Does it matter that the venues are tiny?They still have to PLAY every night. I'm not a fan but kudos to them for taking this much on. In this economy that means a lot.
Is Skeletonwitch really big enough to do an 85-date North American headlining tour?
- Thread starter Sumeet
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nailz
Member
Is the economy ever good for a band? really? I'm tired of hearing this. It's like the go-to excuse.
TribunalRecords
Record Label(s)/Vocalist
I have played The Hideaway several times. Always a GREAT show.
As far as touring and how big or small the venue is, bottom line is this.
1. Do they want to get in a van and travel and play shows everywhere they can? Do it.
2. Are there promoters at every one of these dates booking Skeletonwitch? Seems like it, so do it.
Touring isn't about "how big a band is" it's about the want to tour regardless of monetary rewards. Skeletonwitch want to tour and seem to have a solid booking agent.
Most of you have never heard my band but we headlined 4 summer tours in a row. First one being the biggest with us selling out venues like The Chain Reaction in Anaheim and over 600 people at the Soma in San Diego. We are from North Carolina, mind you. Point is this, you don't know what fans you have unless you get out there and play shows and tour. Some bands won't take the financial risk, like us now, but some don't care and go for it.
TribunalRecords
Record Label(s)/Vocalist
Yes, the economy was good for bands in the 80's and 90's and even early in 2000s but it's steadily been getting worse. and it's not a go-to excuse when it's a full blown reality. Glenn is seeing this right now with dismal ticket sales.
Remember the days when PP would sell out in a few days? Good economy. 300 tickets still left for sale a few months from the event? Bad economy.
TribunalRecords
Record Label(s)/Vocalist
Also, Skeletonwitch's second album and not even newest (and better album) sold 3,483 copies in it's debut week. Which is pretty damn good. Never heard what new one did, but i am sure it was more considering they are still climbing.
AngraRULES
Member
I completely agree with you. The schedule is friggin' crazy. But you have to at least admire their balls. How many of the popular ProgPower bands that some people around here idolize so much would be willing to make that sacrifice? I dare anyone to name 5.
AngraRULES
Member
Absolutely. There are way too many things that could go wrong. However, given how the metal scene has weakened over the past year or two, how numbers are down both on sales and concert attendance... People should be supporting an effort like this unconditionally.
dcowboys311
Member
If any band can pull off something like this, it's a band like Skeletonwitch. Those dudes already tour like maniacs as it is and have for some time now.
I get what you're saying about show numbers, but I'm not so sure you're right. Individual attendance is probably down, sure, but there have been more and more shows to choose from over the past few years. So it's like the difference between 1 show @ 100 people or 2 shows @ 60 people each. The crowd of 100 looks nicer, but overall the 120 is bigger and better. Of course, a different topic for a different discussion...
AngraRULES
Member
Oh, absolutely!
However, that's not really the point I'm making. My main point is that some people are nagging and already putting some negative thought into the fact that they're doing a crazy long tour. People should be supporting every metal tour there is, period. Things aren't going so well for bands. And by supporting, I don't necessarily mean going to every single show (I mean, fans should be attending shows a bit more, yes). But at least be positive about it, help spread the word, etc.. whatever they can do.
My point? I sent an email to a bunch of friends this past week about the White Wizzard/Icarus Witch/Widow tour. All I said in my email was that the show was coming to town and if they weren't doing anything that night to come down. It'd be nice to hang out, especially since with the baby still being so young, it's tough to get out to too many shows these days. While a couple are coming and a couple aren't, one in particular emails me back "Hey, how about you bring some real bands?" That pissed me off royally. If you don't wanna attend the show, fine. Just don't be a fucking prick about it. And I almost thought some people were close to doing that about Skeletonwitch. Maybe not, but it was my initial perception here on the thread.
TribunalRecords
Record Label(s)/Vocalist
You never book a tour PLANNING for mishaps to occur, people. 
They just happen and you deal with them. also, a flat tire (depending where you are) won't make you miss a date. We actually had our transmission rebuilt and didn't miss a show between Frenso and Bakersfield, CA dates. I mean we did luck out playing across the streetin Fresno from a transmission mechanic when the van died that night. We slept in parking lot in van and then was at his door bright and early. He saved our ass, really.
They just happen and you deal with them. also, a flat tire (depending where you are) won't make you miss a date. We actually had our transmission rebuilt and didn't miss a show between Frenso and Bakersfield, CA dates. I mean we did luck out playing across the streetin Fresno from a transmission mechanic when the van died that night. We slept in parking lot in van and then was at his door bright and early. He saved our ass, really.
AeonicSlumber
srs
- Aug 14, 2008
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Day offs = money loss. They're not doing this band as a charity. I can't believe a few of you seriously think bands/booking agents/et al book tours in anticipation for problems, as if tours are just fun little vacations for everyone involved to alleviate the boredom of fans who have nothing better to do those nights.
