Ways to improve your scene...if it needs it that is.

[mellowinman]

THANK YOU! I have friends, family, co-workers who have for years everytime they see me my band comes up when we are together and they will say " Hey where/when are you playing next? I tell them and some have put it in their phones etc. They say they will be there for sure but they never have shown up in years.
Why do they ask? I don't bring it up or ever tell them at all since I am sick of this game.
Do you think they feel obligated to act interested and act like they will try to come out?

NO!

WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG...

You get the idea.

You could stand me up ten thousand times, and then tell me you're coming out "for sure" next Saturday, and my attitude will be, "well, it will be great to see you there!"

Because to really do this, you have to be totally deluded. When I stalk a stage; play to a room; even practice at my house, I AM A ROCK STAR. Why? Because the music DEMANDS it. I've seen enough "regular Joe" musicians. If they're so regular, why would I want to go see them live?

We're ROCK STARS, and we're TRAINED MONKEYS, and we're WHORES. THAT is the lot of the performer.

You were already a MUSICIAN, and you will always be a MUSICIAN, and no one can take that away from you.

But you have to play the other roles, and you have to learn to live with it. Nobody owes you anything. You are competing with about a billion other cats who have just as much right to be up there as you do.

So make it your best ever time; promote it like people are actually going to come, and most importantly, DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED!!!!!

Your best night may still have yet to come.

For every "instant success" story, there are dozens of other bands who toiled in obscurity for YEARS, and then had that ONE BIG BREAK.

They will come. The can stand you up a thousand times, and still come.

 

[mellowinman]

You have to take this up a notch, or else we'll all be cannibalizing each other. Hair salons don't stay in business giving haircuts to other hairdressers. Plumbers don't make a bulk of their business from other plumbers. Restaurants usually don't promote their place to other chefs.

As musicians, we can help our fellow musicians in a way that fans can't. When a musician helps a fellow musician, they are sacrificing time and energy they can put towards their passions and goals. Because of that, just going to each other's shows isn't enough.

If someone comes to one of your shows, invite them on stage to perform a few tunes to give them exposure and hype their next show. Introduce that person to your fans, as well as the club manager, promoter, booking agent, etc. Don't treat your fellow musician like another ticket sold or a competitor, but an ally to improve the scene.
"Look everyone, there's Derek from the Dominoes. Hey, Derek, why don't you come up to play one of your awesome tunes!"
"Thanks, Eric, it's an awesome pleasure to get to sit in with a talented band like this. Don't you think folks?"
The crowd cheers, and the band jams one of Derek's tunes, and the crowd is cheering again.
"Thanks for sitting in with us Derek. If you want to see more of Derek, make sure you visit derekandthedominoes.com to see where he's going to play next."
Later on.....
"Hey, Mr Seedy bar owner, I'd like you to meet Derek"
"Hi Derek, I really liked that tune, how about you play here one of these nights"
"Sure, Mr Seedy, how about we have Eric's band share the bill?"
"Sounds good, let me get out my calendar....."

IMO, to really help a scene, we need to replace competition with collaboration, turf protection with sharing, and cliques with community. To do this, we need to check our egos at the door and realize we're all in this together. "We shall all hang together, or together we shall hang"

Please come move to Fort Wayne. I throw a lot of ribbing your way, (and who wouldn't?) but you truly do have a fantastic attitude, and seem like a very, very cool cat.

 

[bassbully]

NO!

WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG...

You get the idea.

You could stand me up ten thousand times, and then tell me you're coming out "for sure" next Saturday, and my attitude will be, "well, it will be great to see you there!"

Because to really do this, you have to be totally deluded. When I stalk a stage; play to a room; even practice at my house, I AM A ROCK STAR. Why? Because the music DEMANDS it. I've seen enough "regular Joe" musicians. If they're so regular, why would I want to go see them live?

We're ROCK STARS, and we're TRAINED MONKEYS, and we're WHORES. THAT is the lot of the performer.

You were already a MUSICIAN, and you will always be a MUSICIAN, and no one can take that away from you.

But you have to play the other roles, and you have to learn to live with it. Nobody owes you anything. You are competing with about a billion other cats who have just as much right to be up there as you do.

So make it your best ever time; promote it like people are actually going to come, and most importantly, DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED!!!!!

Your best night may still have yet to come.

For every "instant success" story, there are dozens of other bands who toiled in obscurity for YEARS, and then had that ONE BIG BREAK.

They will come. The can stand you up a thousand times, and still come.

You know..you 're right! I have lately been my bands own enemy in some ways..here is why. I do 95% of the booking and PR for this band and there are 5 members including me. The drummer is really new so he doesn't quite count yet.
I love the guys, they are great people but like me have very busy lives and professions. We did little promotion on our full length album that came out last summer. I did a PR push local and was promised reviews ,interviews by magazines etc that had covered us before and they all did not come thru. I even put together a charity holiday concert and a local radio station promised to promote it and have us on the show and did not. This same radio station dissed us a year before with our first EP also so I am really angry at them. I even sat in the station managers office when he made these so called promises to my face.

