Booked With Bands Waaaaay Off Genre...

DanBass · #1 03-05-2013, 07:52 AM

I will preface this by saying we are a meld of the Cure, Joy Division and Morrissey, and have had flattering comaprisons to The Editors.

So, we have a show this weekend, and I went on the site and there are only two bands on the bill. US and a doom metal, GWAResque band.

Really??

Look, I like everything from Rage to Vivaldi, The Temps to Slayer. So the music doesn't bother me. The match does.

Is the booking person an idiot??? With all the bands around couldn't there be a better match from a genre standpoint?? Isn't that their job to at least match as closely as possible???

I'll play anywhere at anytime, but at 43 I am seriously saying F this. They can't find another doom black metal act to fill our slot with four days notice on a Friday night???

Anyone ever run into this crap?? Did you cancel and say hell with it?

drpepper · #2 03-05-2013, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanBass

I will preface this by saying we are a meld of the Cure, Joy Division and Morrissey, and have had flattering comaprisons to The Editors.

So, we have a show this weekend, and I went on the site and there are only two bands on the bill. US and a doom metal, GWAResque band.

Really??

Look, I like everything from Rage to Vivaldi, The Temps to Slayer. So the music doesn't bother me. The match does.

Is the booking person an idiot??? With all the bands around couldn't there be a better match from a genre standpoint?? Isn't that their job to at least match as closely as possible???

I'll play anywhere at anytime, but at 43 I am seriously saying F this. They can't find another doom black metal act to fill our slot with four days notice on a Friday night???

Anyone ever run into this crap?? Did you cancel and say hell with it?

What kind of gig is this? Who will the audience be?

KodyAudette · #3 03-05-2013, 08:21 AM

Just dress in outlandish costumes and play Doom Metal covers of all your songs. Who knows, perhaps you'll break into a new demographic! Haha.

But seriously, that's stupid. You've gotta wonder who is doing the booking that came up with a match like that.

VanillaThundah · #4 03-05-2013, 08:26 AM

I hear this happen all the time...we ran into the same issue many many times and we refused to play. A mixed crowd will usually result in awkward discomfort for one or both sides of the audience. If you know your fanbase and realize that they would NOT be down with the sound of a doom metal band and the crowd that it brings, it may be in your long-term best interest to turn the gig down. While I do enjoy some metal music, I can't say I'm crazy about the patrons it tends to attract

DanBass · #5 03-05-2013, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drpepper

What kind of gig is this? Who will the audience be?

I am a realist, we just don't draw the same numbers now that I could bring in when I was 20 - so we'll end up playing to their crowd, and going over like a lead balloon.

And I get that. I am going to see death metal, I don't want Echo and the Bunnymen.

Worse yet, NO BACKLINE, so to add to the "fun" I have to lug all my gear. (lazy alert.. LOL)

DanBass · #6 03-05-2013, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KodyAudette

Just dress in outlandish costumes and play Doom Metal covers of all your songs. Who knows, perhaps you'll break into a new demographic! Haha.

But seriously, that's stupid. You've gotta wonder who is doing the booking that came up with a match like that.

I was even working on a GWARish monikker.

Vomitus Bassimus.

DanBass · #7 03-05-2013, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VanillaThundah

I hear this happen all the time...we ran into the same issue many many times and we refused to play. A mixed crowd will usually result in awkward discomfort for one or both sides of the audience. If you know your fanbase and realize that they would NOT be down with the sound of a doom metal band and the crowd that it brings, it may be in your long-term best interest to turn the gig down. While I do enjoy some metal music, I can't say I'm crazy about the patrons it tends to attract

You all are validating my decision to push back.

masterFlash · #8 03-05-2013, 08:45 AM

Just make sure you play first. That way any of your crowd doesn't have to sit through the death metal and you don't have to play to empty chairs.

DanBass · #9 03-05-2013, 08:58 AM

Yeah, I hate to bail on a show, but this is more trouble than it is worth.. It's a shame, because I like the place, but we'll likely tank and they'll sour on us - when it was a product of their terrible booking.

mpdd · #10 03-05-2013, 10:14 AM

there is a history of alternative or indie bands in northeast ohio and western pennsylvania sharing stages with hardcore punk , 77 punk, 80s metal, thrash bands, and power pop bands, it was that way in the early nineties and it's that way today i assume

i always thought it was because the creative kids liked music and respected people doing their thing regardless if they really enjoyed the style or not, it's not like NY or LA where any band can get a large crowd on a monday or tuesday night at a small club or big bar, so you've got to band together in some respects to put on a show and have a creative community

DwaynieAD · #11 03-05-2013, 11:20 AM

my Heavy southern metal band played a blues open mic. limited to three songs. the blues guys had us do 3 more.

RedMoses · #12 03-05-2013, 11:43 AM

This kinda Sh$t happens all the time in NYC when your delaing with lame pormoters who just want to make money with a high turn around, ive been there, we now make sure we know all the bands playing that evening before we committ to the show, we have also dealt with proper promoters and although they may require more ticket sales or whatever the case they always put together an evening of music rather than just fit as many bands as they can on the stage in one night.

You have to tear down, pack up, set up, tear down, pack up... for a 45 min set! and your friends and fans will not enjoy coming early for some crappy metal band and staying late for some even worse polka band, its a loose loose situation for everyone but the promoter who took the first 15 covers and gives you 30% of each on there after.

F it.

