Idolator
This morning I read a lengthy, waaahmbulance-chasing post by Greg Katz, a blogger in Los Angeles who was set to go see electropop revivalist Calvin Harris (whose video for the awesome "Acceptable in the '80s" is above), and who was on the guest list for the show. As it turned out, Katz got bumped from the list at the last minute, which peeved him because he'd "blogged and spun [Harris' album I Created] Disco relentlessly" and been "doing what [he] could to repay Calvin and Sneak Attack in blog posts and DJ spins" for the list spot. Lengthy blogorrhea ensued, with Katz going on and on about how he was disappointed, how he thought he'd have been treated better if he wrote for print, etc., etc. Which, you know, fine, losing a guest-list spot at the last minute stinks, but I don't think there's a writer out there—print, online, skywriting, whatever—who it hasn't happened to at least once in their career.
Anyway, the recently resurgent Gerard Vs. Bear chewed Katz out for his sense of blogger entitlement (and honestly, his whole "I wanted to give back, so I gave the PR people and the artist extra blog love" is icky on a Jann-reviewing-Mick level), but what struck me about the post is how it was reflective of the new culture of writing about music, and how the lines are blurring between fans, members of the "press," and street-teamers by the second.
The bulk of my job involves refreshing my RSS feed 80 times an hour, and there have been many times recently where I've felt like the pool of people who were writing about certain (indie-skewing, it should be noted) records and the pool of people who were said records' target audience have overlapped in a really big way; this has also helped, in my opinion, accelerate the rise of leak culture, and people trying to get their hands on albums as soon as they've been shipped out to journalists under the idea that they are "going to write about the bands," whether on their blogs or on Web sites they contribute to or on message boards. And I think that confusion results in, well, blogger entitlement—the attitude being "I support the scene by writing about your artists, therefore you should support me by giving me free albums/concert tickets/etc."
This is all made even more complex by the fact that a lot of PR companies out there want bloggers to write about their artists—at least, if the correlations between my inbox and the elbo.ws charts are any indication—because they're somewhat effective at grass-roots buzz, and are often helpful when filling up the one-sheets with positive quotes about artists. (Although I'd argue that blogs are often better at starting backlashes than sparking interest at this point, but that's a subject for another post.) But I'm starting to wonder if this model is going to crack under its sheer weight; after all, the music-blog world is pretty insular and low-trafficked, and I'd venture a guess that a good chunk of people reading indie blogs and Web sites are also writing their own, and showing up at the same shows, particularly in industry-heavy cities like New York and Los Angeles (sometimes when I'm browsing my RSS reader, I get the sense that there are certain Mercury Lounge shows where the entire crowd is guestlisted/there to "cover it" for some Web site or another). At what point does music blogging stop being a conversation and start becoming a, well, circle jerk? Incidents like this make me wonder if things aren't already sliding toward that point.
(Also, couldn't Katz have just e-mailed the PR person and asked to buy a ticket through them? If you really want to see a show that badly, eight bucks shouldn't be that make-or-break. Not to assume about anyone's finances, but come on.)
Why I am not going to Calvin Harris tonight [The Rawking Refuses To Stop!]
Comments
Am I a complete freak for almost never asking for promos or guest lists? I figure it's worth it to funnel some of my freelance pay directly back to the musicians I'm covering, but I'm guessing most bloggers wouldn't feel that way even if they were making money off anything other than Google ads.
It's happened to all of us, including the "old media" types (and especially those of us who used to do print zines). I think it's understandable to be disappointed about it, but dedicating print/pixel space to it is just bad form.
If "supporting" the band means so much to you, maybe you should just bite the bullet, pay to get in and enjoy the show. I'd go further and say that you should always carry enough $ to cover admission, even if you think you're on the guest list. There are all kinds of screw-ups and last minute decisions that can kill your free admission. Maybe the label decided to suspend guest lists at the last minute, or maybe the the promotions intern spelled your name wrong or forget to fax the list.
Blogs are over? But all the firms and labels have FINALLY figured out how to pitch them! Sort of! As someone with some relevant experience myself, I have always tried to keep my blog pitching to a minimum, as I do agree that potential for nasty jokes ruining any coverage I'd gotten, thus basically making me unable to send it to my artists, is too high. Also I LIKE blogs, so I didn't want to see them turn into shitty shill-fests just pushing whatever's hot (coughSTEREOGUMcough), and thusly don't pitch them all that often.
To quote the ever-incisive Fall Out Boy, "Bandwagon's full, please catch another."
@DavidWatts: : I'd say in the last nine months, the sheer shrill shilling on blogs has become positively deafening. Maura's right -- it's impossible to tell fans from journalists from punks who just want to get into shows for free because they repost press releases. Those asshats have fucked it up for the rest of us. Seriously.
Also, I've only ever been bumped from a GL once, and that was at a very badly organized, unprofessionally booked show. Just sayin'
Really, the blogger's a doof. His journamalistic credentials aside, he needs to remember what it's like for us little non-journalist fans. I've never been on a guestlist, and I've managed to enjoy shows fine. In fact, I generally feel really happy giving money to the bands I love, cause I know they're taking a big hit in the CD sales.
