515 Crew

[Andy State]

Effective 12/01.08

If we do not recieve promotional materials from your band/management AT LEAST 14 DAYS PRIOR TO SHOW DATE your show WILL be cancelled.

We are providing our HOUSE to bands to play here. The least you can do is promote yourself. it is not our job to do it for you. We're more than happy to distribute any fliers/otherwise that we are sent, but we're not going to continue to host shows for bands that dont promote themselves.

thank you

620 House

-Joe.

I see no reason why anyone should knock these guys

This is why we "knock" these guys, this is what hurts a scene,and this is not helping in anyway build a better one

[Shane]

These guys take themselves WAY too seriously.

[aeon grey]

Effective 12/01.08

If we do not recieve promotional materials from your band/management AT LEAST 14 DAYS PRIOR TO SHOW DATE your show WILL be cancelled.

We are providing our HOUSE to bands to play here. The least you can do is promote yourself. it is not our job to do it for you. We're more than happy to distribute any fliers/otherwise that we are sent, but we're not going to continue to host shows for bands that dont promote themselves.

thank you

620 House

-Joe.

I see no reason why anyone should knock these guys

This is why we "knock" these guys, this is what hurts a scene,and this is not helping in anyway build a better one

Honestly, I have ran into a lot of venues throughout the country that have similiar policies to these regarding promotion. It doesn't even make sense to be a band, want to do a show at someone else's place, but not promote it. I actually see this is as a reasonable request, but certainly worded poorly.

[Andy State]

[quote="aeon grey

Honestly, I have ran into a lot of venues throughout the country that have similiar policies to these regarding promotion. It doesn't even make sense to be a band, want to do a show at someone else's place, but not promote it. I actually see this is as a reasonable request, but certainly worded poorly.[/quote]


yea bands should promote themselves and shouldn't rely only on the venue to do it, but saying they wont do anything is kinda fucked.

have you really seen other basements and houses with this policy i can see it as a policy for a bar or professional venue but i guess i've never seen it for a house

[joseph]

i have no problem with anybody trying to have a house venue at all. i dont care if they have pantera or greatful dead cover bands. the way theyre going about it with the datebook newspaper promotion stuff isnt the best idea legally. other than hob im glad theres somewhere else for numetal to go cause i wouldnt really want to see it at the hawnted bass mint. unity is fine and fun but theres just certain "SCENES" that probly shouldnt meet. but id be willing to play this house and im awful at promotion. theres nothing that upsets me more than begging people to come see my band

[joseph]

have you really seen other basements and houses with this policy i can see it as a policy for a bar or professional venue but i guess i've never seen it for a house

theres alot of basement/warehouse venues that if they find out youve made a flyer or a mass email with the name or address of the illegal venue you cannot play there. sometimes they wont even let you pay to see a show afterwords.

[baron.von.wasteland]

i have no problem with anybody trying to have a house venue at all. i dont care if they have pantera or greatful dead cover bands. the way theyre going about it with the datebook newspaper promotion stuff isnt the best idea legally. other than hob im glad theres somewhere else for numetal to go cause i wouldnt really want to see it at the hawnted bass mint. unity is fine and fun but theres just certain "SCENES" that probly shouldnt meet. but id be willing to play this house and im awful at promotion. theres nothing that upsets me more than begging people to come see my band

Where are these "SCENES" you speak of? Like that time your brother threw up at the chinese restaurant. He made a scene there. I haven't heard of much since.

[joseph]

Where are these "SCENES" you speak of? Like that time your brother threw up at the chinese restaurant. He made a scene there. I haven't heard of much since.

thats why i said "SCENE". hows your hoot hole?

[baron.von.wasteland]

Where are these "SCENES" you speak of? Like that time your brother threw up at the chinese restaurant. He made a scene there. I haven't heard of much since.

thats why i said "SCENE". hows your hoot hole?

rob's force finger is in your hoot hole.

[joseph]

Where are these "SCENES" you speak of? Like that time your brother threw up at the chinese restaurant. He made a scene there. I haven't heard of much since.

thats why i said "SCENE". hows your hoot hole?

rob's force finger is in your hoot hole.

