THE BASTARDIZATION OF HARDCORE AND THE MONOPOLIZATION OF OPPORTUNITY

Hello, everyone. This blog is going to be a little different because we desperately need to discuss something. Send music shit to [ fosterhildingmusic@gmail.com ] or DM me on Instagram.

photos stolen from public domain.

I've been in this strange, beautiful, hardcore blizzard for just over two and a half years now, mostly thanks to this blog. I'm not going to pretend that I'm not a poser, I still very much am, but I've learned a lot. Everyone I care about apart from family I can attribute to hardcore's big, swirling stage. And the more people I meet, the more I learn, the more I can see its downfall, its breaking apart at the seams, its eating itself alive. 

Past this point of no return into endgame capitalism, the bastardization of the working class is evermore apparent. It permeates the way we think like some ultra-dystopian Heideggerian super-nightmare in which capital is the driving factor in every decision. All interactions must meet these needs, filtering even friends and partners through the pan--gold digging. Now its here, in the one place so many of us hold dearer than anything else.

So, in making this, I don't want to come off as some hater trying to smear your reputation. I truly sympathize in some way considering it's inescapable to a certain extent. You gotta play the game to survive. But, I hope you realize that all you are is an equally pivotal cog in the machine you sought to destroy--only this time, that cog is hellbent on the molestation of your community. Yes, as many of you probably already know, this is about promoters, but it's also about you fans who support them, and you bands/artists who rely on them. Want DIY to exist? Hardcore to exist? Then these mechanisms of capitalism must not be let through the gate. In so many ways, we've already lost to these vampires. If you feel, in any of the smallest molecules of your neuroreceptors, that this might apply to you, then there's a good chance it does.

I'm going to get specific now, and talk about some of the biggest perpetrators I've noticed, starting with some of my own experiences:

A few months ago, I went to OnShuffle's SENSITIVITY TO SOUND festival in Flagstaff--mind you, the town I've lived in for years now. This town I've grown with and come to love, this town that brought me all of my dearest friends. On a whim, me and a few friends decided to come a little late. While tickets were advertised as $15 day-of, each of us paid $19--the extra four being for "service fees." I've never heard of in-person service fees in my life, but who am I to speak on that? I'm not gonna sit here and complain, but coincidentally, we then received two free tickets from Mr. Shuffle, himself, about an hour later (this was on the Washed account). There are three of us in the band... Again, not an issue I care a lot about, but when we confronted him about these prices, he sarcastically said, "will make it 2$ next time" (sic). Right--because making an affordable show from the remains of a historically free event would be so out of the realm of possibility?

When asked why Skate Jam, a free event open to the public in order to encourage participation in the arts and Flagstaff's skater community, charged for tickets at all, he claimed that NAU charged him $2,000 for the venue rental. He also claimed these fees were put forward by NAU themselves. He tried to end the conversation with, "hmu if yall want some free sensitivity to sound merch or onshuffle merch also free red bull in back left corner" (sic). The Redbull was gone already, but that's besides the point (for those unaware, there was an egregious list of sponsors to help alleviate the costs of the venue--not to mention the fact that one of these sponsors is Snowbowl, a notoriously exploitative and horrendous business that is constantly disregarding and disrespecting the land of indigenous peoples in Flagstaff).

All of this is just fine and reasonable on the surface (apart from their damning, dystopian nature), but it occurred to me that each and every one of his obstacles in setting up this show could've been resolved in a way that both kept the event in tact and promoted artistic growth and harmony in my community: book a different fucking venue. You would no longer need to rent, you would no longer need corporate sponsors. By acting like these issues are out of his hands, he's projecting the responsibility of his actions as the sole promoter of this event onto the venue owners. The excuse that you are "losing money" is immediately discredited because you are prematurely making the decision to go forward with an event outside your budget. That does not absolve you.

There is no excuse to have a free event be charged and furthermore have an event that's primary selling point is "10 bands 10 dollars" be $19 at the door. A month earlier Skate Jam was free, and a dear friend of mine who worked tirelessly to book the majority of these bands, who had an ambition for something a little greater for this community-focused event had his hopes squandered, allegedly got underpaid, and was whisked away from the limelight for his contributions, all of which were frankly the only noble ones. 

