Monkee Fan Archive!!

As a way to celebrate the Monkee Fan Experience, we are hosting a table at the Monkee Convention 2014 where we invite Fans to contribute their favorite Monkee moments and histories. The Monkee Fan experience is different from that of any other music group, television show, movie or legend.

We at "Six Degrees of Monkees" want to create an online Fan Archive to include personal histories and stories.  We have created a series of questions, where you can record your experiences.  Everything is ANONYMOUS, so be honest but please share only what you feel comfortable with.

 Click here to contribute your stories to the Monkee Fan Archive.

We would love to compile these responses and may publish quotes on our website and on our Facebook group (etc.)  By contributing here, you are consenting to let us use your words as part of the Monkee Fan Archive.

Alternatively, if you have more to say and would like to contribute to the conversation personally, please comment on the site or find us on Facebook. We are also filming videos of interviews with fans; if you are interested in contributing in that form, please contact us on the blog by commenting!

Again, thank you very much for contributing and sharing great Monkee vibes with other Fans!

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The full link is here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1VSZl45fQU28O5w9dpDezWpD2E_8nXWrd8F12Tmuqupo/viewform

Monkees Convention 2014 Eve!!

We hope that you are all as excited as we are that MonkeeCon is finally here!!

Okay, it starts tomorrow, but this feels just like waiting for Christmas to arrive.

If you are attending, please feel free to stop by our booth & chat with us.

We are planning a great surprise!!

P.S. If you can't be there in person, check out the Live Feed from Monkees.net.

http://www.monkees.net/join-the-monkees-convention-online-with-monkees-net/

Peter will be at the Convention!

The following was posted on Facebook and sent out via email:

A Message from The REAL Peter Tork Facebook Page.

BIG NEWS!!!! Yes, you heard right…. Peter has been able to shift his other commitments to be able to attend part of the Monkees Convention!!! Peter will be there for a LIMITED time, and will be signing autographs onSaturday, March 15 at 2:00pm - 5:00pm ONLY. Peter is very excited that his schedule will now allow him to stop by the convention, even if only for this short time. Peter and his team ask that fans please understand and be aware that Peter will want to try and see as many fans as possible during his short time at the convention. We ask that you please be considerate to your fellow fans so that all may have a chance to say hi to Peter. Enjoy & have a great time at the convention! ~ptfb team

 

Now if you have not been convinced this will be the most amazing weekend ever, we need to retire. 

Don't forget, we have Micky performing Friday, The America's Pop Music Hall of Fame Induction Saturday Morning then Movies of the Mind at night.

Peter Saturday afternoon.  We have the screenings of the NEW Boyce and Hart Movie, WOOOOOOOO. 

Just a reminder, VIP tickets get you in 1 hour prior to lines and gives you assigned seating, VIP will NOT be available at the door.  Tickets purchased day of at the door WILL be 10 dollars more.  We do have tickets available to Nez's Movies of the Minds show Saturday eve.  Remember those tickets are NOT included in admission.

We told you Historic, We told you Monkumental and we meant it.

Check the schedule at the website.

11 DAYS BABY

Get your tickets, see the guests and schedule 

http://www.monkeesconvention2014.com/guests

 

Jodi and Phyllis
Monkees Convention 2014
March 14, 15 and 16th
Sheraton Meadowlands
Be There or Be Square
www.monkeesconvention2014.com

SCHEDULE For Monkees Convention 2014!!

Just got a heads up on the Convention! Full Info on what I got from Here & Now Events:

This is just a preliminary agenda of the weekend of the convention. This does NOT include all the Q and A's or the bands. This is an idea of when the big things are happening. Please note that we are starting the shows earlier due to the amount of entertainment lined up. PLEASE understand performances can change but not altered to a different day.

Friday March 14, 2014
Registration will start at 1pm
Vendor Room will Open at 3pm for VIP 4pm for General Admission.
Ballroom will open at 4pm with entertainment.
6pm Introduction
6:15 Nez Q and A
7:45 Buddy Blanc and Romeo Delight with Special Guest Micky Dolenz will perform.
9:15 Circe Link  and Christian Nesmith along with their band take the stage for a full concert.

Saturday March 15, 2014
Registration 10am
10am Vendor Room will open for VIP 
11am for General Admission.
12 Ballroom will open
12:15 Ceremony for the Induction to the American Pop Music Hall of Fame
Micky Dolenz Q & A , Dolenz Daughters Q & A, performances by Jonathan Nesmith

performing songs from Mother of Winter and The Outer Spaces along with his band and Jessica Nesmith.  Coco Dolenz will perform and in the evening Movies of Mind at 9:30.

Sunday March 16, 2014
You can expect Q & A's from the Nesmith family, Circe and Christian will perform, Here we Come stage show, Tribute to Davy, Rare never seen before videos, and special surprises.

