Yay LJ drama
My two cents.
I didn't turn up to it because I didn't happen to like the headliners. Simple as that. Listened to a few tracks on their myspace and decided it wasn't my thing. Possibly did the same with Transitional; I can't actually remember. By the time Thursday's Radiation were announced I was completely disinterested.
Supporting the local scene is all well and good and resources permitting* I'm happy to do so. The music industry is, for better or worse, a business and businesses need to cater to demand to make money and survive. The more people a band brings in, the more likely they are to get more gigs later down the line. So yes, I can appreciate that if nobody turns up to gigs then venues won't want to invite bands back and the scene dies. But consider the opposite extreme: absolutely everybody turning up to every gig. If all bands draw the same attendance, venues and promoters can't distinguish popular from unpopular bands and success becomes impossible. As such, "supporting the scene" - to me, at any rate - means turning up to see bands that I think I'll enjoy seeing and passing up gigs that am indifferent to or disinterested in.
One thing I do regret is not turning up to the Darkest Hour gig last week. While metalcore isn't my usual cup of tea it was by all accounts a very good gig and one of the support bands, Malefice, were recommended to me by a couple of people. I really have no excuses for not turning up to that one and it looks like I missed out as a result. Damn.
*As an aside, another factor is that while I enjoy music, it isn't the only thing my life, nor even necessarily the highest priority. I'm at Cambridge running myself into £20k debt for a reason and that's to get a good degree and hopefully a decent job at the end of it. If nothing else, if I can acheive such a thing it'll give me more money to afford to support more bands. ;)
I didn't turn up to it because I didn't happen to like the headliners. Simple as that. Listened to a few tracks on their myspace and decided it wasn't my thing. Possibly did the same with Transitional; I can't actually remember. By the time Thursday's Radiation were announced I was completely disinterested.
Supporting the local scene is all well and good and resources permitting* I'm happy to do so. The music industry is, for better or worse, a business and businesses need to cater to demand to make money and survive. The more people a band brings in, the more likely they are to get more gigs later down the line. So yes, I can appreciate that if nobody turns up to gigs then venues won't want to invite bands back and the scene dies. But consider the opposite extreme: absolutely everybody turning up to every gig. If all bands draw the same attendance, venues and promoters can't distinguish popular from unpopular bands and success becomes impossible. As such, "supporting the scene" - to me, at any rate - means turning up to see bands that I think I'll enjoy seeing and passing up gigs that am indifferent to or disinterested in.
One thing I do regret is not turning up to the Darkest Hour gig last week. While metalcore isn't my usual cup of tea it was by all accounts a very good gig and one of the support bands, Malefice, were recommended to me by a couple of people. I really have no excuses for not turning up to that one and it looks like I missed out as a result. Damn.
*As an aside, another factor is that while I enjoy music, it isn't the only thing my life, nor even necessarily the highest priority. I'm at Cambridge running myself into £20k debt for a reason and that's to get a good degree and hopefully a decent job at the end of it. If nothing else, if I can acheive such a thing it'll give me more money to afford to support more bands. ;)