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So, what's the beef ?
If we get one gig (London) we're lucky, and we don't even appear to be getting that this time round.
Then you have the appalling distribution of the bands music over here. Eggplant has been out for weeks now yet one of the countries leading online stores (and I mean a proper record retailer not amazon etc) STILL haven't had stock. It seems Rune Grammofon & Stickman both have major problems in this regard over here.
I can't get my head around how the band can basically ignore such a big potential market for their music. I guess somewhere there must be a reason but I'm fucked if I can find it
With regards Eggplant, which I've had to download illegally whilst I wait a proper copy becoming available. I like it, not as much as HMF or TDDU, but i'm not sure anyone could top those masterpieces
But, it's a general thumbs up. Now get me the vinyl and announce some UK gigs … PLEEEEAAASSSEEE
how much demand is there for mp in britain? i think that ship has sailed. they're in their 40ties and live well off their music travelling mainland europe. they dont want the hassle to break a specific country anymore i guess and they would need a major label's power for that and that's obviously never going to happen. guess you have to catch a plane.
I think the question is this, why do they think there's no demand for them in the UK?
If its lack of sales, see point about woeful distribution above. They could solve that
If its having to build a fanbase, then surely that's what comes from not touring here and putting down some roots over the years
All in all, I know plenty overseas bands with far less profile than Motorpsycho tour here year after year, and they seem to be doing just dandy. And its not like the band play to massive crowds anywhere else is it?
What's the average gig crowd in other European countries?
Having lived in London for over 6 years, I think the general public isn't aware of mp, and not interested to find out either.
Big marketing is all focussed on the next english indie band with one catchy hook. And that seems to be enough for the masses.
Any band that isn't from the UK or the US faces a big uphill batlle to make it big because of this.
I'd say the average count in continental Europe is about 1000 per show.
But numbers in Holland are decreasing, at least in Amsterdam. A few years ago, they easily should out Paradiso at 1200, but since 2008 they did not come near.
Next month they will play at the smaller of Melkweg's 2 halls, which holds only 700.
If I remember correctly, they have played London in 97, 98, 99, 00, 02, 10 and 12.
Also they played Nottingham in 98, 99, 00 and 02.
I attended the two shows in 2002, and the crowds were not exactly huge, London maybe 150 and Nottingham around 50 (max). Seems like they "gave up" conquering British shores, but instead chose the safer and more well known routes in Germany, Holland, Italy ++
Average gig crowd at MP shows…hmm…I would say around 500. Depends on country of course. The strangest experience for me in that sense was MP playing in a 1500 capacity hall in Barcelona in 2002. Audience around 40 :!:
Can't agree sadly. I saw Low last night for about the tenth time since 2001. What marketing have they had?
Still played to a full house. They've built their fanbase up from 50 in a room above a pub to selling out the likes of the Barbican, Festival Hall just by touring. It's not like they've had millions spent on promotion or tons of radio play
Later in the year I'll see my favourite Japanese band Acid Mothers Temple play another full gig, and they're about as unfunded as you can get. But they still tour every year and fill out venues (small ones at that). But 150-500 a night seems to be worth their while and they've got to come all the way from Japan!
Even Supersilent managed a tour not that long ago
1997: Bristol + London
1998: Nottingham + London
1999: Nottingham + London
2000: London + Nottingham
2002: London + Nottingham
Probably more, but here I've got my old version database, so I can only reach 2008…
It's not exact saying that they don't play in UK, though I admit that these are not exactly HUGE tours…
It's more exact saying that all the British dates were quite a failure.
I've played around Europe a bit, and there's no doubt: there are more receptive countries than others, so that after the third failing tour, we asked ourselves "what's the point?" and tour elsewhere…
If you can't buy the records, and you limit your 'tours' to a few random gigs years apart, then its not surprising they fail
I know folks who didn't even know about the London gig last year such was the lack of publicity for it. Luckily enough of us made it down though
Bands should know by now that your most likely to get better gigs outside London
Here is an interview with the band from the last time they crossed the channel nrk.no
Most of what they say on video is repeated in the article (google translate is your friend).
I guess the essence is that they haven't spent much energy on the English market – "It's a difficult country if you don't have loads of money and good contacts".
As said above, they're not a young hungry band anymore wanting (or needing) to build a fanbase at any personal cost. They could have tried for 20 years but what for? Is that all what a musician's life is about? Why should they go play for 50 people there when they can play for 1000 here? If you don't feel the need to be celebrated around the globe, you stick to the road that works for you. It's music, not a competition. I guess there are a quite a few british bands happy playing the UK while being unknown in Italy, Germany or wherever. Did these fail to conquer these countries? No, they just don't feel the need to. At least not against all odds. It's as simple as that.
MP has their own little label and run their career beyond the usual industry mechanisms, be that by purpose, by stubborness or by lack of alternatives. I asked Bent once about going major label and all, he said (very more or less as far as I remember), they surely wouldn't mind drawing big crowds and sell loads of records, but they won't compromise their music and lives nor break their backs for it. And this lead them to play jazz festivals, releasing cowboy music records, playing Opera houses without a need to worry about hit singles and haircuts and big label strategies. And I don't quite think it's Stickman's and RG's fault they don't sell in the UK.
google translate says:
Es gibt viele schlechte Pubs und Dump mit kaum genug ein Mikrofon zu finden, zusätzlich zu den elenden Menschen, sagt Sæther.
oh that's surely not what he said. :lol:
All fair enough. i just think its sad that they've effectively decided they cant be arsed to look after their fans over here as well as they do elsewhere. I'm sure the UK isn't the only place of course. I just feel that just playing to the already converted is something of a lame thing to do. It's like only playing locally to your friends. Where's the challenge in that?
But of course it's RG/Stickman's fault if people CAN'T buy the records in the stores here. That's their job!. That's why they have distribution deals in place.
My German is not what it was, but in English I guess a closer translation (than Google translate) would be something like:
"There are loads of bad pubs and dumps with hardly a microphone to be found, in addition to unfriendly people, says Sæther."
But he also commends The Garage, where they played, as a good club compared to Norwegian and European standards.
@Thor
I know. The german "translation" says something like "in addition to miserable people". Quite harsh. Well maybe it's only funny (due to its harshness) in german…
@metalunicorn
they've decided so after a few tries. Can't blame them if other countries work out fine or better at some point. But they did play a rather lot of UK dates as it was stated above. I thought it was much less.
If you can't buy their records at all, well yes that would be the label's job to find a proper distribution but I'd be suprised if they haven't tried. And you can always order directly at Stickman and Rune. I felt you were talking about the lack of UK success faulted by the label and I wouldn't sign that. The UK is a well defended castle.
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