BigUglyWorld #3 - Asses in the Seats (December 5, 2003)
Band:
We had our last gig of the year at TA Verns a couple of weeks ago with Twitch and Nate. It was a really fun show, and I think we put on about as fun a show as one can expect in these dark, forbidding times.
Me:
Life has been very strange in it's ups and downs. What can I say?
The World Outside:
The world outside becomes scarier and scarier as more and more idiots take control of the power away from the sensible people. Okay, that was a joke. The sensible never had control of squat.
Meat:
I'm worried about our music scene.
See, more and more local clubs are cancelling their live music nights because they aren't bringing in enough money. It seems like half of the places I've played are changing their tune and looking elsewhere for the big payoff.
You can't blame bars. They are businesses, and as much as I wish that they were more altruistic in their support of the arts, we don't live in that world. The bars want cash to pay their staff, to expand, and to shuffle the owners off to sunnier climes when it gets chilly out. It's no surprise, and there's definitely nothing wrong with it.
I like to think that we're a pretty sweet band. We sound great live, we win over crowds that don't necessarily like the sort of music we play, and we put on a fun show. We're by no means done improving our live show, but we are a good time.
The problem is that local music just isn't getting asses in the seats these days. Why leave the house? You go out to a gig, you're gambling on the quality of the band, and I can honestly say that I've come up on the losing end of that gamble a few times, having seen bands that literally drove me from the bar. Contrast that with the ability to tune in to a little MTV and watch music specifically designed to be appealing to the vast majority of the marketplace. It's no contest.
When people DO go out to bars, they usually wind up going to some bar where DJBling does his thing. And again, the end product is music that is being target marketted to appeal to the vast majority. It's all terribly well produced, and it works.
In short, the people want easy music that doesn't require much thought. They want it with a beat they can dance to. They want it loud enough that they don't have to worry about conversation, and they want it in an environment where they can stare at each other's asses when the mood suits.
There's nothing wrong with that. That's a simplistic view of the attraction, and we know from experience that the people ALSO like live music. But they don't generally go, do they? I mean, can you honestly say that you've ever said, "Hey, let's go down to that bar where the bands play. I don't know who's playing, but I bet it'll be a fun time."
A big part of it is the total lack of marketing that the bars put out. In my experience, almost every bar I've played has relied solely on me to advertise the show. They're having me in to boost alcohol sales, and it's just assumed that I'm going to bring a crowd of 300 people to see us play. That ain't happening.
When you see posters with the Johnny Incognito name on them, you can bet that they were done by us, or by one of the other bands on the ticket. We've only had one gig that had the posters made for us by the bar, and they were some of the most generic looking posters ever seen. They didn't use our logo properly, and didn't in any way grab attention.
Now me, if it was my bar, I'd be a lot more intimately involved in the advertising of gigs. I'd want to make sure that my bar was well represented, that any information that might help attract bodies was displayed on the poster, and that the town was littered with those posters. If the band I was hiring wasn't interested in making the posters or putting them up, I'd take a larger cut of the money and do it myself.
But it isn't my bar.
So how am I gonna do it? How am I gonna create a scene? You don't just add water. Don't worry, I have a few ideas, and I'm not going to present them in the form of a recipe (1 cup talent and a dash of word of mouth advertising!).
The way I see it, what's missing is the overwhelming message to the average consumer that live music is thriving in your city, and that it's worth paying attention to. So we just have to let everyone know what they're missing.
...with little support from the bars...
...or the local media...
...or the other bands, because half of the time they're choosing sides in ego wars...
Okay, I didn't say it would be easy. And I'm not sure I know just yet how to do it. But it's going to involve working with the other bands we know, getting the help of the fans, and a whole lot of organizing on our end. I could see our planned outdoor concert this summer playing a major role in helping this all take shape. Whatever the case, I'm not licked yet. I want a thriving scene, and I'm going to do what I can to get one. You in?
If you want to help out, send me an email. Any help is appreciated.
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