ThePalaceOfWisdom: Australian Festival/concert Goers

StreetlightRock 05.22.10	We have an amazing festival scene, I really don't know why you're complaining so much. In fact, with a population of just 21 million, I'd argue that we have the best, literally the best value festival scene in the world. As in, I'm surprised how good it is, considering we live in the arse end of the world. BDO, Splendour, Future, Parklife, V fest, Soundwave - these guys bring some of the best and most in demand artists to our shores and that's not even naming some of the great smaller or local ones out there - Field Day, Laneway, All Tomorrows Parties, Woodford, Groovin The Moo, who welcome alternative artists of all persuasions, indie, folk, rock, rap, dance, etc. Don't let the fact that you prefer other sorts of music blind you to the fact that our festival scene is mindblowingly good. If you're complaing that we don't get enough 'heavy' acts, the problem is not with organizers but US - people themselves. Seriously, the audience at most metal shows are abysmally small, and the only reason Soundwave works so well is because of it's sheer size. There 'heavy' audience here is comparatively tiny in relation festivals who want to make money are after. And without disparaging the heavy music community, the image they portray goes along the lines of depressed, scruffy looking losers who wear black and haven't had a shower in years and carry themselves with a 'more bro than you' attitude. And the chicks are universally ugly. No one wants to market an audience like that, or try to get others to appreciate them. It's about money, and if this stuff doesn't sell, it's our fault. And our distance from the world doesn't help either - considering that heavy acts in general aren't usually rolling in dough, they simply can't afford to get out here.
Edwin 05.22.10	Street makes some pretty good points, but I totally agree with you. It annoys me to no end how little an impact the heavier genres have on the musical landscape. There's zero we can do about it though. I got spat on the other day for wearing an Iron Maiden shirt lol, the spitter yelled out "screamo sucks". So that sums up the ignorance of the masses re: heavy music. Good on you for having a well deserved whinge about it, you're not alone.
Edwin 05.22.10	Oh, and yes I would attend a second version.
TheyTookOurJobs 05.22.10	Yes we do need more heavy festivals. Push over is pretty good (in Melbs). pushover has quite a few hardcore/metal bands.... to streetlight: Im sure if there were more punk/metal festivals with international acts, there would a massive crowd. well, i would hope so.....
ThePalaceOfWisdom 05.22.10	I disagree BDO, Future, Parklife, Stereo, etc. Aren't so much music festivals as they are places for people to take ecstacy. I still fail to see how there's a wide variety, it all caters to the same group of drugged up twats who spend more of their time drinking and popping then they actually do listening to the music at hand. I get your point about money and the inability for most bands who aren't super-popular being unable to travel but at the same time even locally the support is borderline non-existent, we have a thriving hardcore scene in every city but beyond seeing 3 or 4 of them at a single event there's nothing. I still see Australian festivals as catering to two crowds and no one else, you can either be an eccy smashing metro or a cardigan wrapped hipster. If you don't fall into those categories there's nothing on offer. Which I just don't see as being fair.
StreetlightRock 05.22.10	idk how you can dismiss the hundreds of thousands of people who turn up to those festivals as either "eccy smashing metros or cardigan wrapped hipsters" - thats beyond caricature. I mean look at this year's Splendor line up. Almost everyone in this country who listens to music gave a collective gasp when it was released because it's so genuinely spectacular. These are bands people genuinely love as music fans, but if you can't see that because you don't like the scene they embody than that's a loss for you. Granted, punk and metal are given short thrift, but again, I still think its a market/audience problem more than anything. We have more than enough resources to make it happen, but the truth is there's no support because we don't GIVE it support as music listeners.
ThePalaceOfWisdom 05.22.10	I'd also like to add that progressive rock also gets next to nothing in terms of festivals. Not including the Mars Volta who seemingly play BDO every year there's nothing on offer for prog fans either.
FadeToBlack 05.22.10	most people who go to music festivals don't go for the music, that's not just a 'problem' in Australia but everywhere.
Mordecai. 05.22.10	I would love a second punk/metal festival, in spring or winter, but i agree with Streetlights point. I doubt they would make much money off it.
DaveyBoy 05.22.10	There are definitely some good points both for & against here. Personally, I think there are a few too many festival full stop. One of your main points Taylor, is that it is a bit of an us vs them (ie: heavy music vs dance vs indie). If those other genres had less festivals, I doubt anyone would even be bringing this up. Who knows though, the number of festivals may go down soon. I am certain a couple of months back, both Future & Good Vibes took many acts & tickets off each other. And having those 2 similar festivals so close together is the type of frustration I'm feeling from you. So you do have a point. Personally, those other genres can do what they want. I have absolutely loved SoundWave the last 2 years & would hate for it to be watered down by (a) splitting the acts over 2 times of the year & (b) too many return acts every 2nd year. So I'd almost prefer that it remained as is.
ThePalaceOfWisdom 05.22.10	Splendour had a pretty horrible line up tbh. The Strokes, The Ting Tings, We Are Scientists, British India If that's not a festival that caters solely to hipsters I don't know what is. I disagree that people wouldn't go to another heavy festival. I mean NOFX, Bad Religion, A Wilhelm Scream etc. All have pretty solid fanbases. The fact that soundwave crams itself with bands from genres and sub-genres that are borderline polar opposites (ISIS and Four Year Strong for example) tells me that you could separate certain genres, and spread out the potential lineup over two events and still get a solid turn out.
DaveyBoy 05.22.10	But Taylor, if you separated those two types of acts, a rather large proportion would not go to one of them. For example; who is this Isis band you speak of? ;-)
ThePalaceOfWisdom 05.22.10	But Davey what I mean isn't just separating Soundwave it's just an idea like that. Even a smaller festival like Groovin' the Moo but with bands who don't wear the triple j badge of gayness. Like 5-6 bands you throw out a big name band like Thrice, a terrible big-name band like Escape The Fate, another terrible one like A Day To Remember and then you have Glassjaw or Gallows on the list and you'd be set. People would go and it would do two things, one it would provide a less expensive outlet for people interested in that sort of music who don't feel like footing the bill for Soundwave and two it'd get more exposure for that sort of thing.
DaveyBoy 05.22.10	Ok, I'm with you on that idea. I'm unsure where the definition of a festival starts and ends, because something like GTMoo still had a lot of acts on it. But if a promoter was willing to do something that was say just 2 stages & included say 15 bands, then it could work... As long as it wasn't priced too high.
ThePalaceOfWisdom 05.22.10	I guess it just comes down to my main problem being that all these dance and indie festivals are the same. I mean Stereosonic and Future Music and Creamfields are the same thing. So I don't see how a smaller thing with 10 or so bands 2-3 big names and a few smaller acts + local bands wouldn't work. I'd personally love to see something showcase bands like Miles Away and Break Even along with a bigger band like NOFX to bring in the gate.
Edwin 05.22.10	What I would like to see is an event (Groovin the Moo, for example) cater for a larger demographic. I'd love to go to Groovin the Moo with my friends, and apart from this year I usually do, but if they gave a set to even ONE heavy band I'd definitely go. And just put up with the other stuff I don't like. They have the dance tent, why not have something for those of us who like a good headbang and a mosh? No idea if that kind of thing would work, but I'd be up for it.
ThePalaceOfWisdom 05.22.10	Even if they didn't so much as make a new festival, but at least expand on what they offer. Case in point BDO had one metal band last year. Why not have 3? Why doesn't splendour in the grass have anything that isn't folk or indie? It just seems like they could offer slots to bands of a different nature and see if people enjoy it.
TheyTookOurJobs 05.22.10	Youre right Palace, it would be the greatest thing ever to have break even with a bigger band (coz out of all of the hardcore bands in aus, they deserve to be recognized the most)
multipleofone 05.22.10	I wish more 'big' international metal bands would go to canberra