Tag Archives: punk

Onlywatchthebandwithaguy(orgirl)thatIknowinit-itis

Posted on by Standard 4

This ties in with an earlier blog post.  I’m just trying to figure out how to reach people.  When people who have never heard of us catch us play, we generally have people coming up to say they dig it. It’s a good feeling.  I’d like it to happen more often because I think the band is doing a fun thing, and I’d like more people to share in the fun.

Getting people to come out in the first place is one struggle.  Getting yourself in front of an audience that’s already there is another struggle.  Getting people to watch you once they’re there seems to be an entirely different struggle.

We'd like to thank Bobby for coming out tonight!

Has this ever happened to you? Yes, it has.

Lately I’ve seen a trend of bands telling people saying “hey we’re 1st, come early” or “hey we’re last, come late” then their fans show up for just them & don’t bother to check anyone else out.   I generally tell people to come for the whole show & check out the other bands.  We try to book shows with bands we dig, just for this reason.

Spider-\m/an

Spider-Man :: This has nothing to do with anything other than the fact that I found it hilarious.

I hate to come of as a whiner, and I know I will to some readers.  I’m just trying to express my frustrations, and this blog is a forum for just that.  In fact, it’s my forum for just that.  I’m trying to work it out for myself & to possibly get some insight from other local (and some not so local) musicians.

In fact, I think I have ranted about this very topic online before, maybe just a similar one… but I can’t seem to find it anywhere.

I also don’t want to dismiss the people that come see us at just about every show.  Your presence is incredibly important to us, and we value it.  We just want some more people there to watch with you, and we don’t want things to get stale where you’re seeing the same show over & over.  Even if you’ve only caught us once, or if you’ve bought a T-shirt, or told us you liked a video online… you are awesome and we truly appreciate your support & attendance.

I recently saw the worst case ever of this crazy only-watch-the-band-with-a-guy-I-know-in-it thing going on.  We played a show where people watched the band they came to see, then just absolutely bailed.  Not even the bands stuck around to check out the other acts, one of which was a touring act & the reason we were all playing the show.  It’s disrespectful.  I get that stuff comes up, & sometimes you need to go.  It happens.  Sometimes there’s burnout.  Sometimes there’s arrogance.  Sometimes there are good reasons.  Sometimes you’re just being ignorant.

I know personally that a bunch of people from my wife’s family came out to a show at a bar once where my wife & I absolutely love the wings.  We had told everyone how cool the place was, they all decided to come to the ‘Burgh to eat some legendary wings & watch my band play… killing 2 birds with one stone.  They sat through one band that everyone liked, then through a 2nd band that was just absolutely awful… one member was so drunk and/or high that he would strum the guitar and look down at it dazed for a minute or so while apparently hearing stuff that none of the rest of us could.  This was all endured just to see us play.  The place was packed all night, the bands & their fans watched each other, and everyone had a good time.

Not to judge a book by its cover, but I all kinds of judged books by their covers the other night and I hit the nail on the proverbial head.  A quick scan of the room revealed some crazy demographics.  More specifically a bunch of old people trying to look cool and standing on tippy-toes watching their kid play with no general comprehension of what was going on up on the stage or around them.  If I’m calling them old, you know they were old.  We knew these were parents, aunts, uncles, and neighbors… and they were going to split as soon as their kid’s bands was done.  Boy, did they ever.  If it was a cartoon, there would have been a cloud of dust & a cartoon noise.  Whoop!

It must be happening everywhere because the touring band had it written into their contract that they weren’t to be slated to play last on any of their shows.  You can’t blame them.  You tour to build support for your album, and if no one sees you play, no one’s going to buy your album or you merch or come see you the next time you roll through town.  We took the cleanup/closer spot because none of the other bands would.

Do you know what it's like to be on the bill and to play for fifteen minutes and the only people there to see you are the other bands and their girlfriends? Don't talk to ME about Rock n' Roll! I'm out there in the clubs and on the streets and I'm living it! I AM ROCK N' ROLL!

Do you know what it's like to be on the bill and to play for fifteen minutes and the only people there to see you are the other bands and their girlfriends? Don't talk to me about Rock n' Roll! I'm out there in the clubs and on the streets and I'm living it! I AM ROCK N' ROLL!

