By this I mean a relatively big festival/venue. Just curious, because my band just won an online battle for a VERY big venue. I'm very excited, it's in 11 days! Anyone have similar experiences they'd like to share? Advice? Thanks.
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Ever win a contest for a show?
- Thread starter mcblahflooper94
- Start date
Any competition in the arts is a farce. Usually nothing more than a popularity contest ... not about talent. Your band can rehearse twice a week, play out every weekend ... and still be beaten by a 13 year old girl with a Hello Kitty pink guitar. Have fun, enjoy the venue ... and don't be surprised if you don't attain fame and stardom.
I don't expect to do either of those things. I understand that it's a "farce", and it's a popularity contest, but it's very hard to judge something as subjective as music. Anyways, what's wrong with a 13 year old with a Hello Kitty pink guitar? What if that 13 year old plays the hell out of that Hello Kitty guitar?
Anyways, my post didn't ask about your cynical ideals behind Battles. I don't think that people usually win based on musical talent either, but that's part of the world being the world.
Congrats. Last season, the band I was with won the voting in a "people's choice" contest for a coveted spot at the local State Fair. Voting was online and the bands used Facebook, fan Emails and (here's the key) anyone at all could vote via Facebook. Everyone in my band went full-on in the marketing effort, enlisting family, friends, colleagues to reach out to their own networks for votes.
The result was staggering: my band garnered votes from four continents (including 22 votes cast by people who were together at a dinner party in Buenos Aires) and totally smoked the rest of the competition in the balloting. We received more votes than next three bands combined. Needless to say, no good deed goes unpunished -- sour grapes flowed freely with accusations of cheating, individuals casting multiple votes (this was nearly impossible). Finally, the runner up spoke up on the Festival blog and told everyone to can the complaints, and congratulated us on the win.
The gig came off well, and a band which would never have made it that far (we were not good enough to get there musically) got to see the view from a very cool stage.
The result was staggering: my band garnered votes from four continents (including 22 votes cast by people who were together at a dinner party in Buenos Aires) and totally smoked the rest of the competition in the balloting. We received more votes than next three bands combined. Needless to say, no good deed goes unpunished -- sour grapes flowed freely with accusations of cheating, individuals casting multiple votes (this was nearly impossible). Finally, the runner up spoke up on the Festival blog and told everyone to can the complaints, and congratulated us on the win.
The gig came off well, and a band which would never have made it that far (we were not good enough to get there musically) got to see the view from a very cool stage.
- Dec 21, 2007
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My old funk band won an opportunity to play the San Jose Jazz Festival opening for the Ohio Players on the main stage on Friday night.
The gig was an absolute gas. Crowd loved us, some of the Players were backstage grooving to our tunes, we got to meet and hang with some great musicians.
Enjoy the ride.
The gig was an absolute gas. Crowd loved us, some of the Players were backstage grooving to our tunes, we got to meet and hang with some great musicians.
Enjoy the ride.
CONGRATULATIONS, BRO a personal achievement is a very cool thing- well done. Your hard work and practice have helped you reach a milestone. Stay thirsty my friend!
I wish the best to you and your band.
Did you research the promoter of this contest? Not all, but some "Battle of the Band" type of shows are essentially scams tricking bands to play for free. Sometimes, a promoter requires the bands to pay fees. The promoter will also collect paid admission from the venue.
Did you research the promoter of this contest? Not all, but some "Battle of the Band" type of shows are essentially scams tricking bands to play for free. Sometimes, a promoter requires the bands to pay fees. The promoter will also collect paid admission from the venue.
I was in a band a few years ago that won a battle of the bands with the crowd voting type thing & we won a slot at the Wakarusa music fest with some HUGE names. We got food, VIP backstage passes, cash & I got to meet a few of my musical heroes. overall it was a great experience.
I was also in a battle that was rigged & everyone in the venue thought we should have won (tons of booing & such). the owner of the venue was so mad that we didn't win he automatically gave us the spot at SXSW the following year without having to do contest again. so that was also pretty good but really bad at the same time.
I was also in a battle that was rigged & everyone in the venue thought we should have won (tons of booing & such). the owner of the venue was so mad that we didn't win he automatically gave us the spot at SXSW the following year without having to do contest again. so that was also pretty good but really bad at the same time.
Quite sure it's legitimate, considering it's a reasonably well known festival with very big bands playing later in the day.
Thank you very much!!
Bout 10 years ago I attended the Rockygrass Bluegrass Festival and Camp.
I took bass lessons from Allen Bartram (of the Del McCoury Band), Missy Raines (5 time IBMA Bassist of the year), Joel Landsburg of the Krueger Bros and Mark Schatz of bands too numerous to mention.
I then entered the Camp Band Scramble with a band called Canned Meat and we won the competition... Meaningless but fun!
I took bass lessons from Allen Bartram (of the Del McCoury Band), Missy Raines (5 time IBMA Bassist of the year), Joel Landsburg of the Krueger Bros and Mark Schatz of bands too numerous to mention.
I then entered the Camp Band Scramble with a band called Canned Meat and we won the competition... Meaningless but fun!
- Oct 7, 2000
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Congratulations! Hope it's an awesome stage and gig, and that you have a blast.
I reluctantly did one of the live battle of the band competitions a few years back (Emergenza) with a band I was playing with at the time . There were many things I didn't like about the whole thing, but in retrospect, I had a lot of fun. We basically made a lot of people a lot of money, and got absolutley nothing in return except for a few fun shows in some packed houses. I think we won 3 shows, which got us into the NY finals where we placed 3rd out of 20 bands. Winners got to perform at the big finale event, which included a trip to Germany. Sounded great! I love to travel. This was the kicker in that competition though, that I didn't realize till a year later...
The following year, the new winning band needed a fill in bass player for the overseas gig. I immediatly responded to their craigslist ad, they checked me out and wanted to give me the gig Then I checked the details. We would arrive for the show the night before, be put up for a night, play the show, and fly back home. Band was going to pay me reasonably, but minimally, don't remember how much. That's when the reality hit me.
Had I won 1st place with my band the year before, what we would have been wiinning was a 10 + hour commute (20 total not inculding to and from airports), plus having to pack our bags and do all the airport customs crap... to play a gig like we just played in NY, and nothing more. The "trip" to Germany was just that. A long assed trip, just to play a gig. 3 days, jetlag, hassles, etc... to play a 20 - 30 minute set in some club to a couple of hundred people.
I didn't go with the other band to Germany.
I reluctantly did one of the live battle of the band competitions a few years back (Emergenza) with a band I was playing with at the time . There were many things I didn't like about the whole thing, but in retrospect, I had a lot of fun. We basically made a lot of people a lot of money, and got absolutley nothing in return except for a few fun shows in some packed houses. I think we won 3 shows, which got us into the NY finals where we placed 3rd out of 20 bands. Winners got to perform at the big finale event, which included a trip to Germany. Sounded great! I love to travel. This was the kicker in that competition though, that I didn't realize till a year later...
The following year, the new winning band needed a fill in bass player for the overseas gig. I immediatly responded to their craigslist ad, they checked me out and wanted to give me the gig Then I checked the details. We would arrive for the show the night before, be put up for a night, play the show, and fly back home. Band was going to pay me reasonably, but minimally, don't remember how much. That's when the reality hit me.
Had I won 1st place with my band the year before, what we would have been wiinning was a 10 + hour commute (20 total not inculding to and from airports), plus having to pack our bags and do all the airport customs crap... to play a gig like we just played in NY, and nothing more. The "trip" to Germany was just that. A long assed trip, just to play a gig. 3 days, jetlag, hassles, etc... to play a 20 - 30 minute set in some club to a couple of hundred people.
I didn't go with the other band to Germany.
Your post asked about experience with such things. I've spent more than 40 years honing my cynicism, thank you. It's cool to play for a big crowd in a great venue ... enjoy it for what it is ... a good experience.
In 1996 an old band of mine beat the still unknown Carbon Leaf, who would later score a big hit with "Life Less Ordinary", in a battle of the bands. We won some studio time to record a demo at some dude's studio, but he had no freakin' idea what he was doing!
In 2005, or maybe 2006, a band I was playing with won the first "Under The Radar" award at a regional festival, Floydfest. It amounted to getting paid and having to play a lot more, and at some not-so-great time slots, like opening the main stage on Saturday morning. It was still fun and we did a good job of rocking it, IMHO.
In 2005, or maybe 2006, a band I was playing with won the first "Under The Radar" award at a regional festival, Floydfest. It amounted to getting paid and having to play a lot more, and at some not-so-great time slots, like opening the main stage on Saturday morning. It was still fun and we did a good job of rocking it, IMHO.
- Oct 7, 2000
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LOL. Pretty much feel the same way, but did my best to be nice about it.
Your post actually reminded me though of the first battle a band I was in ever won. We won our way up to the final competition which took place in Central Park, and competed against every type of band imaginable, in an all day concert. We were a punk band. We won. Everyone was wicked pissed, and I have to admit they put a lot more time and effort into what they did (costumes, backing singers, and all kinds of stage stuff) than we did. They were all much better musicians too, but the contest was being judged on a lot of things, including creativity, and we won that part hands down. The stuff we were doing was progessive punklike material, and the time was right for it....
Anyhoo, we got on the 7th page of the daily news, and in a messed up and tragic coincidence, the drummer of that band made front page of all the NY papers exactly 25 years later (to the exact date) by killing 2 people and then himself in a love triangle that turned out really sadly and badly. He was actually a good guy, if you can believe it... who got horribly twisted from alcohol and a variety of drugs.
Yeah.... I've got a lot of years honing my cynicism too. Lots more though to happy and grateful for.
Me too.
That must have been a hell of a kick for a bunch of high school kids! My band was playing Junior High School dances while you guys were doin' Central Park.
And that "Hello Kitty" comment I made was darn close to a real experience. Can ya tell it's still a sore spot?
- Jan 12, 2011
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Many years ago our band in Okinawa Japan won a band competition and became the opening act for the Headliner Group Color me Badd. We played in front of 30,000 folks in an outdoor concert. My bass sounded awesome going though that monster PA.
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