On that note.....
A member of a 'Northampton rock/funk/soul 4 piece
called Cousin Avi' has a go at us for not booking them for a R*E*P*E*A*T
gig
Printed as we recived it...
I mean i have to say to start off, as a band we have more trouble getting
gigs in Oxford and Cambridge than we do in the most established venue's
in London, Sheffield and even Buenos Aires, Argentina, due to constant
run ins with pretentious promoters who have their head stuck well and
truly up there arses.
to quote you: "we're not likely to put on any alt
country, r'n'b soulsters, retro metal or twiddly muso wankers."
To say that we havent done our research is not only patronising but
would imply that you consider us to be one of those privileged genre's
that you mentioned. Its that lack of musical knowledge that is killing
British music and makes so many people in this once highly rated musical
country think they can call themselves a promoter and then have the
nerve to turn bands away or have them pay to play....This is why for
bands it is harder than its ever been, and because of it you have all
these half-witted labels who are not even independent label quality,
as they have no platform or avenue for progress for bands. The bands
or acts you mentioned on your nights i have never heard of so that says
to me that although you may consider yourselves to be dealing with "established
acts" or ones that are "suitable" (as oppose to us) it
actually means you are not. All it says is that you stick local, because
they bring the crowds. This is very sad, as to me it shows no actual
love for good music, but more for profit through music.
I hope that what im saying is not confused. I have no disillusions as
i am aware that our project is not established either. hence why i emailed
in an attempt to see if Cambridge could provide a platform for us to
share our art and/or if it had any culture away from its famous university
and british pompousness. But with responses like yours becoming a regularity
i'm seeing that it does not, heaven forbid Cambridge showed to love
a bit of Funk or Soul or a bit of Rock hey!
I dont know how you may have interpreted our music, but from the email
you strike me as a person who probably didnt bother even listening to
it.
You express this support of attitude and not quality in music but i
struggle to see how the email that we sent in any way expressed a wrong
attitude? i would have to say it is in fact yourselves who responded
unprofessionally i believe. If the email you replied with is a generic
one, i think you may want to revise it and/or reword it.
Anyway i just hope that it will become clear to you very soon that in
music there can be no room for prejudice. You can have a preference
sure, but to label people, (whose talent or art may well be being a
twiddly muso) as a wanker shows a huge lack in appreciation, from someone
who probably tried to be a twiddly muso but was never good enough and
probably took that as the reason to start a label from there garage
and make a profit from those who worked at it and got good.
i wish you the best although as advice if you continue to reply to bands
who dont fit into your square the way you do, you will find yourself
struggling. You never know where that band maybe one day. The music
is the product with which you make your money from, so it surprises
me that you would turn away acts or the people that actually know how
to create the product in the way that you do.
good luck
Francisco, Cousin Alvi
www.cousinavimusic.com
E-mails like this suggest that we're still doing
something right!
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