Battle of the Bands rant

metallicafan18 · #1 03-21-2010, 04:21 PM

After try and try of participating in these. I am done. I've won a few, and lost a lot. They are a joke.

Last night I played a battle of the bands. We played our 4 best songs and DESTROYED them. That is a good destroyed by the way. We sounded great. We played 3 covers and an original song.

Here's one thing to keep in mind, the people sponsoring it were providing all equipment and judges that worked for the sponsor. So we are the 3rd band to play. The first band was awesome. I was really liking it. The next.... a bunch of 10 year olds playing some metal.

So the rest of the show goes and and I swear every band just went up to the guitar amps and turned them up to 11. It is stupid. I couldnt hear anything. None of the kids new how to work any of the amps. (Yes. every band seemed to be middle schoolers)

So they announce the top 3 winners. We didn't even place, and neither did the other band that I thought was good. All the winners were bands that were formed at the sponsor. (The sponsor was a "rock school" place they got kids together to jam)

So mad already, I go and get our scorecard from the desk to see what was written down. Here are a few statements that just pissed me off:

Judge 1.
1. Bass player's tone did not fit his active stage presence. (***!?!?)

2. Too faithful to your original song. (I didn't know that was possible)

Judge 2.
1. Bass tone didn't sound good (Keep in mind they supplied $2000 Marshall stacks and one 2x10 Fender Rumble bass amp)

2. I didn't hear an original. (We even announced we were playing one)

Judge 3.
1.Bass and drums were not featured enough in the band

2. Guitar solos sounded the same. (We played the solo's exactly how they are played in the songs. Perfectly)

3. No harmonies. (no other band even had backing vocals)

So does it sound like they are just trying to find something wrong with us or what? I am planning on writing a very nasty email to the people. They asked for feedback, so I'll give it to them.

nightcityburn · #2 03-21-2010, 04:36 PM

Sorry man, but I have judged battle of the bands, and if you are playing 75% covers you immediately aren't going to win, unless you are making them your own. You said "exactly how they were written."

If everyone was playing covers, then I think you are honestly a little biased towards yourself and what appeals to your ears.

It happens.

tom once dead · #3 03-21-2010, 04:43 PM

Ive had luck with BOTB, entered 2 won 1. Don't really plan to enter another.

I do know what you mean though. Getting marked down on bass tone is rediculous though, how did you have your eq set?

metallicafan18 · #4 03-21-2010, 04:45 PM

I had it basically flat with the low mids slightly boosted. It sounded really good to me.

We were the only band that played an original at all. The majority of the bands didn't even play guitar solos.

metallicafan18 · #5 03-21-2010, 04:47 PM

Also the songs we played were:

Barracuda-Heart
Gunpowder and Lead-Miranda Lambert
Separate ways-Journey
Ready or Not-Our original

s_mcsleazy · #6 03-21-2010, 04:52 PM

ive only ever played one botb and we were the only band doing origionals

we came in last

there reasons were well your sound isnt really marketable and i think that bass solo was un nessesery

metallicafan18 · #7 03-21-2010, 05:09 PM

Sounds like a guitard judge to me.

J. Crawford · #8 03-21-2010, 05:12 PM

Sounds like you entered a "showcase" for the school sponsoring it, and they gave you the short end of the stick.

Like, going to a dog show for poodles with a labs.

metallicafan18 · #9 03-21-2010, 05:21 PM

Very true. I just went on our bands facebook and every single post on their from other bands says we should've won first. Even the Sponsor said we were "Simply AMAZING!"

I'm so confused now.

J. Crawford · #10 03-21-2010, 05:31 PM

THat just proves my point man. It was all hype.

AnchorHoy · #11 03-21-2010, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by metallicafan18

All the winners were bands that were formed at the sponsor. (The sponsor was a "rock school" place they got kids together to jam)

Pretty much says it all, don't you think?

BTW, the first time I stumbled across the Power Chord Academy website, I thought it was a parody site. After taking a very careful look all around their site, it is apparently all too real.

Looks like a fantastic money maker for the 'school', if nothing else. $1800 tuition for six 8hr days. $100 extra for NYC location - at least that much resembles the Real World

nsmar4211 · #12 03-21-2010, 06:53 PM

DO NOT send that trash talking email....... take the high road. Toss out the judges opinions, promote yourself, milk the contacts, and never do that again

champbassist · #13 03-21-2010, 07:03 PM

It feels just awful when you KNOW that you were better than everyone else and you didn't win.

I don't think your feedback will mean a lot to them anyway. Why waste your time expressing your opinion when it'll not be respected.

Just knowing that you were good and the judges were biased should be motivation enough to go out and DESTROY some more gigs

metallicafan18 · #14 03-21-2010, 07:12 PM

We have a show next weekend that is already sold out of tickets, so I am not worried about this putting us down.

NUN101 · #15 03-22-2010, 03:39 PM

To me, competition and music always seemed to be at odds with each other.

Is music about fighting, winning, and losing?

metallicafan18 · #16 03-22-2010, 03:41 PM

Well, I talked to one of the other bands this morning. Actually it was the band that I thought was good. We were talking about maybe doing some future shows together. Anyway, I asked if they got any stupid feedback. They told me one of the statements made and none of my band's even compare to theirs.

They were told, "Played too popular of music".

They played Beat It by MJ, and Sweet Child O' Mine.

Isn't the whole point of playing in a band to play songs the crowd enjoys?

P. Aaron · #17 03-23-2010, 10:20 AM

The battle is won when you keep getting booked by club owners.

Random judges don't pay your fee.

dalconthenovice · #18 03-24-2010, 02:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by metallicafan18

Isn't the whole point of playing in a band to play songs the crowd enjoys?

some say yes i say **** no

me and my band plays the music WE enjoy, of course we want people to enjoy our music and if other people want to here it and like it then thats great, but sucks to be them if they don't like it, fact i could care less of people don't like our music, i've played at least two gigs where no one dug our music, thats cool, THEY'RE TWATS ANYWAYS! WE like it!! (most people like our music, not all, most)

phatbass · #19 03-24-2010, 03:19 AM

Sponsored by a "Rock School" and you REALLY expected bands not associated with the school would get a look in? I guarantee that they will be telling people "look how great our school is; students from our school won every prize at this battle of the bands"...

Battle of the Bands' are mostly, in my experience, a scam to at least some degree. The venue gets FREE bands that are gonna play as well as they can, and bring as many people as they can (c'mon; admit it - y'all try that much harder on both your gig promotion work AND your performance at these things).

And what do the winners get? Usually some time at a demo studio and some poorly paid gigs at the same venue, that they probably could have got just by phoning anyway...

Sending an email is IMO a waste of time. I wouldn't bother making a crusade of it. It'll achieve nothing and only get you more wound up. A nasty email isn't worth the electrons and it just makes you sound like a whiny bitch.

ericw · #20 03-24-2010, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by metallicafan18

...Isn't the whole point of playing in a band to play songs the crowd enjoys?

Some will say:

Quote:

...i could care less of people don't like our music...

But if your goal is to gig out people have to enjoy what you're playing. Otherwise, why would you ever get booked?