All guests WILL be signing autographs all three days. Professional photo ops will be available as well. There will be performances and Q & A's with the special celebrities throughout the weekend.
We hope this will help in deciding which if not all the days you would like to attend the convention.
VIP is only available on line while limited supplies last.
Movies of the Mind is selling out quickly as this holds only 1000 people total.

There will be sign ups for autographs and photos to avoid lines over the next few weeks.
To ensure you have tickets, please order at the official website monkeesconvention2014.com

 

Next week, even more surprises await all of you.
Be apart of the Monkumental weekend, one that you will NEVER forget.

We hope you can make it!

Cheers,
Then and Now Events

Why Would A Monkee Attend the Conference? Why not?

I hate to send you to a link without a story, so here's a link to Mike's announcement (why does it sound like a slight apology?), what he posted on FB, as posted by the good people at Naked Persimmon:

http://nakedpersimmon.tumblr.com/post/72894541589/the-official-word-from-the-man-himself

And if you are following them, you'll also get their reaction, the best of which is also on their Tumblr, and I quote:

"Nez’s first-ever Monkees Convention, the reality is that there is the potential for things to either go really, really, well…or really, really badly. Which way the pendulum swings will be contingent on a number of factors, of course, but should things end up going south, we do not think it will be because of Nez. "

He seems to be acknowledging the "collector community", which personally, he gets.  He feels slightly awkward about being asked for an autograph and feels bad saying no.  I will point out something here that I think NP was SHYING away from *GASP*.

He hasn't publicly discussed how he will approach the "female fan vibe", which I felt permeated the 2013 Convention. That aspect goes beyond the "autograph seeking" and "personal moment" and even the "fan fervor" that accompanied Monkeemania, circa late 1960's.

Which for me begs the question, how much entertainment can a person get being one of the featured acts at a Fan Convention?

How many people want to wait in line for hours for you, for their 5 minutes, photo and autograph-and how do you somehow make a personal connection with them-and help make "whatever their fantasy is" come true?

Difficult job.

Sometimes the applause and money and adulation from random strangers is just not worth it.

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****UPDATE 1/12/14****

From "The Real Peter Tork" on Facebook.  The responses to this post are full of fans' support, encouraging him to "take care of himself" and acknowledging his support for his fans in the past.  If anyone has ever been to a Shoe Suede Blues event, he always makes himself available for autographs (more so than any of the others in my experience).

"Regarding the 2014 Monkees Convention and whether or not Peter will attend, Peter currently has a personal scheduling conflict and is not scheduled to participate. If there are any updates to this information, we will post it the moment we hear anything. In the meantime, we ask that you please respect Peter, his friends, family, and your fellow fans. Many thanks for your understanding ~ptfb team"

MIKE at the Monkees Convention!!!

FINALLY, a dream come true for Conventioneers!!!  I'll see you there!!  At 12 Noon, I got the following in an email.

Then and Now Events Presents

Mike Nesmith will join Micky Dolenz for the 2014 Monkees Convention

For Monkees Fans, this is 49 years in the making! Be a part of history as Mike Nesmith joins Micky Dolenz for his FIRST ever Monkee Convention being held at the Hilton Meadowlands in NJ March 14, 15 and 16th of 2014.

Promoters Phyllis Paganucci and Jodi Blau Ritzen of Then and Now Events have announced that not only will Mike Nesmith be joining Micky Dolenz at the convention, he will also be performing his new show Movies of the MindsSaturday March 15 at 9pm. Tickets are available onwwww.monkeesconvention2014.com

.

This magical weekend will include performances from Micky Dolenz, Coco Dolenz, Christian Nesmith and Circe Link, Jonathan Nesmith, Jessica Nesmith.  Actress Ami Dolenz will be signing copies of her new children’s book and answering a Q and A along with her sisters artist and photographer Emily Dolenz and Micky's youngest daughter actress and business partner in Dolenz & Daughters Fine Furniture Georgia Dolenz.  With all of their families in attendance, The Monkees will also be presented with their awards of induction into the American Pop Music Hall of Fame as voted on by the fans late last year. No celebration would be complete without a special tribute to the late and great Davy Jones. Other guests of the convention who will be greeting fans and signing autographs will be Butch Patrick, Donna Loren, Valerie Venet, Henry Diltz, Gary Stroble, Gary DeCarlo, Geri Reischel, May Pang, Larry Storch, Beatles Artist Shannon, David and Jennifer Alexander, The Monkeemobile and more.

