Was the Seabrook Battle of the Bands Fixed?
Htowndirt
Personally, I believe it was fixed and so do others. I don't see how anyone
could have beat out Aftershock, especially Faceplant. I have seen Faceplant I
don't think there is anything special about them.
Well, one of the judges, Brad Tyer, writes for houston.sidewalk and below are
his thoughts on the Battle of Bands at the Seabrook Beach Club:
Face Plant deserved battle-of-the-bands honors at the Seabrook Beach Club, but
just how did they win?
It's been a solid several years now I've been making my way as a music critic,
but — and the seeming paradox is noted
— I had so far managed to avoid actually judging a band. I've reported
some, critiqued others, dismissed these as pretenders and gawked at
those in awe, but always solidly within the strongly held conviction
that the bands or musicians or performers being so considered would make
their way just fine on their own steam, regardless of whatever barbs
might be thrown, whatever laurels bequeathed, by myself or anyone else
in the pop crit peanut gallery. Little did I know how right I was.
Last Saturday, Sidewalk associate music producer Julie Kelly and I threw
better judgment to the wind, pulled on long johns and winter hats and
drove through a half-hour's worth of near-freezing drizzle to sit at the
judge's table as 107.5 FM/The Buzz hosted its first Buzz Band Challenge
finals at the Seabrook Beach Club.
You might have heard about it on the radio. Preliminary
battles had left four local bands standing, and Face Plant, Super Charge
Sunday, Sugarburn and Aftershock were scheduled to duke it out for a
prize package that includes CD and video production services and a
promise that the Buzz will "hand deliver" the winner's resultant CD to
hundreds of its affiliates nationwide, presumably facilitating airplay.
All of a sudden it mattered. Think about bands willing to put up with
the indignity of competing against one another like Miss Rockwear
contestants while logoed corporate banners — Sidewalk's included — stare
down at them from every hangable surface… you've got to assume that free
CD and video production means something to them, their first small break
or their last desperate chance or who knows, maybe a real long-shot
overnight success story.
Considering the battle's import for the four bands, the
organizers had done a remarkably iffy job of arranging for a panel of
judges. Julie and I were invited on Thursday and arrived with no info
beyond a time and an address. Turns out there was one other judge, a guy
from the production department of the Chronicle who worked I think in
promotions for KLOL for some years. A reporter from the Clear Lake Sun
was asked to judge but declined.
There should have been representatives of any number of other local
media outlets and several managers and club owners and booking agents
and maybe some local label people (Houston Music Council, er, sorry,
Network… where are you?). But it was just us and we did what we could,
judging on a scale of 1 to 10 on score sheets requesting ratings for
"Vocals," "Instrumental," "Showmanship" and "Crowd Response" (nothing,
you notice, about lyrics or songs, but oh well).
To simplify: Face Plant sounds like Rage Against the Machine
and Faith No More via Taste of Garlic; Super Charge Sunday was very
young looking and from Huntsville (sounds like grunge is still hot in
Huntsville); Sugarburn fronts a female singer and sounds a little like
post-Natalie Merchant 10,000 Maniacs but mostly just like some vague
idea of radio; Aftershock sounds very much like Public Enemy's Bomb
Squad wrestling with Black Sabbath. Some I liked better than others,
obviously, but I judged them very close, on the fairness-seeking
observation that each was substantially accomplished at that which they
seem to have set out to do. The crowd, curving for the possibility of
ringers recruited by individual bands, responded well to all four, and
that crowd was large, even through to the end, and eager enough to make
sure that the dance floor was crowded with dancers or, no kidding, Clear
Lake moshers and crowd surfers.
Since there seemed to be no rules to the contrary, all three judges
conferred in the 15 minutes between the handing over of ballots and the
reading of the results, and so I came to know that the band that won
received two second place votes and one vote lower than that while at
least one band scored more points. We can't figure out the math, though
it was hard not to notice that the band that won had the most
aggressively vocal contingent throughout the night.
I'm not suggesting that something was fishy about the contest, near to
the docks as it was. And I'm certainly not suggesting that the band that
won, Face Plant, is anything other than fully deserving of the prize.
I'm just suggesting that the appearance of the thing leaves something to
be desired. I think what 107.5 is doing with this contest is laudable.
It's at least a point of connection between local players and airplay
muscle that's been sorely lacking in Houston over the years. It
obviously matters to the bands.
Suggestion to the Buzz: Next time, recruit a far broader panel of
judges. That, or better yet, use audience response as the (stated)
method of selection. It'd be a shame to see this annual Buzz Band
Challenge turn into a joke — the kind of event that people assume is
rigged, or irrelevant — before it's even out of the crib. --Brad Tyer from
houston.sidewalk
What are your thoughts????????????????
wmdod...@gmail.com
> Personally, I believe it was fixed and so do others. I don't see how anyone
> could have beat out Aftershock, especially Faceplant. I have seen Faceplant I
> don't think there is anything special about them.
