BIT - FUTURE PLANNING ideas

Benn · Post by **Benn** » 13/09/2004 - 17:22

sumppi wrote:Without even being in any of the previous events, I thought I'd share my view anyway.

Ermmm - thanks. I'm sure it'll be informed.

sumppi wrote: In my opinion, the format of the show as it was this year is pretty dead and uninteresting.

Yeah - all 250 people who were there thought so too - I was stunned by the silence, broken only by the occasional jeering.

sumppi wrote: Watched from afar it seems to focus around three things: 1) people 2) the concert and 3) beer. Now, the third one I can get anywhere and the second one is IMHO a just nice-to-have feature with the main point being meeting people. I know this year most of the people I know that went there went almost solely for the people, not the concert.

Indeed - everybody that came up to me afterwards remarked on what an dull gig it was - how it just didn't compare with the chance to kiss Martin's arse last year.

sumppi wrote: So, how blashphemous it might be, I think the concert could be cut or arranged with less heavy setup. Instead of that the content could be more interactive and diverse in focus. Remix competition with target tune announced three days before the event. On-site collaboration with less-than-hifi stage, stuff like that. I suppose something like that was in Brighton, at least judging by the pictures, right?

I think you're right - what we need is just a geekfest where we can do some self-congratulatory masturbation on what kool l33t coderz we all are. Brighton was *just* like that (except for the boring gig bit in the evening, but nobody showed up to that anyway).

sumppi wrote: As for the venue, could a venue without alcohol serving permit be cheaper? I know the drinks cut some of the other costs, but anyway. That would open up new possibilities for the venue.

And you're from Finland - right?

sumppi wrote: The feel I'm aiming here is something like the early copy parties with people gathering to have fun and share stuff - not to just drink beer (although that has been known to happen in demo parties too;) and sit idle while watching same bands every year.

Indeed - PPOT are just getting boring now, and that SID 80's crap was just self indulgent...and bloody Visa Roster are all over the place anyway.

sumppi wrote: Anyway, just my few cents on the issue.

Thanks. Your input is most gratefully received. Can I take my tongue out of my arse now?

RetroMarkie · Post by **RetroMarkie** » 13/09/2004 - 17:25

I'm not even going to attempt to follow that.

sumppi · Post by **sumppi** » 13/09/2004 - 17:32

Benn wrote: Yeah - all 250 people who were there thought so too - I was stunned by the silence, broken only by the occasional jeering.

I thought I'd comment on the oh-so-witty remarks one by one but nah, not really worth it.

The main point was that if it's not financially viable this way the solution probably isn't collecting more money but cutting costs by having a smaller scale event. Sound feasible? The ticket price this year was quite high already and while the 50 enthusiasts might be willing to shell out 50 pound a year, I'm not sure it'll cover the costs of those that won't.

And for the record, I did buy two tickets this year but had to cancel due to scheduling issues.

Sumppi

Bog · Post by **Bog** » 13/09/2004 - 17:35

Now, now. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, even if everybody else who was there thinks they're completely and utterly wrong.

I'm sorry to hear you didn't enjoy it, sumppi - but I have to say, I think you've sort of missed the point someplace. Maybe this just isn't your kinda thing.

sumppi · Post by **sumppi** » 13/09/2004 - 17:40

Bog wrote:I'm sorry to hear you didn't enjoy it, sumppi - but I have to say, I think you've sort of missed the point someplace. Maybe this just isn't your kinda thing.

I enjoyed it alright, as much as I could while staying at home being bitter about not being actually there. I'm jealous to those that got to experience it, but not for the concert part.

Sure, it may have rocked, but I just see potential for it to be so much more than Just Another Concert. And, well, I think I already made my point about being realist about the costs of arranging such event.

Sumppi

Matrix · Post by **Matrix** » 13/09/2004 - 17:44

I'm jealous to those that got to experience it, but not for the concert part.

-

(does that qualify as an oxymoron ?)

Bog · Post by **Bog** » 13/09/2004 - 17:45

Sure, it may have rocked, but I just see potential for it to be so much more than Just Another Concert.

Mmmph. Being honest, it was shedloads more than that. I guess you had to be there.

The demo-party sort of atmosphere can be had a lot of places - the argument works both ways.

And as for your point about beer being available everywhere - when you're banned from as many pubs as I am, you'll value places that still let you in all the more....

sumppi · Post by **sumppi** » 13/09/2004 - 17:54

Bog wrote:Mmmph. Being honest, it was shedloads more than that. I guess you had to be there.

Probably so, then.

Although judging by my previous experience of similar events, had I been there, I'd probably feel the same. Seems like my preference in entertainment just doesn't really match the approved profile.

Sumppi

Matrix · Post by **Matrix** » 13/09/2004 - 17:57

You need a serious demoparty man, bitlive isnt and never was, a demoparty. I know those feelings, ive been there... in the thick of it back in the amiga group days.... but bitlive is about the music and the artists, not the demo's - last years day event by retrovision at brighton was ace - i loved it .... but by no means did it feel like a demo party ... no sir-ee, but id love to return to those days myself. Just seeing RSI at Bitlive3 and Razor1911 at brighton was enough to warm the cocles of my heart again and rekindle the old feelings.

