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Wet Behind The Ears
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2008
Jan 13, 2009 13:50:00 GMT
Post by 0 on Jan 13, 2009 13:50:00 GMT
This is a point many bands don't pick up on. When you are in the studio writing/recording your material, and subsequently go on to release the resulting tunes to the general public, you are part of the music industry.
As soon as you set foot on stage to perform those songs you become part of the entertainment industry. The key word there being "entertainment". An audience comes to be entertained, otherwise they might as well stay at home and listen to the CD.
So wearing a stage outfit is nothing more than creating a character, a stage persona, if you will. I doubt many footballers do their weekly shop in a full club away strip. Stage clothes are nothing more than just another tool of the trade.
From my own personal experience most artists who have had some chart success, no matter what genre, have a dresser somewhere, lurking in the back ground, presenting the artist with their "look" - remember kids, "Don't Believe The Hype"
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2008
Jan 13, 2009 15:37:07 GMT
Post by The Imp Queen on Jan 13, 2009 15:37:07 GMT
Now Matt, yes I agree it's a state of mind thing too but we both know I'll never bump into you or Dave wearing Puma Trackies and Designer trainers, no way because you sir are for real, mohawk or not, and we both also know what that means, it's statement of intent and a message to the outside world, it's just the way it is and the way it has to be in the punk scene so yes I do get it,on every level,probably more than you could ever even begin to understand,there's a lot riding on me 'getting it', my kids school fees depend on me 'getting it' and so let me assure you, I do get it, totally, every aspect from the political to the emotional and more, I know it's wrong and distasteful to think in such lateral terms as 'image' and marketing but like it or not the music business on every level, just as Martin has stated, is just another name for the Entertainment Industry and that industry is simply huge and all encompassing, yes at the end of the day it's all about sales and bums on seats and share holders, that much is true, if a 'saleable' act has a viable 'concept' and an identified target audience or consumer friendly image/lifestyle that can be used to successfully sell and promote them, then trust me, whether they're plucked from obscurity or they're an established act it will be welcomed with open arms by the marketing team and then well and truly milked for all it's worth, it's a sad fact of life but it's just how it is. I don't think you quite understand what I was trying to say, I'm simply explaining the need for a lot of acts to look a bit deeper at their art, to visualize themselves as a 'whole' package and to transfer that ethic or working model into something more than just a silky shirt for gigs, the puma trackie thing was meant purely as an example, nothing more, and yes you're right, if you only ever wear a bob marley badge or T shirt when you're playing the ska nk rhythms with your band then that could be viewed as slightly naff but that's not really the point ditto if you had no Mohawk and wore a well cut suit or a puma trackie, it wouldn't make you any less of a 'punk' on the inside but it would certainly make you appear less 'punk' and in turn, less credible to your target audience, that's fact. The point I was trying to raise regarding stageware has been slightly misunderstood, yes of course the Damned are fine example of the 'stageware' artiste, but you're ignoring the fact that they were portraying a fictional 'character' much like Alice Cooper and their entire stage set and product was also designed to supplement the fantasy, unlike Homespun, who've adopted the fantasy 'Burtons Shop assistant/Ladbrooks Bookie' look to sell thier product. I don't know? maybe it's just me but to my eyes at least, I just don't think it's strong enough to drive any marketing team to get excited enough to actively promote and thus sell on as a 'look' or lifestyle choice and a huge part of that big negative is down to how 'credible' the image is both used and utilized, I was simply trying to highlight the differences, I'll use The 4 Sticks again as an example because they do have an established, identifiable look/image going on and it's yes, it's obviously retro-cool or whatever but it's single minded in it's focus and pure in it's design and it's a something any kid could buy into and identify with instantly and perhaps more importantly,cheaply, a marketing mans dream? same goes for Global parasite. But, yes by all means take a theatrical angle with your image/stage ware if you wish but unless you intend to invest a lot of time and energy into the actual stage show and develop the themes of your chosen 'character' to incorporate the outfits into the show as a whole then there really seems very little point in dressing up at all, especially not as a shop assistant, rest assured that 'The Damned' or 'Alice Cooper' weren' t acting 'off the cuff' when it came to their stage shows and 'onstage' personas. Yes, Matt I do know Gary pretty well, he used to communicate with us quite frequently when he was trying his hand at promoting gigs in the bay area a few years ago, he even tried to sell me his own creation, the 'Gary the funky dude', pot head, skunk eyed grooverdelic chile' and all that shite, and I actually bought into it too for a short while but boy did that thing mutate fast, to the point of me thinking, what the fucks going on here, stop with these political conspiracy