Unfortunately, there will be more of this to come as the cab business in Toronto has been run into the ground due in large part to a market controlled by the Howard Moscoe and the regulating commission that have some credibility problems when it comes to who’s interests they are really acting on behalf of.  Some folks make a lot of money off the taxi business in Toronto. Those are not the people who drive the cars I assure you.   

Rates have been recently increased but still are very low relative to increases in cost of living and operation of their vehicles.  Insurance for everyone has gone up for cabbies, industry wide, it has increased dramatically.  I've heard more than a few stories of their rates doubling.  Gas of course has gone up substantially as well…and makes no mistake; this was never a lush business margin-wise to begin with.

In Toronto in particular licensing is a big problem.  There are two kinds of licenses.

1. What they call full plate.  These are EXTREMELY expensive.  Last I heard they were going for $180000 on the private market.  There is a fixed number in the market and you cannot get one from the city anymore.  

They were originally sold to owner by the city for less than $10 000.  Most of these plates are owned by a very small group of people and cab companies.  Mel Lastman was rumoured to own great than 60 of these at one point.  That’s 60 000 in investment and 9 000 000 in upside decades later.  So yeah, keeping the prices of these plates high, artificially so, is in the best interests of some very rich folks.  This is not free market.  This is the worst kind of market interference and here’s why.

These licenses are valuable because

a. you can resell them
b. you can lease to other drivers / companies (none of the owners of the plates actually drive a cab I assure you)
c. if you get sick a family member or friend can sub in for you
d. it can be willed / gifted and
e. you can have a night driver to maximize your investment. If you are the cab owner...pretty much no one makes money driving 12 hours a day and letting the car sleep the other 12.

2. The ambassador plates - in lieu of issuing new 'full plates' , which would have reduced the market value of the existing ones, making them affordable for drivers to run their own businesses and taken lots of money out of the pocket of many powerful Toronto richy connected types,  they issued this new type of license.

They are reasonably cheap but not at all the same as a full plate.  Through their limitations they make it almost impossible for a cabbie to actually make a reasonable living under this license.

With these licenses you and only you can drive you car.  You cannot resell it.  You cannot will it. If you get sick or injured no one can drive your car and let you make some rental income. Most importantly you cannot rent your car in your off time to a 'night driver'.

Full plate owner build equity in his investment. Ambassadors don't.

Full plate owners don't have to be cab drivers.  Ambassadors do.

Full plate owners can lease their plate to a driver / company if they retire or quit.  Ambassadors can't.

Full plates can be used 24 hours a day by any licensed cab driver.  Ambassadors can be used as much as the one guy can drive in a day; practically forcing most drivers to work 12, 14, 18 hour days.

And when I speak with drivers of any stripe, neither is making much money. They tell me it’s not uncommon to go home literally making little to nothing once they paid for their expenses.  If you are driving a car for a company, you are almost certainly are not the owner of the plate so you have to lease a plate…that’s right, marking up licensing is a business in this city, then you have to rent the car, then you have to insure it, then you have to put gas in the tank AND you have to kick up to the cab company for dispatch service.  

If you’re an ambassador driver you don’t have to lease the license but you do have to own a fairly new car and maintain it and you it you cannot make any money renting it when you’re not driving.  This alone apparently would amount to a 50% wage increase to these types of drivers.   They also have to save more for retirements as their plate goes back to the city when they’re done.  No juicy resale.  Oh and if they get sick, they’re pretty much f-ed, so more rainy day savings are required…if and when they actually make money.

The cabbies in this town are always getting screwed. Years ago it became MANDATORY that they install cameras in the cabs.  Fine…but they had to go to a specific vendor, dictated by the city, to have the rig put in.  A singular vendor to the 1000s of cabs in Toronto; of course the price was jacked.  Drivers could get the same system installed in Buffalo by a manufacturer's approved agent for 50% less…but that probably does count the costs involved in ‘entertaining’ the officials who issued this no bid contract.

