Booking our band.
Category: Music

Thank you for your interest in booking the band Losers of the Year for your venue or event. The fastest way to book the band is to send them a message on Myspace. The band checks it every day and will respond promptly to your questions and requests.

A few things to consider.

The band will perform free of charge if at least one of the following provisions are met.
1) The event is for a non-profit organization, charity or cause the band supports.
2) The event is hosted by a friend or family member of the band.
3) The event is free and open to the public.
4) There is a notable headliner for the event that the band would like to open for.
5) The event is a contest in which a prize can be won.
6) The band just wants to play for free for some reason. (this actually happens a lot)

If just one of those provisions are met the band will most likely perform for free.

The band does not have a set fee for performing.
Losers of the Year is always willing to work with you to come up with a price you feel is fair and affordable. We are not greedy, but gas is expensive.

The band will only pre-sell tickets if at least one of the following provisions are met.
1) The event is a fundraiser for an organization, charity or cause the band supports.
2) Ticket sales are not a prerequisite for performing.
3) There is an incredibly awesome headliner that the band would like to open for.
4) The band is guarenteed payment of an amount at least equal to tickets sold by us.
5) The band can be guaranteed (money back guarantee) they will perform in front of at least 500 people.

If just one of these provisions can be met the band will be interested in pre-selling tickets. Otherwise they are not. If you would like to know why please read this.

Losers of the Year would love to play your private party.
Below are some questions we may ask.
1) Will the band be indoors or outdoors?
2) Is there a clean/dry place to set up and play?
3) If not is there room outdoors for us to set up our portable stage?
4) When is the party? (Proposed day and time)
5) Will we be getting paid? (at least gas money for our giant van?)
6) How many people do you expect at the party?
7) What is the average age of people attending?
8) Would you say most of the people attending like Rock music?
9) How long would you like us to perform for?
10) Can we bring a friend or two?
11) Will there be food? How about drinks?

You will be held responsible for any damage inflicted to the band members/equipment by guests of your party.

LOTY would love to perform at your wedding/bar mitzvahs providing you meet one of the following provisions.

1) You are a crazy person.

Seriously, if you have listened to our music and you still want us to perform at your Wedding or Bar-Mitzvahs you may be crazy. We mostly play fast, rock music. But hey if thats what you're looking for sign us up!

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Here comes the downtime. 5-31-2008

Justin here,
Yeah, I normally leave the blogging to Joshua, but he's busy, flying a kite, shaped like Batman.
It doesn't really look like Batman, 'cause he's purple, but he got it for free.
He jacked it from some blockhead in a yellow shirt.

With no new shows confirmed yet, we are basically up to nothing.
But, we have 3 projects to work on.

First: Book more bigger and better shows.
Second: Get the street team something to do.
Third: Record our music video for the song Stoners Like You off our new CD Lameocracy, due out just in time for Summer.

So, we're taking this time to actually get some great things done.

I want to thank everyone who participated in the Victorville Relay for Life.
We had a blast, and I heard some peoples got some good pictures of us, so those will be up as soon as we get them.
And, credit will be given where credit is due, maybe, if you tell us your name.

The press was even at the Relay, maybe we'll see our faces in the paper tomorrow, and not in the Megan's Law area this time.

Laterz!
-Justin

Losers of the Year


P.S.
We are ALSO going to be uploading a lot more content for your enjoyment.
Anything from live performances, to us running around being idiots, to hanging out with fans, to off the wall sketches of us pretending we can act.
The only acting we're good at is acting like a bunch of losers on stage, and that's not really acting.

8:35 PM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Information about Photo-Shoot/DVD taping.

The band Losers of the Year will be doing a photo-shoot/LIVE CD/DVD taping on Saturday March 8th in their home town of Victorville California and need YOU to be a part of it. The band will be performing live and recording the entire thing on video and film as well as an audio cd.

The band hopes to get quality photos and video to help them book a major west-coast tour in the near future. The band will be performing live in person, therefore it is important to have a live audience. That is where you come in. The band has already signed up somewhere between 30-40 people to be a part of this shoot. But we need somewhere between 50 and 200! So if you haven't already signed up below are a few details about the event.

