What do you really think... (5 Viewers)

[Rimbaud]

Would be great!
A travelling punk tour with say 6/7 bands around Ireland would be the job!

True Skubol - you really like adebisi shank then!!
For bands on the verge's of certain scene's/styles, its a pretty hard slog, they don't fall into the mainstream file, they don't fall into the punk file etc...hardly gonna change though i guess.

 

[Dylan]

I just spent AGES typing out a really long contribution to all of this and then hit a button by accident but couldn't press back because the forum had automatically logged me out ...i can't bring myself to type it al again. eugh.

 

[Daniel]

I'd just like to reinforce my opinion on this:

This thread is meant to be about discussing the Irish diy punk scene.

Exactly, i am genuinely interested in what people think about the quality of the bands and buzz at gigs etc. I know not everyone is mad about the whole Moshspace thing but some of the people from that scene are really positive, energetic, supportive and into making every show alot of fun.

Also, the eastern Europeans tend to be up for having a bit of a dance at gigs. Proper dancing ( i know some people here think they dance a bit voilently but come on, it is a punk show not a "jangly indie" gig right?) ... not just some of the "crusty piss take stuff" which is kinda hard to join in on if you're not one "of them".

 

[Denver Max]

Also, the eastern Europeans tend to be up for having a bit of a dance at gigs. Proper dancing ( i know some people here think they dance a bit voilently but come on, it is a punk show not a "jangly indie" gig right?) ... not just some of the "crusty piss take stuff" which is kinda hard to join in on if you're not one "of them".

I agree with this, but also get pissed off with people grabbing those who dont want to dance and putting them in headlocks etc. Its just that dude with hardcore and brass knuckles tattoo'd on his neck.

 

[RSJ]

Myself and conor were talking the other night again about doing a CDr compliation of irish bands win an inlay card with loads of contact info for promoters/bands/labels/sites etc for me to give out/sell at Fest next month if people are interested. Might be a good way for people to get contacts outside ireland, no reason touring irish bands couldn't make a few copies to give out/sell on thier tours or even give ten to foreign bands touring here and ask them to distribute at home, i imagine the whole thing (cdr, plastic wallet type case, folded A4 inserts) wouldn't cost more than 40-50c.

 

[NecroSteve]

What keeps me interested in punk is both the buzz you get from a good band and the camaraderie the whole thing fosters, as well as the DIY anti-business end of things. There are some great people who are amazingly dedicated, putting a lot of work into the scene and in some cases - Jasper in the North West for example - are to thank for there being a scene in specific places at all! I have my own contribution in the form of zine tables every now and then, but without the gig organisers that couldn't happen at all.

One big complaint I have about the Irish scene, though, is the excessive amount of drugs floating around including alcohol. Now I'm by no means one of these militant straight-edge twats but I feel that everyone being monged off their faces can ruin the atmosphere of a gig sometimes. I don't mind ye getting a bit merry or drinking just to loosen up a bit, but some people go way overboard with it and the gigs end up as a sidenote - in some cases people talk about nothing else other than how hammered they've been getting. Shades of nightclub life! Each to their own and all, but that's just my view.

 

[Daniel]

Each to their own and all, but that's just my view.

Myself, Damo, Leo and Conor were talking about setting up a drink and drug free festival next summer alright. Just all XXX bands and stuff. All profits are gonna go to the B.E.C.B.F. ( bring Earth Crisis back fund) Should be deadly.

 

[skubol]

Myself and conor were talking the other night again about doing a CDr compliation of irish bands win an inlay card with loads of contact info for promoters/bands/labels/sites etc for me to give out/sell at Fest next month if people are interested. Might be a good way for people to get contacts outside ireland, no reason touring irish bands couldn't make a few copies to give out/sell on thier tours or even give ten to foreign bands touring here and ask them to distribute at home, i imagine the whole thing (cdr, plastic wallet type case, folded A4 inserts) wouldn't cost more than 40-50c.

why don't you do it proper release?
i can help you with this
you can get 500 amazing looking digipack cd-s for 785 euro. it's all price for pressing and everything else like postage and so on
let me know and fuck cd-r's nobody want them, believe me

 

[Daniel]

why don't you do it proper release?
i can help you with this
you can get 500 amazing looking digipack cd-s for 785 euro. it's all price for pressing and everything else like postage and so on
let me know and fuck cd-r's nobody want them, believe me

I agree. Each band coughs up €30-€50 and you are already covered.

