Page 37 - RYAN'S GIG GUIDE JANUARY 2015

RGG January 2015 - p.37
that the band were able to set up and perform
an entire live set for a global audience of one
hundred and forty seven viewers in relative
double quick time In the stage timed moments
of ‘between songs pause’ the band would field
questions via Twitter give answers and even
send links for examination before launching
back into the next portion of performance
With the current number of apps available in
the very many numbered mobile device
markets it’s an afternoon spent thumbing the
download button to build a comprehensive
social presence on the internet a few weeks
spent announcing and promoting the
live stream beforehand and the booking of a
space to hold both band and broadcast
platform; really it’s down to whether your
webcam or mobile phone has a higher pixel
count for how complex a capturing set up you
wish to have
My drummer friend’s band had a web cam for
choice but that was probably down to lack of
better camera on a Nokia – hipsters take
note The laptop wasn’t the best but it did the
job well enough and after the feedback they
got it seemed a positive conclusion overall
It bridged that slither of screen dividing the
band from its fans the many countless
thousands of miles between the two reduced to
an almost inconsequential distance of
millimetres and mouse clicks
Between Bono forcing his latest magnum opus
onto your iPod and Jim Root of Slipknot saying
the masquerade of musicians have never made
money off the albums sales music is facing an
existential crisis of whether the message really
is more important than the money
And when you boil it all down to the unsigned
scene itself the whole ‘getting coin from the
purses of the public’ is felt in more than just
merch sales and such; it affects the ability to
even bring an audience of your own to a gig
friends and family equally tapped out and
similar so are any visiting strangers Unlike the
big names the local band can’t tour with a
bunch of other genre themed bands and hope
the collective is a tempting enough offer to
off set the exorbitant ticket cost In times of
financial uncertainty excess expenditure is
curtailed and part of that curtailing of excess
comes in their refusal to go out
With some attributed power to your own
elbow you could see your audience turn up and
tune in to ask which Pop Tart you prefer
between three song sets branching out and
reaching whoever is minded enough to
consider being able to watch a band they like
playing songs they enjoy whilst eating pizza in
their underwear and scratching themselves
with the occasional bit of lag for the chance to
keep watching if they need to take a poo mid
solo
It’s a buyers market in a dog eat dog world of
cut throat sharks encircling the trawler nets
where everyone wants more than their fare
share of the pie and more often than not at the
expense of someone else’s empty belly And
sing song soliloquies aside there’s a clear
advantage to be gained from embracing the
idea of seeing the chance to do something
positive when facing a negative prospect And
with technology surpassing the need to enquire
Spielberg’s daily rate the choice is a deep well
of richness waiting to be tapped shored up and
sustained by your – already present and active
– online social presence it may be worth your
while trying a few different things out If you’re
going to be playing to an empty room at least
this way you can advertise it and get an
audience to watch
IS THE NEW
staying in
going out