OFF: what if they gave a mandelbrot fest, and nobody came?

[DASLUD at AOL.COM]

from Mr. Strange Daze himself, Jim Lascko:

yours in warrior bandsmanship,
"<>"
===========
Hello Larry!

Thanks for the email. Feel free to post the following.

I have heard about the turn out at Mandlebrot and and I'm sorry that people in
that area didn't support this music more. They sure missed a great opportunity
to see some very good bands. Low attendance has plagued us in the past and we
are always hoping to increase it ourselves. It's a constant problem.

Many folks are aware that there was bit of a difficulty between Mandlebrott
and myself working together on this festival. It's regrettable to me and
stresses the need for us all to work together and not so much as separate
units in scattered cities. I didn't NOT COME on purpose and I was actually
busy at the time settling Jerry Richards, Richard Chadwick and Capt. Rizz in
with Steve Taylor and Steve Hayes so they can commence to music making! I also
had a lightshow gig I had to do.

Don't be discouraged. There really  IS an interest in what we all do but
unfortunately it is not a large percentage of the general population. Even if
we had ALL pulled together on this and were much more organized on this show
the turn out would have still been lean. This is just the nature of the beast
were dealing with.

We are fighting apathy and lack of interest even among supposed loyal and avid
spacerock fans. The reason that shitty music is proliferating is because even
though the kids nowadays don't know their ass from a hole in the ground, they
are avid supporters of what they believe in and aren't afraid to come out and
plunk down their hard earned money to see the music (???) they say they love.
We can take a lesson from them.

Bands can't just play. They have to promote themselves AND THE SCENE too!
Unless a band can sell out the show just by saying "We'll be there" then they
have to help promote and sell tickets too. As long as a band's worth is judged
only by how many asses are in the seats as is the case now, rather than the
more esoteric value of their music, this will always be an issue.

I was very disappointed when I came to NYC with Porcupine Tree. This is band
with great music in the vein of what we all like. I was there with The Solar
Fire Lightshow. Strange Trips sent out postcards to everyone on our mailing
list for Porcupine Tree and Gong's US tour, in effect endorsing them and
recommending them as "bona fide spacerock-type shows" for all of the fans out
there.

I think I only recognized a few people from our mail list (I'm not sure how
many were really there) and very few from any of the spacerock bands that live
the NY/NJ area that we support and work with. You can't support the scene that
supports the music if you don't go to the shows when they come to your town.
Then when these non-supporting bands play a show and no one is there they
wonder why that is. Bands get into a rut (just as I do with the lightshow)
where they "just work the gigs" and don't actually want to really attend one!
I know it happens but it isn't good.  Every spacerock show that is poorly
attended is a nail in the coffin of every band who flys under this flag.
Venues keep track of who's successful and who isn't.

This is supposed to be a fun, live, vital community that is happening NOW and
not just 20 years ago when Hawkwind did this or Hawkwind did that! Sure those
were golden years, but I don't have a time machine where I can go back and
re-live what I missed the first time and no one else does either. I live in
the here and now. I can even go into a BETTER FUTURE from my presnt position.
But I cannot go into the past!

Remember that 30 years ago Hawkwind wasn't Hawkwind either! That came with
hard work from a lot of talented people over a long period of time. It was
just a scruffy bunch of guys, a naked girl and a lightshow that somehow came
together for the good of all! Over a period of time they gained great stature
built upon their numerous accomplishments until no one person could fully
embody it all to everyone's satisfaction.

But I saw pictures of the early days where a handful of people were sitting in
the dirt under a motorway overpass LISTENING TO THE MUSIC! It was just THEM
doing their thing during their time and now it's just US trying to do out
thing in our present time!  For better or worse, for good or bad...WE DO IT!
And that's all that counts.

Congratulations to Nebula Trip and all the warrior bands for making the
attempt and for all of the valiant effort, money and time that went into it. I
know what it takes and it isn't the easiest job to do.

See you at the upcoming gigs and Strange Daze 2000.
Come see the future. Come see the re-birth of our Star Nation!

Rest in Space
Jim Lascko

Birth to Death and Death to Birth...from Earth to Heaven and Heaven to Earth!

PS: Anyone know where we can find a naked girl?

--
Jim Lascko
jmfinity at Strange-Trips.com
http://www.Strange-Trips.com