Respect as a commodity?

Anyone who keeps up to date with the big music stories in Scotland may very well have stumbled across the tale of Eric Clapton’s recent misadventure at the Glasgow Hydro concert. If you haven’t, the gist is that old Slow Hand stopped his performance in the middle of his classic number Cocaine, and left the stage permanently, much to the outrage of the sizeable audience.

(I don't wanna play anymore! Pic: Chirag Rathod) 

This abrupt termination was put down to technical issues, but other than that, no explanation or apology seems to have been given on the night. Now, every band has had some sort of equipment breakdown at some point. It’s just the law of averages that something will eventually go wrong. What sparked interest in writing this piece is the attitude that accompanied it.

Being from a different era, the golden age of recorded music, it’s pretty unlikely that this event has caused much of a problem for the guitar legend. He has probably built up enough of a buffer, both financially and in terms of audience, but times have well and truly changed. For artists coming up in the present environment for music, this could well have been the career equivalent of stepping into a suicide booth and pressing all the buttons at random. Yet, bands on the ‘toilet circuit’ still seem to display a similar lack of respect at times. Well, here’s where they’re setting themselves up for a slow climb to the bottom.

Your ‘fans’ ARE your band! They have to be able to relate to you instantly and in a positive way. Some artists can still make headway with the application of mystique as their banner, but for many the way forward is building a more personal clan. The audience has to own you to a degree. Check out number 4 in this list. The rest of it is good advice, but that might just be the cherry!

Remember, though, that almost everyone you come across is a potential member of your musical family (e-marketing guru Seth Godin calls them tribes – I actually really like reading this guy’s work!). The sound guy you just had a rant at? He works with a different band or four every week/day. That could be around 240 people in one month - who are passionate enough about music to start their own band – that sound engineer won’t be telling about how awesome your music is. Worse still, he could be damning your name to them.

That’s only scratching the surface of the negative impact poorly managing your behaviour can have. How many people do you know who are only involved in one aspect of the music industry? I’ve had a number of bands over the years, I’ve run numerous events, I do security for gigs, I speak to music journalists frequently from PR-ing events and bands, write reviews for an on-line magazine, and I’m part of a music services group, as well as fumbling my way through this blog. All these things have necessarily brought me into increasingly involved relationships relating to the music scene, and I assume a significant number of others are similarly deeply engaged in the community.

Let’s go back to your theoretical nemesis, the ‘irritating’ sound engineer. He could also be in a band that plays to hundreds everywhere they go, and make the effort of speaking to them. He might be reviewing your gig for some illustrious magazine you’ve been dying to get into. Maybe he got the teching job from his older brother who runs a death-metal booking agency! Your bad name has potentially now reached thousands due to one singular lapse in judgement. I’m not saying you should be brown-nosing all in sundry, but you should be constantly aware of the repercussions of off-hand, disrespectful behaviour.

("I say! Spiffing game! Perhaps you would like to watch me perform with my industrial crust-grindcore band, Bukkake Hammer?" Pic: Kance)

When people talk about ‘fans’ nowadays, I feel like the word kind of sticks awkwardly in my mouth. I can’t quite assimilate the notion that these people are somehow a separate species to the musician. Every person I interact with in the music sphere is part of the bigger picture; the security staff, the rigger, the stage techs, the bar tenders, the bands, the merch team, the tour manager, and yes, the paying gig-goers. Every single one of them is an individual, not just a body fulfilling a function. I hope and believe that they are there for something more, and are due the same respect as any other potential convert to a band’s cause.

If current theories are to be followed, these converts are exactly the type of person you want to get involved with, as people are tending more towards paying to help bands they like, rather than shell-out for products. Accepting this as the case, good relationships are pretty much an investment.

I hope this doesn’t sound too clinical, cynical or calculating. It’s not meant to. Quite the opposite, in fact. It’s merely an attempt to clarify the rapidly shrinking gap between good business sense and common decency. Respect is now becoming a commodity, and it reaches out in all directions to work in your favour when managed correctly.

