Battles of the Bands totally sucks

[WalMan]

[quote name='slobluesine' post='1235042' date='May 17 2011, 10:54 PM']i've never played in a BOTB and never will, cos.... they're a scam [/quote]
I withdraw my previous initial remarks

[ThomBassmonkey]

Not as many BOTBs are scams as people make out. I think it makes people feel a little better if they believe it was unfair when they go out.

I've been in a couple of BOTBs in the last 10 years. One was won by one of the judge's nephews, the other one AFAIK was won fairly by another band. Either way, it's no skin off my nose. We went and played to a room full of people, most of whom had never heard of us before.

[TomKent]

[quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1235097' date='May 18 2011, 12:19 AM']Not as many BOTBs are scams as people make out. I think it makes people feel a little better if they believe it was unfair when they go out.[/quote]

This.

I'm playing with an artist in 'Live and Unsigned' and 'Surface Festival' - one of which has a reputation of being rigged year in year out but it doesn't stop us playing to the people on the live nights and widening his (potential) fan base. We're enjoying the heats and although it's highly unlikely we'll win (I had a tip off via text earlier this week, oh well ), we had fun and.. got drunk too!

[Musky]

As a way of getting to play in front of potential fans, BOTBs are pretty poor. The bands are usually playing massively different genres (although you do get a few genre specific ones) so frankly you're unlikely to convince the fans of a jazz funk outfit that your Doom band is the bee's knees. And because these events don't really attract disinterested punters you'll be playing to hugely partisan crowds.

Having said that, if you go in with your eyes open to the realities, why not?

I've never played one myself, and there's no way on god's earth that I'd even consider a gig that involves me paying for the privilege.

[JellyKnees]

As a concept, they fundamentally suck. Music is not a competition.

[Mog]

[quote name='slobluesine' post='1234793' date='May 17 2011, 08:00 PM']yeah, the band with the most members wins just had a telephone blast from a club thats on its 3rd heat of who knows how many, has FIVE bands on tonight with yep you've guessed it 'cheap drinks promos' and the prize for the best band at the end of it all is.... wait for it... £400

i happened to mention it was a scam on their Facebook site

f*** OFF!!!![/quote]

Thing is, club/pub owners have to make a living too. More pubs go out of business because they run too many beer promos and cant cover the overheads than quiet little boozers with only a few regulars.

If the bands want to pay to play thats their call. A chance to play live however is never a bad thing, particularly for newer groups. Its up to the bands to decide how much of a show they put on. If one band puts in more effort than the others they'll usually get rewarded. There are obvious exceptions, this years Wacken Battle in Dublin for example was totally backhanded. Mates voting for mates type of thing.

What really pisses me off is these popularity contests that require every group to amass a larger number of votes than than is humanly possible. Therefore everytime you log onto Facebook/Myspace/ReverbNation/Basschat etc some tit you never heard of is looking for you to vote for their band that you've never heard and usually dont like after listening to....................................................

[slobluesine]

[quote name='JellyKnees' post='1235200' date='May 18 2011, 08:34 AM']As a concept, they fundamentally suck. Music is not a competition.[/quote]

why dont they just give the bands a 'gig' and pay them expenses? call it 'local band night' i dont get the 'Battle' concept?
why does it have to be judged, why does there have to a prize, total, total bollox

[Monckyman]

These events are quite obviously money raisers for whomever is promoting it.
Whether tickets or beer.
But..I think there is a certain amount of naivety regarding the intention of the Music Business/Industry.
"music is not about making money"?
Maybe not for the poster of that comment, but as the title suggests,the Business/Industry believe that it`s ONLY about making money.
No business is about making anything else.
Can anyone think of any reason for anyone to put on a gig that won`t make money?
I think it`s time some of the younger players realised that their band is a small business.
If they don`t intend to make money then it`s a hobby.
If it`s a hobby, why complain about not making money?

I`m not cynical, just realistic.
MM

Edited May 18, 2011 by Monckyman

[SlackAlice]

I participated in a BOTB back in '95.....we got to the final & came second. Do I think it was because the winning band had more family & friends there? Oh yes! Our prize for being second was to record a 4 track demo (still have the cassette somewhere) which although sounded awful IMHO was a great learning curve as at that point I'd never been in a studio before.....

Yes it's good business for the promoter, but I personally wouldn't do it again. A 'local band' evening yes but a 'battle' of bands no - I'd find it demoralising, but that's just my view.

Angie

Edited May 18, 2011 by SlackAlice

[MB1]

MB1.
We actually knew who had won before we played (and it wasnt us!),strangely enough? it was the band that had sold the most tickets. However the chance to play The Ritz with there gear (SVT classic/ 8x10 Ampeg rig) made up for it! ,a great experience!

