Hip Hop and More
by Ralph Kohr
AYO AYO AYO what's really good? Hey check it, I know there have been a lot of really good shows, however this month I am going to take the time to not only expose but to also educate. So with no further ado, here is my ‘around the town’ write up.
This month I caught a lot of the same hip hop shows I did last month. Not a bad thing as Pluto, Seis Fifth, 7th Layer, Mike Shaff, Lil D, Finest, O'Merta, Shangri-La Soldierz, and Da Ritt (more on him later) tore up the Cameron St. venue. In fact these shows have gone over so well month after month that Cameron St Cafe' will be having competition right down the road from the Downtown G Man, May 30th. With seeing the clubs success they have chosen to follow suit! Additionally I am way amped for the “4-27” record release party at Champion's for Da Ritt. The Mayor of the burg continues to drop bombs after all these years!
However amongst all this, this column is "The Underground" and I will cover more underground than just rap.Which brings me to Shadows Lie. I got the chance to catch these guys out at Rumor's and I can say that this is one of the best female fronted bands in central PA with the exception of Deja Vudoo. The front woman for this 4 piece brought an eardrum shattering screech to the stage for their mostly original set. They did have one cover but it was awesome! These guys have all the elements, and once they find a technical and tight producer with the right promo engine behind it they may be unstoppable.
This same show brought an onslaught of insane metal! The culprits of the headaches, and head banging, along with security looking idiotic stopping a friendly pit were War Ensemble. They kicked off their power hour of Slayer tribute off with a bang. A head Bang that went from beginning to end!
I will tell you, the best music in central PA can be seen at Gullifty's, Cameron St, and Rumor's and that is no lie. But that brings me to the next band I caught at Rumor's, End Of An Era. This band has it all; the sound, the look, the ability to put on a very high energy live show, and with their mix of Orgy looks, instrumentations, and the stage presence and vocal sound of Coby Dick of Papa Roach. “They got something going on!” I like that quote, reminds me of Matt Pinfield when talking at MMC. Something that all bands with the exception of maybe four in this area lack. I am talking if music was pro wrestling these guys would be the grand champions of Lucha Libre, and I will go on a limb and say that this is the best rock band I have heard all year! Why? Because they are not overly complex, but rather simple and tight. Perfectly ready to be marketed to labels. In my opinion I think they would make more on a DIY path however.
Speaking of DIY make sure to check out my rant after this for a lot of good tips on the best ways to ‘Do It Yourself’. I have spent countless hours compiling the best ways for artists to do business for artists and it is called IMI.
About a month ago I came up with the idea with Twisty of the Suicide Puppets to form an artists union. After about a week of debate we came up with the name IMI. What is this all about?? Artists cross promoting, and helping other artists. Whether it be on collaborations, promotions, bookings or whatever it may be. This idea was welcomed by the local music community with open arms. This month shared knowledge is as follows!
Booking 101. The key components when booking that need to be looked at are: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How. So many times artists are booked on a non-profit level to costly shows where they get very minimal exposure. In an industry that is always ready to take your money these questions need to be asked: Who is booking the show? Are they reputable? How is their track record for promotion?
What is the reason for the event? Where will the event be held? How much will the event pay? Will it cost me more to drive there than I get paid? When is the event in comparison to other larger shows you could be doing? In asking these questions, I am not saying to write off a local show. In fact do every local show you can. Do it for free if you need to. Just weigh your options before you jump.
Promotions. In any booking this is a key factor. The first thing to know is “Does the club do their own promotion?” If the answer to this is no, it can be well expected that there will not be a “regular” crowd. In fact some rooms may only draw out 5-6 people on a regular night. This is where being promo savvy is keen. Whether you have the funds or not, there are ways to promote. Reverb Nation, Myspace, clubflyers.com, Fubar along with good ol’ word of mouth. However, if you do not promote your event the club cannot be blamed. When you break it down the average liquor license is $2,500 a month. Then there is staffing, electric, and paying the entertainment. If you are playing their venue (especially with a guarantee) you should be promoting in every avenue possible. Posters are a good way to do this. You can get 5 full color posters at Office Max for $5 to hang at the venues. Your label and branding will be imbedded in the visitor’s mind of the establishment.
Use Your Resources. Anyone with internet now has the resources to do anything. Start your own radio station, start your own promotions company, hop on and add 2,000 friends a day and become the most popular girl in the locker room. It is all about dedication and dedicated fans. If you know 5 of them, you have enough to fill a day full of promo. Find your five best friends and have them aim to hit 200 friend requests a day on your profile. Make sure it is someone you trust. You are responsible for your people on your profiles.
Resources also work well when dealing with photo shop and promo photos. If you are not one of them there is a mass of people savvy enough in the realm of pixilation that they can help you.
A web resource master list will be sent out to all who sign up an email address. This will give you a list of websites promoting independent music. That is it for now. Make sure you check back next month for your fix of independent music. Until then this is Mal H-Vock saying be safe, and don't lick anything I wouldn't! www.myspace.com/seventhlayer
