'Showcase' in London... worth it?

[blue]

The "Benefit" is also a tough nut to deal with for most bands. I, as a rule vote "No" when they are presented to the band.

I will bend and I am not sure why, when;[list]
[*]It's a good cause that I believe in
[*]Major metro stage,
[*]You know the crowd will be huge ( thousands)
[*]A good time slot,
[*]Top line backline and
[*]Top shelf sound and lighting.
[*]They treat the bands well
[/list]
Some of my criteria could also justify a showcase.

Blue

Edited April 2, 2015 by blue

[dieseldalziel]

I have played some gigs in London where the band(us) would be given(sold) 50 tickets to sell(give) to our following. So far so good(iffy). We would then try to get people to come & see us, we would then hear apologies from friends,family etc because getting to London from Cornwall to see a band play 25 mins on a Tuesday night at 8pm is too much to ask. So we would get the time off work to travel,..thus being out of pocket for the 50 tickets,fuel,food & bev & wages to play to a handful of other band members/fans who hadn't remembered to leave the room until their band was on. Thoroughly disappointing & jading experiences that were in part the reason I left that band as the other members seemed happy to keep on keeping on.

[MacDaddy]

[quote name='geoham' timestamp='1427640104' post='2732558']
We're not exactly the youngest band. I'd probably have been a million times keener if I was ten or fifteen years younger minus the wife, kids and job! I'm 33 and the band range from 28 to 44.
[/quote]

Show the rest of the band this thread.

[geoham]

[quote name='MacDaddy' timestamp='1428010070' post='2737119']


Show the rest of the band this thread.
[/quote]

I did! Didn't curb the singer's enthusiasm a bit - he has the drive of someone half his age. However, with my negativity/skepticism/realism and our violinist being away with her orchestra - we're not doing it. I think there'll be another similar 'opportunity' soon though. Our singer has focused on his (non-musical) career for years, and has recently become financially secure enough to quit his day job and the band is now his primary focus.

To me it feels like there is a desire to haemorrhage cash as quickly as possible in the name of 'exposure'... Expensive EP/demo, loads of gigs, but all pay to play (including some support slots with reasonably successful acts) and not a second thought for anyone's day job. In fairness, we've done reasonably well so far - local TV and radio slots, music on Spotify, iTunes etc.

As much as I moan, I love playing with the guys (makes a change from a the covers I've been playing for the past ten years), and I think our music genuinley does have something unique.

Thanks for the advice,

George

[discreet]

[quote name='geoham' timestamp='1428011858' post='2737155']
As much as I moan, I love playing with the guys... and I think our music genuinely does have something unique.
[/quote]

Then maybe you should have ignored the replies on this thread and gone for it...
Sometimes even good advice is just plain wrong!

[JapanAxe]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1428012656' post='2737172']
Sometimes even good advice is just plain wrong!
[/quote]

All true though!

[The Admiral]

[quote name='geoham' timestamp='1428011858' post='2737155']


I did! Didn't curb the singer's enthusiasm a bit - he has the drive of someone half his age. However, with my negativity/skepticism/realism and our violinist being away with her orchestra - we're not doing it. I think there'll be another similar 'opportunity' soon though. Our singer has focused on his (non-musical) career for years, and has recently become financially secure enough to quit his day job and the band is now his primary focus.

To me it feels like there is a desire to haemorrhage cash as quickly as possible in the name of 'exposure'... Expensive EP/demo, loads of gigs, but all pay to play (including some support slots with reasonably successful acts) and not a second thought for anyone's day job. In fairness, we've done reasonably well so far - local TV and radio slots, music on Spotify, iTunes etc.

As much as I moan, I love playing with the guys (makes a change from a the covers I've been playing for the past ten years), and I think our music genuinley does have something unique.

Thanks for the advice,

George
[/quote]

This is very interesting and feels to me like the heart of an issue which will, over time, come to a head. In any endeavour, I believe one needs to agree what 'success' looks like, and in a team or group situation, everyone needs to buy into that vision and be commited to achieving it. If you would be very happy, given your commitments, with well paying gigs of a weekend, and using some of your work holiday allowance to complete a short tour, or perhaps a couple of festivals - that may well be enough : good money, bit of a craic with the band mates and playing to hundreds of punters.

If however, the singers vision is 'I can still make it in my 40s', and that requires you to be involved in very poorly thought through initiatives like the London showcase, which cost you money, but more importantly time away from your family, then - despite the band gig being a good one, which you enjoy, how sustainable is it? I'd also suggest that if that's his vision and he has the cash, he should be paying the band to back him - which completely changes the conversation.

I've worked with a great band, who had songs, image and ability, but they were too old (30s and 40s) - and had too many commitments at their age to do the grinding hard work to build a following, which would get them signed. They spent tens of thousands of their own money on national tours, and always went down a storm, but were frequently stitched up by sh*t 'promoters' who, in more than one occasion, tried to not pay the band as per the contracts. I could regale you with a raft of crap situations they found themselves in through the bullshit of others.

Regarding the local TV, Spotify and ITunes : not to piss on anyone's chips, but no-one makes money out of Spotify (ask Taylor Swift), iTunes is not that difficult to become listed on - whether you make money is another thing, and local TV need to fill their time slots - the band I mention above did several local TV interviews and unplugged slots. I wouldn't blame anyone for seeing these as benchmarks of progress, and it's tough being the 'sensible one' all the time, but, if you get under the bonnet of this, it may well be just a rich Middle aged blokes vanity project.

And don't forget you are the bass player, so you are always going be the designated 'sensible one'.

[JTUK]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1428007150' post='2737073']
The "Benefit" is also a tough nut to deal with for most bands. I, as a rule vote "No" when they are presented to the band.

I will bend and I am not sure why, when;[list]
[*]It's a good cause that I believe in
[*]Major metro stage,
[*]You know the crowd will be huge ( thousands)
[*]A good time slot,
[*]Top line backline and
[*]Top shelf sound and lighting.
[*]They treat the bands well
[/list]
Some of my criteria could also justify a showcase.

Blue
[/quote]


Fair.....
we'd still be asking for a fee/exes and I'd expect that to be considered as that sort of Op does not sound like
a bunch of chancers...
Being a creditable gig cuts both ways, IMO..

[JTUK]

I agree, you need to be singing from the same page re the gigs you want to do.
A little selling of the idea is fine, to get people on board, but they must agree...not
be forced or obliged, as this leads to ill feeling that will fester and more than likely
break up the band. As much as the leader may feel you aren't supporting him,
he isn't considering others priorities ..like the wife at home resenting the time
it takes you away from the family etc etc

If he wants to determine the whole show... then he needs to have your 100% devotion
and that likely means you are on salary... If he needs you all to agree, then the band is
still something of a democracy ( tentative ) and co-operation and compromise is the key..

As you say, you know he will likely try this again... but you may also have the experiences
of the Stornaway band to take on board.
The idea of the showcase isn't so much the bad idea... it is the way it is presented and will be executed.
If the venue was a toilet then this wouldn't convince me that these people could deliver on their 'promises'
and they need to sell you their track record as much as you need to sell yours..
If the connection is that they've picked your name out of a hat, pretty much, then...the sentiment of this thread
is likely to be 100% true, and some..

[spacey]

Far better to get a Buzz going around where you live and the news of packed out venues soon reaches those that need to know in this game.
When I think back of bands "that made it" they all had one thing in common, the venues at their gigs were sell outs ten times over before they got signed.

When you have touts trading tickets outside, then its time to start calling record companies and promoters.