I know it's early days for myself and Dead Dead Dead, but I'm pretty hopeful, and still feeling very optimistic about the whole thing. I didn't get the funding I was after, but it's ok as I can still do everything in my initial plan, so all is not lost. I've got an amazing release in December going out between myself and Fuck Happy Endings in Leeds, which will be epic. I'm sure you've heard about it already, and I'll put proper details up this week, but it's going to be so awesome you have no idea.
The idea for merch, specifically T-shirts, is fairly obvious on all counts. first off, they're cool as fuck. My favourite things in the world are my band tee's, and it's pretty much a guarantee that if you ever see me, I'm wearing a band T-shirt and jeans. So yes, I won't lie; one of the first things I started planning when starting this was my logo & merch. I want the work I do to have a presence everywhere; it helps both myself and Dead Dead Dead in the way of promo, and it obviously helps keep things ticking over financially (as long as people like the stuff I'm hawking).
Second, now that the producing of the tee's is paid for and covered (I was lucky enough to get roped in to hosting some karaoke over the weekend, which, apart from being ALOT of fun, meant that last little bit of cash I needed to get the T-shirts printed came round), it means that all the money that comes in from the selling is free to go where it's needed. This means that everytime someone buys a T-shirt, that money will go to any number of things related to the work i'm putting in - Costs for touring bands, cd's, promoting & booking shows, promo for releases, and possibly even help towards recording costs for any of the bands I'll be working with. I'm not under any illusions, I know that selling a few tee's won't pay for the recording of an album, but if it covers the first day or two in the studio, job done, as far as I'm concerned.
Cool T-shirts are cool. Helping bands out is cool. Spend £8.50 and you get both.
http://www.deaddeaddeadmusic.bigcartel.com/
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
Monday, 27 September 2010
A fucking great weekend, part 1 - Gig reviews n' that
So, a fucking amazing weekend was had by all. Leeds boys (and fresh holy Roar signings) Black Mass travelled up for two shows, the Banshee Labyrinth in Edinburgh, and The Admiral Bar in Glasgow.
Edinburgh, you fucking ROCKED. Local boys Plague Vessel opened the show with some seriously brutal vox and far better guitar than you'd ever expect a vegan to play (it's a wonder he can even pick it up, to be honest). Next up were Notebooks: Heavy, fast, and everything you could want from a band. Keep your eyes peeled, they're seriously good, and hopefully I'll be working with them closely in the next few months to get their stuff out to you all.
Next up was the first special event of the evening, being the first ever show from Aberdeens Prelude To The Hunt. Made up of members from old school Edinburgh legends Zillah, Aberdeen violent hardcore hero's (and one of my favourite bands) Uncalm, these boys fucking wrecked it. Doom, Hardcore, Metal, guitars going through bass cabs and some of the best vocals you'll hear makes for something very special. Nothing online yet, and no releases, but more news about that to come very very soon, if you haven't already heard.
Special event number two? A surprise set from HUSH. The crowd fucking loved it, and even had a dude stealing the mic and doing vocals for a song or two, which was a surprise, considering no one knew they were playing. I think they should be the Banshee's house band. I may even start a petition to make it happen.
Black Mass? Fucking yass. They have one ep, have been together for like a day or something, and even with a very VERY ill vocalist, they put on a truly great, truly evil show. If you have't already checked them out, do so now. Thier online stuff isn't the best quality, but THEY are, so pick up their ep and be very happy indeed.
The night then continued with the most metal, loudest, most gang-vocal karaoke you've ever seen. It was epic.
Glasgow, you rocked also, so don't feel left out. Flags Raised get better every show, and are definitely ones to watch. Citizens are, without question, one of the best bands to come out of Glasgow EVER. They snook on to a couple of shows eariler in the week with Black Mass and Throats, so back in their hometown with BM was great to see. Three people have never sounded so epic on stage, and if you haven't checked them out already, do so now.
There'll be another update from the weekend later on in the week, got some great news coming up, not in the least the first Dead Dead Dead Music release. So come back soon.
Edinburgh, you fucking ROCKED. Local boys Plague Vessel opened the show with some seriously brutal vox and far better guitar than you'd ever expect a vegan to play (it's a wonder he can even pick it up, to be honest). Next up were Notebooks: Heavy, fast, and everything you could want from a band. Keep your eyes peeled, they're seriously good, and hopefully I'll be working with them closely in the next few months to get their stuff out to you all.
Next up was the first special event of the evening, being the first ever show from Aberdeens Prelude To The Hunt. Made up of members from old school Edinburgh legends Zillah, Aberdeen violent hardcore hero's (and one of my favourite bands) Uncalm, these boys fucking wrecked it. Doom, Hardcore, Metal, guitars going through bass cabs and some of the best vocals you'll hear makes for something very special. Nothing online yet, and no releases, but more news about that to come very very soon, if you haven't already heard.
Special event number two? A surprise set from HUSH. The crowd fucking loved it, and even had a dude stealing the mic and doing vocals for a song or two, which was a surprise, considering no one knew they were playing. I think they should be the Banshee's house band. I may even start a petition to make it happen.
Black Mass? Fucking yass. They have one ep, have been together for like a day or something, and even with a very VERY ill vocalist, they put on a truly great, truly evil show. If you have't already checked them out, do so now. Thier online stuff isn't the best quality, but THEY are, so pick up their ep and be very happy indeed.
