There are a million problems with this. Set aside your skepticism and just imagine with me:

A bunch of bands all working together on the band crap that isn't making music. What if the collective owned a van bands could borrow and tour in (with the band paying the gas and insurance that month or something)? What if the collective owned a CD duplicator anyone could check out and make discs on if they provided their own discs? What if some of us were good at booking tours? What if others were good at getting press writeups?

No goals of profit here. You just help out your fellow bands, and they help you out. Barter.

Now feel free to take your holepunch to my dreams.

Isn't this just a description of most bands? One person has the van, the creativity, the recording equipment, the practice space, the know how, et., etc., etc., and the other members are just along for the ride?

quote:

Originally posted by mc:
...and the other members are just along for the ride?

I call shotgun...

I'm totally into this plan, as long as there aren't any bands involved are that are worse or lazier than us. I'd prefer to be the millstone, thank you very much, and don't want some other band dragging down the coattails I plan to ride on. I'll be in charge of mixing metaphors.

So the idea here is that to be in the collective, you have to have something to contribute—and no, looking good doesn't count.

I would totally trade flyer-making or buttons or something for some goods or services. I will throw in the looking good for FREE. We consider any offer of mutual support

We kinda already do this though, no? I just got photos from Juliet of the Foxx, and we'll be taking another band's van out next month! here's a photo! ... maybe this isn't the best one, but I at least look good?

Collectivism sounds good on message boards, but in the end it never seems to work. Kind of like Marxism. There's always the schlep, lowest common denominator... the dude that returns the truck with an empty tank of gas, spills shit on the gear -- who blows it for the rest of us.

to me, your idea. sounds more like the beginnings of a business model.

quote:

Originally posted by Mr. Nobody:
... maybe this isn't the best one, but I at least look good?

which one are you!

sounds like a cool idea!

it would also be cool if Nickelback's tour bus plummeted off of a cliff

Hippies....

I think a lot of bands already kinda do this in an informal sort of way. We've got a large format printer with which to print 13x19 flyers. We've also got a CD duplicator which is currently on loan to The United. I'm kind of ok at making flyers. We've got a Light Scribe CD/DVD burner for making pretty press kits or whatever.

In return, we'll take beer.

I can run really fast! If any of your bands ever need a guy that can run really goddamn fast, let me know.

Seriously Feels like Sunday was all about the community here. They were very good at bringing people in the scene together. I think however that they got burned out. The last time I talked to Nate he complained a lot about the scene and was generally negative about pretty much all music. I think thats why Feels Like Sunday ended because it used to be that they were just happy playing music and being a part of the scene. I think over time that changed and then it ended.

Another thing that I've seen happen is people who get so much into this collectivist mentality they start to hate any band that is actually capable of capitalizing on their music.

To do this it takes people who love music in general as much as they love their own music.

Anyway we have a great PA. The United is gonna use it for their CD release party. If anyone ever needs anything at all from Hit by a Bus just ask.

I say we weed out the squawker who is most likely to have a trust fund, then convince this person to front the cost of the music collective. There's a lot to be said for exploiting the rich. It's effective too. Just ask Charles Manson...

Who has enough winning personality and sociopathic traits to be our Charles?

quote:

Originally posted by Skreech: Feels like Sunday was all about the community here. They were very good at bringing people in the scene together. I think however that they got burned out. The last time I talked to Nate he complained a lot about the scene and was generally negative about pretty much all music. I think thats why Feels Like Sunday ended

Yeah, they were great. Nobody else would have handled that Rock Outside the Box thing without compensation, and it did really wear Nate out. I think they broke up for other personal reasons too though. But yeah, last year Nunchuk spent some time banging their head against a wall just trying to get tracks from a dozen bands for a comp.

Working with local bands as my main source of income, I've seen the gears in motion. There are just so many fly-by-night, hobbyist bands, or bands that can't agree or get it together... I started doing my thing as a group but finally had to buy the rest out and fire every employee I've had, because they just didn't come through. I'm a bit gun shy about putting myself into anyone else's hands, but even more so about telling someone else what to do. If Boomhead or anyone is really serious about something official, I'd say skip this public thing, and individually contact only the bands you know are motivated and competent. Keep it a group-vote-in to join deal so as to cut out the losers. Make a business plan and be clear on responsibilities and expectations. The bigger and more open it gets the more people will drag it down, until you have only terrible bands that rely on it, take advantage of it, and motivated bands that ditch it.

I think you would need to draw up a 100 page charter for this to work. And most importantly, you would need a fearless leader to keep everyone in line. The shorter the person the better, or they have to have a really cool mustache. I.m short, that's how I keep our band in line. Onetime I grew a mustache and as a result we were able to record a CD. Perhaps wearing a sword would help.. hmmm.

So what's really important to me about this idea is that the collective would not be trying to make money in anyway. It's not a business. Bands would still keep all the money that they make, and there wouldn't be any bitterness if someone started making dough.

quote:

Another thing that I've seen happen is people who get so much into this collectivist mentality they start to hate any band that is actually capable of capitalizing on their music.

Capitalize away! My hope would be that we could help each other capitalize.
I mean, it's cool for each band to keep grinding it out on their own. There's just some stuff that one band is great at that another isn't. For instance, since I work in media, I'm pretty good at getting press writeups for my band. I would totally do that for free for another band, if they would help me do whatever their particular talent is.

The two things that are a real sticking point for Ya Ya Boom are: 1) touring van 2) printing discs. So I guess I was just thinking about how sweet it would be if a few bands could chip in on a van or get one working together and if the Collective owned a semi-proffesional disc printer people could use.

Further than that, I know some bands that kick ass at booking and setting up shows. Others that kill at the flier making. Others that have a member who's a kickass photographer.

What about video making? We could buy/borrow a digital camera and help each other make videos for the internets.

Anyway. It's a fantasy. And you guys are right in that it probably is easier to let this kind of thing grow organically out of bonds with bands you already have. Still, it would be cool if all the bands in Albuquerque could raise each other up using our collective talents.

Rock Outside the Box was really ambitious. As were the calendars. That kind of thing is great for us.

quote:

Originally posted by boomhead:
There are a million problems with this. Set aside your skepticism and just imagine with me:

A bunch of bands all working together on the band crap that isn't making music. What if the collective owned a van bands could borrow and tour in (with the band paying the gas and insurance that month or something)? What if the collective owned a CD duplicator anyone could check out and make discs on if they provided their own discs? What if some of us were good at booking tours? What if others were good at getting press writeups?

No goals of profit here. You just help out your fellow bands, and they help you out. Barter.

Now feel free to take your holepunch to my dreams.

isn't that all what a record label is supposed to do? I mean, isn't that what they do?

Not a bad idea, performing the function of a label, but run it as a CO-OP. Have a board of directors, sell some shares to determine voting rights. Set it up as a subsidiary, so every band will still have all control over their own creativity. Money is the major problem, but you can start with 2 bands and a van and go from there. Ideally you could offer a range of services in which members are charged a much lower price. Make the initial stock with some provision that gives initial founders more votes and keeps control away from money hungry bastards. A capitalist,hippie, music venture. I like it

quote:

Originally posted by jasonwolf:

quote:

Originally posted by boomhead:
Now feel free to take your holepunch to my dreams.

isn't that all what a record label is supposed to do? I mean, isn't that what they do?

Exactly.