The problem still remains, however, that you only have a limited amount of time at your disposal to engage. You can’t talk one-to-one with every single person who might be involved with your band. That would exhaust you to the point where you would be unable to perform the artistic duties on which the whole process is hinged. What we’re left with is a bit of a tight-rope walk, constantly having to maintain a balance between the needs of the creator and the needs of their community.

Social media is a big element in this. Digital interactions are mainly conceded as both part of the cause and part of the cure for current music woes. Through various networks, you can reach massive numbers almost instantly, but these are much colder relationships than those which take place in the real world. Again, you have to decide how much effort to invest in these approaches; how much of yourself to put into the digital world without getting lost, and how much to invest in the more expensive physical realm, kissing hands and shaking babies.

The mystery isn’t going to be solved by one answer for everyone, so again, UP is off in search of insight and experience at the hands of those who have been, seen and done. Until next time – RESPECT!

What happens on the road...

It’s fairly safe to assume that many of you reading this are musicians, and that a fair percentage love the rush of hitting the stage. Those who have ventured beyond the local pub and club scene will also have experienced many of the ups and downs of touring life. It’s a tricky skill to master, and involves a lot of planning and organisation to get it right.

With the rising importance in live music for the industry in general, it seems sensible to dig deeper into what this means for underground artists. Is it a way to recover losses from the reported drop in recorded music sales? Is it an effective means of promoting your music?

In this interview we get down to the nuts and bolts of the current live campaign for Scottish blackened thrashers Achren, with frontman Scott Anderson. Let’s find out how the blood soaked banner flies…  

(Scott Achren in full blown 'riff-face' mode. Pic: Patricia Silva)

UP: So, you just came of a string of live dates in Scotland and Northern England, right?

Scott Anderson: We're in the middle of them.  Got a couple more down south over the next couple of weeks and we're done.

UP: How did you fare? Was there decent attendance at all the shows?

SA: Pretty good. The least well attended one was one we jumped on at the last minute.  Wasn't on our tour posters, was a matinee gig in a pub in Gateshead on the way to Newcastle.  The promoter saw we'd be nearby on the day and asked us to fill in for a band that had to cancel at short notice.  Understandable that there was a lower attendance than usual. Overall, though, we've had some great crowds and they're often mad for pitting! You might have noticed that we haven't done the Scottish Central Belt this time, though

UP: Why is that?

SA: A couple of reasons - one is that we played Glasgow about 6 months ago with Watain, so we don't want to overplay just because it's close to us.  The other is that, in general, the central belt (especially Glasgow) has been seeing really low attendances at gigs recently.

I think that's probably a combination of financial climate and over-saturation.  There are so many gigs happening in the area that they're competing for audience.  From our point of view, we'd rather do one great show every year or so than a few shows where people in general say "I saw them last month" or "I'm sure they'll play again soon" and then we're just another show competing for audience share.

UP: You mentioned briefly that one of the gigs was a bit last minute and didn’t end up on your tour poster (thereby affecting attendance). Different people have their own theories on reasons for low attendance: bands blame lazy promoters, who in turn blame bands for not helping to raise awareness. Do you think there’s any particular direction to throw the blame? Should bands be taking more involved approach?

SA: With this particular gig, I don't think there's any blame to be cast.  It was a great little gig and the promoter knew it was too late for us to do much promoting.  We were purely there to play to the folks that would otherwise have had a gap in the lineup.

In general, though, I do have a theory and that's that it's everyone's fault.  Aside from the fact that the [art] of "in person" publicity is unheard of to some people and that there are always things everyone could be doing better, there's a more fundamental reason.  I think there are too many gigs and that's because there are too many bands, many of whom are out playing gigs before they are ready to.  And promoters are putting them on. 

Why is that a problem?  Well, your average fan thinks "I want to do that.  I CAN do that!" then starts spending their money on music equipment rather than on going to gigs.  Great, nothing wrong with that - that's how we get excellent new bands.  But, now there are promoters that don't have a financial stake in whether the band brings a crowd (because they're not paying the band) and they put on all these unready bands with little to no quality control.  There are now fewer fans and more gigs.  Not only that, but the general standard of gigs is lowered.  So people go to fewer gigs - they don't want to spend their money to hear some derivative, badly played noise.

