience, enthusiasm, self motivation, passion and drive have a better chance of converting to performance and results. Experience bottled up in a person's head doesn't always convert to performance especially if there is no drive or if they are "out of tune". If you're not a good lip-syncher, continuous learning & practicing is the key if you want to be a real rock star and guitar hero.

"Welcome to the Jungle"
Enjoy the game

Willy J. Allison
willy@worldgameprotection.com