Otto's is a cool place!

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=lf#!/rockinrio.delrosa

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=lf#!/TheHighTides

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=lf#!/pages/The-Blue-Demons

1 am slot is open
APRIL 5
'SURF-ROCK SHINDIG'
OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD

let me know off-line if your band wants to grab this

THX

UNSTEADY FREDDIE
schizofredric@yahoo.com

http://www.facebook.com/unsteady.freddie

HERE IS A RE-POST FROM NYC MUSIC PROMOTER & GOOD BUDDY, FRANK WOOD (NOTE - WATCH THIS SPACE AS FRANK AND I ARE COMBINING OUR EFFORTS AND VIBES FOR AN EXCITING SURF-MUSIC EXTRAVAGANZA TO HELP KICK-START THE SUMMER OF 2008)

1. • If you're band is playing a show, get there early and stay late to support all the bands on the bill. If you guys don't support each other, then how can you expect anyone else to? DON'Tsit in your van until it's time to play your set, then race out with your gear immediately after.
     
2. • If your band only draws 3 people paid on the door....don't ask for a guest list. As much as we're in this for the right reasons...we still have to consider this is a business. Usually the sound person is paid off of the door split, so you can't think everyone can come in for free. The more people you want to come in for free, the more money that has to come out of the venue's pocket. When a venue consistently loses money on shows....THE SHOWS STOP!
     
3. • PROMOTE THE SHOWS and get people out to see your band. It's difficult as a promoter to convince people to come out and listen to local original music. We're in a day and age where people are more content to listen to cover bands because its music they know. The best person to promote your band is you, first and foremost. As a promoter, we push your music, we convince bars to allow you to play your music, and we get the bar to run drink specials to help bring in people. That's all we can do...the rest is up to you to spread the word, make some friends, and get a good crowd for yourself.
     
4. • You need to bring people out for your shows...friends, family, people you don't even really like. It doesn't matter. There are very few places that allow original musicians to play. It's hard enough to convince a bar owner to allow original bands to play. The only way it can continue is to show the bar that it's working and the bands are bringing people out for it. All a bar owner sees is if this is making them money in order to stay in business. If they don't make money, then they close their doors, and another venue closes for good. This is their livelyhood and the way they feed their family. If original music isn't working...they're not gonna continue it.
     
5. • If your band doesn't have a show scheduled one night, but a couple bands you know of are playing.....come out and support them!! Bands need to come out when they're not playing and support other musicians who are playing. Bring copies of your band's cd, talk it up with the bands playing that night, trade shows with them, and just market your band in general to people who are there at the show. The guys in Local Demise have been really good about this lately. It's awesome to see a band who is trying that hard to build their fan base up.
     
6. • The scene can only exist if you create it. You can't go to a bar and just expect it to be packed with people eagerly awaiting to listen to new music. People are skeptical and chances are they already think you suck before you go on. So you gotta get up there and play and change their minds. Talk to them and pass out burned copies of your cd's for them to take with them. Get their email address from them and build up an email list to announce your shows. Not everyone is on myspace, although it's a great tool to use, not everyone checks their bulletins regularly.
     

7 - One of the biggest reasons people do enjoy local music is because they can get to know the band individually. They can attach themselves to this smaller band and make it their own. They know they can go to their shows, enjoy some drinks with them, and build up a relationship with them. That's what starts a scene and that's what needs to exist in order for original music to survive.

1. • Don't sit back and say "Why aren't people coming to our shows". Chances are people don't know who the hell you are. Spread the word. a 100 pack of CD-R's are cheap enough. Burn copies of them and pass them out. Even if it's only a 3 song sampler. Give a copy to the kid working the drive thru at Wendy's or pumping your gas at BP. Sure, everyone wants to press some legit cd's and look professional, but that costs money and then you need to sell them to make the money back. Then you're asking people to buy your cd when they don't even know you. If you hand them a simple burned copy, chances are they will throw it in their cd player in the car and check you out.
     
2. • DON'T BITCH ABOUT THE SET ORDER! If you're given a show and it's the first time playing a venue, chances are that you will be an opener or a closer. Suck it up, play with a good attitude, and I guarantee you'll be invited back to play on a better spot or better show. Especially if you prove you can bring out some people. If your band brings 2 people with them, you can't expect to get the best spot on the lineup. Every promoter keeps track of this shit. We know who drew well on a show and who bitched and cried because they had to play first or last. This business is very much a "give and take" thing. If you can prove to a club that you're serious and you bring out people, we remember that and we make note of it. We have blacklists of bands who don't think this applies to them....and guess what, we all talk to each other. We have friends who promote for other venues and we share that info.
     
3. • DON'T DROP OFF OF SHOWS WITHOUT AN INSANELY GOOD REASON FOR DOING SO!!! If you have a cold, suck it up and play. Dropping on a show with most venues will almost guarantee you'll never play there again. Also...we all talk to each other. If a band drops on me or worse yet just doesn't show up for it...I'm spreading the word about them to several other venues and promoters in the area so they don't have the same thing happen to them. So, when you think you just bailed on a show and might have ticked off some "small time" promoter, you never know who they are affiliated with. Dropping off of one show could get you blacklisted from 5 other venues without even knowing it.
     
