After 3 years of broadcasting more than 600 concerts on the internet from his bedroom in Kolding (Denmark), Torben Asp is now ready for his debut in front of a real live audience at two concerts in Nashville, TN and Hamilton, OH.
Torben says:
“It all started quite innocently in January 2007 when I read an article in our newspaper about some French militants that had attacked the virtual headquarter of the French right extremist Jean-Marie Le Pen in the virtual world of Second Life. I had to check that out and have been there ever since.
After having figured out the different mechanisms which also included running a virtual music venue with many different musicians/performers I started wondering if my own music could do it in Second Life. In October, 2007 I had my very first performance and it turned out there was an interest for other performers than the troubadour with the guitar, the singer with backing tracks and the solo piano player. In my show they got a total experience with programmed synthesizers and rhythms a la Jean Michel Jarre and inspiration from all the electronic music I grew up with, but 100% original.
After some time I started looking for other electronic musicians in Second Life and I met Tony Gerber from Nashville, TN in the USA. Tony, besides being a soloist, plays with some fellow musicians in a band called Spacecraft and they have had their music featured in the motion picture “Vanilla Sky” starring Tom Cruise.
Tony and I did some collaborations in Second Life and I was also a guest on his radio show “When Worlds Collide” which presents musicians, artists and many other people that use their talents both in the virtual worlds and out in the real world.
When Tony heard I was going to the USA in December he asked if we should do something together down by him in Nashville and I said that if he could find a place that was willing to provide their stage for the project it would be great. The First Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashville was willing and suddenly my vacation became a lot more exciting.”
http://www.reverbnation.com/show/3328746
“Another one of my friends in Second Life heard about the concert in Nashville and it turned out that he was/is booking agent for The Music Cafe in The Fitton Art Center in Hamilton, OH, which is located only 30 min from where I will be staying. He asked if I felt like coming there to perform also and naturally my answer was yes.”
http://www.musiccafe.ws/index.html
“In that way my vacation will also become my debut on stage in the real world which I did not at all see coming when I booked the flight tickets in May 2010!”
The short version:
Dec. 12: Leave for the US from Copenhagen Airport to visit my friend in Cincinnati, OH.
Dec. 17: Having my debut on stage together with Tony Gerber at First Unitarian Universalist Church in Nashville, TN.
Dec. 24/25: Celebrating Christmas for the first time in another country. Very exciting in itself.
Dec 28: For the first time on stage solo at The Music Café in Fitton Art Center in Hamilton, OH.
Dec 31: Celebrating New Years eve on the other side of the big pond. Still exciting for me.
Jan 3: Landing at Copenhagen Airport.
More info:
Website: http://www.torbenasp.com/
(music, video and web shop)
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Torben-Asp/160332463990242?v=app_2405167945&ref=sgm
(Music, video and concert info)
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=torben+asp&aq=f
(videos and machinima also from Second Life)
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Get Real....Really!!
When reading blogs and listening to discussions between people that all love music, though some only love one kind of music, I often hear the expression "Real Live" or "Real Musician".
What is the purpose of using those terms other than putting yourself up on a piedestal, looking over the people and shout: "Behold!...I am doing a Real Live show because I am doing it like this"....or: "Therefore I am a Real Musician because I have read a book and studied"...or: "I am a Real Musician because I can go upthere and jam the blues anytime and you cannot!"
I bet you the guy in the stoneage that banged two stones together and felt he had something good going didnt think about getting to College/University and study what and why he was doing it....He just enjoyed the feeling and tried to project that feeling through the rythm of those two stones, period!
Music is a feeling...It is not a book about basics that you have read and it is not the guitar you have learned to master. It is not the music software that you can operate nor the piano that you can play....Music is a feeling.
A feeling that you wish to project to other people so they can experience your soul, your thoughts and be a part of what you have inside.
The book, the guitar, the software and the piano are just tools that you can use for that purpose just as the two stones were to our friend from before.
So there is not only one "real" way of presenting music and connect to other people through that. The people that make that statement are only showing the world how narrowminded personalities they really are. Yea, you can listen to their music but you really don't want to know them any closer because they only see things their way.
Open your mind - Feel the music around you!!
What is the purpose of using those terms other than putting yourself up on a piedestal, looking over the people and shout: "Behold!...I am doing a Real Live show because I am doing it like this"....or: "Therefore I am a Real Musician because I have read a book and studied"...or: "I am a Real Musician because I can go upthere and jam the blues anytime and you cannot!"
I bet you the guy in the stoneage that banged two stones together and felt he had something good going didnt think about getting to College/University and study what and why he was doing it....He just enjoyed the feeling and tried to project that feeling through the rythm of those two stones, period!
Music is a feeling...It is not a book about basics that you have read and it is not the guitar you have learned to master. It is not the music software that you can operate nor the piano that you can play....Music is a feeling.
A feeling that you wish to project to other people so they can experience your soul, your thoughts and be a part of what you have inside.
The book, the guitar, the software and the piano are just tools that you can use for that purpose just as the two stones were to our friend from before.
So there is not only one "real" way of presenting music and connect to other people through that. The people that make that statement are only showing the world how narrowminded personalities they really are. Yea, you can listen to their music but you really don't want to know them any closer because they only see things their way.
Open your mind - Feel the music around you!!
Monday, October 19, 2009
A friday at the SL Live Music Scene
This day I chose to go listen to 2 performers in Second Life: Tarragon Pelous at The Gershwin Room and Eponine Dench at Ka-Leo-Lani Beach Club..hehe...yes...it's real enough.
The Gershwin Room is a very nice standard venue that I would describe as cozy and with an intimate athmosphere over it. It has a bar in one end and the stage at the other....not too big..not too small...you would always know who threw that beer at you.On the walls they have posters hanging of all artists that have played there and they seem to be rather busy in SL.
Tarragon Pelous is an australian singer in SL that does mainly original stuff. He likes to write songs about political stuff...but hey....we also got a kind-of lovesong. On his repertoire is also songs very much inspired by everyday life...and I am not claiming that love...is not a part of that...Would get me mutilated if so.Tarragon announced in the beginning that he was kinda friday night intoxicated...maybe not the thing to start a show with...but....even though he was...he delivered a quite fascinating show with a mixture of the above mentioned subjects.