If promoters made a point of paying bands no matter what, they'd only book those bands that they're sure of.  Under-par bands would have trouble finding gigs until they improve (this is where we miss the old pub circuit in Scotland) and attendances would rise (hopefully).

UP: It's an interesting theory, but would it ever work? I mean, are hopefuls going to only do shows when they're ready, and will promoters only put on bands they have to pay? Maybe what we're talking about here is a socially established, two way quality control, where bands are responsible for even more in terms of who they chose to work with.

SA: Don't really see it.  It would mean everyone sticking to the idea.  Also, we don't have the pub circuit that we used to - the local pubs willing to bung upcoming bands a few quid or some beers to play, with no cover charge.  Without that, it makes it hard for the hopefuls to learn stagecraft other than diving straight into "proper" gigging.

Promoters should be paying every band - the band are providing a service from which the promoter hopes to benefit financially.  Problem is, with the lack of those pub gigs, there are promoters starting up who don't want to make money but see themselves as doing the bands a favour (which, for the start-ups, they are), so don't pay.  I don't think they see that is self-defeating and they'll only get mates of the bands showing up.

Two-way quality control is a good way to put it, but I don't know how that would work.  I'm not a fan of hounding people because they don't do things my way.  These bands NEED somewhere to either improve or to find out they're better off and happier just as fans, so these promoters are the current solution; the industry needs new bands.  New GOOD bands. 

It just seems at the moment, people are encouraged to start bands and thrown straight into one level of activity and almost actively prevented from progressing by virtue of this very same mechanism applying to everyone regardless of merit.

Maybe if bands were given some kind of "career pathway" training, and promoters had to adhere to a voluntary code of conduct, that would begin to fix the problem.  But then, who would provide the training and who would enforce the code?  I don't have the answers, but there must be some.  We weren't always in this situation.

Maybe the culprit is budget guitar manufacturers?  Just a thought...

UP: Okay, let’s talk live vs recorded: You’ve just put out an EP, The White Death – how is that doing compared to the live campaign?

(Achren: The White Death EP out now)

SA: Really well!  The EP is limited to 250 numbered copies and it's looking like it'll sell out.  The live dates complement the recording - we play the whole EP during the course of our set and we sell a few units at every show. Not only that, we're finding that we get people buying it on online after each show, so not only are the gigs good for merch sales, they're great for getting the word out that we've got a new release, even if some folks don't make it out to a show

UP: So would you say that, for Achren at least, the old model of live shows driving recorded sales is still the way to go?

SA: I would say so.  Although it would be foolish to rely on that alone.  Once the tour is over, we'll keep up the campaign in other ways - magazine appearances, online ads, anything that we can think of. 

In my line of work, I meet a lot of people who present me with opportunities to publicise our release (even just to a few people in another country, for example) and I meet a lot of people who are themselves interested in buying our music.  So I incorporate my band into my everyday activities, making a few sales here and there but also laying the groundwork and making connections for future live campaigns or targeted marketing online.  Sometimes this results in one of the band visiting the place in question and selling recordings to the local independent record shop.  The band acting as its own record label allows a lot of flexibility in this situation!

UP: For those who don't know, what's your 'day job'?

SA: I'm a stage manager at festivals, a guitar tech and general stage crew guy, depending on what's required.  Effectively, I spend my working time at most of the major UK festivals and am in contact with bands, crew (who are usually huge music fans, funnily enough) and all sorts of music-loving people every day I'm at work.

UP: That's one of the major points I keep trying to hammer home: every interaction you have in music is with a human being. Bands and promoters are pretty much guaranteed to be fans. A little respect goes a long way

SA: Definitely! Without ramming your band down anyone's throat, if you're not confident enough in your output to bring it up in conversation about music, why should anyone else take a punt on listening to it? 

Everything that is done is done by a person and people try to do things that they enjoy. If you can put yourself in a position where everyone around you is working with music and you're happy to talk about your band, opportunities just pop up over and over again.

I understand my line of work is a bit specialised, but working in a record shop, a guitar shop, as a piano teacher - these are all in the same category:  jobs where you're more likely to find people willing to help your music career (even if it is just buying a CD).

