Its so dis-heartening that the big boys have forgotten their roots.
I was in Mcr yesterday for a drink with old friends, the place swarming with oasis beanie hats and t-shirts and I thought even if they gave us a percentage of their merch sales that at least would be something.
I can’t get my head around why most of them are choosing to ignore our plea.
I thought musicians were then best set of people to come together when someone needs help.
What do I say to the kids I’m working with who are forming bands and are looking to play gigs?
I do think that there are music fans who opt for the bigger, more well known stadium/arena shows based on the premise that it’s £200 well spent rather than taking a gamble on a £10 ticket at your local grassroots venue to see if the next Coldplay is budding yet. That mindset exists and it kind of does create a dichotomy of value systems that are inherent in different types of music fan.
A hell of a lot of people don’t know about new music despite there being more ways to discover new music than ever at the tips of our fingers. Is it a decision not to use the tools available to do that or is it a kind of reflexive impotence?
It’s certainly more effort to find new music and to invest your time, energy and money into them than it is to buy tickets to see Haim at Dreamland because they stole your heart with a couple of summer anthems back in 2013.
All being said, I’d say it’s less binary than the idea that there are people who go to arenas and people who go to GMV’s but probably more like three to four camps that define a spectrum of values.
Its so dis-heartening that the big boys have forgotten their roots.
I was in Mcr yesterday for a drink with old friends, the place swarming with oasis beanie hats and t-shirts and I thought even if they gave us a percentage of their merch sales that at least would be something.
I can’t get my head around why most of them are choosing to ignore our plea.
I thought musicians were then best set of people to come together when someone needs help.
What do I say to the kids I’m working with who are forming bands and are looking to play gigs?
Anyway keep up the good work.
Thanks Mark, I always appreciate your in depth updates.
I do think that there are music fans who opt for the bigger, more well known stadium/arena shows based on the premise that it’s £200 well spent rather than taking a gamble on a £10 ticket at your local grassroots venue to see if the next Coldplay is budding yet. That mindset exists and it kind of does create a dichotomy of value systems that are inherent in different types of music fan.
A hell of a lot of people don’t know about new music despite there being more ways to discover new music than ever at the tips of our fingers. Is it a decision not to use the tools available to do that or is it a kind of reflexive impotence?
It’s certainly more effort to find new music and to invest your time, energy and money into them than it is to buy tickets to see Haim at Dreamland because they stole your heart with a couple of summer anthems back in 2013.
All being said, I’d say it’s less binary than the idea that there are people who go to arenas and people who go to GMV’s but probably more like three to four camps that define a spectrum of values.
I need to understand this all a bit more. Who is refusing to comply with the voluntary levy? Ticket agency, band management or band/s? A mix of all 3?
Are bands refusing because it comes out of their cut?
Everyone agrees it should be happening, but for some reason it isn’t.