At some point while saying thank you for the tips he mentioned that he was saving up for a new harmonica..and you know what?.....I believe he will succeed..it was a real pleasure listening to Tarragon Pelous.
Next stop was Eponine Dench at Ka-Leo-Lani Beach Club.....I love that name!
Its a very nice open venue with a hawaiian look over it..palms...blue water and all.I arrived at the venue 8 mins before showstart.....and no one was there!...So Iwas thinking it would yet another miss of an Eponine concert as had already happened at Falling Waters this summer.
Fortunately everyone (Eponine, Staff and people) came in 2 mins before the event was set to start and it startet almost on time...But!...Personally I hate that...it's unprofessional and no one is that busy...in my opinion ofcourse. But then again...I am not part of the club...maybe they are used to that...but...what about new people...like me?
Eponine Dench is a lovely singer using backingtracks of the most popular songs in different genres over the years and she does them well......mostly.Maybe because of the rushed start the soundlevel on the backingtracks was too low or the voice a lot too high...you choose...but the balance was non-existing at this concert.
Eponine has a lovely voice and you can tell she likes to sing. The voice sounds the best in the middle levels because when it is stretched it loses power and we go a bit off on the note. As a sideremark I experienced the same at a following show later in the weekend.
I requested 2 of my favorite songs: Smooth Operator by Sade and Songbird by Eva Cassidy. She delivered both of them nicely..but Songbird came out the best.
The thing I loved was the contact with the audience...commenting on what was said...I like to do that myself...and it always helps to have many regulars in the audience...so you can throw something out...and get the ping-pong going.
That was all from me at this time...see you out there!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
About Cover Charges....People....and 2 Year Anniv.
Oh my has it really been that long?!
Well....to play the violins it has been something with selling the sim...finding another place...getting things built...again......RL work...(yup...that life!)....and so on and so on.
But today is the day I decided to sit down and talk a bit.
**********
Since my last post one of the biggest themes in SL live music has been...covercharges...or not!
My opinion is that I would never want to force people to pay for something they might not like and I most certainly would not force people to pay for music that the performer on stage doesnt even have any right to play in public.
I present my own stuff in SL so I have no problems with copyrights whatsoever....to me it's more the "maybe don't like" option....and then they can leave without having lost their lindens.
When I was a kid I learned that even though you do not get a present from the guests at your birthday it doesnt mean that they don't like you. The simple fact that they are there shows that they do care and want to share the day with you. Yes...it also means that they get a free meal..but...they chose to have it at my birthday.
As a liveperformer in SL I ofcourse love being tipped...but...even though you don't get a tip from people it doesn't mean that they don't like you. They are there because they wanted to experience your way of performing in SL and share the hour with you. Yes......it also means that they get a free show...but...they chose to get it at your concert.
God knows there are a lot of concerts in SL to choose from...so be proud of the people that chose your hour.....it being 5....or 45.
They may tip you 5 lindens...or 1000 lindens while they are there...doesnt matter.....with any amount...or just being there...they show their appreciation of what you are doing on stage.
Now they want to filter the people out by charging i. ex. 250 lindens at the door...ah well....I think they will get the same good experience at some other show...on their terms.
**********
It seems that the eventslistings in SL are never read nor understood by a certain percentage in the SL population.
If we set a eventstart at 1PM slt...then the show starts at 1PM slt....but we often experience people jumping in like 20 mins before that and ask why the show hasn't started yet...how clever is that?..then they tp out and do not return...thank you....wouldn't probably get the style of the show anyway.
Which leads me to "Instrumental Music"!!!....Does that include a singer?...no it does not!...So...if you attend a concert that clearly states in the listing being instrumental you do NOT claim loud in public: "I am turning up my hearingaid cause I can't hear the singer at all"....not wise.....this is instrumental...and you are just being...mental!
Read AND Understand the description of the event before you make a fool out of yourself...pretty please!!
**********
Saturday Oct. 17th I will celebrate my 2 year anniversary as a performer in SL and will be doing that by performing a 3 hour concert at Ethereal which is my own venue in SL. The concert will start at 12PM slt / 21.00 Eurotime and then we go on untill I have played all the tunes I have composed so approx. a 3 hour affair and you are all invited. If you are not in Second Life you can always grab the streamurl I use from my website: http://www.torbenasp.com/ on the "Next Show" tab and listen through winamp or another player. Actually you can do that with all my shows in SL. If I have the streamurl...it will be posted there.
**********
That's it for now...Hopefully I will soon get out and do some more reviews of concerts...untill then....be safe!
Well....to play the violins it has been something with selling the sim...finding another place...getting things built...again......RL work...(yup...that life!)....and so on and so on.
But today is the day I decided to sit down and talk a bit.
**********
Since my last post one of the biggest themes in SL live music has been...covercharges...or not!
My opinion is that I would never want to force people to pay for something they might not like and I most certainly would not force people to pay for music that the performer on stage doesnt even have any right to play in public.
I present my own stuff in SL so I have no problems with copyrights whatsoever....to me it's more the "maybe don't like" option....and then they can leave without having lost their lindens.
When I was a kid I learned that even though you do not get a present from the guests at your birthday it doesnt mean that they don't like you. The simple fact that they are there shows that they do care and want to share the day with you. Yes...it also means that they get a free meal..but...they chose to have it at my birthday.
As a liveperformer in SL I ofcourse love being tipped...but...even though you don't get a tip from people it doesn't mean that they don't like you. They are there because they wanted to experience your way of performing in SL and share the hour with you. Yes......it also means that they get a free show...but...they chose to get it at your concert.
God knows there are a lot of concerts in SL to choose from...so be proud of the people that chose your hour.....it being 5....or 45.
They may tip you 5 lindens...or 1000 lindens while they are there...doesnt matter.....with any amount...or just being there...they show their appreciation of what you are doing on stage.
Now they want to filter the people out by charging i. ex. 250 lindens at the door...ah well....I think they will get the same good experience at some other show...on their terms.
**********
It seems that the eventslistings in SL are never read nor understood by a certain percentage in the SL population.