Also - giving away band shirts isn't always the best idea but, if you are going to give one away, don't give them to people who would have bought one, give them to people who work with music and whose opinions are respected.  Give them to stage crew, record shop owners, stage managers.

UP: Okay, a couple more questions: What would you say is the biggest issue for bands trying to live ‘live’ underground?

SA: I'd say the biggest issue getting fans to come to your out of town shows.  Hometown shows, you live there, you can decide when to play, how often is too often.  You can build up a local buzz before your shows.  Out of town gigs, often you don't know the local scene, you can't get on the streets and talk to people, you're committed once the tour is booked; that date is the only date you have free between the other shows - you can't shift it to just after payday, for example.  You have to rely on the promoter to know this and do all the legwork.  Boils down to:  you need to find like-minded promoters you can trust in other cities.

(Walking the walk: The best way to hone your craft)

UP: Great stuff, Scott! Thank you for taking part! I hope you have the best of luck with the rest of the tour and the continuing campaign for The White Death! To wrap up, do you have any last nuggets of advice for underground bands who are planning to hit the circuit?

SA: Cheers!  No problem, man!  I would say make sure you've honed your show (not just your set) to a fine point before doing a few local gigs. Once you've done that, look out for every opportunity to play further afield but think VERY carefully before doing a gig that costs you more to get there than you'll get out of it (if the promoter can't give you a guarantee, how many paying punters is he expecting - remember you can play to 5 people for free at home).  And finally, don't overplay any one place.

Well, that appears to be contradictory, but I'm sure you know what I mean. 

See you soon, fella!

Can we live ‘live’ underground?

(The Inverbervie metal all-dayer was in full swing! Pic: Infrogmation)

When the physical sales industry started to collapse under the weight of free access to music made possible by the internet, the masses heralded live events as the new saviour. However, as much as this would be a pleasant outcome for some – live is the best in my opinion – the reality is a lot more complicated.

The vast majority of increase in revenue generated in the live music sector is claimed by those at the top of the game. Secondary ticketing (basically on-line scalping, a lot of which is actually owned by big ticketing companies who sell the original tickets!!!), for example, takes money from the pockets of gig-goers who may otherwise follow the traditional route of on-the-night spending. Also, the band, the venue, the promoter, and anyone else who contributes to the event sees none of this new cash. It goes straight into the pocket of someone who has done nothing more than stand in the way, like an dark-side Gandalf, saying ‘You shall not pass! …until you pay me more’. Yet this type of financial movement is included in the calculations of the health of the live scene.

What’s the result? Bands have to put up their fees to be able to afford to put on a professional gig and cover the loss on merch sales. That makes their tour a harder sell, especially if they’re down the rungs of the ladder. On top of that, if a venue or promoter does take them on at the necessary higher rate, they’re essentially losing money to secondary ticketing, too. Much like the physical music industry, live music is being prevented from reaching its potential by immoral or illegal third party action.

Naturally, this isn’t the case for all bands. Secondary ticketing is unlikely to affect a lot of smaller gigs, and yet, the audience will still have less disposable income to spend on entry, merch and CDs. Above is just one example of how convoluted the source of all those figures can be, regardless of how many aficionados tell you that live music has never been better. Sure, it recently overtook physical sales in terms of overall revenue, but that seems to mean practically nothing to the path of the underground musician.

There are some out there in the big wide world who are starting to address this issue, however. BBC 1's Jen Long, for example, passes comment on how underground bands could navigate these tricky waters. Meanwhile, the Music Industry Blog, dissects some of the bigger details, showing that artists are slowly doing worse in terms of live revenue, due to the increasing cut taken by venues, booking agents, and other costs. Maybe cutting out some middle men is the way forward for independent bands.

Obviously, these are still not cure-all solutions for everyone. This week’s intended big article is likewise NOT the definitive answer to all the questions which may arise, but it will hopefully deliver some personal insight into the polar sides of one particular related interaction; that between the underground band and the effective live events professional. 

What does a successful crowdfunded release look like?

