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ch-scene - Re: Eh, Whatever, Nevermind

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Subject: RTP-area local music and culture

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  • From: Bryk <chscene AT bryk.com>
  • To: RTP-area local music and culture <ch-scene AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: Eh, Whatever, Nevermind
  • Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2007 14:28:38 -0400

Fuck!! Figures I would be out of town for all of this. Then again, it's sort of fun reading through the post-facto mudslinging all at once.

Speaking as a indie musician who has probably sucked live at least half the time, I've always found the "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything" kid gloves approach in indie (not "Indy") media to be demeaning. If you put your work out there long enough, you're gonna collect some shit reviews, and some of them are even going to be way off the mark or even mean-sprited. Some of those are my favourites; actually I can quote one from memory: "When a man has no voice and seriously lacks material to write, you get Lovers Leap, the latest release from Dan Bryk." But I was also taught that it's better to be written about than not be written about, and it's uh, MUCH more likely to not be written about.

While I definitely feel for Glenn's perspective (_anything_ that deters beer and merch-purchasing bodies from seeing bands is bad thing) if there's one thing I've learned first-hand it's that even the most ecstatic press DOES NOT automatically generate foot traffic in the general reading public -- if there isn't already a buzz, radio play or other exposure to the music that's already prompting their curiosity. Assuming a bad review is going to make people who aren't already aware of the artist (or already on the fence about the gig) not attend is SERIOUSLY overstating the influence of a weekly entertainment paper.

I don't believe that the real music heads (you know the kind) are reading the Indy music section to have their minds made up for them -- they're looking to be moved by the writers' potential insight, ability to present context, wit or mere entertainment value. And in that regard (admittedly as someone who has gotten favourable press from the Indy in the past year) I don't find myself disappointed at all with their overall tone, style and ability to help me find things I wasn't aware of and understand things I didn't know I was wasn't aware of.

I can't even begin to IMAGINE the shit they have to listen to, the endless phone ring of publicists haranguing them to hype bullshit acts that they honestly don't respond to but if they don't they won't get access to someone they like next time, or bands that are on the left side of the learning curve filling their inboxes with MP3s. So what's the big deal with letting them blow off a little steam?

dB





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