Totally fake band touring Europe...

[petrus61]

This is nothing new. People that are exponentially more savvy at marketing than they are at being genuine artists has been a thing since at least KISS

It’s garbage like this that has played a role in the diminishing of smaller music scenes all over the place for years now. When venues don’t commit due diligence and are already scraping the bottom of the barrel as it is, a few thousand FB likes and a fancy demo seems like a bargain for the same $$$ they’d be paying weekend warriors who are already chasing people out of the place.

 

[BassAndReeds]

I've seen bands faking it when travelling. In Europe, is common to see some band with claims of success in the states, and of course they never were. I've seen bands and acts claim they learned from some obscure master musician from the deep South, that of course no one knows, can't be substantiated...etc.

But, I've never seen a band play to completely empty rooms and keep going? Maybe they are trying to pad their calendar with prior impressive venues and dates? Like paying to play the Fox or The Ryman with nobody there, so you can put it on your fb page?

Yep. I think they were planning on playing Las Angeles. And I imagine their bill would be something like “European sensation, playing venues such as ... comes to (some LA bar)”

Gotta love marketing.

 

[mcrawfordmusic]

I've seen this kind of thing first hand...thousands of Facebook likes, did a gig to about 5 people.

 

[HawldieMPB]

Not sure why this is newsworthy.

I've been on plenty of bizarre bills where the headliner was clearly a bought-and-paid for deal with 10k+ views/likes/follows etc. who brought 0 bodies through the door. These bands do typically seem to come out of LA.

"poopy LA band bought likes and played for no one" is just another Tuesday night in San Francisco.

Yep. Once saw a "make-up + wardrobe" credit on a poster for one such band that I shared a bill with. Won't say who. Really nice people but definitely very manufactured band. WHAT a strange credit to put on a TOUR poster. They didn't even wear make-up on stage. Nor did they wear costumes. So They must have made some very strange deal with someone. Definitely a band run like a business. Well funded for sure.

So, none of this story suprised me. Basically this is being a mid-level band from what I've seen. So many bought likes and BS hype. I thought, from te headline, that no band played at all. Like it completely didn't exist. But come to find out that it's some trust-fund, pipe dream, garbage? No, that just makes perfect sense, actually.

 

[TheDominoKid]

It’s a joke. Or rather it’s mocking the modern music scene that’s about “likes” and “shares” and not actual content. Hence why the song is super-lame.

**just got back from GWAR.

 

[interp]

If you’re not gonna have listeners you may as well not have a LOT of listeners.

 

[Nevada Pete]

There's an old saying in the music business: How do you make a small fortune in the music business? Start with a bigger fortune.

That's all I'm gonna say.

 

[dxb]

It must be hard for performance artists to come up with new avant-garde or absurdist ideas these days when the real world is constantly saying, "hold my beer".

 

[two fingers]

Honestly, I'm gonna break out my "get off my lawn" soapbox.

This is another terrible side effect of social media.

I was listening to the news yesterday and heard a story about a recent study. It showed that we are more lonely and depressed than we have ever been. Why? Social media. We sit at home comparing our lives to people posting pics of themselves having a beer with friends or skydiving. We think they are living an amazing life. Meanwhile, we never see them arguing with their spouse or going for cancer treatments. Point is, most of their lives are no better than yours regardless of what their Facebook shows. Plus, we spend less time working on real-life relationships and more time trying to set up selfie opportunities to compete in the Facebook realm.

The same holds true for bands. And it comes from both sides.

The band likely isn't as amazing as their Facebook would have you believe. If you have gotten in a stinky van and played to 15 people a night for a couple weeks you have not "toured" in my view. That word has been watered down so much that I usually roll my eyes when someone tells me they are "going on tour" or "just got back from a tour". (Usually they are taking my money at Lowes or from behind the counter at a restaurant when they tell me this.)

Also, the band gets fooled into thinking they are awesome by all of the people "liking" them (paid for or not).

We should all do a lot more living in the real world. Gigs aren't on the internet. They are up close and personal. Concentrate on your SHOW and your MUSIC until you hit the stage. Then concentrate on your AUDIENCE!

Point is, this isn't the 70s or 80s. Quit trying to give off the impression you are something you are not and just be awesome. If your version of awesome catches fire, great. If not, find something else to do and play for fun.