If we set a eventstart at 1PM slt...then the show starts at 1PM slt....but we often experience people jumping in like 20 mins before that and ask why the show hasn't started yet...how clever is that?..then they tp out and do not return...thank you....wouldn't probably get the style of the show anyway.
Which leads me to "Instrumental Music"!!!....Does that include a singer?...no it does not!...So...if you attend a concert that clearly states in the listing being instrumental you do NOT claim loud in public: "I am turning up my hearingaid cause I can't hear the singer at all"....not wise.....this is instrumental...and you are just being...mental!
Read AND Understand the description of the event before you make a fool out of yourself...pretty please!!
**********
Saturday Oct. 17th I will celebrate my 2 year anniversary as a performer in SL and will be doing that by performing a 3 hour concert at Ethereal which is my own venue in SL. The concert will start at 12PM slt / 21.00 Eurotime and then we go on untill I have played all the tunes I have composed so approx. a 3 hour affair and you are all invited. If you are not in Second Life you can always grab the streamurl I use from my website: http://www.torbenasp.com/ on the "Next Show" tab and listen through winamp or another player. Actually you can do that with all my shows in SL. If I have the streamurl...it will be posted there.
**********
That's it for now...Hopefully I will soon get out and do some more reviews of concerts...untill then....be safe!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
A day at the races-Reviews-July 28th 09
My intention with these reviews is to give you a picture of the performer with a little background, the show itself and talk about the venue. I use the eventslist in SL to pick an act and then I just go there and experience while taking notes.
Eponine Dench at Falling Waters - 2PM slt
.jpg)
The first show of the day was a promising one judging from the eventslist and normally I would refer to the backgroundinfo from there but I cannot do that in this case because even though it was listed it simply didnt happen.
I don't know what led to this but at least they could have taken it out of the eventslisting so people wouldnt arrive in a big vacuum of wasted time.
I see it as a clear example of poor or no communication what so ever between staffmembers: Who does what?
Falling Waters is a big open spacethemed venue which gives you plenty of room to manouver. They even have a second floor for the crowded days but I doubt many people will notice it is there unless they are told so personally I would save the prims.
Stage is also in a good size as you probably can judge from the picture so there is enough space for the performer to put anything they would want on there.
Walking around the floor you do notice that the texturing is not what they thought about the most so that needs some adjusting.
The most positive thing was a fountain of notes far to the right of the stage which I found very neat and maybe..instead of hiding it back there I would use the size of the stage and put it in the middle behind the performer on stage...but that is only a second opinion.
You may wonder what falling waters has to do with a spacethemed venue but I did find a lovely picture behind the bar with some falling waters in the woods which made me think that the build of the venue may have been somewhat different in the past.
Maxx Sabretooth at Sunset Jazz Club - 3PM slt
Maxx is from Oklahoma and his performance includes genres like R&B, Blues, Jazz, Motown and a little Contemporary Country.
All in all he would be presenting some familiar songs in his own style using backingtracks. He should be a real crowdpleaser so off we went to experience that.
The show was set to start at 3PM slt but already 3 mins before that the stream was put in and revealed a very energetic guy all ready to perform and witn a voice to go with it.
My partner pointed that out very well later in the show when she said: "This is a countrysong....and he makes it sound good!"
Maxx did a good job in staying in touch with his audience with talking to us and a few times during his songs he moved out on the floor and danced with some of the ladies while singing. A nice touch and he did make it back to the stage before the song was over which was an accomplishment as we were approx 48 people at the spot.
Technical difficulties will without a doubt occur once in a while when you perform and in the middle of the show the player with the backingtrack wouldnt start. It lastet for a minute or so which is a very long time. Many would have panicked and feel embarrased but not Maxx. Instead he talked to the audience, telling stories while waiting for the bleeding thing to start because when it comes to the technology you cannot do much else but wait for it. If it won't start, it won't start. Simple as that.
All in all my partner and I was having a great time with Maxx Sabretooth and we wouldnt hesitate with spending another hour with him in the future.
Sunset Jazz Club
The Sunset Jazz Club has been in existence and hosting music in SL since 2004. The picture does not give the venue the credit it deserves because already when you enter you are amazed by the egyptian theme over the place and the use of some wonderful goldtextures makes this a very impressive venue.
In many venues you see the traditional "stage-in-the-middle" build but this stage is placed in the corner. It is not big but big enough and adds to the open feel of the dancefloor so even though we were many people there it did not feel overcrowded at all.
Again this is a venue with a second floor and except from adding to the looks I don't think it is very usefull afterall. No one would notice it unless they already knew it was there.
The venue is run by Circe who has been supporting and helping performers in SL a lot during the years. When you look at the walls you can see posters with a lot of names showing their appreciation to what she did for them and the music scene in SL.
As mentioned above the show began 3 mins early and when we landed there was some discussion about what stream to use between Maxx's people and Circe. Maxx's stream was thrown on the land and off we went.
I don't understand why the discussion had to take place in public chat but I guess it was all about marking off your territory. I didnt need to know about it so to me it was unnescessary and bad judgement from whomever started it.
Haruno Watanabe at Australian Musical Dreaming - 4PM slt
Haruno is of Japanese origin but living in United States and has been classically trained since childhood. She was a member of Tanglewood Festival Chorus, Chorus Group for Boston Symphony and Boston Pops for more than 7 years.
With that introduction I went off to the venue with some high expectations and I was not disappointed...for the most part.
Haruno starts with telling us that she is not feeling well today but she has never cancelled a show and will go on as long as her voice permits it. The talk was very low in the beginning but with the always helpful audience that was fixed. She also told us that she was going to use backingtracks even though some person had tried to tell her that it was a bad thing to do...well, too much info...now get on with it, please.
She started out with "Fields of Goal".....and forgot to plug the backingtrack in....bummer!...but the 20 secs showed us that here we were listening to a wonderful and powerful voice. If she had decided to continue singing "Fields of Goal" accapella I would have been with her all the way! It was amazing. After that she could do anything and I would just smile and applaud like crazy.
"Ave Maria" was served in a very lovely way and if this is how she sounds when she is not well I am certain she would blow me away when she is at full power.
