Dissentor, miserable sod or realist
If it has any effect on the 3 men and a dog who turn up at the robin clubs Sunday prog nights I will be back on here cap in hand
I love any effort to promote Progressive music
my only wish is that some Progressive musicians of a race other than white would get some acknowledgment
now every idiot can scream at me for uttering such an abominable thought
Why is it whenever someone mentions an artist that was clearly progressive (yet not the Symph weenie definition of Prog) do certain people feel compelled to snort "thats not Prog" like a whiny 5th grader?
It's amazing how serious some people take these things. It's really all in good fun, at least for now. I think it's great that they've managed to make it such a successful event (and publication).
My question however is this:
If you don't win Album Of The Year, or Song Of The Year, or Best Live Act or anything else for that matter... how can you be Band Of The Year?
Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.
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Apart from a couple of dissenters, who are entitled to their opinions, I'm encouraged by the postivity of most of the comments on this thread. As my own band (Field of Vision) have an EP due for release by the end of the year, I hope to be one of the "new" (undiscovered is probably more apt) bands who can get some publicity, and Prog magazine is the most likely vehicle for that. They do a great job of introducing new music to a largely receptive audience. Yes a lot of the magazine highlights the 70's bands, but that's what draws in most of the punters and gives bands like mine a platform to be heard by people who might be more inclined to appreciate where we are coming from.
Having done a bit of writing myself on what used to be Rock Radio's website (the Prog Blog) I have some appreciation for the sheer hard work and inspiration that goes into filling a magazine with real quality every month, and these awards only highlight to the wider media that there is a strong following for this music and these artists. More power to your various elbows Prog ! I hope to attend one day, though I doubt it'll be to receive anything more than a prawn vol-au-vant!
Let's not forget that Prog Mag is part of a business, "Team Rock Limited"...
"TeamRock is a company that combines the best of traditional media with the boldness of new media, corporately speaking. We've spotted a gap in the rock music market, it's called "the rock music market" and we've noticed that rock music fans aren't getting the right access to the content they want, the way they want it, so we're changing that. Along with the recent acquisitions of Classic Rock & Metal Hammer magazines, the plan is to keep growing and delivering the content that you want, any time you want it. Based in the UK, the team behind TeamRock are both renowned and revered for their business acumen and media nuance. John Myers and Billy Anderson are also involved. Everyone who works for TeamRock is a rock music fan; from the newly divorced IT guy on the window ledge, to the Van Halen fan in accounts that always shouts "Jump" - we live it, we breathe it, all day every day. To date, TeamRock has delivered media services for Live Nation and developed content solutions for our partners in India and around the world. However, it's what we are going to do next that's the exciting thing. TeamRock, Belong."
http://weareteamrock.com/
Prog Mag and Awards is a first class event. The magazine's writing is great, top shelf production. The awards I can not speak of because all I see is what's posted on the web. But do not forget that it's a business. The awards, while doing an excellent job of promoting prog rock, especially in the UK, are also part of that business.
I applaud the board of directors of Team Rock for dedicating their resources to prog rock, but again, if it wasn't profitable, I'm sure it would have just remained a special publication of "Classic Rock Presents". If you have studied the magazine, you'll notice that it very much caters to the advertisers. I'm not saying anything is wrong with this, that's the business model that keeps the magazine in publication. BTW, Here's the complete list, from their website.
Limelight – Sound Of Contact (sponsored by Kscope)
Breakthrough – Big Big Train (sponsored by TeamRock Radio)
Anthem – Von Hertzen Brothers, Flowers And Rust (sponsored by Roadrunner)
Event – Steve Hackett, Genesis Revisited at Hammersmith Apollo (sponsored by Cherry Red/Esoteric)
Band Of The Year – Marillion (sponsored by Boodles)
Album – Steven Wilson, The Raven Who Refused To Sing (And Other Stories) (sponsored by InsideOut)
Grand Design – Family Box Set (sponsored by Alchemy)
Virtuoso – Mike Portnoy
Visionary – Steve Hillage (sponsored by Eagle Rock)
Guiding Light – Thomas Waber, founder of InsideOut
Lifetime Achievement – Dave Brock (sponsored by USM/Prog Rocks)
Prog God – Ian Anderson (sponsored by Orange Amplification)
I started this thread because I am genuinely interested in the awards. But as the thread evolves, and the evangelists begin to bandstand, let's again not pretend this isn't a business.