We didn’t help their cause because we apparently weren’t a draw either.  We watched the touring band, & they watched us.  The handful of people that came to see us were there for all of the sets that night… and the show started an hour or so later than it was supposed to.  It was awesome that the touring band actually stuck around to see us play.  I’m sure on the road they’ve seen crappy band upon crappy band night after night… but it was an unparalleled show of respect for us, and assured us that the sound guy & doorman had to stick around until we were done.  Ha ha.

My boyfriend's lame-ass band... live at the Radisson

Playing their new hit, ''Girl Girl Girl''!

Well, there were more people there to watch us… since it was a rare all-ages gig for us, we had an under-ager and her mom eager to see us… we were told we’d be rocking about 8:00pm.  We eventually went on much much later, way past the under-ager’s bed time.  So, two people who bought tickets & came out expressly to see us had to leave early and were unable to see us because of all the ridiculousness and shuffling.  Then the dozens of people who came out to see the other bands watched them then left.  Immediately.

The Sitter

Try as he might, Jeremy could just not meditate in front of a stereo. Live music is the only way to go.

It would be nice to say that whoever sold the most tickets had to go last… but then again, they did sell a lot of tickets, so that has a certain amount of pull as far as when you want to go on.

I didn’t hear any of the opening bands even mention the touring band… the headlining band that (again) we were supposed to be there in support of.

Before you say that my band sucks (you’re certainly entitled to your opinion), I’ll say that no one who left early would know, because they didn’t even give us a chance.  I’d rather clear the room myself than have it cleared for me.  How do you expose people to your live show, if the people in the place don’t even stick around for one song?

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Attn Bands :: Where and how do you promote shows?

Posted on by Standard 10

So, bands… where & how do you advertise shows these days?  There is of course your own website (if you even bother to have one), social media, and good old-fashioned word-of-mouth. Do you still print physical show fliers?  Where do put them?  Do you pass out handbills?  How many friends, family members, classmates, co-workers, and casual acquaintances do you annoy with news of your shows & how often?

Is it flyers or fliers?

Is it flyers or fliers?

What social media do you use?  Facebook?  Reverb Nation?  Twitter?  MySpace?  Google+?  Google Calendar?  Anything else?  I know there’s a bunch out there like the ancient Pure Volume (is anyone still over there?).

Then there are sites like Bandcamp, SoundCloud, & even YouTube… they help promote the band, but do they help promote shows?

Busker Bin

A gig is a gig, right?

Which ones do you use & which ones do you find effective?  I know bands helped animated gifs with glittering text kill MySpace.  At what point of posting about your band / shows / music / merchandise does it become over-saturation?

Do you hit the local papers or their websites with classified ads or event listings?  Do you post on local radio websites?

Do you post on the venue’s (and/or promoter’s) website/Facebook/Twitter/etc.?

Do you have an email list?

If you hang flyers, where do you hang them?  If you pass them out, where do you pass them out?

Here are some local sites where I’ve listed (or tried to list) our stuff…  Not sure if it’s drawing anyone out.

Where do you post?

Help me make a checklist of sorts to make sure we’re getting the word out to as many people as possible as efficiently as possible.

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☘ Happy St. Patrick’s Day! ☘

Posted on by Standard Reply

☘ Happy St. Patrick's Day! ☘

☘ Happy St. Patrick's Day! ☘

Some Irish toasts & songs for my blog readers…

–☘☘☘–

May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings, slow to make enemies and quick to make friends. And may you know nothing but happiness from this day forward.

-☘☘☘-

May your home always be too small to hold all your friends.

-☘☘☘-

May you live to be 100 years, with one extra year to repent.

-☘☘☘-

We drink to your coffin. May it be built from the wood of a hundred year old oak tree that I shall plant tomorrow.

-☘☘☘-

May God grant you many years to live,
For sure he must be knowing,
The earth has angels all too few
And heaven is overflowing.

-☘☘☘-

Here’s to a long life and a merry one.
A quick death and an easy one.
A pretty girl and an honest one.
A cold pint– and another one!

-☘☘☘-

I drink to your health when I’m with you,
I drink to your health when I’m alone,
I drink to your health so often,
I’m starting to worry about my own!

