The controversial "$" article is now online!
- Thread starter Jim LotFP
- Start date
That's a pretty good rant. I think you could strengthen that by showing more specific information similar to your CD cost article you did a while ago. Like what sort of limits a label places on a band? How does a band get out of a contract? How much control can a debut band really get over it's own album?
I agree that the general attitude of underground folks is somewhat counterproductive. I see that in most forms of music like punk rock and death metal. There's a common unspoken opinion that the more success you have, the more you've sold your soul. So the perfect artist is the one that no one's ever heard apparently.
I think the attitude is twofold. The first is that regardless of the product (music, movies, pro sports, etc.), the more money there is to be made, the more corporate execs, lawyers and greedy bastards get involved. That's what happened in the 80's when a couple bands started making obscene amounts of money. Too many coat-tail riding money grubbers ruined the scene. At the time, it wasn't Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth. It was Quiet Riot and Bon Jovi. They were "metal" to the world and sold albums by the millions the same way Britany Spears does now. Made a lot of people very rich who didn't care what the music was. Frankly, I didn't mind QR or An Chovi at the time but by the end of the 80's, how many hair bands with Eddie Van Halen clone guitar players were there? It became too formulaic and even the truly original bands started conforming to the market (remember Ann and Nancy Wilson from Heart with the stupid hair?). The "metal" industry imploded under it's own big fat weight of corporate machinery. The same people responsible for the "metal" of the 80's turned their attention to hip-hop/rap in the '90s and have been mass producing new country stars for the past several years. Any time there's enough money to be made, the wrong people will get involved and ruin it. Experience tells us to fear the big marketability of metal. We don't want it all over MTV and the radio because it will get corporate machined to death again.
The other facet of the underground attitude is something that you mentioned I think. The idea that the less popular a band is that we like, the more that band is "ours". If everyone likes it, that dilutes our ownership and we lose interest. Can't be that special if everyone likes it. So fans don't want it getting too popular because then it becomes less theirs and more of the general public's.
I agree that the general attitude of underground folks is somewhat counterproductive. I see that in most forms of music like punk rock and death metal. There's a common unspoken opinion that the more success you have, the more you've sold your soul. So the perfect artist is the one that no one's ever heard apparently.
I think the attitude is twofold. The first is that regardless of the product (music, movies, pro sports, etc.), the more money there is to be made, the more corporate execs, lawyers and greedy bastards get involved. That's what happened in the 80's when a couple bands started making obscene amounts of money. Too many coat-tail riding money grubbers ruined the scene. At the time, it wasn't Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth. It was Quiet Riot and Bon Jovi. They were "metal" to the world and sold albums by the millions the same way Britany Spears does now. Made a lot of people very rich who didn't care what the music was. Frankly, I didn't mind QR or An Chovi at the time but by the end of the 80's, how many hair bands with Eddie Van Halen clone guitar players were there? It became too formulaic and even the truly original bands started conforming to the market (remember Ann and Nancy Wilson from Heart with the stupid hair?). The "metal" industry imploded under it's own big fat weight of corporate machinery. The same people responsible for the "metal" of the 80's turned their attention to hip-hop/rap in the '90s and have been mass producing new country stars for the past several years. Any time there's enough money to be made, the wrong people will get involved and ruin it. Experience tells us to fear the big marketability of metal. We don't want it all over MTV and the radio because it will get corporate machined to death again.
The other facet of the underground attitude is something that you mentioned I think. The idea that the less popular a band is that we like, the more that band is "ours". If everyone likes it, that dilutes our ownership and we lose interest. Can't be that special if everyone likes it. So fans don't want it getting too popular because then it becomes less theirs and more of the general public's.
MetalNations
Member
DE
vote bnp
AngelWitch73
Member
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