There is the Battle of the Bands on once a year around about September @ Bodega?? But competitions in the format of the Rock Quest are over rated...better to get out there and start gigging, the bands that do that surpass the bands that can't get out of the prize winning mentality. But if you're deadset on it have a look for the World Battle of the Bands website.
cheers for that info, i just think band competitions are the easiest way to play live without having to organise everything yourself, and it's a quick way to see what all the other bands around are like too. there's a few in Christchurch, like the Canterbury University one and the RDU one and Battle of the Bands of course
They are easy...but not necessarily as benificial as opening for a band with a pre-existent following. In my opinion the effort is worth it and you are more likely to be able to grow from organising a gig than from just showing up. Depending on what genre you are playing in grassroots and underground venues are probably a better option. Although you'd need to advertise well.
They are easy...but not necessarily as benificial as opening for a band with a pre-existent following. In my opinion the effort is worth it and you are more likely to be able to grow from organising a gig than from just showing up. Depending on what genre you are playing in grassroots and underground venues are probably a better option. Although you'd need to advertise well.
yeah i wasn't saying there was anything wrong with doing your own gigs or opening for other bands. the point is there's no opportunity loss in entering a band competition anyhow, all you gotta do is show up and play for a few weekends
Also, juts in case you've missed it, by doing Battle of the Bands you're pretty much screaming, at the top of your lungs, "My band is terrible and we're never going to get anywhere, and if we do it will be really embarrassing, like Tadpole". Just a thought. No band worth shit plays those things.
White Reino is totally right, I was kind of getting to that point myself, quite seriously you can do your bands image damage by entering these things. There is such thing as being 'too cool' in the music world. Its sad but its true that if you are not 'cool' in some way or another noone will buy your music.
Entering Battle of the Bands makes you look desperate. I don't know what its like in Christchurch, but here you are not respected for 'just showing up'.
man, i've never come across these sort of attitudes before - don't youse think you're being a bit paranoid? band competitions are fun, you get to see other bands and there's always a variety. for me personally i've seen some cool bands i wouldn't have otherwise found out about, like Disarm and Aviatour and Tragedy of the Commons. not sure if anyone appreciates Jesus Crux but i've had lots of fun in them, like there was one at CPIT and it was a cool experience to play out on the lawn at lunchtime with everyone hanging out there. no way would i have ever possibly thought that there was anything embarrassing or uncool about it. and the people who run them probably get lots out of it too, like advertising and stuff, if they're happy to offer to organise stuff then that's really nice of them and i'd hate to think bands would refrain from entering it 'cos they think it'd damage their reputation, 'cos then the audience are missing out and so are they
When you enter them it looks like you are after a safetly net that an organisation backing gives you. Its really sad to not be able to get out of the Rockquest mentality. The Rock Quest was great back then but its supposed to be a stepping stone.
so there should only be band competitions for school bands? a more fundamental version of your mentality would say anyone aged over 20 shouldn't be musicians 'cos it's embarrassing they're still playing instruments 'cos it's what you do when you're a kid
That's a ridiculous conclusion to make out of what I am trying to say. Sadly it is true and you will find out if you enter the Battle of the Bands in Wellington that the standard is not very high and the name doesn't carry very well. The Rockquest is designed to give young bands the opportunity to play live, the idea is after highschool you will be able to run your own gigs.
I never said that I agree with the fact that there aren't any high calibre band competitions around at the moment (someone please correct with if there is one out there I'd love to hear about it) but you asked if there were any and I'm telling you if you want your band to do well you will forget the idea of entering a band competition and just play.
Thats what I think, after you have experienced it yourself or at least attended it I would love to hear what you think later in the year. Unfortunately I am a realist and that does not make my mentality questionable.
- Sorry I missed your 8.30 comment. The competition you were in in Christchurch sounded really cool, perhaps things are just done differently here. It sounds as if you havn't been in Wellington long, you will find out for yourself.
