battle of the bands

[Jiggs]

First one I have ever been involved with....and an interesting experience, to say the least. We were the only pop-oriented band there...first place went to a smokin' three pc that sounded like a combination of the Foo Fighters and Tortoise, if that's even possible....good stuff.

 

However, 2nd place went to a band (rockabilly, I think) that broke a stand up bass string, putting the bass so far out of tune...and they ending up sounding like {censored}. I mean, I feel bad for them, 'cause bass strings are really expensive....

 

But here's my question. Do you think it's right that a band was awarded prize money, and recording time when that was the result onstage?

 

(and by the way, us winning was not a factor, we have access to a home studio....)

[maxnew40]

Battle of the Bands are a total joke nearly everytime. The so called judging is rarely objective (often the winner is picked before anyone plays). I avoid those type of gigs like the plague. There is usually very little to be gained by playing those things.

 

Max

[Jiggs]

 

Originally posted by maxnew40 Battle of the Bands are a total joke nearly everytime. The so called judging is rarely objective (often the winner is picked before anyone plays). I avoid those type of gigs like the plague. There is usually very little to be gained by playing those things. Max

 

 

Normally I agree. I was a little curious to see who would come out...and we had already started booking dates later in the month. Now I know, lol.

[Beachbum]

I think a band can still be good/great and earn a winning spot even if they suffer a broken string accident onstage.

[Jiggs]

 

Originally posted by Beachbum I think a band can still be good/great and earn a winning spot even if they suffer a broken string accident onstage.

 

 

...not this band.

 

I hear you, though....but this was rough. There were alot of other more polished bands there.

[DanteRTS]

Agreed. We've been in 3 (as a younger band) and got screwed both times.

 

1. We won. Were never paid the winning money. Studio time was a joke.

2. A painly "average" band beat 2 really good bands. As many contests, one of the judges had ties to the band.

3. We won. Lost in regional. blah blah blah.

 

They are normally lame, and somehow never totally legit.

 

But to answer your question, there is so much BS going on in those things, don't waste 2 more seconds on why something happened.

[BlueStrat]

Keep this in mind: BOBs are NEVER for the benefit of the bands. They are mere tools being used to promote something else. If you can go into it knowing that, and get out of it what you can, then great. I'd never do it.

[Jiggs]

 

Originally posted by BlueStrat Keep this in mind: BOBs are NEVER for the benefit of the bands. They are mere tools being used to promote something else. If you can go into it knowing that, and get out of it what you can, then great. I'd never do it.

 

 

Promoting the Studio is what it was really about...like I said, we got out of it what we needed to. And I will never do it again.

 

Great advice and comments though...any other BOB stories?

[Lee Flier]

In general we avoid the whole "Battle of the Bands" concept like the plague. But we did do one, and only one, and even travelled to Miami to do it. The only reason we did it was because the hosts were people we most particularly wanted to see us. So... we didn't care so much about "winning" anything, we just wanted the hosts to see us play and be impressed.

 

Good thing too because the contest turned out to be heavily rigged (big surprise). There were three finalists and one grand prize winner, and NONE of the three finalists were anything approaching the best bands - nor were they the bands the hosts would have chosen. But the hosts weren't the judges, the judges were a panel of local journalists. And the "winning" band as it turned out, had a member who wrote for the same paper as two of the judges. So there you have it. Good thing we didn't give a crap about the results.

 

However, we did in fact accomplish what we'd set out to do, because the hosts loved us, told us that hands down we would have won if it hadn't been rigged, and felt really terrible that this had been allowed to happen. They've kept in touch with us ever since and are now starting a record label and several other ventures which will benefit us a ton. So... it is possible to get something from these things, but unless there's some specific reason to do it like we had, I wouldn't bother.

[Janx]

I keep hearing similar stories about BOBs with having biased judges.

 

I'm puzzled how judge selection could even allow judges with relationships to the bands to happen. Doesn't seem like this happens in other things (not without a lot of bad publicity coming out of it).

 

I guess there's not a lot of professionalism going on with the folks who arrange these kinda things.

 

That's too bad.

[BlueStrat]

 

Originally posted by Janx I keep hearing similar stories about BOBs with having biased judges. I'm puzzled how judge selection could even allow judges with relationships to the bands to happen.

 

 

Because they're not about the bands.

[Mathew]

never play battle of the bands shows. Period. Unless you want to deal with a whole bunch of {censored} that you don't need, then book another show.

[Mathew]

never play battle of the bands shows. Period. Unless you want to deal with a whole bunch of {censored} that you don't need, then book another show.

[Beachbum]

 

Originally posted by Mathew never play battle of the bands shows. Period. Unless you want to deal with a whole bunch of {censored} that you don't need, then book another show.

 

 

Most of the BOB's I've seen have been for some sort of charity or non-profit cause.

 

If they're private, to raise money for profit, I'd say pass it by.