theories, pleeeease, the funks for funking dude, purely funking and nothing else. I'll be straight with you Matt, I like what you lot are about, I admire your stance and all that but, and don't take this the wrong way please, I just think a little bit more thought regarding the lyrics in general and how to use the language in a slightly more intrinsic and poetic manner could be very advantageous to your band, I'm thinking Cooper Clarke and the like, kind of political 'man on the street' observational stuff and such like here, not in any way am I suggesting that you 'dumb it down' or anything like that, just maybe lift it out of the gutter a little, there's obvious and there's obviously subtle, now I'm a whore for the 'thinking mans' lyrics and your subject matter, to me at least, seems like the land of golden opportunity as far as creative thought and inspiration goes, so why not give it a shot? that shit works you know, as in really fucking works, Think early Bobby Dylan, Woodie Guthrie and even latter day Neil Young, it's all good shit, well written verse to tantalize the mind, what do you think? because I presume you do 'think', am I right? Hey, sorry Duncan, you're a few miles off, I'm back working in the junction/deganwy area for the time being, I was only in Bangor that night to check out the Skerries whilst out on the lash with some old buddies, Jesus, I can't blow my cover now, I've said far too much, though for a minute there I thought the bassist had sussed me out when he said something about the blonde streaks and Star tatts but I think I'm safe for now, I'm on the works editorial PC and logged in under a false name but even so I can't take any risks, have you heard what those Homespun boys are capable of ? I tell ya, The Krays would be shitting themselves, but thinking about it, threatening the sound engineer for having a moan about breaking his stuff is a bit fucking lame don't you think, for fucks sake what did they expect, a round of applause and a heartfelt request for a signed CD ?, I think there was an overwhelming feeling amongst us all that day that the sound guy was right, they simply weren't good enough to smash up his stuff, I mean come on, who is ? how do you argue against that, w hat are going to say, 'fuck you, we are good enough, right ? behave boys, it's all about that little thing called 'cred' again, it would have looked and sounded so much better through the PA if you would have said something like 'Oh shit, sorry man, how much do we owe you, we're really fucking sorry man, we just got carried away there', but I guess at the end of the day cred's something you've either got or you haven't, I don't think you can buy or borrow it though. Oh and let's not forget, the sound guy that day was my old mucker John 'Kobe', he's not exactly well known for his violent aggressive conduct or his machismo fisticuff abilities but fuck me can he work a mixing desk,the guy's a time served pro, I mean surely a supposedly well gigged act such as yourselves would have worked with him before on several occasions? He's been around for donkeys years,he does the majority of the bigger 'outdoor' gigs through out north wales including the borders and has done so for a long long time, but then again, you've probably never even come close to working with him before, so yeah, why not gang up on the lone, notoriously pacifist, sound guy, it's sooooo much easier and far less painful than directing it all inwards. Impressed ? not very.&n bsp; That's a great story of the blues you've got there Damien and I agree, you do deserve respect and believe it or not I do respect you, I respect your pain and your drive, it's really heartbreaking to learn all that stuff, I didn't know any of that, no-one said anything, man I feel like I've been spanking a broken pony here and I'm truly sorry if you've taken it bad, Jeeeesus, I'm gutted for you, I promise, no more, seriously, god I feel sick to the stomach, I'm so sorry, shit man, that's heavy shit dude, but why ? and how ? there are plenty of things like emergency social funds and crisis loans out there you know and there's so much free advice available to people who find themselves struggling like that, I can't understand how you could have slipped through the net? but at least you've got things in order now, hey and rest assured I very much doubt that you nearly ended up in a mental institute twice, you're either sectioned or your not, believe me, there's no nearly or could have been where mental health issues are concerned, it's a very black and white situation, thankfully, you're either deemed too ill to cope on your own or your not, it's that simple, unless of course you 'voluntarily request a psychiatric assessment referral via your GP, anyway, I really hope it all works out for you. Martin, Martin Martin, I'm not going to claim to know anything about you or your business dealings but I'm sure you're 100% genuine in your opinions and work ethics and I fully respect that, I'm not going to dispute anything you've said or posted here, in fact the majority of your view points are completely sound and undeniably valid but one thing I must make clear is the issues regarding 'advances', of course labels are still dishing out fat advances, yes, ok, maybe it's not in the same league as before, figures wise, but you have take into account that the costs of 'recording/studio' time and production plus the actual physical product manufacturing costs have never been so low and that's obviously noted and reflected in the size of the financial offer on the table but it's still going on, you know it's actually fucking harder for labels to attract new bands now than it ever has been, due, in part, to