I am looking for input to bring ideas to this project, and any suggestions will help. Thank you for your honesty and opinions.
Paid Fan Access
- Thread starter MixGrafix
- Start date
I am looking for input to bring ideas to this project, and any suggestions will help. Thank you for your honesty and opinions.
What about t-shirts and hoodies, caps, posters?
On another note tubbs... how is the diabetes? My sugar has come down from the high 450's to the mid 200's, and is still dropping. I hope that yours in under control.
Mix
opeth_353
Member
pethian:
Tubbs
Bi-weekly top album:
Merchandise really isn't in the band's hands, so I wouldn't consider those things a "real" band product.
It's much better than it was a year ago.
in_absentia
Aurora Borealis
This thread really got me thinking (which in my case is fucking rare), but when the heck did muzak ever become a business? And here i was thinking it was an art. People bag out 'shit' pop music, saying it's just a way to make money, but when i think about it, all genres really do that. I think it's quite pathetic with the whole 'pay more, for a better seat', which is what Kenneth R. was getting at. And i agree 110%. Music has become such a money-making industry, and more or less, people go in for the intention of 'wanting to get their music out to the public', and come out with a loaded bank account. I guess this could be aimed at all forms of art though. So really, the motivation in the end is all about the $$. I don't know what i'm trying to get at here, actually. Maybe i'm just delusional, who knows?
Some people play for the love of it, but others play for money. I think Opeth play for both reasons equally. It is their job, but the want to make the best music that they feel they can. They are not in it strictly for the money for that would be the ending of them. My thought is if you are good enough to make your living doing something you love, and get paid for it, do it! It is better than doing a job you HAVE to do (and you hate doing it) because you need the check to pay your bills.
I have been doing computer stuff for nearly twenty years now, and have the best boss in the world. Myself. I sign my own paycheck, which means I have the luxury of doing what I want when I want. No alarm clocks, no one nagging at me because I am tardy. No asking for time off. The best part is anyone can do it if they have the discipline to do it, and have enough talent to deliver a great product.
Entertainment (music) became a business about twenty five hundred years ago when the greeks created the first amphitheatre. They paid an admission charge to see performers see the show. That is when it became a business. Just like the movies, plays, the opera, car racing, drag racing, professional sports, etc.
It all comes down to talent. Look at David Beckham. He is getting 250 million dollars for kicking a ball around. Is he the best at it. No, but he draws a crowd, and the advertisers pay the bills.
Think about if music were like Nascar, and all the band members wore ZILDJIAN, ESP, MARSHALL, LINE 6, patches and stickers all over them. LOL
biggsy
New Metal Member
I think for Opeth the music certainly comes first. But it'd be ridiculously naive of us to assume that's it. They need to buy food and support families just like normal Average Joes do. I wouldn't honestly mind if they sold some compilations or posters for a little more at a gig. That's what they do for a living and I'm glad to support them. Without money, they'd be back in Sweden working in a fucking record store, not touring constantly trying to appease us. Of course, these compilations or whatever needn't be ridiculously priced, but it just give the fans the option of putting back in.
That or a group of people in high vis vests walking around shaking tins saying "Opeth Aid."
That or a group of people in high vis vests walking around shaking tins saying "Opeth Aid."
I can hear Bob Geldof and Michael Jackson now...
There comes a time
When we heed a certain call
When the world must acknowledge the "one"
There are people lying
About what music they listen to
Opeth is the greatest gift of all
We can't go on
Pretneding day by day
That greedy record companies will soon make a change
We are all a part of
Mike's great big family
And the truth, you know Opeth is all we need
[Chorus]
We are the fans
We are the crazies
We are the ones who give Opeth money
So don't be lazy
There's a choice of musicians
We're saving our own minds
It's true we'll make them say
Opeth's for me.
wankerness
Member
OMG WAH, bands are trying to make money, those greedy assholes, they should fly to the united states and hire a recording crew and pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars in gas money out of their own pocket cause they love the music so much! And record companies should all expect to make a negative profit on the tours of bands and keep right on funding them! Anyone who tries to make enough money to cover the massively rising gas prices is obviously a CAPITALIST ASSHOLE who shouldn't be playing music! Music is art, not a business!
God damn, how do you expect to keep seeing niche bands from europe come over to the US to tour if you think they shouldn't be allowed to sell merchandise, sell fan club memberships, have special vip seats, or anything else to cover the absolutely massive costs involved in bringing their group over to a not particularly large number of fans? You should be lucky a lot of those bands can afford to come here at all given the extent of their popularity. I personally wouldn't join a fan club unless it was like the metallica one (which, as described earlier, sounds pretty awesome) or the old dream theater one (some of the christmas cds were actually pretty damn good), but I sure as hell wouldn't make some high and mighty statements about how any band that tries to offset the costs of touring on different continents is a money machine and spew blatantly retarded statements like "wtf, i thought music was supposed to be art!"
Either accept that underground prog/metal bands from europe have to sell overpriced merchandise and try to make money back any way they can, despite still having cheap as hell tickets in 99% of cases, or stop whining and expect to have to fly yourself over to sweden to see them. It's fucking ridiculous the sense of entitlement a couple posters in this thread have been showing. Don't buy the VIP tickets, don't join the fanclub, whatever, but don't pretend like they only exist to make the band wildly rich and cheapen the music.
