Tour Announcement: WHITE WIZZARD, ICARUS WITCH, WIDOW

[Jasonic]

Milton - This is your tour right? That should mean you obviously knew what to expect.
There isn't more to really say, and I am not knocking it at all.
I think it is a solid package, but not one that's obviously going to draw 500 a night.
I mean Sanctuary there with Diamond Plate opening only drew maybe 175 to 200.

Once again, it's about having more people in your corner locally to help promote the gig.

While I agree that it's partially the venue's reponsibility to book the openers, you need to know the venue.
MoJoe's is not a "metal" venue. They are a venue that picked up the spill over from when Pearl Room closed.

As far as the posters you sent, that's a shame.
This wasn't the type of venue that booked your show going, "Cool, we want to help out this tour the best way we can because it will help support underground metal here in the States"

Sorry if you are taking this as me bashing the tour, because I am not.
Just telling you from working with MoJoes on multiple occasions how things go.
I am sure the locals booked were simply the next two who called for a gig.
They probably didn't know anymore than my next door neighbor who the other bands on the bill were.

 

[Jasonic]

you are Jason and know all about shows and metal.

No but unlike yourself I have done business with MoJoes.

 

[OrbWeaver]

Met-Al said something positive about Icarus Witch?
Wow, what happened to the Al I used to know????
Granted I believe his issue with them was their old singer.

Yeah, he was NOT a fan of that old singer. He told me the DiAnno gig was horrible.


This tour might have done better in Chicago if they had stopped at Reggie's instead of MoJoe's, especially since White Wizzard absolutely loves Reggie's. I think more people might have showed up for that show, too, especially since a lot of Chicagoans are lazy and won't go to a show if they can't take the train to get there. If I had a dollar for every time I head someone up here bitch about having to drive to a show, I'd be rich.

 

[Diabolik]

Yeah, he was NOT a fan of that old singer. He told me the DiAnno gig was horrible.


This tour might have done better in Chicago if they had stopped at Reggie's instead of MoJoe's, especially since White Wizzard absolutely loves Reggie's. I think more people might have showed up for that show, too, especially since a lot of Chicagoans are lazy and won't go to a show if they can't take the train to get there. If I had a dollar for every time I head someone up here bitch about having to drive to a show, I'd be rich.

yes because YOU are always supporting every show that comes through Chicago.

I agree....this show would have been perfect for Ultra Lounge. Jason actually bought that up when this tour was announced. it is the perfect size for it. Still, one can never guess how a show is going to do. Even if they gain 1 new fan, that is a good thing. Joan was that new fan so playing the show helped them.

 

[Jasonic]

Its hard to say.
People complain about shows being in the city as much as they complain about driving to Joliet.
There is no guarantee.

 

[Jasonic]

yes because YOU are always supporting every show that comes through Chicago.

Dude, get off that high horse already.
You don't go to EVERY show yourself.

People go to the shows they want to go to.
Period.

 

[Diabolik]

Dude, get off that high horse already.
You don't go to EVERY show yourself.

People go to the shows they want to go to.
Period.

I am not on a high horse. Making an observation. I hate when people make excuses and say they hate hearing about how far they have to drive for a show. Sadly, as we and lots others....Chicago is a different beast with metal. There is a huge dividing line with the burbs and city shows. While some bands do really well in the burbs and some do better in the city. The city shows if at a name club will get mentioned in The Reader in thier concert listings. Free publicity. While most burb clubs dont. IE will list them but the Reader is what most people in the city read.

I was makin the comment to Joan because if Al didnt take her....would she herself have gone? nope.

I am not on a high horse. I have only ridden once and got a slow horse.

 

[Jasonic]

Ok, then I apologize.
I agree that Chicago is EXTREMELY divided.
Bottom line is there are at least 5 to 10 metal shows each week in Chicago.
Heck, even this past Saturday there was WW, black metal fest at Cafe Lura, Gorgasm, etc.