1) The event will be indoors and only people who sign up via Myspace will be allowed inside. So sign up by sending us the info requested at the bottom of this bulletin.

2) The event will take place between the hours of 7pm and 10pm on Saturday March 8th inside the Victorville Activities Center on Hesperia Road. There will be short breaks through out the night. Directions are available for those who don't know where it is.

3) This is an all ages event and security will be present. We want to make this event is as safe as possible for everyone involved. Feel free to invite your parents if they're unsure about letting you attend. The more the merrier. Securities job will be to stop trouble makers as well as protect the property of the city of victorville. Not to stop anyone from having fun.

4) This is a PHOTO-SHOOT. While it should go without saying I have to warn you that there is a 90% chance your picture will be taken as part of the crowd watching the band, your likeness may be captured on film, and your voice may in fact be recorded by our audio microphones. Most people WANT to be in the video, and WANT to be in the photos, etc. But if you are uncomfortable with any of this it would be best for you not to attend.

5) Being a photo-shoot and all the show will be unlike most LOTY shows. There will be no other bands, and no real time constraint. The three hours the band has alotted themselves should be far more time than actually needed to play every song on their new album, their favorites from their first album as well as any covers they can possibly think of. Thus expect some delay and banter between songs, the possibility of certain songs being played more than once and some posed or rehearsed photos being taken.

6) Because of the very real prospect of having EXTRA time we will be taking great care to make sure every song comes out right, every photographer has every opportunity to get the shots they (and the band) want and that our slave labor video crew understands their marching orders. We want this to be as authentic as possible, but due to the large sum of money required to reserve the building we will go out of our way to get the shots/recordings we need.

7) Guests are welcome, just be sure to explain the event to all of your guests so that they understand what they are getting themselves into. This should be a fun and interesting night, but nothing is fun or interesting to someone who doesn't WANT to be there. So make sure this is cool with your guests before you bring them!

8) Desired dress code for the event is casual. We want as accurate of a picture as we can get of the bands fanbase. So dress as you normally do, however weird that may be. We do ask that you avoid wearing shirts with corporate logos like Pepsi, Billagong, etc. Simply because those companies could sue us for depicting their logo in a photograph. Band shirts are okay. Especially LOTY shirts.

9) I cannot stress this last one enough. HAVE FUN! As a band LOTY feeds off of your energy and likes to give it back a million times in return. So please jump around, dance, scream, cheer, circle pit. Bring and wave homemade signs or whatever you want. The more awesome you are the more awesome the photos and video will be. Just be respectful of each other and equipment/building.

If anyone has any questions please leave a comment below or send the band a message. Below is the information we need from you if you wish to participate in this awesome event.

Full Name:
Age:
Gender:
Myspace URL:
E-Mail:
Phone (just in case):
Number of Guests:

6:39 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Info about the Photoshoot.

Hello,
It's Josh from Losers of the Year. Many of you have signed up to be part of the photo/dvd shoot the band is doing. I want to say first and foremost THANK YOU for signing up, your name and info has been added to the list. That list will decide who is and is not allowed into the facility on the day of the event. The event is being helf at the Victorville Activities Center on Hesperia Road in Victorville.

If you're reading this and you haven't signed up to participate yet please do so. We are still looking for people who wish to come to this photo shoot and be an energetic member of the audience. We are hoping to get somewhere between 50 and 200 people to show up. For information on how to do that, as well as what this is all about please keep reading.

Ok first up the date has been officially set with the City of Victorville to use their facility for our photo shoot on March 8th. I know I told a lot of you that we were planning for February 16th or 23rd, unfortunately someone else had already booked the building for both of those dates and the next available opening is on Saturday March 8th. Thus that is when the event will be taking place. Instead of a sneak peek at the new CD as we had called it before, its going to be more like a CD release party since the album will either have just come out or will only have been out for a few weeks.

But thats not the important part. The important part is this is a free show that will be recorded in the form of a photo-shoot first. A DVD shoot second. And a LIVE CD recording third. It is limited to the first 200 people who sign up. So if you're one of those lucky few who get to be part of this its gonna be pretty cool.