God damn, how do you expect to keep seeing niche bands from europe come over to the US to tour if you think they shouldn't be allowed to sell merchandise, sell fan club memberships, have special vip seats, or anything else to cover the absolutely massive costs involved in bringing their group over to a not particularly large number of fans? You should be lucky a lot of those bands can afford to come here at all given the extent of their popularity. I personally wouldn't join a fan club unless it was like the metallica one (which, as described earlier, sounds pretty awesome) or the old dream theater one (some of the christmas cds were actually pretty damn good), but I sure as hell wouldn't make some high and mighty statements about how any band that tries to offset the costs of touring on different continents is a money machine and spew blatantly retarded statements like "wtf, i thought music was supposed to be art!"
Either accept that underground prog/metal bands from europe have to sell overpriced merchandise and try to make money back any way they can, despite still having cheap as hell tickets in 99% of cases, or stop whining and expect to have to fly yourself over to sweden to see them. It's fucking ridiculous the sense of entitlement a couple posters in this thread have been showing. Don't buy the VIP tickets, don't join the fanclub, whatever, but don't pretend like they only exist to make the band wildly rich and cheapen the music.
Kenneth R.
Cináed
congratulations on your post. The bands I'm dissing for their shitty actions are all American (Dream Theater) and so is Ticketbastard. There's nothing wrong with merch but VIP seats are bullshit. Being forced to cough it up for FYE just to get anything autographed is bullshit. FYI, Petrol costs in Europe and particularly Norway are far higher than they are in the US. Do some research. If you support this mentality, YOU are bullshit. But then, that's you right? The ignorant slob in the front enjoying his $10 plastic cup of beer while mildly nodding along to songs he isn't familiar with because it's a night on the town.
wankerness
Member
I agree with your posts when it comes to bands touring in their home countries, and all the stuff you described is fucking annoying, yes, but it pretty much only applies to horrible bands like say, Maroon 5 or Nickelback, who really do seem to be just in it for the money and are pimped out by major record labels, and who don't really have many fans that deeply care about the music cause their music has no substance anyway and half the people who listen to them only do cause it's on the radio. When it comes to bands like Dream Theater and Opeth, it's the die hard nerdy fans who buy the more expensive tickets to the special seated shows, and I don't recall such outrage being directed at Opeth back when they were doing those chronology sets - instead I recall more fan excitement at getting an opportunity to be part of a special concert. My post was more a response against In Absentias/Tubbs. I'm well aware that gas costs are higher in europe, but it's still a hell of a lot cheaper to stay in your home country than it is to fly across the ocean and tour all the way through the US. And yes, obviously I don't care about a band's music because I think it's OK for them to have VIP seats and sell overpriced merchandise if they need to, even though I wouldn't buy them - great and logical ad-hominems, they added a lot to your argument. And ten dollar cups of beer are entirely venue shit, I don't support THAT being overpriced. I have never bought a drink at a show anyway, though, cause I'm a cheap asshole.
outerone
Alchemy of the Sorcerer
I totally do agree that music is a business I have no problem with that. I am a graphic artist myself and I must make money so that I can continue to work new projects.
But to add again. I would easily pay some extra cash if Opeth had a club where they would offer exclusive live video or recording, backstage/behind the scenes video, meet n greet fan sessions, advance sales on tickets, better seats at shows and little random other extra items.
But to add again. I would easily pay some extra cash if Opeth had a club where they would offer exclusive live video or recording, backstage/behind the scenes video, meet n greet fan sessions, advance sales on tickets, better seats at shows and little random other extra items.
Kenneth R.
Cináed
The recent DT package deals on tour were such a laughingstock of money-grubbing. Putting out fanclub and special CDs is great.
Ive mostly heard horror stories when it comes to Paid membership and all...!!!!!....ppl ususally end up with a crappy lil mag or something...and no real chance of grabbin any good sets or anythign....!!!!....so NO.....i dont think its a good idea....if u wann be upfront..sjut show up early...!!!...thats waht I do for Opeth....hahaha....thoguh u have to sit through crappy local bands...hahaha...but its all worth it.....anywyaz.....as far as ppl rippin on bands for makin money...and havin a bussiness model...well u are sersioualy super naive....or jsut plain dumb and ignoring reality...!!!....shit costs money......there...u have it....a simple explanation....PEAC EOUT
Don Corleone
Emre
Kenneth, you are one shitass cheap bastard..
I'd love to pay $10 to get acces to what ever extras I might get, if you are a fan of a band, support them so they can make more lovely music!
You think music shouldn't be a business, well.. Maybe farmers shouldn't make any profit on food? Food should be available to everyone! (yes, that IS sarcasme!)
Musicians are also people who need money, buy food, buy a house etc.
Why shouldn't get money for something they are good at huh?
Some even have to pay for their own instruments..
If they had to starve to let you enjoy great music, well.. No bands would do that would they?
I'd love to pay $10 to get acces to what ever extras I might get, if you are a fan of a band, support them so they can make more lovely music!
You think music shouldn't be a business, well.. Maybe farmers shouldn't make any profit on food? Food should be available to everyone! (yes, that IS sarcasme!)
Musicians are also people who need money, buy food, buy a house etc.
Why shouldn't get money for something they are good at huh?
Some even have to pay for their own instruments..
If they had to starve to let you enjoy great music, well.. No bands would do that would they?
in_absentia
Aurora Borealis
But you've also got to remember that WE also need money to buy food, and buy a house etc. This just goes back to the theory of a fan being one with the 'bigger wallet', or one with a 'greater passion'. Exactly what Kenneth was saying before, paying extra money to get front row seats, when some genuine fans clearly cannot afford that. It's all about waiting in line the earliest. Why the fuck do you have to go calling him a shitass bastard when he clearly has a good point? I think you've got your head shoved too far up your ass. And i wouldn't be suprised if you had a loaded parents.
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