This is something that I feel very strongly about and I want to make a real point of this. I think the Liverpool and general music scene in the UK are in a really sorry state right now. Obviously we do have a lot of successful bands in the UK and there still are a lot of people who are going to shows but there are also a lot of talented musicians being ignored for various reasons. Let’s see if we can help shall we?
For some of those musicians I will outright say that it is their fault for not putting in the effort to get noticed but on the other hand there are a lot of people who do and a lot of people who are consistently ignored. In the Liverpool music scene there are some fantastic little communities such as Liverpool bands who offer places to discuss issues with the music scene and we are extremely grateful for the outlet it provides for a lot of musicians to talk. I am a huge fan of Tony who runs Liverpool bands and he is 100% the man for the time he puts in to making a difference. So... Following on from his hard work, we want to take that a step further. In Furian we want to rally the people who do care about music and do recognise that music in Liverpool is under supported and offer an umbrella for them to gather under. What’s in it for us ? Well obviously and honestly it will grow our fan base and we won’t lie, that is a partial objective... We aren’t going to hide that as it’s really central to us to be as transparent and human as we actually are and not coat any of our plans with shiny paint. Yes we do want to make a point of being a band helping to make a change and yes we will appreciate if we gain fans from it. Duh. BUT… Far more importantly than any of that it will then trigger the formation of a community that supports one and other and a community of friends. A community that can come from show to show with us and help make anywhere we play be a party. As a further consequence of that, when we start booking shows with bands that have worked with us, who we know try their best to get heard and put on a good show and put their heart into what they do, we can all share the same fan base, all know each other’s names and all have a great time together. THAT is what music is about. Do you see what we’re getting at? This is an opportunity to identify the good things and filter out the bad and dishonest whilst making friends through music, the way it should be. This isn’t about Furian, this is about reviving a once stunning music scene and getting people off the internet and through the doors of something that can really make a difference. We buy other people’s music and we go to other people’s shows so we are entitled to spread this opinion. Personally I think you guys should all do the same and do your bit. Fair enough right?
There is a serious political problem in the country right now with greed and selfishness running the show. Music is heading in a very similar direction. We’ve recognised it in the politics of parliament and now we need to recognise it in the politics of music. We are being spoon fed manufactured garbage and the power to restore purity comes in bands like all of us. Simon Cowell and his crew have been churning out the same rubbish for a long time and this barrier stopping us from being the ones to change it actually does not exist. We got Rage Against The Machine to number one. Why? Because we wanted to. The only barrier that does exist is the one we’ve put up ourselves. How are we ever going to stop accepting this X-factor nonsense if we don’t provide an alternative? And how is that alternative ever going to get noticed if we have all given up? There. I said it. Most of us have given up. Don’t give up. Do you think Martin Luther King just HAPPENED to be the guy who made a change in racial equality? No. Didn’t think you’d agree. An extreme example but an entirely weighted one. It starts with just a few people. What’s stopping it from being us?
Another issue and a little story for you: Furian played a show in the Zanzibar not so long ago on Halloween. Love the Zanzibar, fantastic little venue with a great sound guy and an owner who really supports bands. Anyway we were on 2nd to last and by the time we got to play most of the people from the other bands and their fans had left. This... Really annoys me. If bands are doing this then… Newsflash, We just sat through your set and probably enjoyed it. You and your fan base could at least try and do the same for us and the other bands, and you probably paid to get in. It makes sense. Anyway we played our set and then sat down to watch the other bands. By the time we played there were probably about 20 people in the room where as there were probably 50+ before. Despite what I said before we do appreciate anyone who watches us. So after that a bunch more people left but us and our crowd stayed to watch the last band “Leap Of Faith.” These are a lovely bunch of guys from Liverpool and their fans are mostly their school friends and girlfriends from what we could see but they were really great people and we can’t stress that enough. Anyway we watched their set and they were really thankful that we stayed and it was our pleasure to as music fans. We got chatting and a couple of them had nice things to say about us which is always really appreciated. They thanked us for being the only band to stick around and watch them perform which to us is no big deal because that’s the way you should act in our opinion. Again, it’s sad that it apparently isn’t a majority one. But one thing really stood out. “You guys seem really approachable and nice definitely tell us when your next show is.” Ok so we could have taken that and not really thought about it and we could have used it as an ego boost but… Well. We didn’t use it as an ego boost because that isn’t us at all. We thought about it. It was nice to hear it but also really saddening. We had been singled out for being nice and friendly and approachable and the girls we spoke to had noted that a lot of bands they bump into had major ego problems or just weren’t nice enough to stick around. This got us thinking and is yet another reason why we’re on this mission to help repair the scene. Be nice to each other guys… Seriously… If you are a dick then people aren’t going to want to associate with you. Stick around, watch other bands. And (devil’s advocate) if you are going to be selfish and focus on your own gains then it makes sense anyway. So I just don’t understand why you’d be horrible and/or unapproachable. There is often a big imaginary barrier between bands and fans and that’s another wall that needs to come down. This should give further emphasis to the point Furian are trying to make about grouping together and making new friends being the ultimate solution to the bulk of the problem. When did bands start thinking that looking out for themselves and only themselves was a good idea anyway? If the whole reason you’re doing music isn’t to have a good time and make new friends then I’m not sure why you’re doing it. If its for your own ego then, I don’t have time for you, and nor does my band. That is one group of people we will make a point of not dealing with. I am not going to remember your band if Furian get any bigger shows looking for additional supports. I am going to remember the band that was nice to us and stayed to watch our set and I am going to do everything to show the people that come to Furian shows time and time again that I have their back in any sense I can. They give me their time and so I owe them mine. Look at what I just said about the “Leap Of Faith” boys. Doesn’t that just prove my point? I have all the time in the world for those guys and their fans because of exactly what I’ve just been talking about. And all they did is watch our show and talk to us after their set. Those people who spend their time and attention watching you? Appreciate them. They could have done something else with their time and they chose to give it to you.
