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Jaded musicians from all over the world can be heard
at dive bar shows, and seen on internet forums, complaining about how their
scene sucks. Well, they probably aren’t lying. Have you noticed the direction music is taking?
It’s electronic rap, mostly beeps and boops and wob-wobs with some
indecipherable Pitbull rants, or high pitched vocals. It’s all about “love” and “living
life to the fullest” and “yolo-ing”. I’m not about
it, but kids these days really seem to be getting in to it. No one is coming
out to see local talent anymore, and musicians today are really not happy
about it.
But, they aren’t doing anything to change it (for the most part). Complaining
about the issue doesn’t make it better, it only makes you look cool in
front of all the younger musicians that haven’t been playing the same
bars for 30 years with no real success. So, let’s stop complaining and
fix the issue one step at a time. Today, I want to talk about responsibility.
As a musician, you are responsible in part for making sure your scene does
not wither and die. If you think that’s the promoter’s job, you’re
crazy. Let’s get started…
1. Don’t Be A Dick
I can’t stress this enough. Just because you’ve worked your way
in to a position of respect doesn’t mean you get to shit on everyone.
On musicians, on new comers to the scene, etc. Keep it to yourself. This is
one of the main reasons I see people turn away from a scene and never come
back. If you want a big scene, accept everybody. Talk to new people. Make them
feel like they’re welcome. Standing around in a musician-only huddle
and being judgmental doesn’t make anyone want to stick around.
Just know that this is the first thing that popped up
when i typed “scene
band” in to Google image search.
I’ve been to a number of different scenes. The thriving ones are full
of people that like playing in front of big crowds, and aren’t afraid
to be sociable. The small ones are full of judgmental dicks that think they’re
a lot better than they really are. The kind of people that hate on you for
not being like them, and then hate on you for being a poser if you try. It’s
immature, and it drives people away.
Feeling accepted is what makes people stick around. For
this example, I’m
going to use church as an example. Have you been to a catholic church recently?
The catholic church is hurting because the only people that still attend are
dying of old age very rapidly. On the other hand, churches that are big on
youth groups are thriving. Kids feel accepted, have a good time, and stick
around. If you can get people that hyped on reading the Bible and praying,
you should have no problem getting people to come out and have a good time
listening to music.
“I just finished Leviticus!”
Seriously, most people can’t think of anything
more boring than church on Sunday. But, because the right people are passionate
about it in the right way, people still flock to service every week. Being
kind and trying to make people feel accepted is what you and your scene should
be all about. That way, when people come, they will stay. Which brings me
to my next point…
2. Bring People
The promoter, I assure you, will do what he or she can to be sure that people
show up. That’s how they make their money. But, they can only do so much.
That’s where you come in. Take responsibility and try to get people to
come down. If every band on the card that night brings a few people, you have
a crowd. I promoted for a short while and I can tell you, the bands that bring
people and didn’t complain, played often. Even if they weren’t
the best. If they brought people, I was happy. I made money, people felt more
comfortable in large crowds, and everyone got to play in front of a good sized
crowd.
If your friends are tired of shelling out a few bucks
cash to see you play every week, refer back to rule #1. If they had a good
time socializing, I’m
sure it’d turn in to something that they look forward to. Even if you
can’t dig the music, you can dig the environment. I say this only as
someone who has been on the electronic side of the tracks. I really don’t
like dubstep/trance/what have you; but I do like huge crowds of people that
are more than happy to spark up a conversation and have a good time.
Except in this case… That’s just not okay.
Too far. Too far!
3. Help Advertise
Does the promoter have a stack of cool looking fliers that need to be put
up everywhere? Put some up for him! Get the message out. Do you have facebook?
Don’t go over board, but be sure people know when things are happening.
If everyone did this, you’d collectively have a good size crowd coming
out to see you play. That means the promoter makes money. Which means that
he might just pay you for your effort!
Make it rain!
If the scene is profitable, bigger acts are going to
roll through. How would you like to open for those big acts? I bet you’d like it a lot. Well,
it’s a logical progression and it starts with you getting your band,
and other bands, to take some responsibility. Every little bit helps. Do you
have cool lights that might make your venue look a little less… rapey?
Well, bring that shit. Do you have a non-profit college radio station that
people listen to? Well, get in touch! Make connections and always try to make
your scene look attractive. The only way this can happen is if everyone decides
that complaining isn’t as cool as getting paid and playing in front of
a ton of people.
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