Hi everyone,
So let me beat you to the punch. I have to address this as I am burnt out talking about it.
One of the 50 people I’ve run into in the last 48 hours- “Nancy, How come your not playing the Montauk Music Festival?”
Me- ” Because the Festival rides on the backs of musicians. I think the idea of the Montauk Music festival is amazing. I would love to see it grow bigger. Truly. But new music should not mean slave labor. If you stop and look at the bill you will see that a lot of the bigger acts around here are NOT participating. It is not because they feel above it or that they don’t want to partake in the sonic loving. It is because the organizer has not been listening to us. He is not making the changes to embrace the established local musician. ($10 all access bracelet or door cover at one bar? Hellooooo… so easy to fix!) Every local musician you are seeing this weekend is playing for FREE while bartenders, club owners, magazines, restaurants and even gas stations attendants all benefit from this festival and the musician is, once again, asked to do it for nothing. This is fine if you are a band coming from out of town, being put up and trying to spread the word about your music. I have played many out of town festivals and let me tell you that ALL of them give the participating bands some sort of fee. I am playing in two this year, The Great South Bay and the NOFO rock and folk fest. They make sure you are compensated for getting there and even a bit more. BUT with the Montauk Music Festival if you live here and have a band with a following and already do TONS of benefits to support kids with cancer, homes burnt down, school funding, fireworks, families in financial ruin… well… it kind of pisses you off to be asked to play a MUSIC FESTIVAL for free while the organizer and all of the other businesses in town are profiting from it. Its bad energy and quite honestly I hope they start listening before we have to call the Rat in. Ha ha ha. Oh man. The Rat in Montauk. I love it. I’m tired of being asked about why I’m not participating and at some point I am going to seriously lock horns. Whether that matters or not is debatable but what I’m standing for is not. I realize that the festival has been a huge hit with the town. I just wish it wasn’t at the expense of the bands are who are participating. ”
More later. I have lots to do before we charge the stage at the Talkhouse next weekend. I am ready to rolllllllll. Hard.
May you take time to look down at your feet and find them slipping into well worn boots that hold steady as you turn it up to 11.
Peace out,
Nancy