do aberdeen 'music lovers' even know whats going on under their noses...?!!

[Larsen B]

Where do you get off? Do you always tell people on how they should be?

What a ego you must have

I usually get off at the stop nearest my house, especially if it's raining, but i doesn't always go that far up the hill. My ego has more girth than the Moray Firth, but that's not all...

PS I'm not telling you how you should be, I'm telling you what you ARE.

[rune]

I usually get off at the stop nearest my house' date=' especially if it's raining, but i doesn't always go that far up the hill. My ego has more girth than the Moray Firth, but that's not all...

PS I'm not telling you how you should be, I'm telling you what you ARE.[/quote']

You really are the ultimate tit, how can the internet dictate the way people are?

You make your own choices

[Larsen B]

You really are the ultimate tit

Yes, i am, wanna cop a feel?

[The Milner]

haha here we go master rune and his eternal advice on music.

[rune]

haha here we go master rune and his eternal advice on music.

Why can't you understand what the aberdeen music scene is about?

[Bobby]

Why can't you understand what the aberdeen music scene is about?

what is it about? my guess is that its about having a good time and enjoying yourself

[rune]

what is it about? my guess is that its about having a good time and enjoying yourself

If you read my previous post, you would know my opinion

[Bobby]

fair enough. what do other people think?

[chilli]

fair enough. what do other people think?

too many children up too late!!!!!!!!

[Guest Mr Blastcap]

from a while back-

bloke at work:

"fits that cd you just bought min?"

me:

"franz ferdinand, its on a wee record label that puts out interesting stuff"

bloke:

" sounds shite. i'll put on eminem"

much later, and a couple of hit singles later.

bloke:

" franz ferdinand are fucking ace! seen them at that t in the park...TTTTTAAAKE MEEE OOOT"

me: " mental"

i give up.

[the scotsman]

we at Arkade Projects would love feedback from everyone on this....

we reckon we put in a lot of bloody effort to bring some great bands to this city. but sometimes we ask ourselves 'why the hell do we do it?!'...(well WE know why...cause we want to see them' date=' first and foremost!) but a lot of the time we are let down by bad turnouts, which leads to a strain on the pocket which could eventually lead to us not being able to do it at all.

so...we just wonder...are you, the aberdeen gig-going population, even interested in/bothered about seeing the bands we put on? what maybe puts you off coming to an Arkade Projects show? is it the wierd/different venues we are choosing?! not enough promtion? or you're just not that interested in seeing cutting edge new music?! or maybe just lazy?

we really believe we are doing something worthwhile and great for the city, bringing acts to aberdeen, and sometimes scotland, for the first time...culturally important i'd say. but if the scene isn't supported by the public it can't last...

we definately know that there were people missing at the Charlottefield/Paper Cut Out show who would have loved it...the glasgow show was packed out the door.we have great things lined up for the next few months but are nervous to tell you the truth.

where are all these anonymous faces who claim to be into the kind of stuff we want to put on?!

feedback please...![/quote']

i generally attend as much underground gigs as pos as i strive to find underground talent, but what i've noticed over the years that is really anoying is that when you find a flyer with, say, 4 bands listed that you havent heard of, there is absolutly no information on what genre they are, what they sound like etc... imean if you want people tio come to shows a little explanation of the type of music these bands are playing would go a long way to pulling in a croud, im not saying all flyers are like this but i'd say quite allot are...

[framheim]

arkade provided links, reviews and good descriptions of all the bands playing i think.

[Flash@TMB]

Well I've discovered this thread very late in the day. Although the thread was originally intended to glean feedback on Arkade Projects it's opened up a much wider debate - and a crucial one at that.

Every venue and promoter has experienced attendance problems. The cause of these is not due to the size of Aberdeen, or any perceived shortcomings in our local music scene. Allow me to digress...

I was visiting my parents in a remote village a few weeks ago. It was a lovely summers day, at the height of the heatwave (I know it' hard to remember the heatwave now), and there was a group of goths dressed in ankle length leather coats. In the middle of nowhere. 40 miles from the city centre. 15 years ago that would have been unheard of - I remember when I was 1 of only 6 such persons in Culter. Now Culter is vitrually a goth colony LMAO. And as I drove through the village I encountered more alternative types. The whole alternative, music, fashion, rock 'n roll type thing is back but on a grand scale.

So here we are, in a city where virtually every promoter and venue are independent-doing-it-for-love-not-money types. And what are we doing exactly? Pissing it all up against the wall!