The night then continued with the most metal, loudest, most gang-vocal karaoke you've ever seen. It was epic.
Glasgow, you rocked also, so don't feel left out. Flags Raised get better every show, and are definitely ones to watch. Citizens are, without question, one of the best bands to come out of Glasgow EVER. They snook on to a couple of shows eariler in the week with Black Mass and Throats, so back in their hometown with BM was great to see. Three people have never sounded so epic on stage, and if you haven't checked them out already, do so now.
There'll be another update from the weekend later on in the week, got some great news coming up, not in the least the first Dead Dead Dead Music release. So come back soon.
Monday, 20 September 2010
Ok, so now I'm reviewing something along the lines of alt.rock, so what? At least I'm selling out for a decent record (album review)
Bull See Red
Chinatown Part 2
Lockjaw Records
The second part to Bull See Red's 'Chinatown' series, part 2 is made up of five original tracks, and two live cuts of songs from part one.
The choice to release two seperate ep's rather than one album is an odd one, and a total shame, if these were one full album rather than a pair of smaller collections, they'd have a tru alt.rock classic on their hands. This is pure, big stage rock, make no mistake, but it's also bold, fresh, and truly remarkable. Opener 'Galactica' powers off to a great start, knocking on the doors of epic, and, with no effort at all, leaves those recently famed for stadium bothering rock trailing behind, without the need for 'urgent' & 'grandiose' production (I'm looking at you, Biffy).
Although far removed from what I'll be writing about regularly (mainly stuff of the hardcore variety, or at least the fast/heavy/shouty stuff), this release needs to be heard, and, much like heavier offerings like the previously reviewed 'Widow country' from Lavotchkin, it's a mixed curse for an ep of such quality; such short track listing leaves absolutely no room for filler, and has you quite happily hitting the play button again as soon as it's over. Happily, albeit a touch begrudgingly too, as I for one would love to hear more.
Following on from the acoustic closer 'Benirras' (think something along the lines of Blur's 'tender', but with better vocals) the live offerings tacked at the end show off what they're capable of, and are far better quality recordings than you'd usually expect, which is nice; 'chinatown' itself comes over heavier than anything else here, although with a definite hint of their influences (namely Alkaline Trio), and 'Knee High genocide' keeping the grown-up, pop-punk vibe going. This is a nice little release for anyone who likes their music to be less of a challenge, and that's no bad thing, sometimes it's nice.
Chinatown Part 2
Lockjaw Records
The second part to Bull See Red's 'Chinatown' series, part 2 is made up of five original tracks, and two live cuts of songs from part one.
The choice to release two seperate ep's rather than one album is an odd one, and a total shame, if these were one full album rather than a pair of smaller collections, they'd have a tru alt.rock classic on their hands. This is pure, big stage rock, make no mistake, but it's also bold, fresh, and truly remarkable. Opener 'Galactica' powers off to a great start, knocking on the doors of epic, and, with no effort at all, leaves those recently famed for stadium bothering rock trailing behind, without the need for 'urgent' & 'grandiose' production (I'm looking at you, Biffy).
Although far removed from what I'll be writing about regularly (mainly stuff of the hardcore variety, or at least the fast/heavy/shouty stuff), this release needs to be heard, and, much like heavier offerings like the previously reviewed 'Widow country' from Lavotchkin, it's a mixed curse for an ep of such quality; such short track listing leaves absolutely no room for filler, and has you quite happily hitting the play button again as soon as it's over. Happily, albeit a touch begrudgingly too, as I for one would love to hear more.
Following on from the acoustic closer 'Benirras' (think something along the lines of Blur's 'tender', but with better vocals) the live offerings tacked at the end show off what they're capable of, and are far better quality recordings than you'd usually expect, which is nice; 'chinatown' itself comes over heavier than anything else here, although with a definite hint of their influences (namely Alkaline Trio), and 'Knee High genocide' keeping the grown-up, pop-punk vibe going. This is a nice little release for anyone who likes their music to be less of a challenge, and that's no bad thing, sometimes it's nice.
Saturday, 11 September 2010
So, it turns out bands with stupid names can still be quite good. (Album Review)
Only Fumes And Corpses
Who Really Cares, What Really Lasts
Lockjaw Records
Released Sept. 13, 2010
OFAC are quite possibly doing something special. For starters they have a truly ludicrous name, they wear their influences VERY proudly on their sleeves; everything from At The Drive-In to early Green Day makes an appearance, and it's not like Ireland is famous for its hardcore scene. But, despite all of that, they really do sound pretty unique, and there's some definite quality here.
The fact that I can actually say that with a straight face is testament to what they're actually doing, I really want to take the piss, but I can't because they're music is really fucking good, and even though their influences are clear as day, early track september, with it's super-addictive bassline, could easily be an outtake from Green Day's Dookie, albeit with hoarse vocals and a nicely heavy outro, and the blood of bands like Hot Water Music and even Leatherface runs right through almost every song, mainly down to Momme Reibisch's coarse, grainy vocals and Benny McKeon's destinct pop-punk drums speeding through the entire album.
This is an album far closer to it's influence of pop-punk than it is to hardcore, but man I'd be hard-pushed not to recommend those into hardcore to give it a shout. If anything is holding it back, it's the slight feeling of repetition; something that does come often, but, fortunately, every time I actually had that feeling of "I think I've heard enough of this" a track like Apathy Resumes turns up, that quite literally pulls out the huge surprise of a big, skater thrash breakdown, and just as the aptly titled Flogging A Dead Horse got me thinking about the other stuff I could be listening to, I Need To get Out More Often follows, bringing out more of the thrash again, with riffs that wouldn't be out of place on a Trash Talk or Cruel Hand album. And I shit you not when I say there's even a touch of Ska kicking about in there too.
