Down On The Corner

By Paul Moffett

"The Scene is Nowhere to be Seen"

OK, that's it. I have heard enough negative comments in the past few weeks to last me a lifetime. I am losing respect for "the scene" and some of its so-called supporters with every second that goes by.

I also want to make it clear that I mean no offense to anyone in this article, but I have very strong opinions on some things that have been going on lately. My goal is to explain both sides of the story, bring some of the B.S. into public view and offer some unsolicited advice.

I don't know how many of you are familiar with the show that went on a couple weeks ago called Korefest, so here's a little background. Korefest was a three-day-long concert that was held at the Bullitt County Fairgrounds Friday, October 13 through Sunday, October 15. There were many bands on the bill, including Flaw, Point of Anger, My Own Victim, Inmate 42, and my band, Inidle, among others. On paper, the concert was a great idea. In reality, it had some problems. It is unrealistic to put together a show of any size and expect it to run perfectly smoothly. So what did happen? I'm glad you asked…

The show had good staging, lights and a decent sound system. (The attitude of the sound guy left something to be desired.) The crowd, on the other hand … well, I have had more people watch me play a keyboard in the middle of Wal-Mart at four in the morning, and I suck at keyboards! There were people there, don't get me wrong, (I'm exaggerating.) But on the grand scale of things, this event should have been out of this world, there was so much stuff planned.

Though it seems like it so far, this article is not entirely about Korefest. I played there, but I am in no way affiliated with anything to do with it or the Louisville Kore web site (www.louisvillekore.com). Will I refer to both of these throughout my column? Yes, I will. I will because they are prime examples of the things I am angry about.

The show was low in attendance for several reasons, but on the bulletin board for Louisville Kore's web site there is more mudslinging going on than in the presidential race. (Check it yourself under the "Rants and Raves" section) It is nothing but people being rude, judgmental and whiny. My boss at UPS said to me once that "It's easy to point out what's wrong with something, but the real test is to come up with the solution for it." Nobody is doing this part. You see ninety-nine thoughtless complaints to every single piece of constructive criticism. So-called-supporters of the scene have trashed their own vitality in this board of expression. I guess it is a lot easier to hide behind the comforts and safety of anonymity.

On the other hand, I am not saying that I agree with the way certain things were handled at the show either. These are mistakes that wise promoters learn from for the future. Among the errors: no guest list; insufficient organization and advance planning, which resulted in last-minute changes, including the venue and a not well thought-out scheme for paying the bands.

Taking care of these sorts of things are just the beginning of what makes a good show and even then, some of the most well-planned shows flop. It takes all this and more, plus a great deal of luck to stage a successful event in the Louisville area.

So what do the rest of us need to do? Quit trash-talking each other. Quit complaining about everything without offering a solution. Make an effort on your own to do something; don't just expect someone else to do it for you. (I am doing a Halloween show, Hallopalooza, solo and I am taking all the same risks as these guys did.)

It takes effort from all ends: the bands, the promoters and the venue to make an event happen. Most importantly, it also takes support from the fans, who lately have taken to trashing everyone in sight.

For instance, someone tried to make me look like a racist on the Kore Bulletin Board. Why should someone who does not know me go out of their way to twist the wording around and try and ruin my credibility? I only know this person as an "msd fan," someone who is too cowardly to reveal an identity. I am sure that this is not the representation that the band MSD would want, either.

It appears that this scene is quickly gaining a reputation for backstabbing and whining. If we all work together, we can achieve so much more. For your homework, create/book/promote a show, preferably at a rental hall or some place other than an established venue. You will then see how much you should appreciate the work these bands and promoters do.

I am leaving my soapbox now.

If you or anyone you know is in an original local band, send me their information at JJKSLACKER@cs.com, page me at (502) 392-7384, or leave me a voice mail at (502) 262-8728. Until next month, rock on!