Why am I writing this dissertation on the cab business in Toronto?  Because as you can see it’s pretty much a brutal job with very little compensation for the actual drivers.   Naturally this is not going to attract the best people into the profession and it’s going to cause drivers to do things like cherry pick the juiciest fares.  Is it right?  No but this is the climate that the city has created for the guys on the ground.  They gotta eat.  They gotta put food on the table.  Should you complain when it happens?  Yes.  Absolutely. I hope the process of complaining brings to light the under lying causes of why the level of taxi service in this town is rapidly eroding.  

The only people who are doing/going to be doing this job are folks who can absolutely, positively not get a job doing ANYTHING else…because frankly almost anything pays more.  These are our ambassadors to tourists at the airports (actually they can’t pick up fares there), train stations (a 3^rd worldesque chaotic scene on Front St.) and business centers.  It’s a disaster of a business from the top down and it’s going to get worse. 

Surely everyone knows what a "battle of the bands" is.  It's a American Idol...with bands, a contest, winner advances, losers go home.  Fine.  There.  

Historically some of these contests were legitimate ways of discovering new talent.  This is when labels would actually sign a band based on their talent and potential alone 

The Battle of The Bands proposition to the artist is a simple one:

1. Prize money
2. Recording time
3. Get Discovered

Sounds great so far right?  Except most of this is bogus and there's some stuff you have to do / know about:

1. YOU pay for, in advance, 25 tickets:

• $25 X $6  = $150
• That's right you pay to be in the show
• These shows often have 5 or bands per night

2. A full one third of your score by the 'judges' is based on how many people you brought to the show. Something that has absolutely nothing to do with how good of a band you are. 

• 1-10 point score for your performance
• 1-10 point score for your music
• 1-10 point score for the people you brought

• Band A - Great Band
• Talent - 8
• Music - 8
• Draw - 2 (Brought 20 people)
• Total score: 18
  
  
• Band B - Not Good But Young
• Talent - 6
• Music - 5 
• Draw- 80 (Brought 80 people) 
• Total score: 18 

If you're in a band you know full well the younger you are the more likely you are to bring people out. Regardless of talent.  Younger people have large social networks and a lot of them are far more likely to go out. Plus they haven't been asked 100 times yet to come out to various events like older fans.  Said another way, younger fans aren't sick of you asking yet.  When's the last time you saw a band 5 times in one year?  BUT the indie rock business thinks you should be able to pull that off. 

So younger acts have better than a 20% advantage before a single note of music has been played. BOGUS!

What makes it worse is that the music game is like fine wine; RARELY is it worthy of consumption without aging and time.  Said another way, young bands are mostly shit.   So the least experienced acts, the ones who neither need or deserve the "break" are the more likely to get it.  Super duper.  

SO now then let's talk about these prizes.  It almost always looks like this. 

1. Cash
2. Recording Time
3. Getting evaluated by 'someone' from <MAJOR_LABEL_NAME_HERE>
4. Additional services 
5. Opening slot for <WASHED_UP_ACT_NAME_HERE>

1. Cash

This is probably the only straight up part of the game.  You will probably get the money but it's totally not unheard of to not get the money or to have it reduced based on some fine print in your contract. You think the music business doesn't screw people over?  Welcome to your first day on earth I guess.

Yah they'll give you cash...they'll give you the cash of your fellow musicians and their fans.

It's not uncommon for these contests to have 10 rounds of qualifying shows of 5 bands each with one winner advancing based on the above flawed formula.

Then there is 2 semi finals of 5 bands each where 2 bands qualify per show.  Usually one band is also brought in as a wildcard from the previous weeks (AKA more ticket sales) to round out the final to another 5 band night.

So if you're keeping score at home that's:

50 bands in the qualifying rounds X $150 = $7500.00 

(and this money is guaranteed to the venue, you paid it to them up front, if the tickets didn't actually get sold...oh well...too bad for you, the 'promoter' shares no risk) 

10 bands in the semi finals X $150 = $1500.00 

5 bands in the finals X $150 = $750.00 

(this assumes that no band will bring more than the minimum in the semis and finals...doubtful) 

So grand total? The bar / promoter gets $10 000 guaranteed revenue.  They didn't advertise, they didn't promote the show.  They did nothing except LET you bring people.   THEY RISK NOTHING! 

The cash prizes are generally 2500, 1500, 500 for 1st - 3rd place.  Thats' $4500...that means the promoter / bar is putting more $5500 in their pocket...and they haven't sold a single drink yet. 