 

[AngraRULES]

Milton - This is your tour right? That should mean you obviously knew what to expect.
There isn't more to really say, and I am not knocking it at all.
I think it is a solid package, but not one that's obviously going to draw 500 a night.
I mean Sanctuary there with Diamond Plate opening only drew maybe 175 to 200.

Of course, man. I totally know that most shows will have small crowds. I have high hopes for a few of them, mainly the Canada shows (let's face it, they always draw better than US shows, NYC, Raleigh (since it's Widow's home) and Atlanta. I absolutely knew what to expect.

While I agree that it's partially the venue's reponsibility to book the openers, you need to know the venue.

Ok, mistake #1. It's not "partially" the venue's responsibility, my friend. Ask any high profile booking agent that works the metal scene in the US. Do you think Finberg asks venues about certain local bands? Hell no!! The responsibility is 100% the venue's.

MoJoe's is not a "metal" venue. They are a venue that picked up the spill over from when Pearl Room closed.

See, that's something I didn't know. I do see a lot of metal shows booked in Joliet, and since the other Chicago clubs I contacted *beforehand* (as I've said before to a few people via PM and on this thread) were already booked, it was the only thing I could do to place the show in the Chicago-area. There's only so much an agent can do. If 45 minutes away is not enough to get a fan to go to a show, then maybe he's not that much of a fan. Sorry.

As far as the posters you sent, that's a shame. This wasn't the type of venue that booked your show going, "Cool, we want to help out this tour the best way we can because it will help support underground metal here in the States"

For sure. However, if anyone lost in this thing, it was the venue. The bands really don't care whether they play for 10 or 100. If promoters are doing what they're supposed to, which is honoring the agreements and paying the guarantees, we're cool with it. Everyone was paid. Everyone walked away happy. Could the turnout have been better? Sure. Should the venue maybe done a bit better promoting? Absolutely. But it is what it is. I won't hold a grudge at MoJoe's for doing what they do.

Sorry if you are taking this as me bashing the tour, because I am not.
Just telling you from working with MoJoes on multiple occasions how things go.
I am sure the locals booked were simply the next two who called for a gig.
They probably didn't know anymore than my next door neighbor who the other bands on the bill were.

Not a problem. You sounded a bit cynic about it the way you put it initially. But now that you explained, no worries.

I think there's only so much an agent, a band and a manager can do. The work can't be just a one-way avenue. Everyone involved has to do their parts. Even the locals bands. If you're not willing to hustle and bring some friends to the show, if you're not willing to promote the gig, and all you do is show up to play, guess what? You're *never* going to leave your "local band" status.

 

[AngraRULES]

This tour might have done better in Chicago if they had stopped at Reggie's instead of MoJoe's, especially since White Wizzard absolutely loves Reggie's. I think more people might have showed up for that show, too, especially since a lot of Chicagoans are lazy and won't go to a show if they can't take the train to get there. If I had a dollar for every time I head someone up here bitch about having to drive to a show, I'd be rich.

Absolutely, Joan. Reggie's was the very first venue I contacted at all when I started picking up the pieces from the Paul Di'Anno tour. I knew how much Reggie's loves White Wizzard and I know how much White Wizzard loves Reggie's. I also know how AWESOME the guys at Reggie's are. Unfortunately they were booked already and I had to look at other options to bring the show to the fans who wanted to see it in the Chicago area.

About fans in Chicago being lazy, I think that's a pattern I see in the whole country. Metal fans are very spoiled, it seems...

 

[AngraRULES]

yes because YOU are always supporting every show that comes through Chicago.

I agree....this show would have been perfect for Ultra Lounge. Jason actually bought that up when this tour was announced. it is the perfect size for it. Still, one can never guess how a show is going to do. Even if they gain 1 new fan, that is a good thing. Joan was that new fan so playing the show helped them.