 

[GARYXKNIFEDX]

I wouln't have thought too many more people eould want comp cd's.

 

[bombidol]

why don't you do it proper release?
i can help you with this
you can get 500 amazing looking digipack cd-s for 785 euro. it's all price for pressing and everything else like postage and so on
let me know and fuck cd-r's nobody want them, believe me

Where can you get digipacks for that?

 

[Janer]

hilarious,pretty much all bands that could easily be considered punk.

"considered"
That's the winning goal for me.

 

[Daniel]

I wouln't have thought too many more people eould want comp cd's.

Surely if you sell them for €2-€3 you'd be able to get rid of a load. Especially if there are a few decent/semi-known Irish bands on it.

 

[skubol]

Where can you get digipacks for that?

poland
all my cd's are pressed there, same as adebisi shank cd

 

[Gambra]

Depressing..

 

[Dylan]

Basically agree with everything Jane has being saying, I'm really excited about seeing DIY ethics branch beyond punk and even music whether by direct influence or organically. It's something that holds a lot of potential socially and for that reason is extremely interwinned with punk (by what it means to me).

As for touring bands not coming over here, it's kind of understandable given how expensive ferries can be and if you're not that well known chances are you're definitely gona make a loss. Like Frigits just got back from 2 weeks around the UK, the ferry over and back for a van with 9 people in it was like 650 euro. That means if a band is doing 3 Irish dates they need to make 215 a gig to break even on their ferry costs, let alone diesel and driver expenses.

The soloution to that is that bands look at their tour finances as a whole rather than country by country and prioritise covering as much ground as possible. If people were only to go to the places that pay really well then tours would just be around Germany!

I think something really deficit in both Ireland and the UK and the importance of it is really underestimated, is cooking food for bands when they show up. Like when you're paying through the nose for ferries to a place and then ya show up and have to spend another 20 euro band money to go to the chipper it kind of dampens your spirits. Whereas even if the show is mediocre but ya get a lovely meal and some diesel money you're positive and in high spirits and it makes such a difference! Anyone whos been on tour in mainland Europe will know that the food the promoter gives you is amazing, I actualy ate better on tour than when I got home, and if you come from mainland Europe to the UK or Ireland you really notice the difference. So I think if every promoter cooks a nice meal (or asks their friends to help out by doing that) thats not just pasta and red sauce and it could make a big difference.

The whole notion of a splintered scene is kind misread by judging it on internet forums. Like I'm not really sure what's being refered to by the PFI scene, coz thats pretty much just a forum with no more than 10-15 regular posters these days, most of whom go to either moshspace or hideaway house or lower deck gigs. The people refered to as the hideaway scene are just people who used to be involved in basta. Basta finished but the people never went away. And then to mix it up a bit more a lot of bands from this so-called splinter play "moshspace gigs". The Moshspace scene are for the most part lovely people and the promoters are very DIY in practise. There is however differences in ideologies and opinions on stuff like bands signing to majors etc. being accepted as normal but I think they (its kind of wrong to say they because they're all different people with different views) are very open and supportive of a lot of DIY projects. I think in other countries the moshspace equivalent hardcore scenes are a lot more separated from the DIY scene, I think the direction its moving in Ireland is a lot healthier.

 

[Cormcolash]

I think something really deficit in both Ireland and the UK and the importance of it is really underestimated, is cooking food for bands when they show up. Like when you're paying through the nose for ferries to a place and then ya show up and have to spend another 20 euro band money to go to the chipper it kind of dampens your spirits. Whereas even if the show is mediocre but ya get a lovely meal and some diesel money you're positive and in high spirits and it makes such a difference!