We need everyone to RSVP via the Myspace Events Page. Even if you have already given me your info. The info you gave me was for the guest list at the event so you will be admitted, the RSVP is so I can more easily keep track of how many people are coming. If you would like to sign up to participate feel free to RSVP and leave a comment about wanting to come I will contact you with more info, otherwise just fill out the information provided at the bottom of this blog post. The exact address of the Activities Center is listed on the Events Page so you can get driving directions if you need them.

Just so you know the Photos/Video will be used in the bands press kit first and foremost. A press kit is a packet of information bands put together and give to potential venues when trying to book a gig. We plan on putting together an impressive portfolio of images, video and music that will make any and every venue want to book us. Second the photos/videos will be posted on our website/myspace accounts. Third a DVD of the show could potentially be sold or given away. The same goes for the audio recording of the event. We HOPE to package the LIVE CD/DVD together as one cool product.

To get these pictures we're hiring a professional photographer. You may be asked to sign a permission slip when you show up. Or have your parents sign it beforehand if you are under 18. We just want to make sure you understand you are being invited to take part in a photo shoot and there is a very real possibility your picture will be taken.

We plan on having audience members check in at 6:00pm the show is set to start at 7:00pm and will most likely go until 10:00pm or so. The shoot will be indoors. For those of you who have worrisome parents feel free to invite them as well. The more of a diverse crowd the better. It is worth noting that this event is not open to the public. Anyone wishing to participate must sign up via myspace. We are screening those who sign up to filter out anyone who may be a potential troublemaker. There will also be security guards inside the event. We want energy but we don't want anyone getting hurt. Or anything getting broken.

As such we are taking every possible precaution to ensure this is a safe event for everyone involved.

Everyone who signs up will receive a brand new 2008 LOTY Wall Calendar. They're about 18 inches long and 10 inches wide. They work great in lockers and bedrooms, offices, whatever. You will also be able to purchase the new CD as well as other LOTY Merchandise. Since the whole band will be there with you the entire time, we'll be more than happy to sign autographs and answer questions throughout the evening.

So if you're interested in being a part of this, and want to see us play live please message me with the following information...

Full Name:
Age:
Gender:
Myspace URL:
E-Mail:
Phone (just in case):
Number of Guests:

Note: If you plan on bringing guests please fill this out for each of them as well.

From this moment out I will update everyone who has signed up via this blog. Feel free to post comments asking questions or any other concerns you might have so I can answer them. I would also like to suggest you subscribe to this blog so that you will be alerted by myspace when I have more information. I will always post a bulletin about new information being posted but bulletins are not always reliable.

As the date gets closer I will contact each of you via a message on myspace to confirm whether or not you still plan to attend. I would appreciate it if you could let me know in advance if your plans change and you can no longer make it for one reason or another. I want to do everything possible to make sure this goes off without a hitch.

-Josh
LOTY

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Band Update: Janurary 23rd 2008

NOTE: Very cool and important band related info included.

Hello fellow Losers,

Welcome to Band Update. For those of you new to band update this is where I post the lates happenings of the band. New things we're working on and setting up. Things we need your help with. That sort of thing. I always encourage people to subscribe to this blog so you'll be alerted when I make a new post and you can be the first to read about our latest and greatest adventures.

The last Band Update was on April 2nd 2007, which is odd because a TON of stuff has happened since then. So much in fact I'm not even going to try and recap it all. I posted blogs about most of it. I just didn't post a Band Update blog. So if you wanna read previous installments of Band Update feel free to go through our blog archives.

Okay enough of that. Heres whats new. We have a new show! Finally. Christmas and all of the madness that comes along with it is over, so the band members are back to regular work schedules and can start setting up shows once again. At the moment our next show is on Feb 13th 2008. It's all ages and FREE!

Feb 13th Show

The new CD has been recorded. We have 1 track which is technically done but we want to add some trumpet too. If that happens that will be awesome and we'll be finished. At that point we will be doing a small photoshoot for the album cover and some inner artwork stuff. Once that is finished it will go into mass production and the CD will go on sale the moment we have it in our hands. It will also be available on iTunes asap.

