Syracuse Ska Forum

Okay, let me try this again ...

I've been bringing this up many times privately and not making any headway, so I'll try another approach ...

I seek to be the booking agent and/or business manager for a ska band. Preferably in Syracuse, but not necessarily. All terms negotiable. But I only want to work closely with a band with serious ambition. In return, I'll use all my contacts and accumulated knowledge to promote your band. Prefer you already have a vision, but I can supply one if you don't already have one. Serious inquiries only. Must be willing and able to tour regionally and preferably nationally.

Would like to start with just one band and later possibly expand from that.

Contact me via my website: Kingston Beat

Thanks in advance.

after this quarter at rit i'll be done and wouldn't mind touring before finding a job. i have my first practice tomorrow, and we'll see how things fly. might be too punk for your kb project but we'll see what happens. i'll let you know.

:: smo ::

Well, at least Smo and The Expired emailed me. No one else did, for whatever reason ...

Because I don't have a band...

I'm even willing to help cobble a band together of interested people that share some of my interests in how a good ska band might be constructed.

As an example, I got Ryan and Chris of The Benefits to audition Heather as lead singer and I still think that worked out really well. But obviously, it was a mere suggestion and they took her on because they really liked working with her. I'm not heavy-handed, but I do have strong opinions about bands, which I'm willing to share to those interested.

My main interests:

1) Getting a quality ska band from Syracuse signed to a real label and booked to a decent national tour. Too Hectic, Short Round and STP never managed to do that in spite of very obvious talent and strong outside interest and that's always severely bugged me. I feel like that would really open people's eyes to what we're doing here and create bigger goals for the younger bands than merely opening for Mustard Plug, for example.

2) Getting a quality ska band from Syracuse known for something distinctive in their music and/or lyrics so that the buzz on them easily spreads worldwide. Again, I feel like that might really inspire the younger bands to stop being so highly imitative and more innovative. I feel like there's enough talent here, just not enough imagination at work yet. But having someone lead that parade would help a lot more than all my talk, ya know?

3) Broadening the local ska scene enough to where other people book quality ska shows in Syracuse on a consistent basis without my help. I really hate how now everyone wants to pressure me for bookings "because no one else will do it". I really look forward to the day where I can book because I feel like it and not because I may let people down, ya know?

4) Broadening the local venue situation enough that a variety of ska shows can easily be scheduled in the same week. I really hate getting great show offers and having to walk away from them because I have no suitable venue, ya know?

Ya know, ya know, ya know????

1) Getting a quality ska band from Syracuse signed to a real label and booked to a decent national tour. Me too
2) Getting a quality ska band from Syracuse known for something distinctive in their music and/or lyrics so that the buzz on them easily spreads worldwide. .. is that a challenge?
3) Broadening the local ska scene enough to where other people book quality ska shows in Syracuse on a consistent basis without my help. I would love to but can't.
4) Broadening the local venue situation enough that a variety of ska shows can easily be scheduled in the same week. I thought about going to LeMoyne to get a MBA and purchase an abandoned wharehouse in the city and turn it into a venue for multiple bands to play at...Of course I would also own a shop which sells hard to find stuff IE: patches, buttons, t-shirts, LOCAL SKA BANDS' CD'S. Etc.

If you could get someone to audition me, I would more than likely try my best to...be ambitious...?

There must be some merit in that idea, because a similar one (a record store/all-ages venue/maybe even a coffee shop) tumbled into my head a few weeks ago

It's a far-down-the-road idea, but the lack of solid, honest-to-goodness, no-strings-attached all-ages venues drives me bonkers, and I believe in one rule of business before all others: design a product you yourself would like to use.

The City was selling an old firehouse on Stutson St. a couple of years ago. Like, 3 stories with the truck bays downstairs. And I kept thinking it would make the most awesome showspace ever. Unfortunately, it was a bit out of my price range...

EDIT: When I wrote this, I guess maybe I thought it'd go without saying, but maybe not...

