Commentary on our scene by Mike Praytor 6/12/2006
South Eastern CT... That is the location of the shows I book. Thusly the location of the bands I book. And I do it because I love the local music scene. This scene has so many musicians it's ridiculous. I run sound for 15-35 bands a weekend. Some of the bands suck some are amazing, but they all have something that makes them special.
As a rule I stay away from cover bands. Some people really like 'em but I don't. I'd much rather watch an original band with a fraction of the talent play something they wrote. At least that’s creative and from the heart. I find some of the cover bands in the area forgot why they play music. Some seem more interested in how much they are getting paid than anything else.
At live shows there is a certain camaraderie in the air, people drinking, dancing, laughing, singing, smiling, making jokes. At shows people seem to throw away their worries and just have fun. That’s what makes me love it. It kind of brings me down when a band shows up 15 minutes before their set time, plays the show and leaves immediately after. Where's the camaraderie, the support of the other bands, and support for the scene? Didn't you start a band because you love music? Why not watch the other bands because you know it sucks when no one watches you.
It's surprising to see how many bands just show up and leave without passing out flyers to future shows, talking with bands and fans, setting up an email signup list, merch, or even plugging their website on stage. Many times the bands that don't do these basic little things will play for years without gaining a fan base. The whole reason I did it when I was in a band was so at my next show we'd have more and more people until we were packing places. Lots of times I book bands because I dig their music even if they don't bring anyone. Some bands are terrible and bring tons of people. It's a weird scene but I love it. I love the music, the people and the fun. Thanks for reading!
~Mike Praytor
~The Sound Factory
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