To celebrate the CD's release we will be doing a FREE LIVE SHOW which we will be calling a CD Release Party. This party will serve as a back drop for a live Photoshoot/DVD shoot/Live CD recording. It will be free. It will be all ages and we are hoping 50-200 of you guys will want to participate. We need anyone willing to be a respectful yet energetic member of our audience to send us a message on myspace. Feel free to RSVP if you would like to participate and we will send you more info.

Photo/DVD Shoot

Another cool thing we have been doing lately is the LOTY Q&A. It is a video segment in which we answer fan e-mails. There have been two installments so far. We have one or two questions waiting to be answered but we are always looking for more so I thought I'd remind all of you. If anyone has a question they would like answered by a member of the band send us a message with the subject LOTY Q&A we will respond with a video answer.

One other cool thing is we have 2008 LOTY Wall Calanders that are pefect for bedrooms and lockers and refrigerators. If you'd like one they are free we just need money for shipping. Which with the poster tube and all that costs about 3 bucks. We'll be setting up an online payment system for that as well as our soon to be launched merchandise website.

I also want to remind everybody that we do play Private Parties. We are not above that. There is generally a fee for having the band come down set up and perform. But we are available. Private parties are actually where the vast majority of our band finances come from and how we are able to afford all of the cool things we discuss here on band update. In general Venues do not pay bands to perform and when they do its very little so if you're having a party or event and would like a kick ass rock band to perform you know how to contact us.

We're also working on scheduling some out of town shows. We hope to do a mini tour of California by the end of summer. There is also talk of doing a music video for a few of the songs on the new album so stay tuned for that. And don't forget to subscribe to this blog so you can be alerted whenever we make a new post.

Until next time.... Riggity Roll!

-Josh
Losers of the Year

2:57 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Whens our next show???

We have gotten a TON of e-mails about this lately so I'm gonna throw out a general answer for now.

Due to the holiday season, and the crazy work schedules that go along with it we currently have no shows scheduled between now and the end of the year. That is not to say we absolutely won't be playing any this month. Just that we do not at this time have any shows scheduled.

You see 3 of the 4 band members work "day jobs" in retail stores. Due to the holiday season and people who celebrate the holidays by buying tons of crap from retails stores we currently have crazy unpredictable work schedules which include a lot of nights and weekends (and basically being on call) making it nearly impossible to schedule shows. If that bums you out blame God and his homies for making up Christmas and Hanukkah. Or perhaps blame corporations for the over commercialization of  Christmas and the obsession with Consumerism that plagues our nation.

We're really really sorry. Believe me when I say we LOVE playing Christmas and New Years shows. Hell we love playing ANY shows. Hopefully we will have a free weekend and be able to schedule a show or two before the year is over but if we cannot we look forward to seeing you at our shows next year when the retail rush slows down and we return to somewhat more normal work hours.

2008 Promises to be the Year of the Loser and we can't wait to kick things off with a bang. Look for new shows, a new website and of course the New Album which we are currently spending all of our free time finishing, and web videos such as LOTY Q&A and a making of the new album. Theres even talk of a music video........ maybe.... if you're really really good.

So be sure to stay tuned. We will let you all know if the show situation changes. If you don't hear from us between now and then have a Happy Holiday, whichever one of the 50 billion you may be celebrating. (Festivas anyone?)

Keep on rocking in the free world!

-Josh
Losers of the Year

Currently listening : Freedom By Neil Young Release date: 20 September, 1989

12:16 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Private Party Shows (more info inside)

Losers of the Year enjoy playing private parties and get togethers. But because every event is different we have a short questionnaire for you to answer when interested in booking LOTY to play your private event.

1) Is it an indoor show or an outdoor show?
This is important because outdoor shows in the winter time are very very cold! Outdoor shows are also louder due to the lack of physical barriers between the music and the rest of the neighborhood. Making it far more likely the party will be shut down on a noise complaint. It doesn't mean we won't do it. We just want to know in advance. If you don't have room inside your house Garages work great as long as theres room. We have played in spaces as small as 12x12 before but believe me it was very cramped. The more room we have to rock out the better.