In spite of the current surrounding buzz, crowdfunding isn't really a new concept. I think everyone reading this article will have come across a variety of tin-shakers trying to raise the money to support charitable operations. In the golden age of the high-street entertainment retail store, numerous pre-orders were introduced to let individual outlets know how many copies of upcoming releases to stock, while collecting the cash to cover their purchase in advance. Even further back than that, 18^th century book and magazine publishers would sell subscriptions to unprinted texts so they would be able to afford to produce them.

(Please buy our t-shirts so we can get home!!!)

These practices being roundly accepted, it seems strange that opinion appears to be so divided among the digital community regarding this mode of financing new projects, a situation especially prevalent between those discussing music. Some bands and artists seem to garner massive support for their crowdfunding endeavours, but others come under fire from all angles, deemed tacky or inappropriate.

There are plenty of articles out there on the web telling you how crowdfunding works in theory, but how about some inside information from the mouth of someone who has used the method? In this piece, I grab hold of one of the instigators of an underground success story in music crowdfunding, Talanas front-man and Eulogy Media boss, Hal Sinden. Time to pick the brain of a man who has experience, having taken one of these much debated projects from start to finish.

UP: Your last release, Asylum, has been getting a few spins round here. It’s a very nicely put together package!

Hal Sinden: Well, thank you muchly, most indeed!

UP: What I’d really like to get down to, though, is the process you went through involving the funding for it. It seemed to rely quite heavily on the current hot-topic of crowdfunding; what made you choose to roll that particular die?

HS: Well, funnily enough the recording itself was entirely self-funded. We decided to start a crowsdsourcing bid simply because we had SO many requests for physical product, which took us by surprise, so that large bulk of crowd sourced funding was actually purely for the creation of the digibook and the DVD content

(Promotional ad for Talanas' crowdfunding campaign)

UP: So it's only the physical manufacture that's assisted by the public?
HS: Exactly that, yes! However, I believe we'll be looking at crowdsourcing again for future recordings, especially since we've just lost our studio, which we relied upon so much, and have recorded everything at. The thing is, crowd sourcing really is SUCH a scary prospect - when bids go wrong, it can be catastrophic on many levels.

UP: That is one of the major worries. When you set out to create a project through this means you can't be entirely sure of the results

HS: It's entirely speculative, yep. A very worrying feeling indeed, not least because of how reliant it is on publicising its existence. By its very nature, it's open to scrutiny and comment from the moment you begin. For example, I hear Luke from Sleep Terror (an EXCEPTIONAL musician with a one man death metal band, tons of followers and fans) has had as much as two failed attempts. That can be poisonous from a PR perspective.

UP: Yeah, it's true that there’s always been two sides to the reception of crowdfunded projects. Some people are all for it and ready to support however they can. Others can be very acidic and disapproving, painting it as a crass form of begging. Have you experienced any negative feedback from using this approach?

HS: Oh, there's huge amounts of stigma about it. My hope is that that may be changing now given the rising profile of acts and artists who use the format. Nevertheless, it does undeniably take away some of the mystique of the process, and places artists in an extremely vulnerable position when it comes to looking at what they expect to earn from the release itself. Also whether they're pricing themselves out of the market with what could be seen by some as unnecessarily high production costs. Our bid was for physical media production and an optional bit of content creation. However, when we come to crowdsourcing the next album (in its entirety), then I suspect we may face that barrage of people saying "but you can record at home on a laptop". Well, yes, technically you can, but it just won't sound the same as when recorded properly. You can write a novel in human faeces on the back of the radio times, but that won't be much of a pleasure to read, will it?

UP: Some people might enjoy it! If those few are willing to pay enough, isn't that a successful campaign?

HS: As far as I'm concerned, I'm actually far happier meaning a lot to few than a little to many. I know that's quite a standard principle nowadays, but it does ring true. Consider our genre - it's a niche market or a subgenre scene. Plus, we (as Talanas) choose to go against many of the trends even within that, so we'll never have the kind of call on numbers that a band like Whitechapel might enjoy, but if those few people are good enough to allow us to keep writing and recording then that's all we could wish for.

UP: That's actually something I wanted to ask: Did the funding come mainly from smaller donations, or was it more a case of, as we're discussing here, a small number of enthusiasts giving much?