the increase in the popular 'DIY' recording revolution. The classic 'advance' as a tool of the trade is even more important now. Yes it is a loan of sorts but it's not a property linked debt or even a personal debt in the conventional sense, it's designed to act as a statement of intent from the label as proof of their faith in the artistes 'product' earnings potential and to also act as a financial buffer for the newly signed (read, skint artiste), it's fully recoverable from the sale and use of the recorded/licensed material, including the rights to printed 'scored work' and musical notation manuscripts and lyrics (chord/Tab books to you and me) some labels now also demand a bigger cut from merchandise/image rights but any half decent solicitor who specializes in this area will insist that the artist/client is well protected from any hidden claw back clauses or issues, it's standard industry practice, if the band don't realize their full potential or simply don't sell then that's the labels problem, wise up will ya!, the industry has now woken up to the fac t that 'myspace' hits and play scores actually mean fuck all in determining an acts credentials, it's going full circle my good man, Live is where it's at now and it's long over due believe me, have you not noticed the sharp increase in ticket prices over the past few years? That's the labels covering their backs, actual physical product 'sales' are down across the board for almost all recorded music now s o it's inevitable that the live arena is fast becoming the big earner and now everyone's an Internet star so it's back to basics for most labels and the 'cred stakes' are more important now than ever before, the punters want the real thing, especially now, escapism is hot property out there, no body wants another manufactured band or karaoke queen and I know for a fact that at least two very big 'name' labels have been in touch with our office again recently looking for recommendations for 'ones to watch' and of course I fully intend to supply them with a list of acts that I feel may be of interest and to be honest in this current financial climate I wouldn't be at all surprised to discover that both Neil and even possibly Steve Rastin over at Blood and lipstick have also been contacted by labels in a similar fashion with regard to tip offs, it's grass roots stuff again and it's just how it goes, how it works, so yes, it's a big world out there but it's a goldfish bowl in here, Shit I'd better stop posting on here now, too much information.
So, All the best to everyone for 2009 inc Homespun, Sona and even Freaky Peach
Over and out.
Ps, sorry Damien dude, seriously, respect.
Pps, yes Martin I do have an 'industry' background and the points/issues raised are 100% factual.
Ppps, TommySticks, I noticed you deleted your post, wise move.
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2008
Jan 13, 2009 19:32:57 GMT
Post by Matt on Jan 13, 2009 19:32:57 GMT
Appreciate the words. But after reading your posts again, I'm not too sure your genuine in your observation of Global Parasite, it seems almost fake, and i say this treading carefully but it almost seems sycophantic? Not sure why. As for Gary, he was on Bbc tv (i think, some channel anyway) ranting about his views along time before Anti-Virus etc. Ok, without meaning to big us up, its not about that at all ok, before i say this bit...GP did influence very large amounts of people in the area into a certain way of thinking, i hate saying it and i am cringing cus it sounds egotistical but it is true, maybe Anti-Virus did come out of this, but Gary aint fake, if anything he influences the way we think quite often, we all influence each other. And, if he did change in your eyes, so fucking what? What does that mean? Doesnt mean anything. People change. I was a meat-eater and took the piss out of veggies a few years ago, now Im a strict vegetarian, almost vegan and heading that way sometimes. Does this mean i'm full of shit in that respect? People change. It's not a bad thing.
The lyrics and approach advice? It's impossible for you to have read all our lyrics because they arnt all availiable for people to read. There's a link to some on our page, they havent been updated for sometime, most have changed and there's definitly some new ones. Thanks for taking the time to give your advice, but it doesnt mean much coming from Mr Anonymous, or from a writer of a local newspaper which is what I think you want us to believe due to the obvious trails to lead us that way. But anyway, cheers for the advice, but we're ok thanks.
You mention the "conspiracy" side of us. That instantly makes me want to lose respect for your opinion aswell. People who think don't approach it in this way. If it's not the same as your world view thats fine but we certainly arn't going to ditch what drives us in life and this band, if the band ended the beliefs wouldn't end. It's no alien conspiracy mate, its not a hobby nor is it something we take casually. This shit effects us, it effects you. One promoter, an outwardley Christian guy, booked us just because he liked the fact that we were thinking, he didnt even agree with alot of our beliefs, but he still booked us purely because we were thinking and he told us that.
Homespun, going to the states DIY would probably be easier i reckon but then im telling you something you will already know im sure, ive been in an active band for almost 2 years, you've been round the block, wouldn't europe be more fun and cheaper though? Fuck the states the money you'd spend going over there could be spent on a more productive thing? But then, i really do not know much about the music industry. DIY all the way!
