Pegasus News - Dallas/Fort Worth

I don't know who is involved in putting on this Dallas Music Fest, but I'd be wary. I got really bad reports from bands that performed last year...but I wasn't there in person to see how things went. However, Aden Holt was and writes...

If any rep from the Dallas Music Fest would like to drop me an email and tell me we are wrong, bring it on...

UPDATE - Sabrina of National Noise and In-Bred Threads took a few to respond to Aden's letter. I will say this...I'm friends with Jerry Rutherford of National Noise and I'm aware of Sabrina...it was these two who initially made me think the Dallas Music Fest is legit this year...but I ain't a band nor a musician...you decide...Click on MORE below for the whole shebang.

UPDATE #2 - Aden Responds to Sabrina - Click on MORE below and it's all there for your reading pleasure.

UPDATE #3 - Aden and Buzz-Oven - click MORE below... UPDATE - Sabrina of National Noise and In-Bred Threads took a few to respond to Aden's letter. I will say this...I'm friends with Jerry Rutherford of National Noise and I'm aware of Sabrina...it was these two who initially made me think the Dallas Music Fest is legit this year...but I ain't a band nor a musician...you decide...Click on MORE below for the whole shebang.

please take the time to read this as I did your post.

All major music festivals have entry/application fees. It costs money to pay persons to go through all of the applications, rent the rooms and pay for stages, bring in sound to some, media buys in print and radio. ClearChannel and New Times aren’t cheap, not to mention the many other publications that are utilized. As you know it all ads up. Also the festival is giving the bands an opportunity to make money; which no other festivals offer.

Last years festival expenses were MUCH higher, and revenues were MUCH lower than expressed in Aden’s letter. At the same time, it shouldn't be relevant. Frankly, I’m sure the festival would love to make the kind of money that Aden described. But they are motivated to bring big crowds to the event, but they don't nickel-and-dime their expenses either. They spend a great deal of time and money on advertising, programs and other details to make this event better. They spend money aggressively and allow all tickets to be 4-day passes, because we want the crowds to be big for the bands, and want to continue to grow this event in future years. If they didn't care, they would take the presale ticket money and then bail on the advertising and the programs. They certainly wouldn't have 4-day passes. They could easily sell separate tickets for each day, but they want people to come down more than once to check out other bands they haven’t seen and check out new clubs they haven’t been in. Because they care, they INVEST in the future of this festival and the future of Dallas as a major music scene and host.

Remember, ClearChannel and HOB don't organize music festivals because they are generally unprofitable. It's very hard to make a profit in these events, but this is what we love to do. Without a financial incentive, nobody would be doing anything. Do you have any idea how much the organizers of SXSW make? Do they get complaints about tickets costing $600? Our tickets are only $15 for a 4-day pass! Or even lower at $12 a ticket from bands in advance (bands get to keep $2 of that ticket making money on the festival.

There are many complaints about other music festivals; rather than compare or start a war between festivals I would rather focus on the merits of the Dallas Music Fest. Having sponsors like Purevolume.com and Sonicbids.com helping spread the good word of the artists on such huge platforms.

My point in all of this is that I love the music scene here in Dallas that is why I choose to stay here. There is amazing talent here of all genres. It is time that someone brings something fierce to this scene that is far reaching. Austin claims to the capital of Texas music, give me a break everyone in Dallas knows better. Dallas as a city and music scene has something to offer that neither L.A. or NYC has.......real people to welcome all styles of music from all over the country/and beyond. It is time that Dallas becomes a host to such a music fest without local music politics.

As members of the Dallas Music Community I hope that you can see where the Dallas Music Fest is coming from. And yes I accepted the consulting/liaison position with the festival because I think it is great for Dallas.

I just thought you may like to read this as well; also Losa performed at the Dallas Music Fest last year at 6 in the afternoon on the outside stage of indigo on a thursday. They got signed that night to Metal Blade Records....the same label that put Unearth on Ozzfest. Losa's record comes out in Febuary.

Also " I have attended music panels at festivals all over the country, including SXSW, The Surround Sound Conference, AES; the DMF panels are thorough, informative, and are more interesting than most!"

-Chris Bell Texas Chapter President of The Recording Academy.

I have also included an article below that was sent to me from a journalist from the Ft. Worth Star Telegram who also contributes to NationalNoise. I hope that all of this information gives you a more more complete vision of the Dallas Music Fest.

