What If !!??

[tommysmalls]

...from the claude young thread....

there was a party, lets say at turbo or the docks, or zen lounge, kool haus, etc. (i.e.some venue for 1000 peeps), some local promoter put together an event with a lineup of the best toronto has to offer:

vortex
adam winick LIVE
arthur askin LIVE
adam marshall
greg gow
todd smith
the dukes
bryce walker
freddy paolo
dj gerald
derek parsons
tommysmalls
curt martin
engine

etc. (the list could go on, and on, and on)

how many people do you think would actually show up?

100? 200 tops? maybe if kenny glasgow was thrown on the bill, i few more peeps would come out, but not many - just look at how events like KLIP did at Kool Haus (w/ carola/gaetek/green velvet LIVE/stewart walker LIVE)....maybe 200 paying patrons.

now what if this party was thrown in london/waterloo/guelph/ottawa/montreal/windsor?

800+, easy!

and what if this was in germany/holland/france/eastern europe?

2000+

all this talk about there being so much talent in this city doesn't really mean much when people don't actually actively participate in the local scene. we can have 20 radio shows, and 10 weekly events - but does it really make a difference to the people that live in this city?

technoheads - where are you? what are you looking for an event?

cheers,
tommy

 

[eco.R1]

we could get the ball rolling this friday......

 

[tommysmalls]

Originally posted by eco.R1
we could get the ball rolling this friday......

i certainly hope so !

 

[d.code]

new inspiration?

That can be looked upon in a thousand different ways.

I hope to be present this friday should I have the money to make it. Rent has been tight this month.

Cheers
Tyler

 

[tekno princess]

Originally posted by tommysmalls


all this talk about there being so much talent in this city doesn't really mean much when people don't actually actively participate in the local scene. we can have 20 radio shows, and 10 weekly events - but does it really make a difference to the people that live in this city?

technoheads - where are you? what are you looking for an event?

cheers,
tommy

I don't think the issue is that people aren't willing to support local talent....there just doesn't seem to be much of a "market" in this city for techno anymore...you're argument about the klip party at kool haus proves that point: even if there is a "superstar" line-up, the venue is still empty...

It really is unfortunate that the techno scene in Toronto has waned so much over the last couple of years...I partially attribute this to the fact that in an attempt to preserve the purity of the scene, technoheads created an air of exclusivity, thereby earning the city a reputation for being a bunch of chin-stroking elitists...

...any other thoughts on this?

(btw, if someone did throw a party with that line-up, I think I would pee my pants!!!)

 

[derek]

I have no problems in taking it back to the warehouse scene.

Cheers,

Derek aka neurotek

 

[beaker]

Re: Re: What If !!??

Originally posted by tekno princess
I partially attribute this to the fact that in an attempt to preserve the purity of the scene, technoheads created an air of exclusivity, thereby earning the city a reputation for being a bunch of chin-stroking elitists...

agreed - just look at some of the arguments that occasionally go on in this thread. i find it to be occasionally amusing but many people find it to be just irritating at best.

 

[Adam Duke]

to push it further.....what if everyone of those dj's agreed to spin naked? We could start a 'naked techno' revolution!

I think we need to start making events EVENTS again. Too much is relied upon as far as music and venue, with not enough time being put into making the night 'special' somehow. Be it with intense re-designing of a space through decorations, or doing more 'themed' events. People don't just want music, they want entertainment in a grander form. it doesn't have to mean more $$$, just more creativity and passion.

techno needs to create an atmosphere again, and not just rely on the 'superior' qualitites of the music to sell it.

(ha ha! yeah, i said techno was superior!)

@m. <--serious!

@m.

 

[eco.R1]

in order to start getting thousands of people out to events you have to EXPAND to different forms of promotion............the PRESS, for example!

there's a much larger population (outside of any internet message board) that are largely influenced by what they read and hear in the general, widely distributed, forms of media.

making events EVENTS again is a good notion, but there's a lot more to it that just that..............well, if you want to get thousands of people out.......

 

[Destro Sanchez]

you know that I would be at a party with a lineup like that...
a good dj is a good dj! period.

a couple things you might want to consider...

that klip party was on the same weekend as the OM festival...I'm pretty sure it was, because I had to decide between the two and I'm glad I chose Stewart Walker instead....

and ya wonder why no one comes out when you have algorithm, wabi, djshows (and an electric workers) events all on the same night!!

of course all the crowds will be thin.

and another thing.
going out is EXPENSIVE.

I can't AFFORD to go out thursday to Element, Milanos etc..then a techno party on friday then a big party on saturday then afterparties on sunday and so on...