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2008
Jan 14, 2009 1:30:02 GMT
Post by d hspun on Jan 14, 2009 1:30:02 GMT
to be fair, you have made some valid points. mr imp, and im glad i pulled at your heart strings with my 'blues' and take the piss all you want. I was making the point that, if being real is as you say 'living and breathing it' then surely its what you have done and do rather than wearing space boots and looking like swampy. must have slipped through 'the net' financially, and rest assured i didnt volunteer myself for anything. As for our arguement with kobe, i told him firstly that i didnt intend to damage his property i wasnt aggressive with him or anyone for that fact, it was only after being called a prick, that threats were made (like i said by a 'particular member of the band NOT ME!' (for the record i have never threatened anyone in regards to homespun) so yeah. In all honesty my girly bass swing hit the mic stand unintentionally! At the time i didnt believe that the stand was damaged, but when john showed it to me later, i paid for it there and then, and apologised to him and the organiser. John is an awesome sound guy hes been at the desk for many of our gigs and has always come up with the goods, i totally agree that bands destroying other peoples equiptment is wrong. But honestly it was accidental. I also agree with matt, gigging in europe would make more sense, however, if our label want us to come to America where they have more contacts and can make more oppurtunities for us, then stick a feather in my cap and call me macaroni! I think what you guys do is comendable, and you are the band that young bands should be looking to learn from when it comes to the 'do it yourself ethic'. As always corresponding on the forum has been informative, educational and highly amusing. I only post on here, to dispute uniformed claims about the band, this will be my last post on the matter.
TO FINISH
Clearly MR IMP you are not a moronic, pathetic little minded fuck like i wrongly claimed in my last reply. You obviously know your shit and have valid points to make. I dont know if we've ever met before, i dont think we would have or you'd know im not a 'fake' bullyish thug, who gangs up on passive aggressive sound engineers, or thinks hes the baddest man ever, neither are terry or tony. You said that you were once supportive of the band, i dont know what we've done (apart from wearing shirts and not emigrating to the usa in 08) that would make you think we're different from when you bought the album, but your entitled to your opinion (whether right or wrong) and being a band we're going to take critisisms like it or not, Moving on 100 nations is out on january 27th, dont forget to buy a copy. seriously...respect
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2008
Jan 14, 2009 13:00:29 GMT
Post by 5dnz4v1 on Jan 14, 2009 13:00:29 GMT
peace breaks out, let get to work on gaza next. and Gazza.
does this thread contain more words than the rest of the forum put together?
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2008
Jan 14, 2009 16:41:05 GMT
Post by The Imp Queen on Jan 14, 2009 16:41:05 GMT
Ok Matt, here's my final post and I'll take heed of Duncans requests for an easier read, so, yes, ok, I'll use more paragraphs this time. I think I owe it to you guys to explain myself a little, purely for peace of mind.
Right, I think I'm ok, as in, safe, to come clean about a few things, so, first things first, I'll give you some background info on who I am and what my connection to this area is but I'm not going to reveal my true identity, not for fear of reprisals or physical confrontations, it's purely down to politics and besides none of you know me anyway so I'll be deliberately vague with a few details, the rest though will be 100% accurate and true, The first point being, I am not a Journalist of any kind, nor am I currently directly involved with the local music scene or industry and I have absolutely no 'real' connection to Neil, Juz or anyone else on here.
As you've probably already guessed, I'm not a 'native' of the area but up until recently my 'in-laws' were based in Old Colwyn and over the last 20 or so years I've been visiting the North Wales coast on a fairly regular basis, mainly because of the in-laws but also to meet up with friends, old 'music scene' buddies and long time pals. I'm originally from Manchester (the blue side) but my teenage years were spent between Bethesda and Newport and it was during my teen years down south that I became involved in music.
So, once upon a time, there was a bunch of mates in Newport who formed a band and that band grew up to become known as The 60 Foot Dolls, probably a bit before your time, but they did ok for a bunch of Beatles freaks, not massive or anything like that, no tours of America or major label deals but we all had a lot fun and I'm not going to say anymore about my involvement but following the demise of the 'Dolls' and through some contacts that I'd built up back then I eventually landed a job with a fairly small 'Islington' based label, but, let me be clear, I was not the A&R man, I never had any influence or clout with that side of things but I did experience some exciting times there, in truth, during my brief spell in Islington they actually only signed one act and nothing ever became of her. Within a few months we were absorbed into the MCA group, obviously my little job vanished over night but luckily I was taken on, at the then, MCA publishing offices in Hammersmith. My role there was never really explained to me but suffice to say I was privy to some incredible experiences, yet again, I must stress I was never an A&R man. but, despite never actually having the A&R badge I did enjoy the privilege of witnessing a few 'deals' go through and I learnt an awful lot about the industry and how it all works but probably the most useful thing I learned was how it doesn't.
It was whilst I was in Hammersmith that I was offered a position with my current employers, I've held my position here for a good few years now and it's a good place to be, Yes, if you hadn't already sussed, I'm a 'Marketing Consultant' for a very big firm (no names). We deal with the 'industry' on a daily basis, everything from advice on developing basic industry practice to restructuring models and the like. In my present role I deal with everything from advertising agencies both big and small, PR companies, Global Media, Local Media, various facets of the Music and Recording Industry from huge international Booking agents to the smallest of labels and studios, We also contract our Marketing team to some of the biggest consumer brands out there (again no names). I'm currently based at the Manchester site and have been here since late 2001.
