The ‘Give Us Your Content For Free’ proposition?

It seems to me that there are too many people/companies running new online – music related – sites that purport to help bands gain action. Aren’t these sites just a pain and a hindrance?
Don’t they just eat up your time and drag you away from doing something more productive?

I suggest they are mostly a waste of time and should be avoided.

How does it go….

“Why don’t you sign up to our great new site (run for your gain only) and upload your music, maybe a video or two, fill in a biog and away you go”

Also called the ‘Give Us Your Content For Free’ proposition.

Of course having an online presence is totally necessary, but choose wisely where you sign up and who you give your content to. Bear in mind the more sites you have the more sites you’ll have to manage and keep up to date. A site that is stale with old with out-of-date content will give the viewer the impression that nothing is happening.

So where do you go from here…

Your own artist/label website: Definitely. Own your data and respect your subscribers.
MySpace: Having a presence on MySpace is pretty much a given…. for now anyway.
Blogging: Definitely. Blogger, WordPress etc.
Twitter: Yes. Easy to post and relay people back to your own site.
YouTube: A no brainer.

After the above, for me, it all gets blurred and unclear. Last FM, Jango etc.  I’m not saying the above is it – the list to end all lists -  I’m just saying… You can have too much of a good thing, can’t you?

I’d love to hear if anyone has any comments or thoughts or has any other suggestions.

Please tell us what works for you.

All for the common good you understand.

‘360′

Roll up roll for La Roux…

Last week I saw the La Roux and Noisettes CD’s racked up in Sainsbury’s for £3 each. I find this amazing. Really. If anyone doubts the mess the record business is in just think about that for a moment. 3 of your British pounds!

I make no comment about the quality of these artists or their individual merits, but for sure they’ll have had much major label moolah pumped into them, and there they are, in amongst the nappies, coffee and cigarettes, but far cheaper than any of these products.

Once upon at time there lived an executive who decided that the company needed to generate more profit so they could give their ‘music loving’ CEO a bigger bonus, in order for him to get his own suite, on its own floor, whilst the minions below were monitored on mini cameras, cooped up in their chicken coop work spaces. So he made a deal with the supermarket chains, which suited the latter until they discovered DVD and Yakult and Fair trade coffee and…

It’s a disease that major labels have had for a while.

I’m not knocking supermarkets, although I guess I could. They are not in the business of selling a specific product – they’ll sell anything at any price to anybody to generate footfall.

To them:

Music=Product         Product=Footfall         Footfall=Profit

And ultimately selling music this way devalues it. Probably works wonders for beans though.

It is true that record companies certainly have had an awkward relationship with retailers over the years. Letting them choose release dates, price points and even cover designs. Especially with TV advertised compilations. How barmy is that?

Back in the day, Woolworths had a great deal of influence in this area. They were responsible for sales in excess 30% of the market and could order huge amounts of stock and the labels really needed their support. This now seems like fantasy, but really they were very important.

To get into Woolworths you had to go into the lion’s den that was Entertainment UK. There you would see a buyer who would make decisions based on the relationship with the company or individual, rarely the product. The product would be taken seriously when the company were able to shell out big bucks to get the album / single racked in all the stores. Did you really think these titles were picked on merit?

I’m not for a minute suggesting that this was a corrupt system or that WW should have stocked everything asked, I am simply saying that the record companies should have respected what they had, protected their artists for the long term and developed a better way to sell.

Here’s a true tale, highlighting the tail wagging the dog syndrome. In 1994 BMG were releasing an album that they were trying to get into Woolworths and the buyer at the time didn’t think the title was right. He had a problem understanding the type of music that was on the release. (Below).

True…

’360′

Florence…

This is from the BBC website, posted just before Christmas:

Listen to Florence and the Machine’s cover of Last Christmas

On Tuesday of this week, BBC Introducing hosted a very special Christmas gig at a tiny London venue to celebrate what has been a fantastic year for new music. You can read all about it in my previous post and check out the photos.

