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SPECIAL GUEST EDITORIAL |
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[Publisher’s Note: While we generally do not publish guest editorials, this “open letter” written to the magazine from a local musician who recent partook in the Midwest BEAT/Zion Productions “Battle Of The Backdoor” did a great job of summing up the purpose of our battles and capturing the true feeling that being a part of a local “battle of the bands” should be about for musicians involved. }
SPECIAL
GUEST EDITORIAL… by Bryan “Bubba” Price LETTER FROM A LOSER?
NOT HARDLY!
As you may know, my band –– Mas
Kaos –– recentley competed in the “Battle
of the Backdoor,” a year-long event hosted by Midwest Beat Magazine and Zion
Productions.
We made it all the way to the grand finals, for which we were
very grateful. But
unfortunately, we lost. I
was upset at the time, but by the next day I was way over it.
I called the members of Nast Devin who had taken first place that
night and congratulated them. But
since then, I have had more than a few well-meaning, but misguided fans
come up and say things like -- “You
guys got screwed!”
To which I respectfull say -- “That
is a load of crap.” The
purpose of such a battle is not to truly wage war with other local
bands, but to step up to the plate and challenge yourself.
It’s an opportunity to expose your band and your music to a
whole different group of people. In
this time of economic hardship, people have less and less money to go
out and see a new band. So
getting to play in front of a big crowd, with many new people who are
the fans of other area bands... that is reward enough.
The local music scene is competitive enough without adding fuel
to the fire. We should
follow the advice given of Midwest
BEAT’s Tom Lounges,
who some months ago in his monthly “Soapbox” column, urged us all to
“band together.” We are
a group of guys and gals just trying to accomplish the same thing ––
to entertain!
Local band “battles” should be viewed as a chance for
everyone to have some fun and share a little friendly competitive
spirit... like a sack race at a company picnic or a backyard baseball
game with friends. It
should not be viewed as a blood-thirsty
“kill or be killed” situation.
We should thank our lucky stars that anyone would pay their hard
earned money to let us do the one thing we all enjoy doing, play music.
So instead of worrying about who “won”
and who “lost” ––
think about the great music you got to hear from other bands in your
“battle”; some of the new people you got to meet through those
bands; and the good time you had playing in front of some many people
seeing you for the first time.
Yeah, it sucks to not win...but I don’t think any band who
takes part in a communal music event like a battle of the bands ever
really “loses.”
Go out and see one of the new bands you saw in that
great local battle and others –– The
Heavies, Autumn Dawn, Uncle Sneaky, Strangers In Dreams, Chronic
Disorder, Nast Devin, Occasional Pimp and way too many more to list
in this space. In closing, I urge bands everywhere in the
region to keep supporting all your friends, but to also go out and make
some new ones. The
other musicians in the area are the only ones out there who actually
understand what you are going through. So
don’t “battle” them, go out and support them however and whenever
you can. You will find they
are much better friends than they are enemies. Rock on together and
together we will pull each other up and make our collective region scene
better -- for us and
for the fans! Sincerely, Bryan “Bubba” Price / vocalist of Mas Kaos
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