how long is too long?

[Matt]

but locals should never have more or equal time as national bands.

I also agree with Blaze about the local bands keeping their set varied. I don't like it when I hear the same songs over and over again! Shit, that goes for any band!

its the bands choice, but its cool to see the same songs sometimes, and something different if its a local band that doesnt play out twice a month, and might only play around one or two times a year

[Brian]

I don't like it when I hear the same songs over and over again! Shit, that goes for any band!

I completely agree with this. That's part of the reason why bands like 311 are some of my favorite bands to go see live. This past tour, they played something like 85 different songs over 25 dates. Bands who vary their setlist are always good.

I've seen Arsis 5 or 6 times and I've seen the same exact show 5 or 6 times, but I've seen 3 Inches of Blood 3 times and they've used different songs and a different order each show. I'd be more excited to go see 3IoB than Arsis even though I like Arsis's music more simply because I don't know exactly what I'm getting going into the show.

[Metalfreak]

I went to a show last night at the Last Great Watering Hole to see a buddy's band. His band was scheduled to go on at 11pm. The band before his didn't get off the stage till like 11:30. That's not cool. I had to leave in the middle of my friend's band's set because I was so freaking tired...I had my boyfriend with me and he was even more tired since he had been up since 4am (because of the police academy).

I still stand with what I said earlier...let them have a longer set if they're good but the schedule should be arranged and put together before the show starts. It's not cool when another band cuts into someone else's set.

[MikeLindgren]

I've been talking a lot about this topic, and I don't think a local act should break the 20 minute mark, ESPECIALLY if they aren't headlining a local show. I don't think any opening band should be on stage longer than 30 minutes.

20 minutes gives you four five minute songs. If you can't get your point across in four songs, you shouldn't be playing out. Especially considering the majority of bands nowadays have an 11-track album of songs that all sound the same. If somebody likes your shit, they'll want to hear more, buy a CD, or download your tracks off-line. A 20-minute set gives the people who can't stand you, a minimal dose of annoyance, and the people that do enough to want to see you again.

I think most local acts think they are rock gods, anyway, and have their heads firmly placed up their own asses. The ego heavy need to chickitty-check themselves before the wreck themselves, and come to terms with the fact that they are not some stadium-busting band that has a worldwide audience of 60 million.

This is metal, and there's probably about 20 people NOT on this board who go to shows. Especially in Atlanta. I've come to the conclusion that anyone in Atlanta that likes metal is in some shitty metal band anyway, so the potential population for a metal show is probably on stage and not in the audience. Metal bands outnumber metal fans in this town.

There's 416 people registered on this board. I think that's probably every metalhead in Atlanta that might possibly potentially maybe go to a show. Divide that by 10% and you're looking at about 42 people who go to shows by local bands. Then factor in the idea that said bands don't typically vary their set lists, and you have a recipe for absolute boredom.

I'd bet money that Metalsome Monday has a bigger turnout on a slow night than the biggest un-signed local act at the biggest show of their careers.

Show-playing by local bands would be much better spent playing some po-dunk shithole in South Georgia, where kids have nothing better to do.

[AmoebicDysentery]

I think most local acts think they are rock gods, anyway, and have their heads firmly placed up their own asses. The ego heavy need to chickitty-check themselves before the wreck themselves, and come to terms with the fact that they are not some stadium-busting band that has a worldwide audience of 60 million.

This is metal, and there's probably about 20 people NOT on this board who go to shows. Especially in Atlanta. I've come to the conclusion that anyone in Atlanta that likes metal is in some shitty metal band anyway, so the potential population for a metal show is probably on stage and not in the audience. Metal bands outnumber metal fans in this town.

Man, if you think it's bad now, you obviously weren't going to shows before like, 2003 because back then it was BAD. If you were playing to 15 people that was considered a good turnout!

[MikeLindgren]

I saw AxDx at Swayze's and the turnout consisted of me and 8 Mexicans! It's like that at just about every local show. It's not great, but trying to get a turnout for a local bands only show is like pulling teeth.

[MikeLindgren]

P.S. What the fuck is Alex Cox doing now, anyway? And what is Dan doing?

[Matt]

P.S. What the fuck is Alex Cox doing now, anyway? And what is Dan doing?

alex is doing negative existence records, i saw him at the withered / rwake show, and teh cannibal corpse show... and i saw dan at the Jesu show and the suffocation, immolation, skinless show.

[samsara]

As far as all-local band shows go, I've seen absolutely no one, but I've also seen Heaven at the Masquerade close to full when we played with a band called Morionor a couple of years ago.

Anyway, most local bands and little known touring openers do often extend their stay a little too long. That Axial Discorrelation band probably only played for about 15 minutes when they opened for Symphony X, and that was a wonderful decision because they were ridiculously out of place there. Most local bands need to take a page (but that page only) from their book. It's not exactly easy to enjoy a band that you're not familiar with live, so locals need to basically keep it to a sample.

[Matt]

As far as all-local band shows go, I've seen absolutely no one, but I've also seen Heaven at the Masquerade close to full when we played with a band called Morionor a couple of years ago.
.

who else played?? not to sound like a dick but there is no possible way in hell that heaven at the masquerade was close to full for a morioner show.....

[Matt Parsons]

20 minutes to half an hour if you're playing to potential fans.

Half an hour to 45 minutes if you're playing to fans.

An hour or more if you're playing to 200+ diehard fans.

[BoB]

I saw AxDx at Swayze's and the turnout consisted of me and 8 Mexicans! It's like that at just about every local show.

Ding ding ding - a clue!
Why downplay the "Mexicans"? Embrace the hispanic community - if you look at it from a marketing kinda perspective, that's probably your largest untapped market.

Back on topic, even national acts can play too long. Just look at Buckethead.

[ProstheticHead12]

I saw AxDx at Swayze's and the turnout consisted of me and 8 Mexicans! It's like that at just about every local show.

Ding ding ding - a clue!
Why downplay the "Mexicans"? Embrace the hispanic community - if you look at it from a marketing kinda perspective, that's probably your largest untapped market.

Yeah, but they'll probably just learn how to play metal and take your job.

[samsara]

As far as all-local band shows go, I've seen absolutely no one, but I've also seen Heaven at the Masquerade close to full when we played with a band called Morionor a couple of years ago.
.

who else played?? not to sound like a dick but there is no possible way in hell that heaven at the masquerade was close to full for a morioner show.....

I'm not entirely sure who else was playing, but it was an all-local show with that much of a crowd. I can show you the shitty video if you don't believe me...haha.

[Matt]

As far as all-local band shows go, I've seen absolutely no one, but I've also seen Heaven at the Masquerade close to full when we played with a band called Morionor a couple of years ago.
.

who else played?? not to sound like a dick but there is no possible way in hell that heaven at the masquerade was close to full for a morioner show.....

I'm not entirely sure who else was playing, but it was an all-local show with that much of a crowd. I can show you the shitty video if you don't believe me...haha.

well if it was an all local show and there was non metal bands playing i can believe it, but to pack the masq its like 950 people, and morioner doesnt draw that