The Song Fight Bulletin Board

Dude, feel free to bring the gibson if you trust a bunch of people you've never met with it. Just remember that things get spilled, knocked over, and played hard at SFL events.

Ovations, as much as I have an unexplained disposition to loathe them, are very well suited for these events. Shell back means no belt buckle scratches, etc.

It would me nice if there were an 88-key weighted keyboard. I realize that's asking a lot, but I'm just sayin

How about PA, etc.? I volunteer running the board if JB doesn't want to do it again. I figure I've been running live sound a few nights a week since last year, I'd like to give SFL a shot

i just found this thread. i'm really going to try to make this since I live a few scant hours from boston, and we like going there.

anyway. i am not planning on performing.

-craig

The Sober Irishman wrote:if JB doesn't want to do it again.

job's yours bub.

starfinger wrote:i just found this thread. i'm really going to try to make this since I live a few scant hours from boston, and we like going there.

anyway. i am not planning on performing.

-craig

there will be a small uproar without at least an a capella version of "more than soup". or maybe you could beat box on your chest while doing it.

jack wrote:

starfinger wrote:i just found this thread. i'm really going to try to make this since I live a few scant hours from boston, and we like going there.

anyway. i am not planning on performing.

-craig

there will be a small uproar without at least an a capella version of "more than soup". or maybe you could beat box on your chest while doing it.

I'm pretty sure a back-up band could be assembled...

I'm somewhat familiar with the song

Jeez, Sober, you've gotten pretty snobby about gear these days. All that working at a guitar store must be taking its toll.

Boltoph: The Subject. This is my first show with them since their last keyboard player moved to Japan or something and hopefully I won't screw up so badly that it won't also be my last. It is good stuff, kinda math-rocky, mostly instrumental. I don't know the other bands but I'm told that Shore Leave is also pretty good. I'd also never been to Great Scott before last week when I went to check it out.

Everyone: Here is a message board for the songfight! live show. Everyone please check in and at least confirm if you're coming.

Oh god how I wish I was going.



Why can't planes be free?


and hotels.


and food.



and.... red sox tickets?

Today's update. I am learning about the live music industry. Apparently the standard response to any and all booking inquiries is to not return any of my calls. Perhaps the allure of a house that is packed with people and good bands from around the world who don't have to be paid a dime is just too much for the typical hospitaller and/or performance space owner. The majority of people to whom I have presented, repeatedly, this fabulous proposal have been so dumbfounded that they were unable to compose themselves sufficiently to form a reply. I am still holding out hope on a few outstanding calls but things are starting to look grim.

However, it is still not the time for panickry! I have a PLAN C, which I am reluctant to invoke but will soon if necessary, and that is to rent the facilities of one of our many fine local fraternal organizations. It is not particularly cool that it may come to this, because, for example, the "VFW Hall" or the "Elks" is not a very glamourous-sounding sort of place for a concert, and will probably cost more money than I would ideally like to have to give to someone else. On the bright side, such a venue would combine two great things that are not easy to find together: cash bar and all-ages show. Actually there are a couple of such places in great locations that do regular concerts-- mostly hardcore and such because of the lack of age restrictions. And if it's good enough for a bunch of teenage punks that could kick my ass, it oughta be okay for us, right?

There is also a PLAN D but you don't want to know about it.


You can help! For all you nice local folks who said, "ooh, I'd love to help you out" when I signed up for this gig, here is your chance. If you know of a venue that might want to host a concert or two, and you have enough of a connection with said venue that you could actually make it happen: by all means, give me a call asap. This is probably nobody but it doesn't hurt to ask. "How about Place X? They are kind of cool" is not gonna help me here, I'm afraid. Here are examples of what I am looking for:

"How about Place X? I own it."
"How about Place X? My mom is their booking agent."
"How about Place X? I saved the owner's life, twice, and he/she ows me a favor."
"How about Place X? I am a Mafia crime boss and can make things happen."

Okay, at this point I should confess that I don't really expect anything, I only wanted to rant a little bit. I just want this weekend to be the awesomest thing ever for all comers and every small setback is magnified in my chemically-imbalanced and marginally-functional brain.


I would like to end this on a happy note, so here is a rough picture of what I would look like if I was a Lego person instead of a human. Everyone likes Legos! (I don't have quite that much hair, or a flying-V, but whacha gonna do?)

I dunno, having it in a place called "VFW Hall" could provide hours of entertainment just discussing what "VFW" stands for. Remember all the fun we had with "WTF?" Maybe "VFW" could be the songfight title that week.

Just try not to go with anything with corporate naming rights, y'know, "Gillette Stadium" or "Bank One Ballpark."