Thanks for writing this...especially the 2nd half.
Yeah, well any blogger who expects to be recouped for their writing/thought/lack of thought in any way is probably in the wrong game anyway. Google ads be damned (no thank you, top 5 blogs at hypemachine), the term "extra blog love" is enough to make me burn my RSS feed down to the ground. Isn't it already enough that the big labels are greedy, now the fans (excuse me, "bloggers") have to shuck & jive for music they "love"? Egads. Though I have no love for Fluxblog's writing ("they didn't even play their best song! How dare [redacted name of band] they!"), they/he still is ad-free. But I'm sure he gets all his treats for free!
@CloudCarrier: Well, I'd hate to speak for Mr Fluxblog, but you're incorrect - he does pay for some of his "treats" and I know that the same is true for other ad free bloggers.
Mp3 blogging used to be an outgrowth of obsessive collecting and appreciating rather than a desire for journalistic fame or ad hits. Not that I think it's particularly wrong to be a PR blog. I just think it's tacky to complain about your lack of swag if you are also claiming to be an obsessive fan.
Great post Maura - I'm developing a blog crush.
@CloudCarrier: Dude, I think Fluxblog is the only blogger who totally doesn't take untoward advantage guest list spots. Really.
@therichgirlsareweeping: If I'm not mistaken, Matthew doesn't like live shows at all, right?
@Lucas Jensen: No way, he's fun at shows, particularly compared to other bloggers I've met. I get amped; I like seeing shows with people that get amped.
@Lucas Jensen: What an odd thing to say. Did you see his write-up of the Electric Six show on the boat? Of the Knife? Or of the Pitchfork festival? Seems to me he likes live shows.
@Everybody: You're all probably right, but I never invested that much developmental thinking into his operation. Why should I, since I can barely stand it in the first place? I kind of wish I stopped reading his stuff when he was a poster on the Fake Matador Bulletin Board, but I can't do that, can I? Perhaps it's the rarified air with which he writes that just precludes me to think that he takes gratis off the top, but I can always stand to be wrong all of the time (just like everyone who thinks he does'nt like live shows). Color me idiota! Sorry I'm not writing from America's Greatest City, USA, and can't wink at everybody else at the Bowery Ballroom on friday night, but everything he has ever written just irks me the wrong way, and whiffs only of the kind of disproportionate, uninformed opinions every blogger on earth is entitled of having (that sucking sound again, sorry).
See, this is why I don't like talking to anybody about anything, ever.
Doesn't anybody just sneak into shows anymore? I mean seriously, if you're so special why do you even need to be on the guest list? Aren't bloggers supposed to be the hipster elite? Shouldn't you already know the bouncers, talent buyers and bartenders? PR people are the very last people you should be scrounging comps off of - they're the least reliable folks in the whole game. They'd promise you a front row seat in heaven if they thought you could get 'em better coverage.
...Please file this rant under "It Takes One To Know One"...
@CloudCarrier: SHIT JUST GOT REAL, PEOPLE.
@The Mozfather: All I'm saying is that I read that somewhere on the elbo.ws forum. Not trying to put words in Matthew's mouth! I just remember him saying he didn't like 'em. Maybe it was clubs or something.
@BawstonSean: We're not THAT unreliable. Have you ever heard of, um, bands before?
@Lucas Jensen: No problem. It's just that I know how much Matthew actually likes shows, so it just seemed like a weird thing to say.
Listen, kids: Music blogging is the equivalent to running a zine. And the content produced by the Internet zines is rather feeble. A lot of bloggers take PR one sheets and re-post them--word for word. Blogs are for obsessives and enthusists, but they don't translate for casual music listeners or people slumped in a cube all day at the office. Since most of you are partial to the indie rock, you should join a network that reaches further than the circle jerk. Like mine! Brooklyn Radio is looking for some obsessive indie rock DJs! Seriously. dan@brooklynradio.net
What I expected to read: "I drove 300 miles to see the show and broke down along the way and then got to the club and paid $15 to park and waited in the rain for an hour and got to the door and I wasn't on the list and the bouncers beat me up and worst of all I was embarrassed in front of a guy who I suspect might be an intern in the Pitchfork ad department or who at least looks a lot like the guy I'm thinking of."
What I actually read: "I was warned in advance that I'd been dropped from the list for a show that I could've walked up and bought an $8 ticket to see."
The most interesting part of the complaint? Confirmation that, yes, the amount of "blog love" bestowed on a band is in direct proportion to the amount of grease smeared on the blogger's palm.
Mike A: I must admit, I have gone to shows without the requisite scratch for admission, and then found that my name was nowhere on the list. I managed to talk my way in both times - luckily, a copy of the print mag I write for is usually close at hand - but I learned my lesson.
@The Mozfather: I wish I could find that comment. Sorry, Matthew! Don't hate me!
Gerard find college writerdouchebags.and Gerard find college writer douchebag.One now all kind of make "famous."Other two still make dumb whine whine whine whine about for not get ticket for rock show. Rawkblog make UCLA journalism dept make so proud!
i always thought the whole idea of the Gawker empire was to be the biggest jerk in the circle...?
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