Why the local scene sucks...

[Bazma Drum Foundry]

Nicely said Boby & Shinobi

Do drop by the National Museum and find out what happened to local bands back in the early years and you can understand the decline.

Also, though I do support local music, there are a few who are really really good. Though I really do not condone monotonous singing or off-key/pitched singing with expressionless faces. Its definitely growing, slowly but surely!

Cheers

Bazma

 

[lordie]

balloons : By the way this topic pertains to singapore music scene,i don't give a concern to malaysian acts or scene,it doesn't bother a thing to me.

quoted from another thread why our music scene is not expanding, a very narrow mindset

 

[Mobius]

hmm ever notice those bands who have some sort of a following/success seldom post on soft? because they are too busy making a name for themselves rather than wasting time complaining on a forum. We need doers not talkers..

 

[soft]

Mobius, actually they are on SOFT. Quite a few are sharing their experience/knowledge too. Just that they do not reveal who they are.

Anyway, this is a open market. It depends on each stake holder's input.

For every problem, there will be a solution. Just a matter of who is going to execute the solution.

 

[buffalo man]

I dun think the scene sucks,it just depends on ur objectives,if u wana sell millions of albums just based on singapore alone,u're not gonna make it,for me i choose to make music and let it be heard thats all,i dun really care how many ppl are gonna attend gigs or buy my albums or whether record labels are gonna sign my band.if every musician on soft works their a** off everyday for their music and come here only to discuss the positive stuffs,perhaps then the scene would truly grow wilder than everyone's expectations.i'm a newbie keyboardist but i have not even passed grade 1 and i already am trying my best and have composed enough material for 3 originals.Come on everyone,we could work so much harder...

 

[osoivex]

If this scene sucks for you, go out, and find a scene that will love you.

Instead of whining how singaporeans don't care about local music, why not gain a fanbase worldwide? Send your demos to overseas labels? Perform in gigs overseas?

Though of course, being Singaporeans, we wouldn't do that, because we are unwilling to let go. Venturing abroad has risks, and we don't like risks. If we were to go try out overseas record companies or gigs, we might not succeed, and even lose what we have here. Would we do that? No.

Hence, we whine about how the scene sucks and how unsupportive Singaporeans are towards our music.

I think it's time we stop putting the blame on Singaporeans.

Sure, some people are born in places where their own people are supportive of their music. But we aren't. And it just only means one thing. We have to work harder.

If you're someone who let undesirable circumstances pull you down, then you should just stay below because you do not deserve to be on top. Real musicians will pull it through, and make it to the world.

 

[naomi watts]

if you wanna go overseas, you have to save up some cash. you need a place to live, furniture, food, transport, everything. MONEY. well i'm considering from an average joe's point of view starting from nothing, not some kid who already have relatives there.
even if you have money, doesnt mean you have the goods to get signed. no guarantee, you're not an overnight sensation, its still a working process from scratch.
how about your band members, sure we share the same ambition, but we don't share the same job and the same responsibilities. they might not earn that much income as you. maybe they come from a not-so-well-to-do family and have to give most of their cash to support their parents, so saving will take a much longer time.
singapore's just unfortunate not to have a thriving scene and there's nothing we can do about changing the mindset (well you can try if you want to). if it happens, it happens. stop bitching about the singapore scene. may it be punk, metal, indie, etc., atleast they're doing something. atleast these kids are having fun and they seem well off without the nay sayers.
don't count on singapore. start saving as soon as possible and just go overseas if you have the money and opportunity. im not saying that you shouldn't stay here and try. by all means go ahead, as long as you do something and you're happy.
there's no definite solution. in music, it is always trial and error (and hopefully, success).

 

[Fauzo]

Why does Singaporean artiste talk too much? What's the use of using such bombastic language and stuffs? Why make music so political? I am sure all great artist don't talk too much like many Singaporeans here. They just performed at their best. I have performed in so many places and bigger crowds than most of you can imagine, I just feel Singaporean artiste need to buck up on their playing skills and stage presence. They all seems very unappealing and since their playing skill sucks so bad it shows how little passion they have in music. There's no need to create such thread here. Let's just play music and share music and stop complaining and stuffs like that... those of you here who complains must be a pretty lousy player yourself and a good whiner yourself. It's just so sick to see threads like this as its not appropriate for the world to see.

