stop giving David Kitt ideas.

Some indie band in the UK tried to do this earlier in the year (they claim it was overenthusiastic friends and family members), got caught and were disqualified from the charts.

being in a band is poopy!

Why so, Dudley? Are you in The Dudley Corporation?

Having played in both the UK and Ireland a lot over the years I have to say it is a shame how many of the more talented Irish bands dont make it. We are very lucky to have so many good bands in what is a small country. Go to see a local showcase in London, Manchester, Glasgow etc and you will see maybe one good band on the bill but the rest will be very average. My point is there is some great music being made in this country so get out there and show your support. Oh yeah and on the Pilotlight topic, I suggest anyone that rights off a band on the basis of one 'off' gig should consider giving the band a second chance. Bands do change from time to time and try out new ideas. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Kind of tangenital (woo, invented almost rude word!), but there are elements of being in a band in Ireland that are a bit suck. I've not given a lot of thought to this as I'm too busy rolling up planets in Katamari Damacy, but having toured a fair bit of the US some things stand out. Bear with me as I rant this out, and they are two minor points (and it's not an attack on Irish bands, I think there are some incredible Irish bands at the minute!!).. Firstly, American bands s**t all over Irish bands. Absolutely. Everytime. Technically... It was something we noticed very quickly the first time we toured there, but every night, in every small town we fell into, the bands were always superb. Technically... And the musicianship was phenomenal. And they always had superb gear. The most exquisite amps and vintage kits etc, and always in immaculate condition. Tragically, these bands were almost always terrible, piddle poor songwriting. We quickly figured out why there was such a startling difference in musicianship. Maybe, and patronisingly, we assumed that in these small towns there wasn't a whole lot for kids to do other than practice in their band rooms with their pals, but more likely we thought it boiled down to a very different attitute to putting on gigs and playing. Bands in the US do *not* share backline. Ever. My experience in Ireland of organising gigs usually revolves around "can you bring the bass amp?", "can band X supply a kit?". It took us a long time to get used to people looking affronted and appalled every time we asked to borrow a guitar amp, or could we share a kit shell, but it just doesn't happen. After a band plays, every item of backline is stripped from the stage and the next bands gear gets thrown up. You get used to seeing 2 or 3 drumkits ready assembled in a hallway, just waiting to be hauled on stage. We used to express our amazement to the local bands at how surely this must make changeovers take forever and how the sound must be screwed up for the night, engineers having to re-mic all the gear. Yet, without fail the sound would be amazing, changeover would take seconds, and in the smaller clubs there are rarely soundchecks. If it's your own gear, you know how you want it to sound, all a good engineer has to do is linecheck it (over here you have to waste time messing with someone elses settings blah) Obviously gear is a *hell* of a lot cheaper over there, but surely most bands here have their own stuff? Point is, when these US bands get onstage, it's like their game has already been raised. They have all their own gear, so there's no excuse for it not sounding how they want, if they sound crappy it's more likely cos they're playing bad. And they tend to play out of their skins. The actual songs may stink, but in their own way, these bands rock out. It's an attitude that I can't really see taking off over here. We always, always bring our own backline to gigs over here now, despite the hassle, and it's even led to fights with notable sound engineers. "ah, use that amp there, it's already mic'd and eq'd for the room" "no, that's not my amp. this is my amp. all you have to do is move a mic" "....." "i'll even move it for you" "....." And then you've got a sound man with an attitude for the rest of the night. (nb there are some amazing engineers in the country too, but these experiences are definitely more commonplace in Ireland than elsewhere, from our experience) To me, it just seems like it's worth getting over the hassle of transporting gear, makes such a difference. The other thing, and it's so much more the crucial factor, that we need are practice spaces. The situation here is *horrible*. What is it, something like 70 euro for a band to practice for 5 hours now? That's terrible. How much must that discourage people from playing. Practice rooms are usually when the most creative and fun things happen in bands, but if your time is at such a premium you're screwed. All my pals in the US have amazing practice rooms. And none are in official rehearsal studios. It's such a common practice for landlords to let bands use empty space to practice in, for little money, maybe a couple of hundred dollars a months at the most outrageous. And it's your room, you can use it whenever and for as long as you want. Landlord gets to know that there are people using his building who will keep an eye on it's basic maintenance. My favourite even has a beer vending machine in it. The dream! Greedy landlords here pretty much guarantee that that will never happen, but it is depressing. How many rooms are out there now in Dublin, laying dormant that could entertain some rocking? Billions! Again, I do think there are some phenomenal people and bands over here, but the above points are definitely two hugely noticeable differences. I haven't read over this so I expect my poor literaly skills will have insulted someone. If it did that's not what I meant! I'm full of s**t. Back to Katamari I go.

