(no subject)

[vicarz]

So tonight people are asking everyone to show up for Purg. I was thinking of posting a similar request, but after debate I don't think I will. It would be just swell if you do go - for I hate to see the night go. It's my favorite night for good music (Vlad is a friggin scholar when it comes to bands), they have cool weird beer, and they are right next to my house. The giant drawback for me has always been that it's on a Wed night, and I have a job. More recently, the attendance has been so light that it's not worth my while to go out for 30 minutes only to have to re-shower as I reek of cigaretted smoke I absorb talking to the 5 people that show up. Now it seems Stark Raving Mad is going belly-up, and again the calls are out about support. No offense, but my conclusion is: "Fuck supporting the scene."

I mean there is something to it, I like the scene, and wish it wouldn't die. BUT - the 'scene' is just what...music? Drinking? Buying clothes? The scene is made up of recreational activities. It's something you do because you feel like it. While I don't want to see it die - the minute that my attendance is some sort of moral obligation, it ceases to be fun and it's no longer recreation. I'm sorry - but I don't want my drinking, movie-watching, song dancing, and tramp boffing to be something I am required to do as my patriotic duty. It's either fun or it's not happening.

I'm torn - I do feel like I should drag my tired ass out and hit one of these nights and keep them going, but suppose I do - suppose I do get 20 people to show up for some club night. How much will that help? Will they be there next week? The next month or 6? How much guilt will it take to keep attendance up?

The scene will live or die because of what people want to do, what they want from it and what it provides or doesn't. Right now there is a club night virtually every night of the week. My favorite and only regular night is Chairschool on Saturdays. I have had the time to rest up, and I don't have work the next day. I'm sorry if this choice of mine slights other events and nights, but it is the night that best suits my schedule, musical taste, and venue desire. I only have so much energy to go out, and the weeknights are just not likely to happen.

So if you support your scene - cool. Go for it. Perhaps supporting the scene can make you feel good about yourself, like seeing local bands to line their pockets rather than plugging your cash into national acts. If you don't, if you want to see the newest terminator movie, want to buy your clothese from Hechts, or want to party down in the biggest mainstrem club night of the week - that's fine too. I think it's enough to allow people to do what they want, perhaps too much to ask them to do recreational activities out of a sense of duty.

I used to take the time to compose...lately I just spout.

Comments

[violet-heather.livejournal.com]

Oh I agree, and I don't think it was ever meant as a "support your scene or you suck" kind of thing, just more of a "hey, enjoy it while you can" thing, at least for Purgie.... we all know it is difficult on the weekdays, hell I can't even go often, I think it is just a sort of reminder, in case people forgot we were there :)

[kelowna.livejournal.com]

For the most part, I do agree with everything you are saying here. I honestly think that there should be an effort to create a sense of quality over quantity -- but you've heard my rant on that.

Tho, let it be known, if people chose to spend their money at big theatres and Hechts or the mainstream club down the street -- they can also be the ones to quit whining about a lack of diversity.

Right now this form of alternative music has taken a down swing and is simply not as "popular" as it was when I was 21.

Hell, Skinny Puppy at the small 930 club isn't even sold out.

--kelowna

[vicar.livejournal.com]

Heh - no you guys are lovely. I've just heard the battle cry many times, and while I was pondering I ran into Kangal's rant about how the scene sucks because of the clothing store going out of business. I kinda support both sides of the fence, but have come to realize that overall if people want to go they will - but you can't force them.

[djkangal.livejournal.com]

but have come to realize that overall if people want to go they will - but you can't force them.

Thanks man. I thought you were mad at me.

There's only one guiding principle that can be applied to the counterculture, for it to be a success: Do What You Wanna Do. That's it. And beyond that, you're becoming what people are coming to you to AVOID.

Club nights work best when they put up a shingle, and then carry on like they are the coolest thing on Earth. It's the only way to work.

[vicar.livejournal.com]

(I don't know what you mean by put up a shingle!)