Long story short I feel like I am whoring us out if I push to hard doing the old "lookie here"...lookie here...see us?...oh yoo hoo !!
So I stay away and sulk..angry at them instead of going back and saying remember me..I'm back!

Part of the reason is in the 90's I was a semi-professional that chased these green fish around that sound like what we play and is half of the meaning of my username (2 meanings ) I had corp sponsors and had to do this to get a ride for the next season. When they went quiet I got ticked and quit...folded up after years in. I told myself I would not whore myself out and chase them, they knew who I was and they should come to me and keep me happy. I was wrong.All the guys jumping up and down waving their arm saying yoo- hoo look at me got the rides and sponsorships back. Me? I kept my pride. :scowl:

I was cool with that then but its going on again now. My band is known in the originals circle around here as a good band and regarded as one by many including many good musicians and club owners, but sadly we have yet to scratch the market.

I need help but really doubt I will get it. I'm tired
but still love this band and know we put out great music and put on a pretty good show. I am at the crossroads on what to do. I need to look at this hard and decide to we sink or swim? Do I put my pride behind and jump this band back in the public,call that station back,call those magazines who promised those articles and promote us. I think I know the answer and this woke me up. I now need to find the time and energy to do it.It's on me.

 

[Willie Dizon]

In order to have a scene there must be genuine unity among the musicians/bands in one's own area.Then if you have that,you have a better chance to deal with the clubs/bars/venues as a collective. Since I live in a transitional city,most places want to hear covers and that tends to dictate a portion of our "scene". I don't know how it is in your area,but it wouldn't hurt to network and unite with like minded bands.

 

[Willie Dizon]

Ok..Ideas. Lets say I do have more. How do I market it to a bar, club onwer who has been struggling to keep the doors open of a once hoppin music club?

1)Bring up the idea of a benefit(choose your favorite one)
2)Have it hosted at that club
3)Network with bands that are willing to participate
4)Contact local media about this event
5)Promote,promote,promote this gig

 

[DaDrew2112]

What if you don't like your scene

 

[bassbully]

1)Bring up the idea of a benefit(choose your favorite one)
2)Have it hosted at that club
3)Network with bands that are willing to participate
4)Contact local media about this event
5)Promote,promote,promote this gig

Agree and have done this. You are right it worked but it is temporary at best. It gives the place a lift, the bands some exposure for a moment but what about the long run and getting the biz and scene a boost for the long haul?

 

[mambo4]

You have to take this up a notch, or else we'll all be cannibalizing each other....
If someone comes to one of your shows.. Introduce that person to your fans, as well as the club manager, promoter, booking agent, etc. Don't treat your fellow musician like another ticket sold or a competitor, but an ally to improve the scene.

Brilliant, Jive1.

 

[Kaa]

Open a bar that caters to live music and have good bands. And pay them well.

If that isn't possible, maybe focus on ONE bar in your area that a bunch of your bands could promote who will then become the de facto place to see live music.

Get to know the owner, explain what your plan is, get a group of 5 bands of so, and work out a rotating schedule on who plays weeknights, and who plays weekends. The Band that plays the weekend gets a little more money since there will bemore people out, and the bands that play during the week will make a little less, until it's their turn ion the weekend.

 

[pklima]

THANK YOU! I have friends, family, co-workers who have for years everytime they see me my band comes up when we are together and they will say " Hey where/when are you playing next? I tell them and some have put it in their phones etc. They say they will be there for sure but they never have shown up in years.
Why do they ask? I don't bring it up or ever tell them at all since I am sick of this game.
Do you think they feel obligated to act interested and act like they will try to come out?

This phenomenon is real, especially with coworkers, but IME is very band-dependent. People would do that all the time with an originals band I played in, or with the band that did Edith Piaf covers and stuff. The very same people will actually show up for another band that does a lot of huge hits from 2011 and should really get around to doing some 2012 songs soon too.

 

[bassbully]

This phenomenon is real, especially with coworkers, but IME is very band-dependent. People would do that all the time with an originals band I played in, or with the band that did Edith Piaf covers and stuff. The very same people will actually show up for another band that does a lot of huge hits from 2011 and should really get around to doing some 2012 songs soon too.

Looking back I think the point was lost. These people are offering to me that they will come out and support. Many of them tell me everytime they see me and in 4 years never have and the funny thing is ...they bring it up?

Like i said i don't bring up the band anymore to them ..my wife does and they always go .."we will be there"...yeah...right.

 

[skwee]

IMO, to really help a scene, we need to replace competition with collaboration, turf protection with sharing, and cliques with community. To do this, we need to check our egos at the door and realize we're all in this together. "We shall all hang together, or together we shall hang"

When I was freelancing in San Francisco, treating my "competition" as colleagues was the best decision I ever made. Three or four tenors basically shared the entire local singing scene, and if one of us couldn't do something, we were sure to recommend one of the other guys we trusted. The thing about it is fostering trust, and quality.

