Bands Atempting To Book Tours. o_O

[Dave-IRL]

I think many folk are preaching to the converted on the forum. Everyone who writes on here clearly has a passion for playing/promoting/attending live music within the city. But I fear that we are in the minority in Aberdeen. There definitely appears to be a culture whereby people will only go and see their mates bands, or bands that have already 'made it' to a certain extent (ie NME says go and see this band). The local press give short shrift to unsigned bands therefore denying them the coverage that might help to boost attendances. Having never really lived in another city (other than Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane for 2 month periods when travelling) I can't say if this situation is replicated elsewhere.

Thoughts?

[Guest idol_wild]

I think many folk are preaching to the converted on the forum. Everyone who writes on here clearly has a passion for playing/promoting/attending live music within the city.

I don't think this is evident at all. Perhaps playing, but not promoting or attending. In fact, I'd say the vast majority of users of this website attend less than one gig a week that isn't either:

a) a gig their own band is performing

b) a gig they are promoting

[Dave-IRL]

I don't think this is evident at all. Perhaps playing, but not promoting or attending. In fact, I'd say the vast majority of users of this website attend less than one gig a week that isn't either:

a) a gig their own band is performing

b) a gig they are promoting

the slashes were to save me typing 'or'

clearly everyone on here has a passion for playing or promoting or attending gigs in the city. We are all contributing to the local music scene by being involved. I dare say we are all guilty of not attending other bands shows, but I wasnt really targeting people on here, more the general public. In fairness tho, I'd like to think most folk on here will go to a gig if they fancy it/see it advertised irrespective of if they're playing/promoting. But i get the sense that the people in Aberdeen who are not involved in the music scene in some way or other would rather go to Revolution and drink cocktails to a DJ background than go to Drummonds for band action...

[Guest idol_wild]

the slashes were to save me typing 'or'

clearly everyone on here has a passion for playing or promoting or attending gigs in the city. We are all contributing to the local music scene by being involved. I dare say we are all guilty of not attending other bands shows, but I wasnt really targeting people on here, more the general public. In fairness tho, I'd like to think most folk on here will go to a gig if they fancy it/see it advertised irrespective of if they're playing/promoting. But i get the sense that the people in Aberdeen who are not involved in the music scene in some way or other would rather go to Revolution and drink cocktails to a DJ background than go to Drummonds for band action...

That's a given, really.

I was angling my point of view directly at the Aberdeen music "scene", though. Aberdeen does house a lot of people who love music. They just don't seem to go to many of the smaller/local shows or support their peers. In almost all of the other towns and cities I have played or attended gigs in, the audience is made up massively of people who are in other bands or promote shows, who want to lend their support to their peers and build and generate a positive, interactive and proactive musical culture.

In almost all cases, it's sheer apathy. It's also sometimes crushingly depressing, as it just renders promoting and playing in Aberdeen utterly pointless sometimes.

Cohesion is such a key word, and Aberdeen lacks, on the whole (I'm not saying this applies to every "mini-circle" of the Aberdeen "scene"), a cohesive and supportive scene. For far too long people in this city have become outwardly envious and jealous of bands/artists who actually put the effort in to get off their posteriors and try to achieve something out-with Aberdeen. It's quite sickening.

There does exist a small number of people (they know who they are) who are trying to do something positive (be it promoters, promotion collectives or musicians), but sadly it just doesn't seem to be enough, as they aren't given the support they deserve from all the people who ought to support and attend their gigs.

[The Milner]

there used to be a nice wee group that would come to most gigs, but they got abuse for being "scene" you can never win.

[Soda Jerk]

The scene never wins.

[Guest idol_wild]

there used to be a nice wee group that would come to most gigs, but they got abuse for being "scene" you can never win.

They got abuse for being "scene" so they just stop going to shows? Wow, they must really like music if that's all it takes for them to stop going to shows and supporting what is going on...

[Guest Exposure @ Lemon Tree]

That's a given, really.

I was angling my point of view directly at the Aberdeen music "scene", though. Aberdeen does house a lot of people who love music. They just don't seem to go to many of the smaller/local shows or support their peers. In almost all of the other towns and cities I have played or attended gigs in, the audience is made up massively of people who are in other bands or promote shows, who want to lend their support to their peers and build and generate a positive, interactive and proactive musical culture.

In almost all cases, it's sheer apathy. It's also sometimes crushingly depressing, as it just renders promoting and playing in Aberdeen utterly pointless sometimes.

Cohesion is such a key word, and Aberdeen lacks, on the whole (I'm not saying this applies to every "mini-circle" of the Aberdeen "scene"), a cohesive and supportive scene. For far too long people in this city have become outwardly envious and jealous of bands/artists who actually put the effort in to get off their posteriors and try to achieve something out-with Aberdeen. It's quite sickening.