2) If outdoors is there a place to set up and play?
This is important because we do not put our gear in the dirt or grass. A patio or slab of concrete is recommended. The equipment we use for our shows is very expensive and difficult to replace if broken. It is also very dangerous if allowed to get wet. Because of that it is important we keep it clean and dry at all times.

3) If there is no place to set up and play is there room for us to bring out and set up our portable stage?
We have a portable stage which is about 25 feet long and 16 feet wide when assembled. It folds up into a box trailer about half the width. If there is no place suitable to set up our gear is there room in your yard for us to bring out our stage?

4) When is the show? (Proposed day and time)
We can do last minute if scheduling permits but we prefer a week or two in advance so we can try to get time off work, etc. Believe it or not we still have crappy day jobs.

5) Will we be getting paid?
It's not mandatory you pay us, but it is nice. If the host wants to pay us, we currently do not have a set pricelist and simpy let them pay whatever they feel we are worth. Generally we make anywhere from $100-$200 dollars with the bare minimum being gas money (roughly $45 bucks) but like I said its not mandatory we do free shows all the time.

6) How many people do you expect at the party?
This is good so we know what we're getting into.

7) What is the average age of people attending?
If its going to be a lot of younger kids (under 10) we like to know so we can censor ourselves accordingly. We try not to swear if theres a lot of little kids around. Simply because they have enough bad role models in this world.

8) If you had to guess would you say most of the people attending like Rock music? Or do they tend to listen to Rap/HipHop/R&B type of music? We play what can only be described as fast rock music. Its not Nickel Back type music, its not screaming, old school punk, or classic rock. It's just upbeat rock music. Think Foo Fighters, Green Day type of stuff.

9) How long would you like us to perform for?
We have played as short as 15mins and as long as 4 hours. If you want an extremely long set we'll need to know in advance so we can make a list of songs to play. The average show is about 45mins.

10) Can we bring a friend or two?
We generally don't bring anyone but now and then one of our extremely close friends hears we're having a show and wants to go really badly.

If you would like us to perform at your private party answer these questions and send us a message.

9:10 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Why we don’t pre-sale tickets.

Music is a service.

Particularly when you're speaking about music of the live variety. When a band is on stage they are working. Just as when you go see a play, or a television show being filmed. The band is the same as the actors. They are providing entertainment and atmosphere for a captive audience. The band is the soundtrack of the night. Whether its a party, a venue, club or bar the band performing is providing a service.

You wouldn't make your plumber pay you before fixing your sink. You wouldn't make an artist pay you before painting your portrait. You wouldn't make a photographer pay you before he can take your picture. The bartender doesn't pay you before giving you a beer. Nor does the Pizza Delivery Man pay you before he can give you your Pizza.

Like everyone else you pay for those services. So why should a band be expected to pay up front before they can play? For those of you who may not know what I am talking about, some venues/promoters (particularly those of the shady variety) make bands pay or sell tickets to their shows BEFORE they're even guaranteed a chance to play. It is a scheme designed to screw over bands and make the promoter lots of money for doing little to no work. It is a illegitimate business practice and it ought to be illegal.

You see at a respectable venue once the bands are booked The Venue, The Bands and The Promoter all advertise the show as much as they possibly can by posting fliers and posters, spreading the word on-line, etc. The audience shows up either because there is live music and in most cases alcoholic drinks being served. Or simply because they have heard of the band and want to see them perform. The bands either perform for free trading monetary compensation for exposure, or they receive a percentage of the cover charge. Sometimes its as little as a dollar or two per head, sometimes half the cover charge goes to the headlining band. The more people who show up the more the band gets paid. Some venues takes a vote and the band with the most support gets paid. Or all the bands get paid according to their level of support. In any of these scenarios the bands come out happy.

To help increase attendence good venues have designated nights for certain types of music. Usually its a weekly thing like "Rock Night" or "Alternative Tuesdays" whatever they want to call it. Usually they just make it known that every Friday and Saturday night live bands perform. Being a regular thing makes it easy for people to remember, draws a regular crowd of people who are into that type of music, know its happening and want to see live bands perform. This creates a "built in crowd" or "scene" of regulars who don't really care WHO is playing, as long as there is live music. After all they can hang out with their friends, drink and hookup with people. That alone make it better than a movie. Everybody wins.

