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Topic ClosedLive Prog-rock is Dying

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Dean View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Live Prog-rock is Dying
    Posted: July 22 2007 at 16:50
This is a long rant, I make no apologies...
 
Playing live once was the life-blood of music. Now it is dying, and from the responses in this thread http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40091&PN=1 - now I see why
 
Playing live is where all lesser known bands make their money (the piffling trifle that it is). No one can make a living by just selling a few thousand CD’s on the internet (especially when a lot of their stuff is downloaded illegally) – bands have to tour, not just to promote their latest release, but to sell merchandise - that is also where they get their fan-base from, not from radio plays and chart positions, reviews on websites or articles in glossy magazines.
 
For unsigned acts MySpace is now such a gargantuan mess and over-run with signed and unsigned bands all vying for a small market share, so not even that is a valid means of self-promotion anymore. The situation for unsigned and self-financed acts is even worse – it is impossible to get a support slot on a major tour if you are unsigned – so they end up playing grotty little clubs and they rarely see anything from the door money (which generally is split between the club and the promoter to “cover costs”) – all they can hope for is to sell a few home-made demo CD’s and the occasional T-shirt then pray that a bigger promoter will see them and put them on a bigger bill, or perhaps some mythical A&R person will be in the audience and sign them up (that never happens).
 
The problem all live music faces is apathy – and I’ll put my hand up to this – I should have gone to see Tinyfish earlier this month, (http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=39752), but I didn’t want to drive the 25 miles into South London to get there – and in the cold light of day that is a pathetic excuse. I haven’t asked Chopper how many people were at the gig – but the Peel is a small venue – I doubt if more than 200 people were present, 100 makes it look full – I’ve been to gigs where 20 people bothered to turn up and that is a very sad state of affairs.
 
These lesser known bands are the big groups of tomorrow.
 
So get off your backsides and go see a band play live – buy their CD, buy their T-shirts and badges, keep the genre alive at the grass-roots – even if it’s only once a month – you never know perhaps you’ll discover the next Dream Theater, Yes, Gentle Giant or Tool playing in a small venue in your home town. back in the day that's were they all started.
 
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micky View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 22 2007 at 16:54
amen brother!!!!! LOL
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 22 2007 at 16:56
Originally posted by micky micky wrote:

amen brother!!!!! LOL



Seconded. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 22 2007 at 16:58
Ha! 25 miles....try having to drive 200 miles to Chicago, 200 miles to Detroit, 300 miles to Cleveland and maybe (if you're lucky) 100 miles to Indianapolis just to see a show and then tell me how you feel about live acts.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 22 2007 at 17:00
Now your making me feel bad!
 
Sleepytime gorrila museum came last month and I didnt bother asking my parents to see them.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 22 2007 at 17:04
Originally posted by stonebeard stonebeard wrote:

Ha! 25 miles....try having to drive 200 miles to Chicago, 200 miles to Detroit, 300 miles to Cleveland and maybe (if you're lucky) 100 miles to Indianapolis just to see a show and then tell me how you feel about live acts.
Sorry, I wasn't just talking about travelling to see named acts - of course I've covered those distances to see signed bands - I am talking about small bands, playing in small clubs and bars - every town has some live music.


Edited by darqdean - July 22 2007 at 17:06
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 22 2007 at 17:06
Not prog and Not in Fort Fun, Indiana. Unhappy
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 22 2007 at 17:11
Originally posted by stonebeard stonebeard wrote:

Not prog and Not in Fort Fun, Indiana. Unhappy
I feel for you, that must be a real downer. You (and those others issolated by geography) are excluded from my rant Wink
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 22 2007 at 17:54
Dean
I didn't count the people there but I'm pretty sure it was less than 100. It is a small venue, probably only holds around 200 I would guess, but it does have a monthly prog night. I must admit I was expecting more people.
It was a great gig btw. You really need to see them when you can. I think Darwin's Radio are on there next month.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 22 2007 at 17:58
Can I just add that over the last year or so, I've seen Greg Lake, Pendragon,  Anderson and Wakeman, Spocks Beard and Tinyfish. All in small venues with great sound and you could see the band. Only Lake was more than £20.
I've pretty much given up going to big gigs as I can't stand being somewhere like Wembley where you're miles from the stage and the sound is bad. I suppose the one good thing about prog not being so popular is that the tickets are cheap and the venues smaller.
Anyway, well said Dean.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 22 2007 at 19:47

I just checked out a band on Friday. Not prog, but excellent anyway... I do my part.Smile

"The red polygon's only desire / is to get to the blue triangle."
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 22 2007 at 19:53
Originally posted by stonebeard stonebeard wrote:

Not prog and Not in Fort Fun, Indiana. Unhappy


hahhaha... when Raff and I go out on tour to promote our first album.... we'll make err.. Fort Fun LOL our first stop on the tour.  We'll even give you and your lady friend a backstage pass.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 22 2007 at 21:47
Fort Fun sounds like some sort of bastion from 1984. A double plus good bastion, mind you LOL
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 22 2007 at 21:57

 Well, I may not see too many concerts now that I am here in Zero Beach, Florida, (there's nothing here but miles and miles of ocean), but I still do my part by buying lots of cds from the newer, unknown (at least outside of prog cirles) bands.  I probably buy 15 cds a month, and a good half of those are from the newer unknowns.  It is sad though that some of these bands with such talent are struggling artists, while a lot of crappy bands who couldn't play their instruments or compose a decent song if their lives depended on it, are elevated to superstar status.  Angry

I can understand your anger at me, but what did the horse I rode in on ever do to you?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 22 2007 at 23:22
Originally posted by darqdean darqdean wrote:

Originally posted by stonebeard stonebeard wrote:

Not prog and Not in Fort Fun, Indiana. Unhappy

I feel for you, that must be a real downer. You (and those others issolated by geography) are excluded from my rant Wink


Stonie, you are going to have to come visit me in Ann Arbor sometime (I know it's almost as far as Detroit). I saw California Guitar Trio here, and Fairport Convention was just here.

I do agree. We should do all we can to support those struggling artists. Some of us can't do much traveling, but some can. I will gladly go to Chicago, or New york to see a great prog band.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 23 2007 at 19:36
Now that I'm old enough to act without constantly asking my parent's permission, I'll be attending gigs whenever I can
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2007 at 16:39
"Sorry, I wasn't just talking about travelling to see named acts - of course I've covered those distances to see signed bands - I am talking about small bands, playing in small clubs and bars - every town has some live music."
 
You haven't been to Caerphilly then have you - for a town that size, there isn't ONE decent venue - and I'm including clubs and bars in this.
Disgraceful!
Shines On Brightly, Quite Insane.......
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2007 at 17:07
Originally posted by dabaynton dabaynton wrote:

"Sorry, I wasn't just talking about travelling to see named acts - of course I've covered those distances to see signed bands - I am talking about small bands, playing in small clubs and bars - every town has some live music."
 
You haven't been to Caerphilly then have you - for a town that size, there isn't ONE decent venue - and I'm including clubs and bars in this.
Disgraceful!
Have been - did the usual - visited the castle, bought the cheese, went home before it got dark. Then, you are only 10 miles from Cardiff and South Wales does have a pretty good record in neo-prog (Magenta, Karnataka, The Reasoning).
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2007 at 17:15
Dean - Clap
ISKC Rock Radio
I stopped blogging and reviewing - so won't be handling requests. Promo's for ariplay can be sent to [email protected]
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2007 at 17:40
I think that in the not too distant future touring will be the only way most bands can make any money. The way that CD sales are plummeting means that in future bands will get less and less reward for original work.
The model I see is that bands will use new albums as promotions for their live performances and charges for concerts will steadily rise.
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