The mere fact that advertising played a role in this event makes its spiritual violence against hardcore heartbreakingly clear. It is apparent, without a doubt, that these practices are being played out for the sole purpose of making money and farming attention, to take advantage of an existing community event, and its community members, for personal gain and notoriety, and not for the good of the community and bands. We have handed him the reigns and he has drowned the horse.

There seems to be a, perhaps, more pressing issue with these vultures, though: complete monopolization. Look at your favorite screamo band's Instagram--I guarantee you that on the top of the flyer for their Phoenix date is "MEMORY BAZAAR X ONSHUFFLE." In theory, again, no problem with this, but, when every single show they "promote" together is hosted at a boxing ring with horrible sound and $15 tickets, it becomes a problem. Febuary, Knumears, and Bulletsbetweentongues could be playing better spaces, larger, more professional and if not more genuinely about giving them a good place to play. 

It is evidently clear that they disregard the size and expectations of the bands in order to maintain complete control over these bands' situations. As a performing musician, it is nearly impossible to play in Phoenix with any cool emo/screamo/whatever touring bands without having to go through Memory Bazaar and OnShuffle first. I'm not even going to discuss the contracts that OnShuffle has been starting--that should prove enough on its own where their motives lie.

I am all for DIY, but any bill with two or more promoters is not DIY--its exploitation. What are the biggest genres in the underground scene right now, post-2020? What two genres happen to appear in OnShuffle's bio?

Another thing--I'm sure you all saw those hyper-cringe-worthy TikToks promoting a certain show in Phoenix which I Set My Friends On Fire headlined. Maybe not everyone remembers this originally being promoted as a fundraiser at a legitimate venue. Instead, it was thrown together outside a boxing gym for $30, every band either running over time or being unable to play more than 2-3 songs. And all that money that could've been raised went... where?

Maybe I wouldn't have a problem with this if California bookers stayed in California, but I don't even think that's the issue. The issue is the blatant manipulation of a blossoming genre for personal, monetary gain. Oh, this is big on TikTok? How can I make money off of this? Get fucking real.

As a side note, it's also ruining it for these genuine, passionate bookers and music-enthusiasts like myself and the majority of my friends who are trying very desperately to uplift their favorite music (and people) in the world for little to nothing in return.

Maybe I'll shut up when these promoters release detailed, verifiable breakdowns of their payouts. 

Here's mine:

Bands: 100% after venue cut split evenly, Mine/Dead Mothers Collective: 0%. 

Ask anyone we've booked.

I hope you prove me wrong, because I'm tired of you letting me down. 

But, enough negativity.

THE WORDLESS LIST of labels, "promoters," and other documenters in which I have full faith, especially in regards to their genuine passion, abilities, and responsibility without a shadow of a doubt:

Geek USA, Tableside Magazine, Callused Magazine, hate5six, Lapse of Memory, Ineffable SF, Punk Munk Productions, Mishap Records, Heartfelt Records, Thera Records, New Noise Magazine, Noise Made By, Mallbrawlreds, Jadedsacred, Jeg Productions, lizardbreath.jpg, ihateskramz, Oliver Glenn Records, Home to Heart Records, Distrack, Laughing Man Records, Crybaby, Pusfilledblunt, Bucky Fanzine, Heavy Lemon, celebratingoursins (and more that I will always try to promote).

Support them instead. The more we support vampires, the stronger they become. The more we support the good-hearted soldiers on the front lines of this weird thing, the closer we are to victory--whatever that looks like. We cannot let a system built on the expectation of our participation to perpetuate. By definition, we are the only ones who can stop it. No one else. Our vote is money here, right? Do I have to spell out the answer?

If the targets of this blog end up reading this--I don't hate you, and this isn't a personal attack. I legitimately could not care less about any personal interactions, you personally, whatever, this is about practices and actions. I sincerely want these changes to be made in order to promote healthy business practices in these monetary relationships within the scene. Because it's a business now, and it never should be. These are just my hopes in writing that something can change. There's a very thin line between these two camps--its not hard to slide to the other side.

Thank you for reading. Share and such. If I ever get to the point where I am taking advantage of bands rather than letting them take advantage of my available resources (however big or small), shoot me in the fucking head.

-Foster