This post might piss off some musicians out there but it needs to be said. If you’re one of those bands who are like, “WWAAaaaaaahhh, stop writing about my band. I don’t like it” or “Stop Criticizing the music scene” then you guys shouldn’t have become a musician in the first place.

If you’re going to whine and cry about online criticism toward yourself or your band and blah blah blah… you get the deal… then you don’t have what it takes to play music professionally.

Like I said before, wait until you get your first negative review from an online music site or where ever. Not everybody is going to write positive stuff about your band. That’s the name of the game in the music business. If you’re gonna get easily offended  at a little bit of honesty, then you should retire. Quit what you’re doing.

So if you get offended at some of the stuff I say on here just wait until some of the critics  at different music sites write about you out there. I’m sure you bands out there google yourself everyday to see if people write stuff about you. When you google yourself and you discover a blog site or a music critic site and if you get an album review or a concert review that is not so kind, don’t be surprised. Seriously, there are tons of music sites out there that are pretty honest toward unsigned talent. You’re gonna get a few bad reviews ripping the hell out of your band… whether you like it or not.

I just wanted to say that musicians starting their own blogs or venting in facebook to lash out at the critics is not the way to go. It’s just unprofessional for musicians to respond to critics. I have seen bands respond to nasty reviews before and really it makes the band look bad when they do that. I know it’s bad that bands sometimes get bad reviews but it happens. Responding to critics in a harsh and nasty way, bashing the writer is not gonna make things better.

When you see some online criticism toward your band best thing to do is ignore it and let it go. Take it as a compliment and be flattered anyway.

I mean, if you respond to everything negative being written about you online… think how that’s gonna make you look. It’ll make you look arrogant and egotistical. I know you expect everyone to be positive about your band but it’s never gonna happen. If you keep replying to negative criticism or negative reviews… then your career isn’t gonna last long.

When bands respond to critics, it makes them look extremely childish. Bands retaliating against their critics is not the way to go.

I get criticism all the time and still do. I just try my best to ignore it all. I can’t do anything about criticism aimed at me. I would like people to treat me more positively but I know it’s never gonna happen. I can’t please everybody. You can’t please everybody either.

You can’t force everyone to like everything you do. You can’t force everyone to agree with everything you do. So get over yourselves, dudes.

Most successful bands get negative criticism all the time. They just don’t reply to any of it. I can sit here and say Phantogram sucks ’cause I think they do suck. It’s my opinion and I have the right to it.

Go ahead. Keep responding to the bloggers and critics out there when they decide to write nasty stuff about your band. You’ll be keeping your fingers busy.

Kev

This is the one thing that bothers me about this area’s music scene in the Capital Region. Everyone thinking that they’re superstars or they just wanna be. Everybody wants to move forward and become successful. Everyone is hoping to get signed to an indie label or a major. Yes, local artists around the Capital Region can get some fame. It can be possible but it’s very tough to do. It’s very rare that bands & artists gets fame nationally. Well, it may have already happened with Sean Rowe and Phantogram but they are just indie artists for now. They aren’t on a major label just yet. Due to the success of Sean Rowe and Phantogram, I believe that’s what made everyone else in the area want the same thing. They are going after the same success that those artists just got.

Most bands and artists will never admit that they want fame & fortune but you know that’s what they all want. You can tell how they market themselves and promote themselves. Most of them promotes themselves as if they are on a major label when they are not. Crazy isn’t it?

A lot of people like to knock me and criticize me for not chasing the same dream. Truthfully that’s not what I do music for. I don’t care to get signed. I don’t care to get huge and popular. I don’t care to perform the bigger stages. I don’t care to get all that good stuff. That stuff would be nice, don’t get me wrong but I wouldn’t care to get there at all. I don’t do it for money either. I don’t care for fame and success although, I do know that some people would like to see me get there. I don’t care to win Battle of the Bands or any of that garbage.

I don’t know why this area is obsessed with “stardom”. I’m not.

I never cared to promote myself like that.

The only thing I care about is writing songs and getting it out there. Sharing it with people and giving feedback on my songs. I never cared to write hit songs or music that people can dance to. I just wanna make music and make art.

I’m never worried about being a star.

On top of that, it’s pretty pointless getting fame anyways. I’m not a big fan of record labels be it indie or major. They’re both garbage. Being unsigned is pretty cool, in my humble opinion. This is where I like to be.

There are too many bands wanting to be superstars. My advice is don’t. You don’t need fame. You’re doing fine just the way you are now. Bands wanting fame and thinking they’re superstars are just musicians with serious delusions of grandeur. Just play music for the love of it and don’t take yourself so serious.

Kev