So this town in Italy really wanted the Foo Fighters to come play. This guy is organizing a 1,000 fans to simultaneously play the Foo’s “Learn to Fly” to raise enough money to get a FF show. I’ll give him credit. It’s pretty creative. Here’s the link. Apparently there were two other times people crowd sourced cash to get the Foo Fighters to play. Do you know how to crowd source your favorite local bands to play a show? Well its actually easier than the stunt above….you just GO SEE THEM. That’s right. There is a plethora of local bands right under your noses that grind it out week in and week out playing shows all over your area. They don’t need crowd sourced funds to play, they need a crowd. They do it all on their own dime….gas to and from shows, gear, their own advertising, the time and energy spent actually writing their own music and rehearsing. Heck some bands (unfortunately) still pay to play. Do you believe that? They actually pay clubs and promoters to let them get on stage and perform, and to let their fans, friends, a family, whoever come to the club and spend money on cover charges, drinks, food, etc. Again…the bands PAY for that. It’s that messed up in the local scene right now.
However there is a very easy solution to this. Go discover the awesome new music that is being played all around you pretty much every night of the week. Don’t think you have a lot of music around you? I urge you to ask someone you know that plays music, or search on Facebook, Google, pick up a local newspaper. Believe me they are there…and they are wanting to share with you. I know, I know…”But I have to give up a couple hours of my time to drive out there, pay a couple bucks to get in and listen to a bunch of other bands I don’t like?” Well shame on you if you can’t spare a few hours, the few bucks? Well you spend more at McDonalds on a value meal. The other bands you don’t like? I can tell you playing shows I have found some bands that are simply amazing and it was worth sitting through the bands still “getting it together”. You see the Foo Fighters weren’t always the Foo Fighters. There was a time they were all just out playing the local scene scraping friends and family together to come see their gig. And now people are crowd sourcing funds to make them come play their town. The music is there you just have to support it.
Faith in the Fallen’s next show is on 12/27/14 at Bobby McGee’s in Chicago Ridge, opening for the crazy talented Michael Angelo Batio.