There are many, many people that dedicate their time to progressive rock. Some get paid, some don't. Some have corporate backing, like Jerry Ewing (who btw has never returned an email I have written him - is that a British thing???), some use their own money. All share a passion for this music. I love them all, but really the ones that do it for the sheer joy of this music, the ones that use their own money, and don't get a paycheck, are truly special.
And just because someone doesn't agree with something, I'd hardly call that "sour grapes". I love opinions. Positive ones, Negative ones, even some of the assholes make for a good laugh. It's what makes PE an interesting place. If it was all "rah rah rah" from the peanut gallery, that'd really make for some uninteresting reading, wouldn't it.
"Always ready with the ray of sunshine"
I know right? Marillion,I like them and I did buy Sounds That Can't Be Made. I like Marbles better,but that's probably due to my love for Ocean Cloud. How does Marillion get band of the year,when Stevn Wilson gets album of the year. It's as logical as Argo winning best picture,but Ben Affleck doesn't get the oscar as a director of the best picture. HUH?
sour grapes possibly not the right words--everyone is entitled to an opinion of course. The awards have had a great deal of mainstream press here in the UK. I guess because a lot of members on here are American, you obvioulsy wouldnt see or hear this, but its all good press !!
With regards to it being in favour of the advertisers--we didnt win this year and we always advertise and are sponsors too. (although Cherry Red did get lucky at the AIM awards which were the same night) With regards to results-- I personally dont agree with any sections being voted on at all by readers, this to me is hugely biased in favour of the bands that have huge very active facebook presences and massive fan clubs and thats why you get some results that may look a little "out", because some sections are voted for by fans--and some are not.
Charles is of course right when he says its a business,(its a fun one indeed, but still a business) Im sure Team Rock wouldnt have bought into it if it hadnt been doing well and if they hadnt seen their was scope for growth in various ways. still if I was buying into something, have to admit its probably way more fun for them than buying into say--software or petrochemicals.
Only that it's coming soon-ish after the Roxy Performances CD and a new 1973 Road Tapes album. Plus Dance Me This sounds like it'll be out soon as well. Mostly we talked about the recent Zappa performance at the proms as she was really impressed with the conductor, and also the October performance of 200 Motels in London - which I think she said consisted of 16 suites of music??? Although maybe i'd had too much wine by that point
Even a few who appear to be skeptical about the awards (myself included) have commented positively about this fact.
Interesting perspective about the "reader" awards. It's very true that certain bands - especially that "Band of the Year" - have fantastic internet/social media presence, and of course, one or two posts can create quite a flurry of activity.
"Always ready with the ray of sunshine"
Indeed it is, and most commercially released music has to be regarded likewise, or at least handled in a business-like fashion. There are many thousands of bands releasing stuff for the love of it, mine included. Music is its own reward, but you cannot avoid the business side of it if you want to keep recording, gigging etc. Marillion are a great case in point. They've found innovative business strategies that allowed them to flourish.
As esoteric says, business can still be fun, and I know some of the Teamrock guys (they were behind Rock Radio in the UK) and the ones I do know genuinely love rock music, so I wish them every success. These awards are a bit of fun, but if they raise the profile of this "genre" then let the fun begin. Besides, it's nice to see guys like Wakey & Hackett & some of their peers being rewarded for never giving up, for persevering through the troughs before finding new peaks.
Like everything else, one of the fundamental rules of economics applies - supply & demand. As long as there is a demand for this type of music, someone will supply it, and all the paraphernalia that surrounds it. And if some people can stimulate that demand still further without anyone getting hurt, good luck to them I say. Strawberrybrick is right in that some people play the media thing better than others.
The fact that we are discussing the awards at all is in itsself a measure of their success at least to a small degree, but I don't think any of us here are thinking that they are to be taken too seriously. I'd still love to win one in the future though! (2 chances of that hapening - none & f*** all!)
Put me in the "No" camp for this.
Dont' get me wrong - having some sort of prog industry event on a yearly basis is great. Modeling it after the Grammys, though, is not (IMO).
I think that even the naysayers secretly are excited about the awards; I just think when these male progfans put on their gowns to pretend they were at the ball the non-stop ingestion of Cheetos made for a poor fit and thus they each threw one....
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