Charles

just wanted to say that regardless of the outcome, it's very cool of you to put so much effort into this. it's obviously alot of work, alot of unpaid work, so thanks!

i haven't seen the idiot king around here lately, but you might want to send him a private message. his band seems to play regular gigs around boston.

Leaf wrote:Oh god how I wish I was going.



Why can't planes be free?


and hotels.


and food.



and.... red sox tickets?

...and the Pacific Ocean a little smaller

I still don't know if I'm going due to certain circumstances, but I'm trying like a banshee in heat to be there. If I do come, I might have to play sideman if someone lets me play along with them, since THC and Leaf aren't coming. I'm working on THC. I'll get his bitch ass there if I have anything to say about it. Redcar needs to play together atleast once in the same room and I see no better room than a bunch of crazy musicians all there for the same reason. What I'm trying to say is I'm there if the universe willing. Maybe there is a Blue Jay game playing the Bosox that I could coherse Jack or Boltoph into getting us tickets for although baseball is lame compared to hockey.

Sincerely,
Working on it!

tonetripper wrote:I'm working on THC.

That's more of a west coast thing, isn't it?

heh..... but that would be nothing new in my world considering I come from a bunch of East Coast Hippies and was voraciously consuming copious amounts of LSD in my 20s (among other things). I wonder if Berto planned it that way. He's clever like that..... heh.

charcoal, feel free to print these out and share them if you need to build some credibility:

http://www.kuow.org/defaultProgram.asp?ID=6957

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.c ... =songfight

the later may require user=Songfight and pass=songfight

Seattle Times wrote: the lineup includes low-rent outfits like Fluffy Porcupine (Las Cruces, N.M.),

That line still hurts.

I'm NO-rent, damnit.

fluffy wrote:

Seattle Times wrote: the lineup includes low-rent outfits like Fluffy Porcupine (Las Cruces, N.M.),

That line still hurts.

I'm NO-rent, damnit.

Ha, I never knew about that article. Used up at least 1 minute of fame there.

Man I would like to help out but any place I might have pull would be 21+.

The other thing I was also wondering, if each songfighter was charged a cover ($5-10), and we offered the entire balance of cover charges to the club, would that be doable? Basically everyone that walks thru the door pays a cover. This would be how the club will make it's cash, aside from selling drinks. Would that be acceptable if a venue was willing to say, divvy out wristbands to the 21+, and take home the whole cover?

Would songfighters be willing to pay $5-$10 at the door? It's getting a little late so no promises. The only thing I might be able to offer is a venue for Saturday night as I am already performing that Thurs. and Friday.

The last two years, the organizer kept it open to the general public and just collected a nominal cover from non-band-members, and used that to pay expenses. At SFWW, Spud split the covers 50/50 with the bar, whereas at SFHB, Future Boy just had to pay the venue a fixed amount and then used what was left over to pay for equipment rentals, etc.

Thanks for the info. fluffy. It would definitely have to be open to the public too, but since we're kinda all in the bands, it might be reasonable for everyone to tip the hat a bit. The trick is getting a place to do wristbands vs. a 21+ show. That's where there could be legal issues. We'll see. PM'd Ben, will see whats up.

Just for my own reminder...

bzl wrote:Everyone: Here is a message board for the songfight! live show. Everyone please check in and at least confirm if you're coming.

Ain't gonna charge no manditory cover, all shows will be free but I'll gladly accept donations. See, the way I sort of look at it is like this: it cost me a lot of money to go to Austin last year, between air fare and a hotel room and the hookers and meals and stuff. I don't have to pay for any of that here (except the hookers) so if I lose a few hundred bucks, I'm still better off than most of the people who are coming and have to pay to get themselves here.

My typical offer has included:
- a guaranteed full room for the entire show (lots of drink sales)
- everyone willing to perform for free (more money for the club)
- free admission but we'll compensate the club for cover charges not charged (even more money for the club)
- international fame

Which seems to me as though it would be everything a club would hope for on a normal night. Probably slightly more profitable for them than usual. But, oh well. We'll see, but the more I think about it, the more a place like the Elks in Central Square seems to make a lot of sense. And, frankly, I think I would feel better if I was in the position of "renter" than "concert promoter," because so much less can go wrong and the whole transaction would be a lot more professional. I'mma go visit a few of those places over the next couple of days and see what kind of deals are available.


And Boltoph, or anyone else who wants to come by Great Scott tomorrow night, come say hi and I'll buy y'all a drink. Best guess puts us on stage around 10:30 but they are notoriously unpredictable about set times.