Buffalo Boy's Blog
Giving You More Than Just My Two Cents
High Gas Prices Killing Music
You can raise the price of gas as high as you want, you can raise the price of everything if you want, but for me, as soon as it starts to interfere with the ability of new, up and coming indie rock bands to go out on tour and essentially broaden their musical horizons, putting the whole indie rock scene in jeopardy, then its personal.
I love music and this article is all about that music scene being affected by high fuel costs. Most indie bands who are trying to survive don't get fancy record deals that pay for their travel and hotels, they like the band in this article get around in a rented van or someones personal vehicle.
They don't get guaranteed money and they don't get royalties on record sales because they have to play shows to generate interest and get people to buy their music. This will do a few things, I think you will start seeing many indie bands playing more local shows, you may even see more local bands try to organize mini festivals locally in order to generate more fans at the shows and more interest from outside the area. One thing I do know is, it limits the ability of any band to travel much unless they are in the top tier of live performing acts. Its tough for bands to pay hauling their equipment around and maybe even a small crew. It will be interesting to see how this affects the music scenes across the country and if it limits bands ability to survive or if they reinvent the way the expose people to their music. My thinking is through things like Youtube and other media, bands will figure it out. Though there is nothing like the live experience of a good live band perform. This is a clip from one of Canada's most successfuly Indie bands (indie meaning they don't have a major record label supporting them which does have its benefits) This is Sloan with Money City Maniacs:
Someone should tell them to get real jobs!!! Nothing good ever comes from going from bar to bar. The only thing good about the song was the siren.
So the Rolling Stones should have quit a long time ago say back in the early 60's, same with every other Rock band that has ever played a note because thats how they start. as a small unsigned band going bar to bar.
No no no that would have been a tradgedy. I just think it is amusing that you think anyone would actualy care what gas prices are doing to a bunch punks.
Peter, I care about music. I am a music lover and I like rock and roll. A lot of bands start off as indie bands touring on a shoe string budget earning their fans one at a time in club shows and bars. That coincidentally is where some of the best music is discovered: The Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads, Television, Patti Smith amongst other American treasures founded at a little club in NYC known as CBGB's
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