Halfway through the show Haruno wanted to introduce her new piano to us and played 2 pieces on it which showed some skills but if the piano is supposed to be used at a performance it should be much closer to the mic. Furthermore she tried to do "Edelweis" with both piano and song...she lost and had to stop after 30 secs of it...more practice needed.
Back to what she did best...the singing...and the last 20 mins of the show was just as enjoyable as the first 30 mins.
All in all a fine performance except for the little offtrack on the piano and I would love to listen to her when she is all well again.
Australian Musical Dreaming
This venue is beautifully placed in a mountainious area which adds to the dreamy athmosphere that they want to have there.
Looking at the picture you may think that it is a basic venue and you are quite right but please go there and look at the colorchanges of the backdrops on the stage and you will experience a little bit of magic. Works best with midnight setting though.
Dancefloor is a bit dominating almost like a club floor but I guess it's supposed to add to the magic feel again of the place.
The show was run smoothly and some gadget was greeting the new visitors when they arrived and you even got a shoutout when somebody left...hehe...why is that important to know?
It's the same when someone has been standing in a corner all day and has to proclaim to the whole area that now rl is calling and they have to leave.....don't know about you but I really don't care why they leave...just...leave.;o)
Anyway, it is a nice venue to visit and perform at so I would recommend to try get a gig on their stage.;o)
Eponine Dench at Falling Waters - 2PM slt
.jpg)
The first show of the day was a promising one judging from the eventslist and normally I would refer to the backgroundinfo from there but I cannot do that in this case because even though it was listed it simply didnt happen.I don't know what led to this but at least they could have taken it out of the eventslisting so people wouldnt arrive in a big vacuum of wasted time.
I see it as a clear example of poor or no communication what so ever between staffmembers: Who does what?
Falling Waters is a big open spacethemed venue which gives you plenty of room to manouver. They even have a second floor for the crowded days but I doubt many people will notice it is there unless they are told so personally I would save the prims.
Stage is also in a good size as you probably can judge from the picture so there is enough space for the performer to put anything they would want on there.
Walking around the floor you do notice that the texturing is not what they thought about the most so that needs some adjusting.
The most positive thing was a fountain of notes far to the right of the stage which I found very neat and maybe..instead of hiding it back there I would use the size of the stage and put it in the middle behind the performer on stage...but that is only a second opinion.
You may wonder what falling waters has to do with a spacethemed venue but I did find a lovely picture behind the bar with some falling waters in the woods which made me think that the build of the venue may have been somewhat different in the past.
Maxx Sabretooth at Sunset Jazz Club - 3PM slt
Maxx is from Oklahoma and his performance includes genres like R&B, Blues, Jazz, Motown and a little Contemporary Country.All in all he would be presenting some familiar songs in his own style using backingtracks. He should be a real crowdpleaser so off we went to experience that.
The show was set to start at 3PM slt but already 3 mins before that the stream was put in and revealed a very energetic guy all ready to perform and witn a voice to go with it.
My partner pointed that out very well later in the show when she said: "This is a countrysong....and he makes it sound good!"
Maxx did a good job in staying in touch with his audience with talking to us and a few times during his songs he moved out on the floor and danced with some of the ladies while singing. A nice touch and he did make it back to the stage before the song was over which was an accomplishment as we were approx 48 people at the spot.
Technical difficulties will without a doubt occur once in a while when you perform and in the middle of the show the player with the backingtrack wouldnt start. It lastet for a minute or so which is a very long time. Many would have panicked and feel embarrased but not Maxx. Instead he talked to the audience, telling stories while waiting for the bleeding thing to start because when it comes to the technology you cannot do much else but wait for it. If it won't start, it won't start. Simple as that.
All in all my partner and I was having a great time with Maxx Sabretooth and we wouldnt hesitate with spending another hour with him in the future.
Sunset Jazz Club
The Sunset Jazz Club has been in existence and hosting music in SL since 2004. The picture does not give the venue the credit it deserves because already when you enter you are amazed by the egyptian theme over the place and the use of some wonderful goldtextures makes this a very impressive venue.In many venues you see the traditional "stage-in-the-middle" build but this stage is placed in the corner. It is not big but big enough and adds to the open feel of the dancefloor so even though we were many people there it did not feel overcrowded at all.
Again this is a venue with a second floor and except from adding to the looks I don't think it is very usefull afterall. No one would notice it unless they already knew it was there.
The venue is run by Circe who has been supporting and helping performers in SL a lot during the years. When you look at the walls you can see posters with a lot of names showing their appreciation to what she did for them and the music scene in SL.
As mentioned above the show began 3 mins early and when we landed there was some discussion about what stream to use between Maxx's people and Circe. Maxx's stream was thrown on the land and off we went.
I don't understand why the discussion had to take place in public chat but I guess it was all about marking off your territory. I didnt need to know about it so to me it was unnescessary and bad judgement from whomever started it.
Haruno Watanabe at Australian Musical Dreaming - 4PM slt
Haruno is of Japanese origin but living in United States and has been classically trained since childhood. She was a member of Tanglewood Festival Chorus, Chorus Group for Boston Symphony and Boston Pops for more than 7 years.With that introduction I went off to the venue with some high expectations and I was not disappointed...for the most part.
Haruno starts with telling us that she is not feeling well today but she has never cancelled a show and will go on as long as her voice permits it. The talk was very low in the beginning but with the always helpful audience that was fixed. She also told us that she was going to use backingtracks even though some person had tried to tell her that it was a bad thing to do...well, too much info...now get on with it, please.
She started out with "Fields of Goal".....and forgot to plug the backingtrack in....bummer!...but the 20 secs showed us that here we were listening to a wonderful and powerful voice. If she had decided to continue singing "Fields of Goal" accapella I would have been with her all the way! It was amazing. After that she could do anything and I would just smile and applaud like crazy.
"Ave Maria" was served in a very lovely way and if this is how she sounds when she is not well I am certain she would blow me away when she is at full power.