There does exist a small number of people (they know who they are) who are trying to do something positive (be it promoters, promotion collectives or musicians), but sadly it just doesn't seem to be enough, as they aren't given the support they deserve from all the people who ought to support and attend their gigs.

More very good points.

In particular the points about promoting feeling utterly pointless sometimes. It can get so disheartening.

The jealousy point too. I'm not naming names this time, but I've seen folk saying "they're shite, they're pish, why do they get that gig" about bands who are consistently working hard to get out there, and are playing great gigs and releasing great music. That opinion generally comes from members of other bands and it's so glaringly obvious that they're just plain jealous.

[The Milner]

They got abuse for being "scene" so they just stop going to shows? Wow, they must really like music if that's all it takes for them to stop going to shows and supporting what is going on...

haha i missed the smilie, it should have been tounge in cheek sorry.

But i do think that it was more of a social thing than music orientated, there was a large group of people (me included) who would go to a lot of gigs and hang out with the folk they liked, you would usualy get into the bands who were on as well. But the bands broke up or people moved away and it all kinda died down a bit. Most of those gigs used to be very well attended, people bought cds or merch and at the end of the night those who were very lucky used to get a nice suprise in their behind, they were good times.

[The Milner]

The scene never wins.

What scene?

Or

Whats a scene?

[Guest Tam o' Shantie]

They got abuse for being "scene" so they just stop going to shows? Wow, they must really like music if that's all it takes for them to stop going to shows and supporting what is going on...

they didn't really care about the music which is why they got called scenesters

[givemeasmile]

Not to sound like I'm stereotyping TOO much but the majority of people who like music in this city, and many other places as well, who are not nescessarily involved with the "scene" as such mainly pick up new music through hearing it on a radio, being recommended by a mate or hearing it in a club. Most indivudals involved with the aberdeen music scene are either in bands or promoters....and for the most part are too absorbed with their own attempts to become succesful to notice the talent evident in other acts.

For example somebody who claims to be a "promoter", who merely books a touring band, chooses 3 local acts to support and gives them a ticket allocation and bumps their thread on here constantly to try and develop interest is not doing their job properly. This happens a lot and poor results are inevitable, as many local bands end up playing 3 times within a period of four weeks and therefore can't sell enough tickets to at least make the place look relatively busy. But getting "mates" down for me isn't the point of a gig. Getting press and properly advertising your shows is the way to go.......making sure as many people as possible know when your show is, how much it costs, who's playing and where it's at.

People who are in bands are fairly self indulgent and don't bother checking out other bands because they are too pre-occupied seeing how good themselves are, and don't bother enjoying music created by other musicians who are also performing on a small scale local level. I dare say there are people in bands in this city who have not once been to check out another gig which they have not played at. To an extent that is fair enough if you genuinely don't enjoy other local artist's music, yet I think think there is something for everybody to enjoy in Aberdeen and you just have to be more pro-active in order to find it.

[The Milner]

i would rather we still had these "scensters" than see how bad gigs are usually attended now a days.

I never understood the problem with them anyway, they came to gigs, bought cds made the nights usual good, everything a band and promoter wants. There were a lot of folks in bands who used to be "scensters" as well.

I blame all the problems on the fact stayover split up, we were obviously the scene glue.........

[Soda Jerk]

The modern misuse of the word 'scene', being able to describe someone as being 'scene', and the word 'scenester' are all vomit inducing bilge. How did this even happen? The first time I overheard someone saying "You are so scene" was probably the day I turned into blood-boiling cynical bell end. Nothing has changed. Nothing will ever change no matter how much we moan. Believe it or not, people in London and Manchester still moan about poor turnouts, bands not playing near them etcetc... It's the sad fact that people would rather drink alcopops whilst some DJ plays them a CD than go to a gig to see a band actually play. Not enough people care, even the ones who claim to love music.

[Guest Tam o' Shantie]

i would rather we still had these "scensters" than see how bad gigs are usually attended now a days.

I never understood the problem with them anyway, they came to gigs, bought cds made the nights usual good, everything a band and promoter wants. There were a lot of folks in bands who used to be "scensters" as well.

I blame all the problems on the fact stayover split up, we were obviously the scene glue.........

make no mistake, they participated alright and were into 'music' generally speaking. they were just fickle as fuck and hopped from one trendy band/genre to the next...nu metal became skate punk, became ska, became emo...became metalcore?

[The Milner]

Not enough people care, even the ones who claim to love music.

i think thats hit the preverbial nail on the head.

[The Milner]

make no mistake, they participated alright and were into 'music' generally speaking. they were just fickle as fuck and hopped from one trendy band/genre to the next...nu metal became skate punk, became ska, became emo...became metalcore?

so what was the problem with that?

If you were good enough they would always come back and see you again. The problems began when bands stopped trying to get them to come to gigs and just expected this crowd to turn up as far as im concerned anyway.