BUK. hows my asstaste?

[joseph]

Where are these "SCENES" you speak of? Like that time your brother threw up at the chinese restaurant. He made a scene there. I haven't heard of much since.

thats why i said "SCENE". hows your hoot hole?

rob's force finger is in your hoot hole.

I PEED IN ROBS MOUTH

[Armstrong]

actually, we dont list shows anywhere, but several local media outlets have taken it upon themselves to do it for us. hasnt had any negative effect. we're actually outside city limits by an amazing technicality, which is part of the reason why we started doing house shows in the first place.

I welcome any of you to at least come check it out. I understand when people are scared of something new, especially when it shows up out of the blue like we did.

I also would like to point out that nothing we do at 620 House breaks any written law in Polk County, or the State of Iowa. We've done our homework. thats why we've had shows for 6 months now without a single complaint. maybe its because we take the time to regulate what goes on a bit that we dont have problems. we dont know. all we know is what we are doing is working.

and to the people that dont like our 14 day promotion policy:
this is our house. we dont owe anyone anything, and we're not going to give away our house for a night to a band that doesnt even care enough to promote themselves. if you dont wanna promote, then dont play shows.

[Joe]

and to the people that dont like our 14 day promotion policy:
this is our house. we dont owe anyone anything, and we're not going to give away our house for a night to a band that doesnt even care enough to promote themselves. if you dont wanna promote, then dont play shows.

What you just typed is completely backwards and silly. You should be booking bands at house shows because you want to see them play, you want others to see them play, and you want to help these bands out. You should be booking them at your house for the love of the DIY attitude and ethic... telling a band they need to do their own promotion in a place they've never been at before for a show that's in the basement of a house is completely absurd.

As far as I've known, that's how the DIY network works: you hook bands up in your town, you get them shows, make fliers for the shows, promote the shit out of it and get kids to come, and the band that you helped out will then do the same for you in their hometown. In the process of doing this, you will be helping out the scene by keeping it healthy and hopefully helping it to grow.

But, yeah, it is your house, so do what you want, just look forward to your band playing lots of Hot Topic in store chill fests in the future.

-Joe.

[elliot]

Start booking local bands on your shows, and then we'll talk.

[moltar]

Burnage!

[servo]

everyone who posted in this thread is a fag

[Armstrong]

I'm sorry, but i'm too busy to promote your band for you. I've got my own projects that i'm working on. If you wanna play shows, then you should be able to promote yourself, and if you cant, then your band is a fucking joke and you should really call it quits while you're still ahead. self promotion is one of the biggest factors in the overall success of a band. now, we're more than happy to distribute any materials that the band, or booking agency, or management or whoever sends to us, but no, we're not going to create, and distribute promotional materials for the bands who play here. dont like it? dont book here.

Start booking local bands on your shows, and then we'll talk.

read our blog. you kids really are idiots, and to be honest, we could care less if any of you like our house or our shows. we still have 40-50 people at every show regardless of whether you like them or not.

And yeah. Our band does get to do in-store shows at Hot Topic. They are one of the largest and most popular music retailers in the country, and we are LUCKY and GREATFUL that they would even take the time to help us promote ourselves.

[TooManyHumyns]

I'm sorry, but i'm too busy to promote your band for you. I've got my own projects that i'm working on. If you wanna play shows, then you should be able to promote yourself, and if you cant, then your band is a fucking joke and you should really call it quits while you're still ahead. self promotion is one of the biggest factors in the overall success of a band. now, we're more than happy to distribute any materials that the band, or booking agency, or management or whoever sends to us, but no, we're not going to create, and distribute promotional materials for the bands who play here. dont like it? dont book here.

Start booking local bands on your shows, and then we'll talk.

read our blog. you kids really are idiots, and to be honest, we could care less if any of you like our house or our shows. we still have 40-50 people at every show regardless of whether you like them or not.