4. • EARLY, IS ON TIME !
     ON TIME, IS LATE !
     Be at the venue when you're supposed to be, READY TO PLAY!
     

We work hard at this, just as you work hard at being a band and making music. There's no one person who works harder than anyone else involved in this scene. Everyone plays some type of crucial part. The kid who goes out and flyers, the bands who create music, the promoters who pull it together, the venues who thankfully still allow this to go on....they're all equal. This doesn't work without everyone pulling together to make this something that people want to be a part of. If we're putting on great shows and spreading the word out to people who might not have an interest in listening to original music, it may change their minds.

IT's ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC...and it's about being a family that rallies around the support of that music!

FRANK WOOD rocks!
love you dude
you make a huge difference and impact on the NYC independent music scene

GOD BLESS FRANK WOOD! A LEGEND, AND A TRUE HERO OF MINE

UNSTEADY FREDDIE

http://www.facebook.com/unsteady.freddie

Good reminder. Required reading for the free lunch crowd.

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=lf#!/rockinrio.delrosa

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=lf#!/TheHighTides

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=lf#!/pages/The-Blue-Demons

I got to send a shout-off thank you to the 4 bands that rawked the house at OTTO's last night, and for all the surf fans who came out for the good times.

In order, Mr. Action & The Boss Guitars (they will be back in May!), The Outpatients, Purple K'nif, and new guys from Connecticut, The Aquatudes (in an impressive NYC debut).

Each band played on top of their game(s), for sure!

Gotta make mention of Outpatients' bass guitarist Tony Vitale who literally dressed the part of an "outpatient" -- we are all grateful his gown was open to the back!!

Purple K'nif showed everuone why they have the top-shelf rep that they do -- they blew everyone away....seriously!!

Mr. Action on drums and his Boss Guitars plaed their usual brand on trad and po-surf with finesse.

Gotta mention it was my birthday (Jan 5th) and a lot of people came by to show a lot of love (including surf musicians from The TarantinosNYC, El Muchacho, The Retroliners).

Another Great Live Surf-Rock Shindig.

Thanks to everyone!

UNSTEADY FREDDIE

http://www.facebook.com/unsteady.freddie

Dear HBKahuna

As I told via MySpace...YES!! I got the "present"....some great music is now in my possession!

Also, this was posted in Reverborama Yahoo by Johnny C of THE OUTPATIENTS, and I thought it was worth sharing here:

What a friggin' night!
Leo Fender was looking down and smiling for sure.
I stole, umm...learned, a LOT of licks last night, my thanks to all the Guitar Players for the lessons.
If Freddie wasn't feeling 100%, you never would have known it.
He has set the bar higher than ever for his next show!
You'll not find a more appreciative, excited, and "into-it" crowd anywhere.

We loved being a part of the Show.

THE OUTPATIENTS are an amazing live 3-piece combo, for those on the W Coast who have never had the pleasure to catch them live,

UNSTEADY FREDDIE

http://www.facebook.com/unsteady.freddie

LOOKING AHEAD TO MAY 3 2008

A great line-up:
THE TRITONS go on at 10 pm
REVERB GALAXY, 11 pm
then MISTER ACTION & THE BOSS GUITARS at midnight,
with THE HEAVIES closing out

HOT STUFF
Unsteady Freddie

http://www.facebook.com/unsteady.freddie

attention SURF bands

for the SURF-ROCK SHINDIG in June (June 7th to be precise), we have an open slot, which I am looking to fill

it's the 1 am stage slot (the 4th of 4; we kick off at 10 pm)

on the bill that night, in order:

SURF AND TURF
THE RECRUDERS
THE SHARKSKINS

let me know off-line,
schizofredric@yahoo.com

thanks!!

UNSTEADY FREDDIE

http://www.facebook.com/unsteady.freddie

on my way from Hell's Kitchen to tonight's SURF-ROCK SHINDIG at OTTO's SHRUNKEN HEAD

THE SUPERTONES
EL MUCHACHO
THE COFFIN DAGGERS
THE SEA DEVILS

should be a blast

report back in a day or 2 about how things went

peace/tranquility,

UNSTEADY FREDDIE

http://www.facebook.com/unsteady.freddie

The Supertones are so smooth, just a hint of a Buddha smile on guitarist Tim Sullivan's face as they move from song to song to song. I've seen them in other venues too, and they have a huge repertoire and no set list. One of the covers I loved hearing was "Lonely Bull". Plus the drums and bass are totally solid. The Supertones also pack the house.

El Muchacho was next, and in case you don't know, they are "The only surf/punk electric kazoo band that matters." (Their slogan). As a three-piece, plus the drummer's kazoo-headset sound, they make a lot of sound. Very funky 60s groove.

And then there was the Coffin Daggers. They played a very varied set this time, with nice changes in tempo and style. They always have that scary goth vibe with the Farfisa, but now they seem to have more fun. One of their cool covers was Caravan/3rd Stone from the Sun. Their people are also very loyal, coming out in tattooed droves.

We missed the Sea Devils this time, but all in all, despite having the air conditioners running, this show was almost too hot.

Tricia Tarantino

TarantinosNYC
TarantinosNYC FB page
The WrayCyclers FB page
Rockaway Beach Surf Music Festival