HS: In retrospect, I think we perhaps overestimated the interest in the really bizarre and expensive packages. That's not to say that some of the same 'rewards' might not gain some interest with a subsequent bid for future material, however the lesson learnt with this one was that we should've offered more low level incentives. It's very easy to get carried away on the artist's side with weird and wonderful rewards for people spending hundreds, but you do need to pull back a bit and remember that these are everyday people who simply want to make sure they hear a new album for the most part. Not a lot of people have access to several hundreds of pounds in disposable income each month, but 5, 10 or 15 pounds doesn't dent your expenses as much. The most surprising popularity for us to see were the people pledging in the £20 - £30 mark. That was the most popular area and was REALLY encouraging to see. Mind you, you need only look at our demographic figures that can be measured via facebook (no absolute, but it's at least an indication), and we tend to attract people more in the 25 - 35 year old fraction, so that will suggest a little more affluence than a few excited teenagers spending their newspaper round money.

UP: Could you remind me, please, what rewards were you offering in that price range?

HS: At that price range we were offering things like signed posters and handwritten sheets of lyrics or guitar notation.

UP: Along with the physical EP?

HS: Oh yes, everyone who pledged £10 or more will be getting a physical copy of the digibook of the album, along with a digital version as well. When we come to sell it outside of those who pledged, we will price it slightly higher, given its new and the increased level of content. Plus, I believe we'll then go on the same principle for future releases - you'll get the content for less money if you pledge to help make it.

UP: I have been saying for a while now that physical recordings aren’t necessarily dead or dying, but lack of effort in their production is – i.e. if you want fans to buy an actual CD, it better come in a well-designed, unique package. Do you think Asylum’s planned design (20 page digibook and various add-ons depending on level of donation) helped you to reach your goal?

HS: Well, the bog standard plastic jewel case release has gone the way of a dodo, in my opinion. Our first two releases (Reason & Abstract and The Waspkeeper) were in that format, but from now on we'll only release physically in a limited run and with properly considered accompanying content in a good looking package. I think people deserve that. I think from a retail perspective also you need to be aware of how people will be prepared to spend now. Digital releases reflect how much worth people are prepared to put into purchasing music, so therefore if someone's going to shell out for physical then I think most will be prepared to spend that bit more as a 'special' transaction. It's pure luxury.

UP: Yes, there's lot more music industry management for the modern underground band to consider these days. For example, you mentioned earlier that promotion is an incredibly important part of a crowdfunding campaign. Most industries seem to consider social media - facebook, twitter, etc - as an integral means of achieving this, but how did you find the experience of raising awareness through these avenues?

HS: It was fairly nerve-wracking, actually. One should bear in mind that we published this recent crowd sourcing bid right on the cusp of Facebook going totally public about how they were cutting down on the volume of page posts - something we rely on greatly for pretty much all our business. The suggested solution on their side was that the most 'popular' pages will still enjoy good traffic, but the only way of getting 'popular' is by more people seeing your posts so it was a complete catch 22 situation... unless you pay. We paid. It was galling, to be frank. however, the big thing we then realised would be important was to promote the bid itself with video content that was at least watchable on a basic level of entertainment rather than being simply informational. We've always preferred to entertain people in that way rather than with dry or overblown / contrived presentation. Thankfully, our key audience seem to respond well to that.

UP: Was the Facebook paid promotion worth it?

HS: In some ways yes, in others no. Whilst we didn't gain a vast amount of new supporters (which admittedly was secondary as a goal), we did manage to remind many of our existing supporters that we exist and have something worth investing in - we had otherwise 'dropped off' the map with many of them since Facebook decided that apparently users don't want to read about the bands they've personally committed to. I don't like the idea of all social media marketing going that way, but it's inevitable. What will be fascinating to see is the effect it will have on journalistic publications and their reliance on paid advertising for their day-to-day revenue. Will we see magazines and blogs adopt Facebook's targeted model or will they simply truck on, hoping that the labels and artists will continue to pump hundreds of pounds into each issue for open advertising space? Or will this kill off the magazines? Who's to say? Frankly, it's stunning to me to see that there are still so many of us stupid enough to continue as musicians given its extreme level of cost and personal loss. I'm firm in the belief that magazines are the next to go, however sad / positive that may be, depending on your viewpoint.

