corporations throwing dubstep events

[kamala]

i'm feelin' the need to express my distaste for corporations throwing dubstep shows.

Scion has done a few tours in the states now, and although they tend to book good dj's and producers, they go about throwing their events in mainstream clubs (at least in los angeles) that attract people in to dubstep that are not about the music at all, but instead about the trend. These types of mainstream venues tend to pull in crowds that have no love for the music subculture they are jumping into, and therefore do not treat the community with respect.

This leaves our scene open to more violence and drama at parties than would happen if it were kept as an underground, word of mouth community. At the recent scion show in Los Angeles there was a number of fights, people shoving other people around and elbowing on the dance floor, people throwing food at each other, and other behavior that just demonstrates a blatant disregard for the actual dubstep community. When the true LA dubstep promoters throw their parties, even at 800 person warehouse shows, it's still a family thing. It's still got good vibes where people are coming together for the common love of something, and are unified by that common love. At mainstream venues there is no community or common love, just wolves out for their night of hunting.

I have been partying in LA for over 10 years now, and from what I have seen the most violence always occurs at events where corporations like clear channel get involved and try to blow the spot up and cash out on our movement. In fact, the drum and bass scene here was greatly effected by a violent murder that happened at a clear channel venue.

The recent scion tour was linked to clear channel and utilized a number of clear channel venues, and anyone who knows about clear channel knows they are just one of those corporate vampires who feeds off the vulnerability of the masses. They control a huge chunk of the american media and have repeatedly demonstrated that they have no respect for the underground culture that fuels our music. If they had respect for the music and culture they would go about getting involved in a way that doesn't blow the spot out of proportion all quick-like, but instead feeds it as it grows and develops.

i know that these types of tours are appealing to performers as they get to travel and are paid very well, but i would strongly encourage any dj that is offered the opportunity to think thoroughly about what they are doing to the culture by perpetuating corporate involvement. corporate parties like this put a mainstream magnifying glass on our tightly knit subculture which quickly blows it up and burns it out, and in the long run leaves the true soldiers high and dry.

i am not saying that mainstream is bad, or that dubstep should be kept a secret. But what i AM saying is that we should not allow the direction of our music and culture to be controlled by corporations who have no genuine connection to it. We should be supporting each other and sticking together, keeping it in the hands of the community and keeping it real.. so that WE are the ones who benefit for the long haul when dubstep comes up.

just my $0.02 .. take it or leave it ..

[dj cal cutta]

just fyi, the shows in Austin that Scion has had ties to(I only know of 1 off the top of my head) didn't have the same issues you speak of...I think market size is another element to keep in mind(L.A. is a lot bigger than most cities and if a corporation wants to put weight/money behind a show, they probably aren't going to be looking at integrity as their higher priority, shitty as it is).

Also, as far as I know, Scion doesn't just throw shows on their own, they usually will use already established local crews/promo companies and just co-opt with them. If that's the case in the show you're talking about, then it's not just Scion who's to blame...

[jaybird]

look the way I see it.. if you choose to make your money now, and sell out to the corps and play shitty shows... dubstep as a whole is only going to get smaller... you take your time, wait till you have enough fans that truely are into the music, the show will be better, you'll get your money, and it will be good for everyone...


I'd rather play a pure filth and take a pay cut, then do the scion thing any day...


Big ups to Joker for the killer set... Zomby WTF where you doing.. THATS NOT DUBSTEP!!!!

[kamala]

just fyi, the shows in Austin that Scion has had ties to(I only know of 1 off the top of my head) didn't have the same issues you speak of...I think market size is another element to keep in mind(L.A. is a lot bigger than most cities and if a corporation wants to put weight/money behind a show, they probably aren't going to be looking at integrity as their higher priority, shitty as it is).