So, while it sails closer to hardcore influenced pop-punk that it does actual hardcore, it's definitely worth a shot. For those into breakdowns and gang-vocals it's gonna offer you a fun & refreshing take on what you're into, but how long before you start pining for those serious breakdowns is debateable, though. The real longevity of this album is for anyone at the other end of the spectrum; if you're into pop & gruff punk and are looking for something heavier to dip your toe into, you really should pick this up, it'll offer you a hell of a lot more.
Who Really Cares, What Really Lasts
Lockjaw Records
Released Sept. 13, 2010
OFAC are quite possibly doing something special. For starters they have a truly ludicrous name, they wear their influences VERY proudly on their sleeves; everything from At The Drive-In to early Green Day makes an appearance, and it's not like Ireland is famous for its hardcore scene. But, despite all of that, they really do sound pretty unique, and there's some definite quality here.
The fact that I can actually say that with a straight face is testament to what they're actually doing, I really want to take the piss, but I can't because they're music is really fucking good, and even though their influences are clear as day, early track september, with it's super-addictive bassline, could easily be an outtake from Green Day's Dookie, albeit with hoarse vocals and a nicely heavy outro, and the blood of bands like Hot Water Music and even Leatherface runs right through almost every song, mainly down to Momme Reibisch's coarse, grainy vocals and Benny McKeon's destinct pop-punk drums speeding through the entire album.
This is an album far closer to it's influence of pop-punk than it is to hardcore, but man I'd be hard-pushed not to recommend those into hardcore to give it a shout. If anything is holding it back, it's the slight feeling of repetition; something that does come often, but, fortunately, every time I actually had that feeling of "I think I've heard enough of this" a track like Apathy Resumes turns up, that quite literally pulls out the huge surprise of a big, skater thrash breakdown, and just as the aptly titled Flogging A Dead Horse got me thinking about the other stuff I could be listening to, I Need To get Out More Often follows, bringing out more of the thrash again, with riffs that wouldn't be out of place on a Trash Talk or Cruel Hand album. And I shit you not when I say there's even a touch of Ska kicking about in there too.
So, while it sails closer to hardcore influenced pop-punk that it does actual hardcore, it's definitely worth a shot. For those into breakdowns and gang-vocals it's gonna offer you a fun & refreshing take on what you're into, but how long before you start pining for those serious breakdowns is debateable, though. The real longevity of this album is for anyone at the other end of the spectrum; if you're into pop & gruff punk and are looking for something heavier to dip your toe into, you really should pick this up, it'll offer you a hell of a lot more.
Friday, 27 August 2010
DIY Hardcore Is Fucking Dead
Now, first of all I'd like to be clear; Yes, there's a lot of issues I have with certain people and certain aspects of "the scene", but, I'm going to try and keep my issues to this one post, as, regardless of my feelings towards these folk and their "moral stances", some of them are doing their bit to get bands playing and get music out there, which is at the very least worthwhile, and sometimes even great. It's just a shame everything they do is trivialised by a completely unfounded shit attitude towards everyone else.
The thought process and morals behind DIY hardcore, while commendable, are cannibalistic and, unfortunately, unjust; by teaming them with the superiority complex that the scene has of itself you're almost guaranteed to fail, and likely to walk away with nothing, financially or morally, and it's almost guaranteed you'll have yesterdays fans shouting sell out and poser on your way out the door.
"DIY" as an ethic or philosophy is still going strong, in absolutely any & all musical genres, but, it seems that hardcore, the genre that made the effort to give it a name and a label, has now become the elitist and inclusive group that it was NEVER fucking about. It can easily be argued that DIY is far from a philosophy, an ethic, or even anything worthy of a title at all, seeing as all it really stands for, at it's core, is the act of doing things for nothing more than the act of doing them: putting on gigs with little hope for profit or gain, just because you love the music, starting a label to get the music you love out their to people who've never heard it, touring and playing in any and every city you can, because the only thing that matters to you is playing. This is what it's about, and it's the same in every genre you can name (although, yes, the level of financial disregard can differ greatly from one to the next).
It's obvious from both the header that welcomes you to the page, and the first blog I actually posted, that I have major issues with "the Scene", which is a shame, because whenever I go to a gig it's almost guaranteed that for the short time I'm there, whichever band playing will be my favourite band. Regardless of quality, there are very few bands within the genre that don't give it their all when they play, and I appreciate that above all else. To see a bunch of kids up there and being so fucking into it that they literally have no energy left to stand when they finish is a truly amazing sight, and something that gives me goosebumps every time I witness it.
The problem starts when people become more aware and thoughtful towards all the other aspects than to just be "into the music". And this is what's griping me, mainly because these people are the first one's to start throwing out insults and giving people shit for "not being hardcore", just because of their haircut or their jeans or the places they go.
Awareness pretty much kills the honesty of everything. Or, rather, the awareness of a genre/title/label/group can pretty much kill why you got into it in the first place. Either because you find yourself compromising your original plans and beliefs to make sure you fit, or, in my case, you realise that you have no real choice BUT to compromise, if you want the group to take you seriously. I'm trying really fucking hard to do neither of these things, or at the very least not sacrifice what I'm trying to do to either fit or rebel, but it's hard.
