Diabolik
Member
this too....nothing worse than a band who plays too much. Even if they are good...they will dwindle in people who come to see them live since they know they can see them a few months later.
Funny, but sad truth as well...
- Thread starter Harvester
- Start date
this too....nothing worse than a band who plays too much. Even if they are good...they will dwindle in people who come to see them live since they know they can see them a few months later.
Mardoch
Defender of the Universe
Justin G
Member
Diabolik
Member
hahahahaha no. There are lots of locals who seem to play more than needed. While it is good for them to work out the kinks in their live show but it also hurts them with people coming out to see them. Why should you rush out to see them when you can wait a few weeks to see them somewhere else. not enough demand.
This is kind of what we're doing now... changing from playing weekly shows to more select shows... or select venues rather. We've picked two or so venues here in Greensboro that we enjoy playing at (like The Blind Tiger) and now we're trying to escape Greensboro and eventually hit border states. We've also stopped being a headline band and started opening for bands to help gain an audience.
DuchessOfDork
Member
- Feb 9, 2009
- 2,235
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General Zod
Ruler of Australia
Well, of course more people go out to see good bands than crappy bands. However, that doesn't change the fact that the scene, as a whole, is lacking.
I was in an all-original band in the late 80s. On a Saturday night, we'd play in front of anywhere from 100 - 200 people, with a bunch of other no-name bands. That's because there was an actual scene... people going to shows because they liked the genre, the vibe, the energy. That's not the same as going to see your favorite band. Everyone goes to see the bands they like. To my mind, it's a "scene" when people show up to see bands they've never heard of.
Diabolik
Member
Jasonic
Doom On!
Thank you for saying this.
You would be surprise how few people understand this (but even sadder are the people who "think" they understand this, but don't......and book shows!!!)
Couple that with the rise in popularity for underground metal again in the late 90s and beyond and the rise of touring bands.
Regular show goers have enough time picking and choosing amongst all the tours coming through. Probably little to no time, or interest, in seeing a local bill. Now of course this depends on your area.
Here in Chicago, there are literally at least a couple shows a night.
I know exactly what you mean Zod, and lived through it, though from a local scene perspective moreso in the late 80s / early 90s. A local show in a small club was as much of a big deal as if a national touring band came through.
Jasonic
Doom On!
Well, it was actual reality in the late 80s and 90s
(IE - Thirsty Whale, Medusas, McGregors, Fireside Bowl etc, etc, all housed VERY well attended local band gigs)
LunaTEKKE
Madness Reigns
- Mar 23, 2006
- 1,220
- 8
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Yep, the older I get, the more reluctant I am to go to shows on a "school night". It takes something pretty spectacular to make up for the fact that I'm going to feel like crap the entire next day.
The last weeknight show I went to was Nightwish with Floor - TOTALLY worth the following day's misery.
General Zod
Ruler of Australia
I'm guessing this is suppose to be clever. Unfortunately, it's so clever, I don't get it.
General Zod
Ruler of Australia
Same here in NJ. There were a whole host of clubs that people simply went to on Friday and Saturday nights. Hell, I once saw three local bands, none of which even had a record contract, sell out a venue for 1,300 people. Granted, two of the bands got regular local radio play on WSOU (the local college Metal radio station).
Diamond45
Terminate Bad Music
Yep, the older I get, the more reluctant I am to go to shows on a "school night". It takes something pretty spectacular to make up for the fact that I'm going to feel like crap the entire next day.
The last weeknight show I went to was Nightwish with Floor - TOTALLY worth the following day's misery.
I can't go to a show during the week without taking the the day off of work. And it better be a great band to see. I saw Kingcrow & PoS at Empire a few weeks ago. But that's rare I do that.
freakchylde
PPUSA Driver o' Doom!!!!!
Yep, the older I get, the more reluctant I am to go to shows on a "school night". It takes something pretty spectacular to make up for the fact that I'm going to feel like crap the entire next day.
The last weeknight show I went to was Nightwish with Floor - TOTALLY worth the following day's misery.
I'm lucky, in that I can organize my schedule (if I remember what the "blocked" time on my schedule is for), but at the same time it requires more planning than I can actually get - as I don't pay much attention to the concert calendar, and my days can be anywhere from super easy or just emotionally draining.
Honestly, I'd rather have about 4-5 bands I want to see play a festival so I can at least justify the vacation - or even do a festival tour over a couple of weekends. Unfortunately, that idea tends to be better done in Europe than over here.
Diabolik
Member
not every show was highly attended though. Sure some bands would draw more but the average show if it was all locals sometimes would be like 10 paying people sometimes. I have gone to enough local Fireside Bowl shows to know this as well.
McGregors also rarely did local shows. Most of thier local shows had a larger local act don't forget.
TribunalRecords
Record Label(s)/Vocalist
The difference to a scene now versus 10-20 years ago? = money. Back then touring bands tried to play on weekends if they could if they couldn't they were BIG ENOUGH to bring people on a Monday night in certain markets. it's not like that now some markets can have a big show 7 days a week during the summer, but where does the money go? somebody has to lose. It goes to the bands that REALLY warrant the attention (either via label investment or talent) but sadly enough it's not local bands unless you offer them something amazing and let's face it, most don't that's why they remain local.
J. Golden
Heaven and Hell Records
J. Golden
Heaven and Hell Records
Is it so "alternate?' In NC in the early to mid 190s we had a lot of locals playing all across the state with nationals and nationals coming in, this was aqll the time. It was a common thing to catch a band from one end of the state playing one the other end the next night. Not only would you see the bands doing this but you would also see a lot of the same people traveling for these shows. Also these shows would be made up of everything from funk, punk, thrash, whatever; bands playing the same bills and still these shows would draw more than shows do today around this state. And you gotta think not everyone at those shows were into every band playing.
So there was a "scene" of sorts, they have existed. Around NC you can still see shadows of what it once was in some places like Raliegh, but it is certainly nothing like it was in '92.
Matt you are mostly right on your theory, but one thing it does not explain are crappy bands who somehow are able to get in front of people.
Just to use an example of our gig last night atthe blind tiger, we had doors open at 8:30 and it was practically dead until say 10pm right before we wer re about to go on. We actually had a decent turn out of say maybe 30 people on a wednesday night and the headlining band was a local band from charlotte, our former guitarits group. After we finished up it was about 11:30 when our headliner took the stage after finishing sound check and of course people were starting to filter out already. We got a great response from the crowd..we just dont draw the numbers yet...granted it was our third show.