See this is something that is included in the organisational thing I mentioned. Someone who is doing a gig and is well-organised will have this sorted no problem. It doesn't have to be the most amazing food in the world, but there should be something to eat for bands.
I'll say this as well though: it would be nice if people cleaned their shit up before they left. I've had people stay in the house who have made a complete mess and not given a shit, then I've had other people who are really cool and have tried their best. Understandable that sometimes someone has to go and get a ferry really early or something, but even if everything is kind of stacked neatly somewhere, then it's all easy to clean when the time comes.
That's just a minor annoyance though, most of the time the mess is worth it cause it's loads of fun!

 

[DeAd_KeV]

there arent too many bands that appeal to me around at the moment but thats okay.i still think there's alot of great poeple and we've got a real nice little community.a few things that have been bothering my lately though.. there seems to be this kind of "musician" attitude latley.of course people want their instruments to sound good n all but i think people are really too uptight about it.so what if it sounds a bit sloppy or someone hit a wrong chord.it hapens.this whole thing is supposed to be an alternative to all the conventional rockstar bullshit, but it just seems like bands are being judged by how complicated and technical the music is and not whether the songs are good or not.one of the greatest things about punk is supposed to be that anyone can do it!also theres certain factions in the scene that just turn up to watch their freinds bands and think that the scene goes no further than their little circle of freinds.obviously you wanna support your freinds in what they do, but try staying inside the venue for a couple of bands your not bff's with,instead of drinking cans outside the venue.i'll think of more things to complain about and post again later!

 

[Cormcolash]

One big complaint I have about the Irish scene, though, is the excessive amount of drugs floating around including alcohol. Now I'm by no means one of these militant straight-edge twats but I feel that everyone being monged off their faces can ruin the atmosphere of a gig sometimes. I don't mind ye getting a bit merry or drinking just to loosen up a bit, but some people go way overboard with it and the gigs end up as a sidenote - in some cases people talk about nothing else other than how hammered they've been getting. Shades of nightclub life! Each to their own and all, but that's just my view.

Totally right, something I was getting at earlier. I don't think you could put it any more fairly or clearly than that!

 

[RSJ]

why don't you do it proper release?
i can help you with this
you can get 500 amazing looking digipack cd-s for 785 euro. it's all price for pressing and everything else like postage and so on
let me know and fuck cd-r's nobody want them, believe me

That sounds like a great idea, as does the idea of bands chipping in and paying for it, ye should definitely look into it. Personaly, I was looking at CDrs so as to keep costs low and because i'm leaving for fest in six weeks. If ye want to do something proper i'm sure No Idea and a few other distros would take it. You could even just send a master over and get them printed in the US, saves on import tax or extra baggage charges/customs hassles if i or someone else was taking them over. In fact now that i think of it, if people are serious about it, i could get someone in florida to get a quick two or three hundred turned around between here and fest. They're having a fleamarket thing this year and a table is $60 so i was gonna chip that in and stand there selling them for $1 or donations or whatever. Conor suggested taking an irish distro but after fest i'm going to asia for a a few years so if i have leftovers, what do i do with them?

But the comp, if we got say 200 CDs printed for me to collect at fest, we could do a photocopied insert ourselves with loads of irish info for bands that might want to come over but don't know where to start (in my experience this is shitloads of bands), i'll chip in the $60 for the table and give them out for the donation money, i'll post that back before i leave the US and that money could go towards printing up a batch for selling/handing out over here. Sound doable?

P.S. on the angle of bands worrying about making money back off the ferry, North Lincoln and New Bruises both saved shitloads by flying into ireland and then geting a ryanair onto the UK to start their tours this summer. If, picking an example from my head, Glass And Ashes started their tour by flying into shannon, doing galway/limerick/cork/dublin/belfast with, say, Only Fumes (jn the fumes's van) and then got a ryanair from belfast to london (or wherever) to meet with their proper van dudes, they'd not only save money on flying straight to the UK/Germany/wherever, they'd get to see Ireland, which a lot of bands genuinely want to do too, irrespective of playing any gigs.