 

[the yeti]

to my eye most of the posts so far are commenting on how to improve an individual situation, not a collective's. unless i miss-counted jive1 and skwee were the exceptions.

even though it seems counter productive to my band's cause, one of the most important things i can do for the scene is to pump up your band. if i'm in the only awesome band around that's not a scene really, is it?

 

[the yeti]

another thing, even if your scene sucks- don't say it does. don't even say it in confidence to people you trust. that may actually be harder than promoting the competition, but if you don't think your scene is great why should anyone else. concentrate on what's positive.

also being great doesn't mean it can't get better.

 

[Kaa]

OK, how's this:

Rent a hall with 2 of your closest (musical style) bands.

Charge a cover, split it 3 ways.

If one band agrees to bring the PA/lights slip them some extra $$.

It will have to be an all-ages show since you won't have a bar, but that's OK, because you'll pull in a potentially bigger crowd.

Do this every weekend at the same hall, but get the other bands in the scene to do it on different weekends.

If you keep getting people to go to the cover-only shows, it would make sense that if they like you they'll come to a bar to see you.

 

[Willie Dizon]

Agree and have done this. You are right it worked but it is temporary at best. It gives the place a lift, the bands some exposure for a moment but what about the long run and getting the biz and scene a boost for the long haul?

Glad it worked for awhile.As far as the long haul is concerned,that is a challenge. What about this idea:

1)The bar owner and promoters/booking agencies need to get together with participating/willing bands(local and out of town) in order to keep a working concert schedule.

2)I know this part is a "Catch 22":when they can afford it,book big name bands that will have a large draw.


3) I don't know what "financial aid" is available for that particular owner,but the owner should check into that as well.There may be government grants for businesses like his.Either way,that club obviously needs money to keep operating.

4)Possibly the owner might consider renting out the place for other events so that revenue isn't solely reliant upon concerts(at least this way local bands still have this club as one of several venues to play[I don't know the number of clubs in your area]).

5)A local homegrown "label" might not hurt either.What helped Seattle back in the day was the location of several labels and all the talent that was indigenous to that area.(I know technology and the situation of the labels has changed,but the collective effort of everyone involved with your scene can still make a difference).

6)My band is doing 99.9% originals and the occasional cover.We all have a family life that keeps us very busy.When we decide to play out it will have to be at our convenience and with bands that WE approve.Basically we'll doing things our way since we won't totally use the conventional ways of booking,promoting,etc.
Sorry this is long,just some ideas.

 

[placedesjardins]

Well the title says it all. Does your scene suck? What are you doing about it? Is there anything that can be done about it? Is is dying? Gone out of control?

To those like myself who are living in a struggling music scene what are some ways we can try to work in it, overcome it and plan out survive? Moving away is not an option to many of us or is traveling long distances for a weekend band. Maybe you play covers...maybe originals?

So any ideas? To gain an edge or should we throw in the towel and join the local cornhole league?

BTW..it's getting hot here in NE Ohio and them leagues is a startin

I don't think you can control the scene.

 

[fdeck]

Some ideas:

1. Turn down the volume.

2. Diversify the venues. Not everybody is eager to attend a bar gig. There may be entire untapped demographic groups.

3. Diversify the genres. Classical, chamber music, "art" music, jazz, you name it.

4. Support local school music programs.

5. Don't assume that expanding the scene will cause gig pay to increase, or competition to decrease.

6. Practice, practice, practice.

 

[pklima]

to my eye most of the posts so far are commenting on how to improve an individual situation, not a collective's.

Well, yeah, it's hard enough to change yourself or your band, even harder to have much of an effect on the whole scene, especially in a larger city...

But there are a few things that will be small steps forward. Talk openly with other bands about what venues you've played, especially recently opened ones, and how much they're paying. This information can be difficult to get for non-wedding gigs (around here only wedding bands are willing to openly talk about prices), and it's valuable.

And to harp on a regular theme of mine, I'd make fdecks' #3 more specific: diversify the genres in directions musicians don't like. Stay out of the surplus genres and play shortage ones. That doesn't need to mean you have play Chris Brown covers - it can mean merely playing more samba and less bossa nova in your Brazilian band, because then you're not competing with all the jazz bands that play bossas.

And, yeah, most importantly: don't suck. That does help other bands. A few years ago, I asked if one of my bands can play at the office Christmas party; the bar they rented was too small, but next year we did it and did well enough that in 2011 two more coworkers' bands also got to perform and got paid. Next Thursday I have a gig that will turn into a weekly thing if we do well. If the weekly thing is good business, they will increase the budget for bands and have two more nights of live music next year, plus possibly more bands on a roof terrace. There's a lot of money for other bands riding on us not sucking.

 

[Kaa]

"There's a lot of money for other bands riding on us not sucking." - pklima

So simple, yet so profound. As Pacman said "Raise your game". The whole lot of ya's!!