Also, as far as I know, Scion doesn't just throw shows on their own, they usually will use already established local crews/promo companies and just co-opt with them. If that's the case in the show you're talking about, then it's not just Scion who's to blame...

right i can only speak for myself and my city in this case, i don't know what the shows were like in other cities. LA IS a lot bigger and the venue they chose has it's own little nasty scene goin on. I do agree that the promoters should feel a sense of responsibility for the shows they are involved in, but this recent scion show was not managed by any of the dubstep promoters in los angeles. if they had thrown it as an underground it may have been a much different story. I am not anti scion, I drive a scion actually, but I am anti assholes comin' in and fuckin shit up for the rest of us.

[_boring]

fuck clear channel and fuck culture theft

[dubsteptim]

yeah clear channel blows balls.

where have the scion parties been other than LA and Austin? I know Rusko played one in NYC (i wasnt there so I cant vouch about how it was)

[claw]

attract people in to dubstep that are not about the music at all, but instead about the trend.

Since when was dubstep "cool" or "trendy"

hahahahah

[g-man]

attract people in to dubstep that are not about the music at all, but instead about the trend.

Since when was dubstep "cool" or "trendy"

hahahahah

since diplo, little john, snoop, and every electro dj jumped on board

[surface_tension]

Corporations in Art Community Exploitation Shocker!!!!11

Look, shit happens. Nobody else can bring a lineup like that. It costs bare cash to bring all those guys to play in LA. Think about that for a second. And to blame the outside ignorant crowd for the failure to mesh well could just as easily be thrust upon this scene..

Forget why did they act like assholes, maybe they thought you were assholes ya know? At one point everyone was new to the scene. Thankfully it wasn't such a VIP club when I got involved. Now everyone blames corporations for their own problems.

Enjoy seeing the same local DJs in the same venue with lackluster sound isn't a quality concept IMO. People travel from all over to see those shows. That brings revenue to your city through taxes, etc. Again, that's a good thing. Who gives a shit if someone comes dressed in a slutty cocktail dress and high heels expecting some Kanye West. They'll get what the DJ plays for them. I don't see the issue I guess.

[seckle]

this recent scion show was not managed by any of the dubstep promoters in los angeles.

i'm not weighing in on scion as a corporate entity here, but i've noticed over the years that this is how they do it. for the most part, they don't like operating their shows using local networks or community groups. they want to book who they want to book, and they have the operating budget to do it. pure and simple. redbull, sprite, red stripe, jose cuervo, and a boat load of other horrible energy drink and beer companies do exactly the same thing. some of these bigger companies, even get the local promoters and venues to sign confidentiality clauses so that neither can talk about what they're working on. bottom line is, they pay for a service, they expect a result and for that they pay very well. they have a brand to protect and promote.

i think that you know exactly what you're getting into when you go to a car manufacturer's event or agree to play for one. think about it this way...it enables producers to fly across the planet to play in city X, to a totally new crowd of ears and eyes. i don't think you'll find any producer in this scene who would find a problem with that, so long as the soundsystem is representing the sound the right way and its not muppet productions backing the event.

[_boring]

the issue is how culture theft sucks.

i dont see diplo repping rusko as a problem tho, when he came to buffalo he played a TON of dubstep because thats what people were getting down the hardest to! so big him up for playing narsty ass tunes for the people

[♫♪♫]

Scion puts on awesome shows in Philly.

[q23]

When you expose the general public to something, that is who is going to show up. The general public. Many people with street cred issues on a dancefloor is never a good thing.

[emu]

i am not saying that mainstream is bad, or that dubstep should be kept a secret. But what i AM saying is that we should not allow the direction of our music and culture to be controlled by corporations who have no genuine connection to it. We should be supporting each other and sticking together, keeping it in the hands of the community and keeping it real.. so that WE are the ones who benefit for the long haul when dubstep comes up.

just my $0.02 .. take it or leave it ..

with all due respect, the corporations arent changing the direction of the music. they are employing well knowledged scene experienced and good people to represent them. dubstep has come up, and people are benefitting from it. the ones that are have put in mad work, dues, and proper time into their skills and tunes and promotion ability and networks. who do you mean by we when you say, "so that WE are the ones who benefit". if you personally arent benefitting from it you cant necessarily say that nobody is, and should just be happy people are getting paid to do what they love even if its not you. thats the bottom line for me... and my .02.