"The second annual Dallas Music Festival is still more than three full months away but the people promoting the event have already begun working long and arduous hours to assure this year’s festival is more of a success than last year’s.

Indeed, a festival still in its infancy will act as a catalyst for concern and criticism, and the DMF could not be more enthused to receive this feedback. A festival promoting music in an unbiased, non-political fashion should be the first to cock its ears and proudly listen to those who respect their right to free speech enough to be heard, especially in this current politically charged environment.

The promoters of the DMF acknowledge that this festival has many kinks that need to be worked on, and maybe will for a year or two down the road. What else is to be expected of a festival that has not yet turned two years old? To try and please everyone is a very humble and saintly goal, but alas, reality shows that saints only belong in the spirit world (or pasted on those specialty candles available at the Fiesta mart).

With a festival the size of the DMF (and with continued success, hopefully one that continues to grow) it is impossible to put a smile on everyone’s face all the time. The promoters and organizers are not ignorant; they acknowledge this and proceed with full force.

One criticism that arose out of last year’s debut, however, deserves at least a few column inches of print. This is the belief held by some that the DMF has no heart; that the festival designed to bring industry gurus to Dallas to hear local and national acts, and maybe discover the latest unheard of star, is only out to exploit the naiveté of young musicians. This is the furthest possible thing from the truth.

The mission of the DMF is to provide a setting where musicians can gain exposure to fans and industry executives, and music fans can enjoy a broad range of musical talent at an affordable price. It also believes that the system it uses is the fairest, and the one that rewards hard work and talent in the most efficient and consistent way possible. Bands in the local pool are encouraged to sell tickets to ensure premium time slots. This is to gain a better time slot, not to gain a slot. Once an act is accepted into the festival it is guaranteed a time and place to play.

Even as this is being written, however, we can hear the old comments again. So we listen. “What if a band has more money, and can sell more tickets?” “Is it fair that one band has a head up on another?” The answer to these questions is that every system is flawed. No, it is not fair that one band may have more money or resources, and no, it is not a perfect system. But is anything good worth having ever easy? Should we all hang our head in the sand because we may have to work a little harder than the trust-fund “artist” in the front of the line? Should we call the cops on our own party and walk away and go home? Again, a choice.

The folks at the DMF choose to keep working. People who choose not to work have the option of bailing out, doing their own thing and leaving the party early. Again, it is a choice. It is not a Gestapo-like mandate forcing everyone out on the streets to sell tickets like selling chocolate bars' or having a bake-sale in elementary school.

And even the coveted “headliner” slot is not a necessity. Bands can look to one of last year’s success stories, Losa, a new band that played the festival’s first slot, 6 p.m. Thursday. Their talent out powered their ability to sell tickets. What was their reward? A contract with Metal Blade records.

Those who say that band members are being exploited are doing a disservice to the musicians by insulting their intelligence. The label “starving artist” is around for a reason. Artists, whether writers, actors or, uh pardon me, aspiring music journalists, realize that we’d be better off mortgaging our souls and taking a cushy job in front of a computer, watching our rear-ends grow. But we choose to do what we do, because we love it.

Musicians are no different. Any band at any level knows that self-promotion is a key to success. All the DMF is doing is embracing that belief and asking bands to embrace it and help themselves in the process. Musicians are smart enough to realize that success doesn’t just find you, doesn’t just bite you in the butt when you’re in the middle of a nap. Musicians work hard, and are rewarded for it.

The DMF hopes to utilize this hard work and reward the salt-of-the-earth musicians who, by the way, also happen to be terrific enough to get signed. Is this festival going to assure success for all? No. It isn’t making that claim. Is it going to please everyone? No. It realizes the controversy it has started. Is there a perfect system out there? No, but if anyone finds one feel free to contact Marx and Engels via Ouija board and let them know the Revolution has finally triumphed. Until then, people are offered the DMF as a way to hear new and undiscovered talent. Those choosing not to participate have the festival’s blessing as they journey down their own road.

The criticism about bands making no money can be answered this way: They keep a portion of what they sell. Sell more, make more. Musicians are smart and realistic. They know what it is like to play for a free meal and maybe some beer money and most have happily done so in the past, just to have a chance to play. How is the festival different? Only in the additional benefits offered.