I have to be selective with my money, as do many other people who go out...so sometimes when it comes down to it, you are going to want to spend your money on someone who might never return to Toronto (Claude Young etc..) because you can catch the locals every week after when there isn't a big name you want to see.

Destro

 

[Hal-9000]

i blame the ocad army for scaring people away from techno.

I agree with Destro somewhat, it might be a good time to galvanize and unit rather than compete..i don't know if the "market" is big enough to support multiple parties on the same night...

 

[d.code]

Yeah I seriously just dont have the cash to be going out. Im a poor starving artist.

Too much money?
warehouse parties were free.....

 

[whitelabel_tm]

I think that KLIP was an anomaly. On a different weekend it may have done better. Or that Mekka didn't sell many tickets. Some people go for the music and save up for a ticket in advance. Some just look for a party on the night of. The 'scene' is a funny animal.

It is hard to predict and it evolves all the time. The people behind Mekka knew what they were doing and it still flopped. That shows you that even the 'experts' can be wrong in knowing the electronica market. The techno audience is the pickiest when it comes to attending events. Whether it is techno or any other genre, people should realize that it is a party and you should be out to have fun with your friends. If not, then it is better to stay home and play with your computer or stereo. I think that technophiles have to measure the 'intrigue' factor of an event.
So be it. Techno belongs to everyone and it should be shared, not stifled. That is the main purpose of throwing jams...

 

[Guest]

good call on that tommy - someone needed to say it....


unite come togehter support the locals and build on what we have. I should be out this evening.... perhaps I shall see some of ya out

 

[eco.R1]

Originally posted by whitelabel_tm
Techno belongs to everyone and it should be shared, not stifled. That is the main purpose of throwing jams...

exactly. we can all attempt to find the deeper meaning in techno (and the electronic music scene in general) but at the end of the day, it's a form of entertainment.

because i felt so strongly about my music, i found it difficult at first to accept this notion. but once i did, "things" just started making so much more sense.

craig

 

[eco.R1]

Originally posted by memento
unite come togehter support the locals and build on what we have.

indeed. without support of the locals (especially the local producers), the scene doesn't grow........and a scene that doesn't grow is an unhealthy scene.

 

[d.code]

exactly. we can all attempt to find the deeper meaning in techno (and the electronic music scene in general) but at the end of the day, it's a form of entertainment.

Wich would be the whole point of partying in the first place.
Living life with it.
Damn my odd beatnik recent discoveries.



My own reasons for not being that active in the party scene of late is because money. Events do cost money and when you are a starving student- its hard to be able to go to that many events that arnt free.

Cheers
Tyler

 

[tEkKiD]

tommy...

probally reach 500 +

if tEkKiD was on that list...

 

[oddmyth]

Originally posted by eco.R1


exactly. we can all attempt to find the deeper meaning in techno (and the electronic music scene in general) but at the end of the day, it's a form of entertainment.

because i felt so strongly about my music, i found it difficult at first to accept this notion. but once i did, "things" just started making so much more sense.

craig

WERD to that, I think that's half the initiation of DJ'ing is learning that its more about having fun than about having every mix be perfect and flawless. Albeit I would still love every mix to be flawless, or to not have the generator cut out on my most exciting mix [@m hope your hands healed]. In the end though its about making it fun, having a good time yourself, which, in turn makes everyone else have fun. It's amazing how fast you can progress after you have this realization. Its like someone just took that big pipe wrench outta your ass [I bronzed mine and put it above the mantle].

Cheers
[odd]?[io]

 

[Bean]

I don't thinhk Toronto is ready (read: has the techno base) to run a successful large scale techno event. I think we need to focus on throwing smaller events and build to that level.

I went to three techno events at the koolhaus last spring summer (derrick may / stacey pullen on victoria liong weekend, klip, and richie hawtin). The warehouse seemed completely empty, with the exception of the richie hawtin event, with the 'tent' shrinking its size.

on the other hand, i went to the last technomeet / fukhouse et al jam and it was tight. the venue was small, but full of technoloving people, enjoying the night. i think focus is needed to build on such an audience, eventually working up to large scale events.

techno, it seems, is not the music of the masses. unfortunately, without the support of the masses, a large scale event won't be successful.

how much I would love to have the koolhaus as packed as i hear it was for sasha and digweed, for some techno headliners.

peace,

sabina

.:. share what you know, learn what you don't .:.

 

[Dave Lee]

in order to start getting thousands of people out to events you have to EXPAND to different forms of promotion............the PRESS, for example!
********

been there done that
the closest we've (fukhouse and technomeet) got to getting big big coverage was the feature story on jeremy caulfield in Eye magazine.

lemme break it down for you dude from a media perspective (i work for a magazine and i'm a journalism grad) and from a promotor perspective (i do technomeet and coop with fukhouse)

the media won't take interest in anything musically that won't appeal to a large market. After all why do newspapers make money at all? Because advertisers feel that the audience is broad enough that they'll hit enough eyeballs. You can package and repackage and beat journalists over the head with all the info you want and about how great techno is but until they feel it's something that their readers will want to see they won't publish a story about a small event with locals.

