What a knob - CMW content

[Large Marge]

Well, I've never been to this bar before, but given the owners fucked up outlook, I certainly won't be in any hurry to get there now. Who does this?!? (and at an international festival)?!?

At CMW, a Social faux-pas

Mar. 7, 2006. 01:00 AM

MURRAY WHYTE

TORONTO STAR

With hundreds of indie bands from all over the world piling into dozens of venues over a single weekend, it would be naive to think Canadian Music Week could go off without a hitch.

And it didn't. This year's most notable snag happened last Saturday at The Social, a Queen St. W. bar.

Gord Dimitrieff, the owner of local label Aporia Records, had booked a five-band CMW showcase at the bar months in advance but found out that morning it had been abruptly cancelled by the bar's owners.

"It was a disaster, nightmare scenario," Dimitrieff said. He and members of the five acts — one, Pernille, had come from Denmark for the show — hauled their gear to the bar that afternoon and stood outside in the cold, hoping for a change of heart.

It didn't happen. "It was an unavoidable, uncomfortable and not a very nice thing to do," said the bar's co-owner, Richard Lambert. "But we decided we had to sacrifice one to do the two others."

CMW events on Thursday and Friday night at The Social drew a scant few dozen music fans.

Lambert said he gave away about 150 drinks to band members and crew. He sold even less, he said, a far cry from his usual weekend take. "If I had been a nice guy and kept Saturday night going, I would have been $12,000 out of pocket."

Aporia ultimately held its show around the corner at the house of Lily Frost, one of its acts. The crowd there grew to about 100 people.

Jason Furman, Frost's booking agent, said The Social would have a hard time booking future shows. "Everyone knows. Labels know. Who's going to want to book with them?" he asked.

Yesterday, word of the tiff had spread to the local indie message boards, where some disparaged Lambert for his decision. Lambert issued an apology online but maintains his decision was the right one.

"To me, it's crazy that so many people are freaking out over a show that would have drawn 25 people," he said. "My main question to all those people is, `Where were you?' Because I know they weren't at the bar any one of those nights."

[deranger]

If he had known that no one would show, then why bother booking the acts? If he had been willing to take the chance anyway, then suck up the $12 000. But if he see's nothing is happening and doesn't feel like losing $12000, fuck CMW and too bad for the acts who had NO ONE interested in seeing them anyway. Which maybe leads to, why book acts from Denmark if you're not even sure anyway gives a rats ass about seeing them?

[Tooly]

#1> why are bands from DENMARK playing CANADIAN music week?

#2> i had a similar experience with Hamilton Music Scene a couple years ago, i got to work the door all night at PJC for free! well, i did get a free cd at the end of the night from the promotor, jean paul gauthier, thanks buddy, its still wrapped, want it back? i also got to deal with the 4 PISSED OFF bands that were told by him they each had a 5person guest list, then when he showed up to give me the wristbands and shit, he says NOONE has a guestlist of ANY sort. good times

i know i had a point when i started writing, but its gone now

[boiler]

"My main question to all those people is, `Where were you?' Because I know they weren't at the bar any one of those nights."

Exactly!!! Ironic isn't it.

Did somebody forget to tell this Jack Ass how to GROW a business?

Perhaps he missed that day of school.

[AD]

the social is a pretty successful bar from what i gather... i think his business is probably based on a regular weekend cycle rather than obscure bands that nobody knows... sounds like he was just cutting his losses. still not a very cool move, but i don't think you can argue with his point about the 'where were you?' thing.

ad

[boiler]

still not a very cool move, but i don't think you can argue with his point about the 'where were you?' thing.

The day of the show is too late to cut loses. Perhaps the owner should have been more proactive and either cancelled earlier or promoted better.

[PalacePrincess]

ultimately held its show around the corner at the house of Lily Frost, one of its acts

more proof lily frost RULES! love that girl!

