RGG April 2015 - p.7
It'd be interesting if the internet was to stop
working just to see whether musicians and
bands would start putting up event posters
once again but judging by Twitter feeds they'd
be likely ones enquiring "What is everyone hav
ing for dinner?" Whilst avoiding the benefits
of the world wide web is seen as foolish; you
still get bands who have never even entered a
rehearsal studio in their lives Trapped in their
bedrooms; jamming on a stained duvet whilst
their drummer taps a lifeless beat on pillows
hoping to wing a performance for an upcoming
live show without any clue of what their band
sounds like in real life once plugged in to a loud
PA system; mainly because they are still waiting
for a record deal from Rumpelstiltskin that will
singlehandedly pay for all their equipment
The physical world seems to have disorientated
the bulk of modern musicians somewhat as of
late and the ones who aren't active on the in
ternet just don't exist to the majority because
no one knows that they're not on there There
is this horrible apathy I believe coming from
bands and songwriters lately who seem too
lethargic to promote their own music anywhere
because they still have this "what's the point?"
attitude or see it as someone else's job
Playing live shows is a no brainer and like
moths attracted to a
watt bulb selling tick
ets to see the sun musicians are drawn to live
venues but often they treat them like emer
gency drop in centres instead of trying to draw
in the general public to help create a crowd
Quite often musicians play their face at the
cheek of being asked to promote their own
show and are more interesting in researching
what everyone is having for dinner on Twitter
than say give people directions to the gig re
veal a show date or even advertise the website
of the venue they are performing at to make it
easier for humans to locate
I still can't believe that there are adult musi
cians out there waiting to be discovered that
still haven't organised a band or artist photo in
a society where telephones have built in cam
eras in them and where six year old kids have
worked out how to use video editing software
apps on iPads One quite talented mature mu
sician contacted me last month asking for assis
tance with promotion for his single and I
suggested that he should try doing a radio cam
paign; his response was that he didn't know if
he was ready for that Christ if you are making
good music and don't think you're ready for the
radio then I don't think you're even ready for
the creation of the wheel It's like everyone's
waiting for an A&R man to shout "go" and hand
out a bag of brains
Wake up musicians If you want your music to
get heard then start working harder The charts
are full of robots controlled by lizards people
won't be interested in your music until you be
come interesting and your music won't make
headlines until you start making news in the
real world Get a good grasp of doing produc
tive internet music promotion and don't forget
your presence in the physical world Take your
music and songs more serious take yourself se
riously Stop hiding behind excuses such as "Oh
the cosy Saturday Night Karaoke Slaughter
house is on Television brainwashing everyone
so it's pointless doing anything creative" Start
remembering those dreams that you had of
kicking ass with your music
Rehearse and record songs have fun do some
thing different travel and write about it share
your tunes online make music videos make
news think outside the box be proud to play
live and tell everyone where they can hear you
If there is something you lack confidence in
then do research ask others for advice or sup
port by all means but learn how to get your
music out there on your own because one day
it might be just down to you Imagine being
alone in a world that seems alien; your tunes
could be the last sound of humanity that's left
Utilise the opportunities around you before you
become so old that when you discover eBay to
sell the music equipment you've abandoned
you'll get someone mistake you as an antique
Celebrating Years
r
gg
since
1995