It's painful to see opportunities squandered. Fact is that if all the independents went broke, gave up, threw in the towell, and a bunch of corporate chain wanks came in and took over... we'd fuckin deserve it. Remember the scene at the end of Dumb & Dumber with the tour bus??? Well our collective cockup is reminiscent of that magnitude! A bunch of suits are probably sitting reading this thread right now and rubbing their hands in glee "Look at them - they're throwing it all away. Soon it/they will ALL belong to us."

So here (IMO) is what we need to do to salvage this before the worst happens, and believe me (because I can count and have a VERY good grasp of economics) - the worst is imminent!

WE MUST ALL WORK TOGETHER IN SOME SEMBLENCE OF A COORDINATED EFFORT. So far that has been, aside from a few feeble stabs at token niceties, completely lacking. Let's face it - the closest we've gotten to cooperating thus far is posting a fuckin smilie.

So how do we do this?

1) We form a little team consisting of everyone that actually has anything to offer.

2) Yes the magazine is a great idea but you can GTF with 3000 per issue, I doubt if our combined door tax is grossing three grand each week! Does anyone seriously believe that the publications that exist in other places suddenly materialised, fully developed, out of thin air? No they probably started on a sheet of A4. Cost <100 for 1000 copies. And that is roughly where we must start. With a few crappy sheets of paper that proclaim we have established a united independent front.

3) Then we take this unity and go out and EXPAND the scene on foot instead of relying on this website to do it for us. Yes it's doing a great job but it isn't enough. A scene with just a little coordination and cohesion about it (without spoiling the individualism) would give people a much better feeling. For example people like to drift between gigs but most aren't willing to pay multiple door charges - surely there is a way around this??? We have to base this around what works for the customer. Ditto admission fees to clubnights - there's got to be a better way to work this, and attract people whilst actually making more money.

Economics Lesson #1 - it's the same carrot however you slice and dice it.

For instance Moshulu (used to?) employ a flyering squad - wouldn't it have been simpler and more cost effective to take the funds allocated to that and instead depost 'reduced price admission flyers in all likely feeder bars - we would have certainly taken them and dished them out. And whoever picks one up probably takes along a few friends too (*cough* who would be charged full price).

4) The promoters should all be working with multiple venues and 'right sizing' their gigs. We could probably, without to much hassle, arrange for centralised ticketing facilities, without necessarily starting a cottage industry.

With all due respect Jim and Sharon - why are you putting on gigs at the East Neuk or Captain Toms? There are what 6 perfectly good venues in town with decent installed rigs, stages, lighting??? All independent... and if they all already have gigs on then what does that imply??? That we're all going to end up half empty! Or worse. Free market policies are not best applied to people like us operating on limited finances.

5) Local Radio (and media). Yes right now it's shit, they are wankers, and they have no interest in any of us. But lump us all together and we become A) newsworthy and B) a force to be reckoned with. I know because I recently succeeded in getting a prominent half page of press for another worthy cause in a national broadsheet. It wasn't hard.

6) Promotion packs. Why don't we all collectively produce a really nice Aberdeen Music Scene Promotional Pack and target sending it to those in the greater UK music industry that count. Bookign agents, bands, major promoters, record companies etc wouldn't it be worthwhile to include compilation CDs of all our local bands in order to attract some attention to Aberdeen? I've been asking bands to produce some comp CDs for TWO YEARS so I can put them in our jukebox but so far nothing doing (except one from AUBL).

7) Timing. There's honestly no point in everyone putting on similar gigs, or operating simialr clubnights on the same nights. Some thought and co-operation needs to go into this.

8) Festivals. If G8 can take place at umpteen vanues worldwide then we can do the same thing on a smaller scale here in Aberdeen.

That's it for now, but if anyone is interested in any of these ideas, or has anything constructive to say about them then I'd love to hear it.

You know in pretty much every instance where people have put their (perceieved) differences to one side and joined forces they have found that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. And we would too. I'm sure of it.

[Guest Page 99]

- why are you putting on gigs at the East Neuk or Captain Toms? There are what 6 perfectly good venues in town with decent installed rigs, stages, lighting??? All independent... and if they all already have gigs on then what does that imply??? That we're all going to end up half empty! Or worse. Free market policies are not best applied to people like us operating on limited finances.

I think to be perfectly honest that is one of the things which has made Arkade so unique, is the fact that they are not using tried and tested venues. The Smackdown gig at Tom's was most probibly the best gig I have been to in ages, partly due to the uniqueness of the suroundings in which the bands were playing... plus it was a pretty cramped show and the band were flailing about inches from the crowd, giving it all a quite exciting and compelling feel to it. A feeling which often is not achieved when watching band's in venues with stages. Music becomes more of a spectator sport when put into those confines, and a lot of bands which Arkade are putting on right now would not give the same vibe if put into said confines.