-☘☘☘-

Here’s to women’s kisses,
and to whiskey, amber clear;
Not as sweet as a woman’s kiss,
but a darn sight more sincere!

-☘☘☘-

There are good ships,
and there are wood ships,
The ships that sail the sea.
But the best ships, are friendships,
And may they always be.

-☘☘☘-

Here’s to you and yours,
And to mine and ours,
And if mine and ours ever come
Across you and yours,
I hope you and yours will do
As much for mine and ours,
As mine and ours have done
For you and yours!

-☘☘☘-

May your heart be light and happy,
May your smile be big and wide,
And may your pockets always have
a coin or two inside!

-☘☘☘-

Always remember to forget
The troubles that passed away.
But never forget to remember
The blessings that come each day.

-☘☘☘-

May neighbors respect you,
Trouble neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And heaven accept you.

-☘☘☘-

May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been,
The foresight to know where you are going,
And the insight to know when you have gone too far.

-☘☘☘-

May the saddest day of your future be no worse than the happiest day of your past.

-☘☘☘-

May those that love us, love us.
And those that don’t love us,
May God turn their hearts.
And if he doesn’t turn their hearts,
May he turn their ankles,
So we’ll know them by their limping.

-☘☘☘-

May misfortune follow you the rest of your life, and never catch up.

-☘☘☘-

May you have food and raiment,
A soft pillow for your head.
May you be forty years in heaven
Before the devil knows you’re dead.

-☘☘☘-

May you have warm words on a cold evening,
A full moon on a dark night,
And a smooth road all the way to your door.

-☘☘☘-

May the lilt of Irish laughter
lighten every load.
May the mist of Irish magic
shorten every road…
And may all your friends remember
all the favors you are owed!

-☘☘☘-

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

-☘☘☘-

For each petal on the shamrock.
This brings a wish your way
Good health, good luck, and happiness
For today and every day.

-☘☘☘-

May the good saints protect you,
And bless you today.
And may troubles ignore you,
Each step of the way.

-☘☘☘-

-☘☘☘-

Share with me below… your favorite toasts, blessings, photos, music or video with a Celtic influence.  It can be Irish, Scottish, Welsh, or even Japanese.  It can be Celtic folk, punk, metal, rap, rock, traditional, or a blend of all of the above.  I’ll accept anything but U2.

☘✟☘

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Nostalgia…

Posted on by Standard 13

So, I upped a bunch of old songs to SoundCloud.  Some aren’t bad.  Some are terrible.  (There’s some AiXeLsyD, some Gasoline Dion, & even some Ernie and the Berts for good measure.)  Feel free to enjoy and/or ignore.

AiXeLsyDI have had many many fun times writing songs & jamming with all of these cats over the years. We have recorded some good stuff, met interesting people, and played some absolutely wild parties & shows.  It’s awesome to have played at parks, in basements, on small stages, in garages, in countless dive bars, on big stages, in back yards, a sports bar, band battles, in cool rock bars, an Elks lodge, a dorm room, American Legions, skate parks, VFW’s, theaters, Fire Halls, and even live on the radio.  (Places I haven’t played yet… on a boat, under-water, on a moving flatbed, outside of the U.S., on TV – Ernie, can you get on booking that?)  Some people even dug our stuff.

Gasoline DionI’m glad to be able to continue to rock out with some old faces & some new faces.  I enjoy that I’m still playing shows, going to shows, rocking out with talented dudes, & continually meeting & being influenced by local musicians & those that are just passing through.  We get together to rock out & have a great time doing so …all while trying to be as goofy as possible.  I’m glad I fell into punk rock as there’s a sense of humor about it all.

Ernie and the BertsI enjoy the exchange of knowledge, whether it’s music trivia geekery, guitars & amps & how they work & how to play them, or just general rock n’ roll legends.  I enjoy being obsessed with goofy guitars yet able to appreciate a nice normal axe.  I enjoy making fun of bands that are doing absolutely terrible things, taking too long to set up, playing too long, or have terrible names.  I enjoy being the target of the same kinds of jeers.

In honor of Saint Patrick’s Day coming soon, I’d like to toast my fellow musicians whether I’ve been in a band with you, shared a stage with you, or just been to one of your shows and told you how much it rocked.

