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Be Honest: Would You Ever Sell-Out?

would you sell-out?

  • Money, fame, supermodels? **** yeah I would. sign me up

    Votes: 244 64.9%
  • No, my band would try and make it on our own. Never selling out

    Votes: 38 10.1%
  • LOL@artistic integrity.Only reason I'd wanna be a rockstar is for money and the sex

    Votes: 19 5.1%
  • Dont need models and limos; I'm happy with hookers and taxi cabs

    Votes: 20 5.3%
  • Yeah I would..but i'd probably get depressed and start a drug habit

    Votes: 55 14.6%

  • Total voters
    376
  • Poll closed .
Let's say you were in an underground band that's being courted by a big corporate label. If you signed with them you'll be promised fame, fortune, and a fleet of supermodels. Instead of playing hole-in-the-wall clubs, you'll be playing stadiums. All you have to do is change your sound to more commercial viable pop music. Sign away your artistic integrity and all this could be yours..

would you sign?
 
Change vote option one to "Long hours on the road, double cheeseburgers, sleeping in a van when you are not driving with 3 other dudes, for a small chance to make some money since pirating music and the economy people dont go to as many live shows or buy legit music, to maybe break even and not owe the corporate label the money they loaned you to record and market your album". You are forgetting a key factor here, even if you sell out, people have to buy your music and merchandise for you to make the label money so you get a paycheck. Supermodels......lol.
 
There's a fine line. I'd have no problem polishing up my songs to make it more marketable.

However I wouldn't want to be dancing while playing air bass to auto-tuned vocals with banners behind me for Gorilla Amps and Depends!
 
Change vote option one to "Long hours on the road, double cheeseburgers, sleeping in a van when you are not driving with 3 other dudes, for a small chance to make some money since pirating music and the economy people dont go to as many live shows or buy legit music, to maybe break even and not owe the corporate label the money they loaned you to record and market your album". You are forgetting a key factor here, even if you sell out, people have to buy your music and merchandise for you to make the label money so you get a paycheck. Supermodels......lol.

That's the reality of course, but we're indulging in a fantasy here. Play along.
 
As long as I don't get stuck droning on root notes, I'd be fine with it. Making a living playing music would be fabulous. Plus if you make superstar money, save and invest properly and you could eventually afford to make whatever music you want because you're so rich.
 
The middle option. Only way I could be bothered to give up the life I'm living now and go on big tours and play someone elses music every night is if I got an insane pay check. We're talking "do this for a year or two and then spend the rest of your days retired in a mansion with a golden swimming pool full of sharks" kind of pay.

They could keep the super models though, I like my girls to be shaped like women instead of 12 year old boys.
 
Why do people associate selling out with making money? Because pardon me, the moment you establish a commerce with anyone regarding your band then you've become commercial. Even if you make 1 buck a night, you're being commercial. Besides, where's the sin in being commercial? Why is it so bad? I'd worry more about not being a shallow band because although being shallow and fame have become synonyms for a lot of people, it doesn't have to be that way. Silversun Pickups is hardly what I would call a shallow band and they're very famous.

I think the whole association of fame and shallowness stems from the old-age thought that underground music is somewhat more pure, cultured, intelligent, whatever more than popular music. In my experience, most underground events are boring because everyone's trying too hard to be cultured. Just concentrate on making music that makes you happy, and that's that.
 
I once had a talk with a female stranger while I was at a convention giving a talk on my research and listening to others. She asked me what it would take to do music full time. I said a gaurenteed $5 mill per year for 5 years then Im out. I'm one of the few on here who enjoys the day job more than music.