There are people who don't take me seriously as a promoter for nothing more than the label of a band I've booked, because the label 'blurs the line between diy label and shitty indie label'. And, recently, I was told that I was trying to put on hardcore shows by booking what I thought were the right bands, but these bands weren't hardcore because they had video clips of them playing to crowds from big stages, which is apparently not what it's about. I thought it was all about playing to people, regardless of where and when, but just fucking getting out there and playing.
'Just getting out there and playing'. this is actually something that, as a statement, the diy ideals are all about, but in reality, isn't truly an option for most bands that want a lifespan of more than a couple of years (notice that I'm no longer going to use capitals for diy, you all know what it's about, and I'm done giving the title any more respect than it deserves). This is talked about well, and in great depth in my first blog (not by me, mind), so I'll try and move on as soon as possible. But, the diy scene kids are loathe to follow a band once they've moved on and start to look to music as a financial entity. This is so fucking stupid it's almost beyond words. Almost. If you love the band you're in, you love the music and you love nothing more than playing and travelling and getting new ears to hear your shit, the realisation can hit very quickly that the diy ethos of petrol & food just isn't enough. You might love the music, but when you've got kids they have to come first. You might love killing yourself onstage every night, but if you've got rent to pay, a mortgage, or simply a lover, there needs to be more. And this is in no way a slight on the music, it's just being honest to yourself. Fucking scenesters need to understand this, but they probably won't until they've moved on and got a mortgage themselves.
The other problem is how tight the fans are getting. Actually, tight isn't the right word, as they're likely to spend alot of money on releases, merchandise, haircuts, and (very) occasionally travelling to a gig. But ask more than a fiver on the door to a show and you're not hardcore, you're not diy, and you don't understand the scene, man. Idiots, Selfish & inconsiderate are three more suitable words that come to mind. It's this attitude that has seen the demise of too many awesome bands to mention. A recent example being the fucking great Outcry Collective, who have had to call it quits because there's not enough money in being a smaller level band. So, either keep going and lose money, finish up on your dream, or "sell out" and get shit from people that only months ago would have declared you the best band in the world. Again, fucking idiots. Time and time again bands disappear for this very reason, and barely any one of their so-called fans will take notice and change their attitude.
As a promoter, I want as many people to come my shows as possible (wanting lots of people at your shows is far from diy too, of course), so I want to charge the least I can so more people can afford to come. But, I also have to be realistic about the bands' needs. Now, these needs can and will differ from band to band, most entry level bands know this, and if they don't, they'll figure it out pretty quickly, but once you make that change from part-time giggers to full-time band, you need more than twenty quid a night and a chippy. And, to go back a few paragraphs, if all that matters to you is playing, how can the fans begrudge the idea that you need to live to actually play?
The scene is VERY picky as to where they'll go to a show, too, mind. There's an obvious preference to supporting the better venues, or even just your favourite, and it's important that those venues that don't treat fans or musicians with respect don't get your money, but not going to see a band you supposedly love because they're playing a venue that put on that other band that you hate last week, is as stupid as it fucking sounds. Venues are important, and I always try to get the best venue for a show I can, but it's not always possible, so the idea that someone might not come because of other shows that happen there baffles me. A venue is just a venue, and very rarely do they have a code when it comes to having bands play; venues want gigs, bands want gigs, why deny both of these for nothing more than holding yourself to a stubborn point?
Bare in mind, should you yourself choose to try and put on a show, you might even get shit for just using venues. Diy isn't about venues, and light rigs, and bars and curfews and bouncers and rental charges or takings. It's about house shows. It's about the music. Of course it's about the fucking music, which is why it doesn't matter where it's played, right? If you want to support your bands and your scene, go and see them wherever, because they NEED your support regardless of where they're playing. And on a personal level, house shows just don't cut it for me. I get that they're cool and intimate, and that they're fighting the system and bringing it back to the people and all that shit. But if you're putting bands on in your house the first thing you need to know, and it's very important to remember, is; IT DOES NOT MAKE YOU BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE. Yes, it's cool, and yes, it costs you money and it can be hard work, but so can using a club or a bar. So fuck off with your superior high-horse shit. I would like the security deposit back from my flat, and actually care about the state of where I live, which is why I don't put on shows at my house (maybe I'm better than you because I like to keep my house clean? Just a thought).
There's very little chance you'll catch me paying to get into someones house, either. This isn't down to any particular gripe or dislike of the idea, but it's a fucking house. I know these shows can be intimate and engaging, and alot of fun for everyone involved, but charging on the door for a gig in your flat seems completely against what diy is supposed to be about (according to the scenesters, anyway). Why is it against the ethos you hold so dear? Because you're literally falling over mere feet from the finish line. If you wanted to have a birthday party, and you wanted it to be the best party it could be, you'd maybe get in a pa system and a dj or a band, maybe make some snacks, a punch-bowl or maybe some vodka jelly shots, and quite possibly even get in a bunch of cheap spirits for everyone to hammer down and get pissed on. What you wouldn't do is ask your guests to pay a fiver to get in. If you're paying out for a pa, and maybe a sound engineer etc, why not man up and pay the band out of your own pocket too? And, fucking AND, if it costs you £100 quid to hire the pa, get posters printed up and to pay someone to help you out with the sound, why not use a venue that'll only cost you £60 and do alot of that shit for you? Leaving more money to pay the bands, should you choose to charge that all-important five pounds on the door.
