The Future of ProgPower USA

[AngraRULES]

I think one of the best ways to promote a concert is by wearing a shirt that represents it.Can't tell you how many times I've read someones shirt that was about a festival or concert I had not heard of and ended up asking about it.I don't know how many from this forum are going but the more shirts out there the better.

I was going to bring this up next...

Can we commit to wear a ProgPower USA shirt to EVERY SINGLE SHOW we attend between now and the festival?

Considering most of us own several of these shirts (even if you wear the same one to every single show), I think it's another effort that may be worth doing. Again, if one person "finds out" about the festival through your shirt and decides to check out the lineup and buy a ticket, it's worth it.

Plus, who's silly enough to wear a Sabaton shirt to a Sabaton concert anyways? Don't be lame!

 

[Creeps]

The Maiden show in June is prime now that you mention it....

A ProgPower tailgate could be easily organized. And we'd be surrounded by potential new attendees.

Cool idea... 3 of us are driving up from Florida to see Maiden/Cooper. I couldn't make PP this year so I chose that.

How about those of us who have been planting business cards at shows get another batch? I'll be attending \/olbeat in Orlando & Maiden/Cooper in Atlanta.

 

[dreamweaver80]

This thread inspired me to make an account here and actually plan to go to the fest this year. I have known about ProgPower for about 4 years now and have always wanted to go. Unfortunately, life ends up being an asshole at times, and for one reason or another I couldn't go. This time, with the chance of this being the last one, I am making sure I come and check it out this year. I'm going to try and talk a couple of friends into going as well.

Also, for those attending the Maiden show, I forgot that Alice Cooper is opening on some dates. What if we tried to get ahold of Alice's radio show and see if he would be willing to plug the festival there? Might be a longshot, but it couldn't hurt.

 

[Smitdawg]

I think one of the best ways to promote a concert is by wearing a shirt that represents it.Can't tell you how many times I've read someones shirt that was about a festival or concert I had not heard of and ended up asking about it.I don't know how many from this forum are going but the more shirts out there the better.

I try to do this whenever I go to a concert. I wear ProgPower t-shirts to just about any show I attend. I will definitely have one on when I go see Lacuna Coil in Fort Wayne, Ind. and Iron Maiden in Indianapolis. I do occasionally have people ask me about the shirts and I always tell them what a great time I always have at PP.

 

[Berek2000]

This thread inspired me to make an account here and actually plan to go to the fest this year. I have known about ProgPower for about 4 years now and have always wanted to go. Unfortunately, life ends up being an asshole at times, and for one reason or another I couldn't go. This time, with the chance of this being the last one, I am making sure I come and check it out this year. I'm going to try and talk a couple of friends into going as well.

Also, for those attending the Maiden show, I forgot that Alice Cooper is opening on some dates. What if we tried to get ahold of Alice's radio show and see if he would be willing to plug the festival there? Might be a longshot, but it couldn't hurt.

Glad you are coming to PP this year. Welcome to the family.

 

[AngraRULES]

This thread inspired me to make an account here and actually plan to go to the fest this year. I have known about ProgPower for about 4 years now and have always wanted to go. Unfortunately, life ends up being an asshole at times, and for one reason or another I couldn't go. This time, with the chance of this being the last one, I am making sure I come and check it out this year. I'm going to try and talk a couple of friends into going as well.

Awesome. Welcome aboard. Speaking as a 10-year ProgPower USA veteran, I can attest that you will NOT find a nicer group of people AND a better concert-experience anywhere else in the world.

 

[The Colorado Kid]

Drop me a line when the meeting's scheduled. I'd like to help.

 

[mattbrood]

For all you Facebook users..I just created a new contest at The Metal Pit's Facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/events/259602857471448/

 

[Fizrider]

Some wonderful comments in this thread. Some perplexing comments in this thread. Some comments come off as totally dickish regardless of intent.

There is no panic button. This is a trend started three years ago and has continued. I just finally admitted that things cannot continue status quo. New fans want the new blood bands. Old fans get pissed at change. It's a struggle to find the right balance. It is a different scene than a decade ago and no amount of promotion will change that.

Glenn (posting under Jen's iPad log-in)

I run the risk of sounding like a trombone blower/sucker, but here goes:

I am a 45 year old professional who had largely given up on live music and such after grunge/kudzu choked the life out of so many bands I enjoyed in the late 80's early 90's. And ticket prices for most shows got stupid insane. I quietly listened to my old Rush, Marillion, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica stuff, and did other things.

Then I randomly heard DragonForce, which led to my discovery of Power and Prog Metal. Holy crap - this is the music that I listened to in the 80's, but somewhat growed up! Then I discovered a festival in my own F'ing backyard, and went.

So far I have had ZERO disappointment with three years of festivals, and it looks like my fourth will be the best yet. Would I personally love to have Orphaned Land, Sabaton, Tyr, Therion, Voyager, Mob Rules, and Blind Guardian on every bill? Sure - but that ain't gonna happen. There have been some bands that didn't do much for me, but that in no way detracted from the festival, it helped me learn better what I like and don't like.

I guess my point is that I don't buy a ticket because of a particular headliner, or if I like all the bands playing on Friday - I buy a ticket because this is OUR Disneyland. This is OUR chance to sit back and let 20+ hours of music wash over us. This is OUR chance to watch professional musicians let their hair down and be fans, too.