 

[RolandLim]

deadwing + Extant:

good and relevant points.


*ps generally being in a band is tough, except in Singapore where being in a band is so easy. if you do a high quality production recording of some music, the radio stations will play you and the tv stations will put you on Live N Loaded and the newspapers and magazines will do articles on you. nowhere else in the world is it SO EASY for new bands to get gigs and get newspaper and media coverage and even government support and funding.

here we've had magazines hosting big music festivals, and the Esplanade holding big music festivals, featuring primarily local bands. we have tons of organizations like the National Youth Centre, youth.sg, the Arts House, the National Arts Council, etc and they hold gigs and organize campaigns and get local bands and artists and film directors involved.

in Singapore we have ministers as guests of honor at band competitions and MPs giving concerts with their bands and stuff. when i was in the US, we never got Congressmen or Senators supporting gigs. all we got was an empty space. no PA system, no drums or equipment, no microphone stands, not even cables. we bought, brought, and set up EVERYTHING ourselves. in Singapore almost everything is provided, all you need to bring is your drumsticks, guitars, pedals and picks. singers don't even need to own microphones! bands are really pampered here, we're very lucky.

SerialNinja

good stuff u've said, but I feel that because everything is provided in singapore ( Jam room have all the gear u need and so do gigs ), bands get easily complacent and don't spend time to find out their sound ( which is mainly why they don't sound as good as foreign bands ) note: i always see younger bands fiddling with their amp settings during the set cos they're not comfortable with what they get.

I've spent 5 years playing in a band overseas ( australia ) and we bring all our gear ( drumsets / amps etc and the changeover time is about 15 mins to get all the gear off and back on. It's tough work but i feel it builds character.

Also comparing local bands to the overseas bands that i have recorded and produce, GENERALLY, Singapore bands come into the studio less prepared ( don't know the tempo of the song , dunno the key ) unrehearsed than our foreign counterparts and because they dont' have their own amps and gear they rely on whatever the studio has ( bad move ).

The other thing that is lacking is the financial planning and business ideas when coming to promoting and marketing themselves. while music should be "fun" and about "passion".If you want to take it seriously there is the business aspect that needs to be taken care off ( aka all the sai kang )knowing what u want to do over the next 2- 3 years and going out to achieve it plays a big part rather than aimlessly hoping for gigs to drop on your lap

Lastly from what i can compare from a more advanced and vibrant scene( Australia) is that Singaporeans lack the dedication and drive to push ahead with their dreams and goals.

This is possibly due to our society ( school kids being overfilled with work , pressure to do well academic-wise by parents , stuffed with CCAs by schools etc etc ) and also while there is some support from the govt , more niche genres such as Metal/ heavy stuff will not get the recognition it deserves or funding cos the agencies do not want to be involved in such music ( i found this out from someone who works at a govt agency ) whereas in Australia I have a couple of friends in metal/heavy bands who have gotten at least 10-15k in funding from Arts Grants to fund their album production ( usually costs about 20k) and touring if they can submit a report detailing their * business plan * .

 

[kongwee]

Actually, music scene can be fruitful if you see beyond stage and cutting albums.

 

[XLayaR]

I...........have nothing to say

 

[LeMovement]

in singapore, it's more about what you have to do more then what you want to do.

if you have done what you have to do, then you can do what you want to do.

but eventually, you will go back to what you have to do.

now what do you do?

 

[taypeng81]

i've been reading the thread and trying to keep up at times with all the "cheem, bombastic" words/arguments at times.

I'm not in the industry but part of the "scene" and this is just my $0.0000002 worth. Firstly, theres alot of people out there who are not into the local music simply because they have not been exposed to it. its not just because singaporeans are apathetic. alot of people listen and appreciate good music but how often do local songs get played on radio? "Live n Loaded" was a step forward in this area and more can be done.

on the part of the bands, (this is from an audience point of view) you've got to work on the quality of your compositions, the melody and the lyrics have to connect with the audience. I've heard several good songs and many others that were just too "alternative", or had lyrics that probably only connected with the band members themselves. (dont mean step on anyones toes here!)

so basically, i think the two problems to tackle in order to improve the local scene: getting your music exposed to the masses (who dont go for gigs or have no reason to click on your myspace link) and improving the quality of the songs/band themselves.

thats all from me...