Along with incredible performances from Buddy Blanc’s Romeo Delight with special guest Micky Dolenz, Coco Dolenz will perform, Circe Link performing a full show, Jonathan Nesmith with members of The Outerspaces and Mother of Winter,     The Characters, The Frodis Capers, The Monkeephiles, The 1910 Fruit Gum Co, you can look forward to singing late into the night with fan favorites of last year The Blue Meanies.  Sunday we are excited to present Britton Payne's off broad way show Here We Come~A Monkee Parody.  This show has gotten rave reviews from all who have attended its performances.

There are sure to be surprise performances as well with a lineup of legends like this.

There will be meet and greets opportunities with all of our guests.

A Monkees Memorabilia Market Place will be open as well.

For tickets to the convention and for the tickets to the Movies of the Mind Show starring Mike Nesmith (a limited engagement) and hotel information please visit www.monkeesconvention2014.com

 and for updates you can check out the facebook page Monkees Convention.

Note As of now Monkee Peter Tork has a conflicting schedule and is not set to appear.

A very special thanks to our sponsor, John Rose, owner of Cella Bagels, Sky Tan and Jazz Audio located  1198 Middle Country Rd., Selden, New York 11784

(631) 320-1213.

Jodi and Phyllis
Monkees Convention 2014
March 14, 15 and 16th
Sheraton Meadowlands
Be There or Be Square
www.monkeesconvention2014.com

Licensing VS Love

Lots of fans have incredible artistic streaks, which naturally manifest into some kind of tribute.  A tangible object shares their vision with other fans.  A bracelet, necklace, bumper sticker, tshirt, oil painting, book or event bring us all together.  But where is the line that divides "tribute" from "licensing issue"?

The huge fear of the Licensing Monster rearing its ugly head is legitimate because it seems to strike arbitrarily and without notice.  And I think it STOPS fans from pursuing their ideas and HARMS the relationship they have with "The Monkees" brand/band/people/fans.   People who do this out of love do NOT plan to get rich, but to do channel all their Monkee energy.

Ironically, every fan arrives to the party FULLY aware of Raybert and Don Kirshner.  We all own various images of The Boys: on lunchboxes, in plastic, and in various magazines.  They didn't get any/enough royalties from the music and less from the merchandising royalties. And they get NOTHING from the sales of the memorabilia. With the standard $30 autographs and photos at the convention, they are working at making up the difference.

So what is a loyal fan to do?

The Monkees Convention 2014 was just announced for next March.  So maybe now would be a great time to iron out licensing issues.  At the convention last year, there were several tables selling Original Art (granted, I paint landscapes on the backs of mousetraps).  Some involved sketches of The Boys done on t-shirts or buttons, etc.  The vendors' contract included the phrase  "we suggest that Monkees & 60's merchandise (including British Invasion) dominate (or appear to dominate) your table space.  The only exception to this rule is obvious: absolutely no bootlegs or unauthorized merchandise" Do you have to get authorization for all your merchandise?  How do you even begin to do that?  And why would the lawyers even care about that sketch of Mike you did and put on a button that you are selling for $2?

There is a woman who had created a book about Micky, self-published it online, and later was contacted by Micky's lawyers who demanded it be taken down.  I don't know where this issue is right now, but she has made it public on FB, so I feel comfortable sharing this much.  She had also contacted Henry Diltz to use photos, but his people came back with a huge number for licensing which precludes her from using any of his photos.  I was told later that it was an issue of her using MD's name, rather than any issue involving pictures.  So are we allowed to use "Micky"?  Or "George Michael Dolenz"?  Can she use his name as a "search term" on something like Amazon?

And why is M----- D------ going after her in the first place?

There was a HUGE case involving Shepard Fairey and his portrait of Obama.  In the Monkeeworld, it is not likely that there will be a huge internet meme crossing over into the realm of profitability.  I would love if the rules be made public; what the official "Monkee Lawyers" would go after and why.

What about artists who do pictures of pictures?  Or karaoke?  Or . . .

ESPECIALLY in the internet age, the traditional policy might evolve.  What if a major concession includes the idea of linking back to the "copyright owner's" website?  Aren't we all on the same side?

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Ongoing questions I'd like you (readers) to chime in on.  Either in the comments below or in person.  It seems like a conversation we should all have publicly.  (Maybe get the lawyers up onstage and answer questions directly)

1) In what context are fans allowed to use the names of The Boys or "The Monkees" or song titles or song lyrics?

2)Is there any kind of blanket agreement/declaration that would allow fans to creatively express their love without calling upon the wrath of The Monster?  A standard percentage?  Contacting someone in particular?  What if you don't expect to make more than $100 in profits, or none at all??

3) What are the basic guidelines that any fan should consider when creating any tribute?

4) How much info needs to be made public, especially in terms of transparency?  Contact info for lawyers? How much of a percentage goes to the charity? (Does the consumer need to know?)

5)What issues have you heard of?  Have you ever bought anything that you felt guilty about?