Under the Pay to Play scheme bands lose. Big Time.

Here's how it goes down. Instead of paying the bands to perform, they charge the bands to perform. Usually the shady venue/promoter contacts a few bands and tells them they can play his "super awesome" venue if they can sell a certain number of tickets prior to the show. Normally its something like 50 tickets at $10-$15 bucks a pop! Using the low end of that spectrum each band brings in $500 dollars ($10 x 50 tickets). All of which goes to the promoter/venue who did little or nothing to earn it.

The bands are the ones who went out and talked their fans into buying tickets. The bands are the ones who promoted the show. It is the bands fans who are filling the venue, buying food and drinks. And it is the bands who are performing the service. Yet in most cases they get nothing for their work.

The crappy venues do this because they want to be guaranteed a profit. They act as if simply having a band perform costs them a ton of money making pre-sell tickets absolutely necessary. But it's not necessary. Most venues have permanent lights set up that run automatically, a permanent stage and a permanent sound system. But any band worth its name could bring their own stuff along, if that were even an issue. Which it's not.

The issue is the promoters want to make money. Often its a group of lowlife's who can't find real jobs so they convince a pre-established venue to let them book bands. The shady promoter and the shady venue split the ticket sales and the bands get nothing. Thats the problem. It's not that putting on a show costs money, its that these assholes can't stop doing meth long enough to land a job. In reality it doesn't cost anything to have a band perform unless you plan on paying them. In which case the percentage of the door rule works perfectly, no crowd means no money, big crowd means big money.

But thats too fair!

Shady venues/promoters aren't interested in fair. They want to make huge profits for doing nothing. Why? Because they are assholes. Assholes who completely ignore the other half of the equation. When you stop to consider the fact that the venue has far less appeal without live music (especially all ages shows) it becomes obvious the venue needs the bands far more than the band needs the venue. After all, they won't make any money if they're closed for the night or have nothing of any interest going on. Who wants to sit in a quiet club when the one on the other side of town has a live band?!

As I said before most shady venues pay the bands nothing. Absolutely nothing. Very few venues pay the band ANYTHING and those that do usually pay them very very little. Somewhere between $25-$50 bucks for selling $500 dollars in tickets and doing all the work. Not exactly an even trade. But even that is a best case scenario. Most of the time if they're going to give the band anything they'll play the old "50+" game.

50+ is when the band is required to sell 50 tickets just for the privilege of performing. They do not get paid a dime for doing this. What they do get is 10 extra tickets to do with as they please. The idea is the band can sell those 10 tickets and keep the money. But think about that for a second. You're in a band. You just called in every favor, talked to every die hard fan you could contact and advertised the hell out of this show in order to sell those first 50 tickets for a chance to play. After doing all of that you still don't get paid one cent. But if you can somehow manage to sell 10 extra tickets you get a whole $100 dollars for your effort. Congratulations you did 100% of the work and made 16.5 cents on every ticket sold! YAY! Of course good luck finding 10 extra people to sell tickets too.

Sometimes the crappy venues will thrown in yet another twist. Lets say your band works it's ass off for the "privilege" to play, but you come up one ticket short of the 50 needed. Guess what? You don't get to play! Yay! And you still have to give the venue all of the money you made on 49 tickets you did manage to sell. You don't get to play, but they still get their money!

But wait it gets better!

The really bad venues make the bands buy all 50 tickets up front at full price. It's then up to the band to make their money back. Or they are given 50 tickets and forced to pay for which ever ones don't sell. So right off the bat, by simply agreeing to this system the band is in debt to the venue by $500 dollars and has to either come up with that money and break even, or eat the cost and play to an empty room. This is absolute bullshit if I do say so myself. Thankfully even at our start we were never dumb enough to fall for this trick, though I know many who have.

