I would, but then still make the music I was making before underground with the same band under a different name or something. I'm too greedy, I want the money AND the music. =P
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Be Honest: Would You Ever Sell-Out?
- Thread starter bogey_j
- Start date
So you're really asking if I'd rather play to tiny crowds in smoky little holes, satisfying the musical needs of a paltry few with limited musical taste, or make tens of thousands of people happy at one time?
Well, hell, you think you're going to be so fond of your "artistically pure" songs after playing them 20,000 times over 20 years? Hell no, you'll be sick to death of them eventually anyway.
I wouldn't take the chance now, with good job/career, wife, mortgage. If I had the chance when I was "available" to do some serious touring, would take the chance.
Randy
I wouldn't take the chance now, with good job/career, wife, mortgage. If I had the chance when I was "available" to do some serious touring, would take the chance.
Randy
Wow.....so many issues with this, but the main one I'll pick up on is "limited musical taste".....who do you think really has the most limited taste? The person who'll feed whatever plastic bull**** is fed to them over mainstream radio, or the person who genuinely cares about music enough to continue to search for new music in niche markets, because they identify more with it?
Most bands end up changing their sound because the record label insists that they do. At one point the Goo Goo Dolls were considered punk in their hometown of Buffalo, NY. They have become one of the most commercially successful bands in the world because they changed their sound.
Per person? I'd put money on the underground music fan. I know I own more CDs, vinyl, music DVDs and even tapes than any person I've met who listens to mainstream music. Most of my circle of friends own equally considerable collections.
Theres more of a "support your scene" ideology in the underground, it means that the fans are less likely to download random tracks, and just go and buy the album. (Not that some downloading doesn't go on, but I'd bet its less than the mainstream media.)
Of course, this is totally anecdotal, and only based on my experience, but I think it applies pretty well to all underground scenes, from extreme metal, to free jazz.
No such thing as selling out if you do what you love, which for the vast majority of people on this board is playing bass.
"Selling out" is the most juvenile notion.
Would rather keep what you perceive to be your artistic integrity and flip burgers for a living? Gimme a break
"Selling out" is the most juvenile notion.
Would rather keep what you perceive to be your artistic integrity and flip burgers for a living? Gimme a break
Nope. Plenty of bands out there that didn't have to change. We'll miss you Rise Against. R.I.P. Let us know when you want to stop being forced to write acoustic love ballads and radio friendly rock. We'll still be here.
I play what I want to play. If someone wants to give me millions for what I am doing, cool. If they want me to change my sound and write songs for me, there are a million other bands doing that type of music.
No such thing as selling out if you do what you love, which for the vast majority of people on this board is playing bass.
"Selling out" is the most juvenile notion.
Would rather keep what you perceive to be your artistic integrity and flip burgers for a living? Gimme a break
Why does everyone presume those are the only two choices?
What about,
"keeping your artistic integrity and going on to be reasonably successful, enough so to maintain a normal quality of life"
or
"keeping your artistic integrity and maintaining a successful professional career in another field"
or
"sacrificing your artistic integrity, still not succeeding and waking up at 65 years old, realising you've made absolutely zero progress over what you would've done without sacrificing any artistic integrity and regretting it for your remaining years, since the potential "rock star" lifestyle is now behind you"
Its not a black and white, "Success or burger flipper" scenario at all.
Absolutely I would.
This is why I never understood the people who criticize other artists for selling out. Given the chance, the vast majority of us would sell out in no time at all.
This is why I never understood the people who criticize other artists for selling out. Given the chance, the vast majority of us would sell out in no time at all.
Yes. I would sell out. Do what the fat cats want, but I'd start a side project and use that to do what I want. I like Green Day, but Billie Joe's side band Pinhead Gunpowder is so much better.
I remember asking this "indie" chic (young, sort of a folksie blues singer/song writer), if she would consider fronting a Pop Rock Cover Band.
She started telling me that she did not want to compromise her artistic integrity.
My response:
Where did you read that? Your not that good and nobody knows who you are. Exactly what is it that you think you have that you would be compromising?
She started telling me that she did not want to compromise her artistic integrity.
My response:
Where did you read that? Your not that good and nobody knows who you are. Exactly what is it that you think you have that you would be compromising?
I remember asking this "indie" chic (young, sort of a folksie blues singer/song writer), if she would consider fronting a Pop Rock Cover Band.
She started telling me that she did not want to compromise her artistic integrity.
My response:
Where did you read that? Your not that good and nobody knows who you are. Exactly what is it that you think you have that you would be compromising?
what did she say?
also, you sound like a douchebag
i'd sell out to make music for a living in a heartbeat. what is the definition of selling out these days?
I remember asking this "indie" chic (young, sort of a folksie blues singer/song writer), if she would consider fronting a Pop Rock Cover Band.
She started telling me that she did not want to compromise her artistic integrity.
My response:
Where did you read that? Your not that good and nobody knows who you are. Exactly what is it that you think you have that you would be compromising?
From reading your threads, blue, you've obviously got a very clear idea about what you want to achieve with music, and zero of it is connected to artistic integrity. Its all about the dollars for you. And thats fine! But just because someone else has a different aspiration doesn't mean they're below you, or that they warrant your scorn and sarcastic replies.
Nobody starts off amazing and known by millions of people. That includes all of your idols. They all started off playing crappy, smokey dive bars and clubs. If they had've followed your aspirations, the world would be a much worse place, music would never progress, because everybody would be too busy jumping on the, "flavour of the month" bandwagon.
If you're happy enough to just be a flash in the pan, flavour of the month musician (and, without being too blunt, if that was going to happen for you, it would've happened before now), thats your perogative, but don't tread all over the dreams of others. Whether they're realistic or not is irrelevant. Sometimes the journey is as important as the results.
It seems like you've become jaded because a career in music didn't go the way you expected it. I'm guessing you once had the same sort of dreams and they just didn't work out, for whatever reason?
What I enjoy most in life is playing music, and if a scenario arises wherein playing music satisfies my financial needs I will immediately commit to it.
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