The Importance Of Supporting The Little Guys

First blog from me. Please read using the voice of a 50’s radio news announcer.

I thought it might be worthwhile to mention how cool it is to be reviewing both bigger and smaller bands under the same umbrella. A lot of sites and publications tend to categorize their reviews, with the bigger international acts taking the spotlight and the underground stuff being on a back page or deep in the website somewhere.

The only real difference between a big and small band is how many people have heard and liked them. Therefore, being able to bring an amazing underground album to light and get people to listen to it or even buy it is probably the biggest contribution to the scene a writer can make.

Smaller bands in heavy music are in general made up of extremely poor people being hit with unimaginable expenses. Why poor? It’s very hard to hold down a job while being in a band, so employment becomes sporadic. The lucky ones work on contract or have a supportive boss. Why the expenses? Think gear, vehicle costs, practice space rental, merchandise production, studio costs, promotional investments, gas money, and so one. It often takes years before the band’s revenues can cover even part of this stuff.

In heavy music, it’s safe to assume that 95% percent of the big bands went through this phase. It’s a grinder that kills many amazing bands on their way up. So, (and yes, this is me getting to the point) putting the “metal gods” side by side with the young bands they’ve influenced is in a way keeping the soil fresh for good music to grow. The majors get supported if they do good work, and the newbies get helped and rewarded for their efforts.

Want a conclusion? I don’t have one. I just think it’s cool that this site and the people reading it are giving bands an equal chance regardless of how big they are as of yet.