Local Musicians That Do Not Support Others

[roninriot]

So anyway,
I visited YouTube and stumbled across a Bad Obsession video posting.
That's was when I saw a particular comment from a fellow Singaporean with regards to the video.

This is what he said.

"Silvertone13 (1 month ago)
lovelovelovelove bad obsession.. lovelovelovelovelovelovelove noobs . eh assholes , if u wanna be a rock and roll band , dont wear till its like lovelovelovelovelovelovelove winter . be ordinary and ppl will spot your lovelovelovelovelovelovelove talents . but i doubt you all have "



So I sent him a private message as follows:

On your posting on Bad Obsession...
Wow dude, a lot of hate right there

Saw your comment on the Bad Obsession video, and thought I'd point out
KISS aren't a super talented band (At least in their early years) and it was their outfits that got them noticed. Read up on the history to check.

Just thought I'd let you know, music is about marketing AND talent.
That's why you're in your bedroom, seething with anger, while they're playing on stage.

Alright, I'm not a huge Bad Obsession fan. No opinions there.

But so much hatred...wow. Shouldn't you use it for something more like, constructive? Instead of sitting in your bedroom and dreaming about becoming successful.

Just my five cents dude, which is probably worth five cents more than your hateful opinion. Thanks.

Levan



And his response to me was:
Re: On your posting on Bad Obsession
dude my band won singapore band challenge 2008 . so now that u've known , do you need to emphasize on me sitting in my bedroom and watching them perform ? LOL get your facts right first man . have u a band ? has your band won any compet ? does your band have the quality to do gigs at $130 per ticket ? can your band cover mr big addicted to the rush or racer'x scarified ?

And my response to that was

Re: On your posting on Bad Obsession
Wow, winning Singapore Band Challenge. Guess that REALLY puts you on the map for international recognition yeah? Open your eyes. Singapore is a tiny dot compared to the International world. Funny how nobody ever hears of any future success from most competition winners.

No, my band can't cover Addicted to that Rush. We're not into that kind of music.

I didn't want to mention it because I don't like talking about my successes, but since YOU brought it up.

I was from Ronin.
Which was a band which was signed to Universal Music, sold 8,000 albums, played to 350,000 people in total, 3 No. 1 singles on radio and earned over XXXk in profits in 3 years, not to mention a XXXk endorsement deal from Motorola, XX bus advertisements, and distribution to more than 5 countries in the region.

I've also helped to organize 5 gigs including Rock For Good, Rock For Wayne, and LIME Sonic Bang which drew a total of 50,000 people, who also paid money for their tickets. I also work for LIME and have interviewed and met with a variety of bands including Metallica, Foo Fighters, My Chemical Romance, AC/DC and many more. I have also interviewed more than 50 local bands throughout my career.

So I guess in that sense, yes, I think I've outdone you. And I did it with far less disdain and hatred towards fellow musicians than you.

But you know, who's keeping track of stats I wouldn't have mentioned it if you hadn't brought it up first. Because I do NOT see the importance of trying to outdo each other in the first place.

What I'm saying is, as fellow local musicians, we shouldn't be so negative towards each other. Sure, it's alright to disagree with some bands and their styles, but outright hatred doesn't get the scene anywhere. We can only aspire for higher grounds as a collective, whether we really like each other or not.

Show some love dude
Even if some bands piss you off. Even if some bands aren't as talented as you are.
It's not healthy to harbour such hatred in a scene that's already small and needs more support.

We need all the support we can get.

So don't try to impress me with the fact that you won some band competition or whatever. It's a huge hill to climb and most of us have just begun.

Yours,
Levan




I just don't get where there is so much hypocritical support and hatred amongst some bands in Singapore.
Don't they get that we're ALREADY the underdogs here?
Don't they get that winning some barely advertised competition doesn't mean ANYTHING if we can't bring ourselves out of the gutter and into a bigger spotlight?
So much resentment towards each other.

No wonder I fell out of love with the local scene.

Whoever Silvertone13 is, if you're reading this.
You're obviously the winner at Singapore Band Challenge 2008, whichever band that is.
I'm happy to show your true colours to the world now.
Good luck
Kudos and peace

Levan

 

[Newbie]

Hm interesting. Why so much hatred, sigh...

 

[Godspeed64]

Levan.. You totally owned that b*tch! :mrgreen:

 

[roninriot]

Lol thanks.
Sorry I really don't like to bring out any past successes, especially because that is a distant past of my life now. But I only brought it out because this guy, his attitude and his boastfulness, REALLY ticked me off. I don't even know who won the competition.

I just cannot STAND all the people who don't realize that - yes, it's normal to have some dislike for other bands - but not to the point of misrepresenting the rest of us and what the scene is like. I figured since this guy has such big ba||s, he wouldn't mind me posting this on SOFT He's a such a winner after all!

I have my fair share of bands that I dislike - either personally or musically, and I am SURE I have my fair share of detractors and haters too. That's part and parcel of the scene. If you're going to put yourself out there, you're going to have haters. But that doesn't mean we can't work towards building a bigger and more thriving scene for EVERYONE'S benefit.

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

haizz, already so small here, theres still so much politics..

..to poke or to be poked, coexist equally..

 

[shinobi]

nowadays is like that. there are some bands who keep getting slammed by haters... but somehow they also happen to be up the charts and sell records like pancakes at the same time.

if a band truly sucks, nobody would give a damn about it

or 2nd possible explanation, maybe his gf/sis/mom is the ex gf/fling/groupie of one of the bad obsession dudes

 

[yuujin]

he must be feeling totally crushed.
good job levan

 

[roninriot]

Anyone knows the band he's in?

 

[jeepers]

No.

All I know is the only local band I don't support is Astroninja because Bukkake Udon is eeky and I'm way too kewl for them.

I kid. :mrgreen:

But seriously, I really don't know which band he's in and I don't really bother.

Levan, you roxxor my ballxor to the corexor. Keep up the bukkake-ing on such wieners.

 

[roninriot]

GIGGLES to the above comment
tickles you playfully!

 

[ahkiatt]

Della Madre(Under 17 category winners)

Or

Juxtapose(18 & above)


Just my personal, perhaps even biased opinion, I don't think it's Juxtapose, they seem a little too old(and mature as a result of their age) to be flaming musicians on youtube and speaking in LOL and txtspeak.

 

[Krist]

how can u show support to other bands when all they do on stage is the following.

1) mock at each other
2) hurl racial remarks at each other
3) quarrel with each other as to which of their singles they shld
play next
4) speak in a another language into the mic with no disregard for us gig-
goers
5) more importantly, they're playing rubbish on stage.

since u're a magazine reporter, i have a few questions.

1) ever thought of starting a column focusing on local gigs, local bands and also highlighting the existence of this forum.

if yes, how many? cos im damn sure u will cut out the articles that u have written and keep them all in a folder.

and dun be so biased to just cover the pple that you know.

as a reporter, writer, shldn't u be neutral when doing your job?

all i see in your magazines are models showcasing clothes, this celebrity said this, that celebrity said that, poster cut outs, etc.

2) i cld be wrong but i dun think i can be further from the truth when i say that some or maybe of the many pple ard u are just ard u because of your standing as a magazine writer?

if that is the case, then u shld just publicly say that u merely want to write about bands that are still flying the GnR flagship. cos if u're honest, then we all can understand.

so we never have to wonder why u dun cover local nu-metal, hardcore, grunge, alt, etc bands.

3) am i wrong to say that in the regular publications, we often see pics of your frenz and what they have to say?

4) am i wrong to say that you feel more enthusiatic to do a write-up on a person or band who is known to u and has similar musical tastes as you?

im pretty sure your reply will be lengthy, however, i hope u can address the points i brought up and not bear around the bush.

and do bear in mind that whatever you say in your reply to this thread that u started, will be referenced as and when the situation arises.

so if you are so prompt to reply to this, make sure you exercise the same level of promptness when discussing an issue of this nature to anyone, be it the thousands of fans that have watched u guys, the thousands of pple that bought your cds', the several bands that u have interviewed thus far.

cos if u preach one way and practice another, then u might as well send a msg to the owner of this forum to delete your account.

deep down, i know i support local bands. i had a hard time looking for the right pple to form a band. in the meantime, all my fren and i did was to go for local gigs frequently. we pay the money but often than not, i feel short-changed.

but i take it in my stride. im open to all forms of music, regardless of genre. but of cos my main dish is good, hard, melodic, meaningful rock. i suppose i'll term it as intellectual rock.

so don't u dare turn ard and re-question my desire, commitment and loyalty level towards the local bands, in your reply to me.

be upfront.

u are a writer afterall. a pen is mightier than a parang!

 

[jeepers]

Apparently his band is Slither.

I r resourceful.

Krist: Obviously you know nothing.

A reporter's articles are subject to prior editing and approval before it actually gets into the magazine proper.

 

[amnesiac]

Levan!! Are you gonna interview Velvet Revolver anytime? I know Scott Weiland left the band already. I wonder who is gonna replace him. Just wish they would make a stop over here. or at least Slash and Duff. Slash was in Singapore twice in the past few years.

 

[Vaiyen]

oh man, I wish local bands wouldn't have such a frog-in-the-well mentality.

 

[roninriot]

Oh I love challenging questions! It gets me all excited and ticklish! Here goes

1) ever thought of starting a column focusing on local gigs, local bands and also highlighting the existence of this forum.

Yes I have thought about it.
And yes I have done it.
I have reviewed many local gigs, just ask Vin and Francessca and the Deafcon organizers. Not to mention the B-quartet and Electrico launches and many more.
I have also highlighted the existence of this forum by taking quotes from some users who have posted here. And for 4 months I have started a LOCAL PAPARAZZI column highlighting both the good and the bad news of the local scene. It is the first ever local paparazzi forum dedicated to local bands.
As to how many, every month, there is at LEAST one local band, with some months going up to as many as 5-8, particularly in the build up to Lime Sonic
Bang.
I have reviewed more than 8 local albums thus far and have tried to include at least 1-2 every month. I have given them high ratings whenever possible. Ask Electrico, Flybar, The Great Spy Experiment, Allura, and many more on that.
I have also included plenty of acts and bands I have never had the pleasure of knowing into the LIME Compilation CD earlier this year.
Most of whom simply submitted songs via SOFT to my email.

2. and dun be so biased to just cover the pple that you know.
I have covered Allura, Plainsunset, The Pinholes, The Great Spy Experiment, Firefight, A Vacant Affair, B-Quartet, Peepshow, Monofone, and many many more
NONE of whom I hang out socially with and none of whom I know very well on a personal level. You can ALSO ask them to clarify.

As a reporter, writer, shldn't u be neutral when doing your job?
As far as I possibly can, I have tried to be neutral on most occasions, only when the story requires a slant or an angle. I would safely say that 95 percent of my local gig and band stories have been positive. You can also clarify with ANY of the bands on this.

all i see in your magazines are models showcasing clothes, this celebrity said this, that celebrity said that, poster cut outs, etc.
It IS a magazine dude. That's what magazines are usually about, duh. But thanks for reading
If you wanted to read about quantum physics, try a library.

i cld be wrong but i dun think i can be further from the truth when i say that some or maybe of the many pple ard u are just ard u because of your standing as a magazine writer?
Yes, unfortunately that is the case and I'm used to it. But there are also many around me whom I treasure and value very high as friends. I also do not think it is a big deal to be a writer because frankly, it's not a glamourous job at ALL (Trust me, most times it is tedious and frustrating) The only reason why I brought it up was because of the person's response on YouTube.
And that is not how you use the term 'further from the truth'.

so we never have to wonder why u dun cover local nu-metal, hardcore, grunge, alt, etc bands.
There were FOUR hardcore bands included into the LIME compilation CD which sold thousands across the island. There were 2 metal bands included as well.
Last year's LIME SONIC BANG had the controversial Johnny Shameless band and many many bands who play alternative too and this year's lineup has Meza Virs and new bands whom did not play last year.
And if you want to go into the whole 'friend friend' thing, MANY of my friend's bands are NOT playing for LSB. Very very many. You can also ask them about it since you seem to follow my career quite a bit
Boy, do you sound bitter for such a young kid

am i wrong to say that in the regular publications, we often see pics of your frenz and what they have to say?
No you are not wrong But those columns and opinions are not linked to the local music scene at all. It is only in reference to subjective topics like iPhones, pre-martial sex, materialism, national pride and various other random topics. Even so, I have asked more than 150 different individuals over the months, so unless I'm really that super popular, I don't have THAT many close friends.

am i wrong to say that you feel more enthusiatic to do a write-up on a person or band who is known to u and has similar musical tastes as you?
No. Part of the job is forcing myself to sound enthusiastic even when I'm not.
Incidentally, I love musicals. I love Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon. Should I start reviewing only bands who play musicals too?

I hope I have addressed your issues
It is nice to know you are so passionate too, and I'm not being sarcastic here.

There are always going to be pipsqueaks who complain and complain that more should be done and are never satisfied. Yet the duty always falls on another person to do it.

Funny that.

Levan

 

[Krist]

jeepers, are u the editor of the magazine?

or are u ball carrier? why? u affected cos u're one of them who surrounds him hoping to get an article on you published in that magazine?

u have posted 1700++ times in this forum, yeah can just imagine the substance of those contributions.

a warning to u. dun make me angry.

if u have a problem with me, there are proper ways to find a solution to them.

don't show your might in the forum.

if you're displeased with me, i can give u my contact.

we can overcome this as adults.

what say you?

 

[Krist]

ok roninriot, fair enough. im just sick and tired of biased coverage and all.
so its gd to know that u're not like that.
are u the one in Astro Ninja now?
anyways, see u ard in Tiet studios.

 

[jeepers]

nope i'm not.

and no i'm not hoping to be featured in the magazine. hell no.

oh those comments made you angry? i was merely pointing it out to you. not everything a reporter writes can make it into the magazine. the editor will review it before and decide whether that particular article can sell to the readers. if it does, it goes in. if it doesn't, go write another one.

i don't have a problem with you. I've got a problem with this Silvertone13 chap though, i think. he's freaking hilarious.

nah, i dont think settling this issue as adults would help. you already aren't behaving like an adult. crystal clear from your posts.

PMed you.

 

[roninriot]

Right.
And the 'adult' way would be to...?
He is merely stating a point which in actuality, is true. I am a lowly writer, I do not have editorial power over some things. But I always do push for more coverage of local bands - both my friends AND people whom I hardly know.

And anyone, ANYONE who has spoken to me personally knows that I am always self-degrading and self-depreciative. I hardly mention my job, I hardly ask for 'rewards', I do not ask for recognition and I do not need respect. If I needed respect, I wouldn't be participating on SOFT

All I ask is for you to let me do my job as best as I can to help the scene and other bands, and unless you can do it better (which judging from your spelling, you can't), shut the lovelovelovelove up, move along, and write about it in your blog or something. THAT would be more productive than threatening Jeepers with exchanging contacts.