A (Trini) Rock Show: broken down into individual components.

Now, it's obvious that not all shows are the same and are not brought about by the same methods. However, from what I've seen, many shows have quite a few things in common. There are also various points of view of the same show. The following is a relation of these different points of view, coming from the different groups involved in making a show come together. This is all based on personal experience, which is limited. As such some groups may be left out. I apologise, but maybe you should have been around me more.



THE PROMOTER: In my experience there've been different motives for having a rock show. Some of these will be covered.


The Novice/Naive Promoter "Man, I real wanna have a show dred. Long time I eh see some good bands play and no one doing anything so I might as well!" *proceeds to try to throw show, not realising the work it requires and maybe having an unsuccessful show because of lack of proper planning and promoting*

The Greedy Promoter "Eh, I seeing all these big rock shows makin a lil money off ppl head an thing. I wonder if I could jump in and make some money too" *proceeds to throw high priced show, with the bands the promoter thinks will pull a crowd. Doesn't pay bands as much as they should or tries to find a way around paying the bands a lot of money. May also advertise 'free drinks' or 'drink specials' only for patrons to show up and realise 'free drinks means free water and SOFT drinks'* (this also works for the promoter who owns their own sportsbar/club/etc)

The Popularity-Hound Promoter "Dred, throwing shows is so cool and kickass! I'm gonna throw one so people can know who I am and know I know bands" *in trying to organize the show this promoter tries hard to 'buddy-up' with bands,managers, other promoters and anyone else they view as 'INfluential'. Show may buss due to similar circumstances that the Novice faced*

The Supporter-Promoter Promoter "WE NEED TO PUSH LOCAL ROCK MAN!!! IT NEEDS TO GET OUT THERE!! THE PEOPLE NEEEEED TO HEAR IT!" *throws a show that could very well be successful but then quickly throws another show that flops. and another. and another. all the while sacrificing planning and proper, logical organization and promotion in order to 'get the bands out there'*

The Veteran Promoter "Time for another set of shows man. Scene getting dead, let's liven it up a bit" *plans out show, contacts the sponsors who are familiar with them, organizes the show and advertises. In the end, the show is under-attended. hey.. sometimes these things happen*




THE BANDS: There are many bands out there, each at different levels of popularity, skill, practice, tightness and maturity. Thus, there will be different reactions to the same show.

The new band on the block "SHOW! SHOW! dude, we HAVE to get a spot on this show! we'll be able to be heard! look at the other bands on the lineup! they'll pull people for sure! we'll definitely get heard!" *proceeds to try any way they can, even by badgering the promoter (who may be a soft-hearted person) to get on the lineup. Band is eventually put on the lineup as the first or last band and plays to a crowd of 5, 4 of which came with the band and the fifth thought the show was tomorrow and just came to drink in their favourite bar*

The getting somewhere band "Ey, check this show coming up, we should try to play for it. Maybe we could charge them less" *tries to get on the lineup and if they manage to do so might be placed right after or right before the new band on the block and will play to a crowd of 10 new listeners*

The Snobby Veteran band "ey, this man call me about this show he want to have. they real want us to play boy. We should buss some price in they ass, they must pay it." *band calls a large sum of money and if the promoter agrees, also demands they play at a certain spot or time. The band also acts like divas on and off stage. Their shit hasn't smelled in 12 years. Band may also put down the upandcomers because it's the 'cool, veteran' thing to do*

The 'Cool' Veteran Band "ey, this man call us to play this show dred. Well you know we doh play for any less than two grand, so they go have to pay. We have standards to uphold you know" *band charges high price and if the promoter agrees, they demand a certain spot or time to play. They mix and mingle with the new talent and give advice where they can*

The was-once-a-big-name-but-is-now-on-the-way-down band "another show! killer! let's try to get on the lineup! (if they aren't already on it). We can charge them less" *Band gets hired to play for the show, demands a spot but become extremely flexible when asked if they mind switching around or playing a later spot. Band also tries to get contacts from the current big-boys. Might even bitch when they aren't chosen for big shows*




THE BAR OWNERS:There are not many different varieties of this in Trinidad.

