Syracuse Ska Forum

Just curious what some of you think about this discussion.

http://www.dcska.com/2007/index.php?opt ... =1271#1271

Joe Driscoll played at the Rochester Dino BBQ on Wednesday. The guy who told me said the crowd was skeptical at first, then mesmerized.

It really depends on the band. The one time I saw Driscoll was four years ago, and he only played a short set, but I would guess he has the endurance and ingenuity to pull that marathon off. But then there are bands like the Emersons that are better suited for sprinting; they push as hard as they can for 20-25 minutes and that's fine with them and their fans.

This debate smells like scene politics to me. I say bands should play whatever the hell shows they want, and everyone else should either privately let the bands know where they prefer to see them or shut the hell up and vote with their feet and their money. Talking shit just seems counter-productive.

My experience has been that no matter what venue or event a band plays at, some people will be happy and others not. That's just how it is. Which is why playing a variety of venues and events is good.

I didn't get that the DC Ska thread was clubs versus non-clubs. I gathered some thought it silly to list bands playing at festivals or restaurants as "real" shows, which is ludicrous, since if you want to see the band that might be a good way to catch them. Likewise, it can be good exposure for the band, to gain new fans.

Now if you want to discuss playing shows where people are there to see the bands specifically versus them playing as background music, that's a more interesting discussion to have. Its why some bands hate playing bars, because most of the crowd tends to view you simply as pleasant background noise. But doesn't it work effectively the same with kids at Westcott shows that are more interested in socializing with their friends than watching the band? To me, it's the same exact deal.

It seems they were also arguing about playing gigs for money as opposed to playing them for "pure music fans". I find that a silly argument, but it doesn't surprise me to see it on DC Ska, since they love to argue down there, honestly.

A couple weeks ago I played my first gig ever on keys with a new Detroit reggae band. The guy who taught me guitar was at the helm, and I was the youngest member of the group by approximately 15 years, if not more. We did a bar gig at a posh joint on Detroit's riverside, and we played three sets of music, including many many covers. I had a ton of fun getting into that groove, and it was awesome to finally perform reggae music with people, but it was weird just being in the background. I mean, I'm used to be ignored on stage, but I usually at least have a chance. I start out with the attention of people and then lose it, whereas the bar band plays on without ever having had the attention at all. As much fun as it was playing that music, it's hard to have fun without getting a reaction from people. Between doing that and playing a solo set in a house or a coffee shop, I'd prefer to do the solo set because it's just more fun. It has more spirit. Playing a solo set at a bar is a mixture of the two, obviously, so I guess that falls in the middle.

However, at the end of the night of the bar gig I played with the reggae band, each individual member was paid more money than TFT as a whole got for some of our out-of-town shows. It was the reggae band's first show. There is A LOT more money to be made doing bar stints like that, and I am not surprised that so many people reserve themselves to playing the same cover songs in different bars 5 nights a week. It's unfulfilling, but it's a great way to make a living.