Being a self confessed 'grass roots' music scene fan I've had the pleasure to witness some incredible scenes, I've seen the eyes 'light up' and felt genuine excitement of so many newly signed bands during their first marketing meetings, slide shows are sooo much fucking fun, I've been involved in developing some genuinely successful ideas and marketing stratergies', ' The Coral' and the 'wickerman video ? that was one of ours, but it's just one of so many, The first channel 4 'Big Brother' campaign, The Sugar Babes, 'Nightmare Situation', the list is endless. I'm also ashamed to say I've even had the misfortune of being screamed at 'full volume' by a certain Mick Hucknall too for suggesting to his management that he drops the smaltz and gets rootsy, this was a good few years ago but fuck me if his latest stuff is not 'back to basics' crooning bollocks, tit.
So, yes I do have many years of experience to draw upon, from both sides of the fence and I absolutely,100%, no bullshit, know exactly what it's all about Matt, like I said, my whole life depends on that fact. So, as already noted above, I'm not directly employed in the 'music industry' any more but it's still a big part of my everyday life. Right, then, how do I explain my reasons for posting my 2008 blog ?
Let's go back a week or so ago, I was required to head up a few meetings/seminars regarding the restructuring of a North West media group with offices based in Liverpool and Deganwy, so, obviously I chose Deganwy, The Deganwy Quays Hotel has been 'base camp' since Friday 9th Jan 2009 (The in-laws have moved to a lovely old barn in Cheshire). So to cut it short, I met up with some old buddies, and as is often the case when I'm visiting the area, we all went out that night looking for a decent gig in Bangor, no luck, but never mind it was good to catch up and stuff. So Monday morning comes, I meet up with all the relevant people, spend the morning on a 'get to know you basis' then over lunch we get talking, one of the employees is talking about a local band called Valleum, obviously, I'd heard a few things by Valleum, see, sad as it sounds, I actually have a seperate file on my ipod dedicated to North -Wales bands, I've got loads of shit on there, Der Bomber (fucking loved them, seen them loads of times and never come away disappointed) Gintis, Big Leaves, Sons of Solina, Carpet, Streams, Fudged, Paul Claxton, Iris, Duffy ? Pocket Venus, Homespun, Global parasite, Skunk Fish, MK band, Kobe, loads of stuff.
It all goes back to my 'courting' days in Old Colwyn, Me and the Mrs (a Colwyn Babe) were well into the local scene and would try to get to as many gigs as we could, admittedly most were fairly poor, quality wise, but now and then we'd get lucky and see a stormer, we also started a sort of North Wales bands 'record collection' between us, so, chances are if you've released a CD or download and you're based in North Wales, then I've got it, sad eh ? even sadder, up until the in laws moved, every time we came to visit I'd go out to whatever gig was on near by and having the luxury of some close friends who were/are quite heavily involved with some aspects of the scene so I usually got pointed in the right direction, Roger had some great ideas in the early days for 'Spea kers Corner' as a venue with all angles covered, laid back Jazz or Blues on a Sunday, Indie Nights, poetry readings, Local Art Exhibitions, Under 18 nights, DJ's and everything else, it was a shame when it started to go down hill but the Punk nights were great fun. Bar Blu was also good as was The Breeding Ground.
So where was I, right, Monday morning, we get talking, this young lad's spouting on about how good Valleum are and all that and then the Boss (Chief Editor) asks me if I'm still 'doing music' and then says she's had a few requests for info lately from, believe it or not, both EMI and Sony, regarding any 'hot' up and coming bands in this area, says she doesn't know anything about that sort of stuff so I explain my 'weird' obsession with the local scene and offer to 'look into it' for her, I was simply thinking it'll help pass the time whilst I'm sitting bored in my hotel room and she was more than happy to pass the mission on. So I spend the next day or so giving it some consideration and decided the best course of action would be to ask for any good tips from the young lad at the office, which indirectly led me to the forum. I must have spent two nights solid reading practically every post on it ! so much so in fact that I felt that I knew most of you, freaky eh ? anyway, obviously I already had a vast knowledge of the music and the bands involved but it wasn't very up to date or 'current'. So Matt, Duncan, Damien, I apologize for any upset caused, that was partly down to boredom, I'd read so much 'wrong' advice and so many 'Ego' charged posts that I just felt I should put a few things straight.