Halfway through the show Haruno wanted to introduce her new piano to us and played 2 pieces on it which showed some skills but if the piano is supposed to be used at a performance it should be much closer to the mic. Furthermore she tried to do "Edelweis" with both piano and song...she lost and had to stop after 30 secs of it...more practice needed.
Back to what she did best...the singing...and the last 20 mins of the show was just as enjoyable as the first 30 mins.
All in all a fine performance except for the little offtrack on the piano and I would love to listen to her when she is all well again.
Australian Musical Dreaming
This venue is beautifully placed in a mountainious area which adds to the dreamy athmosphere that they want to have there.Looking at the picture you may think that it is a basic venue and you are quite right but please go there and look at the colorchanges of the backdrops on the stage and you will experience a little bit of magic. Works best with midnight setting though.
Dancefloor is a bit dominating almost like a club floor but I guess it's supposed to add to the magic feel again of the place.
The show was run smoothly and some gadget was greeting the new visitors when they arrived and you even got a shoutout when somebody left...hehe...why is that important to know?
It's the same when someone has been standing in a corner all day and has to proclaim to the whole area that now rl is calling and they have to leave.....don't know about you but I really don't care why they leave...just...leave.;o)
Anyway, it is a nice venue to visit and perform at so I would recommend to try get a gig on their stage.;o)
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
What are they thinking - the people?!
Don't worry!;o)
This is not going to be a 3 hour long lecture about how a thought is created as a neural sparkle somewhere in the left or right half of our brain even though it is a very fascinating subject to cover.
"I think......therefore I am."
Now if that means that you are non-existing in this world if you don't think then I can only come up with yet another quote: "I see dead people!".
Preparation
In SL there is always an Open Mic going on somewhere which is originally designet for new musicians to try out performing in SL but also for experienced musicians to test new stuff and ideas. Mainly it is about presenting yourself to the world and show what you can do.
Open Mics consists of 20-30 mins slots which allows more artists to get on stage and the audience can more easily survive if one of the artists is having a bad day because they know it will only be 30 mins of suffering.
I know that some venues want you to play for an hour at their kind of open mic but they are only out to get a free concert from you and they hardly tip more than 200L$ during the hour so be aware of that. If you really want to play at the venue then just go ahead but don't expect to get more than experience from it and you won't be disappointed.
What I do want you to do is that when you arrive at the venue you are PREPARED!
You have a songlist made for the 30 mins/60mins or at least you have an idea of what you wanna present to people.
When I do a 30 mins set I can fit in 4 or maybe 5 tunes with a little introduction to each and a 60 mins set consists of 8-10 tunes depending on the length of the ones I have decided to play.
It seems to me that many other artists can present 5-6 tunes in a 30 mins set and ofcourse close to double of that in a full hour show.
It is not that I have long speeches between the tunes myself....the tunes are just a bit longer than others....even though some people might say that I do talk too much.......it's not true....between you and me....its not! ;o)
What I hate the most is to come listen to an artist....and we are also talking about "experienced" ones.....and then they spend 20% of a 30 mins set saying: "The hardest part is to choose what to play".
Get out of here! That's rediculous!
Ah ok, maybe that was a bit harsh. Maybe they just woke up on the stage and found out they actually were supposed to play....something.
I don't know... but I want to hear....something.
Don't waste peoples time with fiddeling up and down your guitar and make strange sounds with your mouth...come prepared!!
During a 60 mins show the same rules apply...you come with a bag full of songs/tunes that can fill out the show. Sometimes you may be in doubt but don't let the audience know...just choose the next song and get on with it as if it's the most natural thing right now.
Some artists may be thinking too much about what people would like to hear and maybe that's why many cover-artists with a 100+ songlist end up with singing the same 12 songs every time.
I tend to do the same sometimes because even though I have only performed my own original compositions I have experienced that the lovely people in my fanbase have chosen their own favorites during the more than 1½ year I have been performing in SL...for which I am very honoured and proud of by the way!;o)
I try to change it and one of the things I did was having differently themed concerts like the church-concerts I do with my more quiet compositions.
Ofcourse you can take in requests but when you run out of those...back to your initial plan because you did remember to make one...right?;o)
Don't act like a moron on stage saying: "Hmmm...what to do...what to do...??"
Come prepared!!
Want to get paid or not?
I run a venue in SL called The Yard Club and 2 months ago I sent out a notice in all the major groups telling that I pay all performers at my venue. I have a feecap at 4000L$ for an hour but they will get paid and they can put out their tipjar as well.
In my opinion a cool deal compared to the more and more venues offering tips only.
Well, some venues will lie to you and say they are a tips only venue when they infact do pay some of their performers..heh.
Anyway, I sat down and was expecting a little storm on my venue now that it was all out in the public that here was a venue that actually paid performers to be there.
Hmm, nothing happened.
I did get 2 responses but far from expected.....strange.
A month later I sent it all out again in the groups, made an ad in classifieds and even posted it in the SLMC Forum because maybe that would bring it to the attention of someone.
5 responses!
Okay.....so 7 artists in SL want to get paid for their performances and the rest prefers being tipped only...even when they actually get money thrown at them??
What kind of thinking is that?
A few possible reasons for this comes to mind:
1) "The bombardement of notices in SL is so heavy that they automatically close every single one that does not have their name on it if they get them at all."
-Are the groups usefull at all?
2) "The people that they hired to keep an eye out for paying venues are not doing their job."
-Hire new ones....unless you are partnered with them...then just keep running in circles.
3) "They have friends....those friends have tip only-venues......if they get paid at other venues then they might lose the friends."
-And?....What do YOU want?
4) "The Yard Club doesn't bring any new people because it is no following."
-Only a few, but we don't have any shops or the like. We just provide a lovely stage for you to perform on.
I bet there could be other reasons as well but I only wanted to point at a few possible ones.
Personally I would much rather close The Yard Club than ask artists to perform for free. Would be like asking other people to pay your tier for the land.
This also made me wonder why I actually run a venue.
Is it just because it has been a part of me almost from the beginning of my second life?
Maybe it is time to turn the key for good because with this little interest in getting a paid gig there surely is something rotten in the musicbiz of SL.
Like if there were no biz at all in this world.
"I see dead people!"
