I'm sick of this shit

[Dimocritus]

Ok, I never intended on making any money by playing in a hardcore/punk band. Really, I never expected much. Drinks and gas money if we're playing out of state.

Well, shit these days is getting retarded. No beer. No gas money. No guest list. All of our friends payed ten bucks to hang in your shitty club and we all payed to drink more than their share, and your cheap as can't even fork over some gas money, let alone a bucket of cheep beer? ASSHOLES! We brought the crowd and the entertainment. We bought drinks all night, but you're right, we don't deserve anything for playing all original material and putting ourselves in physical peril for your entertainment. Are you really that stingy/greedy, or do you just have short arms and deep pockets?  FUCK YOU, YOU FUCKING SLIMEBALLS ROT IN HELL.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

It's time to get more selective, Dimo. If they're charging a cover they should be at least giving you one guest each plus free beer for the band. Just don't book anywhere that won't, or only book places with no cover. Look at it this way; they're making money by having you play. If they don't kick down something, you and all your friends are PAYING them to let you play. One guest each + free beer is normal for shows with a cover. Unless you really suck and don't bring a crowd at all.

[Dimocritus]

It's time to get more selective, Dimo. If they're charging a cover they should be at least giving you one guest each plus free beer for the band. Just don't book anywhere that won't, or only book places with no cover. Look at it this way; they're making money by having you play. If they don't kick down something, you and all your friends are PAYING them to let you play. One guest each + free beer is normal for shows with a cover. Unless you really suck and don't bring a crowd at all.

Oh, I know that's the way it should be. I have been doing this for almost ten years. That's why I'm so pissed. The thing is, practically everywhere in the tri-state is acting like they're doing bands a favor nowadays by letting them play. Out of the last 5-10 shows, only for one or two of them did we get beer. And the dumbfounded confused look you get when you ask about a guest-list, it's fucked up. And we do bring heads and an exciting performance. The thing that really pisses me off, is if we were a cover band, they'd take perfect care of us. No wonder why no one is making their own music anymore.

[East Coast Hustle]

So be a cover band. Or, even better (read: more lucrative, if you're good), a tribute band. Get some good gigs, maybe even an opening slot at Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun if you're really good, and use the loot to upgrade your gear and touring vehicles and buy some studio time. Make your own album of original tunes with the same band under a different name (bonus: if you're smart and manage yourselves well, you get to incorporate as a holding company with 2 different LLCs under its umbrella which absolves you of alot of personal financial responsibility if/when shit goes bad) and shop it to the appropriate genre-specific indie label. If they like it, they'll handle distribution and probably get you on some bigger tours (regional/coastal instead of local), at which point you'll be glad you already invested in a road crew and some good gear because that means you'll actually be making money at that point and let's be honest, musical entertainment is HARD WORK and HARD WORK deserves compensation.

[Reginald Ret]

ECH has a cycle.
It is motorized and good.

[Dimocritus]

So be a cover band. Or, even better (read: more lucrative, if you're good), a tribute band. Get some good gigs, maybe even an opening slot at Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun if you're really good, and use the loot to upgrade your gear and touring vehicles and buy some studio time. Make your own album of original tunes with the same band under a different name (bonus: if you're smart and manage yourselves well, you get to incorporate as a holding company with 2 different LLCs under its umbrella which absolves you of alot of personal financial responsibility if/when shit goes bad) and shop it to the appropriate genre-specific indie label. If they like it, they'll handle distribution and probably get you on some bigger tours (regional/coastal instead of local), at which point you'll be glad you already invested in a road crew and some good gear because that means you'll actually be making money at that point and let's be honest, musical entertainment is HARD WORK and HARD WORK deserves compensation.

These are all good ideas, for sure. But, we're past our prime and the focus has moved away from "let's do this for a living" towards "even if we can't do this for a living, let's keep doing it anyway." If it were a few years ago, I'd be all over this. Now we do it simply because we want to. It just sucks that we can't get beer.

[East Coast Hustle]

OK, but just so you know all those punk bands on Warped Tour full of shirtless 20-something guys who make all the punk girls' panties moist?

most of those 20-something guys are actually 35.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

OK, but just so you know all those punk bands on Warped Tour full of shirtless 20-something guys who make all the punk girls' panties moist?

most of those 20-something guys are actually 35.

Truth. Pretty much the only bands who "make it" while they're in their 20's are the manufactured boy bands.

[Dimocritus]

OK, but just so you know all those punk bands on Warped Tour full of shirtless 20-something guys who make all the punk girls' panties moist?

most of those 20-something guys are actually 35.

This is a very good point. Will take into consideration.

[East Coast Hustle]

I once came to the same conclusion you did (past our primes, too old for this shit, not gonna go anywhere, etc.), acted on it, and have been regretting both the conclusion and the action ever since. It is, in fact, the ONLY thing I can think of off the top of my head that I really truly regret.

[Z³]

Likewise my only real regret in life was selling my amplifier (had a beautiful Marshall stack) years ago for rent money.
I'm just beginning to rectify that mistake.

Oh Dimo, I'd be interested in hearing your band... do you guys have any recorded material, or anything on the net?
If you ever wanted to set up a show in my town, I might be able to put you in touch with the right people.

[Dimocritus]

Likewise my only real regret in life was selling my amplifier (had a beautiful Marshall stack) years ago for rent money.
I'm just beginning to rectify that mistake.

Oh Dimo, I'd be interested in hearing your band... do you guys have any recorded material, or anything on the net?
If you ever wanted to set up a show in my town, I might be able to put you in touch with the right people.

Well, then. This might be a good time to give it a good push. One of the things holding us back was my guitarists marital status, which is no more. And our old bass player had a kid which held us back a bit, but now we have a young drunk on bass, so maybe now is more of the time than I thought.

Z, here's a link to our Myspace. I know, not the best place to be linking to, but ATM, it's the only place (I know of, anyway) where you can listen on-line. There's a small selection, all from our most recent record. We have two records before that and I'm still trying to get my guitarist to OK the re-release of our older shit.

[East Coast Hustle]

You know, they have this thing called "facebook" now. All the kids are using it.

[Dimocritus]

Yeah, I know. My guitarist INSISTS on being in charge of anything on-line, then insists that he doesn't have any time to do it. We actually have a dot com, but he refuses to update it.

[East Coast Hustle]

perhaps you should just take it upon yourself and let him have a hissy fit after the fact?

after all, guitar players are a dime a dozen, punk guitar players even more so. He can be easily replaced.

Hell, if you guys are actually going somewhere, I'll volunteer.