My 'chosen subject' is obviously marketing but my background in music from 'grass roots' to major label employee also has a strong influence on my thought patterns, hence my statements regarding 'image' and that big no no 'stage ware', those statements are born from years of experience in dealing with up and coming bands and their management/labels/press officers or whatever, and from a business point of view I know exactly what to look for in developing a new artist, what the best 'angle' would be regarding promotion and the sales pitch, How the model should be presented and everything else that goes with it. So please, trust me and my advice, it's 100% solid and legit and best of all it's absolutely free.
Now to Homespun, You'd sent me a message via myspace inviting me to your gig on the beach, as it happens we were planning a trip out anyway so we thought, yeah, that'll be good, and to cut a long story short, I was really disappointed, I thought you were simply awful, you looked crap, the songs were shite bar 'Badman' , you had zero 'stage presence' and your onstage behavior was very childish and spoilt brat like, so, that's it, what else can I say ? I've heard it all before, seen it so many times and I can smell desperation a mile off. listen lads, you know deep down this is it, last chance saloon and I wish you all the best of luck but I don't buy it. I'm not familiar with 'D'pulse' so I can not comment but I'm pretty certain it's probably a one man operation run along the same lines as Martins 'green dragon' label/brand. As far your current financial situation goes, The label should be funding your USA trip and working with your management to secure the correct visas, these issues should have been detailed and clearly explained in the draft contract that your manager would have received. No body I know has ever signed to an off shore or foreign label without these things being sewn up. Your solicitor should have highlighted the need for clarification and warned you of the implications. That's if it's all actually real and legit though, but, if it's, as I suspect, just another ten a penny bullshit deal then, what can I say, apart from why bother signing ? So, no, I'm sorry, I just don't buy it, any of it.
Damien, please, don't think I was taking the piss with regard to your 'blues' story, I honestly feel for you and I think it goes a long way to explain your current situation. Mental health issues are something that I take very seriously, again due to my background in the music industry, I have seen so many friends and colleagues simply burn out under pressure and let their lives slip away into a haze of drug addiction or alcohol abuse, so I wasn't being patronizing or at least I never intended to be, so to reiterate, respect dude.
Matt, Dave and co, If you want to treat my advice regarding the use of 'thought provocation' in your lyrics as simply bullshit then that's your choice, I honestly wouldn't have mentioned it if I didn't think (or more importantly, know) it'd be useful to your cause, so let me explain my thinking behind it. You openly court the 'secret society' conspiracy debators and obviously have very strong views and accordingly you feel that you should alert 'the people' via your music, and, ok, that's not uncommon, so what we have to do now is look for an angle that could bring this greater attention than it's currently receiving, nice tunes and a mainstream 'image' are a no no , due to the strict 'punk' code ethics and current target audience that you've chosen as your own, so what we need here then is to identify something to help us stand out from the crowd, something that's got cred but won't harm what we already enjoy, so, from where I was sitting, it just seemed the obvious thing to do here was to draw attention to the 'lyrics' and to the 'message' by adding rhythm and wit and depth, but ok, I'll leave it there, I thought you believed in yourselves, my mistake, no problem, but it should make no difference to you if I believe in you or not, I'm not schoolgirl dudes. Hubble may have been born the savior of our world but he'd never used the music as vehicle before you did, hence the bandwagon statement, does my funk look good in this ? political satire at it's best ?
So anyway, I'm pretty much done here in Deganwy and I'm due to check out this evening and head back up the 56, so I think I ought to apologize for causing any upset to anyone, I still stand by my opinions regarding the bands along the north wales coast and I'll always have a soft spot for the 'scene as a whole, so yes I'll still try to get to see you play live when I'm back here visiting mates, which is obviously going to be less frequent now that the in laws have moved but there you go, I'll also continue to add to my North Wales Band record collection, geek alert !
A huge part of me wishes I could afford to quit Manchester and get back to my roots, I'd fucking love the chance to work with and develop 'The 4 Sticks', the fucking buzz would be out of this world and believe me, I can 'feel' it rumbling like the biggest fucking storm in the history of welsh music and I'm absolutely 100% certain that it'll happen for them, whether I have a part to play in any of that remains to be seen but, in reality, it's coming anyway and I wish them all the luck in the world. It's down to you now Neil, and Adam, for fucks sake, get it together because YOU have both got a part to play, a fucking big part too.
Whilst researching a few bands earlier this week I came across the 'BBC 4Sticks page' (Adams work, I presume ?) and I thought, shit I haven't got a copy of the 'be your dog' CD, so I sent a request via thier myspace, yes Tom, that was me, anyway I just thought I'd share the reply with you all, it's a fucking bullseye.