Another place that I contacted and never heard back... :\

See, that's the bottom line. Icarus Witch made one new fan and sold some merch. Both bands got paid. I got paid. I don't understand why some people are making it like this show was a huge failure. It was a crappy draw, but bands got paid, made fans... There's lots of the "crowd favorites" over here that are doing tours getting nothing, sometimes paying buy-ons out of pocket. At least this show made the bands some money.

 

[AngraRULES]

People go to the shows they want to go to.
Period.

This.

But don't call yourself a "fan" if you won't make the sacrifice of getting 40 minutes out of your way to go see a band you love, and then go around saying you "support" them and the metal scene.

 

[Diabolik]

Another place that I contacted and never heard back... :

See, that's the bottom line. Icarus Witch made one new fan and sold some merch. Both bands got paid. I got paid. I don't understand why some people are making it like this show was a huge failure. It was a crappy draw, but bands got paid, made fans... There's lots of the "crowd favorites" over here that are doing tours getting nothing, sometimes paying buy-ons out of pocket. At least this show made the bands some money.

as long as the bands got paid. this is the most important.

 

[Jasonic]

as long as the bands got paid. this is the most important.

*bitestongue*

 

[Jasonic]

This.

But don't call yourself a "fan" if you won't make the sacrifice of getting 40 minutes out of your way to go see a band you love, and then go around saying you "support" them and the metal scene.

I have said it MANY times. I am not at a point in my life where every week I have free time to go to a metal show. I am VERY selective in what I go to. Comes with the territory of having a family. It's the reason I have never been to Prog Power. I don't even go to all the shows locally I want to go to.

Please clarify what you mean though when you say I can't call myself a "fan"?
A fan of metal? A Fan of these particular bands?

And no, I was indeed not at all trying to be cynical. Your decision making process was spot on. MoJoes does indeed do metal shows. KNowing the area, as I said, a local band who could get another 25 friends or so could have helped out. I agree 100% that the venue loses too if they don't take the local band being a good fit for the gig into consideration.

Did you work with mpshows at all?

 

[Justin G]

I'm guessing he meant that you shouldn't call yourself a fan (of any band, not this particular tour) if a 45-minute trip is what keeps you from attending the band's show. Which is true to some extent. That line gets a little fuzzier when you factor in things like whether the show is on a weeknight, whether or not you can spare the money, etc.

I bailed on a Sabaton show at Empire a few months ago. I am a fan of that band, but it was the day after I returned from Ragnarokkr, I was broke and exhausted, it was a Monday show, and I had already seen Sabaton live three times in the past year or so. Had it just been a matter of the 45-minute trip to Springfield, I would deserve to have my "fanhood" questioned.

 

[OrbWeaver]

No, I don't go to EVERY metal show that comes through. I don't like EVERY metal show that comes through. But if it's a band I like, and I can get off work (or even better, I'm not working) I go. It's stupid to go to shows for bands you don't like. So you're right Bob, I don't go to EVERY metal show. I go to the ones I like.

Oh, and the assumptions you're making are hilarious. Yeah, I NEVER go to metal shows without Met-Al. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL Gee, I wonder how I managed to make it to Sabaton/Evergrey. Al certainly didn't go! I guess I just imagined the whole thing. And the shows I went to BEFORE I met Al must have just been massive delusions on my part.


Milton - that's usually the case with Reggie's. They seem to be a popular place for tours to hit. Which is a good thing, except when it's your first choice and you are unable to book it, as in this case. Regardless, I'll be seeing Icarus Witch again if at all possible the next time they're in town.

 

[Jasonic]

I'm guessing he meant that you shouldn't call yourself a fan (of any band, not this particular tour) if a 45-minute trip is what keeps you from attending the band's show.

If the 45 minute drive is the ONLY reason, then yes, I agree.
I do not think that's what he meant though.

 

[Diabolik]

I think we all have too much time on our hands.

 

[Justin G]

I think we all have too much time on our hands.

No kidding. Expect that to continue as the days till PPUSA wind down.