I have a pure dislike to band competitions and contests around this area. Competitions and various contests have always been a big part of the Capital District of local music, and I refuse to be a part of all of them for a few reasons. #1) You don’t need to prove yourself how great and talented you are by entering these things, when all you need is just make your music and play your gigs. That’s it. No need to take yourself seriously. #2) I don’t want to come off looking desperate or being pretentious. I don’t need that kind of attention, and I don’t want to be recognized like that with my music. It’s not that I know, I will never win these things, I know I won’t. It’s just all these competitions and contests are, a popularity contest. Most likely the voting is rigged, and broken, anyway. I’ll never be a part of SPAC’s Battle of the Bands, radio station contests or any other singer/songwriter competitions. I want to be able to see if I can get successful my own way without being a part of these things, know what I mean? Prove that you can get popularity and recognition on your own, ’cause I believe entering competitions and contests is cheating to get recognition. You can get recognition and become more established, just by making the good music alone. You don’t need to be a part of these things.

On with WEXT’s “Exit Factor” contest where a grand prize winner gets the opportunity to open for Capital Area Indie Fest at the Egg, sounds like a nice idea, but do you really want to pay $50, just to enter this thing? It’s a pay to play scheme for sure. I don’t think this competition will be getting that many well known bands entering this thing ’cause they would know this is a ripoff. The only bands I can see entering it are the young bands who are just starting out, so hopefully they don’t make that mistake, which is why I made this post, hoping they would change their mind and not enter this contest.

While, I’m no fan of SPAC’s “Battle of the Bands” either, I still give it credit that it doesn’t cost anything to enter.

I hope bands and solo artists would think twice before paying the $50, entering “The Exit Factor”, and I also think it’s lame naming a competition after a reality show, hoping that will get people excited.

NO OFFENSE, to WEXT or the Capital Area Indie Fest. I’m not knocking them. I’m only pointing my fingers at, “The Exit Factor” competition. I’m noticing that Crumbs didn’t even say the entry fee for musicians to enter, but when I went to the website to see for myself, for my own amusement, I was like, “Wow, really, $50 for entering?”

Not only that I want nothing to do with these contests or competitions, I’ll NEVER do pay to play events. If you want this to be successful either lower the entry fee or make it free. Don’t get me wrong, I think playing at the Egg would be a fantastic opportunity, I would want it myself, but when a pay to play scheme is involved here, no thank you.

Of course, some bands won’t take my advice. They would do just about anything to get recognition even if means paying money to get it. Hell, maybe most musicians around here, would totally agree with me. Playing music around the Capital District area, seems to be about making money these days, which is sad to see.

See the link, here, so you know what I’m talking about.

Kev