Alejo Jackson Chat Log

PERPLEX CITY, SEASON ONE The search for the Receda Cube on Earth

On 08-FEB-06, Alejo Jackson of the band Roll For Damage gave a first-time-ever IRC live chat with Earth fans. The next day, an almost exact copy of the chat was posted on the front page of the sentinel.

• article, 06-FEB-06 "Alejo to Participate in Ground-Breaking Live Chat with Earth Fans" (link)
• article, 09-FEB-06 "Alejo Chat 'Exciting'" (link)

Topics

Topics discussed include:

• Futures
• Keenan Thoreau
• Echo West
• Gladstone
• Viard
• Cubism
• Samiad
• Cyrus Quinton
• Nature's Trust
• Sente
• The Receda Cube

---

Log

<Cobalt> Roll For Damage fans and people of Earth, under the auspices of the Centre for Reality Research, I'm delighted to welcome you to the first ever Perplex City-Earth live webchat with rock legend Alejo Jackson! Participants in this chat will include both people from Earth and also winners of an RFD fan club contest who won the opportunity to take part. I'm Shane Cobalt, RFD's publicist, and I'll be moderating the chat this evening. This
<Cobalt> I think for our first question we have a member of the RFD fanclub here in Perplex City, Superkitty55. Welcome, Superkitty55!

<Cobalt> <Superkitty55> Alejo! I love you! Your awesome! I neeeeed to know if your seeing any1 right now?!?! If no, Ill send you my pic! If yes, shes not as hot as me!!!
<Alejo> Hey Superkitty55. I'm glad you think I'm awesome. I'm not really on the market right now, and I'm trying not to talk too much about my personal life. It seems like that's the way to get hurt, you know? Keep listening and enjoying our music.
<Cobalt> Sorry guys we're not used to this old technology. I'll keep my sentences shorter so as not to disrupt the connection.
<Cobalt> From before: "This means that you need to send your questions to me by /msg, and I'll pass them on to Alejo one by one. We do have a time limit today, depending on how the link holds up, so I'll keep you posted when we're getting near the end. I think for our first question we have a member of the RFD fanclub here in Perplex City, Superkitty55. Welcome, Superkitty55!"

<Cobalt> Next up! <skenmy> Hi Alejo! It's great to finally be able to chat with a famous perplexian! My question to you is, who has influenced your musical career the most? Who has given you the most support, help, and aid in your career?
<Alejo> Hi, skenmy.
<Alejo> That'd have to be my bandmates KT and Echo. We've been friends since we were all around 10 years old, and have been playing together all that time.
<Alejo> We're still playing together, and of course still really great friends after all this time
<Cobalt> Thanks skenmy!

<Cobalt> Next up we have: <jojojojo> Hi Alejo, whats your starsign?
<Alejo> Hey, jojo. I'm a Maze

<Cobalt> Simple question, simple answer! <Ollie> Hi, is there any chance that the Roll For Damage album will be released on Earth? I'd really like to hear your work.
<Alejo> You know, Ollie, we'd really love to release some of our music on Earth. I'm really jealous that Viard beat me to the punch! I'm talking to Helix at Hesh about it, but no immediate plans yet, sorry. We'll keep you posted when we have something coming!
<Cobalt> Now another from this side of the connection!

<Cobalt> We have <RFDGrrrrl> Alejo, I love you sooooo much! You look so hot in the vid for Hit Point! Are you guys going to be playing Gladstone soon???? Please say yes!!!!
<Alejo> Hi, RFD Grrrrrl. I'm glad you enjoyed the video :)
<Alejo> It was a lot of fun making it, even though we all got pretty wet over the course of the day.
<Alejo> And, yes, we're hoping to play some dates in Gladstone over the summer - hope to see you there!

<Cobalt> Now one I can't wait to hear the answer for.. <jojojojo> Hi Alejo. Any juicey secrets you care to divulge about your fellow bandmates?
<Alejo> Sorry, jojo - a great creative relationship is all about trust, and so I could never tell you anything that was really secret. But if you're wondering, KT's life is all in the open anyway. Man doesn't have a secret in his brain. And Echo, well, I don't think she'd tell me her secrets anyway...

<Cobalt> <Six> HI Alejo, firstly I'd just like to say squee. Now, how did you guys come up with your name?
<Alejo> When we first started RFD, there was a huge fad at home about these paper-and-dice based adventure games you guys had come up with, and we just kind of thought it sounded cool.
<Alejo> We kind of regret that's it's stuck, actually, but it's a little late to change, isn't it?

<Cobalt> An interesting one: <MasterCheese> Hey Alejo, it's really great to be able to talk like this with someone from Perplex City. At least you beat Viard at something! So, I was wondering, if you could have any superpower, what would it be?
<Alejo> Man, I wish I never had to sleep.
<Alejo> I could get so much more done, you know?

<Cobalt> I don't know if he has, but I certainly haven't! <kraed> Have you ever tried the beans on toast recipe that was in the view from earth column in the perplex city sentinel?
<Alejo> I saw that recipe, it wanted a lot of things we don't have in Perplex City. I did try this peas on toast thing one cafe based on it, but it was pretty awful.

