Music for the People of Ukraine

Guitarist Tonih Hendricks, better known as Messy Blues, has recently announced that he has a couple of projects on the horizon, apart from finishing the recording of the second album of "Vassy Courtes", which are to release two Extended Plays with two Singles each, both under the name "Vassy Courtes" as well as being part of "The Monster Gothic Kids", a group in which he shares credits with the Ukrainian professional singer Katerina Pavlukhina and the Heavy Metal guitarist Monica Briseno. Of these two projects, the guitarist and composer Messy Blues assures that a part of the sales of it will be destined to support the people displaced by the Russian attacks in Ukraine.

Although the guitarist has not given details of both projects, it leaked out that, in parallel, he will also perform a version of the classic "Hotel California", by Eagles, and "Stairway to Heaven", by Led Zeppelin, as part of the aforementioned "The Monster Gothic Kids", musical themes that can only be seen on video on his official YouTube channel (this means that there will be four songs recorded by this band). Those two "Cover" songs had already been put on the discussion table since last year, although it transpires that Katerina and Messy Blues had already left pending a duet project of another "Cover" by Michael Bolton, "Go The Distance", but due to job issues of one and the other, this was not possible at the time.

It also transcends that "Vassy Courtes" is preparing a regional tour to promote both "Rooted Time" and his second album, of which the guitarist has not mentioned further details. This represents the return of "Vassy Courtes" to the stage after almost three years of not doing so, in part due to the global covid pandemic that began in March 2020 and, although he did not mention if the drummer will be someone who fills permanently this position or will it be just a "Hired Gun", guitarist Messy Blues confirmed bassist Héctor Melgarejo as an official member of the group.

Although this could lead to confusion, "Vassy Courtes" and "The Monster Gothic Kids" are two different projects in which Messy Blues participates. In Vassy Courtes, the guitarist shares credits with the keyboardist, guitarist and lyricist Oly Betancourt, while in MGK, Messy Blues shares these credits with the aforementioned singer and pianist, and also composer, Katerina Pavlukhina.

Wrote: Max Liverant.

News From The Lead Guitarist, Messy Blues

Coming Back After All

Finally, after a long time confined by the pandemic, we the Vassy Courtes are about to return to the stage. The contingency took away two years from all of us, and I mean all of humanity, and made us age a little. Some did not make it to this day, and I dedicate a prayer to them, but those of us who are still here must learn the lesson that all this left us.

Well, anyway, yesterday afternoon I reached an agreement with two formal musicians, a bassist and a drummer (and some additional reinforcement musicians) for the aforementioned return to the stage. And although this rhythm section will only support us within the national territory (Mexico), it is true that it means such excellent news, since that will allow us to resume the serious tour project.

Right now both Oly Betancourt and a friend of yours, Messy Blues, are getting in shape by practicing and rehearsing the material (and we hope to be able to present new songs) so that you can attend Vassy Courtes's presentations, or at least see us on video via YouTube.

I take advantage of this message to thank everyone for the support during all this time by visiting our YouTube Channel, our Facebook Page, our Official Blog and our musical profile on the Reverbnation platform.

Once Again, Thank You Very Much to You All!.

Sincerely: Messy Blues

Messy Blues bankrupt?

Vassy Courtes lead guitarist could face personal financial and fiscal bankruptcy.

Recently, Tonih Hendricks, lead guitarist of Vassy Courtes (and best known as "Messy Blues"), had to ask his lawyer for the "Insolvency" legal recourse due to the high amounts that his personal debts reached in the course of a year due to the pandemic by Covid-19, time in which all music presentations around the world were suspended, same in which in his regular employment as a publicist for "San Hipolito, SA de CV", he received only half salary. The above, together with the domestic and personal expenses, caused the musician to face a possible "Bankruptcy". According to Max Liverant, the spokeman for Vassy Courtes, Tonih Hendricks began to face economic difficulties since, of everyone in the team, he is the one who has cushioned the most the financial strokes of VC Records between broadcast licenses (for distribution of the group's music), advertising , taxes, miscellaneous expenses and his own personal finances, for what the guitarist has decided to declare bankruptcy for the third time in his life. According to Liverant, the guitarist has not revealed more details about his decision, although of course the financial situation of Messy Blues will not affect the plans that already exist within Vassy Courtes in a direct way. He said, however, that this could affect the group's work in the studio to conclude the second album they were already recording a year ago, when the global pandemic contingency began.

Although in appearance the bankruptcy recourse can represent a stigma, actualy many times it is a way to temporarily stop to the burden of requirements, although this does not suspend the debts (unless a judge decides so). In the case of Tonih Hendricks, bankruptcy would be declared to request fiscal time and reorganize his economy. However, in cases like Hendricks's, "Total Poverty" is also declared so that in due course a judge will be the one to legally determine the authentic status of the aforementioned bankruptcy.

Tonih Hendricks, Messy Blues, has already faced two previous bankruptcies, the first of which was in 2002 when he was persecuted by a right-wing political party in Salvatierra City, Guanajuato, in Mexico and this party commercially blocked him while Messy owned a grocery business (and was the frontman of a rock band named "Crash Fuego Blanco"). The second bankruptcy the guitarist faced was in 2006 shortly after his divorce from bassist Lulu Trocce, in which he also faced "Parental Alienation" from her. In the following years, Tonih Hendricks had a relative recovery (although personal relationships with her daughter Diana deteriorated further due to Lulu Trocce's "Parental Alienation") and by 2014 he had another financial fall caused by Victor "Trimax" Hernandez (mediocre bassist he played with for a while) when the guy caused Messy Blues to be fired from a construction company.

Even so, Messy Blues was financially able to cover the cost of "Rooted Time" recording work (Vassy Courtes's first album, of which he is producer) and by 2017 the group published the first edition of this album via "Reverbnation". Another complication arose later after planning a national tour for whose rehearsals the official bassist did not appear at that time, excusing that he suffered from a bad hearing, which caused the tour to be canceled. Eventually the administrative team concluded that the aforementioned condition in the bass player's ear was a lie but had caused the team financial damage of almost a quarter of a million Mexican pesos as compensation to promoters for cancellations.

It is known that artists earn money from their performances and that their albums, or digital material published on the internet, is simply a tool to publicize it, so the suspension of activities in public, worldwide, caused severe economic damage to a great majority of active artists. This was precisely what ended up to make harder the complicated situation of the guitarist and singer of Vassy Courtes. So far, Max Liverant has pointed out that, although as a composer, musician and producer; Messy Blues obtains a high percentage of the earnings of the disc (few so far), the team has decided to support by providing eighty-five percent of said earnings to clean up the Messy Blues economy.

Wrote: Patricia Belmont

Vassy Courtes's Press and Social Media

"Rooted Time", Now For Sale!!

Finally, the "Rooted Time" album is back for sale. Now you can buy the digital edition song by song or the whole album directly from "Reverbnation"

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