Written by Doug Hurt - Contributor to HXCChristian.com
I miss the “good ole days”. That is really the only statement that I can make. People were going to shows for the pure fact that that is where they truly wanted to be. They wanted to be a part of something. And the bands that were a part of this scene were ready to book a show with friends that they had. The thought of a booking agency was just unheard of. If you saw someone new, you would walk up and introduce yourself.
Let us fast forward to now. I am not a fan of these days of so called “hardcore”. I put hardcore in parenthesis for the fact that the true meaning of why this was all started is no longer alive. It is no longer shows, we have concert events. Bands have these big named booking agencies that will not talk to you unless you go through their agent. And their agents will not talk to you unless you have a cool concert promotion name and are willing to pay a so called “hardcore” band $8000 to come play with a stage plan and a tour rider. I have always said… if you want to become rich, go be in a bar band playing creed covers.
The fact is that most of the people that were all about hardcore pride we’re the ones that turned their backs and said “Forget this!” Now they hang out at the bars listening to talentless indie rock talking about how the “kids” are dumb and need to grow up.
Now is a time that we have to make a choice to just either walk away from all of this and let the ones that have no idea what this was about and should be about, or we step up and say “Enough is enough! We want this scene back!”
Bands should stop writing songs about taking it all back and lead by example and actually take it back. That means book your own shows and stop giving 15% to someone else that has no clue what is going on at your shows. It is time for kids to learn how to book and promote shows and start booking shows and paying the bands what the bands deserve. It is time for kids to start going to shows with the whole principle that we are gathering as a family.
I place a lot of this pressure on the bands. Especially our Christian bands. Jesus did not need a booking agent to tell him when he could go do his work. You guys that call yourselves a Christian band have a responsibility to go out and tell this scene that they are loved and that there is a God of compassion and generosity out there. I can tell you that when kids hear about bands making $12,000 and are Christian and then sell their merch for outrageous prices, these bands put an even more sour taste in their mouths about Christianity being a big business. I am sure some bands will say “We need this money to live.” To that I say, get a job. Ministry is not for those that are worried strictly about money. If the band is what God’s purpose is for you, then you and your families will reap the benefits of heaven now. And some bands have said “We have to pay for this bus.” Then sell it! Buy a van and trailer. It is not that hard. And if you are unsigned, why do you have a booking agent? Really? You are a band doing what you love with your friends, why take away from the true meaning of what this is all about by making it about business?
I place the pressure on the kids booking shows that they do what they can to have a safe place for kids and to do what they can to make sure these bands are blessed. This means putting yourself out there and showing these bands that you are booking shows for the right reasons and that you are not pocketing $1000 off of a show that made $1500 especially charging $15 for a show and not promoting for it at all. We never had contracts back then. But we booked shows and made it, and if people kept
screwing over bands, then we would send our friends in other bands to book elsewhere.
I also place pressure on the old schoolers to show the new kids what the scene is really about. How are these kids supposed to know if we just take the quick exit? There are still a lot of us out there that can show these kids that this is not just a concert experience, this is a life experience.
So we need to start booking shows with bands that are strong enough to book their own shows. If they are on a label that makes them use an agent, then someone should start a label that lets the bands play where they want to play and when they want to play. We need to start showing these bands that if they want to play to a crowd with no heart or soul that they can do those shows without us.
So in closing, hardcore was never about agents, tour riders, managers or making the big bucks. It was about reaching out to kids. Plain and simple, bands are just people in bands. The key word is “people.” That means you are not better than the kid that had to save money all week just so he could pay to come to your show.
So take a step back this week and spend just one day thinking about what I have talked about. If you have any questions or comments you can email me at doug @ hxcchristian. com