☘  Here’s to cheating, stealing, fighting, and drinking! ☘

If you cheat, may you cheat death.
If you steal, may you steal a woman’s heart.
If you fight, may you fight for a brother.
And if you drink, may you drink with me.

Please, share with me some memories of the crazy paces you’ve played, the fun (or terrible) times you’ve had with your bands… whether you were in one with me or not.  Share some of the music too!

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Feb. 4th. 2012 – Come to this show! (Check out video of all the bands here…)

Posted on by Standard Reply

One week from tonight, this is where you need to be!

Ernie and the Berts's avatarErnie and the Berts

The Bands:

The Place:

The Details:

View original post 11 more words

AiXeLsyD and Gasoline Dion Mazes

Posted on by Standard 21

I’ve obviously been in a maze mood lately.  I found some old AiXeLsyD & Gasoline Dion themed mazes.  At the request of a friend, I also made some AiXeLsyD & Gasoline Dion music available for download.

Help AiXeLsyD get to the American Music Café!

Help AiXeLsyD get to the American Music Café!

✪ Download AiXeLsyD Vol. 1-3! ✪

Help Gasoline Dion get to the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern!

Help Gasoline Dion get to the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern!

✪ Download Gasoline Dion’s Loading Noise! ✪

I’m going to have to make up an Ernie and the Berts maze!  At any rate, print these out, and try to solve them while jamming to my extinct musical projects, and send me a photo or scan of the completed maze!

The downloads are zip files.  If you don’t know how to unzip files, learn.  Also, check out my other mazes if you liked these ones.

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Guitar Lessons (Poster?)

Posted on by Standard 5

This is awesome.  That’s all.  Not sure if this is the original source, seems to be everywhere.  You may have seen it already.  At any rate, I dig it, and I was compelled to share.  You can find some of these at a higher resolution, but I haven’t found all of the close-ups.  If you have more, please share!

GUITAR LESSONS - Master Class

GUITAR LESSONS - Master Class

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New music from Snuff and Ann Beretta!

Posted on by Standard 7

I’m expecting two killer albums from two incredible bands this year.  What do these bands have in common?  Well, almost nothing I guess.  (It’s 11 whole steps at BandToBand.com!) They’re both punk bands, but they really sound nothing alike.  They are, however, in my all-time top favorites.

My wife tells me all the time that every band that I talk about is my favorite.  But that’s how I am, I guess.  If I like a band, I really like a band.  I try to acquire all of their music.  I get into side projects & related bands.  I sometimes even look for live stuff & bootlegs.  Snuff & Ann Beretta are bands that have that hold over me.

I got into both of these bands right around the time I started playing in my first real band, AiXeLsyD.  I was really into buying punk compilations some time after 1995… and whenever ’98 or ’99 rolled around and AiXeLsyD was writing and playing shows, I was absorbing everything and these bands just lit me up.

Snuff

Snuff

I had purchased Fat Music Vol. II: Survival Of The Fattest for the Me First and the Gimme Gimmes cover of “Country Roads”, and was instantly drawn to Snuff’s “Walk” & “Nick Northern”.  I’ve blogged about them before.  I was hooked immediately.  They really blend pop, punk, metal, thrash, ska, soul, & anything else they feel like at the moment absolutely seamlessly.  It’s crazy.  One minute they’re blistering through riffs that could be on a Metallica album, and the next there’s horns or an organ or they’re covering the specials and there’s no “what happened?” feeling.  It’s just natural.

Snuff has been dropping updates via their Facebook Page, and it’s all great news so far…

Happy new year to all. UK tour in april and new songs on the way. oi oi

Excellent rehearsal, great start to the new year, new songs sound stonking, dead excited now. Looking to record at least 8 new songs by the end of the month.

Two more new riffs up at last nights rehearsals. One mod/thrash/pretty thingy and one dangerously retro 82 hardcore beast. oooooof!

I’m incredibly pumped for this, or anything that Duncan Redmonds puts out.