Almost every city has a selection of venues on every level, so why not use them? The more we use them the more people will go, the more money a venue might put in to their equipment, and the more bands might want to come and play. Also, don't write off a venue because the staff/regulars/management don't understand your scene, it's stupid. Why not put on more shows there and MAKE them understand? Wait, do they not like your shows because your punters spend no fucking money? I think I covered that earlier. Do they not understand how being hardcore is about throwing yourself around and fucking shit up? Funny, that.
Hardcore is about the music; So is folk, so is dubstep, so is acoustic pop and mid-nineties rave, and old-school crusty punk and fucking orchestras. Everything else is a side-product from the music, and the ideals that music instills in those playing it and those hearing it. Once these side-products start to takeover and dictate the aspects of the music, they will start to kill the integrity that was so important in the first place. Everyone has to move on, everyone has to make a living, everyone has the right to listen to the music they like regardless of the shoes they're wearing or where they go to see it. A hardcore band playing a festival doesn't stop them being hardcore, the same way that where you buy your music from doesn't make you more hardcore than the next person. Passion in the music is what makes you hardcore. If a kid wants to show how much he loves a band by wearing t-shirts like theirs, fucking let him. If I want to appreciate the gig I'm at by standing to the side and listening while taking a drink, that doesn't make me less worthy of being there than you, and breaking glasses and noses while you dance doesn't make you better than me, it makes you look like an idiot. But I'm not going to tell you not to do it, because that's how you show your appreciation of the music, and that's fine by me. It might look silly, but whatever.
And to correct something a diy kid said to me recently, shouting at folk about them being 'posers', makes you a poser. Peppering everything you say with DIYORDIE makes you a poser, telling everyone you're better than them because you're DIYORDIE makes YOU a poser. Disliking bands because you don't like the label they're on, or the jeans they wear, or the places they play, makes YOU a poser. In fact, if you choose to like or dislike a band for any reason other than their music, YOU'RE A FUCKING POSER. And the fact that you have the audacity to throw that around as an insult to anyone who doesn't do "diy" the way you do, shows how much of a fucking posing idiot you are. The scene is supposedly about the bands and their fans uniting in the music and the energy it can bring, and I see this in abundance from the kids in stupid day-glo t-shirts and silly haircuts. Yeah, they look daft, but fuck it, these are the same kids that put the time and money into shows, the same kids that travel to different cities for a gig, the same kids that street team and tell anyone who'll listen how awesome a band is. Their fashion doesn't matter. Music & Fashion always have and always will go together; but the fashion doesn't ever discredit the music. V-neck tshirts don't affect your guitar-playing, and I don't think having a hairstyle lowers the quality of the songs you write.
There are too many people involved in diy hardcore with a completely unfounded sense of superiority over everyone that doesn't do things their way, and this is what's killing their very own scene. Why can a band not take sponsorship, if it means they can afford to do another record? Why are you better than another because they're wearing shoes you don't like? Or because they heard of a band after you did? The scene is far too exclusive, far too suspicious of outsiders, and far too quick to kick people out of their club for the smallest slight against their values. If you don't accept newcomers and the new ideals and input they can give, or if you exclude someone for suggesting there's more to hardcore than you old-school basics, your club's going to get smaller and smaller, and less and less relevant as everything else moves on and becomes better.
Working hard to keep people away and kick people out is the EXACT OPPOSITE of what you're supposed to be about, you fucking grumpy, hateful, high-horse riding pricks, and it's the reason diy hardcore is dying. Not the kids in skinny jeans and espadrille's, not the band that decided to take a label deal to earn a living, and certainly not the people who choose to put on shows for These Bands and These Kids. These are the one's trying to keep it alive, making more and more people aware that this music exists, and showing bands that it's still worthwhile if they can pull it off. You try so fucking hard to protect what you hold dear, you refuse to accept that it's changing, and will continue to change and evolve beyond your idea of what it should be about, until what you're cradling in your hands is nothing more than an empty, fucked up and outdated ideal that no longer makes sense, even to you.
Hardcore is not dead, yet, but it's evolving far beyond where you want to keep it, and it's going to leave people like you behind. Thank Fuck.
The thought process and morals behind DIY hardcore, while commendable, are cannibalistic and, unfortunately, unjust; by teaming them with the superiority complex that the scene has of itself you're almost guaranteed to fail, and likely to walk away with nothing, financially or morally, and it's almost guaranteed you'll have yesterdays fans shouting sell out and poser on your way out the door.
"DIY" as an ethic or philosophy is still going strong, in absolutely any & all musical genres, but, it seems that hardcore, the genre that made the effort to give it a name and a label, has now become the elitist and inclusive group that it was NEVER fucking about. It can easily be argued that DIY is far from a philosophy, an ethic, or even anything worthy of a title at all, seeing as all it really stands for, at it's core, is the act of doing things for nothing more than the act of doing them: putting on gigs with little hope for profit or gain, just because you love the music, starting a label to get the music you love out their to people who've never heard it, touring and playing in any and every city you can, because the only thing that matters to you is playing. This is what it's about, and it's the same in every genre you can name (although, yes, the level of financial disregard can differ greatly from one to the next).