And yeah. Our band does get to do in-store shows at Hot Topic. They are one of the largest and most popular music retailers in the country, and we are LUCKY and GREATFUL that they would even take the time to help us promote ourselves.

first of all, your policy really makes no sense what-so-ever...but as stated, do what you want...i understand your busy, i've set up several shows, and im a fairly busy person, but i still found time to promote them, and even have them in my shitty basement...joe has done a whole lot as well as far as booking and promotion, as well as some other people...im sure we all could justify why we are sooooooo busy, but how can you expect a band to flyer for a show in des moines, when they are in texas???i mean, by your logic, most of my favorite bands should call it quits...
question..what if touring bands sent you posters, would you put them up???
and
what is your band?
and i think your hot topic band should play a show at the haunted basement with a band from 'our' side of the aisle(sp)

[Darrin]

What's a chill fest and how do I get one set up for my band? Can I go on tour and chill instead of play music? Because that would be ideal.

[Armstrong]

"now, we're more than happy to distribute any materials that the band, or booking agency, or management or whoever sends to us, but no, we're not going to create, and distribute promotional materials for the bands who play here. dont like it? dont book here."

we've got our own street team of like 8 kids who hit the town hard with ANY materials that the bands send out to us.

my band is Same Sick Feeling. and no, we wouldnt be interested in playing at the Haunted Basement, nothing against the place, i've met a couple of the people there, and we're 100% supportive of what they do, and dont have anything bad to say about the place, however, our band is marketed to a completely different audience than the Haunted Basement, and we know well enough that hardcore and striaghtedge kids arent going to be into our music.

its just so funny. this board is full of the same ignorance and shit-headed behavior that i've seen in every scene around the midwest, and thats exactly why its so hard for bands from the midwest to get anywhere. you guys just assume you know everything about what we do at 620 House because you glance over something that we post and think you know all about what our intentions are. NONE of the statements made about 620 House on here have been accurate. we DO have locals at every show, we WILL put up fliers if the band takes the time to send them to us.

its just sad really. you are all doomed to this same small minded mediocrity unless you can seriously get over yourselves and just be happy there is another place to play in the market you live in. we're not trying to outdo anyone, or put ourselves out to be better than everyone else, we just know that the way we do things works, and we'd like more people to be a part of it.

[TooManyHumyns]

my band is Same Sick Feeling. and no, we wouldnt be interested in playing at the Haunted Basement, nothing against the place, i've met a couple of the people there, and we're 100% supportive of what they do, and dont have anything bad to say about the place, however, our band is marketed to a completely different audience than the Haunted Basement, and we know well enough that hardcore and striaghtedge kids arent going to be into our music.

im not hardcore or straightedge...

[Joe]

we've got our own street team of like 8 kids who hit the town hard with ANY materials that the bands send out to us.

I've never seen any of this material.

my band is Same Sick Feeling. and no, we wouldnt be interested in playing at the Haunted Basement, nothing against the place, i've met a couple of the people there, and we're 100% supportive of what they do, and dont have anything bad to say about the place, however, our band is marketed to a completely different audience than the Haunted Basement, and we know well enough that hardcore and striaghtedge kids arent going to be into our music.

HOOOOOOLY SHIT. So much fucking shit wrong with this right here ("marketing" and what not, LOLOLOLOL) but I'd like to point out that LORD GREEN is playing at the Haunted Basement tonight, so... talk about making assumptions, right? God, shut the fuck up.

-Joe.

[DaVo]

I'm sorry, but i'm too busy to promote your band for you. I've got my own projects that i'm working on. If you wanna play shows, then you should be able to promote yourself, and if you cant, then your band is a fucking joke and you should really call it quits while you're still ahead. self promotion is one of the biggest factors in the overall success of a band. now, we're more than happy to distribute any materials that the band, or booking agency, or management or whoever sends to us, but no, we're not going to create, and distribute promotional materials for the bands who play here. dont like it? dont book here.

Start booking local bands on your shows, and then we'll talk.

read our blog. you kids really are idiots, and to be honest, we could care less if any of you like our house or our shows. we still have 40-50 people at every show regardless of whether you like them or not.

