Helen Bach says:
I need to get this off my chest so sit back shut up and read.
What the fuck is wrong with up and coming local ‘bands’ these days? Is it really just a fucking game?
Here’s my problem I have written about 4 or five local bands pointed it out to them and not so much as gotten a public thank you. I have trudged into filthy clubs to watch them play heard them through myspace and their cheap bedroom productions to find some good and support my local scene. Give them some props and hopefully some exposure
I have posted links to your bands
I have asked to interview you
You have shown no interest at all, Or wait you sorta do then something comes up… oh wait that’s right you picked up another shift right?
It’s a rough world my friends. The music industry is not a hand holding entity. You want to do more than ask ‘paper or plastic’ then I suggest you take ANY offer you get for ANYONE that shows interest in you. Why? Cuz you have NO idea where its going to lead and no idea who’s going to read it or see whats written about you. But you can be sure you have lost me as your advocate.
I find it amusing as I sit down to speak to bands who have made a career of music how genuinely polite, gracious and appreciative they are. rocknyc is not Rolling Stone….thank God, but come to think of it YOU’RE not The Rolling Stones. Touche’
So here is a word of advice. If you are serious about music, if you really want to ‘make it happen’ I suggest you behave professionally. Music is a business if its not treated as such its nothing more than beer money.
Iman Lababedi says:
I disagree. Nobody owes us anything. Not mp3s, not access, not guest lists, not interviews. Nothing. Maybe they think we suck. That’s their right. We don’t write for access and access doesn’t change our opinion. Mary Magpie got it right, we are merciless rock journalists and our only duty is to tell the truth to our readers. We don’t love music to meet bands, we love music to love music. And music isn’t a business, it’s a vocation.
I have written incessantly about bands without the slightest regard to whether I interview em or not. It is entirely beside the point. I don’t care. We write (and know it is true of Helen as well as Brett, Mary, Mike, Todd -all of us) to share our love and knowledge of music.
If musicians won’t or can’t meet with us, I really could care less.