Because sliding down a firepole would be the coolest way to take the stage. Ever.

That is one of my goals in life. Where I get to the point where I am finanically able, I want to open a used record store, and then in the basement have a venue for shows.

That's what I was thinking. 'cause the obvious choices for a venue owner are to do enough volume to make shows your primary business, or have it as a support to your main business.

Bars book bands to get people in to drink. Same for coffee shops.

Why alcohol? Why coffee? Every touring band has a merch table! Let them set one up at the show, and afterwards, buy some off them to stock the store (and if their stuff moves, bring 'em back!) People in the comic book industry do that all the time at conventions, because they don't want to lug their unsold stock home.

Neither does Smo. He has a couple of friends and a head-ful of ideas.

I plan to put out "recruiting notices" at music shops for musicians, sound techs and street team members. I'm sure there are people out there who want to contribute, but haven't hooked up with the existing scene.

Hell, I would be one of those people, if not for this forum.

Actually it's something I plan on doing some day. My friend Matt and I talk about going into business with each other a lot. He's got the financial/legal/economic mind for it, and I have the publicity/music/people skills part of it. We'd be a great match if it ever came down to it, though I doubt we'll ever end up anywhere near each other to try it.

In the very least, it's something I'm DETERMINED to do some day. Though it'll probably somewhere other than Syracuse..

P.S. I'm sure this goes without saying..

But if I ever EVER had the oppourtunity to be in a band, be it swing/jazz/blues/indie/ska or whatever, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I'd put my heart and soul into it. I'd play guitar, or bass, or sax, or flute, or I'd even learn to excel at a new instrument for it.

Music is my life. And I wish that I could honestly make a life out of it.
I've just never had the oppourtunity..
::sighs::

While its really off the topic of my own thread, I feel compellled to respond to the many comments about opening a new venue ...

Every one of us has probably thought about it. Many of us have lightly discussed it with friends. Myself and a few others have seriously looked into it. Some of the major issues:

1) Buying a bulding is CRAZY. Most new businesses don't buy buildings, because honestly, it's a lot easier to call the landlord when the roof leaks or the heat goes out. You don't worry about paying taxes or buying liability insurance on the building alone (though you should have a policy on the business you conduct there too). Many, many businesses and non-profit groups have innocently bought buildings and gone bankrupt from the complications that often ensue. Plus, there are a zillion buildings you can LEASE for $1 a year, so why not go that route instead?

2) Running a venue is running a BUSINESS. There has to be steady income to pay the bills and shows will rarely provide that. That's why alcohol is so closely associated with live music -- it pays the bills. Successful all ages venues either run big shows constantly (making their cut mostly off the door) or are associated with a non-profit group that is typically struggling financially and doing all ages shows as only a portion of what they do to make ends meet.

3) Most places we've known that were good at all ages shows HAVE CLOSED FOR A REASON. A great example was Happy Endings. A wonderful downtown coffeehouse that struggled financially and finally had to pull the plug. Salt City Center that leased their building for $100 a year from the City of Syracuse and still couldn't make it work. No Borders, No Boundaries. Planet 505. Zopies. Hungry Charlies.

4) LIVE MUSIC IS A TOUGH BUSINESS. It always amazes me more people don't see this. For some reason, they think bands they know (which more often than not at that point have some measure of success) will play shows day in and day out for $100 a night. After you pay out your expenses and divvy the money up, you're not even making minimum wage. While its true many aspiring bands will do that routine, after they get older and/or a bit more sophisticated, they're looking for a lot more money -- not to get rich, but just to not starve.

5) You're much better off SUPPORTING EXISTING VENUES THAN CREATING NEW ONES. Help make these struggling businesses work before you spend too much time dreaming of your own place. These places exist RIGHT NOW and they need help RIGHT NOW. Find sympathetic people and help them out. They're taking all the financial risk, so think about it -- they're already doing the hard part!

Not trying to discourage dreaming, mind you, but we all need to be realistic that this pretty much what we're talking about ...