v good post dudley i've always noted the technical excellence of visiting bands (particularly the US ones) and wondered why irish bands were never ever up to the same basic standard. it really does take someone in a band to point out such basic stuff as owning your own gear AND having access to cheap rehearsal spaces.

I'd totally agree with Dudley on the "we don't share backline" stance of UK and US bands, however I like the way Irish bands are supportive of each other and share (especially as lots of people in bands don't have access to cars/trucks/vans and gig around Dublin/Cork the rest of the country). We've also done a number of gigs in the US and UK and most bands we've played with at regular band nights are AWFUL - really and truly (even though some are way mor technically proficiant than I will ever be) - and I think this might be because they don't go out and listen to their peers/local bands - it's just a theory but most bands in Dublin go out and support other bands, share ideas, share good records - there is a bit of a community (I'm not talking about a cliche). I've also found that they will not share amps/backline - even if you've just gotten off a flight from Dublin and have no way to bring amps/bass drum etc. I get Dudley's point about it being better to play with your own gear but it's not always possible. We've had loads of problems with gigs in London because of the sharing backline thing and we generally have to hire our backline. And that's even after you've phoned all the bands and asked nicely and they've said yes - the story sometimes changes when you turn up on the night ( with regular old twin cabs turning into "vintage" amps too precious to use). There's not a lot of trust or support accross the two oceans. Also I have to say it's a joy to play gigs in Dublin/Ireland and work with professional sound engineers/bands/organisers who actually know what's going on. We don't know how lucky we are!!! And there are some great venues/promoters around the country who are actually paying bands to travel and play!!! You guys know who you are, and thanks for that!

they shouldn't be expected to share backline though. people reneging after previously agreeing to lend stuff isn't fair obviously, but expecting the right to borrow gear just cos you've travelled doesn't really work for me. now that i've got a nice fancy valve amp, i've been dismayed at the general lack of respect other bands have shown it when borrowed. best example being a major gig in the UK where my amp exploded onstage after someone knocked over a bottle of beer they'd perched on it. cost me a fortune and a whole heap of heartbreak to get fixed, not to mention screweing up the gig. if i'd stuck to my guns and politely said i'd rather not share than it wouldn't have happened. stupidly i still always yes when asked. also, if you have to hire gear when you travel abroad, so be it. it's a lot cheaper to do it than in ireland, and i've yet to hear an overseas band complaining about renting needed equipment here. it's just part of what you have to do, no? last US tour we did, i got an amazing traynor head for 5 weeks use for $200. anthony from large mound insists it's only southsiders that borrow gear, ask for plectrums etc 8)

Here Dudley, is it that simple to get your own backline used at gigs here? I've not gigged that much but I've always had a resounding "no chance!" from soundmen when I've politely asked if we could replace one of the amps up on stage for one of ours for our set which is frustrating as f**k seeing as we've invested a fair bit into buying decent amps (Fender Twin Reverb, Vox AC30, Ashdown bass combo, do need another good amp admittedly) and typically wind up having to use equipment that isn't as good because someone higher on the bill has inferior gear.

those are bad soundmen, say it to the production manager or venue owner. it's *absurd* to not be allowed to use your own gear. be polite but insist. fair enough if you are supporting a band with their own backline set up that they don't want to move, but just set up in front of it. s'what you normally do.