Supernova
Shawn Kirkpatrick of Newmarket, Ontario is trying to make a go of it with his
band, The Doppler Effect. He says a company called Supernova, and the
music industry in general, are making it harder than it should be for
young artists trying to catch a break.
Viewer Letter
My name is Shawn Kirkpatrick and I live in Newmarket, Ontario. Music is
my passion - it's my life.
In Toronto, there is a company called Supernova that lets independent bands like myself perform at their venues. There is a catch though. In order to perform you must sell at least 25 tickets at usually 10 dollars a piece. And if you don't sell that much then they don't let you play.
Supernova also has big concert shows where about 15 independent bands play and you must sell 25 tickets at 20 dollars a piece.
Plus, they make you sign contracts saying you will not play shows prior to theirs. I think they are scamming money out of kids like me who just wanna perform.
It is an outrage.
My other problem is with the music business in general.
My band has played the bigger bars in Toronto and it's always the same - no one cares if you have talent, it's 'how many people can you bring in?'
When I see other bands going through the same trouble I feel for them, it's frustrating and tiring and nobody takes you seriously because you are young.
Street Cents, can you give young bands some advice about companies like Supernova and how to deal with venues?
Street Cents Response
Street Cents went straight to the source to try and find some answers for
Shawn. Connie met with Elliot Hurst – one of the founders of Supernova.
He says his company operates shows that give everyone a chance. He says there's no application and no auditions to go through. He says there are also no age restrictions for either bands or their audiences.
They hold Battle of the Bands competitions and Supernova says even though they don't pay bands, prizes like recording time are a good substitute. And music industry people may spot bands the like at these shows too.
Hurst says the company wants to maintain a good relationship with the bands so they want to hear about it if bands are being hassled.
Supernova says the ticket prices may seem steep, but that many bands just don't realise how expensive it is to put on a concert. They say things like hall rental, security, publicity, coordinating all the bands, sound and lighting all add up.
They also say there aren't any clubs in Toronto that will let you play unless they can guarantee you will draw a crowd.
Bands that don't sell at least 25 tickets to the shows are prohibited from winning first prize - but they do still get to play. And Supernova says it's developing a "People's choice award."
Supernova says they get bands to sign a contract because that's part of having a "professional" attitude and it shows the band is serious about the gig.
They say getting bands to sell some tickets ensures that bands make an effort to bring out fans to the show.
Participating in a Supernova show is a choice. And they say they give young
bands with limited resources and opportunities a chance to play in venues
and to crowds they wouldn't otherwise have access to.
While we were researching this item, Street Cents came across some bands who thought Supernova was great, and other bands, like Shawn's, who thought the opposite was true.
What seems to rub some bands the wrong way about Supernova is that they
see the company as yet another cog in the machinery of the music industry.
Supernova uses established industry models for shows and depends on standard
industry business practices as well.
Our research found these complaints tended to come from musical communities that object not just to Supernova, but also to the ethics of the music industry in general. To them, Supernova is a localized example of a larger tendency of the music industry towards homogeneous music and an obsession with profits.
next >>
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original air date: February 3rd, 2003
Page 1: Viewer Letter & Street Cents
response
Page 2: Tips for would-b Toronto rockers
Back: to Episode 14
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