Headlining the gig was a good friend of ours, Florence and the Machine. Our love affair with Florence began back in March 2008 when, unsigned, we took her out to Texas to perform at the BBC Introducing showcase at South by Southwest, where she was introduced by Steve Lamacq. She’s gone from strength to strength since then, enjoying phenomenal success this year. So we were extremely proud when she came to the gig on Tuesday night to thank us by performing an acoustic set to a packed out pub. To say it was ‘intimate’ would be putting it lightly.

The highlight of Flo’s set was undoubtedly her hauntingly beautiful and forlorn rendition of Wham!’s Last Christmas. Accompanied by acoustic guitar and harp, Flo’s incredible voice had us all transfixed.

It’s been proving popular on Radio 1 this week, where Greg James and Huw Stephens have both been playing it, but for those of you that haven’t heard it yet, here it is in all its glory. If this doesn’t get you feeling festive, nothing will…

Is it just me or does it suck that the BBC is promoting this ‘artist’ (I use the term loosely, as to my mind this is the worst case of ‘Emperor’s new clothes’ since Little Boots and La Roux came prancing into town). ‘Flo’…the ‘wacky’ theatrical chick who actually cannot sing in tune. Sponsored by the BBC! Played by the BBC! Flown to Texas by the BBC! How ‘Alternative’, how ‘Indie’ that this stuffy old corporate institution is now informing us how great this ‘exciting new talent’ is. Wake up kids!

’360′

360 and pals LIVE In 2009

The first gig of the year took place at Proud Galleries in Camden, I can still recall the walk from the tube station to the Lock, on a freezing cold evening when I saw just one person on my way to the gig. Camden a ghost town? It really was that night, but forty or so brave souls showed up to see Krakatoa play a set that soon warmed the crowd up.

Fast forward three and a half months to a beautiful spring day in April. 360 Degree Music are hosting the Camden Crawl at Tommy Flynn’s, a hostelry situated between Mornington Crescent and Camden stations. Actually, it’s the Camden Trawl, as the venue is not officially part of the Crawl, but that doesn’t stop us from having bigger crowds than many of the official venues.

Thirteen bands play in twelve hours, everyone goes on at the scheduled time, there are only three minor skirmishes, no ones head gets busted, and stars of the day are Krakatoa, (yes it’s them again, and this time they are headlining this extravaganza); The Supernovas, (a storming set that wins the best reception of the day on their North London home turf); Rum Shebeen, (proving once again what a great band they are, but why only one single in three years?); a wonderful debut set by Savants; Reader’s Wives’ London debut, which is a totally assured, singalong affair; a rollicking, Beatlesque, Motown meets the modern age set by Inwits; and a sparse solo performance from Paul Liddell, which wins plaudits from journalist Gavin Martin.

Stroll On’s remarkable residency at central London’s The Social provided several highlights of the year, with The Metros’ penultimate gig in March, which drew a sellout crowd by 9.30; Mozzy Green’s beautiful intensity enrapturing the audience in April, and an astonishing aural barrage/sonic symphony from Screaming Tea Party in June. Later in the year, Gringo Star ,The Supernovas and Yves Klein Blue gave garland winning performances on a glorious night in November.

Also in November, Reader’s Wives returned to London with storming sets at two packed-to-the-rafters gigs at Peter Parker’s in old Tin Pan Alley, and Tommy Flynn’s (I see a theme developing here…). The same week bore witness to three shows from Sweden’s psychsters Mono Stereo, who played a fine show at Kentish Town’s Flowerpot, and an absolute stormer supporting Violens at Proud Galleries.

Upon returning to Dublin, Reader’s Wives played a launch show, in support of their ‘Secrecy & Sex’ EP, at Dublin’s stunning Odessa Club. Contraceptives were dispatched into the crowd from the stage, people drank and danced, and a jolly good time was had by all. Support band Mozzy Green were disappointed with their own performance, but they were the only ones, and they received a warm reception from a very warm and appreciative audience (that’s Dublin for ya!).

Talking of Dublin, Krakatoa and The Supernovas both visited the fair city in July for their debut Irish shows, both winning many fans and compliments. Both bands also followed their return to London with single launches, Krakatoa selling out the Legion on a warm July night, and The Supernovas repeating the feat in a sweaty night at The Social at the beginning of August.

