Poop http://www.fuzz.com/fan/Poop Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:54:34 -0800 Fuzz.com en http://www.fuzz.com/ http://www.fuzz.com/_/images/logo/blimp.png http://www.fuzz.com/fan/Poop/blog/entry/Supporting-Pay-to-Play-Part-2 http://www.fuzz.com/fan/Poop/blog/entry/Supporting-Pay-to-Play-Part-2#comments
It is the promoters’ job to get people to spend money at the venue. Most promoters only do one thing well and that is promoting themselves (it’s not their fault since that is all they really know). They don’t listen to the bands (just look at the line-ups at some of these shows). A lot of them know nothing about music or the music business. Most of them are only doing this because they had a backyard party once and made a lot of money off the door or they see it as the only way their band would be able to get on bigger shows. So after they do their first show at a venue and no one shows up, they are stuck trying to figure out how they are going to make some cash on the next show. Then they hear about some band bitching about having to pre-sell tickets at another venue. The little light bulb above their heads pops on and the thought is formed, "The only way for a show to make money is to have bands pre-sell tickets."

Well, if you have 6 local bands playing a show, each band will get (say) 50 tickets to pawn off on their friends. Who are their friends? Other musicians probably, with maybe one or two females that hang out with them (i.e., girlfriends). More than likely those other musicians won't be able to make it to the show because they have a show of their own or they are on that show and are stuck trying to sell tickets as well. Now, the bands are responsible for practicing & playing the show, promoting the show, and selling tickets for the show. What is the promoter doing? Good question, what ARE they doing? Promoters... come on and answer the question. Tell us what it is exactly that these venues want.

Well, since no one is answering the question. I will go out on a limb and answer it for them. You want as much money as you can get for as little work as possible. Don't bullshit and say its respect because if that was the case, you wouldn't ask bands to pay-to-play. So, now how much work do you actually do to make a show successful? Post an ad in the OC Weekly (hardly, you use the ad that the club puts in), put up flyers (no, you let the bands do that), sell tickets (no, the bands again) so what do you actually do? You set up a deal with the venue owner allowing you to book bands at their clubs. I see you and I see clubs but what I don’t see is the bands. Everything you do is for the venue or yourself (but we know you aren’t making that much money because we have seen the draw these shows actually have). So forcing bands to sell tickets is not going to get people to go see a show... Then what will get people to go see a show?

1. Having a show that people want to see.
2. Advertising (and I don't mean just a little dinky ad in the OC Weekly).
3. Charging less to see a show ($13 for 6 local bands and it's not like any of those bands will get any of the money anyway)
4. Having a line-up of bands that complement each other instead of sounding exactly like each other.
5. Not having the same 5 bands playing night after night (if no one goes to see them on the first night, what makes you think anyone would want to see them the second night, or the third, etc.)

But the main problem with these promoters is they seem to only want to give shows to bands that are of a certain age. Bands with older members rarely get a chance to play all-age shows because 1. They won’t pay-to-play 2. They are seen as not having a draw unless the band (or the name of the band) has been around for 20 years and 3. Promoters have never heard (or heard of) these bands because they are too young to get into a bar, period.

It time for bands to start taking back what is rightfully theirs, the venues. Quit catering to these guys and for those of you that feel you must cater to them (or your band will never play a show again).

FOR GODS SAKE, QUIT SNIVELLING ABOUT IT.]]> Fri, 18 Apr 2008 21:57:01 -0700 http://www.fuzz.com/fan/Poop/blog/entry/Supporting-Pay-to-Play-Part-2 http://www.fuzz.com/fan/Poop/blog/entry/Supporting-Pay-to-Play-Part-1 http://www.fuzz.com/fan/Poop/blog/entry/Supporting-Pay-to-Play-Part-1#comments
Look at the show listings on myspace, within a 50 mile radius on a week night, there is roughly 400 listings (even if say half are for another band playing the same venue, that's still 200 listings) and then look at the listing for Friday or Saturday. We are talking roughly 900 listings (let's say 1/3 are dup listings, that's still 300). No wonder why then venues are pushing for the bands to do the work and take the risk, they sure as hell don't want to.

Let me give you an example to put this whole thing into perspective. We have a venue that is all-ages and has a capacity of 550. If there are 6 bands on a show and all the bands are required to sell 50 tickets each @ $8, the venue will get $2400.00 if all 6 bands sell all (300) their tickets. Now, if the venue sells the remaining tickets (250 to capacity) @ $10 that is an additional $2500.00 for a grand total of $4900.00. That is for one night if the place is full. If the venue only makes 1/8th of that $4900 ($600) every night for a month (31 days), that is still $18,600.00 for the month on ticket sales alone. Are these venues really risking anything that they would not normally risk every day? The answer is NO!

So venues and "promoters" (and I use that term loosely, very loosely) will give you the incentive that if you band sells the required number of tickets consistently or if you draw 75-100 people consistently, you won't have to sell tickets next time. I have yet to see a band (other than a band that has been around for 20 years or have a name that has been around for 20 years) play shows and consistently have a draw of more than 50 people on any given night around here. So how any venue, given the number of shows nightly within a 50 mile radius, can expect a band to sell 50 tickets especially if there are more than 2 local bands on a show and the headliner is some band you have never heard of?

Why are you putting up with this SHIT? The punk scene / ideology were a rebellion against the establishment. Are you doing it because you are worried your band my never get another gig if you don't pay-to-play? Believe it or not, by selling tickets for these people, you are not doing anything for your band or the scene. If you want to support the scene then quit catering to these people.

GROW SOME BALLS AND GET ANGRY!

STOP ATTENDING SHOWS OR PLAYING VENUES THAT HAVE PAY-TO-PLAY!

"They are an embarrassment to what we believe"- The Spermbirds, You're Not A Punk.]]> Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:22:11 -0700 http://www.fuzz.com/fan/Poop/blog/entry/Supporting-Pay-to-Play-Part-1