The Average Bar Owner "What?! Rock thing? in MY club?! how much the promoter paying? I doh want no satan music in my club eh!" *charges rent for the club or somehow finds a way to take the security deposit as their own and takes the bar sales, leaving the door to the promoter. Also complains after the show, even if the show was successful, that the music ran their customers and they didn't make any more than they would on a normal night anyway, if so much. They also don't want any more shows in their place unless it's acoustic or mellow music*


The Rock Enthusiast Bar Owner "A rock show? yea man!! which bands? anyone playing REAL metal or what?" *lets the promoter throw the show there. Takes the bar sales. Doesn't charge rent but constantly requests 80s metal from the Dj. Also might get drunk and do the 'old man headbang' by himself in the middle of an empty front-stage floor*

The Businessman Bar Owner "A rock show? how many people you bringing(to drink at my bar)?" *allows promoter to throw the show, may charge rent and definitely takes the bar. If the show is a success... sorry, I meant - if the bar sells a lot of drinks, more shows can be held there. If the bar doesn't make, then no more shows, unless a higher rent is paid*

The Fake Bar Owner "So you want to throw a show in the bar huh?" *Never actually says he is the owner but acts like it and talks like it enough to lead you to believe he is. Until you come one day, ask to speak to the owner and come face to face with someone you've never seen before who knows nothing about the show. Hopefully this new person is either a rock enthusiast or a businessman owner*




THE SOUND ENGINEER

The Soca Engineer "Yea! I mixed for shows already!" *he means soca parties/fetes and soca bands. Doesn't understand the importance of guitar volume and thinks the bass is the most important instrument ever. Snare and bass drum are especially loud and the crowd usually complains*

The Average/Bad Rock Engineer "Yea, I've mixed shows already!" *He means rock shows. thankfully. for some reason though, the bands' instruments are affecting the settings on the mixer and the band hasn't sorted out their tone properly so the engineer can't do anything about the feedback, the differing volume levls and that odd screech you hear ever so often. The crowd usually complains*

The Good Rock Engineer "COME TO SOUNDCHECK!" *Tries to ensure bands come to soundcheck. Works with the band to get the best sound possible. On the night the mix is pretty good and levels are fine. Yet the crowd usually complains*

The random engineer you've never worked with before "hi, can guitar1 play something please?" *this guy you may have seen around but never spoke to or knew about. He just shows up behind the mixing board some night and for some reason is able to mix the band better than the bad rock engineer and soca engineer combined, almost to the level of the good engineer. The crowd usually complains*




THE AUDIENCE: comedy waiting to be exposed.

The hardcore local supporter "SHOW! SHOW! I'm there!" *this person goes to every show, tries to attend anything to do with local rock. Knows some bands personally and is usually pretty cool*

The wannabe hardcore local supporter/popularity hound "SHOW! SHOW! I'm there! chance to look cool and be popular!" *goes to the big shows and acts like they know everyone who even looks like they're in a band. Tries to engage actual band members in conversations about whichever instruments they play and whichever bands they might listen to*

The Regulars "Cool, another show, we should check it out" *they all know each other if not personally at least by face. Every show is another lime*

The Newbies "A rock show? they have those things in Trinidad?" *comes to show dressed up like they're going to a party or fete. Maybe even wearing high heels and a GOOD dress.(for the women. Guys would usually just dress in jersey and jeans) Feels uneasy when they realise everyone else is dressed either like they liming on the corner or are about to conjure some demon from the 10th level of hell. Might like a couple bands but usually stays in the background, around the people they came with*

The Drunks (my personal favourite) "eyyshhh whhereshh youushh shellll handdpipes?" *either is so drunk they try to talk and you think they're choking on their tongue or they're not quite drunk but very tight and think you'd like to know everything about their taste in music or what they think about the show or the bands or your clothes or the night or the bar or the bartender or quantum physics... often can be found up front by the stage at the later hours of the night, dancing out of time to the music on stage (but in time to the music in their heads) and trying not to trip over their right foot with their right foot*

The Hardcore Rockers "DIMMU!" *always wearing a band t-shirt. black naturally. (the colour of the t-shirt, not the skin) a couple chains here and there, a few piercings all over, maybe a spike or two. Complain there are no real metal bands anymore except AB and C, one of which must be playing the show (otherwise they'd be home playing their dimmu borgir cds backwards to get life advice)*

The Emos "sigh" *their life is meaningless and depressing. Their parents didn't let them get that puppy they wanted and earlier in the day their mom told them to turn the volume on their super-expensive radio down just a notch or two so that their almost completely deaf grandmother can hear the Price is Right. Life for the day was thus a tragedy and they must show it by wearing their hair 'just so' in front and wearing small jerseys of either bands or sayings. arm bands are a must. they usually lime together because misery loves company*

The Oldies "I remember the bands back in my day" *usually stand in the back of the room and take in the music. Coincidence? - the back of the room is also where the bar is usually located. Hearing these new bands makes them remember their younger days of banging out to Hendrix and The Who. Some of these contain the potential to become one of The Drunks*


...and there you have it. Well most of it. I know I've left some out but due to length (it is rather long) and tiredness (it is rather late/early) I declined to include them. Again, this is all based on personal experience, so take that as you may.