[Lee Flier]

Originally posted by BlueStrat Because they're not about the bands.

 

Exactly.

 

In the case of the one we did, it really was about the bands so far as the organizers were concerned, but they had to organize the events from afar and they didn't really know what was going on. They really wanted to override the judges and call "foul" on the whole thing, but since most of the judges were journalists that would've been a PR disaster. In fairness, they did it in a dozen cities and only the Miami event had this problem... figures. The local promoters/venue owner were the ones at fault for not exposing the relationship - the actual organizers would've had no way of knowing, and fully admit they were pretty naive in their thinking that everybody would play fair.

 

But again, this was a very unusual event as Battle of the Bands type things go. Ordinarily we wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole.

[Roy Brooks]

Life isn't fair. You just have to be willing to keep doing your thing if you really want to make something out of it. If you fail at one particular moment you need to be able to make it to the next moment which hopefully will be much better.

[Beachbum]

Originally posted by Roy Brooks Life isn't fair. You just have to be willing to keep doing your thing if you really want to make something out of it. If you fail at one particular moment you need to be able to make it to the next moment which hopefully will be much better.

 

That's true. Every band that enters these things thinks they're gonna win, or they should win. Then when they don't win it's always a rip-off, they got screwed, etc.

 

Life isn't fair - good line.

[HuskerDude]

 

Originally posted by Jiggs There were alot of other more polished bands there.

 

 

Polished isn't always the same as good.

[Lee Flier]

 

Originally posted by Roy Brooks Life isn't fair. You just have to be willing to keep doing your thing if you really want to make something out of it. If you fail at one particular moment you need to be able to make it to the next moment which hopefully will be much better.

 

 

Yep. We pretty much always assume things aren't going to be "fair." Most of the good things that have come our way have sorta snuck in through the back door, because we were willing to look there, rather than just whining that the front door was locked.

[The*Ataris]

We've played a few because it's about the only way we could book a show in downtown Denver. Every venue is 21+ and we still have two guys that are 20. It's impossible really...

 

It's all about exposure, and that was the only way our band was going to be seen in that part of town, so what's the big deal? Just another show, and often in front of people that might like to see you again...

[Droplaw621]

 

Originally posted by The*Ataris We've played a few because it's about the only way we could book a show in downtown Denver. Every venue is 21+ and we still have two guys that are 20. It's impossible really... It's all about exposure, and that was the only way our band was going to be seen in that part of town, so what's the big deal? Just another show, and often in front of people that might like to see you again...

 

 

 

+1 Thats the way I look at it.

[Lee Flier]

 

Originally posted by The*Ataris It's all about exposure, and that was the only way our band was going to be seen in that part of town, so what's the big deal? Just another show, and often in front of people that might like to see you again...

 

 

Yep and that's the kind of perspective you have to have. Just erase the whole "judges" and "contest" part of the equation and ask yourself if it would still be worth it to you just to go do a show, be seen, have a good time, network with some other bands and gain some new fans. Depending on the specific event, it might be. But if you expect the "contest" part of it to be legitimate and fair, it's unlikely.

[Damokles]

I'll have my first battle of the bands with also my first band on 22th of April, and i'm excited about it. There'll be 9 Bands and it's designed as a newcomer Contest. Bands shouldn't have had a {censored}load of gigs and should be kind of new to the whole gig thing. Well we had a littel more than a few gigs but most of them where on private partys and very few ones at real show locations so i don't feel to bad having had more gigs than some off the other bands. Plus that contest is every year and before i even played in a band there where bands participating having 50+ gigs...

Anyway i'll try to look at it as just another gig despite the fact that we're only allowed to play for half an hour. First time we have to cut songs from our setlist that we'd like to play instead off adding old songs that we ourself consider rather bad

And i'm looking foward carrying my rather too big rig there. All newcomer bands around here play rather cheap guitars and Amps(like squire + average first 20W soidstate Amp) but since i've been here to HC i've become a gear addict like everyone else. I guess they'll see the first newcomer-begginners-band carrying in a Marshall TSL halfstack and Gibson les Paul for myself and an Ibanez Prestige and H&K Matrix Halfstack for the second guitarist(all my equipment ) they'll never believe we're beginners with that

 

If that thread is still up then i'll post how it went out. I just loveplaying out and it's so sad that we don't get more than one gig a month...

[B Money]

I'm playing a corporate Battle of the Bands at the end of this month, it's a fundraiser for the American Red Cross. It's not my "real" band, just a group of fellow employees that got together to form a band just to play this event.

It's going to be held at the Landmark, a beautiful historic theatre in Syracuse. I joined the band just to play on that stage! So even if we don't win (not likely I know, but possible) I won't be dissapointed.

Anyway, generally speaking I would agree to avoid these types of gigs, but in this case I can make a exception. It's a great event for a good cause

[Jiggs]

 

Originally posted by HuskerDude Polished isn't always the same as good.

 

 

In this example that's the intention.