So you tell me who the real winner is when someone walks away with more money than the winner. When 'cover' charges are supposed to 'cover' the costs of talent (reminding you only 3 of 65 performances are compensated over the course of the 'contest')

2. Recording Time

This is nothing more than a marketing strategy on behalf of the studio here's what you're going to get:

• 20-30 hours of recording.  You're thinking...oh shit, I can get a whole album done.  How long does it take?  Here's how long it takes...you will MAYBE get one song recorded, mixed and mastered for that much.  What's more likely is that the studio will need you to buy more time to finish your project...which is the only reason they would volunteer the prize in the first place.  Why else would they do this? DUH!
• An inferior recording.  If you think the kind of studio that gets involved in these things is professional quality you're going to be sadly mistaken and frustrated the first time you pass it off to someone 'real' in this game and get told what you have is not good enough.

3. The opportunity to get seen (and what YOU think is signed) by <MAJOR LABEL NAME HERE>

This is biggest bullshit of all.  Let me tell you about the major label person you think is going to change your life.  He's is an entry level A&R COORDINATOR or maybe not even a member of the A&R department at all.  He can definitely, definitely, definitely NOT sign your band to the label he works for.  It's possible he could put your name forward but it has a LOOOOONG way to go before you're even close to being signed.

More importantly  You are not going to get signed.  If you're playing battle of the bands contests that means you're still pretty new in the game and majors don't sign what they call baby bands.  Straight up they do not.  You need to have a strong touring base, fans, social networks in place, a pimp website, a road seasoned stage show, relationships with a bookers and publishers and a BUSINESS behind you. You basically need to not need a record deal before they'll even consider you.  So trust me, the least likely thing to come of your battle of the bands experience will be a major record deal.   

Oh and lastly, you are not going to signed. The majors aren't signing any bands and if you're reading this in regards to my own Canada, I can tell you most of the majors haven't signed anything substantive in better than 2 years and have no plans of changing that soon. 

Seriously.  Even if you are AWESOME.  That has almost nothing to do with it anymore.  Do not even consider this.  No seriously, stop thinking about it.  It's not going to happen.  And yes I mean you.  You, yes you with the band you think is 'different'.  Listen to me, you are not different.   Is this clear?  Stop it!

4. Additional Services

This is more of the same deal as recording.  Rehearsal studios that want you to see their place and hopefully pay for it in the future. Photographers who probably suck and want to sell you prints and stuff, and a bunch of other sub par quality crap that you will end up costing you money and will probably have to be replaced or redone in a year when you learn how it's really done. 

5. Opening up for <whoever> 

Meh.  It's a gig.  Sure.  Getting paid?  Let me guess...you have to sell tickets again?

--

So, in addition to not being helpful, here's why these shows do more to  ultimately hurt you than help you:

Every time you ask someone to come out and see your band and they DO IT?  That's a big deal. You sure as HELL better be showing them something fantastic. From an audience perspective going to a show where everyone is so divided is lame.  Even if another bands kills it people don't cheer because they'd rather their friend win than the best band.  It's juvenile and that's not fun for an audience.  Guilt and animosity is not a fun night.

On top of that the music is going to be seriously varying in quality (probably crap) and style (probably something not like what they came to see or enjoy) and this too is a crappy night for this person who came all the way out just to see you and pay for the experience.  

If you think it's hard to get people out to your shows, try it after you showed them a bad time and then try it again after you've them 4 bad times. 

If you think leaning on your audience to come and see you at a bad show, upwards of 4 times for some cash, prizes that will cost you money and an impossible chance at a record deal is worth it?  Go nuts. Don't quit your day job. 

G20 Inquiry Strategist At Work

Now then, today I am getting angry.  Not at the "man" or the cops or the politicians or the apologists..I am mad at a number of the activists who are fighting to have the light of truth shined on the situation.

Why? Because they're not unlike the guy who refuses to wear a suit to a wedding or shave for a job interview.  

"Yah I don't do that maaaaan.  I'm a rebel...I don't conform to your narrow ideologies maaaaan"

And that's cool and that's your right but just don't be surprised when at first glance people form, admittedly unfair, opinions about you.  There are some basic social rules that most average people conform to and stepping outside of these comes with it's own consequences.  