And yeah. Our band does get to do in-store shows at Hot Topic. They are one of the largest and most popular music retailers in the country, and we are LUCKY and GREATFUL that they would even take the time to help us promote ourselves.

They sell music at Hot Topic? Oh yeah that little section with 200 CDs of shit you either already have or don't want.

Maybe no one has explained this to you but I'm happy to:

Venue - location of an event, supplies area for the event, personal and equipment for event.

Promoter or talent buyer - Set up and gets venue, books bands in a way to insure the biggest turn out, and handles advertising for the event(flyers, press, media, etc...).

Production manager - Setup and runs event, sets line up, and manages and hires staff for the event.

OK sounds like you wearing all three hats which means that you are volunteering to do all of the above. When it comes to touring acts often they are on the road and have a limited budget for promotion. Which means that if they are playing a club in Chicago or KC and then your house in Des Moines, they are going to spend their money in Chicago and KC and then send you maybe a press photo. Which means you make your own damn flyers and either hang them yourself or find someone that is willing to do it. The minute that you agree to have these bands play your basement, you are responsible for insuring that there is people there. Not a band from out of town.

Why a no local band policy is like shooting yourself in the foot. Is that the local band will draw people, and are willing and able to promote their own shows. Being exclusive to only your firends bands means no one new is going to ever show up for these shows. If your goal is having these bands from out of town play to you and your friends, then that is ok. Great have fun. However most of these bands no one has ever heard of and thus has no interest in. They are touring to try and build their name and it's pretty shit to sell your house as a venue, get these bands to come there to play and then not draw anyone new or help them to build a fan base. It sounds makes it sound like a scam to build your band bio and have bands play private parties in your house.

Another thing to think about is that if the word gets out, the whole thing will dry up. Bands network and if you have a bunch of them play your basement with shitty turn out and low pay, those bands will tell everyone to skip your ass. The thing that sucks about all this is that these bands will get the idea that all of Des Moines sucks like you do and that you are all Des Moines has to offer. It's called pig fucking responsibility, if you are not willing to take then find some other way to pimp your band and your friend's bands.

[TooManyHumyns]

It's called pig fucking

[DaVo]

we've got our own street team of like 8 kids who hit the town hard with ANY materials that the bands send out to us.

I've never seen any of this material.

my band is Same Sick Feeling. and no, we wouldnt be interested in playing at the Haunted Basement, nothing against the place, i've met a couple of the people there, and we're 100% supportive of what they do, and dont have anything bad to say about the place, however, our band is marketed to a completely different audience than the Haunted Basement, and we know well enough that hardcore and striaghtedge kids arent going to be into our music.

HOOOOOOLY SHIT. So much fucking shit wrong with this right here ("marketing" and what not, LOLOLOLOL) but I'd like to point out that LORD GREEN is playing at the Haunted Basement tonight, so... talk about making assumptions, right? God, shut the fuck up.

-Joe.

Joe - it's more than likely because you haven't been to Hot Topic or shows there. Maybe they focus on Churches. Jr High Schools and playgrounds? I think we all know the real reason they want this material is for the free swag. If they don't get it then they came blame the low turn out on the fact there was no material sent.

I think they have read too many of these "how to get ahead in the music business" books. My question is when they sit down to write a song, are they thinking about what their market target is? I do think these little boys think they are going to get signed and hit the big time. Sorry guys but it doens't happen that way. In fact most major labels have a stable full of project bands they can shape to whatever market they wish. If you have a passion about your art you should be playing anywhere you can. High School Dances, Christian Science Reading Room, bar mitzvah and espeically the HB. One of the biggest mistakes that bands make is thinking of rooms as this type or that.

[elliot]

Remember on your myspace when you guys specifically told local bands to go work on promoting themselves or something like that? And how that message could only be construed by a reasonable person as you saying you don't book local bands on your shows? And how once everyone on this board called you out for it, you changed your tune (or at least as it appears online) and now you DO book local bands? Pretty convenient.

