Division in local music industry

Alright Shady peeps. It’s time to grab a warm cup of Jeremy and sit back into your favourite shaggy bean bag. This month, we are going to unpack long time division in local music industry.

Now we aren’t talking the form of math we had to come endure during our primary school years where we threw books across rooms out of sheer frustration of a method we barely use in real life… We are talking about an extended term of dislike and banter between musicians that comes out of being a member of a local music scene.

There is a lot of talk about calling out bad behaviour in local musicians that stand against the ethos of the scene’s “dynamic” connection and truth be told, the biggest thing I can see dividing us is the smaller cliques developing all claiming the “support” flag while s$%ting on the people creating positive interactions. Not to mention, calling out someone in an industry so small ostracising you deeper to a point you get a feeling you don’t belong amongst something you are passionate about.

Let me explain…

Local music has long been an “Us vs Them” formation of musicians all fighting for a common goal of getting their music out to the public and fighting for the small amounts of gig’s available in a local area. When one group gets more gig’s at the more popular venue or is involved with the more popular retail establishment or even has some luck in the music industry and charts somewhere outside a local platform, they step up in their minds as a bigger artist and their demeanour changes dramatically in how they promote themselves. Most are humble about it however there is a large demographic of musicians that get cocky and feel the need to diss smaller, less successful (in their own eyes) musicians around them.

The problem is, 90% of the general public don’t see any of this because they don’t understand that a local club that pays more is considered a bigger gig than the pub on the corner of S$%t street and Anus Lane. They just care that when they come see you, the experience is fun, you play them a good version of their favourite song by Daryl Braithwaite and that you don’t stop until they have indeed got enough.

A music industry should be a collaboration of everyone adding value to a vibrant entertainment scene, not just a select few who feel the need to control the local industry to favour their own “professional” motives. A collaboration between musicians has long been the way to improve your own position in the music industry and has made a lot of artists very successful. Take a leaf out of the country music scene for example. Often sharing stages with each other to gain popularity from each others audiences. Divide, unite and conquer so to speak.

Anyway… We want to know your thoughts! Next magazine, we will be posting your responses to our writings!

If you have something to say about this OR would like to submit your own shade, send it to mag@atomicmusic.space

Peace peoples. Shade out!