[Dizzy Storm]

why are you putting on gigs at the East Neuk or Captain Toms? There are what 6 perfectly good venues in town with decent installed rigs, stages, lighting??? All independent... and if they all already have gigs on then what does that imply??? That we're all going to end up half empty! Or worse. Free market policies are not best applied to people like us operating on limited finances.

dont have to tell us bout limited finances! with, and without venue, let me tell you...

now i dont know where or who this quote came from (i quoted it from the last guy..) but i just wanted to explain our reasoning behind these gigs...

i/we know that these bands we want to put on, that we feel 100% pasionate about, will not pull enough people to fill say the Tunnels or Drummonds etc etc, so we prefer to choose a small intimate setting where the gig will be 'up close n personal'...and not in a venue where 40/50/60 people will be rattling about, with a therefore probably shitty atmosphere. there is no disrespect to any other venue, it wouldnt be worth your while, or ours, most probably! but take note folks, MACROSOCMICA, SMALL ENCLOSED AREA & ERIC EUAN ... DRUMMONDS ...SAT 13TH AUG!!!

lots of good comments on this thread, but lots of ramblings! thanks all the same! although most of the folk commenting i have no idea who you are and by the things you say i wouldnt even expect you to come to our gigs anyway! im STILL trying to get comments from the folk who are in newly formed experimental/noise/electronica bands etc etc who *should* be checking these bands out, enjoying them/being inspired even more...cause these (the visiting bands) are the bands who have their shit together and who you could be impressing/playing with in the future. Project Ven Hell certainly did impress Charlottefield/Paper cut out on fri night and things are in the pipeline for them....

[chilli]

dont have to tell us bout limited finances! with' date=' and without venue, let me tell you...

now i dont know where or who this quote came from (i quoted it from the last guy..) but i just wanted to explain our reasoning behind these gigs...

i/we know that these bands we want to put on, that we feel 100% pasionate about, will not pull enough people to fill say the Tunnels or Drummonds etc etc, so we prefer to choose a small intimate setting where the gig will be 'up close n personal'...and not in a venue where 40/50/60 people will be rattling about, with a therefore probably shitty atmosphere. there is no disrespect to any other venue, it wouldnt be worth your while, or ours, most probably! but take note folks, MACROSOCMICA, SMALL ENCLOSED AREA & ERIC EUAN ... DRUMMONDS ...SAT 13TH AUG!!!

lots of good comments on this thread, but lots of ramblings! thanks all the same! although most of the folk commenting i have no idea who you are and by the things you say i wouldnt even expect you to come to our gigs anyway! im STILL trying to get comments from the folk who are in newly formed experimental/noise/electronica bands etc etc who *should* be checking these bands out, enjoying them/being inspired even more...cause these are the bands who have their shit together and who you could be impressing/playing with in the future. Project Ven Hell certainly did impress them on fri night and things are actually in the pipeline for them....[/quote']

the last two lines say everything about why Arkade are a treasure that should be supported, they put on a quality line up of visitors & they praise the local opening support.

[Guest bluesxman]

although most of the folk commenting i have no idea who you are and by the things you say i wouldnt even expect you to come to our gigs anyway! im STILL trying to get comments from the folk who are in newly formed experimental/noise/electronica bands etc etc who *should* be checking these bands out' date=' enjoying them/being inspired even more...cause these are the bands who have their shit together and who you could be impressing/playing with in the future. Project Ven Hell certainly did impress them on fri night and things are actually in the pipeline for them....[/quote']

So basically, anyone not in a band who Arkade would be interested in or not only interested in this kind of music, don't bother us....we only want people at our gigs in our kinds of band. Exactly the attitude which will turn people off your gigs in the first place and confirming the 'gigs only attended by bands and mates of bands' theory bandied about earlier. So for the record, are you actually interested in spreading interest in your gigs to a wider audience or finding more members for your little clique?

[Cloud]

the last two lines say everything about why Arkade are a treasure that should be supported' date=' they put on a quality line up of visitors & they praise the local opening support.[/quote']

What I'm going to say will undoubtably be taken the wrong way, so..*dons flame-proof suit*

they put on a quality line up of visitors

Quality in who's eyes? The music might be great in its field, but isn't the problem that noise/experimental/etc is a very limited genre that's inaccessible to most people?

For the life of me, I can't work out what Arkade are aiming for - is it mass acceptance of their genre, or is it merely acceptance by all the lovers of the genre?