JoeVictim · #13 03-05-2013, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanBass

I will preface this by saying we are a meld of the Cure, Joy Division and Morrissey, and have had flattering comaprisons to The Editors.

So, we have a show this weekend, and I went on the site and there are only two bands on the bill. US and a doom metal, GWAResque band.

Really??

Look, I like everything from Rage to Vivaldi, The Temps to Slayer. So the music doesn't bother me. The match does.

Is the booking person an idiot??? With all the bands around couldn't there be a better match from a genre standpoint?? Isn't that their job to at least match as closely as possible???

I'll play anywhere at anytime, but at 43 I am seriously saying F this. They can't find another doom black metal act to fill our slot with four days notice on a Friday night???

Anyone ever run into this crap?? Did you cancel and say hell with it?

Us Doom bands don't like it anymore then you do. Trust me. Our second gig was with a bluesy, acoustic act. Imagine, We play with amps that look more like we are trying to build some pyramids, and the next band is using a reso guit, upright bass, etc. They kicked total ass, but to go from drone to borderline bluegrass was kinda like the Roman legion marching full force on some peaceful monks. (btw, the band we played with has two sets that they do, one is more doom than the other. you never know which version you are going to get, like Bad Brains did with punk/reggae)

I think it's because Doom bands are so hard to book anything with, they just throw us onto whatever is "underground" or "indie" or "bluesy". We aren't really "metal" because people like to associate fast with metal, and we aren't just rock (we have drone parts, fuzz walls, prerecorded sound samples and other things). Looks like we are getting booked with Crust bands, metal bands, punk bands, grunge bands, all kinds of whatever.

Don't worry about it too much. If you are bringing people and everyone leaves after you play, the venue SHOULD get the hint. Good luck to you!

SoLongJake · #14 03-05-2013, 12:01 PM

Am I the only person who really likes mixed genre shows? Nothing more boring or monotonous than playing with 2-3 other bands who sound more or less the same genre as what you're playing. I love being the outlier on a bill, the underdog who wins the crowd over by the end of the set.

jmattbassplaya · #15 03-05-2013, 12:05 PM

IME, only bad bars or bookers do that. Sometimes it can't be helped, but all the best venues I've played at tend to match up styles with one another because it means the audience will be more likely to stick around and catch the other acts. When bands don't match up, you always see the crowd come and go in waves as the bands go on and off the stage.

The_Janitor · #16 03-05-2013, 12:11 PM

Doom fans and musicians tend to be pretty open minded and have wide-ranging musical tastes. If you actually follow through and play the show you'd more than likely make new fans in a different demographic.

But you know, it might be awkward for a minute and you'd have to actually carry your amps, so **** it.

JoeVictim · #17 03-05-2013, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Janitor

Doom fans and musicians tend to be pretty open minded and have wide-ranging musical tastes. If you actually follow through and play the show you'd more than likely make new fans in a different demographic.

But you know, it might be awkward for a minute and you'd have to actually carry your amps, so **** it.

+1

People that listen to doom music got there some other way. Whether it's from the SST label connection, the grunge connection, the death metal connection, IME, no one started on doom. It is almost 100% sure to be one "metalhead" that digs you guys.

Because if we would have left after we played, we wouldn't have caught that great blues band. And let me tell you, I made a point to tell them I enjoyed it. I cornered the bass player and told him exactly what I felt. He was all smiles. Always feels good to be complimeted by the bass players of the other bands.

Corey Y · #18 03-05-2013, 12:28 PM

The last band I was in that gigged and toured, I could count the number of shows we played with bands that sounded very similar to us on one hand. Some of the shows on tour that I thought would be sure to flop and have everyone hate us, we got the best response and sold the most merch. The last show I played with one of my current bands, which I would describe as "doom metal" (though closer to 80s heavy metal than the extreme version a lot of people identify with that label), every band was a slightly different type of hard rock to metal and everyone had a good time and the crowd was very receptive. That might not be the case at every gig, but personally I like playing with a good variety of bands. I think very few people these days really stick to one niche subgenre of music and never venture outwards. There are sure to be very extreme exceptions with certain insular communities. Especially if a bunch of people are there to see one particular band and everyone going on before them is just an obstacle. There have been some horrendous examples of this at GWAR shows.

If you don't want to play a certain gig with a particular band or type of band, feel free to say no. I don't think anyone should guilt trip you for doing so. Presumably you're playing music for your own enjoyment, so you don't have to feel obligated to say yes to anything. However, I would say if you go into an unknown situation with your defenses up, expecting people to not like you, you might put off people who would otherwise be welcoming and friendly to you and create a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy. That's just my opinion about life in general, based on experience, not specific to music. It can be hard to walk around in life with your heart open, since it opens you up to damage, so only you can make the judgement about when to do it.

Lazarus.Bird · #19 03-05-2013, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VanillaThundah

While I do enjoy some metal music, I can't say I'm crazy about the patrons it tends to attract

Hey, at least you're keeping an open mind and not ignorantly stereotyping a bunch of people.

MICKUSS · #20 03-05-2013, 01:18 PM

My band(instrumental post-rock) played a show Saturday with 3 other VERY similar sounding bands. I think it's important to play with other bands in the same style once in a while, for obvious reasons. Definitely not always though. We headlined the show and by the time we went on I was so sick of hearing 10 minute, instrumental epics that I didn't want to hear our own songs! We mostly play mixed genre shows and we always stand out by because we're so different. This is a good thing.