-TA-
This is not going to be a 3 hour long lecture about how a thought is created as a neural sparkle somewhere in the left or right half of our brain even though it is a very fascinating subject to cover.
"I think......therefore I am."
Now if that means that you are non-existing in this world if you don't think then I can only come up with yet another quote: "I see dead people!".
Preparation
In SL there is always an Open Mic going on somewhere which is originally designet for new musicians to try out performing in SL but also for experienced musicians to test new stuff and ideas. Mainly it is about presenting yourself to the world and show what you can do.
Open Mics consists of 20-30 mins slots which allows more artists to get on stage and the audience can more easily survive if one of the artists is having a bad day because they know it will only be 30 mins of suffering.
I know that some venues want you to play for an hour at their kind of open mic but they are only out to get a free concert from you and they hardly tip more than 200L$ during the hour so be aware of that. If you really want to play at the venue then just go ahead but don't expect to get more than experience from it and you won't be disappointed.
What I do want you to do is that when you arrive at the venue you are PREPARED!
You have a songlist made for the 30 mins/60mins or at least you have an idea of what you wanna present to people.
When I do a 30 mins set I can fit in 4 or maybe 5 tunes with a little introduction to each and a 60 mins set consists of 8-10 tunes depending on the length of the ones I have decided to play.
It seems to me that many other artists can present 5-6 tunes in a 30 mins set and ofcourse close to double of that in a full hour show.
It is not that I have long speeches between the tunes myself....the tunes are just a bit longer than others....even though some people might say that I do talk too much.......it's not true....between you and me....its not! ;o)
What I hate the most is to come listen to an artist....and we are also talking about "experienced" ones.....and then they spend 20% of a 30 mins set saying: "The hardest part is to choose what to play".
Get out of here! That's rediculous!
Ah ok, maybe that was a bit harsh. Maybe they just woke up on the stage and found out they actually were supposed to play....something.
I don't know... but I want to hear....something.
Don't waste peoples time with fiddeling up and down your guitar and make strange sounds with your mouth...come prepared!!
During a 60 mins show the same rules apply...you come with a bag full of songs/tunes that can fill out the show. Sometimes you may be in doubt but don't let the audience know...just choose the next song and get on with it as if it's the most natural thing right now.
Some artists may be thinking too much about what people would like to hear and maybe that's why many cover-artists with a 100+ songlist end up with singing the same 12 songs every time.
I tend to do the same sometimes because even though I have only performed my own original compositions I have experienced that the lovely people in my fanbase have chosen their own favorites during the more than 1½ year I have been performing in SL...for which I am very honoured and proud of by the way!;o)
I try to change it and one of the things I did was having differently themed concerts like the church-concerts I do with my more quiet compositions.
Ofcourse you can take in requests but when you run out of those...back to your initial plan because you did remember to make one...right?;o)
Don't act like a moron on stage saying: "Hmmm...what to do...what to do...??"
Come prepared!!
Want to get paid or not?
I run a venue in SL called The Yard Club and 2 months ago I sent out a notice in all the major groups telling that I pay all performers at my venue. I have a feecap at 4000L$ for an hour but they will get paid and they can put out their tipjar as well.
In my opinion a cool deal compared to the more and more venues offering tips only.
Well, some venues will lie to you and say they are a tips only venue when they infact do pay some of their performers..heh.
Anyway, I sat down and was expecting a little storm on my venue now that it was all out in the public that here was a venue that actually paid performers to be there.
Hmm, nothing happened.
I did get 2 responses but far from expected.....strange.
A month later I sent it all out again in the groups, made an ad in classifieds and even posted it in the SLMC Forum because maybe that would bring it to the attention of someone.
5 responses!
Okay.....so 7 artists in SL want to get paid for their performances and the rest prefers being tipped only...even when they actually get money thrown at them??
What kind of thinking is that?
A few possible reasons for this comes to mind:
1) "The bombardement of notices in SL is so heavy that they automatically close every single one that does not have their name on it if they get them at all."
-Are the groups usefull at all?
2) "The people that they hired to keep an eye out for paying venues are not doing their job."
-Hire new ones....unless you are partnered with them...then just keep running in circles.
3) "They have friends....those friends have tip only-venues......if they get paid at other venues then they might lose the friends."
-And?....What do YOU want?
4) "The Yard Club doesn't bring any new people because it is no following."
-Only a few, but we don't have any shops or the like. We just provide a lovely stage for you to perform on.
I bet there could be other reasons as well but I only wanted to point at a few possible ones.
Personally I would much rather close The Yard Club than ask artists to perform for free. Would be like asking other people to pay your tier for the land.
This also made me wonder why I actually run a venue.
Is it just because it has been a part of me almost from the beginning of my second life?
Maybe it is time to turn the key for good because with this little interest in getting a paid gig there surely is something rotten in the musicbiz of SL.
Like if there were no biz at all in this world.
"I see dead people!"
-TA-
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Venues in Black and White
Many venues pop up in SL and just as many pop out shortly after. Not nescessarily the same ones and some for different reasons though many of them vanish from the grid because of poor management and no economic understanding at all. Maybe the title should have been "Venues in Red and White" instead but me being from Denmark that would have been more like a national anthem.
"I wanna have a live music venue!"
Sure you do and I think you should just go ahead but there are a few things you do need to think about before starting.
Size and type of venue
Land tier
Artist fee
Stream fee
Employee fee
Size/Tier
Size and tier often go hand in hand because the bigger venue you want with all the amazing surroundings you can think of, the bigger land you need to fullfill your dream and we all know Linden Labs policy on that one: "You pay!". That is the first expense you can always count on will be there every month.
I have seen venues build on a 512 sqm parcel which is free from tier every month and it can work for some because basically all you need is a stage, maybe a floor to dance on, a danceball and maybe a few lights here and there.
Yup, that is all!
Now just make a group for the venue with a fitting title for yourself and you can call yourself a venueowner.
Dreams tend to evolve though, I know that from my own experience, so if you are thinking a big venue with hanging gardens or a major festival venue.....Then eventually you will have to pay tier.
