We played the Boston Music Festival

[jgcable]

We played at a club called Church. There were 5 bands.
We drove all the way from Ringwood NJ to Boston MA for the opportunity to play at this premier week long music event. They only choose 100 bands by interview and invite only. The stage was awesome, the sound system was awesome, it was in the heart of Boston University with a mix of Berkley students and 3 blocks from Fenway!! They banged us for $30.00 to park the truck and no discount on the severely overpriced drinks!!
Here is the head count!!!

1st band 7:00pm (came up from CT) 1 person
2nd band 8:00pm (my band from NJ) 3 people total
3rd band 9:00pm (local from Boston only 5 miles away) same 3 people
4th band 10:00pm (came up from NY) same 3 people
5th band 11:00pm (local act from MA) 0 people

We sounded the best ever. Our set was incredible. The bartenders said we were incredible. Good thing they were there because nobody else was.
The music business sucks. I don't mind paying to play (it cost us approx $900.00 to play between gas, food, parking and hotel fees) but I would at least like to see some people at the club. I remember back in the 80's.. at L'amours in Brooklyn, The Showplace, Union Jack, Rising Sun, Streets.... those places were PACKED. Bummer.

[StukaJU87]

I am glad you had a good show, John. I agree that the business sucks these days. Hardly anybody shows up anymore. One of the first things a club owner asks these days is, "How many people can you bring in?" I got sick of it a while back. We just started up again, but with only aspirations of having a good time playing the music we like.

[scotty]

+1 on everything he said.
We have a club in our area that actually pays bands according to the how much alcohol they sell. But you are guaranteed $150 unless they throw you out.

[Larz]

Wow, that's insane.

Do you have any video from your show?

[thetroy]

We played at a club called Church. There were 5 bands.
We drove all the way from Ringwood NJ to Boston MA for the opportunity to play at this premier week long music event. They only choose 100 bands by interview and invite only. The stage was awesome, the sound system was awesome, it was in the heart of Boston University with a mix of Berkley students and 3 blocks from Fenway!! They banged us for $30.00 to park the truck and no discount on the severely overpriced drinks!!
Here is the head count!!!

1st band 7:00pm (came up from CT) 1 person
2nd band 8:00pm (my band from NJ) 3 people total
3rd band 9:00pm (local from Boston only 5 miles away) same 3 people
4th band 10:00pm (came up from NY) same 3 people
5th band 11:00pm (local act from MA) 0 people

We sounded the best ever. Our set was incredible. The bartenders said we were incredible. Good thing they were there because nobody else was.
The music business sucks. I don't mind paying to play (it cost us approx $900.00 to play between gas, food, parking and hotel fees) but I would at least like to see some people at the club. I remember back in the 80's.. at L'amours in Brooklyn, The Showplace, Union Jack, Rising Sun, Streets.... those places were PACKED. Bummer.

I'm 23 and I don't know a single person who goes to places with live music besides occasionally seeing big national bands.

I don't even go out myself because I just can't stand most of the stuff being played now. If everyone were playing stuff like they did back in the 80's I would be out every chance I got.

[jgcable]

Wow, that's insane.

Do you have any video from your show?

No, we wouldn't dare video it. There wasn't a single clap between songs. We had an entire Boston rap set up between songs to get the crowd going but we didn't even bother saying a word because there was nobody to talk to.
The thing that sucked big about this gig is that there was no mention of having to bring a crowd because its the Boston Music Festival. People buy tickets online for day or week passes or they can pay at the door.

Good thing I don't own alot of equipment anymore because if I did I would sell most of it. Its not fun to play for an empty house when you are musically at the top of your game. We sounded great.
Oh well.. I had my fun in the 80's to mid 90's. I guess its payback time.

[jgcable]

+1 on everything he said.
We have a club in our area that actually pays bands according to the how much alcohol they sell. But you are guaranteed $150 unless they throw you out.

A guarantee of $150.00 is an amazing deal around here.

[CharvelRocker]

Funny thing is, we have clubs here that are always packed on the nights they have music... hell, there is even one casual kind of restaurant bar that can get a lot of people in it. Area makes the difference maybe?

[thetroy]

Funny thing is, we have clubs here that are always packed on the nights they have music... hell, there is even one casual kind of restaurant bar that can get a lot of people in it. Area makes the difference maybe?

I could see that. Boston, especially at this time of year, is full of college students.

College students don't generally have time and money to waste on local bands that might or might not be any good (and chances are they will not be that good...).

[Larz]

When I was in college, live bands drew big time. I hated going places with just a DJ and rarely did unless it was for chicks.

I'd think with all the college kids around, some would show up, especially for an event billed as the Boston Music Festival, a place that has produced some notable music over the years.

[Reverend Timmy]

Hey,John.I've said it before and I will say it again.My hat is off to any and everyone that is still slinging it after all this time.I wish I was.There will be a gig down the road that will pull it all back into perspective.I don't think some people realize the evolution that some of us got to see and be apart of during the 80's and early 90's.I'm not trying to take away from what some of the younger guys deal with now,but some of the music today is sterile compared to what some of us have seen and heard..................

[Reverend Timmy]

Amen.........

[STLKINGV]

Dude, at least you didn't have to supply or pay for production........ Bring your band to St. Louis.... Shit, we're getting $500-750 a night with production included for 70's & 80's rock covers.

A~

[Endrik]

it sucks to be in a band these days unless you join a group which is already famous

[VitaminG]

Dude, at least you didn't have to supply or pay for production........ Bring your band to St. Louis.... Shit, we're getting $500-750 a night with production included for 70's & 80's rock covers.

A~

that's about what we're getting. We're playing country pubs, so there's gotta be a bit of Sweet Home, Copperhead Rd, Proud Mary in amongst the stuff I actually enjoy playing. I don't care though - I'm just having fun playing out with my friends a couple times a month. Too old and too ugly to think about making a career out of it