no disrespect intended and not trying to argue for arguments sake, please understand that im not trying to attack anyone or throw drama around. just my thoughts. im sorry you feel people are hurting the music or the scene with sponsored events, but everyone i know involved with these events is a hard working good person with good intentions, not some guy in a suit in a board room trying to crush a scene or take advantage.

its the same in every industry, if im an authentic italian chef, im gonna be pissed when chef boyardee comes around and makes spaghetti look bad by making it circle shaped and smashing it in a can. and that doesnt mean that i cant find BOMB authentic spaghetti if i try. but hey they are putting people to work, and making a living. isnt that what we're all trying to do?

[g-man]

the next one looks even better

[incnic]

:purple fonts:

[kamala]

Nobody else can bring a lineup like that. It costs bare cash to bring all those guys to play in LA.
And to blame the outside ignorant crowd for the failure to mesh well could just as easily be thrust upon this scene. ... Thankfully it wasn't such a VIP club when I got involved....People travel from all over to see those shows. That brings revenue to your city through taxes, etc. Who gives a shit if someone comes dressed in a slutty cocktail dress and high heels expecting some Kanye West.

thats what flight shares are for. big names tour the states on a regular basis and a lot of parties are pulling near a thousand heads on a work night. So yes other people CAN bring a line up like that. and they're doing it BETTER. Of course we should always welcome new people and ideas, but I don't think we should be inviting them en mass via corporate mailing lists.

I have no problem with women showing their skin, in fact, i would encourage it .. but i do have a problem with people acting aggressively towards each other, getting violent on the dance floor, and bringing all sorts of destructive energy to what otherwise could have been a good show. If corporations are just using dubstep as a tool to market themselves to youth, without thinking about their effect on subculture, it may cause dubstep to blow up real quick, and then crash REAL hard. ofc i'm not surprised they would try, but i think that just like the companies want to protect their brand, we should want to protect ours.

who do you mean by we when you say, "so that WE are the ones who benefit". if you personally arent benefitting from it you cant necessarily say that nobody is, and should just be happy people are getting paid to do what they love even if its not you. thats the bottom line for me... and my .02.

everyone i know involved with these events is a hard working good person with good intentions, not some guy in a suit in a board room trying to crush a scene or take advantage

i am not dissing on anybodies work ethic. It's good that they are bringing money and exposure to our artists. But ultimately they are trying to put dubstep on blast for their own sake, which doesn't necessarily benefit the community as a whole. I don't think it's a good idea to allow corporations to exploit dubstep just because it seems appealing to us in the short term. It's not like we need corporations to market our shit, dubstep is growing organically on it's own. And to allow it to grow on it's own without blowing it up like that would probably build a longer and stronger standing following for our artists in the long run. we don't want it to crash and burn.

like i said, i don't actually have a problem with the company scion. i drive a scion and i love my car. My problem is actually more with clear channel and the clear channel venues. I would respect it a lot more if they at least tried to keep it somewhat underground, as that is part of the appeal in the first place. But scion has contracts with clear channel so that is pretty telling of the direction they are trying to take things. And i'm just not sure we should want our culture to go in that direction too.

[emu]

Nobody else can bring a lineup like that. It costs bare cash to bring all those guys to play in LA.
And to blame the outside ignorant crowd for the failure to mesh well could just as easily be thrust upon this scene. ... Thankfully it wasn't such a VIP club when I got involved....People travel from all over to see those shows. That brings revenue to your city through taxes, etc. Who gives a shit if someone comes dressed in a slutty cocktail dress and high heels expecting some Kanye West.

thats what flight shares are for. big names tour the states on a regular basis and a lot of parties are pulling near a thousand heads on a work night. So yes other people CAN bring a line up like that. and they're doing it BETTER. Of course we should always welcome new people and ideas, but I don't think we should be inviting them en mass via corporate mailing lists.

