aquanaut
New member
the singapore scene....
there is no singapore scene. though there was 40 years ago. with bands like quests, strollers, western union band, esquires, these and many others set the standard with their unforgettable originals and performances.
the singapore scene was killed when the filipino bands arrived in droves with their cut price top dollar acts. many professional musicians were put out of a regular job as they were replaced with cheaper but mpre entertaining performers.
imagine, five piece band with 3 girl singers and a 3 piece horn section and they play everything well. pay the whole band $7000.00 a month and squeeze them into a double hotel room. most pubs did it, benefited and definitely profited from this.
it took about 5 years for our local scene to recover but it was an arduous effort. then came the influx of deejays and the turbocharge popularity of boy bands. the filipino bands went with the trend and more reached our shores.
most singapore bands stood their ground and played what they did, when they did like blues, classic rock, oldies. few did the new suff, followed the trend and the charts and they are still alive and well.
since 1992 till now 2008, what 16 years, we are still looking for the big thing to occur but i presume it won't be anytime soon.
we as singapore born & bred musicians do not support our fellow musicians. yes, we do know of their existence, the band, the music but lets take a look when they perform live....you can actuallly count the number of people attending.
actually sometimes its not the audience's fault. i have seen bands who play good gigs, screw themselves on stage. they shout into the mics, play top 40 and dress like bohemians (i believe only alternative bands dress like that), use faulty gear and have attitudes to match.
what about those who have scored record deals?
well they actually adopt a holier than thou lifestyle. they have a cd out in the stores, they won't do instore performances to sell their release, they don't tour schools to market and promote their work....maybe they believe the record company will do all that but really, the record companies couldn't care less. the fact that they have distrbuted the cds to the stores and now we want to rake in the sales....
the events at he esplanade? i see so many great acts but the audience are not the ones who bicker, bitch, rant and rave on this soft forum BUT the common man from the street looking for some entertainment.
if anyone reading this has played at the esplanade can vouch that after every set ha a different audience....and no softies.
we all have to start having a better concept of local musicians, who the real ones are and who the posers are, after all we surely can tell good from bad.
a good local musician we have here is embryo. this guy survived and changed with the times and is doing his originals vry wel.
there is no singapore scene. though there was 40 years ago. with bands like quests, strollers, western union band, esquires, these and many others set the standard with their unforgettable originals and performances.
the singapore scene was killed when the filipino bands arrived in droves with their cut price top dollar acts. many professional musicians were put out of a regular job as they were replaced with cheaper but mpre entertaining performers.
imagine, five piece band with 3 girl singers and a 3 piece horn section and they play everything well. pay the whole band $7000.00 a month and squeeze them into a double hotel room. most pubs did it, benefited and definitely profited from this.
it took about 5 years for our local scene to recover but it was an arduous effort. then came the influx of deejays and the turbocharge popularity of boy bands. the filipino bands went with the trend and more reached our shores.
most singapore bands stood their ground and played what they did, when they did like blues, classic rock, oldies. few did the new suff, followed the trend and the charts and they are still alive and well.
since 1992 till now 2008, what 16 years, we are still looking for the big thing to occur but i presume it won't be anytime soon.
we as singapore born & bred musicians do not support our fellow musicians. yes, we do know of their existence, the band, the music but lets take a look when they perform live....you can actuallly count the number of people attending.
actually sometimes its not the audience's fault. i have seen bands who play good gigs, screw themselves on stage. they shout into the mics, play top 40 and dress like bohemians (i believe only alternative bands dress like that), use faulty gear and have attitudes to match.
what about those who have scored record deals?
well they actually adopt a holier than thou lifestyle. they have a cd out in the stores, they won't do instore performances to sell their release, they don't tour schools to market and promote their work....maybe they believe the record company will do all that but really, the record companies couldn't care less. the fact that they have distrbuted the cds to the stores and now we want to rake in the sales....
the events at he esplanade? i see so many great acts but the audience are not the ones who bicker, bitch, rant and rave on this soft forum BUT the common man from the street looking for some entertainment.
if anyone reading this has played at the esplanade can vouch that after every set ha a different audience....and no softies.
we all have to start having a better concept of local musicians, who the real ones are and who the posers are, after all we surely can tell good from bad.
a good local musician we have here is embryo. this guy survived and changed with the times and is doing his originals vry wel.
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