Bringing the analogy home, what pisses me off is people like this. 

http://www.g20justice.com/index.html

WHY do they insist on being the cliche that people expect? The raised fist, the dramatic photos. Calling it a "battle"...oh my god...let me guess...Che Guevara t-shirt on?

It's making me angry because like 10s of 1000s of people in this country. I support the call for an inquiry and getting the truth out.  However these idiots will NOT play ball in the public relations game and are getting killed by their more media savvy opponents. 

I want to work for this cause but I cannot find anyone I want to work with. 

The Toronto Community Mobilization Network had a spokesperson on CFRB in Toronto out and out saying they STILL do not denounce the violence and they understand if 'the policies of the G20 have let lead people to such extreme levels of frustration" 

WRONG STUPID!! 1000s of people listening to you just dismissed you as a crazy person.  Here's your answer you PR ignoramuses:

"Obviously, like every red blooded Canadian, we find violence of all kids abhorrent.  We strongly condemn any individual choosing to engage in so-called black bloc techniques.  In as much as it relates to bringing these people to justice we hope to work WITH law enforcement because:

1. it is our shared responsibility as citizens to assist in the bringing of criminals to justice and

2. these people do more to hurt the legitimate movement of G20 opposition than anyone and it is in our mutual interest to see these people stopped in the future.

To the merchants of Toronto that suffered damage, you are right to be angry both at the people who did it and the people who decided to have this summit in a major urban centre.  You have our sympathy and our commitment to do all we can to both bring these people to justice and to try to stop it from happening in future.  What happened to you is unfair and unconscionable." 

You know what you have now idiots?  You have lots of people thinking you're reasonable.  Now you've got people thinking "well they seem reasonable, if they're saying they were out there doing nothing and the police just arrested them...maybe there's something to this"

You know who people think deserve to be harassed by police..the ones with the raised fists in their logo..the ones calling what happened a battle.  That's who you short sighted idiots. 

But you don't get it.  You don't even know who you're talking to.  You do stupid things in some misguided hope of 'keeping it real' to the vocal minority of more extreme believers.  NEWS FLASH GENIUSES, those people are already on your side...stop talking to them.  You're good with them.  

So here's an email I sent the morons behind http://www.g20justice.com/index.html

From: Alex Oliveira [mailto:alex.oliveira@freepressmusic.com]
Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2010 12:47 PM
To: 'g20justice@gmail.com'
Subject: With the hugest repspect for what you are doing...

I must offer some criticisms…as a supporter of the idea on an inquiry.

Do you understand that when you go with them militant vibe, using text like the “battle of Toronto” (which btw is a misuse of trademarked image), when you go with a militant fist in the air, when you use the high contrast, dramatic black and white riot police images , you immediately alienate the mainstream?  Not just the media who I’m sure you believe probably will never come on board to support you but average people.  People like me who are preaching the gospel about the human rights violations and calling for an inquiry.  But also people like me who will not get involved with any organization that is emitting such subversive vibes to the public. 

Take your cues from The Canadian Civil Liberties Union.  They know that the facts are on our side, the law is on our side and they know that the media and the average person in Canada thinks the people who were persecuted at The G20…‘these people’… were asking for it.  Do you think a website with a black pantheresque fist in the air, borrowing from the notoriously militant Rage Against The Machine,  that looks more like a punk rock band’s site than a legitimate social justice organization is helping anyone?

The answer is it is...it's helping your opponents in this.  And it's HURTING! YOUR! CAUSE!.  <--read that until it takes.  If you take nothing from this message, take this paragraph seriously. 

All you’re doing is preaching to the converted by putting out communications materials with this slant. You’re saying to ma and pa Canada, The Premier, The PMO and the average working stiff we are the nuts jobs you think we are.  We are the violent protesters the media is portraying as the whole story.  We are the justification for the police’s behavior.  

“Look, they even called it The Battle of Toronto…see how ‘these people’ think of what they did down there?  Tsk tsk...criminals.“

They are giving you rope and you are tying nooses with record speed.

