They just basically inherently suck don't they?

The idea that bands are competing in some way, either musically or for commercial success. As if two bands from the same geographical region can't simultaneously be good or 'make it' in the bizness.

It's at complete odds with the attempts by most locales to promote their local scene. The idea that you can put say a punk band, indie band, metal band, folk band - who are potentially equally good in their fields - on the same stage and have the crowd or worse 'judges' decide which one of them is worthy of studio time or whatever makes me sick.

How can you nurture a scene by putting bands into a situation where they're going to be told 'you are not as good as this band' or worse 'you are OFFICIALLY the bestest band of all'?

It ties in with the idea that one form of music can be inherently better. That it is actually objectively possible to say whether music is 'good' - which is bollocks of the utmost.

Crowd vote: if you're gonna award prizes to a band based on a crowd vote or reaction then yr going along with the idea that popular = good. In which case give the £1000 of studio time to Girls Aloud or Shania Twain or some crap. The most popular form of entertainment in history is the Public Execution - if all you aspire to or value is popular success then that's what yr competing with.

Judges vote: firstly who the fuck believes they have the right to award someone else's dosh to aspiring musicians? If you believe a band deserve a break then get yr chequebook out and pay for their studio time yr fucking self. You may well be Diamond Dave off the local radio station but all that means is you have a passable speaking voice and are capable of segueing a Spandau Ballet record into a Bon Jovi one, and that you can also listen to people answering piss-easy quiz questions incorrectly without laughing their asses into next week. How exactly this qualifies you to award 'golden tickets' to mediocre bands, or dash the hopes of decent ones, all in the vain hope of someday getting a size 8 font mention on the sleeve of their gold-selling debut platter, I've no fucking idea.

(and no I haven't just lost a battle of the bands)
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originally posted here:
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