I hope I’m not alone in saying this, but Fernie needs a good kick in the pants when it comes to live music. Hats off to Pocket Rocket for *trying* to inject some life into the local music (albeit a little too redundantly). Also, I do applaud the Free Press for trying to increase its coverage of local music events and listings. I don’t remember the names of the two (Aussie) artists featured in last weeks issue, but good on you. Keep on truckin’.
My beef is the fact that there SEEMS to be no effort on the part of bar owners to draw *decent* live acts. For the record, I’m excluding the El Dorado (and the Pub to a limited extent) from this beef, as they seem to be offering the most in terms of live music (even if I wouldn’t call myself a fan of whatever “fusion” of music they are serving up these days).
Here are a list of potential rebuttles:
1) What is the attraction? [b:bnt4iulz]Live music rocks
[/b:bnt4iulz]
2) What’s in it for the bar? [b:bnt4iulz]During the winter season, it seems like bar owners can’t do wrong (selling ice to an eskimo, enough said)[/b:bnt4iulz]
3) Why would bands come to Fernie? [b:bnt4iulz]Why not?! The majority of bands play Vancouver and Calgary. They just need to come through Fernie rather than Banff.[/b:bnt4iulz]
4) Would it be expensive? [b:bnt4iulz]Live shows in Fernie average about $10-$15 a head, for bands no one has ever heard of. I’ve seen live shows in the “city” for $4, and these are bands with record deals.[/b:bnt4iulz]
5) Where would they stay? [b:bnt4iulz]I work at a hotel and we routinely offer up free accomodation for the few live acts who roll through town.[/b:bnt4iulz]
I know that there are a lot of people out there who agree with me, and a lot of people who don’t give a rats…I just want to know how people feel.
I do also want to mention that the Arts Station does offer a good lineup; however, there is an absence of good bar shows for the younger audience.
The lack of live *decent* live music is biggest complaint about life in this valley…
Rock out!
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