RDU's "Roundup" competition is actually pretty good. Still pitting bands against each other is just plain wrong, but the difference with the "roundup" is that good bands actually enter and there are judges with taste. There are still heaps of bands that wouldn't be caught dead even in this comp, but out of all the bad apples, roundup is the most palatable. The prizes are actually worth winning as well...unlike basically every other comp around.
sorry..that was a answer to Steph J's .....
"I never said that I agree with the fact that there aren't any high calibre band competitions around at the moment (someone please correct with if there is one out there I'd love to hear about it) "
What do you reckon though Blink? Am I being to harsh about the whole thing. I'm just tryna be honest with jesuscrux and the sad truth is that noone really takes these competitions seriously...I will look out for the one you suggested though...sometimes they even harm a bands progress. And quite honestly sometimes the decisions are laughable...there is no way that King Jankoff shouldn't have won the Battle of the Bands 2005.
i have no idea who should or shouldn't have won cause i would never ever GO to one of those events and i don't even know how one band can possibly be better then the other. How can you be the "best" band?
But yeah. those competitions suck. Particularly in wellington. Some towns take them pretty seriously though, but thankfully, welltown doens't go in for that crap.
I don't understand how difficult it is to get your own gigs? Shit....why doesn't Jesuscrux do what EVERY other half decent band does and A) go to some gigs and B) when you see a band you like, say "hey...can I play with you sometime". A lot will never return your call...but some will, and thats how it works. No mysteries...no trickery. Just ask! get some balls man.
!!warning - anecdote!!
A band I used to manage (Ejector) got their first ever gig when two of the guys from Ejector (only 16 at the time) ran up to Marty Squire from DSuper on Cuba Street one day and professed their love for his band. They asked if they could play a show, he said yeah...and true to his word, a couple of months later called them up - having never even seen or heard them - and had them support (haha...illegally, but hey...). DSuper fell in love with them and played another three gigs with them including DSuper's final ever show at Indigo. A member from DSuper would even go onto join Ejector a few years later.
!anecdote over!
i think you guys are making such a big deal out of this, sure it's a competition but i don't actually think any of the bands really care about the "best band" thing, it's an extra bonus to get a placing but most bands are probably there for the fun of it (and also the fact you get to see more bands than two or three in one night, and don't have to put up with bands with 2 good songs and 10 b-sides), and if your pride gets in the way of going to them then that's pretty pathetic. i never said anything about gigs anyway, just because someone enters band competitions doesn't automatically mean they don't/can't play gigs, what a dumb assumption to make
Thats a wicked story! Yeah I was only ever at the Battle of the Bands because I work at the venue...getting paid for it in other words...
I get the feeling maybe Christchurch have an okay competition scene, but I also don't agree with putting bands up AGAINST each other, especially when in most cases the varying styles are too far apart to really judge.
Not a very good concept overall.
but if the competitions are open entry, so everyone gets a chance. the only difference between bands that get placings and ones that don't are that they get to play a few more extra nights, if anyone cares so much about the prizes then well that's up to them but i don't think most bands that enter care too much, just there to entertain the audience with two or three songs nothing bad about that. even if you're against the concept of a band being better than the other, well then you can still just enter for the fun of it, if the placings mean so much then well that's taking it way too seriously i reckon
OK well the main point of the whole thing is that yes, there are band competitions in Wellington, but the standard is often embarressingly low, the competitions are not really taken seriously here and thats the truth.
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There is the Battle of the Bands on ...
There is the Battle of the Bands on once a year around about September @ Bodega?? But competitions in the format of the Rock Quest are over rated...better to get out there and start gigging, the bands that do that surpass the bands that can't get out of the prize winning mentality. But if you're deadset on it have a look for the World Battle of the Bands website.
cheers for that info, i just think band ...
cheers for that info, i just think band competitions are the easiest way to play live without having to organise everything yourself, and it's a quick way to see what all the other bands around are like too. there's a few in Christchurch, like the Canterbury University one and the RDU one and Battle of the Bands of course
They are easy...but not necessarily as ...
