The Worse Band(s) You've Ever Seen in a Live Environment

The only PPUSA performance (did not see the Midnight show) that I thought was purely bad was Spiral Architect. I hate to talk bad about those guys because they were super cool, meeting with their fans etc. but they sounded like they were all playing different songs.

Hahahahaha... They're too technical. Great musicianship but I could never get into them.
 
Same here. It was like listening to a robot making sweet love to a supercomputer.

The best quote I ever heard about a technical band (like Spiral Architect):

"It's like each of the band members were playing a different song at the top of a really long and steep flight of stairs and someone decided to push them all down. The noise of them clunking down the stairs altogether with their instruments and the echoing of the 5 different songs being played a few seconds before makes up their music."
 
Pagan's Mind? Seriously?? You may not like the music, but PM is one of the tightest and amazing sounding band I have ever seen. Nils voice is amazing live.

I thought they were dull and every song pretty much sounded like the one before it. I have 1 CD and was bored. Live they did nothing to further for me to get anymore CD's or see them live again.
 
Pagan's Mind track record at the festival is amazing. They started as an opening band and have worked their way up the ranks to where they could honestly headline one night of the festival. Between their amazing performances and guest appearances (Jorn, All-Star Jam Houseband), they are now fan favorites and probably draw more here than anywhere else in the world on their own. They had the most people in the venue at PP X. I had to get security to clear the stairways to the floor because it was so backed up.

 
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They had the most people in the venue at PP X. I had to get security to clear the stairways to the floor because it was so backed up.

That's interesting and something I didn't realize from where I was at the time.

Of the years I've been to PPUSA, the most crowded I've seen the "bowl" was Kamelot this past year.
 
I agree with you in a sense, because promoters should promote. Of course they should, that's what they're there for! But some clubs don't have promoters. They have owners, managers, and no promoters, so yes, they use locals to sell tickets because they won't do it themselves. That does suck. At the same time, bands can take advantage of this by promoting themselves.

Okay, I'm not sure where this is going because you're talking about clubs and I'm talking about promoters.

You say that it's not the band's job to promote the show. I dissagree a little bit here, because if you're in a band, and you want people to see you, you should promote the show. Go out and flyer, get radio ads, do e-mailing, do whatever you can do to get the word out.

It's still not the band's job to promote the show. It's in the band's best interest to do it, which I specifically said, but this is separate from their job.

Like they say; if you want it done right, do it yourself!

By not doing anything, I'm doing it right. I don't have money, therefore I'm not going to make a major investment with money I do not have and con bands into covering my losses.
 
I don't have money, therefore I'm not going to make a major investment with money I do not have and con bands into covering my losses.

Nobody says you should, but like you said, it's in a band's best interest to promote their show. Especially when a band isn't signed, and they don't have a big fan-base. It wouldn't be fair for a new band to show up and expect the promoter to make a big deal of them. I mean, it would be super amazing if all you had to do was show up and play.. but you've got to work for what you want.
 
Paying 2,000 bucks to play a show just to open for a bigger act is not going to get you signed though. Use that money differently (like rent a van and tour).

That Pagan's Mind live footage makes me jealous with rage. Such a sick bandl, and one with the extremely rare gift of being able to play their music live with very close fidelity to the CD but still know how to rock it.
 
Paying 2,000 bucks to play a show just to open for a bigger act is not going to get you signed though. Use that money differently (like rent a van and tour). Seems like you didn't read the entirety of my post.

Seems like you didn't read mine either, because I never said bands should pay for tickets.
 
Uhh you totally did.

I personally don't blame promoters for making bands sell tickets.

Which I think is a bad practice and explained why in my post. So if you're not arguing against this and you're arguing for something else instead, what is the point of your posts (more specifically, the fact that you've quoted me in them) in the first place?
 
Paying 2,000 bucks to play a show just to open for a bigger act is not going to get you signed though.

Well ...

If you, as a band, are certain that you can sell those tickets and make sure there are asses in those seats when you play, then why not?

I don't see the big issue with this - it's not "a con" in any way - if you want to take the risk of having to sell x number of tickets to break even just to perform as opener to Slipknot or Scorpions or whoever, then go for it.

You could also choose just to pay the $2k and then not care about selling the tickets. That's totally fair as well, as it's your money, your loss.
 
Well I'm not talking about promoters who share the earnings with the bands, I'm talking about promoters who take the money that the bands made from ticket sales and tell bands that their "payment" is being able to open for Nevermore (Slipknot or Scorpions would be much more justifiable hahahaha) or Kamelot or whatever. It's a massive waste of money and it's deluding young bands into thinking that the costs outweigh the benefits. I never said that one side is right or one side is wrong, I'm just saying this is my opinion on it. Bad promoters do it when they don't have enough money or know that they aren't going to be able to pay for the show they booked. It's like adopting a puppy when you don't have enough money to care for it and demand that someone else cover those costs.
 
