smoe.org mailing lists
ivan@stellysee.de
| From | Ryan Williams <ryan@headphonetreats.com> |
| Subject | Shows and buying independent stuff |
| Date | Wed, 16 Jul 2003 12:36:22 -0400 |
[Part 1 text/plain US-ASCII (3.3 kilobytes)]
(View Text in a separate window)
> Not to take anything away from anyone who busts their butt in this
> industry...but if you think the music biz is rough...try having
> kids/balancing everyone else's schedule but your own/having little time
> for yourself...to play...to listen...to relax.
Well, what if you are 30+, busting your butt in the music biz AND have
kids??? :) I have to admit that I have been to fewer shows (and played
fewer shows) since having a kid, but it's not impossible to get out.
Atlanta shows generally run late (starting at 10:30 at the earliest
typically), so I can occasionally get out after my daughter is asleep.
I'm more selective these days, because my time is certainly more
limited. But I do make it out.
> Then there's the whole "bar" scene and the "over 21" shows. Chances are
> I'd bring my kids if I could...and chances are better that I'll simply
> stay home if I can't. Yes..it's great to escape every-so-often and be
> without the kiddies...but it's a major hassle to line it all up (at
> least for us/w no family to step in as sitters) for a 45 minute set in
> a bar 2 hours away.
> And shouldn't the kids be exposed also?
While I don't really like the idea of subjecting my daughter to high SPL
levels, smoke, rude crowds, etc., I can feel your pain. Particularly not
being in close proximity to good clubs. I'm only about 45 minutes away,
and that's hard enough. 2 hours is out of the question! :)
> I've travelled to THE store in Denver (Twist) that has the best
> selection of pop tunes in the city (IMO) only to be shut down because
> NONE of the obscure Indie bands touted here are anywhere to be found in
> the bins. Yes...i could order from multpile sources and secure some of
> these...but to me...1/2 the fun of being a music fan is going to the
> disc store and finding those hidden treasures.
This is a major problem that all small labels face. Even with
distribution in place, it's very difficult to get the stores to stock
your merch. I'm afraid that, for the most part, your method of
purchasing these artists' releases will have to be mail order and
on-line. And as long as we are talking about support, if given the
opportunity, you should always try to order directly from the band/label
anyway. Small labels and bands make such a small profit margin on
distributed releases. Buying direct takes the money out of the hands of
the middlemen and keeps it with the labels/artists who need it. It may
be a little extra hassle to order from various sources, but you will
generally get it for cheaper and even often make a direct connection
with the artists who may offer swag to you in the future via mailing
lists and so forth.
> Then there's the cost. Some of these homeade CD's are still in the $15
> range.
You mean you've seen people trying to get $15 for homemade CD-Rs??? That
would be unusual (and naive IMO). Most sell in the $6-$8 range tops.
Most indie artists sell their properly pressed CDs for around $10. I
wouldn't blame you for not wanting to buy a CD-R anyway, but if by
homemade, you mean just the artwork... well, I think that's kinda cool.
Especially if it's well done and not just some cheap inkjet print-out.
There is an appeal to me as a collector to get something that the band
personally spent a lot of time crafting. It's unique and limited in
quantity.
Ryan
For assistance, please contact
the smoe.org administrators.