Edited March 7, 2006 by Guest
huh? quote thing not working

[Kelly-Anne]

The promoter derserves to have his ass kicked. I could have called my old love in Pontiac Grand Prix Smash Up and the place would have been sold out for all 3 nights.

just like that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_Grand_Prix_Smash_Up

[Dr. J]

Although I do not agree with this gentleman's decision, I really think that the CMW people have to accept a large share of the responsibility.

The fact is that many bands and most venues don't know what CMW is or how it works! And even if they did, the event has grown beyond the point where it can serve any worthwhile purpose whatsoever.

CMW is NOT a music festival. In a sense, it's not even a music event. It's a business event (conference/workshops/seminars etc) designed to attract industry people. If you (your band/your label) wish to make contact with these people while they're there, you may do so....for a price.

For $50, you will be given a venue somewhere in the area of where these people are and a mention in the program. Beyond that, getting these people (or any people) to your show is your responsibilty, although they will help for a price.

For a price, you can get your music on their demo disc. For a price, you can get your merch in their delegate bag. For a price, you can get your photo in their program etc. etc. etc. and make no mistake about it, unless someone is paying big bucks for advertising or hosting a hospitality lounge etc., you are not going to be playing or hosting a "key" venue with a sweet line-up.

The fact that the CMW folks lead 500+ bands and countless venues to believe they have a hope in hell of being successful at this event (without the expenditure of major bucks) is garbage and leaves people having to discover it for themselves at mid-event and to make decisions that are morally questionable to say the least.

[boiler]

Thanks for the insight Dr J. Very interesting.

Seems the bands that are struggling to exsist don't really get much help from the organizers/entrepeneurs at all. If anything, teaches them to watch out for the industry types, cause they're gonna rip you off.

The idea that the bands have to promote themselves for a so called "organized" event is crazy given the context of what the event is supposed (perceived) to accomplish.

[Velvet]

Exactly what I would have said if I had the time to write.

I would also add that while a promoter should stick to his bookings, I'm sure the CMW people lied through their teeth at this guy and said how thousands would be descending on the city trying to claw their way into sold out venue after sold out venue, and when the owner realised that all this was bullshit he pulled the plug.

CMW isn't a scam like Emergenza, but it ranks.

[Velvet]

A little tidbit: The John Henrys were playing CMW this year. The soundman had to leave right before their set because he was playing a gig at another venue. Shortly after TJH finished their set, the soundman returned, bitching about how bad sound was at the venue he was playing.

It goes without saying that TJH endured a sound nightmare for their set.

[Deeps]

You can add North by North East to your list of scammy scam scam scam conferences.

It's essentially a bunch of industry people wandering around with laminate passes talking about what it means to "make it" which can essentially be covered in music marketing 101 @ college. I overheard some wickedly obnoxious conversations.

The conferences were cool though. They pointed me in the right direction on some fronts and gave me a feel for the big-kid game of the music industry.

When we played NxNE we did meet up with some people that helped us in Toronto so it was a useful venture and we did put our efforts toward promoting our show. How you could get anything useful done if you were from out of country I don't know though.

Too big is the right way to put it when it comes to CMW and NxNE me thinks.

It's all pretty corporate and souless in a way.

Meh.

[greasyfizeek]

I've followed this pretty closely on stillepost, as I went to several CMW events.

Clearly two things happened in my opinion.

1. CMW and Social had conversations Friday morning about cancelling Saturday night at the Social, but the bands were not informed by CMW until late Saturday afternoon. That is really disorganized, and the responsibility of CMW to take care of their own showcase.

2. The Social cannot have it both ways. They want to be "indie" and support the local arts scene during the week with film fundraisers and book launches and spagetti-oke, not have a sign with their name, and have 3.50 pints of 50, but then they want a shitty 905 crowd to infiltrate the bar on fri-sat night to make money. Clearly they are trying to do two things at once, and it finally backfired. I've always maintained since the beginning the Social was a sell-out, despite strong arguments from several of my friends indicating the guys who own Social and Spin gallery are upstanding guys, so this adds fuel to the fire. I've seen cool music events there, and then wanted to slit my wrists on a saturday night.