[cetera]

I have never taken part in BOTBs...
I know the bands I played in were the best - I don't need some greedy Landlord/Fake Promoter to tell me that!

But seriously, they're a complete rip-off/scam....

[TimR]

[quote name='JellyKnees' post='1235200' date='May 18 2011, 08:34 AM']As a concept, they fundamentally suck. Music is not a competition.[/quote]

When it comes to making money it is. Whether you are in a covers band competing for wedding gigs or pub gigs or in an original band competing for a record deal. How friendly you want to make that competition is up to you.

There are plenty of gigs where you can play for fun for charity, for a mates birthday, whatever.

It's battle of the bands, its a competition, there are prizes. Recording studio, cash or an audience made of people who wouldn't have come to see your band but are there becuase their mate is in another band that is on. If your music is good, these are the people who will listen to your CD (that you just gave them for free) and will come to your next (that you already have lined up and is on all your marketing material)

To blatently dismiss them as a rip off is not understanding what you can get from them.

How many people have organised their own gigs? Printed tickets, Hired a venue with bar, Security on door, Hired a soundman and PA system, Sold tickets (had band members run off with money or mates ask to pay on the door, girlfriends who want to come in free).
Then pay venue, security, PA man, and go home having done a great gig and with a tenner left between the band.
Venue still makes on the Bar and you pay them extra for the room.

[Doddy]

There is a lot of talk about playing to people who wouldn't normally see you. On the few of
these competitions that I've done (as a hired sideman-there's no way I'm paying),I've noticed
that often the fans of the first band leave straight after,and the fans of the last band turn up
late in the night. It's been rare that people have watched all the bands-they only go to see their
friends and family.

[bassbloke]

Battle of the Bands competitions are a travesty. If you're a young band, then go and see the landlord of your local boozer and say you'd like a gig. He won't make any money on the door, so say you'd like to put on a free gig and if you pull 50 people, you'd like £100 and if you pull 100 people, £200. any more than 100 you'd like £2 pr head and a £50 bonus. If every person buys 3 drinks, he stands to make over a grand in bar takings.

My experience of young bands is that their first couple of gigs are jam packed. After that, parents, siblings, friends and other halves lose interest and it becomes difficult to keep the audience numbers up.

[TimR]

[quote name='Doddy' post='1235645' date='May 18 2011, 01:18 PM']There is a lot of talk about playing to people who wouldn't normally see you. On the few of
these competitions that I've done (as a hired sideman-there's no way I'm paying),I've noticed
that often the fans of the first band leave straight after,and the fans of the last band turn up
late in the night. It's been rare that people have watched all the bands-they only go to see their
friends and family.[/quote]

That's where your networking comes in and the importance of approaching people you don't recognise (or everyone who comes through te door). [b]YOU[/b] have to make them interested enough to stay. Stay and talk to people who arrive later to see their band and doorstep them too with your CD. They may not see you live but hopefully they'll listen to your CD and come to your next gig.

[slobluesine]

[quote name='bassbloke' post='1235732' date='May 18 2011, 02:10 PM']Battle of the Bands competitions are a travesty. If you're a young band, then go and see the landlord of your local boozer and say you'd like a gig. He won't make any money on the door, so say you'd like to put on a free gig and if you pull 50 people, you'd like £100 and if you pull 100 people, £200. any more than 100 you'd like £2 pr head and a £50 bonus. If every person buys 3 drinks, he stands to make over a grand in bar takings.

My experience of young bands is that their first couple of gigs are jam packed. After that, parents, siblings, friends and other halves lose interest and it becomes difficult to keep the audience numbers up.[/quote]


nail on the head Bassbloke

[Stag]

I did it once.

Played our arses off and were by far the best band in our "heat" (TOOT TOOT! there goes me parping my own trumpet... I am being serious though), had the most friends there, went down the best etc.

Three judges on the "panel" of which two we knew and voted for us (as we asked them and they aint liars), and we still lost as the other ahem... "judge" had something to do with the event and thought the other band were "nicer" and apparantly wanted to manage them.

Make of that what you will...

Edited May 18, 2011 by Stag

[TimR]

[quote name='Stag' post='1235856' date='May 18 2011, 03:35 PM']Make of that what you will...[/quote]

Did he wear a black t-shirt, high waisted trousers and have the initials SC?

[SlackAlice]

[quote name='TimR' post='1235865' date='May 18 2011, 03:42 PM']Did he wear a black t-shirt, high waisted trousers and have the initials SC?[/quote]

[tauzero]

We're playing the Tamworth BotB yet again this year. When I say "we", that's Second Time Round, aka Mrs Zero and I. This time, I fancy doing it as a bass and vocals set. Doesn't cost us owt, we get to play on a nice big stage with a nice big sound system, and we annoy anyone whose musical spectrum of likes starts and ends at metal. What's not to like?