Type
When it comes to type of venue we are all different and mostly it is based on the type of music we prefer if any. (openminded...right?). Some venues are created to reflect a certain period in time i.e 1940's type venues, gangster type venues or sci-fi type of venues just to name a few but you get the picture. It is all up to you and frankly....most artists that you get on your stage don't care where they play...as long as they get paid. Sure you will meet artists that check out the place to select dress or outfit and to see where you build the stage but often they arrive 5 mins before showtime and says: "Hey Bro, Good to see you, where's the stage?"
Heh, so much for the hanging gardens or the hell-themed venue with flames jumping out from every corner;o).
Artist fee
All people like to get paid for their efforts and artists are no exception so when you plan to book an artist you also need to plan on paying a fee for his or hers time on your stage. Sometimes you can be lucky and have an artist playing for tips only but that is not the normal thing and because they offer it one time doesn't mean they are willing to do it everytime.
Tips only events are mostly Open Mics with 30/60 mins slots or benefits/charities that collects money for a good cause and you can gather many different artists on that account.
Let me say this though: A friend having all christmas-presents stolen from the car while it was parked outside a mall and you wanna ensure they have a merry christmas is only a good cause for you and your friend so YOU pay to help your friend. Don't ask everybody else to!
Fees may vary a lot from artist to artist and some artists claim a fee because they heard that was the amount other artists claimed. I have seen as low as 1500 L$ for an hour and as high as 15000 L$ for an hour. Generally the amount pr hour is centered around 4000/5000 L$ and you can find really good entertainment for that and the opposite ofcourse but then let's hope you don't book those, right?
To avoid getting artists on stage that you really think suck or they claim a price because they heard it was the normal amount I only have one advice:
Check them out!
Go to their shows around the grid and maybe even more than once so you get the full picture of their performance. That is a good thing to do because the first time you were there might have been a bad sl-day with connection or stream. Maybe something else happened in RL that affected the performance it's difficult to know. After the second listen you can better decide if that is the artist you want to spend your lindens on.
Already at this point you should have decided how much money you want to spend on artists every month because together with land tier and stream rental it could quickly get really expensive running your venue. If you did make a budget make sure you stick to it and don't let any kick-ass artist roll you over because they are this and that good.
Many artists swarm the grid for venues that are willing to pay and if they can force a fee out of you...they will. The loser is you! They don't care. They just fly off to find another venue and so on.
In time you will learn what people most often try to force something on you and you have to be able to say: "Well, I guess he/she is not going to play at my venue then."
Stream fee
Just a short notice about stream rentals because they vary a lot and the cheaper ones can be just as good as the more expensive. Check out the market and talk to artists/venueowners and then make your own decision.
The good things with having a stream yourself is that artists at open mics often do not have their own and if the stream from the paid artist fails...you have a back-up ready.
Oh, if you have a paid artist coming to your venue you should point out to them that you expect them to bring their own stream. With the fee you pay them and whatever they get elsewhere, they can afford it. Otherwise make them reduce their price if not already or do not book them.
Employee fee
Do you want to run the whole thing yourself or do you want to get a manager and/or a host to help you out.?
They need to be paid too and come in different packages. Some will work for tips only. Some will want to get paid pr hour/week/month and again it's just to find one that suits your budget.
The advantages of having someone to help you is that you can be more people helping each other cheking out artists before booking them and during the event at your venue you can help each other with greeting the guests and keep an eye out for griefers that could ruin the experience for everyone.
Now if you do decide to hire people then please be cautious about what people you assign to what roles and to illustrate that I have a funny but true story from sl:
I was performing at a venue on a late saturday and we had arranged with some people from another venue to come listen to me so they knew what they were getting for their lindens. As I was performing on stage it was Jess that had the contact with the people and at some point during the concert she received an IM from the Owner of the venue that was listening in saying that his Entertainment Manager had left the concert because she couldn't hear and hardly understand what was going on onstage so they had decided that they did not want to hire me. Jess was surprised because everyone else enjoyed the show and had the sound coming out just fine so naturally she had to disagree with that statement from the Entertainment Manager. The Owner had only one comment to that: "That may be but she is my Entertainment Manager and I trust her judgement. SHE DOES HAVE A HEARING PROBLEM THOUGH".
???
Well, no wonder she couldn't hear anything, Professor!!
No one in their right state of mind would hire a person with a hearing problem to go out and listen to potential artists for their stage and then believe that they would be able to judge the quality of the performer. That only happens in comedies, I thought!
Now I know you would never do that so just see to that you get the right people on the right posts at your venue and you will do fine.
Bottom line
When you get to the end of the month you will look at your numbers and you will realize a few things:
1) Your expenses will always be way over your income and if you should happen to break even it's most likely because you were on vacation for 2 weeks and didnt plan events for that month.
2) Tips from the guests does not make you rich at all. Sure some artist at a 4k fee will bring in 54 guests but only a small percentage of them care to tip the venue and you will be lucky if tips gets close to 1k on a good day. Many events will have the following approx. outcome:
Artist: 4000 + 2500 in tips
Venue: 800 in tips
3)...Still in chock after the above..
4) Question yourself: "Do I want to have a venue at all?"
If you after reading all of the above still want to run a venue because you love live music like the rest of us I can only say: "Go for it!.....and watch the expenses!".
As a final remark I can tell you that at our own venue, The Yard Club, we want to pay all performers a fee and to keep the budget. To accomplish that we lowered the number of artists that we feature on our stage and set a feecap that we won't go over.
So far we have met a lot of understanding and support from the artists performing at our venue because they also can see that it's better to accept a basic amount plus tips compared to ending up with all venues paying tips only.
I don't say it's the only way but that is the way we do it at The Yard Club.
I hereby declare the bazar open! ;o)
-TA-
"I wanna have a live music venue!"
Sure you do and I think you should just go ahead but there are a few things you do need to think about before starting.
Size and type of venue
Land tier
Artist fee
Stream fee
Employee fee
Size/Tier
Size and tier often go hand in hand because the bigger venue you want with all the amazing surroundings you can think of, the bigger land you need to fullfill your dream and we all know Linden Labs policy on that one: "You pay!". That is the first expense you can always count on will be there every month.