Filter your rage into intellectual power.

PLEASE.

---

You are hurting the cause of people who have been hurt.  So, please, in the name of justice and decency, just this once, put on suit to go to the wedding and shave for the job interview.  Just how important IS non-conformity to you? 

Or...maybe, you are just a bunch of nut-jobs who shouldn't be taken seriously.  <--it's that easy to go from supporter to former supporter.  Don't kid yourself with sanctimonious entitlement. 

No seriously, this is Queen and SpadinaThis isn't about right. This isn't about left.  

This isn't about conservative.  This isn't about Liberal.  

This is about the single largest imprisonment of Canadian citizens, a great number peaceful or uninvolved... with the now second place on that list going to a use of the War Measures Act. 

It's about a disturbing attitude on behalf of law enforcement that seems to imply that freedom of the press is somehow regulated and doled out by the police.

It's about asking "so seriously, you held hundreds of people in the rain without charge or arrest because you saw some of them MAYBE wearing some manner of clothing?"

It's about asking "so seriously, why did you let them just burn your cars like that and not jump in?"

It's about asking "so seriously, why DID you drive those cruisers into the hot zone and abandon them...FOUR of them?"

It's about getting the verdict on just what the conditions in the temporary detention centre really were.  And hearing the complaints of those who believe they were treated unfairly.  Extraordinary use of power requires extraordinary explanation...beyond the typical provincial complaints process. 

It's about finding out why people with pre-cleared press accreditation were arrested. 

It's about finding out just where the hell, in specific detail, did 1.2 son of a bitching billion dollars went and WHY the CHRIST did we spend SO MUCH MORE than every other host? Like really...how did that go down?

There's an easy tendency to believe that if you support the call for an inquiry you're pro-protester but ALL Canadians should find the answers to these questions too vague, unacceptable and incongruent with the vast majority of media reports.

I don't know any political ideology that doesn't want the most basic of freedoms upheld.  There is no party or leaning that has a monopoly on fairness and there is no one lawn sign that speaks more than the others on the issues of our government just answering a few simple questions when something goes this badly. 

Question number 1.  What the F#@k just happened?

If you never want one of these again, you want a royal inquiry.

If you want them all the time and think they're super, you STILL want a royal inquiry because the absense of good answers makes that impossible, the public will never stand for it. 

Regardless of how you slice it, what side you come at it from...this has to happen.  

 @jaimestein you too sir.

@KourtneyJessica Wonderful insight, moron.

BlackBloc hands the government and their agents a lovely present...a get out of jail free card.

@gingy007 Stay home?  What the hell is wrong with you.  Do you understand protesting alone peacefully is a right? Like an actual right.

@jaimestein I'm not pinko liberal commie, I'm just saying there's lots of questions that need answering.  Troubling ones.

Wow. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonasnaimark/4739841273/sizes/l/

@Brian_P_Walker Spot on.  Can you believe they basically admitted it was easier today to look like real cops tonight?  Unreal.

Substantial sewage leak reported localized to the mouth of Toronto Police's spokesman.  Truly insulting to think smart people will buy this.

@jaimestein Funny where was this block in strategy yesterday when legitimate criminals were destroying property? This wasn't the red zone.

Police are maintaining tonight's group was more dangerous the hammer wielding group yesterday that was allowed to run wild. Seriously? #g20

Press conference recap, we think there was some black bloc in there so we cast a crazy wide net and took unreasonable measures.  Got it....

@jaimestein or people using their civil right to be in a public space...but sure, let's deamonize them.

Police press conference...this should be good.  On Cp24 right now.

@canamera they who? The couple coming from dinner? The reporter? The 14 year old? the peaceful protester? You forget what country this is?

How could such an otherwise forward thinking chief like Blair let this happen...this smells of people other than him.  He's going to eat it.

@nowtoronto this story is going to fall to the alternative press.  Don't get distracted by some Broken Social Scene story...stay on this.

Respect to CP24 for being the only media outlet staying on what might be THE story of the G20.

You have to be kidding me.  I'm having a terrible dream yes? Watch this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Heb9BXjYcII&has_verified=1 #G20

Your rights have grown inconvenient to our operational mandate.  Only one can be suspended...you lose citizen. #G20

@tamera They say these things with straight faces...it's staggering to hear.