 

[InfernoxDeath]

I wasn't much a fan or listener of the local scene. If you were to ask me a question last year, like this, "What's your favourite local band?", I'll tell you, "I don't like the local scene."

However, I'm taking back those words cos i understand that from my point of view, i refused to allow myself to be exposed to the local music scene. Mainly, METAL.
I had this biased thought that local bands will never be good enough to match up to those bands in my list, mainly from Scandinavia.

After finally deciding to attend gigs this year, i realised that in the shoes of every musician, be it local or not, they have a dream of making it big. I'm not a musician, and am in no position to criticise the local scene, when deep down i know that they are doing their best.

With this, i conclude that the local metal scene seems to be very fruitful, and in other words, has the potential to make it big. Like what i once was, you shouldn't judge if you've not stepped into a local gig. Cos only then, will you realise that it's something that exceeds your expectations.

\m/

 

[fretness]

Hmmm. Dont care local scene what scene. got music just play.

 

[Marteenz]

true

the thing is, as i have spoken with a respectable person, most singaporeans say they "support" local bands. but when asked how they "support" these bands, they say they go for their shows. BUT when asked "hey, why not buy their CDs, that way not only you support them by listening to their music, if you like it you can listen to them on the go!" then they scratch their heads and go "maybe next time, no money now lah!"

true bro.. for what i did was i did buy their albums, eg: the sallys, stoned revivals.. plus,i support them by coming to the gig too

even though its min cost was 10 dollars ,but , i did my part as supporting them singaporeans peace!

 

[steviegfc]

if u hav 20 bucks and u see electrico besides a sigur ros album no doubt what ure goin 2 buy...

that being said, seriously tho, ppl need to stop complaining and be part of the sg music movement, be the change you want the world to change - Gandhi, no more talking, keep rollin!

 

[freeworldworship]

Hmmm. Dont care local scene what scene. got music just play.

That's the attitude man!Haha

 

[freeworldworship]

Maybe you guys are just complaining too much..the local scene is just small,but that doesn't mean it is not growing..
sure,there are probably some greedy gig organisers who only want money,or some lame poser trying to act like they are better than iron maiden(when they can't even sound like a band),but aren't these just the some of those bad things that come and go?
if the local scene sucks,why have i ever played at gigs that are damn packed?even though we are only playing covers? and even the crowd even headbanged to songs that probably most of us have never heard before..for that matter,i have played in more gigs where people turned up in full force than gigs with a pathetic audience(it happens sometimes,but not all the time)
it's damn happening here guys,it's not even dying.it's just u people need to open up your eyes more.
And stop feeling sorry for us who 'pay to play'. so what if we do.the main thing is we make good music and people want to listen to it.how do u expect people to listen to music that's not good right?hahaha
even the legendary bands started off earning only $5 at some gigs,it just went on from there.we just have to keep TRYING

 

[bobby]

I have not been logged into SOFT for a couple of weeks now, but I must say, it is immensely satisfying to see my original post grow to such an extent over the weeks. Reading both disagreeable and agreeable points of view is graitfying, because it goes to show that there are enough impassioned individuals out there who are willing to take 10 minutes of their time to share their opinions.

Unfortunately, when we take away all the pseudo rallying behind a cause, the implicit truth is that the scene is NOT growing, it is NOT nurturing, and it is not expanding beyond what we have already seen in generations before. It is easy to overlook this given that we are all involved in this current generation, but an acute and factual evaluation reveals that past generations in Singapore have continuously rallied behind the same cause, only to lead to the same linear effect; a plateau of the possibilities of being a musician in Singapore. A non-existent claim to 'fame' that is basically equal to winning 1 supporter out of every 100,000 persons in Singapore. While everybody has their own definitions of what 'success' is, it is safe to state that such statistical woes do not constitute to the median of a 'good success rate' by standard definitions.

Now, one can accuse me of speaking more for than actually acting for change, though I would like to emphasize that I have done my fair share of behind-the-scenes and onstage contributions to the scene. But a point of view is a point of view, and this is my brutally honest one. And I'm sure anybody who is entirely truthful about the given situation would likely agree with most of the above, though not necessarily in its entirety.

The only possible catalyst for change has to include a stage of brutal honesty, before plans for change can begin to take shape. Care-Bearing is for the delusional.