Perhaps if pre-sell tickets were easy to sell this might not be an issue. Hell if it were easy I'd be telling you to get a hold of as many tickets as you can and go make yourself rich off ticket sales. But the fact of the matter is pre-selling tickets is incredibly difficult. Especially if you're on tour in a "foreign land" where you have a very limited (or non-existent) fan base in that city or area. Which often results in no tickets being sold. Maybe you're a new band and no one has ever heard of you. Maybe the venue is small and nobody likes it or even knows it exists. These two things make it very hard if not impossible to pre-sell tickets to complete strangers.

And just when you thought it couldn't get any worse. If you do manage to sell 50 tickets and make $500 dollars for the venue. There is still a very good chance you will perform to an empty room. Why? Because pre-sold tickets are little more than a very expensive flier. And they usually end up in the same trash can. Also after calling in favors from all of your friends, family and die hard fans to buy tickets out of support. They often don't show up because its simply too far away, they already have plans, or they've seen you play a million times. But even if they did show up they're not the ones you want to play in front of. The whole idea of playing a show is to make NEW FANS! Our die hard fans are our base and we love them. Without them we would not be a band. But if you're not expanding that base you're wasting your time.

So how about those strangers you managed to talk into a buying a ticket? Well they usually forget. Something comes up. They make other plans. Or in some cases only bought the ticket to help you out with no intention of actually going to the show. Some people are nice like that. Other reasons you may play to an empty house are completely out of your control. Sometimes the show is scheduled on a weeknight, and people won't go because they have work or school the next day. Sometimes its cold and rainy and people would rather stay in their warm homes. Sometimes there is another really big event happening the same night which they would rather attend.

And guess what? Even though you did your part, sold your tickets, played your set and promoted the show. The venue is going do their best to NOT PAY YOU! They'll usually claim they lost money because there were no drink sales or they had to pay a sound guy, or they just sneak out the back while you're still on stage like the cowardly cockroaches they are.

So lets review. For the sole "privilege" of playing a shady venue all of the bands involved are expected to haul their gear out, work their asses off to promote the event (because you can't expect a PROMOTER to actually do anything) and try to sell 50+ tickets to strangers who have most likely never heard of them. Then after all that they still have to set up and perform, to what could be a near to empty room. All without getting a dime for their trouble. Meanwhile the venue/promoter sits back and collects ticket money.

Fuck that. We don't play that game. And we don't play those venues. At the moment Losers of the Year averages about $150 bucks for playing small private parties. Thats 100% profit without having to sell tickets or do anything other than perform. Usually we perform to a "built in crowd" of party goers. Some people pay us more, some people pay less. But at the very least we always get gas money and exposure to a whole house full of people.

So why whould any band PAY TO PLAY? It's supposed to work the other way around!

The bottom line is bands should always be paid. If a plumber comes to your house, turns on the garbage disposal and that somehow fixes your problem you still have to pay him because he showed up. He couldn't be somewhere else so you are paying for his time. If you call tech support because your computer isn't working and it turns out you forgot to plug it in they still charge you for the phone call because you used valuable time and resources. If you go to the eye doctor and your eyes are perfect you still have to pay for the eye exam.

It's no different with music. Bands are on the road. They're broke. They're touring far from home. Being at one venue means they can't be at another venue making money. So if a venue schedules them and they show up to perform they deserve to be paid whether or not the venue made a profit. They fulfilled their end of the deal the venue needs to fulfill their end of it too. Even if its just gas and food money.

Now there are plenty of times Losers of the Year will play for free. In fact I'd say about 60% of the shows we played this year we played for free. That doesn't mean there was no cover charge (though quite a few didn't have one) it just means while the audience paid to get in and the venue made money off of us we didn't see a dime of it. Why would any self respecting band play for free when the venue is making money?

Exposure.

So long as their is no pre-sell tickets involved, exposure is a trade off most bands are willing to make. Basically what it all comes down too is bands want to either come out ahead (by being paid, having a tip-jar and selling merch) or they want to break even. Which means if they can get a lot of exposure from the show (say theres a national act playing that same night) then they will play for free and the venue can have whatever ticket sales are made at the door.