But regardless of whether or not you are a "touring" band or a dad band, for crap sake dress the part, set up some lights and PUT ON A SHOW!!!! The only thing killing live music is us.

Soapbox disengage.

 

[Skillet]

I wonder if it was Talkbass or Reddit that killed the server ............... hmmm

 

[HamOnTheCob]

Everyone is clowning this band and this move. Meanwhile, the band is now being discussed here, there, and everywhere, and I'm sure a load of people have looked them up because of the buzz. If they're talented in any way whatsoever, this could turn out to be a clever start to a successful career.

 

[Spectrum]

 

[Spectrum]

Everyone is clowning this band and this move. Meanwhile, the band is now being discussed here, there, and everywhere, and I'm sure a load of people have looked them up because of the buzz. If they're talented in any way whatsoever, this could turn out to be a clever start to a successful career.

There is no "band". And now that he's been exposed he is being trolled to death on Redditt and elsewhere, he has gone dark on the internet. Shutting down comments and trying to hide while this blows over. If you think making yourself a worldwide pariah and becoming a laughing stock are a smart move to get famous, go for it. I'm take my local nobody band with our handful of actual fans and my day job.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

I thought this was about Milli Vanilli

 

[PWRL]

The NME link wouldn't work for me, but I found this one: L.A. Band Threatin Faked a Fanbase To Land a European Tour No One Attended | MetalSucks

It's funny and cringey at the same time.

 

[Spectrum]

I thought this was about Milli Vanilli

Milli Vanilli actually sold records and had fans.

In that case, the performers were fake but the fans weren't. This Threatin guy appears to be an actual musician (although time may tell, he may be a lipsyncer before this is finished) but his fans are all fictional.

 

[HamOnTheCob]

There is no "band". And now that he's been exposed he is being trolled to death on Redditt and elsewhere, he has gone dark on the internet. Shutting down comments and trying to hide while this blows over. If you think making yourself a worldwide pariah and becoming a laughing stock are a smart move to get famous, go for it. I'm take my local nobody band with our handful of actual fans and my day job.

LoL I guess there was more to the story than I understood. I was under the impression this was a band that played to crowds of 0 while touring Europe.

 

[pipFunk]

It’s what $500 one way, $1000 roundtrip x4 members of the band, $4k total investment? You’d need to spend more than that on a van to get you up the coast, plus gas money.

lol... Plus, he's hired the backing band, plus he's hired a tour manager, plus he's hired a backline for the band, plus he's hired the venues, plus he's hired a luxury van, plus he's touring Europe and UK, plus he'll be renting hotels every night for two weeks, plus he's hired a video technician, plus he'll be paying for sound and lights, plus he'll have to eat and drink (unless he really IS a vampire, as one support band has suggested - apparently he wanders around with his hood up all the time...)!

Oh, and after all that, he won't even have a van to sell at the end of it all, either!

He's told all the venues that he's sold tickets to capacity, when he hasn't sold one, and he plays to empty rooms... I don't understand why he'd think that people who he clearly MUST know hadn't actually bought tickets would turn up? To be honest, I'd be worried about his mental health. If his ego/narcissism really is such that he actually believes his own fantasy, if I were close to him I'd be concerned about he's handling the fact that nobody has turned up.

Anyway, here he is, performing to that sell-out audience:

Three people! The girl at the front is recording the tour for posterity, the guy on the right is his TM, I guess the guy on the left popped in to get out of the rain...

I'm still waiting for the reveal, when we all go "oooh... the guy's a genius!"

 

[Chango Malo]

LoL I guess there was more to the story than I understood. I was under the impression this was a band that played to crowds of 0 while touring Europe.

You are correct. Also, the "no band" is correct. Looks like someone brought in some hired guns for a backing band to cover the "tour".
Seems like someone bought up a buncha social media hits/follows/likes/views and forgot to use it to build buzz with actual live humans.
Good thing for Jared T. is a quick haircut and some testosterone injections and he can use a fresh name. No one will know how he screwed the pooch in the last half of '18.

 

[dxb]

Heh, I wonder what all the venues he's still scheduled to play are thinking right about now.

Also it looks like the original article link doesn't work any more. Were they forced to take it down? The plot thickens!