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From: Mr. F. Wood Date: Jan 8, 2008 10:00 PM Subject: ALL BANDS SHOULD READ THIS AND LIVE IT! Body: Hey ALL, I AGREE, BIG TIME with this REPOST! I sometimes wonder whether anyone reads these things. Especially after a show when it looks like if they did read this, they don't comprehend what it is I'm trying to say. Apparently some people have read it and I thank all for reposting. So I will continue to repost this in the hope that some people will get a clue. You know who you are (or, then again, DO YOU?). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ok, I'm going to vent a little bit here on some things that I consistently see going wrong with the original music scene..... 1. - If you're band is playing a show, get there early and stay late to support all the bands on the bill. If you guys don't support each other, then how can you expect anyone else to? DON'Tsit in your van until it's time to play your set, then race out with your gear immediately after. 2. - If your band only draws 3 people paid on the door....don't ask for a guest list. As much as we're in this for the right reasons...we still have to consider this is a business. Usually the sound person is paid off of the door split, so you can't think everyone can come in for free. The more people you want to come in for free, the more money that has to come out of the venue's pocket. When a venue consistently loses money on shows....THE SHOWS STOP! 3. - PROMOTE THE SHOWS and get people out to see your band. It's difficult as a promoter to convince people to come out and listen to local original music. We're in a day and age where people are more content to listen to cover bands because its music they know. The best person to promote your band is you, first and foremost. As a promoter, we push your music, we convince bars to allow you to play your music, and we get the bar to run drink specials to help bring in people. That's all we can do...the rest is up to you to spread the word, make some friends, and get a good crowd for yourself. 4. - You need to bring people out for your shows...friends, family, people you don't even really like. It doesn't matter. There are very few places that allow original musicians to play. It's hard enough to convince a bar owner to allow original bands to play. The only way it can continue is to show the bar that it's working and the bands are bringing people out for it. All a bar owner sees is if this is making them money in order to stay in business. If they don't make money, then they close their doors, and another venue closes for good. This is their livelyhood and the way they feed their family. If original music isn't working...they're not gonna continue it. 5. - If your band doesn't have a show scheduled one night, but a couple bands you know of are playing.....come out and support them!! Bands need to come out when they're not playing and support other musicians who are playing. Bring copies of your band's cd, talk it up with the bands playing that night, trade shows with them, and just market your band in general to people who are there at the show. The guys in Local Demise have been really good about this lately. It's awesome to see a band who is trying that hard to build their fan base up. 6. - The scene can only exist if you create it. You can't go to a bar and just expect it to be packed with people eagerly awaiting to listen to new music. People are skeptical and chances are they already think you suck before you go on. So you gotta get up there and play and change their minds. Talk to them and pass out burned copies of your cd's for them to take with them. Get their email address from them and build up an email list to announce your shows. Not everyone is on myspace, although it's a great tool to use, not everyone checks their bulletins regularly. 7 - One of the biggest reasons people do enjoy local music is because they can get to know the band individually. They can attach themselves to this smaller band and make it their own. They know they can go to their shows, enjoy some drinks with them, and build up a relationship with them. That's what starts a scene and that's what needs to exist in order for original music to survive. 8. - Don't sit back and say "Why aren't people coming to our shows". Chances are people don't know who the hell you are. Spread the word. a 100 pack of CD-R's are cheap enough. Burn copies of them and pass them out. Even if it's only a 3 song sampler. Give a copy to the kid working the drive thru at Wendy's or pumping your gas at BP. Sure, everyone wants to press some legit cd's and look professional, but that costs money and then you need to sell them to make the money back. Then you're asking people to buy your cd when they don't even know you. If you hand them a simple burned copy, chances are they will throw it in their cd player in the car and check you out. 9. - DON'T BITCH ABOUT THE SET ORDER! If you're given a show and it's the first time playing a venue, chances are that you will be an opener or a closer. Suck it up, play with a good attitude, and I guarantee you'll be invited back to play on a better spot or better show. Especially if you prove you can bring out some people. If your band brings 2 people with them, you can't expect to get the best spot on the lineup. Every promoter keeps track of this shit. We know who drew well on a show and who bitched and cried because they had to play first or last. This business is very much a "give and take" thing. If you can prove to a club that you're serious and you bring out people, we remember that and we make note of it. We have blacklists of bands who don't think this applies to them....and guess what, we all talk to each other. We have friends who promote for other venues and we share that info. 10. - DON'T DROP OFF OF SHOWS WITHOUT AN INSANELY GOOD REASON FOR DOING SO!!! If you have a cold, suck it up and play. Dropping on a show with most venues will almost guarantee you'll never play there again. Also...we all talk to each other. If a band drops on me or worse yet just doesn't show up for it...I'm spreading the word about them to several other venues and promoters in the area so they don't have the same thing happen to them. So, when you think you just bailed on a show and might have ticked off some "small time" promoter, you never know who they are affiliated with. Dropping off of one show could get you blacklisted from 5 other venues without even knowing it. 11. - EARLY, IS ON TIME ! ON TIME, IS LATE ! Be at the venue when you're supposed to be, READY TO PLAY! We work hard at this, just as you work hard at being a band and making music. There's no one person who works harder than anyone else involved in this scene. Everyone plays some type of crucial part. The kid who goes out and flyers, the bands who create music, the promoters who pull it together, the venues who thankfully still allow this to go on....they're all equal. This doesn't work without everyone pulling together to make this something that people want to be a part of. If we're putting on great shows and spreading the word out to people who might not have an interest in listening to original music, it may change their minds. IT's ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC...and it's about being a family that rallies around the support of that music! ***If you agree with this, please repost it*** Thanks, Terry www.myspace.com/deadsceneproductions ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I FULLY AGREE with TERRY on this, and oh yeah, we talk to each other ALL THE TIME! WOOD www.mrfwood.