For example... toronto star journalist Ben Rayner is an educated person, loves techno, and knows his music. But who does he write about? Anyone as big as hawtin. Why? Not because he doesn't know that Mateo is playing at Red Square but because plenty more people know about superstar DJs and producers than they do about Mateo

 

[derek]

Originally posted by derek
I have no problems in taking it back to the warehouse scene.

Cheers,

Derek aka neurotek

I repeat the above....good way to keep it small, and excellent for local talent + don't have to charge much at door. $5 - $10 max.

Cheers,

Derek

 

[Dave Lee]

Originally posted by Bean
I don't thinhk Toronto is ready (read: has the techno base) to run a successful large scale techno event. I think we need to focus on throwing smaller events and build to that level.

techno, it seems, is not the music of the masses. unfortunately, without the support of the masses, a large scale event won't be successful.

Man Bean is so right

At this stage of the game I think filling Turbo upstairs was a great accomplishment (i.e. Richie and Mills). Trying to fill Kool Haus would be way too ambitious at this point.

The reason we aren't a huge party city for techno yet is because we're just not a huge city period. I think we sometimes forget that Canada as a whole has the same population as New York City (with it's burbs). That's a huge difference in scenes. I bet you in New York you would have zero problem filling a joint with 500+ people for an all locals show because that represents such a TINY fraction of the market. But here in Toronto where at a typical techno jam you meet people from downtown, scarborough, sauga, richmond hill, oakville etc etc you realize that there's only so many people in this city of ours

We have to change our mindset. Not to think small but to think smart.

BTW the turnout at Red Square last night was encouraging. Kudos to the promotors

dave

 

[eco.R1]

Originally posted by Bean
I don't thinhk Toronto is ready (read: has the techno base) to run a successful large scale techno event. I think we need to focus on throwing smaller events and build to that level.

indeed. techno is not a large reflection of our local culture (yet). therefore i don't see large techno events working (yet). for techno to be more of a reflection of toronto there needs to be an increase in local techno producers. in this day and age, the toronto scene doesn't need anymore djs. what we need are producers.

Originally posted by Bean
on the other hand, i went to the last technomeet / fukhouse et al jam and it was tight. the venue was small, but full of technoloving people, enjoying the night. i think focus is needed to build on such an audience, eventually working up to large scale events.

very true.

Originally posted by Bean
techno, it seems, is not the music of the masses.

i'm sure the people in germany would disagree with you. it CAN be the "music of the masses", but first, it must be a "relfection" of a larger group of people. right now, in toronto, it's not a reflection of the majority (like hip hop is, for example). and perhaps because our city is so extremely diverse, techno may never actually blow up as much as it has in other parts of the world. but i strongly believe that the techno scene here in toronto can grow larger and be healthier than it's current state.

Originally posted by Bean
how much I would love to have the koolhaus as packed as i hear it was for sasha and digweed, for some techno headliners.

so would i. but i don't see this happening just yet.

craig

 

[eco.R1]

Originally posted by Dave Lee
in order to start getting thousands of people out to events you have to EXPAND to different forms of promotion............the PRESS, for example!
********

been there done that
the closest we've (fukhouse and technomeet) got to getting big big coverage was the feature story on jeremy caulfield in Eye magazine.

maybe i should've written that differently or expanded on my statement. i don't believe that getting press will immediately ensure 1000s of people to events. i also don't expect "techno" to be covered on a larger scale until, as i've stated, techno becomes a larger reflection of our culture (ie/ until it appeals to more of our population).

Originally posted by Dave Lee
lemme break it down for you dude from a media perspective (i work for a magazine and i'm a journalism grad) and from a promotor perspective (i do technomeet and coop with fukhouse)

the media won't take interest in anything musically that won't appeal to a large market. After all why do newspapers make money at all? Because advertisers feel that the audience is broad enough that they'll hit enough eyeballs. You can package and repackage and beat journalists over the head with all the info you want and about how great techno is but until they feel it's something that their readers will want to see they won't publish a story about a small event with locals.

thanks, dave. i feel enlightened.

don't worry, i'm well aware of how the media works and how $$$ makes the world go'round.

i still feel strongly about my original point. EXPANDING to different forms of media leads to one, of many, things - EDUCATION. i'm not saying that the general public will be educated by reading a few articles. but i find press only helps getting people excited about something.

anyways, i have to go eat something. i'm STARVING!