I have no problem with women showing their skin, in fact, i would encourage it .. but i do have a problem with people acting aggressively towards each other, getting violent on the dance floor, and bringing all sorts of destructive energy to what otherwise could have been a good show. If corporations are just using dubstep as a tool to market themselves to youth, without thinking about their effect on subculture, it may cause dubstep to blow up real quick, and then crash REAL hard. ofc i'm not surprised they would try, but i think that just like the companies want to protect their brand, we should want to protect ours.

who do you mean by we when you say, "so that WE are the ones who benefit". if you personally arent benefitting from it you cant necessarily say that nobody is, and should just be happy people are getting paid to do what they love even if its not you. thats the bottom line for me... and my .02.

everyone i know involved with these events is a hard working good person with good intentions, not some guy in a suit in a board room trying to crush a scene or take advantage

i am not dissing on anybodies work ethic. It's good that they are bringing money and exposure to our artists. But ultimately they are trying to put dubstep on blast for their own sake, which doesn't necessarily benefit the community as a whole. I don't think it's a good idea to allow corporations to exploit dubstep just because it seems appealing to us in the short term. It's not like we need corporations to market our shit, dubstep is growing organically on it's own. And to allow it to grow on it's own without blowing it up like that would probably build a longer and stronger standing following for our artists in the long run. we don't want it to crash and burn.

like i said, i don't actually have a problem with the company scion. i drive a scion and i love my car. My problem is actually more with clear channel and the clear channel venues. I would respect it a lot more if they at least tried to keep it somewhat underground, as that is part of the appeal in the first place. But scion has contracts with clear channel so that is pretty telling of the direction they are trying to take things. And i'm just not sure we should want our culture to go in that direction too.

word good points, i agree with you on clear channel fully. they are pure evil for the most part. but i will still maintain my position that just because these events happen, doesnt mean that dope underground stuff cant happen, it always will and always has

[sam xl]

I'm all about my homie's stackin' that paper...but let's see where these corporate tnuc's are in a year from now...Fidget house, Midget Disco, or
Reverse Techno...whatever someone "in the know" tell's them is hip and cool.
WANKERS.
http://creamteam.tv/wp-content/uploads/ ... -money.mp3
NUFF SAID.

[kellydean]

i am not saying that mainstream is bad, or that dubstep should be kept a secret. But what i AM saying is that we should not allow the direction of our music and culture to be controlled by corporations who have no genuine connection to it. We should be supporting each other and sticking together, keeping it in the hands of the community and keeping it real.. so that WE are the ones who benefit for the long haul when dubstep comes up.

just my $0.02 .. take it or leave it ..

with all due respect, the corporations arent changing the direction of the music. they are employing well knowledged scene experienced and good people to represent them. dubstep has come up, and people are benefitting from it. the ones that are have put in mad work, dues, and proper time into their skills and tunes and promotion ability and networks. who do you mean by we when you say, "so that WE are the ones who benefit". if you personally arent benefitting from it you cant necessarily say that nobody is, and should just be happy people are getting paid to do what they love even if its not you. thats the bottom line for me... and my .02.

no disrespect intended and not trying to argue for arguments sake, please understand that im not trying to attack anyone or throw drama around. just my thoughts. im sorry you feel people are hurting the music or the scene with sponsored events, but everyone i know involved with these events is a hard working good person with good intentions, not some guy in a suit in a board room trying to crush a scene or take advantage.

its the same in every industry, if im an authentic italian chef, im gonna be pissed when chef boyardee comes around and makes spaghetti look bad by making it circle shaped and smashing it in a can. and that doesnt mean that i cant find BOMB authentic spaghetti if i try. but hey they are putting people to work, and making a living. isnt that what we're all trying to do?

i couldn't agree more.
And i understand what she is saying as well.

But the bottom line is there is no way a music genre can exist without certain issues like violence occurring.
These events happen in clubs with people consuming alcohol.
That's life, and we choose to interact with whatever situation we put ourselves in.
And i would say the same goes for underground events (as much as i love em), the security is small (IF ANY) and drugs can be used in abundance in an uncontrolled environment.

They all have thhere pro's and con's

You just have to make the best of it.