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Alec Downie of NEMIS(ish) mail out


Jim Stax

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I thouhgt I would put this up as there is a local interest and it's also an interesting read with sections a lot of bands should stick on the rehearsal door.

Subject: [nemis] T Break the bands I voted for and why?

Date: Tue, 16 May 2006 11:38:40 +0100

(Alec says)

Hi,

Before I start this is not the T-Break bands just the bands I personally

voted for during the 7 or the 8 T-Break Nights I attended and knowing how

much some of the judges disagreed over all the bands I would expect to

see a different top 12 announced on Vic Galloway next week.

So what made me pick X over Y and leave out a few bands I love so without going into massive detail:

a. Class & Accessibility: Artists like Billy Bates, 3 Style, Endor and Found

had a smoothness and professional sensibility that made them stand out from

the pack and the music was accessible to a wide audience without the

need to over-power.

b. Songs: The biggest reason I left people out was not performance but the

fact I could not remember a song as soon as I left. In at least two

cases I saw bands I already admire pick the wrong songs for their 20 minutes

andthere were a number of amazing performances that were left unmemorable by

the lack of a great song so my advice to those/most bands, write more and

spend less time focusing on chasing gigs or deals as it will be a great

songnot a great gig that changes your life.

c. Originality: I was asked to describe Project Ven Hell and the only

analogy I could think of was "someone driving a truck through a guitar

shop" and Some Young Pedro proved you can take the influences of your musical

idols and distil them down into something unique and fresh. Far too many of

the bands left of the list were too close to their influences and have not

found that sense of self that makes them unique in their own right. To get

to this point again takes a mixture of honesty, gigging/rehearsing, bags of

writing, listening to the opinions of others (not friends & family),

listening to other bands and artists and a ton of inward looking evaluation

and self criticism. It is a fact that within 30 seconds of coming on he

radio you can instantly recognise the most successful bands in the history

like Nine Inch Nails, The Beatles, The Cure, Dylan, Bowie etc not just

because the song is good but because of their uniqueness and sense of

self.

d. Passion: There is no doubt that everyone of the 48 bands were

passionate

and committed to their music, however it was those artists that were

able to

project this passion and commitment from the stage to me as an audience

member that I connected with on a more personal level.

e. Diversity: The T-Break Stage should celebrate the diversity of

Scottish

music as much as it does the hype of the it bands and I personally

would

like to see and eclectic mix of artist grace that stage.

f. Entertainment & Fun: I was really fortunate to grow up in the Glam

Rock -

Punk era and it worries me that many young artists often forget that it

is

OK to get lost in the moment and just have fun and that audiences at

times

simply want to be entertained and because of my youth I remain a sucker

for

a bit of eyeliner, cock-rock poses and glitter.

1. Billy Bates www.myspace.com/iooi Glasgow

2. 3 Style www.myspace.com/3styleuk Edinburgh

3. Found www.myspace.com/foundtheband Edinburgh

4. Project Ven Hell www.myspace.com/projectvenhell Aberdeen

5. Some Young Pedro www.myspace.com/someyoungpedro Glasgow

6. Endor www.myspace.com/endor Glasgow

7. O.B.E. www.myspace.com/obeonline Edinburgh

8. Scunner www.myspace.com/scunnerscotland Glasgow

9. Futuro www.myspace.com/wearefuturo

10. Attic Lights www.myspace.com/thoseatticlights Glasgow

11. The Acute www.myspace.com/acute Edinburgh

12. Exit Pilot www.myspace.com/exitpilotmusic

Now this is a very personal thing and on different nights and in

different

moods I might have swapped a few around so special mentions go out to a

few

like Magdalen Green, How to Swim & The Lords of Bastard etc who made my

life

difficult in leaving them out.

I would also expect that the other judges will come up with something

different, normally I would offer to sit down with people and discuss

their

individual performance but I have not been paid by NEMIS since

September

2005 so if you want feedback buy me a pint the next time you see me in

Sleazy, The Liquid Room or Tuts

Luv to all!

Aye Yours

Alec Downie

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Is it just me' date=' or is there something very uncomfortable about the way that he mentions not being paid by NEMIS since September 2005? I can't quite put my finger on what it is, though.[/quote']

I would suggest that since he is no longer recieving a wage for doing his thang that he is no longer willing to devote as much time as he once would have. Maybe he is just a little disgruntled at having to get another job. Anyway, its not about him its about what he wrote!

(Between this and some other posts elsewhere you are fast becoming the token 'boards' conspiricist. You pissed at the world or something?)

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Is it just me' date=' or is there something very uncomfortable about the way that he mentions not being paid by NEMIS since September 2005? I can't quite put my finger on what it is, though.[/quote']

Actually I took it to mean that because he was no longer getting paid he didnt feel he had to sit down with everyone and justify his decisions. I think its highlighting why he may have done it in the past but wont now.

Cheers

Stuart

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Well his judgement to publish that was off...

I can kind of understand his reasons for the post, but he probably didn't need to name any bands specifically, I don't see what it adds to the piece. Gives the recommended bands a bit of publicity I guess, but nothing they wouldn't get anyway if they are chosen, and it will raise expectations among some bands...

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I can kind of understand his reasons for the post' date=' but he probably didn't need to name any bands specifically, I don't see what it adds to the piece. Gives the recommended bands a bit of publicity I guess, but nothing they wouldn't get anyway if they are chosen, and it will raise expectations among some bands...[/quote']

As I said earlier the reasons for choosing his selections are sound but I agree it was the naming of the bands which is odd and indeed naive.

Well it done now and it's raised another TBreak discussion :)

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