@torontopolice this has to be one of the worst days for honest, freedom loving, hard working cops in this city ever.

Cops threatening problem inmates with a 18" wood box called "the box" if they don't comply.  I am shellshocked by horror.

Cops to prisoners being released: "here's your stuff, don't protest anymore". Referring to them as rats. What country an I talking about?

Prisoners left handcuffed for 20 hours and then not charged...so how dangerous could they be if they weren't charged? #G20

@Kelowna I talked to dozens after being released. We're talking hundreads of people with no interest in the protest. It's super bad.

@Kelowna nor I but today is a new day. It's nuts.

Cops to released person "walk south to king, if you go east or west or turn around your face will be smashed into the concrete". Lovely #G20

@Kelowna don't. I was almost arrested 150 yards north of it just for taking a picture.

This CP24 footage is an unmitigated media disaster for G20 security forces.  Epic stategy fail. Nightmare optics.

@Kelowna Yes anyone complaining is of course asking for hotels level jail...really? Maybe there's a third answer?

@lenottesen Worst. Mayor. Ever.

This isn't about the G20 anymore, it's about security, rights and some serious questions to be answered by police. Only the summit is over.

Just met a couple who had just finished eating at the keg and and tada went to jail for 17 hours.#G20 #worsethaniimagined

Sorry people the prime minister of Japan is having another piece of cheesecake. You 200 need to  have your rights stepped on. #G20

If they're criminals, arrest them.  If they're not or you don't know let them go? Have we lost out god damn minds in this city I love? #g220

@lenottesen what mayor? Quack quack quack. His last act as mayor is to observe the trampling of his people. #G20

They're f%-king holding these f&*kers until the last motorcade leaves and then tada freedom restored. Now say thank you. #G20

6 cops just stopped and asked to search the contents of my camera on spadina. Wow. Orwell in the house #G20 #fb http://twitpic.com/20kvkp

@SadieMae23 &lt;/ignore&gt;

@SadieMae23 you just lost me dickhead. You're the reason protestors can't be taken seriously.  Grow up.

All downtown Starbucks locations closed. The League of Insufferable Douchebags are set to fight the Black Bloc for this injustice. #G20 #fb

There are more police inside of the red zone than troops in Afghanistan...thats nuts. #G20 #fb

@mhamiltonmusic they have 10 platoons here. 1000 more cops is upsettingly barely noticeable.

@glennsumi I agree I was super underwhelmed by the CD...seriously please can get half as much meat?

If BP busts a window of a Starbucks or paints up a bank maybe folks will get upset with them.  Underwater oil isn't

sexy news tv #G20 #fb

@LateNightCam Silly me, thought you when you post something that means you're interested in the subject.  So you're just another mouthpiece.

@ricksanchezcnn I've been in eye of the storm for 2 days and will back today #G20

@LateNightCam are you so naive as to not see the vandalism was allowed to happen so people like you will say how the expense was justified

@tweetittoronto agreed, those committing any crimes are the enemy of all people; rich or poor.

@MikeApo_Soul always, those idiots ruin it for everyone.

Super. Now the official protest area is apparently not for the public either. I'm sorry but that's antagonistic. #fb

@antzstories it's the distraction from a legitimate agenda...if you don't get that you're part of the problem

@therewasnosound those cruisers are bait and it's being taken hook line and sinker. Successful tactics. #G20

Well if I wanted a security uniform...fail. #G20 http://twitpic.com/208ifc

@tweetittoronto right cause it's the peoples fault...who asked for this to be here again? Site the real problem..the summit.

"All we wanna say is they don't really care about us".  First Michael Jackson protest song. Fail. #G20 #FB

There's a real chance I'm about to be tear gassed.  #bucketlist #G20

Oh.  http://twitpic.com/207y75

Just announced facial recognition cameras being used at richmond and university...wild #G20  http://twitpic.com/207ugb

Things being tossed at cops at Duncan and queen.  Mood escalated.  http://twitpic.com/207p36

@MikeApo_Soul How long have you known me? When love comes to town I gotta catch that train #g20

Word is university is getting messed up. I bet that's word of mouth gone wrong.

