Re: lost another venue

Derek, you are correct in all you add below, but suppose I am the venue
owner. If the band runs off paying customers I don't really CARE why it is.
I'm just trying to make a living. It is absolutely imperative to remember
that the venue operator is a business man, not a music lover. Some of the
musicians are playing for the love of the music, but the venue owner is not.

Gerry
"Derek Tearne" <derek@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1idyz3v.xks7wk1okve2eN%derek@xxxxxxxxxxxx
ptooner <someguy@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hmmm, let me ask you something. Have you ever left a bar because you
found
the music irritating? I did it just last Wednesday. I'm not saying your
band sucks, but I'd say that there is a large percentage of original
bands
that really actively suck. They don't draw, they run off crowds.
Pardon
the devil's advocacy.

Hey Mr Advocate. Here's one for you.

A couple of weeks ago I went to see a band - it wasn't in a bar, but
lets not worry about that for now.

The music was, for the most part, original compositions by the main
artist - although some of them were quite old tunes. Not that they were
necessarily familiar.

Several people left the gig, including one of my erstwhile relatives,
they left because they found the music irritating, dense and hard to
follow. In all honesty I can't fault them for doing so - they really
weren't prepared for what they experienced. I must confess there was a
time in my life when I would probably have walked out on similar grounds
- although that time was not this time.

It was pretty obvious some of the people who reviewed the concert on
radio and in national coverage newspapers also had no idea what they
were listening to - although they knew enough to realise it was probably
their own lack of understanding that was at issue. It's not often you
hear the music reviewer in pompous tones on national radio say "I didn't
understand what I was listening to..." - although in a cruel moment I'd
say that was true of some of the other things that person reviewed where
they *thought* they understood what they were listening too but clearly
didn't.

The 'cover version' the band played was one of the bach cello suites (I
can't remember which one, although I can hum it if required - actually
those interested will find it on YouTube) - kind of funked up - which
one would expect in a band with three bass players (the YouTube versions
have two upright basses, here they compromised and borrowed only the one
upright from a local player).

The artist in question was Ornette Coleman.

If they'd played in the average bar we're discussing here they'd have
run off crowds in droves. They really didn't suck.

Ornette with three bass players was an extraordinary experience - one
easily worth flying halfway across the country to hear. Actually it was
worth it for the introduction "On electric bass - Charnett Moffatt; on
electric bass - Tony Falanga; on bass Al McDowell..." and the moment of
abject horror on the part of audience members who hadn't read their
programme notes well enough...

Personally I thought the people who brought Ornette and three bass
players halfway round the globe were taking a huge risk - fortunately
for them it was a sell out show - and a truly extraordinary show.

Fortunately there are also some bar owners who are prepared to allow
bleeding edge music a home - and the bands who play in those bars end up
playing in international festivals for festival directors who are
equally prepared to take a risk.

Not all music is easy, and not all music which scares people away sucks.

Thank goodness for that.

--- Derek


--
Derek Tearne - derek@xxxxxxxxx
Many Hands - Trans Cultural Music from Aotearoa/New Zealand
http://www.manyhands.co.nz/



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