DIY never went away…

Something caught my eye this week when reading an article that was featured within a certain publication that, for the sake of avoiding a headache, shall remain nameless.

As the writer rather naively attempted to drum up a somewhat bold and ambitious idea of how to ‘fight back’ against the recent inconveniences relating to the overlords of the mainstream live music industry that is Ticketmaster, they had both the ambition and ignorance to suggest one idea in particular that, I cannot deny, made my blood boil.

“Teenagers might start organising their own DIY gigs if the live music industry makes concert tickets into a complete luxury for the elite,” they said, arguably oblivious to the fact that this country is full of eager young folk, whom, with their knowledge of three chords and budget instruments, have every intention of sending you home from your local on a Friday with tinnitus, complimentary to the pending hangover the next morning.

The truth is, that while Ticketmaster may be the only way to secure admission to see some of our favourite international touring acts, there is a whole wide world out there of people of all ages, sizes, genders and colours, in all genres, who are ‘doing it themselves’… Some of whom could very well become your favourite band one day.

It’s not like Ticketmaster exclusively hand-pick a who’s who of contemporary artists and place them upon a pedestal, without the musicians in question having had experienced the crushing lows of performing to a small audience, if any audience at all.

When it comes to DIY ethos in the music business, I’m not here to sing praise to some college indie rock band – who likely to refer to themselves as a ‘project’, because they haven’t yet secured a record deal (despite having mammy or daddy’s trust fund money to tickle their own ego with).

No, I’m talking about those who really will go to any length to do whatever it takes to put on a show, as spectacular or as hopeless as it may be.

LABOUR OF LOVE

I once witnessed a lad duct tape his drum kit together due to some hardware issues, in what I can only describe as an impressive embodiment of the phrase ‘the show must go on’.

I’ve seen numerous singers cease to entertain the audience with their physical presence, in order to help stabilise a bass drum with a mind of its own.

A friend of mine recalls playing in a pub somewhere in England to an audience of one, which consisted of a blind man who spent the evening staring at the wall whilst booing the band and calling them all sorts of vile names.

The truth is, it’s gritty and make-shift gigs can be rough… But it can also be a hell of a lot of fun, and one thing is for sure – it’s none of Ticketmaster’s business.

One man who I’ve always admired when it comes to DIY ethics in music is Ian MacKaye.

Best known as the singer for two extremely influential early hardcore bands, Minor Threat and Fugazi, MacKaye was also the brains behind Dischord Records, an incredible record label which has released albums for some of the world’s finest American hardcore and punk bands.

The beauty of what MacKaye does is that he caps everything at $5.

Whether it’s a record, a cassette tape, a ticket to a show, or a copy of anything from his intriguing archive, you won’t pay any more than $5.

If only it was as simple as that when it comes to our mainstream ticket distributors who, despite charging outrageous fees, can’t even provide their customers with a fully-functioning website to deal with demand.

One thing is for sure, though, if mainstream concerts are to become something of a luxury to the elite, they can keep their overpriced tickets, because some of the best live acts you will ever see will probably take place in the most foul-smelling pub in the town, and will probably costs you no more than a fiver at the door.

So, the next time you feel like Ticketmaster are ripping you off, ask yourself: ‘I wonder who is playing down the road tonight?’

Stop waiting for some sort of Radio1-inspired, fabricated, hollow revolution surrounding the music industry, and start supporting those who are trying their damned best to keep grass-roots DIY music alive – whether you’re watching or not.