Threads like this pop out every few months! :lol: I have to agree with rottenramone.
I believe if you take your band serious enough to keep writing, playing and do a record with good sound quality, you'll be able to find your own audience
no matter if you're metal/grind/punk/emo or pop.
I play in a smallish punk band. We put together a sum money (frm yr end bonuses and NS allowances) to record a full length at Snakeweed. We then pressed a thousand copies and send a bunch to show organisers. We clinched a string of shows. We also sent our CDs to foreign labels and got our CDs distributed in Malaysia and a separate release in LA.
In May this yr, we booked a handful of show dates in Malaysia and rented a van. Took leave from work and drove up North to play shows in JB, Ipoh & Penang. We sold shirts and CDs from our van outside the venues we played and made many new friends. CD/merch sales would mean petrol+food money to the next destination. We were shocked that some kids in Ipoh actually know the lyrics to our song when not many heard of us in SG! All thanks to internet and the Malaysian labels we sent our CDs to!
Altho most of the shows we play are small, we aren't complaining that the scene's not giving us enough exposure or the scene's too narrow minded cos I feel we aren't doing enough compared to indie bands in US/Europe.
I didn't learn how to manage a band from threads like these, I got the tips from google/yahoo searches and also, bands like My Precious who organised their own tours to Japan, Hk & Australia.
If you actually tried setting aside a portion of your salary/allowance for:
1. decent gear
2. studio time to record and practice
3. organising shows+tours
4. printing merchandise
5. maintaining a website
6. sending out press kits to show organisers/zines/reviewers
and still, no one bother listening to your band, thats when you have a valid reason to complain.