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bands and other believers in independent and original music scenes worldwide.. Read and Digest and spread the gospel. Cosmo Ohms TOBACCO ROAD Miami, Fla. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ All I gotta say is its getting harder and harder to convince quality clubs to give a chance to unknown bands. And I can't really blame them. Frank Wood posted this and I can't agree more WE ALL NEED TO SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC. Kipp rocknrollscene.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We're reposting this because we agree with Terry. If you agree, repost it. Who know maybe someone will see the light. One comment about point no. 7, for the so called 'fans' : It's true, you can get to know the bands. But at the same time, respect their the boundaries. Just because you celebrate their entire catalog, doesn't automatically make you "totallee bestest friend". Yes that lead singer is totally hot, but show some respect. And don't go into a tantrum because you weren't invited to dinner with the band, you're just gonna make a scene and then next time you'll be that jerk everyone avoids. PLEASE be cool KARATERICE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ADDENDUM: If you're playing a show at a club that has no backline, or a crappy backline, and you're too lazy or cheap to hump your own gear -- DON'T put another musician from another band you've never ever met on the spot, and assume it's cool use their gear. It's not. Don't cop an attitude when they refuse. It is YOUR responsibility to KNOW or research what the venue has to offer you in way of equipment, to own, maintain and transport your own gear to and from clubs, and/or make arrangements with the other bands on the bill to share gear -- IN ADVANCE! CHRIS GRANDE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (FUCKIN A-RIGHT!) FUCKIN 1000% TRUTH!!! This is a repost of a bulletin of some basic truths about playing live I've bee saying for YEARS!!!!.. READ...LEARN...LIVE! DJ MOJO ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I totally agree with you guys. JOHNNY PSU HARD AND SPIN PRODUCTIONS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I totally agree, Terry, you'r a man after my own heart as the saying goes. Now, I understand that in Leicester, England the local bands all coooperate and share the door equally and generally help each other out. That's the way forward. And I especially agree with no shows. I'm sick of hearing bands bitch bout the bad treatment they get and yet don't turn up without batting an eyelid about it. I'm gonna copy this and pass it on. Frank aka Old Man Frank aka The Legendary Frank UNITED KINGDOM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ hey... here's a repost that i agree withy... it's for All Bands, musicians, fans, etc. i have a few of my own to add to this list too... ....(and we're guilty of this too) . quick setup and breakdown is crucial to keeping the multi-billed shows moving along smoothly.... set up fast, jam your set and break down fast... making room and time for the next band to do their thing....i see too many instances where the band does a good set and gets the congrats from friends, 'great show' 'you rock' handshakes, shots, hugs, the works..... break your stuff down, then take the victory drink!!! and...... dammit, if you've got a 40 minute set, time the set and stick to it! nobody wants to have to tell you 'time's up!' JOE WOOD NYC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You ask City Link to support YOUR local scene. It's only fair to ask the same from YOURSELF. CITY LINK BEERFEST Fort Lauderdale, Florida ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AMEN! THE SUBLIMINATOR Atlanta, Georgia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ absolutely... ppl need to read this. there's too many peacocks who think they're famous out of the box. MACK Bronx, NY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We wholeheartedly agree with all of this, and you can ask ANYONE that knows us...London Egg is one of the most cooperative, supportive and professionally behaved NY bands out there! Not to pat ourselves on the back, but we've had promoters tell us there's not enough bands out there that handle things as promptly we do. Cheers, Egg LONDON EGG NYC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I am a Fan and I agree, I travelled 10 hours from Cincinnati with a ban. The conditions were terrible. I was stuffed inside of this van with 5 stinky people and band equipment. First, I think you all have a responsibility to each other. If you don't have respect for each other, why would you expect your fans too have respect for you? Second, If you go through all this effort to perform give 100%. It is not all about you! What comes around goes around and that is a fact. If you don't care keep doing what you do. Lastly, the bands who care stand out and they are noticed:) LISA A Cincinnati Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ standing ovation! this is exactly what i have been saying for years man! HOWIE FBR NYC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I agree. I think it's rude when other musicians don't go out to support their friends bands. And last year at my birthday party one of my bands didn't come in until right before they played, complained about something with the sound ((that i didn't even notice)) and then just left. blah! but then the down to earth musicians who know their shit stinks too, that take time for their fans and are friendly and don't give the bookers (me) or the venues crap... have fans and support for life. plus can get rebooked! lol. TWINKIE Philadelphia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My name is Oski, I host theRock all original music night every Thursday at Tobacco Road. I love my job. I host this night with Cosmo Ohmz, together we showcase the new and fresh live music. I can not tell you how good a band sounds or how great the show was... you have to go see it...see it live... Please to all the artist, promote your art. If you open a store and you do not promote the store it will go out of business. Art is the same way. I have told bands in the past this as an example, If you can not convince 4 chicks to come see your 4 piece rock band...how the hell are you going to convince a lable or the spot that gave you a chance to be heard to give you that chance again. I love this young band, the music is great, but they can not get nobody out to see them not even 4 chicks. THINK ABOUT IT. OSKI GONZALEZ TOBACCO ROAD 626 So. Miami Ave Miami Florida 33130 305.303.3976 (anytime) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I couldn't have said this better myself! RACHEL MARTINEZ All Over Booking NYC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is right on!!!!!! You gotta be in it to win it!!!! Now go read my blog about what every band should know!! DAVE BROOKS HONOR AMONG THIEVES - drummer NYC Sound Engineer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Post a comment in response: |
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