Bands here make money, interact with other musicians, get exposed to fans and have the chance to be noticed. It is realistic to assume that more money can possibly be made by having their own show, and selling their own tickets. Sure. Joining the festival doesn’t mean that this way of doing things is abolished permanently. It is not signing away, in blood, your right to do things the way you choose the other 361 days of the year.

It is joining a festival where A&R people are guaranteed to be in attendance. It is participating in a festival where industry people are brought to them, adding at least a small ray of hope that may otherwise be unavailable. Is the DMF promising riches and fame to all? No, and we know bands are smart enough to know and expect this. Yet, they are still committed to trying and turning people on to new tunes in the process.

Another issue and maybe one that is closest to the fans’ hearts, that needs to be discussed is the price of admission. Twelve dollars for a four-day pass is by far the best possible deal. Now, twelve bucks won’t get you a backstage pass to the Iron Maiden reunion tour, but it will guarantee a person four nights of music, eight hours a night.

One complaint heard is that bands struggle to sell tickets to their shows at lower prices any other time. How are they expected to sell one for $12? In case people have forgotten, the pass is for more than one show. Isn’t one of the main purposes of hearing and playing music to bridge the gap between individuals and all groove together in the first place? What better way to spread the love than to expand horizons and listen to a variety of music, not just one band. Twelve dollars to hear the band selling the ticket, plus a hundred other possible acts to see doesn’t sound like a huge sacrifice.

Another shot taken by the DMF is that it is sponsored by out-of-towners. Who cares? I’ve heard of Texas pride, but to bash an event because the people behind it are from somewhere other than the Lone Star state borders on jingoism. From now on, let’s all listen to only Buddy Holly, Stevie Ray and Pantera. We’ll see how long that lasts. We are Texans, and proud ones at that. We are also equally proud of our open-mindedness and ability to make way for new ideas in the way things are done, especially if one possible result is helping local talent make it big and putting Texas music on the map even more than it already is. The DMF is embracing a different style of festival and in doing so, realizing that nothing that has ever preached change has ever been promptly and fully accepted by all.

Lastly, the DMF has been labeled by some as just another gimmick for a few people to make money. Again, reality. What event doesn’t make money for a certain group or person? Unless it is a cancer run or a feed-the-homeless campaign, not one. That’s capitalism, and most importantly, that is the music industry. Do we have to agree with it? No, but this is the fairest way to still give everyone a shot. The Dallas Music Festival isn’t out to hang musicians it isn’t a masterminded plot by a bunch of suits to have impressionable musicians march to the top of a scaffold with a scarlet “C” for “chump” sewn on their retro t-shirts and be laughed at. Instead it is a chance to be heard and seen. It is also a chance for music lovers to enjoy four days of music for less than it takes to park and get a couple beers at a football game. And if the festival was such a detriment to Dallas, why on earth have a handful of well-known, respectable venues already lined up to host this year’s DMF? Why have bands already started pouring in with music and applications? Because they are a part of the crowd willing to give the DMF a chance.

As previously stated, the DMF acknowledges the kinks in their system. They are not forcing anyone to adapt to their ways. Instead, the DMF is working round the clock to promote a festival that invites industry people to see new bands and gives fans of local, regional and national acts the opportunity to take in as much music as they possibly can. -Julian Aguilar"

UPDATE #2 - Aden Responds to Sabrina - Click on MORE below and it's all there for your reading pleasure.