Mad at you? You'd care! Ha! You'd rant back, or ignore me in holier than thou proudness! Mad, harumph! /giggle

Well the scene is stronger in numbers now that it was a few years ago, but it's also weaker than it was. There is little sense of community, and people are no more interested in small bands or little stores - they seem more into the big hits and hot topic. In any case - while the scene is bigger, it seems too small still to have much going on each night of the week. We're spread pretty thin by my view. Back in combthecat days there was very little else going on - I hated that venue, but went as there was no other choice.

Hot topic themselves is a huge silly debate. Do you hate them because they're corporate? Are they sell-outs or successful at marketing to us freaks? Do they create fake freaks, and if so is that bad? Isn't getting weird clothes cheap and easy (heh) a good thing, or does it water us down? Is punk just another corporate marketing strategy?

and so on...I have no answers - I think all sides have merit.

[cweaselle.livejournal.com]

Part of alot of peoples problem has always been lack of funds. If you're a freak and you show it, alot of paying jobs won't hire you. You can work at Goth and Go, but you make $6.50 an hour or work as a computer geek where you work through the club times. And as the regular crowd ages more and more of us have children (or whatever) and it becomes less and less feasible to go out.

Another problem is that there are so many different types of music that encompass our "scene" that djs will never make everyone happy. The more times someone doesn't hear their favorite song, the less likely they are to go to that night.

Also, club nights need to die so that we can remember them fondly. Remember Roxi? Or Tracks? No one says bad things about them now, it's like those nights never had problems. They did, we just forgot them.

michelle
my two cents for what their worth.

[chadu.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry - but I don't want my drinking, movie-watching, song dancing, and tramp boffing to be something I am required to do as my patriotic duty.

But if you don't do those things, the terrorists will win!

CU

[tony-laetrile.livejournal.com]

Right now this form of alternative music has taken a down swing and is simply not as "popular" as it was when I was 21.

Hell, Skinny Puppy at the small 930 club isn't even sold out.


It may not be popular as others, but this form of music is established. Is the term alternative meant as an alternative to popular or established?

If you use the term alternative as an alternative to popular, then, by definition, that scene is never going to grow past a certain size; if it does, it is considered "mainstream" or "sellout" and dies.

If you use the term alternative as an alternative to established, then it holds in mind the belief that music, movies, the zeigeist, whatever, constantly renew and that new things get exposure and old things get stale. ("Retro" means that some things get so stale they get new again.) In which case, that scene isn't going to last past a certian time.

Time versus Space: it's an old dilemma.

Maybe we all should start going to reggae clubs and Teaism.

[vicar.livejournal.com]

Logistics have a lot to do with it. I'm a lot more concerned with the music sucking on a Saturday than a Wednesday. The responsibilities that come with age, and perhaps my age and general wussiness, will continue to cut down on my ability to go out and hear stuff I like.

Though I'm a total electroclash whore it turns out, so I'm not just stuck in the past.

I like the music, but how important is it? If we push the stuff we like, does that make us unfairly controlling the scene? I mean no offense, but I'm not about to get up off my lazy ass and DJ. I've considered that approach, and it's cool that you did it - but...I dunno. My interest level cuts off before that point.

Vicar the DJ would be hilarious though...I so deserve to be trashed after all the negativity I've shared! Me spinning would be like setting up a dunking booth - especially in this scene where everyone in the scene is or is fucking a DJ!

Still - I'm probably more valuable as a patron. Even there my time and energy is limited, with no change in sight. Now how you inspire people to come out...I don't know. I can just talk about what does or does not inspire me.

[kelowna.livejournal.com]

Von Verd. Marilyn Manson.

--kelowna

[vicar.livejournal.com]

Yes. Yes it does.
Come now...DJing is masturbation, isn't it?
"Who do I have to fuck to get listed in this place!?"

[tony-laetrile.livejournal.com]

Went downhill after the first album, but hey, they're all rich and we're not.