It's obvious from both the header that welcomes you to the page, and the first blog I actually posted, that I have major issues with "the Scene", which is a shame, because whenever I go to a gig it's almost guaranteed that for the short time I'm there, whichever band playing will be my favourite band. Regardless of quality, there are very few bands within the genre that don't give it their all when they play, and I appreciate that above all else. To see a bunch of kids up there and being so fucking into it that they literally have no energy left to stand when they finish is a truly amazing sight, and something that gives me goosebumps every time I witness it.
The problem starts when people become more aware and thoughtful towards all the other aspects than to just be "into the music". And this is what's griping me, mainly because these people are the first one's to start throwing out insults and giving people shit for "not being hardcore", just because of their haircut or their jeans or the places they go.
Awareness pretty much kills the honesty of everything. Or, rather, the awareness of a genre/title/label/group can pretty much kill why you got into it in the first place. Either because you find yourself compromising your original plans and beliefs to make sure you fit, or, in my case, you realise that you have no real choice BUT to compromise, if you want the group to take you seriously. I'm trying really fucking hard to do neither of these things, or at the very least not sacrifice what I'm trying to do to either fit or rebel, but it's hard.
There are people who don't take me seriously as a promoter for nothing more than the label of a band I've booked, because the label 'blurs the line between diy label and shitty indie label'. And, recently, I was told that I was trying to put on hardcore shows by booking what I thought were the right bands, but these bands weren't hardcore because they had video clips of them playing to crowds from big stages, which is apparently not what it's about. I thought it was all about playing to people, regardless of where and when, but just fucking getting out there and playing.
'Just getting out there and playing'. this is actually something that, as a statement, the diy ideals are all about, but in reality, isn't truly an option for most bands that want a lifespan of more than a couple of years (notice that I'm no longer going to use capitals for diy, you all know what it's about, and I'm done giving the title any more respect than it deserves). This is talked about well, and in great depth in my first blog (not by me, mind), so I'll try and move on as soon as possible. But, the diy scene kids are loathe to follow a band once they've moved on and start to look to music as a financial entity. This is so fucking stupid it's almost beyond words. Almost. If you love the band you're in, you love the music and you love nothing more than playing and travelling and getting new ears to hear your shit, the realisation can hit very quickly that the diy ethos of petrol & food just isn't enough. You might love the music, but when you've got kids they have to come first. You might love killing yourself onstage every night, but if you've got rent to pay, a mortgage, or simply a lover, there needs to be more. And this is in no way a slight on the music, it's just being honest to yourself. Fucking scenesters need to understand this, but they probably won't until they've moved on and got a mortgage themselves.
The other problem is how tight the fans are getting. Actually, tight isn't the right word, as they're likely to spend alot of money on releases, merchandise, haircuts, and (very) occasionally travelling to a gig. But ask more than a fiver on the door to a show and you're not hardcore, you're not diy, and you don't understand the scene, man. Idiots, Selfish & inconsiderate are three more suitable words that come to mind. It's this attitude that has seen the demise of too many awesome bands to mention. A recent example being the fucking great Outcry Collective, who have had to call it quits because there's not enough money in being a smaller level band. So, either keep going and lose money, finish up on your dream, or "sell out" and get shit from people that only months ago would have declared you the best band in the world. Again, fucking idiots. Time and time again bands disappear for this very reason, and barely any one of their so-called fans will take notice and change their attitude.
As a promoter, I want as many people to come my shows as possible (wanting lots of people at your shows is far from diy too, of course), so I want to charge the least I can so more people can afford to come. But, I also have to be realistic about the bands' needs. Now, these needs can and will differ from band to band, most entry level bands know this, and if they don't, they'll figure it out pretty quickly, but once you make that change from part-time giggers to full-time band, you need more than twenty quid a night and a chippy. And, to go back a few paragraphs, if all that matters to you is playing, how can the fans begrudge the idea that you need to live to actually play?
The scene is VERY picky as to where they'll go to a show, too, mind. There's an obvious preference to supporting the better venues, or even just your favourite, and it's important that those venues that don't treat fans or musicians with respect don't get your money, but not going to see a band you supposedly love because they're playing a venue that put on that other band that you hate last week, is as stupid as it fucking sounds. Venues are important, and I always try to get the best venue for a show I can, but it's not always possible, so the idea that someone might not come because of other shows that happen there baffles me. A venue is just a venue, and very rarely do they have a code when it comes to having bands play; venues want gigs, bands want gigs, why deny both of these for nothing more than holding yourself to a stubborn point?
Bare in mind, should you yourself choose to try and put on a show, you might even get shit for just using venues. Diy isn't about venues, and light rigs, and bars and curfews and bouncers and rental charges or takings. It's about house shows. It's about the music. Of course it's about the fucking music, which is why it doesn't matter where it's played, right? If you want to support your bands and your scene, go and see them wherever, because they NEED your support regardless of where they're playing. And on a personal level, house shows just don't cut it for me. I get that they're cool and intimate, and that they're fighting the system and bringing it back to the people and all that shit. But if you're putting bands on in your house the first thing you need to know, and it's very important to remember, is; IT DOES NOT MAKE YOU BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE. Yes, it's cool, and yes, it costs you money and it can be hard work, but so can using a club or a bar. So fuck off with your superior high-horse shit. I would like the security deposit back from my flat, and actually care about the state of where I live, which is why I don't put on shows at my house (maybe I'm better than you because I like to keep my house clean? Just a thought).