Oh, did I mention that Krakatoa played 18 gigs in 18 nights, supporting Alabama 3 on a trek that took in the length and breadth of the country. And Gaoler’s Daughter and The Supernovas playing high profile support slots with Babyshambles?

2009’s live activity ends with a show at the Stroll On Christmas party, at Hoxton Bar & Kitchen on Monday 22^nd December. Krakatoa, The Supernovas and Inwits will all play – IT’S GONNA GO OFF!

Who is going to make your band truly great…

BIG Question: Who is going to make your band truly great and get you where you rightly belong?

Answer below…

First, please go though this seven-question checklist and as long as you answer yes to all of them you’ll be fine.

Question 1: Do you have good songs?
Including…
Time to rehearse those good songs (regularly)
Time to book gigs, (and not just in the street you live) get to those gigs and play those good songs live.

Question 2:  Can you communicate well?
Here is a small sample of people who you may need to communicate well with. Please feel free to make notes.

The band; People who like the band; People who are helping the band; Friends of the band; Fans of the band; Manager of the band; Promoters, and on the periphery a vast array of people who can assist the band to complete this questionnaire.

Question 3:  Do you collectively have chemistry – do all of the members of a band add up to a giant great mass of greatness?
As Spock said “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one”
Translated. If you aren’t all pulling one way, for the collective good and looking after each other, with respect you are fucked!

Question 4:  Do you have good looks and style?
Including, but in no particular order, good hair, Twitter fingers, Blog-ability, a love of fried chicken and cheap lager, big moustache (you know who you are!), sex appeal, charisma and a vacant stare.

Question 5:  Do you have a powerful desire?
Also phrased as, how bad do you want it?

Including…
(a) Will you sleep in a van, telephone box or friendly police cell if you need to?

(b) Can you sponge off your girlfriends, for as long as they’ll have you and then move on to fried chicken in another part of town?

(c) Can you drop everything for an opportunity?

(d) Can you dig deep when you need to?

Question 6:  Are you happy to…
Do a gig, then give out flyers with your web address on or tell someone to sign up to your mailing list, sell a CD or a 7″, stick a sticker in places you shouldn’t stick a sticker and finally talk to people about your question 1’s. If you are lucky, later you’ll get to show off your question 5, but don’t piss the fans off along the way.
You need them more than they need you and you never know, one of them might turn into a 5b.

Question 7:  Do you understand facts?

E.g.  iTunes has more than 10,000,000 tracks within it’s walls. Most of which don’t even sell one copy.
Great to be there but if SJ decides to dump music you’re gone.

MySpace is owned by Rupert Murdoch – yes that old music lover.
Use it please do, but don’t rely on it solely because if Newscorp decides to dump you you is dumped.

Facebook is owned by some bloke/corporation who pretends he listens.
See MySpace.

Xfactor is not about music.
Power Rangers.

Bread has loads of salt in it.
Toast is good…..crumpets are better.

BIG Answer: Obviously it’s you. Right?

This is not meant to be a lecture, although I guess it could read like one. The truth is there is so much competition out there that you just have to do more, be better than and be more flexible and creative than the rest.

You need to make your own story before anyone will read you.

Write, get better, play, write, get better, play, communicate, get up as early as possible, email people, tell them how good you are, ask them for opportunities, drop the cunts that use you, dump the dodgy promoters and then start again.

Please do:

Get a web domain of your own and collect data. Be nice to that data.

Use MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and the other social networking sites smartly while they are there because sure enough they’ll fuck you in the end.

Find good people to moan at you like: www.360degreemusic.com

Find great promoters like:.myspace.com/strollonnights

Read stuff like:

Music Think Tank: www.musicthinktank.com/

Lefsetz: www.lefsetz.com/

Seth Godin: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/

1000 true fans: www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/03/1000_true_fans.php

Add to this list and tell your mates.

Remember when Paula Radcliffe stopped for a piss?
You need to piss on the go in this world to get in front.

Be careful out there…