The finest indie-rockers in town will take the stage to karaoke their hearts out as Seattle's best KJ plays the backing track. There will also be a some open spots on the schedule for lucky audience members to participate throughout the night. Join us for an evening of New Wave love and sing-alongs!
For most anyone out there sponsoring shows, playing shows, or booking show, flyering is a main component of any pre-show to-do list. It's also the most frustrating.
My fellow flyer-er and I usually get up at the crack of dawn to flyer around town a few weeks before the show (empty streets make it so much quicker). We always make sure to follow the common courtesy rules of never flyering over posters for shows that haven't happened yet and not putting more than one poster on a pole. So, you can imagine how frustrating it is to walk by our flyered posters the next day to find them torn down or covered up by another show. It is SO FRUSTRATING! I HATE IT!
As one flyering fellow told me, it's a poster flyering WAR out there. The main players are Poster Midget (the folks who have about 1/3 of the flyering market and started up about three years ago) and Poster Giant (the folks who've been doing it for much longer and have stirred up a bunch of controversy in the past for tearing down non-Poster Giant posters as soon as they are stapled to a pole - here and here and here and here and here).
A few weeks ago when flyering for a show, my partner and I saw the guy in the above YouTube video tearing down posters near the Comet Tavern. I was kicking myself for not having a camera.
In the video, they say that the person filming the guy ripping down posters was risking life and limb. I don't know about that, but the dude with the puffy coat and bike was pretty intimidating, even from afar. I'm not sure who this person works for since he was just wearing the puffy coat and had a bike (and looked exactly like the guy in the video) -- but I know he was tearing down a bunch of posters for shows that hadn't happened yet. Whoever this person is, he has a bunch of bad karma coming his way.
I'm going to flyer in the next week or so for another upcoming show... now I wonder if Poster Giant (or who ever that mean guy who tears down posters works for) is going to let any of our posters will stay up for more than 24 hours? Eep!
HAHAH. Aw, Liz, I LOVE that you posted this. As I was postering for the show tonight, I was grumbling the whole time about posters being ripped down and how I think postering is a joke.
Too bad that video is hard to see. And why are they filming off of the TV screen?
Anyway, speaking of which, off to said show! ps. I really hate it, but if you truly need help postering, I'll offer up my service. Already have a gun--staple, that is!
If at all possible, cover the posters you put up with some sort of caustic powder that will either cause extreme itching or dye the perpetrator's skin a garish color. Now, that would lead to fun!
Here's the problem. Is anyone going to approach and confront one of these assholes (no matter who they work for), and risk an altercation and potential injury, over a few concert posters? Not likely.
Do people even take the time to look at flyers on phone poles, anymore? I'd guess that a lot of people get club calendars etc. online or sent to their phones, now.
Not that I would be averse to something along the lines proposed by the esteemed Eric G. Some one would have to film it, of course.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN, you don't look at the flyers? Oh, kill me now!
Poster Giant is horrible, and I'm very pleased that TIG doesn't support them. On a personal level, I find that the two big promoters who DO use their services suck fairly heavily, and care only about making a buck... so it fits.
Ugh. I would welcome a confrontation with an a-hole like this.
Haha Rick, my feelings exactly. I at least ALWAYS look at posters. I have a collection of cool ones from the Post Alley in my room :] (of course I only tear them down if the show is past!)
This is one of the most aggravating things about promoting a band. Venues expect to see posters for your show, so you dump $100 and half a day into postering only to see 80% of covered up or torn down within days. Ugh. Of course, one can practice some strategery like bringing a ladder and posting above reach, but a lot of good, honest bands do the same thing, so then you’re stuck with the decision of covering up a buddy’s band (no!) or deliberately covering up and obvious Poster Giant poster for total d-bag shows like Nickelback (yes!).
1 Imaginary Kiku said on November 14, 2007
I want to help flyer! But I'm not so very tall...
2 elle said on November 14, 2007
HAHAH. Aw, Liz, I LOVE that you posted this. As I was postering for the show tonight, I was grumbling the whole time about posters being ripped down and how I think postering is a joke.
Too bad that video is hard to see. And why are they filming off of the TV screen?
Anyway, speaking of which, off to said show! ps. I really hate it, but if you truly need help postering, I'll offer up my service. Already have a gun--staple, that is!
3 Erik Gonzalez said on November 14, 2007
If at all possible, cover the posters you put up with some sort of caustic powder that will either cause extreme itching or dye the perpetrator's skin a garish color. Now, that would lead to fun!
4 The Grim said on November 14, 2007
Jesus, Erik, are you like The Joker in real life or something?
5 randy said on November 14, 2007
Here's the problem. Is anyone going to approach and confront one of these assholes (no matter who they work for), and risk an altercation and potential injury, over a few concert posters? Not likely.
Do people even take the time to look at flyers on phone poles, anymore? I'd guess that a lot of people get club calendars etc. online or sent to their phones, now.
Not that I would be averse to something along the lines proposed by the esteemed Eric G. Some one would have to film it, of course.
6 elle said on November 15, 2007
The poles next to intersections I peruse if I'm stuck at a no walk sign. But you're right, Randy, all the other's just go past.
7 Rick said on November 15, 2007
WHAT DO YOU MEAN, you don't look at the flyers? Oh, kill me now!
Poster Giant is horrible, and I'm very pleased that TIG doesn't support them. On a personal level, I find that the two big promoters who DO use their services suck fairly heavily, and care only about making a buck... so it fits.
Ugh. I would welcome a confrontation with an a-hole like this.
8 cosby said on November 15, 2007
if you don't like the practices of the promotion team, boycott the show they promote. sorted.
9 randy said on November 15, 2007
"if you don't like the practices of the promotion team, boycott the show they promote."
Of course the performer, who you happen to adore and absolutely must see live, may not even know that their promoters are doing shady stuff like this.
10 Imaginary Kiku said on November 15, 2007
Haha Rick, my feelings exactly. I at least ALWAYS look at posters. I have a collection of cool ones from the Post Alley in my room :] (of course I only tear them down if the show is past!)
11 JJ Hellgate said on November 16, 2007
This is one of the most aggravating things about promoting a band. Venues expect to see posters for your show, so you dump $100 and half a day into postering only to see 80% of covered up or torn down within days. Ugh. Of course, one can practice some strategery like bringing a ladder and posting above reach, but a lot of good, honest bands do the same thing, so then you’re stuck with the decision of covering up a buddy’s band (no!) or deliberately covering up and obvious Poster Giant poster for total d-bag shows like Nickelback (yes!).
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