Here are the “five best rock ‘n’ roll memoirs,” according to author John Wray in the 6/24/23 Wall Street Journal. Proud to say we were involved in the PR for three of them: “Crazy From The Heat” by David Lee Roth,” “I’m With the Band” by Pamela Des Barres and “I Am Ozzy” by Ozzy Osbourne.

In honor of what looks to be a vital 2023 summer tour season, here are four tour books from of legendary artists we’ve worked with: David Bowie, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Depeche Mode, and Ozzy Osbourne (our longtime client represented here via Ozzfest).

Back in the day, we received physical copies of these books before our artists went on tour (it’s done digitally now).

They were also a Bible of sorts to the artists themselves since the books listed important contact numbers and the hotels they were staying at, including which ones had saunas + indoor pools, etc.  The books are dated in the captions.

Bowie 2002 Europe and North America

Ozzfest 2006

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 2001, America

Depeche Mode Europe 2006

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In honor of the recent passing of Andrew Fletcher, we wanted to share this set list from the period we handled PR for Depeche Mode (2000-2007). This was a reliably great Depeche show at Madison Square Garden on 12/7/05 when the band toured their ‘Playing The Angel’ album which they released in October that year. Fletch was always so gracious to Mitch Schneider, Marcee Rondan + everyone at Schneider Rondan Organization. May he rest in peace…

Here’s a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers set list from May 2001 (Gill Coliseum, Oregon) that Mary Klauzer of East End Management faxed to Mitch Schneider back then to share with the press. Mitch always dug when Tom played the slow + moody “It’s Good To Be King” like he did on this night. When Mitch first heard his ‘Wildflowers’ album, he told Tom that he thought “…King” could be a really big hit.  Mitch remembers Tom saying, very matter-of-factly,  “that won’t happen.” Tom explained that the song’s double minor chords right at the top (E minor, A minor) worked against it being a big hit. He was right, but the song, released as the album’s third single, still made a pretty good showing. It reached No. 6 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart + peaked at No. 68 on the Billboard Hot 100.  “It’s good to be king, if just for a while/To be there in velvet, yeah, to give ’em a smile.”

21 years ago this week, then-clients The Black Crowes + Oasis (not clients) roared into the Santa Barbara Bowl as part of their cheekily named “Tour of Brotherly Love.”  Here are both bands’ set lists from that very special night of American and British music in 2001.

Here’s a little snapshot of what was happening in the music/culture worlds in 1998 via this promo mailer featuring MSO PR clients on various covers. This was before we changed the name of our company to SRO PR.

Here’s the set list from the second night of Alanis Morissette’s three-night stand at NYC’s Roseland (February 6, 7 and 8 in 1996) when Taylor Hawkins was in her touring band. As Alanis’ publicist back then, Mitch Schneider was there for all three nights. Says Mitch: “Taylor’s drumming style helped elevate Alanis’ live show to an arena level that was beyond the theaters she was performing at back then.” May Taylor rest in piece…

32 years ago today, Mitch Schneider was with our then-clients Aerosmith in Rapid City, South Dakota when they played Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. He was flown there (with a big clunky cell phone, LOL) to help organize one of those electronic press kits for the band. ‘Pump,’ known as one of rock’s most dramatic comeback albums, had come out the year before, and the band was on top of the world. That was an honor + one wild ride for the company.  Here’s the set list from that night.

3/21/2022

1999 was a very good year for print music magazines. That’s when the Schneider Rondan Organization, in our previous incarnation as MSO, proudly mailed out this promo card touting our clients on covers. We really miss the many magazines that would later fold or go online only.

2/26/2001

Mitch Schneider recalls that this was a fun press release to write: The Black Crowes + Oasis’ 2001 “The Tour Of Brotherly Love.” And 21 years ago today, MSO (before we were known as Schneider Rondan Organization)

blasted it into the universe, by fax, email + regular mail (on brightly colored paper, an MSO trademark). What a terrific name for a tour—a cheeky nod to the volatility of the Robinson + Gallagher brothers. Mitch saw various shows including a pair at Radio City Music Hall in NYC. Such a treat, he says, to see the Gallaghers team there with The Crowes for the evening’s finale: a cover of The Stooges’ “Down On The Street.”