<Cobalt> <giggsey> Hey Alejo, just a quick question for you. What got you so interested in Earth? Was it a youth activity or something you learnt when you were young. Also (nice quick question :P), what do you find the strangest about Earth? Thanks, and good luck in the future.
<Alejo> Wow, what a great question, giggsey
<Alejo> The whole city has been kind of fascinated with Earth since it was discovered. I think it's this amazing feeling that you aren't alone in the universe, you know? Like there's hope for everyone. I think it's strange how you all are so different from each other, though.
<Alejo> I mean, we're different, too, but the differences seem a little smaller.

<Cobalt> <perplexed> Hey Alejo, I know on Earth some bands are supersticious about recording and there seems to be more concentration on starsigns in Perplex City, are you at all supersticious especially about recording?
<Alejo> I wouldn't say we're superstitious at all, though we do try to respect KT's beliefs, since he's a pretty observant Cubist.

<Cobalt> I can tell you *I'm* adorable. <buzman> Hi Alejo. I was wondering if you always work with the same team when creating music (engineers, producer etc). If so, what sort of people are they? Do you know them well? Is there any one person who stands out?
<Alejo> e don't always work with the same team, but it is nicer when we are able to. Echo always says that production crew are the cooks who create an album out of the ingredients we give them.
<Alejo> Using these tools is so weird

<Cobalt> Another from a lucky Perplexian fan! <Mandamoo> I love Roll for Damage so much! I have all your albums, and a big poster of the band in my bedroom at home! Some of the girls at school say that you suck, they like Samiad more, but I still think you're the coolest! Take Initiative is the best yet!
<Alejo> Thanks, Mandamoo. We think you're the coolest too. And we're glad you liked Take Initiative - we were pretty pleased with it ourselves ;)

<Cobalt> A sad day for us all I think. <Mima> Hi Alejo, did the disappearance of the Cube affect KT the day it happened? As you carried on working, how did you all support each other?
<Alejo> KT reached into himself and found some great music that day, Mima. The loss affected all of us, though - we were in the studio recording that day.
<Alejo> Even our best production guy, Cyrus, was a little off that day - I remember he was having this big argument, said he was talking to Helix about his contract, but when I redialed from the studio console a little later to talk to Helix, I got some office at the Academy.
<Alejo> We were all pretty flustered.

<Cobalt> <Rob> What is your favourite thing to do in Perplex City?
<Alejo> Well, besides working in the studio, I love to walk along the Strip at night. There are so many stars, and they reflect in the water. It's really inspiring.

<Cobalt> I couldn't agree more, it so rocks! <RichyB251> Alejo - Take Initiative ROCKED! I love that album! How did you come up with the idea for "Fumble"? I've listened to that song like a million times!
<Cobalt> (A Perplexian question I'm sure you'll guess!)
<Alejo> Well, Richy, the way we find all of ours songs is pretty much the same way. We go out separately and reach into ourselves to see what's in there, and then when we come back together, it turns into music.
<Alejo> Every song reflects something that one of us is thinking about or going through.

<Cobalt> <MasterCheese> Hey, you mentioned your best production guy, Cyrus, having an argument with someone and I was wondering, is this normal for him? What's he normally like?
<Alejo> Haven't seen Cyrus in months, he's not at Hesh now. Too bad, he's a great guy and I really miss him. It wasn't like him to have that kind of argument, no... I mean, it was kind of in character for him, he was super-apologetic to whoever he was talking to and not really combative.
<Alejo> But mostly he was really quiet, kept to himself. One of the PAs managed to find out his birthday once, and brought a cake in for him, right in the middle of the PCAG finals. He turned so many kinds of red, you wouldn't even believe it.
<Alejo> Never wanted too much attention, you know?

<Cobalt> <Scott> what do you think of Nature's Trust?
<Alejo> I think they've done a great thing, trying to keep all of the green spaces around our city. It's a crying shame that people can be blinded to what's right because they don't like the people doing it.

<Cobalt> I once got sent something incredibly strange, but sadly that's another story. <Enigmaster> Hiya Alejo, what's the weirdest thing a fan has sent you?
<Alejo> Once, a fan sent me these life-sized sock puppets with these giant button eyes, made to look like me and KT and Echo. That was pretty weird, especially because it clearly took a lot of work... it's fascinating to see what people are inspired to do by us!
<Cobalt> Looks like we're running into a little difficulty here at the CRR, folks, so I'm afraid this next question will have to be the last one.

<Cobalt> So here it goes <Rob> What do you think of Sente's approach to finding the Receda Cube?
<Alejo> I guess the team at the Academy are probably trying their best. I know for the average person on the street in Perplex City, there's a lot of gratitude to you guys for all of your interest in helping us and all the work you're doing. We really owe you a big thanks.
<Alejo> I know I'm really grateful that the CRT's efforts have allowed me to talk to you here on Earth. It's been a tremendous experience, and I hope to do it again someday. Thanks, everyone, and so long!

<Cobalt> Thank you all so much for joining us today! I hope you all had a great time talking to Alejo. He and I both really enjoyed this opportunity to communicate with you, and we look forward to a future when Earth and Perplex City can communicate more freely! Hope to see you again next time, but for now, enjoy your night!