Also, what is so wrong with having a show where it's just local bands? I understand it's your house and you mostly want to book touring bands, but shows like that can be really fun.

With people like Armstrong, all you have to do is look at their language. Like Joe pointed out, he said his band is not "marketed" towards the Haunted Basement's usual crowd. Why does a band need to be "marketed" at all? What's wrong with playing music because it's fun and because it's a way for people to come together? The answer is that these bands are not in it for such reasons. They are in it to see who can get the most plays on myspace, who can exaggerate their popularity the most, and who can end up making money. Which is precisely why they seem to have no interest in building community with bands in Des Moines.

And Armstrong, I'd love to be proven wrong on any of this. But I'm not holding my breath.

[teedotjaydot]

Remember on your myspace when you guys specifically told local bands to go work on promoting themselves or something like that? And how that message could only be construed by a reasonable person as you saying you don't book local bands on your shows? And how once everyone on this board called you out for it, you changed your tune (or at least as it appears online) and now you DO book local bands? Pretty convenient.

Also, what is so wrong with having a show where it's just local bands? I understand it's your house and you mostly want to book touring bands, but shows like that can be really fun.

With people like Armstrong, all you have to do is look at their language. Like Joe pointed out, he said his band is not "marketed" towards the Haunted Basement's usual crowd. Why does a band need to be "marketed" at all? What's wrong with playing music because it's fun and because it's a way for people to come together? The answer is that these bands are not in it for such reasons. They are in it to see who can get the most plays on myspace, who can exaggerate their popularity the most, and who can end up making money. Which is precisely why they seem to have no interest in building community with bands in Des Moines.

And Armstrong, I'd love to be proven wrong on any of this. But I'm not holding my breath.

that.

and...

you guys have the most horrific "tour" routing i've ever seen.

ever.

[Armstrong]

Elliot,

We have ALWAYS had local bands. I changed what our myspace said because, yes, the way it was worded was apparently too confusing for all of you.although, we've never had an issue with it until I saw complaints here. maybe its the people we're talking to. idk.

What we DONT do is set up shows with a bill full of local bands. There are several other venues in town that already do that, and we're not interested in being a part of that. If a local band has a friend from out of town that needs a show and cant get a venue, sure, we'll book their friends, and we'll put them on the bill as support, but we wont go out and find 4 or 5 des moines bands to play our house in one night. there is no reason local bands shouldnt be playing out at established local venues. we're here for one reason only, and that is our FRIENDS. we're not going to go out of our way to appease people that dont like us from the get go.

AND for the umpteenth time, our shows here have GREAT attendance, and all the bands usually get paid better than they would by any of the actual venues in town. we're not doing a dis-service to any band by having them play here. every touring band we've booked has had an awesome time here, and almost every band we've had play has booked a return date, so you're flat out wrong in assuming we're not helping bands reach new people.

And DaVo,

its not so much that we think or know that we're going to get signed and have a career. However, are we wrong for having that kind of mindframe and putting for the effort in attempt to make it a reality? Is it wrong for a band to take the time to differentiate between what is going to be good for the band as a whole, and what is going to be a waste of time and effort?



Again, I have to point out that NONE of you have ever seen a show here, been to a show here, or met a single one of the people who live at 620 house or its staff, save for Nick from HFS, so how can you say definitively that you know anything about what we do? all you do is make assumptions based on your interpretation of things youve read at most. i'm done wasting my time on this board. seriously, the only reason I even came was to confirm that a large amount of people were discussing our house. this is the same mindless crap that every local scene has a message board for. it gets no one anywhere, and it is an outlet for sissies to talk tough. i've dealt with jackasses like this for over a decade, and have risen above it.

[ilikehorses]

it gets no one anywhere, and it is an outlet for sissies to talk tough. i've dealt with jackasses like this for over a decade, and have risen above it.

this along makes this guy the funniest dude on the 515crew.
he's dealt with dudes like this since he was eleven.

[inx515xhell]

YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT ABOUT DOPE SMOKE, ARTFAG.