>
> Well, one of the judges, Brad Tyer, writes for houston.sidewalk and below are
> his thoughts on the Battle of Bands at the Seabrook Beach Club:
>
>
> Face Plant deserved battle-of-the-bands honors at the Seabrook Beach Club, but
> just how did they win?
>
> It's been a solid several years now I've been making my way as a music critic,
> -- I had so far managed to avoid actually judging a band. I've reported
> those in awe, but always solidly within the strongly held conviction
> that the bands or musicians or performers being so considered would make
> their way just fine on their own steam, regardless of whatever barbs
> might be thrown, whatever laurels bequeathed, by myself or anyone else
> in the pop crit peanut gallery. Little did I know how right I was.
> Last Saturday, Sidewalk associate music producer Julie Kelly and I threw
> better judgment to the wind, pulled on long johns and winter hats and
> drove through a half-hour's worth of near-freezing drizzle to sit at the
> judge's table as 107.5 FM/The Buzz hosted its first Buzz Band Challenge
> finals at the Seabrook Beach Club.
>
> You might have heard about it on the radio. Preliminary
> battles had left four local bands standing, and Face Plant, Super Charge
> Sunday, Sugarburn and Aftershock were scheduled to duke it out for a
> prize package that includes CD and video production services and a
> promise that the Buzz will "hand deliver" the winner's resultant CD to
> hundreds of its affiliates nationwide, presumably facilitating airplay.
> All of a sudden it mattered. Think about bands willing to put up with
> the indignity of competing against one another like Miss Rockwear
> down at them from every hangable surface... you've got to assume that free
> or their last desperate chance or who knows, maybe a real long-shot
> overnight success story.
>
> Considering the battle's import for the four bands, the
> organizers had done a remarkably iffy job of arranging for a panel of
> judges. Julie and I were invited on Thursday and arrived with no info
> beyond a time and an address. Turns out there was one other judge, a guy
> from the production department of the Chronicle who worked I think in
> promotions for KLOL for some years. A reporter from the Clear Lake Sun
> was asked to judge but declined.
>
> There should have been representatives of any number of other local
> media outlets and several managers and club owners and booking agents
> and maybe some local label people (Houston Music Council, er, sorry,
> rigged, or irrelevant -- before it's even out of the crib. --Brad Tyer from
>
>
> What are your thoughts????????????????
Wow! I found this post while searching for any archived data pertaining to a 1997 Battle of the Bands that my old band, ratbastard, took part in. The November '97 date of your post initially made my heart skip a beat, that is, until I realized that the Battle of the Bands ratbastard participated in was a Steven & Pruit sponsored event. A topless volleyball tournament also took place that day, and... the grand prize up for grabs was an opening slot for Queensryche when their current tour landed them at Cynthia Woods in August 1997.
However, as I scrolled through your post, I began to realize that we experienced very much the same things you did! We also left with many of the same sentiments that you did. It was almost uncanny! I am posting an excerpt from a highlight summary from my years with ratbastard... in particular, our experience at Seabrook Beach Club. I've sent you a friend request on Facebook, not knowing if you will ever see this reply to your seventeen year old posting. I really enjoyed your reading your post and really enjoyed your writing style!
*****************************************************************************
A track from our second single soon garnished unexpected attention from radio personalities, Stevens & Pruett, who took such liking to the opening number, "Crack Monkey", that they extended a formal invite take part in their 1997 Seabrook Beach Club Battle of the Bands... a Battle of the Bands. How funny!
Okay, sooo... just what reward awaits the most cunning participant braving such challenge? Is it a golden treasure chest bursting at the seams with rubies, pearls, and all things sparkly?
Nuh-uh.
Well, then... maybe it's a 7 day, all-expense paid cruise though a breaming ocean of pine and wonder!
Nope.
The victor was enticed by the dangling of an August 15th [1997] opening slot for Queensryche at Cynthia Woods (on a side-stage-way-the-hell-out-of-view-of-the-main-stage-type-arrangement).
Unleashing a completely unexpected, hella 12-pack galore of one vivacious Texas-ass-slappin', ratbastard laid utter, unapologetic waste to the 'competition' itinerary, while successfully managing to grossly vulgarize an elite member of Queensryche's echelon... a squirrely, effeminate character who was quite visibly afflicted with some unfortunate nervous system disorder was one of three folks tasked with judging the gala affair.
In retrospect, regardless of how entertaining we were, we were ultimately deemed a wildly inappropriate suggestion in support of any Queensryche function... ever. This decision resulted in a 'default' judgment of first place going to the runner up. Yeah, so... we went home that day without a prize.
However, we left not the slightest doubt with the patrons of Seabrook Beach Club... not one iota with those who feel they had prevented a coveted opportunity from being presented to the... maladjusted! Will they sleep any better not knowing that we had indeed planned on pinching Geoff Tate up all up off in his ass at the first chance we had?
We went home content that we gave an honest performance and with our convictions intact.
We came, we threw down, and we fucking destroyed!
__Wes Dodson__
Hockley, Texas
_20 July 2014_