I did see a few good acts: meligrove band at lee's palace, and wintersleep at horseshoe. and some crazy-ass aussie dj "endorphin" late night at the drake, replete with disney visuals, a lebowski-landlord-esque flesh coloured dancer, and mid 80s euro-trash beats. truly hilarious.

But CMW is clearly an industry-oriented event. I do disagree about NMW, which I have attended with "laminates" the last 2 years, and by no means am I "industry." I'm just a scribe. I think they have maintained a strong balance between industry, bands, and fans, and it hasn't morphed into the colussus mistake CMW seems to be. So I disagree with the above poster.

2 cents from greasy.

[peipunk]

Taken from "36 Rules For New Bands":

20. Its not a "showcase". Its a gig that doesn't pay.

Seriously, these conferences are only useful (to bands) if there are "industry people" who ALREADY want to see you play. Or you are extremely lucky to be sandwiched between 2 bands that "industry people" want to see. I played CMW in 1998, the 5 of us nearly shit our pants when we heard we had a "showcase" in Toronto!! We spent a fortune driving up from PEI, staying in hotels and then played for about 12 people at C'est What. Talk about having your bubble burst.

Edited March 7, 2006 by Guest

[Deeps]

You can add North by North East to your list of scammy scam scam scam conferences.

It's essentially a bunch of industry people wandering around with laminate passes talking about what it means to "make it" which can essentially be covered in music marketing 101 @ college. I overheard some wickedly obnoxious conversations.

The conferences were cool though. They pointed me in the right direction on some fronts and gave me a feel for the big-kid game of the music industry.

When we played NxNE we did meet up with some people that helped us in Toronto so it was a useful venture and we did put our efforts toward promoting our show. How you could get anything useful done if you were from out of country I don't know though.

Too big is the right way to put it when it comes to CMW and NxNE me thinks.

It's all pretty corporate and souless in a way.

Meh.

Jesus I've been a drag lately.

I think the truth is that you just have to realize that these things don't have a lot in the way of hype that delivers. They promote it like it's gonna be rockin, but it turns out that there are so many venues and bands that it all just ends up pretty bland unless you end up at a show that would have rocked anyway. Which makes you wonder what the festival really does to make the shows go off doesn't it.

I take back souless, but not corporate. There was so much promo and schmoozy kind of stuff it was just a little weird to be part of. It seemed it was little to do with music and all to do with advertising.

If we had a manager I think I'd send that person down to annoy anyone who'd listen and give out about 500 cds, but we're a small band as it is right now and couldn't pull that off so for us the NxNe thing is a little on the not-so-useful side. Maybe when we grows up we'll be able to get in there and make something happen.

Maybe we won't get up @ 2:00pm and miss most of the conferences too. That'd be good.

Deeps

[payce-ley]

ultimately held its show around the corner at the house of Lily Frost, one of its acts

more proof lily frost RULES! love that girl!

I'll echo that

if you agree to do something, you agree to do something... one more night wasn't going to kill the guy one way or the other, especially if he usually clears $12,000 a night on weekends (you'd figure the rent is payed just fine)... money isn't everything

shortsighted of him... instead of looking like a caring member of the community now he looks like he's only in business for the money... also, who knows that the next Avril Lavigne wasn't scheduled to play there that night?

just having Lily Frost play would've been a night the guy would always remember fondly... guy sounds like he took business school a little too seriously

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

I'm sure if there were a real formula to how this process worked, the game would all be over.

To this day, I've never understood how bands like the Rheostatics never became famous from BC all the way east to Japan. Even within Canada, the Hip now have a kind of legendary status, but that's still a question of time and timing, not purely merit (not to diss the Hip, God forbid, but I'm sure they'd be first in line to advise on bands at least as deserving).

Fwiw, the academic world seems as much a meat-market as the music world, and the same calibre of artists pass by unnoticed. Keep doing what you're doing though, Deeps; you make the people that do pay attention awfully happy.

[payce-ley]

a more uplifting news story