There's very little chance you'll catch me paying to get into someones house, either. This isn't down to any particular gripe or dislike of the idea, but it's a fucking house. I know these shows can be intimate and engaging, and alot of fun for everyone involved, but charging on the door for a gig in your flat seems completely against what diy is supposed to be about (according to the scenesters, anyway). Why is it against the ethos you hold so dear? Because you're literally falling over mere feet from the finish line. If you wanted to have a birthday party, and you wanted it to be the best party it could be, you'd maybe get in a pa system and a dj or a band, maybe make some snacks, a punch-bowl or maybe some vodka jelly shots, and quite possibly even get in a bunch of cheap spirits for everyone to hammer down and get pissed on. What you wouldn't do is ask your guests to pay a fiver to get in. If you're paying out for a pa, and maybe a sound engineer etc, why not man up and pay the band out of your own pocket too? And, fucking AND, if it costs you £100 quid to hire the pa, get posters printed up and to pay someone to help you out with the sound, why not use a venue that'll only cost you £60 and do alot of that shit for you? Leaving more money to pay the bands, should you choose to charge that all-important five pounds on the door.
Almost every city has a selection of venues on every level, so why not use them? The more we use them the more people will go, the more money a venue might put in to their equipment, and the more bands might want to come and play. Also, don't write off a venue because the staff/regulars/management don't understand your scene, it's stupid. Why not put on more shows there and MAKE them understand? Wait, do they not like your shows because your punters spend no fucking money? I think I covered that earlier. Do they not understand how being hardcore is about throwing yourself around and fucking shit up? Funny, that.
Hardcore is about the music; So is folk, so is dubstep, so is acoustic pop and mid-nineties rave, and old-school crusty punk and fucking orchestras. Everything else is a side-product from the music, and the ideals that music instills in those playing it and those hearing it. Once these side-products start to takeover and dictate the aspects of the music, they will start to kill the integrity that was so important in the first place. Everyone has to move on, everyone has to make a living, everyone has the right to listen to the music they like regardless of the shoes they're wearing or where they go to see it. A hardcore band playing a festival doesn't stop them being hardcore, the same way that where you buy your music from doesn't make you more hardcore than the next person. Passion in the music is what makes you hardcore. If a kid wants to show how much he loves a band by wearing t-shirts like theirs, fucking let him. If I want to appreciate the gig I'm at by standing to the side and listening while taking a drink, that doesn't make me less worthy of being there than you, and breaking glasses and noses while you dance doesn't make you better than me, it makes you look like an idiot. But I'm not going to tell you not to do it, because that's how you show your appreciation of the music, and that's fine by me. It might look silly, but whatever.
And to correct something a diy kid said to me recently, shouting at folk about them being 'posers', makes you a poser. Peppering everything you say with DIYORDIE makes you a poser, telling everyone you're better than them because you're DIYORDIE makes YOU a poser. Disliking bands because you don't like the label they're on, or the jeans they wear, or the places they play, makes YOU a poser. In fact, if you choose to like or dislike a band for any reason other than their music, YOU'RE A FUCKING POSER. And the fact that you have the audacity to throw that around as an insult to anyone who doesn't do "diy" the way you do, shows how much of a fucking posing idiot you are. The scene is supposedly about the bands and their fans uniting in the music and the energy it can bring, and I see this in abundance from the kids in stupid day-glo t-shirts and silly haircuts. Yeah, they look daft, but fuck it, these are the same kids that put the time and money into shows, the same kids that travel to different cities for a gig, the same kids that street team and tell anyone who'll listen how awesome a band is. Their fashion doesn't matter. Music & Fashion always have and always will go together; but the fashion doesn't ever discredit the music. V-neck tshirts don't affect your guitar-playing, and I don't think having a hairstyle lowers the quality of the songs you write.
There are too many people involved in diy hardcore with a completely unfounded sense of superiority over everyone that doesn't do things their way, and this is what's killing their very own scene. Why can a band not take sponsorship, if it means they can afford to do another record? Why are you better than another because they're wearing shoes you don't like? Or because they heard of a band after you did? The scene is far too exclusive, far too suspicious of outsiders, and far too quick to kick people out of their club for the smallest slight against their values. If you don't accept newcomers and the new ideals and input they can give, or if you exclude someone for suggesting there's more to hardcore than you old-school basics, your club's going to get smaller and smaller, and less and less relevant as everything else moves on and becomes better.
Working hard to keep people away and kick people out is the EXACT OPPOSITE of what you're supposed to be about, you fucking grumpy, hateful, high-horse riding pricks, and it's the reason diy hardcore is dying. Not the kids in skinny jeans and espadrille's, not the band that decided to take a label deal to earn a living, and certainly not the people who choose to put on shows for These Bands and These Kids. These are the one's trying to keep it alive, making more and more people aware that this music exists, and showing bands that it's still worthwhile if they can pull it off. You try so fucking hard to protect what you hold dear, you refuse to accept that it's changing, and will continue to change and evolve beyond your idea of what it should be about, until what you're cradling in your hands is nothing more than an empty, fucked up and outdated ideal that no longer makes sense, even to you.
Hardcore is not dead, yet, but it's evolving far beyond where you want to keep it, and it's going to leave people like you behind. Thank Fuck.
