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Fat Hippy Battle of the Bands!


Frosty Jack

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Fat Hippy Records are delighted to announce the Fat Hippy Records Battle Of The Bands!

 

So peeps, wanna be on on the same record label as international artists like Terry McDermott MusicCeti Kupczyk, the Gerry Jablonski BandAmy Sawers and Craig john davidson?

Well this is your chance to get your band signed to Fat Hippy Records in 2014! In association with DownstairsII MusicCaptain Toms and Masterwork Cymbals Scotland we are delighted to invite you to the Fat Hippy Battle Of The Bands!

 

https://www.facebook.com/FatHippyBOTB

 

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The problem with BOTB events typically is that they often use Pay to Play type rules - in order to qualify you have to bring a specified number of people to see you, or you have to sell your allotted tickets. Some are designed so that if a promoter makes a loss on a BOTB, the bands basically end up covering it. Which is dick.

 

However, I can't imagine Fat Hippy pulling that shit, since they are a GBOLATB, so I like this idea.

 

xx

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It's funny - I've seen nothing but derision aimed at BOTB on this site but as soon as I saw Fat Hippy associated with this BOTB I knew the reaction would be different...

 

Normally people don't even look at the detail of a BOTB post before shouting it down.

 

That said - I can't imagine Fat Hippy doing anything totally dickish towards bands because they're good guys and know what they're doing and won't look to rip anyone off.

 

That said - I still find this weird.  Are the good bands, i.e. the bands that are genuinely good going to jump on this opportunity and put themselves through the whole BOTB thing just because they know the prize at the end will be genuine and they trust Fat HIppy Records, etc.?  Or, as is fairly standard at BOTB, will it just be a bunch of inexperienced, fairly shite bands that turn up.  If this had been posted in 2006/2007, I would have been all over it, wanting to play and get a record deal and we were definitely inexperienced and fairly shite then.  (Cue - "aye, you were fairly shite all the time", but I know what I mean - we thought we were good, but actually we were just starting out and didn't know what the fuck we were doing at all!!).

 

I suppose the only relevant exception I can think of when we were gigging was the BOTB for places at the Wizard Festival a few years ago.  A lot of genuinely good bands played at that, including established bands who had played the festival the previous year etc.  The intentions were genuine, but I remember it being run very poorly (I think by someone like Northsound or Evening Express) and people (as always) questioned the judging and all that stuff.  I remember speaking to the organiser (of the festival) at the time and him telling me he was pissed off with how the BOTB was being run in their name.

 

Anyway... (that post was longer than I first intended...)

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You said it much better than i could. I cannot imagine a time when Frosty would have been the one pushing a battle of the bands on here, but add a Fat Hippy label and the flavour of the month venue and everyone is on board. 

 

Dont get me wrong, i have nothing against battle of the bands, infact i have argued in their favour before, and i certainly have no issue with Tom, or anyone at Fat Hippy, they do an excellent job and this will be well done and well organised with a decent prize, i just find it a strange one. 

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I just don't even know where to start.  We're doomed from the initial contact thing:

 

Ages of Band Members: Most of the adult multiple choice age brackets covered, except the first one.

Genre: Ill-advised, horn sectioned R&B revival?

Biggest Gig you've ever played?: A cow shed near New Deer.

How did you first hear of Fat Hippy?: Not sure, I was rather drunk at the time, but I came home with a CD.

 

Etc. etc.

 

I really don't think we're BOTB material.  Mostly because I don't know what kind of material we are yet.

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I cannot imagine a time when Frosty would have been the one pushing a battle of the bands on here

 

Me neither, tbh. But as I think most of us have sussed, this IS different because of who is running it. I hate nothing more than lazy promoters setting up a BOTB just so they don't have to actually make the effort to find out about the bands and book the good ones for themselves, which is what most BOTBs are about. But we all pretty much know Tom and Fat Hippy, and realise that what he has always been about above all is giving bands a chance to develop. Most of the time he hears a band rehearsing or playing live, thinks they have potential so gives them a hand by setting up recording sessions, putting on gigs, promoting them etc.Or 'giving them a deal' if you will. It's pretty much how the music industry should work, but clearly doesn't.

Way I see this BOTB is as a chance for Tom to cast his net a bit further than just overhearing people rehearsing, and giving them the push they need.

I'm pretty sure he's not just trying to find out the best band in Aberdeen, he's looking for the greatest potential so he can help someone become the best band in Aberdeen. And the Country. And the World.

 

NB - Although I'm technically a 'Fat Hippy rostered artist' these views are completely my own, I haven't spoken to Tom about it yet.

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Me neither, tbh. But as I think most of us have sussed, this IS different because of who is running it. I hate nothing more than lazy promoters setting up a BOTB just so they don't have to actually make the effort to find out about the bands and book the good ones for themselves, which is what most BOTBs are about. But we all pretty much know Tom and Fat Hippy, and realise that what he has always been about above all is giving bands a chance to develop. Most of the time he hears a band rehearsing or playing live, thinks they have potential so gives them a hand by setting up recording sessions, putting on gigs, promoting them etc.Or 'giving them a deal' if you will. It's pretty much how the music industry should work, but clearly doesn't.

Way I see this BOTB is as a chance for Tom to cast his net a bit further than just overhearing people rehearsing, and giving them the push they need.

I'm pretty sure he's not just trying to find out the best band in Aberdeen, he's looking for the greatest potential so he can help someone become the best band in Aberdeen. And the Country. And the World.

 

NB - Although I'm technically a 'Fat Hippy rostered artist' these views are completely my own, I haven't spoken to Tom about it yet.

 

Fair enough like. I didnt mean to just single you out for any criticism btw, just never thought id see you promoting one. But like you say it is a bit different to the norm and hopefully should be good for everyone involved. 

Tom is doing a lot of good stuff right now, hopefully this carries on. 

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