They are easy...but not necessarily as benificial as opening for a band with a pre-existent following. In my opinion the effort is worth it and you are more likely to be able to grow from organising a gig than from just showing up. Depending on what genre you are playing in grassroots and underground venues are probably a better option. Although you'd need to advertise well.
They are easy...but not necessarily as ...
They are easy...but not necessarily as benificial as opening for a band with a pre-existent following. In my opinion the effort is worth it and you are more likely to be able to grow from organising a gig than from just showing up. Depending on what genre you are playing in grassroots and underground venues are probably a better option. Although you'd need to advertise well.
yeah i wasn't saying there was anything wrong with doing your own gigs or opening for other bands. the point is there's no opportunity loss in entering a band competition anyhow, all you gotta do is show up and play for a few weekends
Also you are only exposing yourself to ...
Also you are only exposing yourself to the bands who have no real experience also. Theres alot to be said for throwing yourself in the deep end
Also, juts in case you've missed it, ...
Also, juts in case you've missed it, by doing Battle of the Bands you're pretty much screaming, at the top of your lungs, "My band is terrible and we're never going to get anywhere, and if we do it will be really embarrassing, like Tadpole". Just a thought. No band worth shit plays those things.
riiight well i'm sure your band is too ...
riiight well i'm sure your band is too cool for that sort of stuff
Definitely, I wouldn't be caught dead ...
Definitely, I wouldn't be caught dead playing in one.
White Reino is totally right, I was ...
White Reino is totally right, I was kind of getting to that point myself, quite seriously you can do your bands image damage by entering these things. There is such thing as being 'too cool' in the music world. Its sad but its true that if you are not 'cool' in some way or another noone will buy your music.
Entering Battle of the Bands makes you look desperate. I don't know what its like in Christchurch, but here you are not respected for 'just showing up'.
man, i've never come across these sort ...
man, i've never come across these sort of attitudes before - don't youse think you're being a bit paranoid? band competitions are fun, you get to see other bands and there's always a variety. for me personally i've seen some cool bands i wouldn't have otherwise found out about, like Disarm and Aviatour and Tragedy of the Commons. not sure if anyone appreciates Jesus Crux but i've had lots of fun in them, like there was one at CPIT and it was a cool experience to play out on the lawn at lunchtime with everyone hanging out there. no way would i have ever possibly thought that there was anything embarrassing or uncool about it. and the people who run them probably get lots out of it too, like advertising and stuff, if they're happy to offer to organise stuff then that's really nice of them and i'd hate to think bands would refrain from entering it 'cos they think it'd damage their reputation, 'cos then the audience are missing out and so are they
When you enter them it looks like you ...
When you enter them it looks like you are after a safetly net that an organisation backing gives you. Its really sad to not be able to get out of the Rockquest mentality. The Rock Quest was great back then but its supposed to be a stepping stone.
so there should only be band ...
so there should only be band competitions for school bands? a more fundamental version of your mentality would say anyone aged over 20 shouldn't be musicians 'cos it's embarrassing they're still playing instruments 'cos it's what you do when you're a kid
That's a ridiculous conclusion to make ...
That's a ridiculous conclusion to make out of what I am trying to say. Sadly it is true and you will find out if you enter the Battle of the Bands in Wellington that the standard is not very high and the name doesn't carry very well. The Rockquest is designed to give young bands the opportunity to play live, the idea is after highschool you will be able to run your own gigs.
I never said that I agree with the fact that there aren't any high calibre band competitions around at the moment (someone please correct with if there is one out there I'd love to hear about it) but you asked if there were any and I'm telling you if you want your band to do well you will forget the idea of entering a band competition and just play.
Thats what I think, after you have experienced it yourself or at least attended it I would love to hear what you think later in the year. Unfortunately I am a realist and that does not make my mentality questionable.
And who said you couldn't be a ...
And who said you couldn't be a musician if there wasn't a competition for you? Gig's are not microwave dinners.
- Sorry I missed your 8.30 comment. The ...
