To: The Aberdeen Music Scene

[Guest Old Bonsie]

Cant really tell if this is sarcasm....but i really fucking dont.....dont get me wrong' date=' if i get offered a million for making some pish im gonna take it....but people really shouldnt get hooked up on being a famous 'rock' musician...make music you like and if it takes you places then good on you...if not, who cares? just have some fun...

In the words of the great motormark 'this is art and its a dirty business'[/quote']

No seriously im not. I hate big corporate busness anyway all they do is suck the life out of anything to make money. I was once in a moderately well-known local band (yawn, I don't talk about them anymore!) where the other members were obsessed with fame & fortune and in the end, in my opinion, we were making music for the wrong reasons.

We entered a young bands contest and got to work with some guy who, apparently, was a big name producer form 'London'. He kept same stupid things like 'now remember guys lets right to a formula', 'where's the chorus' and 'lets make it really alternative rock like Smells Like Teen Spirit'.

Whatever happened to imagination and freedom of expression in music? It seems that the mainstream music industry are only interested in bands that fit whatever trend is around rathar than proper talent. So essentally you have to sound like The Killers, Franz Ferdinand or Coldplay right now. I would rather do something that I enjoyed even if it meant working in Safeway all my life whilst my former bandmates appeared on CDUK. Many of my favorite band eg. Joy Division, Galaxie 500 were never signed to a major record label either. I've decided I would never sell my soul to become sucsessful. Then it would just seem like work and I think music should always be something pleasurable!

[GraemeC]

Are u in sidca? ......

No I'm not in Sidca....we have a long standing love hate relationship....thats a lie, they just hate me

[Marsh]

I have no axe to grind with any promoters in Aberdeen they do a good job on the hole' date=' ...[/quote']

I know this was a type - o, but I almost passed out when I read this! Conjured up a scary mental picture, I tell thee!

Some light relief from what has turned into a pretty heated debate.

[Jim Stax]

Watch...

Are u in sidca? Just wanna know cause what is happening with them after rory went to pish-hole??!!?? I want to see sidca again cause i fucking love it......

The Sidca boys took my son. They have him in a barn somewhere and are forcing me to play with them or else they will make him listen to their cd for 40minuntes solid... What can I do? I have to!

A gig soon...

Jim

[Guest Mr Blastcap]

no scene!

this might be pretty predictable for me given an association with "anti scene" sidca, but all this debate about supporting the "scene" and heaven forbid giving constructive criticism is just tosh folk, as far as i can gather there is no scene at all in aberdeen. sure there are some great bands that should get a lot more attention but not an overall movement. as far as i can figure a scene is a bunch of bands who are all doing something new along broadly similar creative lines, e.g no-wave, baggy, post rock glasgow noodling, sub pop,punk dunk skunk etc. a lot of the bands i really like are really different to each other, but overall there is no common thread- no one up hear is reinventing the wheel or making guitar music more interesting than putting oon a nice shirt and starting a fist fight in revolution.

yes, i think its good to go and see bands- but with Aberdeen's small c conservative nature its just a fact that the overwhelming majority of bands and fans( and promoters too) are going to be a bit shit. its just a fact. with drakes gone its really going to be tough to go see acts that are non-mainstream too- i mean could you imagine opaque playing lava? or the moorings? or anywhere?

ps. i invented the pissclub, so only members of sidca are allowed to pontificate on the subject you bunch of yak fuckers.

[psydoll]

i mean could you imagine opaque playing lava? or the moorings? or anywhere?

The Tunnels?

I'd be up for seeing them again anyways. The musical equivalent of claustrophobia. Brilliant

[Flash@TMB]

A common thread seems to be that Aberdeen and Aberdonians are somehow at fault. It is disturbing to note that my roots are second only to the Jews in the great pecking order of blame.

It's amusing to read one minute that we're a fishing village full of minks, and the next minute that we're conservatives with a small 'c'. The truth is that we're just people. All of us. Except Cloud.

And some of us should spend less time crawling up our assholes with a keyboard in one hand and a mouse in the other. Otherwise what we have now will only be evident in the future as a missed opportunity.

There are few phrases more misused and misunderstood than *cough* "constructive criticism". Construction is a positive force, destruction is a negative force <--- not applicable in the case of Stewart Milne.

