Olmecha Supreme is a Roots, Dub band

my take on the battle
Do the bars pay for the right to host the battle? apparently yes I hear they were asking $400
Do the bands pay? Yes of course!
Is there a door charge? Yes there is, Does it go to the bands evenly? no they play as many as four gigs for gratis
But you have these judges who although not getting paid still have to have a riser, some booze put on right? yes the bar is expected to pay for their drinks.
Lets say you get to the regional finals you've done pretty well to get there, surely the band should get a nominal prize right? even if it is a $100 rock shop voucher or a bar tab? hahahahahahahahahahahahaha yeah right!
Considering this is a competition and being an employee at coca cola seeing as how I cannot enter a coke competition or my family as in business circles it would be a CONFLICT OF INTERESTS surely employees shouldn't enter, or the bands they manage?
well
there was Naquadah in 2002, they didn't get any unfair advantage but they did enter in Waihi to ensure that was the case, Naquadah are an Auckland band. It backfired because it looked dodgy.
in 2005 Aaron Millar's band 'Slipping Tongue' got through to the nationals- Good on Slipping tongue you say? I do too. Aaron however is marketing manager at intergalactic and I hear someone couldn't help themself on the night of the finals telling judges "there is a fantastic band from the Waikato this year"
Everyone remembers Angelsound? yes they now call themselves Cerveza. Also managed by Millar. It didn't help them as they got knocked out in the semis this year
Remains of a day are a massive heavy rock monster managed by..... Louise at intergalactic. They won this years Lincoln green heat. Louise started managing them after they won last years Lincoln green heat.
But once you've won at a venue you're not allowed to re-enter? I heard an unfounded rumour Tadpole might re-enter but wouldn't have been allowed to? I have heard that too obviously it is not true
Is it fixed? I don't think so. there was the rumour that in 02 Stardrunk told a lot of people they'd been promised a win but no one I know has ever substantiated that, they won because if you squint your eyes and ears a little they look and sound a little like Shihad
Is it true judges have played favourites and let personality conflicts guide them? I don't know but I guess it might happen
Is it true judges marking sheets are available to the bands? Yes it is
Do you know anyone who has ever sucessfully gotten theirs back? Do I don't
for that matter are the categories possibly biased towards a high energy guitar driven format?
Possibly I am pretty sure there are some very slick jazz combos who could clean house but would lose on crowd response when the ring of doom becomes a most pit for the following metal band.
Is it a total rip off? hell no to crappy bands like Moonlight drive and For obvious reasons gigs. No one else would book them.
Is it all about the dollars? I couldn't comment.

and like, dude, in music, the only dude you should be competing against is like, yourself, man.

"Apart from the people who know that this "Competition" is a crock of shit, I hope everyone else does."

You know, strictly speaking, if everyone else, knew that it was a crock of shit, then everyone else would be part of the first group (those that know) so that wouldn't leave anyone to be "everyone else" because they would all be in the first group. Yeah.

Thank you for you considered reply Mr Millar, it is appreciated.
I had hoped to kee quiet on this subject as I do believe your competition does serve a fantastic purpose. I also think Intergalactic does itself no favours in certain aspects and in an open forum these things should sometimes be aired.
I am not a musician, have not entered this competition in the past, am a simple oaf who likes to see good bands, please do not take my rebuttal as a sign of an axe to grind.

*you have not challenged the question whether you are charging hundreds of dollars of the venues or that they are expected to put on a bar tab for the judges? is this as good as an admission?