Friday, 20 August 2010
Doom, Breakdowns & Brown Ale. Who'da thunk it would work? (Album Review)
Lavotchkin
Widow Country (2010)
After putting out splits with Attack! Vipers! & Crocus over the past year or so, Newcastles Lavotchkin released 'Widow country' in the spring, and it really is fucking awesome.
I caught them live with Throats a couple of months ago, and they totally blew me away. On stage, they're incredibly tight, with vocalist Simon Tittley throwing all the usual hardcore moves, but with more sincerity and humour than you'd ever expect, and the rest of the band (Martin Downing on guitar, Simon Hubbard on Bass, Paul Hawdon on drums and finally, 'The Leviathan', Ben Wishlade on guitar) doing much the same in the way of self risking stage shenanigans. And, amazingly, it's ALL caught perfectly on record.
Tittley's vocals are so intense it's crazy, but they're never overpowering, and the occasional inclusion of a more traditional backing vocal (NOT your usual hardcore gang vocals) is a great move, and brings a more classic rock element to the mix. Track three, 'The Werther Effect', is a perfect example of how good these guys are. Starting like some kind of Cursed/Narrows mongrel, the riffs popping up in the last minute tread some kind of line between early Sabbath-era doom and toughguy hardcore breakdowns.
'IrukanDji' brings that doom influence right to the front, dropping the tempo significantly, and ramping up the bass and sludge to the highest level; this is the track that makes you want to kick shit over and throw stuff around, just really really slowly.
In the words of a friend of mine, the title-track that closes the album is a peach, and, quite literally, makes you wish this was a full album rather than just the fifteen odd minutes you actually get.
There's so much crammed into these six tracks that it's pretty incredible; managing to stick in classic riffs, chun-like breakdowns, sludged to fuck bass and some seriously intimidating vocals into such a small space of time is commendable, and this is the best example you'll find of modern British, and most importantly, interesting, hardcore.
www.myspace.com/lavothckin
Widow Country (2010)
After putting out splits with Attack! Vipers! & Crocus over the past year or so, Newcastles Lavotchkin released 'Widow country' in the spring, and it really is fucking awesome.
I caught them live with Throats a couple of months ago, and they totally blew me away. On stage, they're incredibly tight, with vocalist Simon Tittley throwing all the usual hardcore moves, but with more sincerity and humour than you'd ever expect, and the rest of the band (Martin Downing on guitar, Simon Hubbard on Bass, Paul Hawdon on drums and finally, 'The Leviathan', Ben Wishlade on guitar) doing much the same in the way of self risking stage shenanigans. And, amazingly, it's ALL caught perfectly on record.
Tittley's vocals are so intense it's crazy, but they're never overpowering, and the occasional inclusion of a more traditional backing vocal (NOT your usual hardcore gang vocals) is a great move, and brings a more classic rock element to the mix. Track three, 'The Werther Effect', is a perfect example of how good these guys are. Starting like some kind of Cursed/Narrows mongrel, the riffs popping up in the last minute tread some kind of line between early Sabbath-era doom and toughguy hardcore breakdowns.
'IrukanDji' brings that doom influence right to the front, dropping the tempo significantly, and ramping up the bass and sludge to the highest level; this is the track that makes you want to kick shit over and throw stuff around, just really really slowly.
In the words of a friend of mine, the title-track that closes the album is a peach, and, quite literally, makes you wish this was a full album rather than just the fifteen odd minutes you actually get.
There's so much crammed into these six tracks that it's pretty incredible; managing to stick in classic riffs, chun-like breakdowns, sludged to fuck bass and some seriously intimidating vocals into such a small space of time is commendable, and this is the best example you'll find of modern British, and most importantly, interesting, hardcore.
www.myspace.com/lavothckin
Tickets Tickets Tickets
The BigCartel/Ticket scheme is a new thing I'm trying, so if you have any questions about it give me a shout. The idea is, by selling through BigCartel/Paypal, and by holding tickets to pass out when buyers arrive at the door, there's no need for booking fee's or postal fee's.
So, you can buy tickets for the shows online in advance, without incuring any extra charge, so the cover price is the price you pay. You'll have a reference number to show when you get to the gig, and in exchange you'll get a physical ticket (For keeps, like).
It should also give local bands the opportunity to sell tickets to shows without hunting their friends down in the street, robbing them of change and forcing a ticket into their pocket.
By making it easier for folk to buy/sell tickets, it's more likely to get people who usually ummm & aaah about going along to gigs to commit.
Let me know what you think.
Ghost Of A Thousand/Lavotchkin/HUSH/Horrors That You've Seen
Oct. 16th @ Bannerman's, Edinburgh
Dead Swans/Mother Of Mercy/Brutality Will Prevail + Guests
Dec. 17th @ Studio 24, Edinburgh
So, you can buy tickets for the shows online in advance, without incuring any extra charge, so the cover price is the price you pay. You'll have a reference number to show when you get to the gig, and in exchange you'll get a physical ticket (For keeps, like).
It should also give local bands the opportunity to sell tickets to shows without hunting their friends down in the street, robbing them of change and forcing a ticket into their pocket.
By making it easier for folk to buy/sell tickets, it's more likely to get people who usually ummm & aaah about going along to gigs to commit.
Let me know what you think.
Ghost Of A Thousand/Lavotchkin/HUSH/Horrors That You've Seen
Oct. 16th @ Bannerman's, Edinburgh
Dead Swans/Mother Of Mercy/Brutality Will Prevail + Guests
Dec. 17th @ Studio 24, Edinburgh
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