Fuck my keyboard just became lodged in my sigmoid colon. Arrrrrgggghhhhhh!

[Charlotte]

But you can expect people like the Dr Drakes crew to organise' date=' promote and hold a gig featuring bands they don't really like that much?

Sorry, but is that maybe not a one line statement summing up why Drakes is now shut?

Surely running a business is about providing what the customers want, not what you like?

(I'm not saying it can never be both.)

[Hugh_Jazz]

Please... can people pull their heads from their respective arse holes and start working together as its starting to become a joke.

Years ago the scene was all bolstered by bands working to help each other out in any way shape or form.

People supported anything that a local band did as they were from Aberdeen.

SO WHAT if you don't like a bands music..... rather than critisise it why not embrace the positive things that people do.

The demise of Dr Drakes is a tragedy and one that will hopefully make people realise that most of Aberdeen doesn`t give a flying fuck about it`s local bands or even bands in general unless they can sell out The Music Hall or the AECC.

Anyone ever wondered why NO ABERDEEN BAND in the last 15 years has signed to a major. (Assumes that Driveblind havn`t inked a deal yet)

Absolute wank....

....so according to your logic, the reason that other cities have so many successful bands is because people will turn out to watch any old shite? Sorry, just because I and others dont go and watch shite bands in Aberdeen does not make me unsupportive of the scene.

The reason the scene isnt great - although i dont believe its as bad as you say - is because like it or not, Aberdeen doesnt have enough genuinely strong bands. We have a lot of good bands, but not many that people will flock from miles around to come and see. Furthermore, Aberdeen is isolated from the Central Belt so we dont get many bands travelling up here. If there were enough decent bands, we would have more venues and Drakes wouldnt have given gigs to as many mediocre bands as they did....the lack of interest in which is likely why the place eventually closed.

[Guest Zeenat Aman]

FUCK OFF!!!!!!! No seriously... FUCK RIGHT OFF OR STAY IN YOU MISERABLE SHOWER OF SH.......!!!

Mmmm, I lurv it when you get angry!!!

[Rob Karloff]

Sorry' date=' but is that maybe not a one line statement summing up why Drakes is now shut?

Surely running a business is about providing what the customers want, not what you like?

(I'm not saying it can never be both.)[/quote']

No, it certainly isn't. Dr Drakes was never created for reasons of profit. It was created because some like-minded people who were passionate about local music efforts wanted to provide somewhere for other people to enjoy their music too. Pure and simple. Dr Drakes was not rapidly heading down the financial tubes or anything drastic like that, it was a simple case of an option of getting out the 10 year lease for the building scot-free coming up, and those with their necks on the financial line deciding that it was time for a change. Maybe it could have happily soldiered on for the remaining 7 years of the lease, but meantime those good folks would be severely personally restrained in their own finances and things they could go do with their lives. I personally am glad they took the option to free themselves from such a large (160K) financial commitment! Dr Drakes was never a regular business, it was never about making money off local talent. It was an arts thing, it was about providing the creative opportunity for people. If anyone visited Dr Drakes and knew the people behind it even a little, they would know that profit was not something they were doing it for.

[Jim Stax]

Mmmm' date=' I lurv it when you get angry!!!

[/quote']

Shuks... I miss those smoothe flute noises you used to make... Soothed me.. Now look!

As for speculation about Drake's closing... There is an element of truth in everything that is said and a helleva lot more that is no ones business. And to be honest I would prefer closing than to succum to mediocrity, and there is truth in that! We did what we believed in up to the end and beyond and closing holds no blame (except Nick for leaving). You could point at the PRS a little if you want though, they didn't help... Oops, can of worms! Ah well... I am allowed a voice now that I don't have a venue and have to be nice to everyone, even though I will be always (unless you constantly try to blag gigs!)

[Rob Karloff]

We did what we believed in up to the end and beyond and closing holds no blame (except Nick for leaving).