Hi _______, thanks for taking the time to check us out we really appreciate it, sorry but we haven't got any more left, we only had 100 pressed up and it took us nearly 3 months to get rid of them all so we never bothered getting any more pressed up, sorry, but If you give us your address or email then we'll send you our next one for free because we might be getting some funding to do a proper single on 'vinyl' soon which is just going to be ace, we're due to start recording on the 24th so if that actually comes off then we'll definitely send you a copy . Thanks again for getting in touch. Jimmy.
Is that not fucking gold ? the twats think 3 months is like a lifetime, ha ha, fucking sweet, and there's planning to put something out on vinyl, they're doing this shit by themselves, that's such a fucking strong 'marketing idea' for them, vinyl = retro, talk about clued in and 'getting it', shit, what better 'tool' to tie it all together,the look, the vibe, a fucking classic 7 inch, twats, fucking superb!
So Tommysticks, you're a retro fucking twat and I'm diggin' it dude. big time, but no prizes for guessing who's at the top of my list of recommendations, so no pressure then, Ha Ha.
I'll be in touch.
Ps, fuck me, nice one Neil, a brand new podcast, I'll download it tonight as soon as I get home, fucking top way to mark my last day here, for now at least.
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0
Wet Behind The Ears
Posts: 0
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2008
Jan 14, 2009 17:24:15 GMT
Post by 0 on Jan 14, 2009 17:24:15 GMT
How nice of you to assume the Green Dragon Media is a one man business or for that matter, so is dPulse Recordings - the facts may surprise even you. I still feel you are slightly off the mark with some of your observations, but thankfully we do have the privilege of the freedom of speech allowing you to give your slant on life.
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2008
Jan 14, 2009 17:25:03 GMT
Post by adamwalton on Jan 14, 2009 17:25:03 GMT
Interesting reading, all of it.
I would be fascinated to hear any ideas you might have regarding how a show like mine could better help North Walean musicians. When your ear is in the middle of the hurricane, it's not easy to be objective or to formulate non-intrusive strategies that can actually help the bands I play. Rather than just paying 'lip service' to the notion of helping.
There may well be a media and A&R spotlight on this area in 2009 due to Duffy's success last year, the growing interest in the Joy Formidable, and the fact that Gallops look likely to become this year's critical darlings.
There has been label interest in I Am Austin. The Loving Cup are doing DIY Americana whilst holding down day jobs and still managing to secure Radio 2 plays. Trader just got to be house band on some BBC TV music show, or other.
Polly Mackey has been invited to SXSW [not a deal, but a significant proactive step on her behalf] -- that's an awful lot of potential activity for the start of the year, especially for an area that thinks it is ignored by 'the industry'.
I'm very excited by 2009.
I can't wait for the Klaus Kinski album. I'm looking forward to Global Parasite's album, too.
There is a lot to look forward to, and there will be some great bands out there -- somewhere -- none of us have heard of yet.
If you want to get in touch, Imp, themysterytour@gmail.com
If not, that's understandable -- thank you for the provocative thoughts.
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2008
Jan 14, 2009 17:51:51 GMT
Post by Matt on Jan 14, 2009 17:51:51 GMT
Matt, Dave and co, If you want to treat my advice regarding the use of 'thought provocation' in your lyrics as simply bullshit then that's your choice, I honestly wouldn't have mentioned it if I didn't think (or more importantly, know) it'd be useful to your cause, so let me explain my thinking behind it. You openly court the 'secret society' conspiracy debators and obviously have very strong views and accordingly you feel that you should alert 'the people' via your music, and, ok, that's not uncommon, so what we have to do now is look for an angle that could bring this greater attention than it's currently receiving, nice tunes and a mainstream 'image' are a no no , due to the strict 'punk' code ethics and current target audience that you've chosen as your own, so what we need here then is to identify something to help us stand out from the crowd, something that's got cred but won't harm what we already enjoy, so, from where I was sitting, it just seemed the obvious thing to do here was to draw attention to the 'lyrics' and to the 'message' by adding rhythm and wit and depth, but ok, I'll leave it there, I thought you believed in yourselves, my mistake, no problem, but it should make no difference to you if I believe in you or not, I'm not schoolgirl dudes. Hubble may have been born the savior of our world but he'd never used the music as vehicle before you did, hence the bandwagon statement, does my funk look good in this ? political satire at it's best ? Didn't actually say we thought your advice was bullshit. Just said that your basing your opinion on what seems presumtuous as you can't have read all our lyrics. And, you say we don't believe in ourselves? Now, if we were to take on board changing our lyrical approach as you suggest then we'd be surely not be fully believing in ourselves? We believe in ourselves fully, you don't know the half of it. Your observation there is wrong. No offence taken at all. Cheers.
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2008
Jan 14, 2009 17:54:50 GMT
Post by Duncan on Jan 14, 2009 17:54:50 GMT
Typical! A fairly established 'industry type bloke' comes along. Heated debate follows and there are no contact details!