I have purchased a ticket by May 1 every year I've attended, and now simply buy it when it becomes available. In addition to the "young" new blood, I have to believe that there are fans of 70-80's hard rock who simply do not know about this festival, and I don't know any way of reaching them other than aggressive word of mouth. While I would gladly pay an extra $50 for my Gold Badge, I think having sellouts by 5/1 every year would mean more... 350 unsold tickets = $40,000+ of unfunded liabilities for the promoter.

 

[TribunalRecords]

Watched it last night. Honestly, I say they just get Myles to front VR or whatever-name-they-choose to form a new band and show Axl how it's done for the sake of the fans.

I think Myles is a great singer. Would love to see him live someday, never got the chance...

Ever heard Heaven Below? Glenn got me into these guys when he posted about them on his Top of the year post (I think 2009?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OK8wceavNk

(sorry for derailing)

I love Myles so much, but that GNR set proved to me how unique Axl really is with his style. Myles has great high range but his power to me in his overall range and he had to just sing all high stuff with GNR and it was a bit odd. but yeah GNR with him doing new stuff (written for his style) would be incredible.

 

[AngraRULES]

I guess my point is that I don't buy a ticket because of a particular headliner, or if I like all the bands playing on Friday - I buy a ticket because this is OUR Disneyland. This is OUR chance to sit back and let 20+ hours of music wash over us. This is OUR chance to watch professional musicians let their hair down and be fans, too.

I second this. The festival (at least to us, regulars) is not about the bands! It's about the event itself. ProgPower is bigger than any headliner that can ever play there. I go to ProgPower for the people, the experience, the friends, the fun, the laughs... the bands playing aren't a deciding factor.

However, this is how US, regulars who have experienced the festival more than once feel about it. The big question is, how do we convince first-timers/non-regulars that the trip is worth it regardless of the lineup?

 

[zinescene]

Awesome. Welcome aboard. Speaking as a 10-year ProgPower USA veteran, I can attest that you will NOT find a nicer group of people AND a better concert-experience anywhere else in the world.

Amen brother. I tell people who have not gone to prog power its like a family reunion with 1500 of your favorite relatives. I've never had a bad experience, its not a metallica concert where u mighbt get trampled by some over intoxicated buffoon. Its an experience, an event unlike any other. I have so many fond memories of Prog Power and I've taken away through the years. Every year there's always 1-2 bands I thought would be boring and blow me away. You can't put a price on the experience & see 12 quality bands at the same time. Anyone who tries is kidding themselves .

 

[Rezz]

The festival (at least to us, regulars) is not about the bands! It's about the event itself. ProgPower is bigger than any headliner that can ever play there.

I would disagree with part of this. ProgPower is a unique, fantastic experience that I look forward to every year (this will be my 8th PP since IV), but the line-up certainly matters. If I lived close to Atlanta I would probably attend every year regardless of the bands, but I live 3000 miles away on the west coast. It takes major resources to get me over there, and with 2 kids in day-care I don't have a lot of extra money these days. There have been years when I had to sit it out because I simply couldn't justify to myself taking that much money away from my family to fly across the country for a concert, no matter how awesome the experience is as a whole. This year I'll be down there for all 4 nights. The line-up doesn't truely reflect the whole experience, but it matters.

 

[TwizstedJesus]

Financially the trip to Atlanta every year takes its toll, but its worth it, dammit! The tours that appear around America are usually one great band with a bunch of 2nd rate warmup bands, and even then they are becoming fewer and farther between. While I am saddened that the ProgPower run may be coming to an end soon, I have been expecting it. Glenn gets fucked over by bands every year, it has become more and more difficult to put together a strong lineup that will sell out every year, etc... I know that Glenn does it for the love of metal, but the headaches bullshit and stress have to destroy the excitement a little bit for him. I will always support the fest as long as its there and I would hope that everybody else would do the same, but we have to admit, the older you get the less interesting the lineups or the less motivated to attend we get

 

[gilpdawg]

. How many people truly want to go, but can't afford it, versus how many people simply just don't know about it. I was in the latter category for I-IX for sure, though had I known about it I could certainly have been in the former category for many of them.

That's me. I've never been able to afford it. If I knew that this was potentially the last one I would have made it happen somehow. Now I feel pangs of regret and guilt for never coming down. I vow, right now, that if there is a fest in 2013, I am coming, dammit. I'll start saving now, and if the fest doesn't happen, I'll do something else.

Shitty part is I'm not poor. I just don't think ahead enough with my money.

 

[GoRillaBoy76]

Just wondering, has this announcement made any dent in the remaining tickets? (hope so, hope so, hope so)

 

[Harvester]

Just wondering, has this announcement made any dent in the remaining tickets? (hope so, hope so, hope so)

The short term answer is "no." However, I do realize there are still four months to go before the festival and perhaps a trickle will end up filling up the cup the same amount as a waterfall.

 

[GoRillaBoy76]

The short term answer is "no." However, I do realize there are still four months to go before the festival and perhaps a trickle will end up filling up the cup the same amount as a waterfall.

I hope so. me and dave are trying to talk our friend that went with us to 8 to come, but he says it will be a couple of months before he can know if he can.

 

[zinescene]

I'm trying to convince my wife into coming down this year. That would be 2 less tickets to sell.

 

[Harvester]

I'm trying to convince my wife into coming down this year. That would be 2 less tickets to sell.

Tell your wife that Jen & I are good people.