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Hey guys, checkout my groundbreaking idea to promote my band's image


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I have an innovative idea to promote my band's image, something that I don't think has been done before....

You know, you look at these bands:

Metallica's shtick: being a popular band on the radio that played good Metal

Guns n Roses' shtick: being a popular band that had a bad boy image

Nirvana's shtick: bringing back non-pretentious music back to the mainstream

Radiohead's shtick: bringing art-rock back to the mainstream

And so on and so forth...

 

...Well, why not take advantage of these global uprisings and political/cultural unrest, and have my band's image be centered around channeling that?

In other words, the band would be marketed in a way that would help people channel their political/cultural frustrations (could be a Colombian fed up with inequality to a European fed up with forced multiculturalism, to an American fed up with big money politics etc).

This would be done by the band eventually creating a gigantic political website/app/etc that’ll serve as the largest political hub in the world. The website/app will have an array of features that’ll get average citizens to finally put their communities into their own hands, by helping them change local laws at an unprecedented level

 

I mean as far as I know, this hasn't been done before on a major scale. Ever. It'd be a very 21st century style of a band, where it's connected with everybody in an unprecedented way, and my band would be at the forefront of this movement.

 

What are you initial thoughts of this?

 

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And when were you planning on making music and that musically relevant? Which is why this has not been done. That would be an undertaking of epic proportion...or are you farming that part out to India....;)

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I'd keep this in mind. Every band that gets away from producing art and becomes political fails big time.

First, no matter what issue you pick it alienates half your audience so you just lost them as patrons who might purchase your music.

Second if they want to hear about politics, they have plenty of opportunity to hear it directly from the politicians. They don't need someone interpreting it for them.

 

My best advice is if you want to include politics in your music, keep it masked or subliminal. This way you at least have some chance of winning over some people

who may not think the way you do. I'm not sure why your want everyone to think as you do. Life can be ultra boring that way. too much like a day job where everyone has to do what the boss wants them to if they expect to be paid. Beyond that it becomes cultish which has its own array of pitfalls.

 

In my book, the music that lives forever has lifelong truths an emotional life in it. Yes that stuff can get boring too but you'd be surprised at how many different ways something can be said and those listening have no ears to hear it.

 

Here's a little tip you can try. Find a site that has the lyrics of the top 100 songs of every year going back to the beginning of rock or even a little farther. Open at least the top 10~20 sets of lyrics and read them and write down what the main theme of each one is (if they aren't so ridiculously stupid that that even have a theme) Then take all the major themes and break them down into simple categories like Love, Hate, Cheating, Women, Fun, Blues Drinking, etc.

 

See what you come up with as being the most commonly used themes that sold millions of records. Chances are Politics wont even register on the radar. The reason why, is when chicks go out to play the men follow. If you're out hitting on some chick you aren't likely to score with one arguing about politics unless you're looking for one as Fugly as Hillary. Even then she's want you to be telling her how good her Botox looks when she's having fun, not what her day job evolves. She may tell you what that job involves, but you likely lost all chance of scoring by that point.

 

People want to be entertained. They want to have fun and feel good when they see a band. If you haven't figured out how to do that or haven't got the gift, no theme is going to be a substitute. In most cases its the audience that gives you a theme/identity. If you're attracting lots of people to your gigs, look around and see what kind of people they are. Get to know them and where they're coming from. Then if you do that little thing I mentioned about categorizing lyrics and substitute it with the people you attract, you're most likely to find your theme/identity right there. The audience you attract is your own reflection and vice versa. You don't need to invent it, it comes about on its own through the music you choose to play and those that music appeals to.

 

I found this to be true even recently when I want to see Deaf Leopard. I saw the highest concentration of handicapped individuals outside of a hospital in a single place. Those people see the drummer as being handicapped and identify with it. Unless all your friends are mayors and governors, and you happen to be above their rank, I don't see you having much success using a political theme. All that does is inflame peoples emotions and make them hate you because you're identifying with something that upsets them. They can actually agree with your views 100% but you still have that Jealous God factor and they will stomp on you like a bug just to elevate their agenda.

 

Everyone from John Lennon, Dixie Chicks to Cheryl Crow found out what getting involved in politics can do to a music careers. Fact is people "Don't" want to be told what they should or should not believe, nor do they want to know what their stars personal views are. They just want them to make good art. If there happens to be a little stuff in the art that tells people where you're coming from, it can be overlooked by those who disagree with those views because they figure that person is just being an artist first and just playing a role.

 

They say, people who go into Politics are usually ugly people who couldn't make it as Actors or Artists and so they go into politics to get the attention they lacked as a child. I tend to believe this has a lot of truth to it. Look at Mike Huckabee as an example. Not sure if he sold any records but he isn't exactly a rock star either.

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There have been studies which proved that the moment popular bands start to get involved their popularity decreases rapidly. I'm all for new ideas, and this is a good one, just focus on what you are, a musician, and try and fit politics in with it, not the other way round.

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