Cuddly Jim

[Jim Stax]

No' date=' it certainly isn't. Dr Drakes was never created for reasons of profit. It was created because some like-minded people who were passionate about local music efforts wanted to provide somewhere for other people to enjoy their music too. Pure and simple. Dr Drakes was not rapidly heading down the financial tubes or anything drastic like that, it was a simple case of an option of getting out the 10 year lease for the building scot-free coming up, and those with their necks on the financial line deciding that it was time for a change. Maybe it could have happily soldiered on for the remaining 7 years of the lease, but meantime those good folks would be severely personally restrained in their own finances and things they could go do with their lives. I personally am glad they took the option to free themselves from such a large (160K) financial commitment! Dr Drakes was never a regular business, it was never about making money off local talent. It was an arts thing, it was about providing the creative opportunity for people. If anyone visited Dr Drakes and knew the people behind it even a little, they would know that profit was not something they were doing it for.[/quote']

I love you...

[GraemeC]

I dont think that a good kicking (poor review/message board slagging) does a young band any harm, quite the reverse, I believe if they have even the slightest crumb of self belief they go away, practice some more, and come back better and with some attitude.

[Jim Stax]

Ooooooh...

I dont think that a good kicking (poor review/message board slagging) does a young band any harm' date=' quite the reverse, I believe if they have even the slightest crumb of self belief they go away, practice some more, and come back better and with some attitude.[/quote']

Can i go see bands and give the kicking now? Can I can I can I (pants like a dog)...

Constructive critique in the name of art!

J

[Guest Zeenat Aman]

... It was an arts thing' date=' it was about providing the creative opportunity for people.[/quote']

Sometimes magical, sometimes horrific...

people got away with musical murder in that place heh.

What about the Mysetery Lounge, is that dead now? I still have the badge!

[Jim Stax]

Mystery Lounge

I don't suppose it ever really died, it just went a big conceptual and philosophical space in the sky... You never know though!

Was great musical carnage!

Loved it... The more fucked up the better! It was like inviting my mates back to my flat just to bombard them with a sonic onslaught! Oh the times, the times...

[RicoAUBL]

rrrraaarrr

to be honest

i think everythings going to be just fine

because we are in the process of doing some cool stuff

that will change everything...

and to be honest

there's more of a 'scene' online than there is out on the streets

and all this 'bitching' that goes on mostly comes from people who are part of the online community that evolved from a message board... which turned into two message boards... and we all know what the second one was..

and now here we are... with a ton of forums and people posting shite all day long... and sometimes good stuff (especially on the AUBL and HMG forums)

but anyway

Local bands play gigs

that's cool

venues put on live events regularly

that's cool too

all the people involved work damn hard to keep it going

and thats the cooles thing of all

its about time you miserable lot took a timeout and accepted everything that has happened in the past and started looking at where you are going to take yourself in the future

i'm not bitter about drakes closing down and neither are the staff (which they have mentioned on threads all over this site)

i've loved that place as much as the next guy

and i will miss it

but whats happened has happened and there was nothing anyone could do about it

so me thinks it's about time for some positive change

cos i'm sick... sick to death of this conversation

YEARS! years this same argument has been going on

scene this

scene that

fuck the scene

who cares about the 'scene'

it's an online scene - thats all it is and you all know thats true

you see..

we care about the bands and the musicians and the venues and the promoters and all the people who are interested in seeing local bands, organising events and having a good time.

we have also started caring a lot about bands from all of the UK

(as our moorings gig listings will suggest)

we've worked our tiny little asses off to bring bands from around scotland, england, wales and even the odd one from brazil and the USA to aberdeen this year

just so you can have the chance to check them out...

we have a couple of great bands playing this saturday in fact!

the lineups are varied (at least i think they are)

and if people perhaps too the time to check this shit out

instead of wasting time talking and arguing and trying to be all 'check me i'm ace'

then it would be much better

wouldnt it

[Jim Stax]

rrrraaarrr

to be honest

i think everythings going to be just fine

because we are in the process of doing some cool stuff

that will change everything...

and to be honest

there's more of a 'scene' online than there is out on the streets

and all this 'bitching' that goes on mostly comes from people who are part of the online community that evolved from a message board... which turned into two message boards... and we all know what the second one was..

