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Post by Johnny 5 on Aug 14, 2007 15:12:40 GMT -5
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Post by strider on Aug 14, 2007 22:15:44 GMT -5
The comments are extremely pointed and accurate. The Hartford Advocate has ceased to be about local music and has tried to take a regional stance. Central Connecticut has many excellent bands that deserve recognition but will never get it from the Advocate. Too bad, local music takes another slap in the face.
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Post by fcmonk on Aug 15, 2007 7:44:22 GMT -5
I'm pretty much first in line to hack at the Advocate and their lack of support for local music, but the practice of ballot box stuffing to win the GBS isn't exactly a new idea. It's been happening forever, not just in this contest but any contest dependent on a popular vote. This administration of the Advocate just didn't have the sense to recognize when it was happening this time around.
Really, the best way to do these things is to have a panel of local music experts and people who cover the scene nominate and pick the bands independently to make it less of a popularity contest and more of a recognition of quality. But, alas, there are too few out there who cover the scene to make this feasable.
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Post by Johnny 5 on Aug 15, 2007 14:52:30 GMT -5
True, I'd like to see them revamp it for next year and have actual judges that go out and see a few shows (not just one) from each of the nominated bands and decide who's best. I think with a dedicated enough panel, it could happen.
Otherwise, once I get my @#^% together, I'd like to have some sort of similar contest on here. And have bands judged on their merit and not on their ability to have people (or themselves) vote for them.
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Post by mrscotti on Sept 19, 2007 17:14:30 GMT -5
Ah yes... the Grand Band Sham. Every year it disappoints the cr*p outta me, as does their coverage of "local" music. I remember in years past bands winning that weren't even together anymore, they've kind of addressed that but the 'winners' are quite, umm, let's say 'questionable'.
Then again they do "appear" to support local music, but it is really biased. You're either some national/international band or youre a group of 15-20 yo's that play the Arts Barn or a coffee house every so often. If you're in between you're not getting any coverage, unless of course D Barry gets on some rant about how the scene s*cks here, too many cover bands, without ever mentioning that that's what the bars want. If you're an original band there are essentially 2 places to play, the Webster and Toads. Good luck dealing with those places.
From what I hear most of the people from there try to strongarm their way into clubs/bars and either love you or they hate you. It seems almost predetermined that theyre going to praise you or punk you before they even leave the office. Come to think of it, maybe they stick to the offbeat scene because if anyone ever found them in a bar they would probably give them an earful, at a minimum.
I simply just don't pay them any mind. It's all b.s., though they have some good stuff in there now and again. And I do appreciate them showing some love for the "little guys" out there working their butts off, but the real scene, aka the majority of the bands playing, some for many many years, might as well not exist. Would love to see someone or something come in and raise the bar, make them actually do some work...
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Post by Johnny 5 on Sept 20, 2007 10:18:34 GMT -5
Mrscotti, you hit the nail on the head. The scene in CT, like it or not, is a cover band scene. Not to disregard the original bands, and there are some amazing ones around here. But 99.9% of the clubs in CT cater to cover bands. And just like the original bands, there are some amazing cover bands and some downright awful ones. I'd love the Advocate to present the scene as it is and try to build it instead of tearing it down (Dan Barry). I do appreciate that he looks for the diamonds in the rough, but he does it at a cost. I wish he would accept the scene as it is and report on ALL of it. Every now and then he writes something positive about a cover band. But if it were a true representation, he'd be doing alot more for the cover band scene as well as the original scene.
It's not all his fault either. The Advocate as a whole doesn't really cater to the scene as it is. I see far more coverage of national bands that may not ever even come to CT than to local music. God bless all those in the scene, cover and original, that are trying to make it as best a scene as they can.
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