We recently played with the band The Pink Spiders. They're a fairly well known band. They've had a few hit songs on the radio, a few music videos on MTV. But the crowd that night consisted of 47 people (I counted) all of them hardcore Losers of the Year fans. All of them had been to our shows before. All of them were there to see us. We didn't make any new fans, we didn't sell any merchandise (our fans already own it all), we didn't get paid for the show and the venue made $470 dollars off of our fans. The Pink Spiders took the stage and played to an almost empty room.

But we didn't have to sell tickets so its no big deal. The venue knew we would bring in people and they took a gamble that paid off. We took a gamble that The Pink Spiders would bring in people and we would benefit from the exposure. They didn't and the show was a big waste of our time. The only thing we got out of it was bragging rights. But thats the gamble. Had we spent a ton of time and effort pre-selling tickets for that show I would have been pissed off. But we didn't so no big deal.

The year before we played with The Matches. A band that has had several hit songs on the radio and several music videos on MTV. Again no pre-sell tickets. We didn't get paid for that show either, but our fans came out. The Matches packed the club with people and we made a ton of new fans. It was an even trade.

My point is, there are exceptions to the rule. Most notably exposure. If there is a very good chance of getting our band out in front of a few hundred people we will play for free you keep the ticket money. But under no circumstances should a band have to pay to play.

Bands perform a service. They are the entertainment. They are the draw. They set the mood and atmosphere of the venue. They should be well compensated for their work.

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About Fresh!Fest!

First off: If you have pics or videos of us please send them to our Myspace so we can put them up!

Thank you for hanging out all day and watching us perform. That really meant the world to us. It was great to get to talk to so many cool people and finally meet many of you in person. That was one of our best shows, if not THE best show we've ever done. It was great. The energy was amazing. The crowd was amazing. You guys rocked. We had a blast.

Almost everyone has complained that we didn't win and that we should have. That means a lot to me. Playing last has its advantages and its disadvantages. The advantage was playing with all of those cool lights. The disadvantage was until people see us play, nobody was going to vote for us for "most popular" prize and since the contest was over as soon as we left the stage there wasn't really anytime for people to do so. But that prize was only worth $300 dollars in Samash gift cards so no big loss.

And just to let you all know I received our score cards (which had final tallies of the other top bands scribbled on it) and we were only 5 points short of winning grand prize last night. Our final score was 108 and the winners was 113. We got a 10 out of 10 in all of the really important categories. 9's and 8's in a few others. But we came up short on Sound and Continuity in which we got a 5 and a 3.  If there was a category for crowd participation and reaction we would have won because of you guys!

But considering some of the comments I've gotten from those of you who were in the crowd that sounds about right. Apparently Justin's vocals weren't loud enough and his lead guitar volume was too close to my own to where you couldn't differentiate between the two. Our cabs were miced and volumes were out of our control but hey the other bands did sound better and I think the judges were being fair.

Both of the judges are really nice people who have a lot of knowledge of music and deserve a great deal of recognition for sitting through 12 bands over the course of the entire day. On a side note the two judges told me they thought we were the "funnest band to watch" and that alone makes me happy!

So while I'm flattered you all think we should have won, and I agree that would have been cool. I'm not upset at all. You guys in the audience (there was approx. 1500 of you) gave me hope that people actually DO care about local independent music. And believe me when I say I would rather play a kick ass show in front of 1500 people and lose than play to nobody and win!

I think the entire band is happy with the way last night went. We had a blast and showed everyone what they've been missing.

-Josh
Losers of the Year

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New Studio! Yay!

So we finally finished our brand new recording studio. We had our first practice in it the other day. It's awesome! We have big plans for this studio. Not only are we going to record our 2nd album but we plan on having live webcasts of our practice sessions as well. So all of you can watch us sweat our balls off as we rock out.

But for now we're practicing. Since we've been without a practice place for over a month we need to get back up to speed before we go about recording our album. The new album WILL be available on iTunes when its released. And it will include all of the kickass songs you guys have come to love at our shows!

And yes we'll take down the shitty recordings we have on our myspace and replace them with awesome recordings of new songs from our new album.

For now keep telling your friends about us and be sure to come watch us play at PC Club on Bear Valley Road by the mall on Saturday July 28th! It's a big recycling thing. And we like the environment so there!

Until next time.

Riggity Roll!

2:57 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment