Local scene: Lacking music quality or support?

[teleplayer]

I also agree that it's both. We uses singlish too much and the way we talk affected how we sing. Some people may say we could have our own S-ROCK or whatever. But will it go into the international market? PLUS. People who are english educated listen to english songs and most people around me who are EE, they listen to mainstream songs like UMBRELLA.... They don't listen to music by bands. At least this is for the people around me. Lacking in support. People in singapore are mostly chinese and they listen to some taiwan pop. They play guitar to play jay chou. AND AND AND. I wanted to join a band in my school... and they judge your skills by whether you can play sweet child o mine solo. Like Wt*. Maybe it's for my school. But a lot of people just couldn't accept heavy music. Because those mainstream artist and chinese pop and those superstars competition.... People also see musicians as those who can't earn money and see it as very expensive. Singapore needs brains not the artistic element. So people with it also lost it already. And become some brainy kids who study all day long. AND AND AND. I feel that schools should also organize talentime. My school don't have it like for 3 4 years? And it's like because we need to study so we can't have talentime...-.-

 

[dudelove]

teleplayer, what u said is what any musician starting out will feel. i feel that way too.. i get very frustrated when a non-musician finds out i know how to play guitar, the first thing they ask is hey u know how play SCOM not? because of this i deliberately didnt learn that song.

anyway, the mentality of singaporeans is that going full time into the music business will not earn u a proper living. thats why schools and sometimes, parents dont encourage us to get active in music.

for me, i refuse to go into the music scene for now, not only because i cannot find a singer who can sing like robert plant. its because the mass majority of musicians our generation do not appreciate the music i love, dont even go to the extent the mainstream listeners. i was at the live n loaded gig on sat. and i thought to myself. what if i were playing right there? will the crowd be headbanging to 'whole lotta love' the same way they headbang to a vacant affair? no matter how good we can play. i'm sure we wont be as appreciated.

it'll be even worst when it comes to the context of school talentime. u can probably be some pro shredder and go up on stage and player through the fire and flames 100% perfect. i dont think the girls will be screaming as much as a mediocre band who just played simple plan.

for now, i can only hope i can find a singer and time to play at pubs to ppl who can appreciate what i love. like our parents for example. i'm not a hardcore zep fan fyi. i listen to a very wide array of 60s, 70s, and 80s music. so i can presume that even if my band can make it big time, we will not be as appreciated in the scene as compared to other more genre appealing bands.

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

Heh, another thread that will soon be lost among the pages and all of us will go back to our daily life again. Till the next guy who just heard something bout the "scene" come by again

 

[EngelFaeuste]

Heh, another thread that will soon be lost among the pages and all of us will go back to our daily life again. Till the next guy who just heard something bout the "scene" come by again

Completely agreed. If you're not happy, get off your butt and organize something.

 

[I-Am-The-Walrus]

I feel that Singapore music is just as good as any music in the world, if not better, I know Singapore bands are better than Brazilian bands or bands from Iraq. But Australia bands still better than Singapore in many ways. For example: They have a bit more hairstyle.

The best thing to do is just play on the streets like real musicians, and raise enough money to donate to good charities. Good charities help a lot of children feel better about themselves and helps society on the whole.

I hope this clearly answers the main question. Brazilian bands are also very good don't get me wrong. But the drum sounds a bit strange to my ears. The heart of a true musician is to give. As a result maybe local bands should play on the streets plus paid shows so they can give back to charity?

Needful to say, some things are better left unsaid. The best is for bands to keep playing, the way the fruit keeps growing on the tree. When the tree is tall and strong, the children will have many fruit to eat. When they eat they become big and strong and plant more big and strong trees. With the tree grows up, what will we do? Cut it down and make it into wood. Wood is used to built homes for the children to live in and so the cycle continues. Sometimes paper too, don't forget.

The local music scene is all these things and more. Remember, Brazil for the win, but Singapore local music for the treble, okay?

 

[kongwee]

We have all the talent.
Our market is not small, see the number of Unusual production event and translate into $$.
Look at the ticket price of Rain and Diana Krell!
Add up can be a number of turnover for many music school.
We lack people who know how to develop the industry.
People who can but already in different industry.

 

[alfa]

Let's just hope this question won't be asked again after Live N' Loaded is launched on national TV.

 

[I-Am-The-Walrus]

Live and Loaded is actually talking about guns right?
Are guns allowed in our safe sunny country? I mean, is it symbol or something? (not saying the show is about guns cause I know it is about local bands!!) Not sure I not so good with dunno what metaphors.... sorry... Sorry if I said something stupid.

