Frustration

This will probably become a rant.

Every musician that intends to make their art public must face the battle of "booking shows". In my experience, this has been, for reasons I cannot understand, very difficult. It feels as though there is some sort of secret language, or code, or WAY of communicating to someone else that you would like to set up a show, be it with them, or at their venue, or what have you. Normally in the instance of contact via the internet, I would write to someone like so:

Hey ******,

So, we're lookin to set up a show in ***** on the **th of *****. We were thinkin that we could have *** ***** and **** ***** **** play as well. You think you guys would be down with that? Let us know what you think

Thanks dudes!

Topher<

I usually get ignored. It is as if I am speaking to them in some way that does not make any sort of sense to them? I try to be very clear, and in some cases rather articulate. Apparelty you have to sound stupid, and write things like u instead of you, use a lot of slang, and act like it's no big deal anyway. But it seems that even that does not work...

Is it that I am addressing them the wrong way? Am I being pushy, or overbearing? Am I asking the wrong people? Are people just lazy?

Maybe it is just that we aren't IN on the cliques. We're that band that those bands played with once; those young kids that were good, but were outsiders nonetheless. We aren't trendy, we aren't the crowd drawers, we don't bring the mosh, we don't get trashed before we play. It also doesn't help that we don't get to play often, because we're busy a lot of the time.

I'm tired of the sort of catch that is the underground music scene. You can't get shows unless you're a good band, and IN with everyone else. So let's say your music is good; you still can't get shows, because you aren't in. But how do you gain respect from the cliques? I guess that's the mystery. If your band doesn't totally suck, your friends will love your shit. But if you don't have a whole lot of friends, I guess maybe you're just dead in the water......

Maybe being involved with music is really just the same as being involved with people. If you don't bring the party, you aren't worth anyone's time, no one cares, and that's the end of it...