UP: That sounds like a topic for another interview!

HS: It's something that I've been spending a lot of time thinking about!

UP: You're not alone

HS: But just imagine what it will do to the industry. There are positives and negatives, but I think more and more people are questioning whether they really need a third party (no matter who well educated or experienced they are) when it comes to acquiring new media. You can get access to new releases SO much quicker now, whereas before you'd check out a review because it meant the difference of wasting £13 or not.

UP: Things are indeed changing, and as per usual, it's the little guy who struggles the most. Crowdfunding is one aspect, and media is another - hopefully one I will cover at a later date. It just remains for me to say congratulations on hitting your target and thank you for taking the time to talk about your experiences! Do you have any last advice for those considering a crowdfunded release?

(Diabolus in musica indeed - Mr Hal Sinden)

HS: Thank you mate, nice one. I would strongly advise that anyone considering crowdsourcing any aspect of their creative venture to look at what they're offering from a viewpoint that is as removed as possible from your own personal involvement with it. What you're offering may be great fun for you or those who know you well, but why would someone totally unrelated be interested in receiving a pair of your underpants in return for £50 of investment? Ok, a banal example, however many bids I've seen price themselves WAY too far into a rather repugnant sense of self-worth and interest that they feel should already be present in their audience - it rarely is, and we've certainly been guilty of this in the past.

In the modern day, it means much less to be an artist, and if anything you’re seen with a peculiar blend of suspicion and pity by punters instead of the wonder and grace that we saw in the '80s and '90s. People want to know that they can relate to you in some way, most crucially on a human level. I wouldn't say underselling yourself is the key, nor do I feel that all artists must be humble to the point of grovelling, but if a band on their second release is genuinely saying that signing their forthcoming CD reasonably justifies a £5 mark-up then maybe it's time for a re-think of what you mean to those you hope will pay that much. It would be more valuable to ask yourself - should you instead be signing everything anyway, or better still - why would a prospective new supporter want their high value physical release ruined by some poorly done, self-aggrandising graffiti?

The band, the fan, & the love/hate of crowdfunding.

This week Underground In Prydain is planning a pretty hefty interview on crowdfunding, but before that goes public, here’s some general information on the subject.

First up, if you don’t know what it is, crowdfunding is the process by which an individual, group or organisation asks members of the public to stump up the readies to make it possible to proceed with a proposed project.

Did you ever do a sponsored cycle or something similar at school to try and pay for a class trip or event? Crowdfunding works a bit like that, except investors are offered something a little more substantial than a cheap laugh at your expense while you peddle around and around the local park.

Unfortunately, in the case of most musicians or bands looking to use this approach to pay for their next demo, EP or album, the sympathy felt for a charity isn’t there. In fact, some people have quite the opposite reaction upon hearing that an artist is employing crowdfunding, actively seeking to discredit them in the digital world.

So, there are two very obvious pros and cons already, but there are more. They differ from project to project and so do the results. A lot of the online materials about crowdfunding would have you believe it’s pretty straight forward: You plan a set of prices and rewards, go live to your fan-base, and hey presto! Your debut is paid for, no worries!

If you’re buying that, this probably isn’t the site for you. In fact, the music industry probably isn’t the place for you. Unless you have a bottomless wallet. In which case, I’ve got some chocolate fire guards if you’re interested.

On the other hand, if you’re willing to do some proper research, analyse what has been said, what is being said, what has been experienced and by who, there is some more useful information available. For example, this article by Peter Macdonald, while a bit more brief than what is planned for UP, raises a few interesting points regarding more established bands and often overlooked issues.

Over here Brian Buchanan goes into a bit of detail as to the effects of choice of platform for the independent, although high earning artist. Even if you’re not that well established, it’s still worth a read, because it really gets into the nuts and bolts of some of the big players.

Finally, Hypebot have great introduction piece for those looking to raise smaller amounts, even at an early stage in their development. The article is admittedly around a year old, but it includes a short list of links to some very interesting experiences.

I hope you enjoyed this background to the next article I will be posting. If so, like it, share it and sign up to the mailing list for more of the same, covering a variety of subjects relating to underground musicians!