I have seen venues build on a 512 sqm parcel which is free from tier every month and it can work for some because basically all you need is a stage, maybe a floor to dance on, a danceball and maybe a few lights here and there.
Yup, that is all!
Now just make a group for the venue with a fitting title for yourself and you can call yourself a venueowner.
Dreams tend to evolve though, I know that from my own experience, so if you are thinking a big venue with hanging gardens or a major festival venue.....Then eventually you will have to pay tier.
Type
When it comes to type of venue we are all different and mostly it is based on the type of music we prefer if any. (openminded...right?). Some venues are created to reflect a certain period in time i.e 1940's type venues, gangster type venues or sci-fi type of venues just to name a few but you get the picture. It is all up to you and frankly....most artists that you get on your stage don't care where they play...as long as they get paid. Sure you will meet artists that check out the place to select dress or outfit and to see where you build the stage but often they arrive 5 mins before showtime and says: "Hey Bro, Good to see you, where's the stage?"
Heh, so much for the hanging gardens or the hell-themed venue with flames jumping out from every corner;o).
Artist fee
All people like to get paid for their efforts and artists are no exception so when you plan to book an artist you also need to plan on paying a fee for his or hers time on your stage. Sometimes you can be lucky and have an artist playing for tips only but that is not the normal thing and because they offer it one time doesn't mean they are willing to do it everytime.
Tips only events are mostly Open Mics with 30/60 mins slots or benefits/charities that collects money for a good cause and you can gather many different artists on that account.
Let me say this though: A friend having all christmas-presents stolen from the car while it was parked outside a mall and you wanna ensure they have a merry christmas is only a good cause for you and your friend so YOU pay to help your friend. Don't ask everybody else to!
Fees may vary a lot from artist to artist and some artists claim a fee because they heard that was the amount other artists claimed. I have seen as low as 1500 L$ for an hour and as high as 15000 L$ for an hour. Generally the amount pr hour is centered around 4000/5000 L$ and you can find really good entertainment for that and the opposite ofcourse but then let's hope you don't book those, right?
To avoid getting artists on stage that you really think suck or they claim a price because they heard it was the normal amount I only have one advice:
Check them out!
Go to their shows around the grid and maybe even more than once so you get the full picture of their performance. That is a good thing to do because the first time you were there might have been a bad sl-day with connection or stream. Maybe something else happened in RL that affected the performance it's difficult to know. After the second listen you can better decide if that is the artist you want to spend your lindens on.
Already at this point you should have decided how much money you want to spend on artists every month because together with land tier and stream rental it could quickly get really expensive running your venue. If you did make a budget make sure you stick to it and don't let any kick-ass artist roll you over because they are this and that good.
Many artists swarm the grid for venues that are willing to pay and if they can force a fee out of you...they will. The loser is you! They don't care. They just fly off to find another venue and so on.
In time you will learn what people most often try to force something on you and you have to be able to say: "Well, I guess he/she is not going to play at my venue then."
Stream fee
Just a short notice about stream rentals because they vary a lot and the cheaper ones can be just as good as the more expensive. Check out the market and talk to artists/venueowners and then make your own decision.
The good things with having a stream yourself is that artists at open mics often do not have their own and if the stream from the paid artist fails...you have a back-up ready.
Oh, if you have a paid artist coming to your venue you should point out to them that you expect them to bring their own stream. With the fee you pay them and whatever they get elsewhere, they can afford it. Otherwise make them reduce their price if not already or do not book them.
Employee fee
Do you want to run the whole thing yourself or do you want to get a manager and/or a host to help you out.?
They need to be paid too and come in different packages. Some will work for tips only. Some will want to get paid pr hour/week/month and again it's just to find one that suits your budget.
The advantages of having someone to help you is that you can be more people helping each other cheking out artists before booking them and during the event at your venue you can help each other with greeting the guests and keep an eye out for griefers that could ruin the experience for everyone.
Now if you do decide to hire people then please be cautious about what people you assign to what roles and to illustrate that I have a funny but true story from sl:
I was performing at a venue on a late saturday and we had arranged with some people from another venue to come listen to me so they knew what they were getting for their lindens. As I was performing on stage it was Jess that had the contact with the people and at some point during the concert she received an IM from the Owner of the venue that was listening in saying that his Entertainment Manager had left the concert because she couldn't hear and hardly understand what was going on onstage so they had decided that they did not want to hire me. Jess was surprised because everyone else enjoyed the show and had the sound coming out just fine so naturally she had to disagree with that statement from the Entertainment Manager. The Owner had only one comment to that: "That may be but she is my Entertainment Manager and I trust her judgement. SHE DOES HAVE A HEARING PROBLEM THOUGH".
???
Well, no wonder she couldn't hear anything, Professor!!
No one in their right state of mind would hire a person with a hearing problem to go out and listen to potential artists for their stage and then believe that they would be able to judge the quality of the performer. That only happens in comedies, I thought!
Now I know you would never do that so just see to that you get the right people on the right posts at your venue and you will do fine.
Bottom line
When you get to the end of the month you will look at your numbers and you will realize a few things:
1) Your expenses will always be way over your income and if you should happen to break even it's most likely because you were on vacation for 2 weeks and didnt plan events for that month.
2) Tips from the guests does not make you rich at all. Sure some artist at a 4k fee will bring in 54 guests but only a small percentage of them care to tip the venue and you will be lucky if tips gets close to 1k on a good day. Many events will have the following approx. outcome:
Artist: 4000 + 2500 in tips
Venue: 800 in tips
3)...Still in chock after the above..
4) Question yourself: "Do I want to have a venue at all?"
If you after reading all of the above still want to run a venue because you love live music like the rest of us I can only say: "Go for it!.....and watch the expenses!".
As a final remark I can tell you that at our own venue, The Yard Club, we want to pay all performers a fee and to keep the budget. To accomplish that we lowered the number of artists that we feature on our stage and set a feecap that we won't go over.
So far we have met a lot of understanding and support from the artists performing at our venue because they also can see that it's better to accept a basic amount plus tips compared to ending up with all venues paying tips only.
I don't say it's the only way but that is the way we do it at The Yard Club.
I hereby declare the bazar open! ;o)
-TA-
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