and now here we are... with a ton of forums and people posting shite all day long... and sometimes good stuff (especially on the AUBL and HMG forums)

but anyway

Local bands play gigs

that's cool

venues put on live events regularly

that's cool too

all the people involved work damn hard to keep it going

and thats the cooles thing of all

its about time you miserable lot took a timeout and accepted everything that has happened in the past and started looking at where you are going to take yourself in the future

i'm not bitter about drakes closing down and neither are the staff (which they have mentioned on threads all over this site)

i've loved that place as much as the next guy

and i will miss it

but whats happened has happened and there was nothing anyone could do about it

so me thinks it's about time for some positive change

cos i'm sick... sick to death of this conversation

YEARS! years this same argument has been going on

scene this

scene that

fuck the scene

who cares about the 'scene'

it's an online scene - thats all it is and you all know thats true

you see..

we care about the bands and the musicians and the venues and the promoters and all the people who are interested in seeing local bands' date=' organising events and having a good time.

we have also started caring a lot about bands from all of the UK

(as our moorings gig listings will suggest)

we've worked our tiny little asses off to bring bands from around scotland, england, wales and even the odd one from brazil and the USA to aberdeen this year

just so you can have the chance to check them out...

we have a couple of great bands playing this saturday in fact!

the lineups are varied (at least i think they are)

and if people perhaps too the time to check this shit out

instead of wasting time talking and arguing and trying to be all 'check me i'm ace'

then it would be much better

wouldnt it

[/quote']

YIP! AND DOUBLE YIP!

Jim

[Ross]

....so according to your logic' date=' the reason that other cities have so many successful bands is because people will turn out to watch any old shite? Sorry, just because I and others dont go and watch shite bands in Aberdeen does not make me unsupportive of the scene.

The reason the scene isnt great - although i dont believe its as bad as you say - is because like it or not, Aberdeen doesnt have enough genuinely strong bands. We have a lot of good bands, but not many that people will flock from miles around to come and see. Furthermore, Aberdeen is isolated from the Central Belt so we dont get many bands travelling up here. If there were enough decent bands, we would have more venues and Drakes wouldnt have given gigs to as many mediocre bands as they did....the lack of interest in which is likely why the place eventually closed.[/quote']

Apologies but you seem to have gotten the wrong end of the stick in terms of what I was meaning.

When I mean supported... i meant being supportive.. if that clarifies.....

If a band is shite then vote with your feet. If a band is good technically but not your thing then why not communicate this instead of people labelling bands shite or whatever just because they don`t like them or or what they do. Encouragement along with constructive critisism can go a long way.

When I said Major Label i did kind of mean this as most Indie`s in the UK are actually imprints of major labels. This is the way the industry is going and has been for a while. Almost all the punk and hxc labels in the US are backed by a major.

The whole point of the post was to try and stop the relentless infighting and make bands asses their attitude towards each other and also towards furthering their band both musically and also their reputation.

eg... how many bands have you seen that play a gig but have no cds / merchandise or whatever to sell to the people and fans that have come to se them. How many bands don`t have a guitar tuner and thus fanny around onstage out of tune. How many start off late and finish late causing shorter sets for the remaining bands. Loads of bands don`t know how to use a soundcheck properly to maximise their sound out front.

If bands look and act the part as well as play competantly on a national scale then there is more chance of somebody making it our of Aberdeen and who knows.... possibly bringing a lot more A&R interest etc to the city and thus bolstering the local scene.

[Cloud]

I dont think that a good kicking (poor review/message board slagging) does a young band any harm' date=' quite the reverse, I believe if they have even the slightest crumb of self belief they go away, practice some more, and come back better and with some attitude.[/quote']

Depends on the band/person, it's not been unknown for people to leave bands simply because they got slated to hell - but then again, some people have went away and came back a hell of a lot stronger for it.

[Guest Zeenat Aman]

Depends on the band/person' date=' it's not been unknown for people to leave bands simply because they got slated to hell - but then again, some people have went away and came back a hell of a lot stronger for it.[/quote']

In a local context, who and when?

[Skull Commander]

I think this has been covered quite well already, but to summerise aberdeen does not need a 'scene' A scene is just an excuse for people with trendy haircuts to boost their own self esteem. Aberdeen needs people out watching bands, forming opinions on them, and telling their friends. If everyone took a non gig going friend with them to see a local band, then we would be getting somewhere.

[GraemeC]

Depends on the band/person' date=' it's not been unknown for people to leave bands simply because they got slated to hell - [/quote']

So is that a bad thing? wont that weed out the ones who cant handle criticism....cos with a little success comes a whole of that....boy do I know that for fact!