[Guest Tam o' Shantie]

The modern misuse of the word 'scene', being able to describe someone as being 'scene', and the word 'scenester' are all vomit inducing bilge. How did this even happen? The first time I overheard someone saying "You are so scene" was probably the day I turned into blood-boiling cynical bell end. Nothing has changed. Nothing will ever change no matter how much we moan. Believe it or not, people in London and Manchester still moan about poor turnouts, bands not playing near them etcetc... It's the sad fact that people would rather drink alcopops whilst some DJ plays them a CD than go to a gig to see a band actually play. Not enough people care, even the ones who claim to love music.

scenester is pretty old terminology. the idea of the word scene as an adjective was going around in the 'punk' community at the turn of the century as an injoke, where 'hardcore' kids were whimsically judged to have a higher score of 'scene points' based on certain criteria, such as running their own DIY label or distro, wearing a minor threat tshirt, size of 'flesh tunnels' etc.

this tiny injoke (along with its sister injoke, the idea of calling someone 'an emo') was stolen and turned into actual slang, and now calling someone 'scene' appears to indicate that they have a 4 foot high straightened hairstyle, ridiculously OTT peircings or tattoos etc. it sucks, but what are you gonna do...pray for the day that something you love isn't ruined by a majority of fuckwits and cretins? because it will never happen. everything you have ever liked will be eventually be fucked up and adopted by annoying morons, mark my words.

[Dan G]

it sucks, but what are you gonna do...pray for the day that something you love isn't ruined by a majority of fuckwits and cretins? because it will never happen. everything you have ever liked will be eventually be fucked up and adopted by annoying morons, mark my words.

This is true. But the way I see it is if you keep listening to/playing what you genuinely love then even if it happens to become trendy/popular/ruined by morons it'll soon enough go out of fashion again.

80's/hair metal > grunge > nu-metal > emo > metalcore > whatever it maybe next, because metalcore has nearly finished it's 15 minutes of fame.

[stuartmaxwell]

it would appear that the trendy metalcore kids finally discovered melodic hardcore, NYHC et al.

every new band from Scotland is a "hardcore" band (some of them are fucking horrendous) again. Meh, it doesnt really bother me. (although, have you seen that HONOUR OVER GLORY myspace page? its disgusting!)

Honour Over Glory | MySpace.com

[Alkaline]

it would appear that the trendy metalcore kids finally discovered melodic hardcore, NYHC et al.

every new band from Scotland is a "hardcore" band (some of them are fucking horrendous) again. Meh, it doesnt really bother me. (although, have you seen that HONOUR OVER GLORY myspace page? its disgusting!)

Honour Over Glory | MySpace.com

Now those are people who really sleaze it up big time on the internet...

[The Subtle Arts]

Thats not a band... what exactly is wrong with that page that other clothing/design/merchandising don't do...

[stuartmaxwell]

i know it aint a band but its exactly the kind of "clingy" bullshit that has no place in music for me. it seems to be exactly the same bull as the CONSPIRE clothing "empire" (the conspire models are going to be at this gig!! and they get in free! WOW!) that made a pigs ear of the gigs it latched onto. Did the bands play in the corner of the venue or something and people used the stage as a catwalk to introduce their haircut for that week??

i don't really like myspace clothing "labels" in general, so just let me rant like a cynical git in the corner over there....

[Alkaline]

i know it aint a band but its exactly the kind of "clingy" bullshit that has no place in music for me. it seems to be exactly the same bull as the CONSPIRE clothing "empire" (the conspire models are going to be at this gig!! and they get in free! WOW!) that made a pigs ear of the gigs it latched onto. Did the bands play in the corner of the venue or something and people used the stage as a catwalk to introduce their haircut for that week??

i don't really like myspace clothing "labels" in general, so just let me rant like a cynical git in the corner over there....

It's largely the same person that did Conspire that does HOG, with a few other guys.

[Huw]

it would appear that the trendy metalcore kids finally discovered melodic hardcore, NYHC et al.

every new band from Scotland is a "hardcore" band (some of them are fucking horrendous) again.

I noticed this too. At first I was kind of excited because I thought people might start going down the 'Hope Con' kind of route (i.e. no breakdowns, not too much machismo etc). WRONG! It's all that and more, i fucking hate it.

To get back to what Phil-idol_wild said earilier about supporting your local scene: its not that I don't want to, but apathy is generated by, not only these kinds of bands, but bands from pretty much every genre totally and repeatedly dissapppointing me. But then there's the argument that if i/others do go to these shows, said bands will have the capability and the drive to do better things. It's a tough one.

I know that the hardcore/metal scene makes me not want to go to shows ever again. It angers me to see so much talent (at least in terms of instrument playing) produce so little tangible output. With such a thriving 'metal' scene you would have thought that more than one band could have gotten good/sucessful/been a band long enough to release an album.