Also a flat tire blowing out an "entire show?" No effing way man. I've heard of bands wrecking entire vehicles and continuing on without missing a beat, no problem. Shit... there are bands (like Gwar for example) who've continued on the road after someone in the band DIED on tour.
TribunalRecords
Record Label(s)/Vocalist
Touring sucks, period. Unless you are fortunate enough to tour in a bus. Sleeping on floors, driving endless hours, sitting around for endless hours. Etc. touring isn't all is glamoured up to be.
"Bring some real bands"? I find that to be a bit of a puzzling comment. I've been around long enough that I'm not surprised to hear of someone saying it, but still... what does it really mean? Did he previously listen to the bands and find that he didn't like them? If so, ok. But the tone of the comment suggests that he's simply not familiar with them, and wants to see bigger, more, well-known, "real" bands. If so, the comment is both dickish and illogical. First off, a White Wizzard / Icarus Witch / Widow show is probably a better show than many of the "real" bands that might charge double or triple the ticket price. Second, the fact that you emailed him to begin with suggests he is at least somewhat into metal. If so, how did any of the bands he considers "real" achieve their current stature? And how are newer metal bands, in the current environment, supposed to become "real" (by his definition), if not for doing tours exactly like this, to get themselves out there, and try to build a bigger fanbase?
nailz
Member
AngraRULES
Member
Puzzling? I find it ignorant as fuck.
Sumeet said:
It means he's waiting for me to bring bands that are "real bands" and "will draw so much more people than those" in an US tour. You know, bands like Threshold and Maiden United, Secret Sphere and Freedom Call, Pantonmind and Cloudscape. Those would draw so much more in the USA...
Sumeet said:
Most definitely not. I guarantee the new Icarus Witch, for instance, would be something he'd love. But...
Sumeet said:
Right. Such as the ones I mentioned, who are bigger and more well known "real bands" in the Prog-Power scene, not really elsewhere.
Sumeet said:
Not to mention, the WW/IW/W show will probably draw better than those anyway...
Sumeet said:
Simple. A "real" band in his opinion sounds like every other prog or power or progpower hybrid band.
edgeofthorns
24 Hours Ago...
Really...that's cool! If you play around here again, I'll check KWD out! I attend shows fairly regularly at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC, which is a pretty cool venue too.
~Brian~
Mr. Zane of HW
Member
Actually, if they are playing that many shows, and the shows are smaller, then they could potentially do quite respectably as far as money goes. They aren't staying in fancy hotels or eating in high end restaurants. they will probably be sleeping in their van. It will most likely be a very no-frills type thing, and these kind of tours can make a band. Mastodon toured like this when they started out and it was to the extent that various cities began to mistake them as a local act they toured so often. They have obviously decided to throw the gauntlet down and go for it. Good on them and I hope they get huge because of it.
Aeonic, even though it might be money lost, one day off in 63 has got to affect performance. We are not talking about a 9AM 20 minute slot at Ozzfest here, we are talking about a HEADLINING tour. What is that? 80-100 minutes every night? It has to be asked that, especially towards the end of their tour, that after all that beating up, that some fan at their show will say "Man, they sound dead." Or, "they sound like shit.". SO, I beg to ask the question: Even though days off might be money lost, is not having that extra one or two days (similar to what they do in baseball) worth the possibility of potential fans lost? You know, lost fans=lost $$$?
AeonicSlumber
srs
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you realize that Ozzfest had days off right? And on those days off, all of the undercard bands did shows so as to make sure they would make money on the tour. There are very few tours with days off, ever. And on the tours with days off, that's a lot of money being lost.
Stop sounding so matter-of-fact. Losing 10 fans due to a shitty night is better than losing a few thousand dollars more than there needed to be lost on days off. This isn't baseball, the players have salaries and unions. Bands do not. They are paid by the promoter and by merch sales, so every day there isn't money to be made to at the very least cover their own asses for gas, hotel (if there's even that), tour manager (if there's even that), food, and other daily expenses, that's gonna be a much bigger problem than some neckbeard whining about how their $10 show wasn't awe-inspiring.
There's gotta be a fine line drawn somewhere, right? Between fatigue and budget (or at it's worst extremes: burnout and financial ruin)? I don't care who you are, how in-shape and well-behaved you are, or how budget-conscious you may be, I can't imagine more than 14 days of gigs (maybe 20 days) without needing at least one to chill (and do laundry). Of course, if the simple luxury of a Big-Mac and lounging by the Motel 6 swimming pool just isn't in the budget, I guess you do what you have to do...poor, broke, hard-working (and obviously very motivated) bastards. I will be happy to check them out when they roll through my favorite little dumpy metal club.
In reference to Stingray...Mastodon is an excellent example of how it gets done. They did tour like mad motherfuckers didn't they?
In reference to Stingray...Mastodon is an excellent example of how it gets done. They did tour like mad motherfuckers didn't they?
