Interesting conversation with a radio program director

[kats]

So the subject of why mostly "bubblegum" on the airwaves comes up. He said look, I'll give you an example. In the hardcore metal scene, there's more fans than in alot of the sanitzed rock we play yet we only give them 1 hour a week playtime. The reason is that as soon as we start playing alot of these "underground" types of bands - their fans boycott them, caling them sellouts. They don't tune into the station and the regular demographics aren't interested.


Personally, I don't know how true this is, but I've seen that type of clique snobbery in most artforms and they manifest themselves in weird ways. In this situation I can see how a certain demographic takes pleasure in the fact that "their" music is "too good" for the airwaves.

[MichaelT]

I won't say too much cause I don't want to offend anybody...or get too off topic I just get tired of hearing people put down anybody who has what looks like commercial success. There are these artists/bands who just go about making the music that moves their souls...and ours; why do we all of a sudden start to criticize them if they end up having a song take off on the radio charts? Is it jealousy? What is this thing in us as fans that says commercial success is the enemy?

I just feel like we deserve to give ourselves a mental break from stressing over who's "selling out" or not, and just enjoy the music. And we deserve to give the artists a break if they run into success. If they happen to keep having commercial success while still writing songs that are true to their experience and heart...well, I'm all for them!

-Mike

[kudzu]

I think, when u discover a band in a semi embryonic state...they're exciting, new, fresh.....the moment they have success they get tainted....they won't admit it but its unavoidable.....after which...its not how new and fresh they try to maintain, that ur intersested in....but how their music reacts to their new found popularity....different set of rules Both sinarios can be valid !!!!

[Gregg Sartiano]

I'm not sure if the PD is being 100% honest with you. They pull a good cop/bad cop thing when they're talking to you. It's not just them -- it's A & R's, too.

Basically, they'll always blame their lameness on something else. I think it's a defense mechanism. The upside is that the blame psychology allows them to open up to you about the lameness.

[achtung baby]

hmmm...i don't fully believe that. i mean, there are clearly more people that would listen to green day on the radio than people who would listen to, for example, pig destroyer or suicide or jesus and mary chain even though those 3 bands have rather large underground audiences. it's kind of a 'if my mom was going to work and this song came on, what would she do?' thing. she'd freak out and change the station if napalm death came on, but she'd probably just wait til the commercials if a 'punk' band like good charlotte or whatever came on. and thats the point isn't it? getting to the commercials.

ps-the reason underground backlashes happen is due to the fans seeing themselves as being as important as the band within the 'scene'. early-80's DC was the perfect example.

this is all just my view, of course. i'm sure others will see it differently.

[djui5]

Funny you mention Green Day.
They are a punk band. The punk scene as a whole backlashes ruthlessely any punk band that ever "makes it".

The club they used to play in before breaking won't let them back in. Their old friends and fans won't talk to them and don't want to hear them play.

It's true. Mainstream is mainstream and underground is underground. They keep it that way for a reason.

[achtung baby]

is it gilman street that wont let them back in?

i didn't mean to single out green day as not being punk or not having credibility. i was just using them as an example of rather slick, commercial music that won't scare or offend my mom (who has been my go to person for wether something is 'radio ready' for about 20 years now). they're a fine band with good hooks and their new record is definetley well recorded, just not my scene i guess.

[djui5]

Yeah, Gilman street.

They were really upset about it too. They wanted nothing but to hang with their friends after being thrown into overnight success as one of the biggest bands on the planet, and everyone ran them out of town. That's the way it goes.
It's like people in the ghetto who turn their head and "see nothing" when someone get's killed. There's a unity among underground music bands and their artists that's hard to break.

I didn't mean to single out Green Day either, but you brought them up and they're a perfect example of how it can be when you break big.

[pomoone]

Yep, Green Day was one of the bands that was chastised in the corner after Dookie became big. Blink 182 is another band that went through the same drama.

Its Funny, you mention to the kids “I am not aware they re recorded the record” It’s the same friggin record they fell in love with but as soon as the masses liked it they hated it, sigh

[achtung baby]

yeah, gilman is rough man. there are some total idiots who go there. that became especially apparent after jello got attacked. reminds me of why i got out of the 'scene' before there was a scene haha.

no more thread hijacking, i promise.

[norman_nomad]

Originally Posted by kats

So the subject of why mostly "bubblegum" on the airwaves comes up. He said look, I'll give you an example. In the hardcore metal scene, there's more fans than in alot of the sanitzed rock we play yet we only give them 1 hour a week playtime. The reason is that as soon as we start playing alot of these "underground" types of bands - their fans boycott them, caling them sellouts. They don't tune into the station and the regular demographics aren't interested.


Personally, I don't know how true this is, but I've seen that type of clique snobbery in most artforms and they manifest themselves in weird ways. In this situation I can see how a certain demographic takes pleasure in the fact that "their" music is "too good" for the airwaves.

Sorry but the program director is really not giving you the big picture story... the whole "fans calling them sell outs and the regular demographic not interested" is bullsh@t.

The "regular demographic" is, by definition, a group of listeners who are not particularly discerning and have interests only in as much as what is marketed to them.

Plenty of hugely popular bands started out as "underground" and then rose to success... I've seen it happen to a few of my peers.. and you know why radio stations and then record labels became interested? Because the the word was "out on the street", they brought a lot of people(girls) to their shows, and they had myspace numbers that read like old honda odometers.

Good program directors should have their ear to the ground and be adventurous enough to expose the public to new/creative music which they might not have heard otherwise. Unfortunately most are business school underachievers with talent for passing the buck.

[u b k]

green day really strikes people as punk? they sound so unabashedly pop to me, not one potentially dangerous or offensive vibe in there.

if they're punk, punk has gotten really safe.


gregoire
del ubik

[kats]

You know what though UBIK - take Green Days album and play it through the crap amps, guitars, mics, and POS PA's that these fellas endured during their "prefame" days and it will sound as Punk as anything

[jonnyclueless]

The real reason is money. They play the artists who have the money to pay them to play their music. Radio play is not an indicator of what the pubic wants, it's an indicator of who is paying the most.