Beautiful Generation is described as one of the “hottest” hard rock bands performing in Hollywood these days. Fronted by the talented and sexy Shelby Goff, Beautiful Generation delivers an amazing high-energy live show. The band’s tour dates have included Japan, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Balkans and Eastern Europe for the USO/MWR, where they received several accolades for their morale-boosting performances.
Beautiful Generation can only be described as a dynamic group of artists that really knows how to create and deliver music. They are extremely captivating, and powerful words can’t portray the dynamics this band holds. It is something that you MUST experience for yourself to understand.
Building an incredible following has contributed to the band’s ever-growing success, and first brought them to the attention of AAM. Soon thereafter editor Debra Stocker got the opportunity to catch the band’s performance at The Gig in Hollywood. After a truly amazing show it was decided that Beautiful Generation would be the perfect band to headline the 2007 All Access Magazine Music Awards Show.
To help get more insight on the band, AAM got a chance to interview Shelby Goff after the band returned from their Japan tour. What’s in the future for her and the band Beautiful Generation?
AAM: Shelby, first I would like to thank you and your band Beautiful Generation for performing at the All Access Rocks Summer Concert Series this past summer. And NOW, Sat. November 3rd, you’ll be performing at the Knitting Factory headlining the 2007 All Access Magazine Music Awards Show! Your band has become very well known throughout L.A.’s music scene, despite the fact that you don’t perform out locally very often! Why is this?
Shelby: L.A. is a very interesting place to be if you’re in a rock band. It is a town that has a lot of resources, but because the city is so saturated within the industry, you have to stay conscious of your fans. Playing out a lot locally is not necessarily ideal for creating a huge following: it is better to play out less locally and promote more. That way your fans will be sure not to miss your shows. It creates a novelty effect.
AAM: Can you tell us a little about your Japan tour? Will you be returning there soon?
Shelby: WOW!!!!! That is the best way to describe Japan. The tour was extremely successful. We were welcomed with open arms from the U.S. troops, and all shows had an amazing energy! We love touring for the troops – there is nothing better in my opinion. They truly make you feel like major rock stars. Even though we stayed on base and were there for the Navy, we got a chance to visit downtown Shibuya, which is basically what you see in movies. It’s what downtown Tokyo is like – it is exactly like that: All the excitement with big city lights…but much cooler in real life than on TV. As of now we have no plans to return to Japan just yet, but we are planning another trip to Iraq very soon.
AAM: It must be an incredible feeling to play for the U.S. troops. What are some of the best and NOT-so-good ventures you can share with our readers?
Shelby: Last year we went to Iraq, Afghanistan, Eastern Europe and Kuwait. One of the shows at Camp Stryker in Iraq was the biggest crowd of people I have ever played for: Probably 10,000+ troops were at the show. It was an outdoor stage, and as night fell upon us all I could see were thousands of tiny lights from thousands of lighters in the hands of the crowd. We had just started playing the song “Father,” which is a very personal song I wrote a few years back. (It’s a song anyone can relate to: It’s about having an uncomfortableness for someone that you really love and wishing you didn’t feel that way and asking for forgiveness for those feelings.) As I looked out into the sea of people, I saw several solders in the first few rows with tears in their eyes. I had obviously struck a chord somewhere with them and that was one of the best feelings ever. I realized at that moment my music was touching people’s lives. I think that’s all an artist can ever really ask for. I’m so lucky I got to experience that firsthand! Some of the not-so-good times were when the camp got mortared/bombed. The sirens went off and they give you the signals to get to the bunkers as soon as possible. You wear bullet/bombproof flag vests and helmets and wait for someone to come get you. It’s a bit scary and you realize something bad could really happen – and there’s nothing you can do but wait it out.
AAM: Is it true you stayed in Saddam Hussein’s palace while in Iraq?
Shelby: Yes it is. We stayed at Camp Victory in Baghdad. Saddam had over 65 palaces and the band and I stayed in one of them. It was by far the most magnificent place I have ever stepped foot in. The palace had over 100 rooms and 200 bathrooms and was actually surrounded by a moat. There was marble flooring throughout with chandeliers in every room, accented in turquoise and gold designs. The first thing I said when I walked in was, “WOW, HE MUST BE REALLY PISSED!” The band and I laughed because here we Americans are staying in his palace while he sits on death row in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
AAM: Do you also perform as a solo artist? I see you actually opened a Miami Dolphins football game singing “The National Anthem.”