- Sorry I missed your 8.30 comment. The competition you were in in Christchurch sounded really cool, perhaps things are just done differently here. It sounds as if you havn't been in Wellington long, you will find out for yourself.
mmm well i hope it's not too bad if i ...
mmm well i hope it's not too bad if i do go see them, really disappointing to think people have something against competitions here
RDU's "Roundup" competition is ...
RDU's "Roundup" competition is actually pretty good. Still pitting bands against each other is just plain wrong, but the difference with the "roundup" is that good bands actually enter and there are judges with taste. There are still heaps of bands that wouldn't be caught dead even in this comp, but out of all the bad apples, roundup is the most palatable. The prizes are actually worth winning as well...unlike basically every other comp around.
sorry..that was a answer to Steph J's ...
sorry..that was a answer to Steph J's .....
"I never said that I agree with the fact that there aren't any high calibre band competitions around at the moment (someone please correct with if there is one out there I'd love to hear about it) "
What do you reckon though Blink? Am I ...
What do you reckon though Blink? Am I being to harsh about the whole thing. I'm just tryna be honest with jesuscrux and the sad truth is that noone really takes these competitions seriously...I will look out for the one you suggested though...sometimes they even harm a bands progress. And quite honestly sometimes the decisions are laughable...there is no way that King Jankoff shouldn't have won the Battle of the Bands 2005.
i have no idea who should or shouldn't ...
i have no idea who should or shouldn't have won cause i would never ever GO to one of those events and i don't even know how one band can possibly be better then the other. How can you be the "best" band?
But yeah. those competitions suck. Particularly in wellington. Some towns take them pretty seriously though, but thankfully, welltown doens't go in for that crap.
I don't understand how difficult it is to get your own gigs? Shit....why doesn't Jesuscrux do what EVERY other half decent band does and A) go to some gigs and B) when you see a band you like, say "hey...can I play with you sometime". A lot will never return your call...but some will, and thats how it works. No mysteries...no trickery. Just ask! get some balls man.
!!warning - anecdote!!
A band I used to manage (Ejector) got their first ever gig when two of the guys from Ejector (only 16 at the time) ran up to Marty Squire from DSuper on Cuba Street one day and professed their love for his band. They asked if they could play a show, he said yeah...and true to his word, a couple of months later called them up - having never even seen or heard them - and had them support (haha...illegally, but hey...). DSuper fell in love with them and played another three gigs with them including DSuper's final ever show at Indigo. A member from DSuper would even go onto join Ejector a few years later.
!anecdote over!
i think you guys are making such a big ...
i think you guys are making such a big deal out of this, sure it's a competition but i don't actually think any of the bands really care about the "best band" thing, it's an extra bonus to get a placing but most bands are probably there for the fun of it (and also the fact you get to see more bands than two or three in one night, and don't have to put up with bands with 2 good songs and 10 b-sides), and if your pride gets in the way of going to them then that's pretty pathetic. i never said anything about gigs anyway, just because someone enters band competitions doesn't automatically mean they don't/can't play gigs, what a dumb assumption to make
Thats a wicked story! Yeah I was only ...
Thats a wicked story! Yeah I was only ever at the Battle of the Bands because I work at the venue...getting paid for it in other words...
I get the feeling maybe Christchurch have an okay competition scene, but I also don't agree with putting bands up AGAINST each other, especially when in most cases the varying styles are too far apart to really judge.
Not a very good concept overall.
but if the competitions are open entry, ...
but if the competitions are open entry, so everyone gets a chance. the only difference between bands that get placings and ones that don't are that they get to play a few more extra nights, if anyone cares so much about the prizes then well that's up to them but i don't think most bands that enter care too much, just there to entertain the audience with two or three songs nothing bad about that. even if you're against the concept of a band being better than the other, well then you can still just enter for the fun of it, if the placings mean so much then well that's taking it way too seriously i reckon
OK well the main point of the whole ...
OK well the main point of the whole thing is that yes, there are band competitions in Wellington, but the standard is often embarressingly low, the competitions are not really taken seriously here and thats the truth.