DMF politics - the novel I'm sorry that this post is going to be long, but I have to point out bullshit when I see it. Below is a letter from Sabrina Gunaca (she is a friend of mine who happens to work for the DMF). None of this is personal. She happens to believe in this festival and that it is good for our "scene". While I think that getting people out to shows is admirable, it is the tactics and empty promises made by the DMF that literally FOOL young bands into thinking they can sell their way into being seen by industry pros. (see my earlier post "the ugly truth") Not once did I complain about a $15 ticket being expensive for a fan. Thats great. Hooray. Most bands sold them for $10 and sacrificed the kickback in order to sell more tickets. It is the way the DMF treats Dallas bands, how they incentivise them, and the empty promises they give them all while making money from their hard work that bothers me. They basically employ bands to sell tickets for them without so much as a thank you in return. They promise that your band will be seen by industry insiders and IT JUST DOESNT HAPPEN BECAUSE YOU SELL TICKETS!...... The DMF is perpetuating a lie that if you sell (or buy) a ton of tickets, that you will be evaluated by the industry. Does the DMF give a printout to the A&R staff of the bands who sold the most tickets so they can go see them? NO. Why? CUZ THEY DONT CARE! They want to see bands that have TALENT. Not ones who have money or good salesmanship. Here are some quotes from the letter below and my response: "Also the festival is giving the bands an opportunity to make money; which no other festivals offer." --- Anyone can add $5 to a ticket and tell the seller to keep it. Most bands sold their tickets $10 in order to sell more tickets. "It is time that Dallas becomes a host to such a music fest without local music politics." --- Then dont screw 70% of the bands over in the process. That will avoid any politics. "As members of the Dallas Music Community I hope that you can see where the Dallas Music Fest is coming from. And yes I accepted the consulting/liaison position with the festival because I think it is great for Dallas. " --- Ok it's great for Dallas how? It's great for the bars cuz you have gotten a bunch of bands to bring everyone they knew out to the club. I wouldnt complain about this festival if I was a proprieter of the event, or a bar owner.... my beef is that you take advantage of young bands in the process. They get NOTHING in return for selling tickets. They play in front of those they sold tickets to... "Losa performed at the Dallas Music Fest last year at 6 in the afternoon on the outside stage of indigo on a thursday. They got signed that night to Metal Blade Records...." --- THIS PROVES MY POINT EXACTLY! How many tickets did Losa sell to get that PRIMO SLOT at 6 in the afternoon at a B-Level club's parking lot? NONE! They got recognized by a label for other reasons. STOP TELLING BANDS THEY WILL BE SEEN BY LABELS IF THEY SELL MORE TICKETS! "It is realistic to assume that more money can possibly be made by having their own show, and selling their own tickets. Sure. Joining the festival doesn’t mean that this way of doing things is abolished permanently. It is joining a festival where A&R people are guaranteed to be in attendance." --- BULLSHIT! They are guaranteed to be at the festival with 400 bands playing. No band is "guaranteed" to be seen by A&R because of ticket sales. The A&R staff TOLD us that plain and simple at the DMF panel last year. Ah the irony. "And if the festival was such a detriment to Dallas, why on earth have a handful of well-known, respectable venues already lined up to host this year’s DMF? --- Because it is GREAT for the venues... more people = more $$$. "Why have bands already started pouring in with music and applications?" --- Because they believe the fantasy that you perpetuate in your advertising. Bottom line. Throw a festival. Support the scene. Have bands sell tickets. Just dont tell them they will be rewarded for it because that is a complete lie. I'm done. Here is the letter in full below. Sorry for the rant. I just want bands to see the whole picture before they buy into a scam.

Aden Writes - DMF - last one Body: Sabrina asked a question in her last post, so I thought I would answer. "What are the young bands playing for Buzz Oven getting in return?" First of all... I had a feeling this would take this turn... I feel like a presidential candidate suddenly. But this is a very easy answer. Every band that plays our buzz-combat gets reviewed by a panel of teen and college aged judges (our target market). They are given points based on performance, originality, crowd response, and people through the door that come and support them. Every band is given their detailed scores and some are even given comments by the judges. The winner gets free studio time to record two tracks for the next Buzz-Oven CD with 2 other bigger bands. We make 10,000 CDs and GIVE THEM AWAY to teens all across the Metroplex. Then the band gets to perform in the all ages buzz tour with those bigger bands in front of large crowds. On top of that, they get their name and photo on 5,000 posters, 50,000 postcards, 3 months of web advertising, mentions and possible spins on 102.1 The Edge, several full page ads in The Dallas Observer and a street team that is over 1000 strong. This is more promotion than some bands ever get in their entire career. The benefits of participating in Buzz-Oven are VERY tangible and not left mysterious as to who is watching them and what kind of feedback they get in return. All of these "returns" are made matter-of-fact to every band before they enter. While you are at it... take a look at the site. My suggestion for the DMF: Have bands sell tickets in return for a tangible prize.... like cash, or T-shirts, or band gear. This will still incentivise them to sell tickets, but not promise them to be "scouted" because the reality of that happening will never have anything to do with how many tickets a band sells. Just be honest. That is all I am recommending.

Cindy now blogs at The Fine Line.