There`s lots of reasons why you don`t see enough live bands and the main one you included in your post. X factor/karaoke mentality sweeps the nation, step straight from your bedroom mirror into the limo and pay me my 97%, here today (thankfully) gone tomorrow disposable pop tripe, and the public lap it up. Pubs open later pay staff longer drop bands, witherspoons cheap beer no entertainment, kids grow up with bullstuff thump thump music or rappers singing about their privates and shooting people for fun, generations appear witth no imagination and less talent then feed the next gen more sugar coated crap, gangs of 5 year old girls in crop tops singing "sex on the beach" 6 year old hoodies proclaiming themselves gangsters. Tribute bands are obviuosly more successful as they fit the regurgitated safe with what you know attitude of the british pop public, I know cos we play more covers now than we do our own songs. There are still groups of kids who put together great kick ass bands but they`re often short lived unless they`re lucky enough to be snapped up in one of the ever decreasing record company experiments, also most often very short lived. If you wanna make something self sufficient you strip down to a duo, make your backings on your computer and get out as many nights as you can (see
www.celticcross.co.uk/gigs.htm ) its biz but thats show biz. Do you pay 150+ quid for a band or 0 < 50 quid for a karaoke when more people would drink more beer making fools of themselves ?
Now you just wait for road pricing to come in and kiss my ass goodbye !
Another thing is everyone moans their little tits off about nothing going on, then when someone does something no-one turns up.
Life`s Sweet.
And you`ve only yourselves to blame.
I shall now recite the lyrics to the Dead Kennedy`s MTV get off the air.
No I won`t I`ll be in trouble with the Mods, do a google search.
Go to the Attic if you want young bands come see us if you want bitter old people.
But never stop believing.
In Father Christmas of course.