Now buy the damn DVD and experience it on a surround setup !! *Cough* next year, obviously lol

Benn · Post by **Benn** » 13/09/2004 - 18:02

Sorry for the major sarcasm, but I'm afraid your post deserved it. Read the comments all over this forum from the people who were there, and I'll think you'll realise how wrong you were. Believe me, man - I play *lots* of gigs - been gigging since I was 12, from the local pub up to the Albert Hall. This was/is a lot more than Just Another Concert - it's a Unique Event. I think the point is that it's a celebration of the *music* - as I've said elsewhere in this forum, it's a genre by itself, and we gathered together the finest exponents of that genre to perform it live. That's why it was expensive - because it was happening. There and then. In your face. I don't know, but generally with these things when they're recorded, you only pick up whatever bits of audience reaction happen to make it through the on-stage mic's, so you may not have heard the amount of applause that every track was greeted with. Let me tell you - PPOT got a standing ovation. Visa Roster got a standing ovation. SID 80's got a standing ovation. That doesn't happen at Just Another Concert.

Larsec · Post by **Larsec** » 13/09/2004 - 18:04

Matrix wrote:
I'm jealous to those that got to experience it, but not for the concert part.
-
(does that qualify as an oxymoron ?)

No, actually it doesn't...

sumppi · Post by **sumppi** » 13/09/2004 - 18:05

Matrix wrote:You need a serious demoparty man, bitlive isnt and never was, a demoparty. I know those feelings, ive been there... in the thick of it back in the amiga group days.... but bitlive is about the music and the artists, not the demo's

I just used the demoparty feel as an example of more community driven event instead of the just the concert. If having a concert with huge venue, big PA and everything would be feasible financially, great. But I'm just too ambitious and I'd love to have more than that.

And since that seems even less feasible financially I'd prefer to have what's possible than not to have anything.

Sumppi

Bog · Post by **Bog** » 13/09/2004 - 18:05

Hold on... not interactive enough... how can you say that when Benn used us as his personal SID chip?

Oh, well. Never mind.

sumppi · Post by **sumppi** » 13/09/2004 - 18:13

Benn wrote:Sorry for the major sarcasm, but I'm afraid your post deserved it.

Well, it isn't the first or surely the last time.

Benn wrote:Read the comments all over this forum from the people who were there, and I'll think you'll realise how wrong you were.

I tried to further explain my opinion in the subsequent posts, and I'm not trying to undermine the concert's value or the experience as such. I'm just trying to be realistic about financials of arranging such things (I've been partial to arranging local events for 2000 people etc) while being ambitious about the content.

I just hope this'll lead to constructive dialogue of what else the event could be in addition to the concert in the future. In that case it would be worth it to stab the holy cow, even if it was a few days too early.

Sumppi

Makke · Post by **Makke** » 13/09/2004 - 18:14

Hehe, Sumppi I know you mean well and all, but if you've never been you don't know what you're talking about. I have, unfortunately, only been to two BIT Live's. But I can safely say that they were two of the best weekends in my life.

sumppi wrote:Watched from afar it seems to focus around three things: 1) people 2) the concert and 3) beer. Now, the third one I can get anywhere and the second one is IMHO a just nice-to-have feature with the main point being meeting people.

The BIT Live experience for me is a 50-50 of meeting the people and attending the concert. But without the concert it wouldn't be as magical. What unites the people at BIT Live is their common love for Commodore 64 music (or computer game music in general). Removing that, or tone it down, would remove the link between people. With that link gone I think alot of people wouldn't be bothered to go. The concert is what gets the people you meet there. So I think the two goes hand in hand a lot more than you realize.

As for the beer, it only helps you to open up and speak with people you don't know. It helps you relax. If you don't need/want any you don't have to. BIT Live never was about beer, even though there's a lot of it consumed. That's just what happens when a lot of men meet up. Personally I didn't drink that much this year. In fact I was only feeling slightly drunk the first night (Thursday), which was more due to serious dehydration rather than a rediculous beer consumption.

sumppi wrote:As for the venue, could a venue without alcohol serving permit be cheaper?

Could be, I don't know. But people like to drink (as do I

).

I don't care how stupid it sounds, when I get together with people I like to drink beer. I like to get drunk. It's not required, and yes you can have fun without drinking alcohol but you (or at least I) usually have even more fun when alcohol is involved.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is basically this:
You can't rationalize and/or analyse what needs to be changed about BIT Live if you've never been there, because it's a synergy. The conert would be nothing without the people. Most of the people wouldn't be there if it wasn't for the concert. The concert + the people = magic. BIT Live is more than a get together. BIT Live is more than a concert. BIT Live is a feeling. It's unity. It's friendship.

It's like love. If you haven't experienced it, you can't understand it.