Well I'm not talking about promoters who share the earnings with the bands, I'm talking about promoters who take the money that the bands made from ticket sales and tell bands that their "payment" is being able to open for Nevermore (Slipknot or Scorpions would be much more justifiable hahahaha) or Kamelot or whatever. It's a massive waste of money and it's deluding young bands into thinking that the costs outweigh the benefits. I never said that one side is right or one side is wrong, I'm just saying this is my opinion on it. Bad promoters do it when they don't have enough money or know that they aren't going to be able to pay for the show they booked. It's like adopting a puppy when you don't have enough money to care for it and demand that someone else cover those costs.

I don't see the problem with it.

What is wrong with a band buying 100 tickets at $20, selling them, and then play the show?

Openers are 99% of the time not getting paid anyway. And if you're ON A TOUR as opener, you most likely will have to PAY to play (which isn't even the same as the situation you're talking about).

From a promoters pov I think it's a brilliant idea. If I wanted to make sure I could pay my headliner AND make sure there were people there to see them, I would definitely have local openers buy tickets to sell. If they then wanted to charge an extra fee on top of ticket value to whomever they sold the tickets too - fine by me, I wouldn't mind.

c.
 
I don't see the problem with it.

What is wrong with a band buying 100 tickets at $20, selling them, and then play the show?

Openers are 99% of the time not getting paid anyway. And if you're ON A TOUR as opener, you most likely will have to PAY to play (which isn't even the same as the situation you're talking about).

From a promoters pov I think it's a brilliant idea. If I wanted to make sure I could pay my headliner AND make sure there were people there to see them, I would definitely have local openers buy tickets to sell. If they then wanted to charge an extra fee on top of ticket value to whomever they sold the tickets too - fine by me, I wouldn't mind.

c.

If you're on the tour as an opener and you have to pay for a buyon the buyon generally goes towards things like your band's bus share etc, but it's usually stuff that matters to that band. Tours with no buyons require the band to bring their own transport, so yeah either way a band is throwing down money for touring. But, with a tour, you expose the band to more people than just one show. On top of that, if the buyon is 10,000 USD (or if there's no buyon and that's how much it costs to tour) for 25 dates, that's about $450 a night, which is about how much it generally costs to buy on to a tour. Considering that your band is also selling merch, and then you can actually make some money on the road. On tours without a buyon, the band is required to bring its own transport and there's usually a small $100 guarantee per night, so again the costs are justified.

The problem with promoters charging local bands a huge buyon for one show, is that you're paying way more money for this one show than you would pay for one show on a tour. If you pay 1500 bucks for the honor of opening for say Nevermore, how many of those people care about your band? How many labels have signed bands because they buy onto 5 local shows a year? If I was in a band, I'd rather we use that money to tour diy, playing dives, basements, anything, if we had to, and hire a publicist to spread the word. You could potentially reach just as much fans or even more, and be spending a lot less.

Anyways, that's just me. To each their own, and we'll just have to agree to disagree on it, as long as we can hug it out afterwords of course! hahaha
 
As much as I love his albums, Ozzy was the worst for me. Jake E Lee was new in the band, Ozzy was mentally in another dimension, and he had taken his vocals with him.
 
If you're on the tour as an opener and you have to pay for a buyon the buyon generally goes towards things like your band's bus share etc, but it's usually stuff that matters to that band.

HUH????

A buy-on is a buy-on ... not a pay-for-bus-fee ... that's totally separate.
I have bands on tours almost constantly with larger bands, and when we pay a buy-on fee it's for BEING ON THE TOUR (in other words - the support band is paying to be featured on the posters and on the same stage as the main act).

Tours with no buyons require the band to bring their own transport, so yeah either way a band is throwing down money for touring.

No, transport is a separate issue on a tour. Not included in the buy-on, UNLESS you're on a tour as the only support band and the main act wants to share their bus with you.


But, with a tour, you expose the band to more people than just one show. On top of that, if the buyon is 10,000 USD (or if there's no buyon and that's how much it costs to tour) for 25 dates, that's about $450 a night, which is about how much it generally costs to buy on to a tour.

$450 a night? Sounds about right for most tours - and that's for the BUY-ON part - not for bus/driver/gas and not for crew ... put that on top ...



Considering that your band is also selling merch, and then you can actually make some money on the road.

You live in a perfect world my friend :)


On tours without a buyon, the band is required to bring its own transport and there's usually a small $100 guarantee per night, so again the costs are justified.

Huh?? Not for the opener. Sometimes for the direct support, but not for the opener.


The problem with promoters charging local bands a huge buyon for one show, is that you're paying way more money for this one show than you would pay for one show on a tour.

Why? If you buy for $2000 in tickets and you sell them all - then you've paid $0 (ZERO) to be on the show.


If you pay 1500 bucks for the honor of opening for say Nevermore, how many of those people care about your band?

All those you've sold tickets to ... I'm guessing you would sell to YOUR fanbase - to your friends - to your family.

How many labels have signed bands because they buy onto 5 local shows a year?

When was that a question in this discussion?


Anyways, that's just me. To each their own, and we'll just have to agree to disagree on it, as long as we can hug it out afterwords of course! hahaha

Oh I'll hug you :)

But dude, you're really living in a perfect dream world if you think a band can tour as opener for a big band AND MAKE MONEY or even break even on that tour :)

c.