Shelby: When I lived in Miami, I was always looking for places to showcase my talent and was fortunate enough to sing “The National Anthem” at Florida Marlins and Miami Dolphins games. I tell ya, I never get nervous, but singing in a stadium like Pro Player, in front of 80,000 people, can definitely be intimidating – especially with the echo that comes along with singing in a stadium. But it was really special and something I’m proud of. I actually am working on a solo record right now. It’s all about stories of my life. It’s going to be acoustic because I’ve always wanted to do a stripped record. It should be out on iTunes early 2008.
AAM: I could tell from watching you perform, Shelby, that music, singing, performing…it’s in your blood! You are spectacular to watch and certainly know how to reach out and grab your audience by the throat! So where do you hope to take your music career? What are your plans for the future?
Shelby: First of all, I want say thank you for the kind words that makes me feel awesome! I love that you obviously get it! Performing is my life. It is the reason I do it. To me there is nothing better and nothing more important about my music than my performance. It is the one time in my life where I am at perfect peace with everything; I truly feel it is my strength in life! I can honestly say that it is innate and nothing I do is contrived or taken from someone else. I want every show to be more exciting than the previous, I want my fans to really be entertained. The front row should wonder if I’m going to kick or kiss them. That’s a real rock show, and that’s what I’m all about!
AAM: Beautiful Generation has a live CD out now, but I see you plan to release a studio version that will include 2 new songs. Any details on this?
Shelby: Actually the studio CD will include 5 new songs. The band has written a lot of great new material that we wanted to get out. We decided that we didn’t want to do the exact same as the LIVE record, we wanted to give our fans something more and keep them excited about the new tunes. We should have it ready very soon.
AAM: Will your fans hear these new songs at the AAM Music Awards Show?
Shelby: Yes. We are going to play a nice mix of old songs from our LIVE record and new songs from our upcoming album. The AAM Music Awards Show will be the first time we play some of the new songs locally. We played the new stuff in Japan last month and they loved it!
AAM: Congrats on your video “Sweet Caroline” being nominated for Best Video of the Year at the AAM Music Awards Show. In fact, you and the band have been nominated for several categories – including you, Shelby, for Miss All Access Magazine 2007! Congrats! But back to your video: Is this your first video? Why did you choose the song Sweet Caroline, is there some connection here?
Shelby: Thanks so much. Yes, we’re really excited and grateful to be nominated for so many categories, as well as being a part of, in my opinion, the best local music magazine in Los Angeles. We are really fans of AAM and have been for years. It’s the best way to keep “in the know” about the hottest bands and events around, and we realize how awesome it is to have press from such an esteemed publication. Back to the Video of the Year nomination, yes, it’s the first video we’ve ever done, which was a lot of fun, but a lot of hard work as well. I chose the song “Sweet Caroline” for the video because it was a song that we got a lot of great response from in our live show and the storyline of the song seemed perfect for a music video.
AAM: Shelby, it’s truly an honor to have met you and the band Beautiful Generation. Your energy on stage is amazing and I look forward to seeing you every chance I get! Is there anything you can say to help inspire artists/groups thinking about making it in today’s music biz?
Shelby: OMG, it is such a pleasure to meet you as well. Thank you for this interview and all the opportunities that come along with it! Advice…funny, I get asked this quite a bit and sometimes don’t know the best way to answer it. All I know is that hard work is the only way to get anything that you want in life. There is no easy way to get something spectacular. I have a wonderful family and circle of friends, but never had anything given to me my entire life, and certainly didn’t know anyone in the music business to help me find my way. But I came to Hollywood with a dream, I put a band together, wrote a bunch of songs, and played hundreds of shows, which helped me learn so much. I knocked on a bunch of doors and when those doors stayed closed I just moved on to the next until some finally opened and said, “Come on in.” That’s all I can say about anyone who wants to make it in today’s music biz and just like me doesn’t have someone on the inside. You must work hard, smart, and be dedicated. It’s like my mother always told me: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” If I can do it, so can you!
AAM: What is the best way your fans can find out where your next performance will be?
Shelby: Always go to MySpace and look us up. That’s the best way to find out where were playing next myspace.com/beautifulgeneration