[Dizzy Storm]

So basically' date=' anyone not in a band who Arkade would be interested in or not only interested in this kind of music, don't bother us....we only want people at our gigs in our kinds of band. Exactly the attitude which will turn people off your gigs in the first place and confirming the 'gigs only attended by bands and mates of bands' theory bandied about earlier. So for the record, are you actually interested in spreading interest in your gigs to a wider audience or finding more members for your little clique?[/quote']

ok ok i know, it came out all wrong! what i was meaning in my head (!) was that a few of the people commenting will/would probably never come to our gigs anyway because a lot of the genres/type of music will just never interest them...so end of, for them! im certainly not trying to/wanting to force anyone to come to our gigs! we'd be delighted if new people wanted to try them though!

we are certinly not a clique, we LOVE it when a new face or 2 comes through the door, thats when we see our efforts have paid off...! its a great feeling...and most of the time, if i can, i try to speak to these new faces to find out where they found out about the gig! we are the nicest people, honest! i think its easy to assume that any 'scene'/group of people is cliquey if you don't know them/have never spoken to them.

believe me we would love to have 150 people at our gigs...maybe you think its cliquey cause we only have about 40 turning up...this is not by choice!! this is the reason for this thread...to try to raise awareness blah blah blah

[Guest bluesxman]

Fair enough, the earlier post just sounded a bit like that which is why I responded as I did. My fellow Stonehavenite Project Ven:Hell is kindly compiling a CD for me, I shall give it a try and if I find something I like I will turn up to gigs, if I don't I won't!

[Jim Stax]

What I'm going to say will undoubtably be taken the wrong way' date=' so..*dons flame-proof suit*

Quality in who's eyes? The music might be great in its field, but isn't the problem that noise/experimental/etc is a very limited genre that's inaccessible to most people?

For the life of me, I can't work out what Arkade are aiming for - is it mass acceptance of their genre, or is it merely acceptance by all the lovers of the genre?[/quote']

I should reply to this with a reasoned argument like Sharon has managed, but I can't be arsed... Your hilarious in a bad way... You should stop posting on this thread becuase you are coming across very stupid! If you don't get it by now you never will. Give up trying!

o_O

[framheim]

Quality in who's eyes? The music might be great in its field' date=' but isn't the problem that noise/experimental/etc is a very limited genre that's inaccessible to most people?

For the life of me, I can't work out what Arkade are aiming for - is it mass acceptance of their genre, or is it merely acceptance by all the lovers of the genre?[/quote']

jesus! *bangs head against wall again*

how do you know if they're quality? you refuse to even entertain the notion of listening to them unless your friends have heard of them!

surely pop punk is a limited genre but experimental music is an UNlimited genre

as i said earlier there's no reason why the hundreds of people in this city who claim to like bands like at the drive-in wouldn't have enjoyed the charlottefield gig. those bands weren't unaccessible, in fact the most unaccessible band on the bill was probably ven hell as i've found no matter what music you're playing if you have a screeching screaming distorted vocalist then some people get put off(some folks just can't get past the idea of a vocalist rather than singer).

[Cloud]

how do you know if they're quality? you refuse to even entertain the notion of listening to them unless your friends have heard of them!

Eeerm' date=' I do listen to the links provided online by Arkade you know, I'd be there like a shot if there was something that I loved the sound of. But the point I'm making is about the quality argument - isn't it just subjective as hell?

Dictionary.com says :

1. Superiority of kind: an intellect of unquestioned quality.

2. Degree or grade of excellence: yard goods of low quality.

The argument here seems to be that the poorly attended Charlottefield gig was as good as anything else within the field, but just how many bands within the field have found success?

The thing I really don't understand here is whether success is even wanted.

surely pop punk is a limited genre but experimental music is an UNlimited genre

Is any genre limited, really?

as i said earlier there's no reason why the hundreds of people in this city who claim to like bands like at the drive-in wouldn't have enjoyed the charlottefield gig. those bands weren't unaccessible, in fact the most unaccessible band on the bill was probably ven hell as i've found no matter what music you're playing if you have a screeching screaming distorted vocalist then some people get put off(some folks just can't get past the idea of a vocalist rather than singer).

How many people like at the drive-in because it's "cool" to do so, though? I know at least 8-10 people who "like" them, yet none of them know fuck all about the genre behind it.

[Ross]

Mr TwoBackJoe,

Have you spoken to Sharon or Maxi in the last 15 hours or so.

I had a meeting with them yesterday about a couple of things. Wanted to speak to you in person but you were raising the titanic or something.

Will speak to you later.

Cheers Big Ears

Rossco

[Alex]

Is any genre limited' date=' really?

[/quote']

yup. that's why there are genres.