You didn't get to see the gig either... shit.
Additionally I'm looking for a reason to move back to North Wales - music would have been a good excuse.
Sod's law! Back to teaching for the time being.
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2008
Jan 14, 2009 18:03:19 GMT
Post by adamwalton on Jan 14, 2009 18:03:19 GMT
Just a couple of questions.
This has perplexed me for a while.
Why, Martin, are you so defensive & easy to take offence?
Why are Homespun so defensive & easy to take offence?
If you're happy & content with your achievements, it doesn't matter -- in the slightest -- what people say on here.
Seems odd that you set up an Anonymous section of the forum, and then can't understand why people criticise you, er, anonymously.
The general line of response from Damien seems to be: I don't give a fuck, me [then paragraphs of evidence IN CAPITAL LETTERS that he does give a fuck], then a veiled threat of violent retribution.
You [Damien] are in a band with a deal.
You [Martin] helped forge that deal.
So why the pissy fits?
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0
Wet Behind The Ears
Posts: 0
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2008
Jan 14, 2009 18:46:21 GMT
Post by 0 on Jan 14, 2009 18:46:21 GMT
Just a couple of questions. This has perplexed me for a while. Why, Martin, are you so defensive & easy to take offence? Why are Homespun so defensive & easy to take offence? If you're happy & content with your achievements, it doesn't matter -- in the slightest -- what people say on here. Seems odd that you set up an Anonymous section of the forum, and then can't understand why people criticise you, er, anonymously. The general line of response from Damien seems to be: I don't give a fuck, me [then paragraphs of evidence IN CAPITAL LETTERS that he does give a fuck], then a veiled threat of violent retribution. You [Damien] are in a band with a deal. You [Martin] helped forge that deal. So why the pissy fits? Because I can. In reality I don't take offence as I have thick skin but I do defend when assumptions are made. The same way you, Adam, are the first to protest if anybody questions your methods or reasoning. But as you quite rightly say, why should I care what half a dozen people of this forum think of me. It's time to head back beneath my cloak of self importance and deliberate my next stage of global domination or perhaps what I should have for my tea.
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joehovis
Gob Shite
Moe Jurtagh
Posts: 166
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2008
Jan 14, 2009 20:14:39 GMT
Post by joehovis on Jan 14, 2009 20:14:39 GMT
Reading Imp Queens posts I cant help feel reminded by the classic Bill Hicks quote "By the way, if anyone here is in advertising or marketing, kill yourself" My old band wore suits when we played, just coz we wanted to look smart! nothing wrong with that! were not stupid, we knew no one was gonna ever come up to us and give us a deal, nor did we want one...play music for 2 years before uni was our aim and we did that. You probably havent hurd of us because: 1. we were too lazy to promote most of our gigs etc. 2. we were fairly shit 3. we only did about 15 gigs.
People dont wanna change their personalities or image or way of thinking to make a deal. Even if they have deep down know the are not doing what they wanna do. I wanna be a professional musician when I am older, but there is no way i can suck up or change who i am to do that. It makes me feel warm inside that i was asked to join a world class band, knowing I had been true to myself, without pretending to be something im not.
I was naive when i first came to music college. due to the fact im studying a brass band instrument (which is a thriving amatuer movement) there is no market for me to make any money. So I am considering becoming a bin man and keeping my seat at grimethorpe (of brassed off fame...) I dont know where im going with this, i just think it saddens me to think people form bands with the sole purpose to sell t-shirts and get hits on myspace.
I think im the only punk in the brass band movement and the only bander in the punk movement.......
not done any pointless ranting on here in a while so thought why not!
People dont have an agenda for how to be marketable when your in a band.....well, id fucking hope not anyway.
Anyway....ive fixed my guitar.......might even be ready to gig in a few months.....
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2008
Jan 14, 2009 20:24:10 GMT
Post by adamwalton on Jan 14, 2009 20:24:10 GMT
"The same way you, Adam, are the first to protest if anybody questions your methods or reasoning."
Do I?
I invite and welcome criticism to my work and respond to it accordingly.
I'm not having a go at you, or Homespun.
I think any kind of deal is an achievement. [proviso: 'any' is a stupid word to use... I mean a deal that ensures basic expectations of recording / production / distribution / tour support and marketing / plugging are met.]
But if I were you [plural], regardless of what people are posting on a local forum, I'd just get on with it.
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2008
Jan 14, 2009 22:09:06 GMT
Post by Gintis on Jan 14, 2009 22:09:06 GMT
Gallops! are going to be big.
Our second album is ace already, be even better when it has brass.
Next Gintis gig 8th Feb, Livejam @ Zanzibar, Liverpool
Seriously, our new songs are super.
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