* You also haven't brought up whether marking sheets get returned if asked for. In the interests of transparency not only should these be available for the bands but they should get at least a summary. When I hear rumours at one heat the judges were outside having a smoke while the last band were playing I might take that as sour grapes, if the organization was able to say "No it didn't happen, they have the judging sheets"
right, now toyour points
"How many gigs can a band put on for $50? "
well let me see, four bands at $50 each =$200. each band would have to be really bad, maybe Oligarchy bad, to not bring 6 friends... there will be a number of randoms also. All it takes is time to email all the gig guides 3 weeks out, you could do it in one email if you set up a mailing list... a lot of venues will do it for you. Sound, well lets say that costs $160 for the night for a vocal PA, $200 if you decide to pay someone to stand there 3 hours after setting it up... poster run again time and no more than $10 in photocopying, myspace, websites etc.... nothing. we are $10 down so far yeah? you can always get a friend to do the door for you for $20 of booze- maybe $30 down... but quiet night you get your friends and a few randoms, say 30 people at $7 hmm, you just about break even... 40 people? hey check it out you get your parking back! Any combination of 4 bands not bringing 40 people may be in trouble though yeah?
Flight to Hong Kong- Don't you have sponsors?
"Do bands with no profile get their gig mentioned on air on radio? In local papers? On multiple websites? "
Yes if they are not lazy. 3 years I wrote to a local paper with a story about how a struggling sculptor (myself) was morbidly depressed as my cat was stolen the papers published it even though they must have known i was not a sculptor just a bored stoner on the benefit.

You make good points on the benefits. The only thing i have to ask is, you know Stardrunk? I think you may have managed them once? Is it really worth all the industry kudos when they stop advertising themselves as battle winners on their press kit?
"do you think Andrew goes to all the gigs and tells all the judges to fill out judging sheets which will be ignored and a pre determined band is announced as a winner? "
No I don't. I do believe favouritism is possible and you would not have to look too far past Battle Circus a few years ago. Shmoove if you are around these parts still care to recall who you were up against? Battle Circus were knocked out for lack of originality care to dissect their competition on a point by point basis.
I can name others but it is always going to be subjective..
"The point of the competition is to find bands to work with"
are you admitting Andrew runs the competition as a cattle call for Intergalactic live shows??

"The comments about the bands who were connected to the staff at Intergalactic - these comments are only half truths and things are a little more complicated than what has been put across."
What is not true that Louise works for intergalactic, that they didn't win in spite of this, that it caused an uproar here or that other bands viewed it with suspicion?
Is it true you manage slipping Tongue? is it true I went round Galatos that night whispering to judges "The Waikato band is great" just to be an asshole?
"Do you manage Cerveza Mr Millar? Did Angel once work at area 51 as a cleaner? is it true she was contacting people on behalf of your media sponsor Missing link magazine as she spent time there chasing advertising? Is it true Andrew took Angelsounds bio with him to an industry event as an adjunct to his label a few years ago? is it true Angel's parents wer under employ at the kings arms? please feel free to tell me which is half true, only one parent does the food catering? Angel only cleaned half the rooms?
I am not saying it is dodgy it is just as bad though because it LOOKS dodgy.

I think you have a great competion that in most cases puts the right bands through but Aaron I have to say I think it needs to be a lot more transparent.
Thank you for your considered post.
- Joshua

I talked to 7 Wellington bands yesterday. $50 x 4 Bands = $200. Can get a great soundman for $80 and the rest on posters (This is what they said)
And if they're decent bands they said they'd get about $700 over door sales.

Is Intergalactic running out of money or something? to take an average of $700 (Being more for finals as they cost more maybe even $1000-$1500)on the door at every gig, plus I guess you charge the bar for having the competition right? Say $400. 4-5 bands at $50 each $200-$250.

It should be the other way around.

Intergalactic Should pay the venues $500 as courtesy for taking up so many gig dates. Split the door sales 50/50 for themselves and the bands. Entry fee...who knows.

So, 4 heats, averaging $500 in door sales = $2000, 2 Semis averaging about $700 in door sales $1400, and the final ($10 entry) say $1500.

Thats $4900 on average for Wellington alone in just door sales!

Yes it seems that you need ALL the money you can get O_o

//Intergalactic Should pay the venues $500

You realise that would set a really bad precedent, right?

I agree with Harsh Bloke, Winning or losing doesn't matter. I mean all their after isn't the "Best Band" its "The most promotable" band.

That's exactly what I mean.

I assume that Intergalactic undertakes in writing to give the bands certain prizes for certain achievements, but I wonder if they actually stipulate that those bands have to accept the prizes. I also assume that this kind of situation would probably never arise, but I just wonder what would happen...