This is Spadina NORTH bound http://twitpic.com/207kui

The guy blasting war pigs...hard tto know which side he's on.  #sarcasm #G20

Ok gas masks are oming out big time...on both sides...it's about to go down. #G20 #decisionfail

There's at least 200 cops waiting on Richmond at Spadina

You didn't think trouble would come to town and I wouldn't have to be in the middle of it did you? #G20 #toronto # http://twitpic.com/1zxbde

I don't need to say the attack on America in New York on September 11, 2001 when everyone knows what 9-11 means.  Her rhetoric is practically short form cliche. 

The real world's problems cannot be distilled down to such useless over simplifications...sometimes the real answers take longer than 30 seconds to explain so people get bored and find someone who makes them feel smarter...faster.

Ironically, this post started as a tweet that was too long, so I was going to make it a Facebook post.  Then as I got to typing I exceed their 420 character limit (and by the way, which stoner at Facebook had a laugh with that arbitrary amount?).  

So it would seem I'm ultimately speaking in defense of verbosity because we cannot let the fact that sometimes we just don't understand some issues make us get behind someone who glosses over that ignorance to make us feel better ourselves by saying it IS as simple as we think it is when it's not.  That's dangerous.  

Maybe there should be a quiz on the way into the voting booth or something.  <-- fast forward 10 years when my political opponent finds this blog and uses this in a Willy Horton style ad espousing my elitist attitudes :)  In his or her defense, it's the perfect length for a tweet. 

First Pack (TV term meaning content divided by commercials)

Next Week

• WHOA, what the hell happened to Boston Rob? 

Positive example:

“holy shit, how good is this?”
“i know, they’re unreal”

However, here’s why overly loud clubs actually change the band's experience with an audience and vice versa.  

Loudness is a rolling boulder, it has inertia, loudness causes more loudness and the inverse is also true.

If you don't have experience performing on stage you might not know that the band doesn't hear the PA as loud as the audience but what they do hear is the audience chatter which is now very loud on stage because the audience themselves don’t even know how loud they’re being because again the band doesn’t hear the PA as much as they do.

Said another way, you know how a person tends to yell when they are wearing headphones?  That’s what the audience is doing and the band, are the people wondering why the person with the headphones is speaking so loudly.   That’s an exaggerated but effective analogy.

So now the band is hearing what they think is a VERY rude audience and it’s killing their buzz and even the most pro of performers can’t help but let that affect their performance. 

Now on the other hand, if you turn it down to a level where you feel everything just enough and are in a comfortable range but still have the largess of the live pa experience, well then now suddenly the audience is chatting at a level the band can't hear...

Now the band thinks the audience is way into it...

Now they're feeding off that energy and killing it and now the audience is legitimately into it and so on and so on. Loudness isn't just about comfort or "oldness" or "toughness" it's an important, important part of the show.

I think we'd all agree when a PA is too quiet. It would be something we'd all instinctively know, more or less. There probably isn't a large group of people in favour of shows that are inappropriately quiet. That sounds silly to most immediately but isn't it funny that there are a number of people who for whatever misguided reason, actively work to exceed a similarly logical value on the high side?

"man it's so quiet"
 "I know awesome right!? 
 "totally!"

Replace quiet with loud and suddenly you're 'rock and roll'...ooo..right on...the audience is having a totally shit time, but cool, good for you, you're show the audience how lame they are.  What a great night out for them.

Musicians are commended on their ability to control dynamics.  It’s literally the same for sound guys and if you’re just pushing every song to the limit, show after show...well then you’re just Steve Templeton.

A lot of people are blaming this on a down economy but economic conditions like these are merely catalysts to expose who is running a legitimate business with value to the consumer and who is just catching financial shrapnel of a boom economy. 

So I'm going to cut and paste some Facebook comments I made this morning that I think do a good job of explaining how I feel about the state of the 'product' that is the indie rock. 

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This is what happens when we continue to devalue the live music product. No one can make a living, not the bands and apparently not the bars. It's going to be ugly for a while stilll. We're going to lose bands, good ones, bands that 10 years ago would have been signed and moving toward a career. Similarly we're going to lose once viable venues.