tampere/telakka 23.05.2010
description of/satisfaction with:
yes, i am satisfied with the scene. for such a small country there are many bands. here in tampere there are always gigs.
there is a lack of rehearsal spaces and a lack of places for less-known metal bands to play. the one bar that used to book these kinds of bands is now closed.
i have an indie background and i now manage a venue. i try to bring indie bands, but it’s hard to attract an audience.
live music in finland is currently “overheated.” often during a recession, bars and restaurants start booking live acts in order to attract clientele.
tampere is lucky to have several venues.
tampere has many musicians, but a lack of independent venues.
only a small percentage of the public supports independent music.
scene development/maintenance:
the independent music scene is supports itself, but is very closed, very little promotion.
all people in the scene basically know each other. they don’t reach out much.
there are short-term flames of inspiration, but each group seems to have to start at the beginning.
it is necessary to find a way to contact young people.
i don’t see a problem getting young people to join the scene.
people are too privileged to feel a need to attend live shows.
internet is a good method for promotion, but it’s not enough by itself.
some techniques about developing and maintaining a scene need to be passed on by older and ex-members of scenes.
how do we stimulate enthusiasm?
many young bands aren’t patient enough to build a fan base or do promotion.
does saying you’re indie/alternative scare off some people?
the klubi venue tries to organize alternative music concerts in order to expose their regular public to that kind of music.
generally, people are aware of the difference between telakka and other more commercial places.
there is a semantic problem with the word independent. at the moment here it means more or less electro-pop mainstream music.
is independent music just for hobbyists, or also for people trying to make a living from music?
it’s very difficult to compete with bands who play for free.
telakka still organizes free entrance nights, paying 200€ to bands, or 70€ to djs.
is it ok not to pay support bands?
it is hard to fight the capitalist music industry.
internet can help the independent scenes to survive.
truly independent musicians will find a way to survive.
music performed live is a forced social interaction. independent musicians should respond to this responsibility. commercial musicians don’t.
it is good to remind people that they are supporting the scene when they do in some way.