 

[Danelectrico]

alfa, wishful thinking.

most casual listeners - which consist of the majority of the population - don't have the ability to discern between music tastes & preferences and quality of music. heck, in fact i'd go as far as to say most musicians themselves including people who play in bands and thus by proxy are part of the scene don't have that ability.

in other words, being dictated by preferences - many a listener who favours say metalcore would think a neo-folk psych-pop outfit lacks quality, and vice versa, without considering the nuances and/or hallmarks of either genre.

if anything, live n loaded is likely to prompt more arguing and a greater divide of tastes. i think alot of mainstream listeners will be exposed for the first time to "alternative" or "underground" music. my guess is as good as yours what the average Mandarin pop ballad listener is going to think of A Vacant Affair, even if they play a flawless perfect set.

I'm also curious to hear how the mixing and sound will be translated across the television medium. from past experience, my bets are on that the house engineers will push down any offending instruments - namely, drums and guitars, and i'll include screaming / shouty vocals in that list.

pass the popcorn, it's going to be an interesting spectacle.

 

[alfa]

Live and Loaded is actually talking about guns right?
Are guns allowed in our safe sunny country? Not sure I not so good with dunno what metaphors.... sorry...

no its not about guns.
lol.
Its a show to showcase our local music etc

 

[I-Am-The-Walrus]

so ....
is it a singapore idol type of show?
will they fire the bands if they are not good enough?
i hope sylvester sim's band will perform!

 

[Vocalistman]

Seriously, if we are THAT good(to bands who thinks they already big here. No i'm not suan-ing anybody here on SOFT) we'll get support everywhere you are. Regardless of the size of the gigs.

Audience come for great music, mind you not just good music. Audience come to gigs to see you live. If the musicians don't deliver by showmanship, it'll just be rated mediocre. and you'll instantly chucked as one-of-those bands. If you have a package, something that you can sell personally, I.e your charm or stage presence or a group I.e the energy of the band, that is the driving factor to get your support.

My humblest advice, I think the misconception here is that, there are 2 type of musicians in Singapore. Those who plays to showcase themselves and those who plays to entertain others. Sadly, many bands(especially younger ones I've seen often) got so ignorant (Yeah, they thanks their audience, still, but to them "they comes first"), they got themselves in the 1st category. Until the line of supports and the "all-about-Me" is erased, until when you'll get your support you tell me?

1st category loosely defined like this:

"Hey you, check out my band live on gig, you come and see me play alright!"

2nd category would be like this:

"Hey you, you like these songs right? We'll be covering those tonight, I hope you drop by when you are free."

Errmm..Get the difference? haha

And of course, you always need cash, good rapport, bla bla bla.. To further promote your band and stuffs..but that is another story..lol

 

[I-Am-The-Walrus]

good band =
look a bit like Australian band
sing good song (not karoke)
post on SOFT
play instrument well
drummer is leader of band

bad band =
no such thing as bad band lah, only bands i choose not to listen to

 

[Vocalistman]

I disagree with the racial thing man....check out Indonesia and Malaysia market growing so well although they only using bahasa. Like us, most of the bands in singapore play english songs and we all understand english right?tho we speak mandarin, malay and tamil.

I think the problem is Singapore is just too small! that's why we can't get a lot of supports. Since the numbers of albums sold, gigs, etc can't cover all the production, advertising, etc cost.

Maybe have some foreign musicians infused into our bands. That sure patch things up. I believe so? haha

 

[teleplayer]

[=dudelove

Haha. you understand me the most man.

BTW wads SCOM?

 

[lamestaine]

BTW wads SCOM?

'sweet child of mine' i think

 

[ahkiatt]

Too small? Nah. LOok at that European country, Finland is it? 1/10th our population, but the bands that they produce, first class BM shit. We just need our own sound I feel.

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

i wonder where is the thread starter

i wonder how much local music have we listen to

i wonder how much do we really know outside of local band music

i wonder what is the last local abum we bought

i wonder how/what is the little part we can do for music from our little island without a forum thread

i wonder after the thread got lost, what will we do

i wonder when was the last time we think about music in local music without any connection to guitar.

i wonder i wonder i wonder and i suck

 

[I-Am-The-Walrus]

Put one lion and mermaid in the mix!

 

[Ized]

for me, i refuse to go into the music scene for now, not only because i cannot find a singer who can sing like robert plant. /QUOTE]

I doubt anyone can sing like Robert Plant, the closest i ever heard is David Coverdale in whitesnake's "still of the night".