Ann Beretta

Ann Beretta

With Ann Beretta, I can pin it all down to one song.  I heard “Bottlecaps” on  Fueled by Ramen‘s Year of the Rat comp, and that was it.  These cats are incredible.  Hearing their songs is like being dropped right into the middle of a story, situation, or town that you know every inch of despite having never been there.  I’ve seen them more than once in the ‘Burgh, and have even road-tripped to Cleveland to see them.  I helped make buttons for them, and they crashed at my buddy (& fellow AiXelsyD bandmate) Andy’s place after a show one time at the Rex.  The music is not unlike Rancid… without so much ska & snarl, but with honest Willie Nelson-like storytelling.  These guys wear RVA on their sleeve, and certainly make their hometown proud.  Their cover of All‘s “Long Distance” is incredible.  (The original is of course flawless in its own right.) “Love’s Easy Tears” is one of the catchiest songs ever, and I love the chaotic ending.  “Russ’Song” always gets me going, too.  Inquisition, Sixer and Foundation are worth checking out too.

The major update on this front comes from the driving force behind Ann Beretta and Foundation, Rob Huddleston…. via Twitter:

https://twitter.com/#!/robhuddlestonva/status/156134190595842048

https://twitter.com/#!/robhuddlestonva/status/156513501798612993

https://twitter.com/#!/robhuddlestonva/status/156367138507063296

https://twitter.com/#!/robhuddlestonva/status/156788477420253185

Get it before it disappears!

And there’s some stuff on their Facebook page:

Drums for 8 songs tracked so far with @RobHuddlestonVA of Ann Beretta. 5 so or more over the next few days. Go like their new FB page www.facebook.com/AnnBeretta

Back in the studio today!

First round of mixing begins today!

3 months of bronchitis & finally back to the studio w Pedro Aida – Producer/Engineer/Songwriter to get back to some vocal tracks.

Fantastic.  This is going to be a great year for music.  Black Sabbath, another Slash solo album… maybe some Aerosmith, new DLR Van Halen.  Now we just need Nerf Herder, The Bloodhound Gang, The Teen Idols, The Eyeliners, Peelander-Z, Bars, & The Unseen to start making music again.

What do you think about Snuff & Ann Beretta?

What music are you looking forward to in 2012?

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Alex Skolnick Schools Me on Grunge, Metal, & Punk. Ha ha.

Posted on by Standard 4

Don’t know what started it all, but I saw this…

https://twitter.com/#!/AlexSkolnick/status/156224594599100416

And decided to say this…

https://twitter.com/#!/AiXeLsyD13/status/156224888410083328

So, he actually replied:

https://twitter.com/#!/AlexSkolnick/status/156472531954569216

Heh.  Alex seems like a cool cat.  I’ve read countless guitar magazine articles that he’s written, and saw him perform once with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.  Damn, he’s good.

Some other stuff has ensued…

https://twitter.com/#!/MattPaneth/status/156473254100467713

https://twitter.com/#!/TheFree_Lance/status/156475576440463361

https://twitter.com/#!/AiXeLsyD13/status/156477372344971264

https://twitter.com/#!/AiXeLsyD13/status/156477960814198784

At any rate, Twitter is fun, and it’s cool to get a nod & from some of your heroes & maybe start a conversation.

Ah, here’s what stared it…

https://twitter.com/#!/AlexSkolnick/status/156222078641651713

https://twitter.com/#!/AlexSkolnick/status/156223005872226304

https://twitter.com/#!/AlexSkolnick/status/156224161059053569

https://twitter.com/#!/AlexSkolnick/status/156224594599100416

Saturday December 17th – A punk rock party at the Fallout Shelter!

Posted on by Standard 1

Reposted from ErnieAndTheBerts.com – A punk rock show to melt your face:

Insanity. Chaos. Deafening yet hooky melodies. Beer.  If these all seem like good things to you, you need to be at this show.  Add this to your Google calendar, Yahoo! Calendar, Facebook Events, or whatever you do with Google+ or AOL or MSN or Compuserve or Outlook or whatever you’re using.  Tweet about it.  Get a car full of idiots and find a non-idiot DD.

Ernie would like to remind you to drink responsibly, tip your bartender, buy some of the various bands’ merchandise, and to wash your hands before returning to work or play.

Get the flyer below tattooed on someone’s ass that you see frequently, so you don’t forget.

The Bands:

The Place:

The Details:

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Ernie's twin brother