Often problems escalate to a point where people don’t really know what the cause is because there have been so many other issues spouting off from them. We believe that the problem is people getting so caught up in discussing what’s wrong that they’ve forgotten the most important thing. We can fix it. All of us can fix it. All we have to do is chat together, make new friends and maybe go to some shows together. Tell each other about new bands, tell each other where to go and where to avoid and put the positive energy back into local music. We can say off the bat that our buddies in Bowker and The Comfortable Jumpers (I am in this band, head’s up) are of the same attitude and we want that list to grow so that more and more people know where it’s at when you need a good show to kick start your week. I bought Bowker’s album this morning. It’s great. I love it and now I’m telling you about it. Look. It’s that easy. And what did Bowker do to make me buy their album? They played a great set in Southport and were nice to me. Not exactly rocket science. And who the hell am I? Nobody, but I just told you about some music you should probably wrap your ears around.
A big discussion I often come across is pay to play. I have one thing to say about this. If you are in a band and you get a pay to play contract handed to you, all you have to do to fix things is the following – “No thank you. We don’t play those kind of shows.” The end. No need to be impolite. Just decline. If you want to get rid of the problem, then drown it. Take away its air supply and watch it fade away. I’ve seen countless bands complaining about pay to play screwing them over when the fact is, they shouldn’t have agreed in the first place! Clearly, some of us have to learn the hard way and said promoters do prey on the naivety of new bands. We get that and that’s why I state it here clearly.. DO NOT PLAY THOSE SHOWS. Think about it this way, let’s flip the angle for a second. We are made to assume in our local music scene that promoters have all the power and if you piss them off then you’re in big trouble. Ok let’s have a think about this. Promoters are like any other people. Some are good and some are bad. So let’s cut the morals out of this for one moment and focus on the gain for both sides. Promoters want to make money. Whether they are good or bad, they want shows to be successful either for their own gain or for mutual gain of themselves and the bands. Bands, on the other hand, often really struggle to create fan-bases because they seem to think that promoters and these “gatekeepers” have the power. The reality is that this is rubbish. If you want to pack out your own shows then you have to start supporting other musicians and helping the local scene and gaining fans. If a guy wants to start a business he starts by knocking on doors and getting customers or doing the online equivalent. No promoter on the planet is going to mess you around and treat you badly if you can pull a crowd because it doesn’t make sense for them to do so. And if they are the kind of promoter to do that, then just don’t work with them and see where they end up then. I hear a lot of bands say… “We can’t get a fanbase because promoters make it really difficult.” My response? Tough. Where there’s a will there’s a way. Sure… it is hard but it’s your job to get through it. If it was easy then everybody would do it. Playing music doesn’t entitle you to anything. It’s in your hands to do the rest and if your music really means something to people then I am positive that they will help you spread the word if you do the work to create a platform for it. People love music. It’s an essential part of most people’s lives. Promoters and bands seem to have this mentality that it’s us vs them. Honestly and truthfully both sides are guilty of making it this way. This should be a symbiotic relationship and we should all work towards the same thing (putting on great shows). Consequently, the outcome of this is promoters get paid and bands get great crowds and probably paid too whilst the venue gets a shed load of drinks money. Who would have thought? It seems so simple right? That’s because it is that simple. Selfish attitudes need to disappear, now. And if bands want a platform to get their music heard then, well let’s make one. You can start by signing up to this forum. And music fans, it’s your job to tell everybody about the music you heard. None of this requires money. It just requires communication and being willing to make new friends. It's funny. "Social media" seems to be the entire opposite of what it suggests. Get out and meet people.
There are plenty of people in Liverpool who care about music and the creation and enjoyment of music. You just have to get them to all group together. This is a place where that can happen. We need to take responsibility and make sure that we are the ones in charge. Take matters into your own hands if you want change. The fans and the bands are the ones that work for it and so the bands and the fans should be the ones who benefit. And if we find promoters that aid that cause then we should reward them too by having a killer show together and giving them some cash for their hard work. A good music promoter works with you and a bad music promoter works for himself. If you find good promoters then tell everybody about it, share the information and let’s ram their shows to the back wall. If you find a bad one then let’s hear it. Let’s make sure they get their imaginary power stripped from them and let’s make sure they’re never heard of again. The same goes for bands. If there are bands out there acting selfishly and not supporting others then let’s not include them in this. They’re not the kind of people that help the problem. Bands are just people. Sure they can play music but there are some people that are great at accounting, some people are great at dancing, others at cleaning. Everyone has their own skill and musicians are no better or worse than anyone else. However, music is something that has a lot of power and a lot of weight which can have a hugely positive effect on people’s lives so people SHOULD hear it if it’s written from the right place. We can’t fight this problem if we don’t approach it logically and strategically. I know that my band love music and love playing to people and just want to have a good time with a bunch of friends. That’s what we are all about and that is what we believe music is about. As far as we’re concerned any other attitude is counter-productive. If you want to make a difference then tell people to start posting here and coming together as a community and then hopefully the next time an awesome show comes up that is run fairly with a bunch of fantastic people attending, we can all go together and have a great time instead of worrying about empty shows or people stealing money or whatever stuff can go wrong. The only way we will beat this is if we the fans and the bands take control and create our own future together because right now, promotion companies and venues aren’t exactly doing a great job. Don’t get me wrong, some are and as I said, I commend them and I’d like to think that this place will recognise them for being the heroes of a dire situation. Liverpool venues such as the Lomax and Zanzibar have my full support for the way they operate. If they can afford to pay you they pay you and they wouldn’t dare throw a pay to pay contract at you because they do it for the music. It’s simple. If you want this to stop then start acting and eliminate it.
We can’t have our hands out and expect things to just come to us. We have to do something about it. If you’re on the internet listening to a band you just stumbled across then go get to a show! Talk to them, tell people about it, recognise the positives and let’s stomp out the negatives together. I’ve made this sound pretty heavy and it is serious but it’s also painfully easy to fix if we just start from the ground again and work up.
People need to lead the way, and we want to offer that because it’s important to a lot of music performers and fans. We feel for all of you and we really want to help be a part of the solution. We know that this method is gathering everyone under our band name and we are definitely fine with that haha. But the bottom line is… We would LOVE for you to be gaining fans from us and we encourage people talking about other bands and other promoters and other anything. That’s the whole point. We’re sick of sitting around watching the world bitch about it and we want to help people act. Of course us lot in Furian have a personal job to make Furian a big deal but our band and your band have a much better chance of that happening if we all switch to this mentality and work together. And the fans will have a much better time at shows if they’re packed out and have a buzzing atmosphere. So when you think about it, no matter what gains are in it for us, they are also there for you. We welcome people sharing our fan-base and talking about other bands and other musical issues. The world doesn't revolve around us. We know that!
So to summarise –
Bands – Say no to pay to play and start helping this revolution we’re trying to start.
Musicians and music lovers -
Step 1 – Sign up to this forum.
Step 2 – Post about things you want to talk about.
Step 3 – Make new friends and get to know people
Step 4 – When a bunch of people you’ve met on here are going to a show that sounds awesome, go with them.
Step 5 – If you hear about something bad then investigate it and if it’s truth then stop supporting it. If you hear about something good then support it and tell people.
It really is that simple. This post is me holding out my hand and offering for you to become a friend of me and my band and our way of thinking. Take it or leave it. We can't force you to do anything we can only try our best to help show you how we feel.
But. To those who read this post, agree with it and then do nothing and don't get on board. I'm sorry, you are officially part of the issue in my eyes. That I simply cannot sugarcoat. I'm saying this because I care. Appreciate that, I urge you.
Thanks so much for reading guys. I hope we can all make a difference together.
I would love to hear your thoughts on what I’ve said whether they’re critical or supportive. The above is obviously an opinion and shared view of my band and I respect your thoughts either way.
Sincerely,
Dan, Furian
Subject: The Liverpool Music Scene 
Mon Nov 24, 2014 4:01 pm
