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Rock-it science: How bands get in to Spring Scream

For 14 years, Spring Scream has provided a venue for bands to share their music with people from all over Taiwan. There is no better chance to expose yourself to new audiences. But what happens if you don't get in?

Last year when Jesse Morden's band Johnny Fatstacks was rejected, he looked visibly saddened by the news. Now he's more philosophical: "We were disappointed, but not completely surprised," he said in an interview on Monday. "We'd only formed the band a couple of months before. We thought our music was as good or better than some other bands that got in, though."

Morden thinks he's identified the problem: a "shitty" demo. This year his band recorded a live demo during a show at Bliss. "But the real difference," he said, "is that we have different songs, better songs and more experience."

Apparently Spring Scream founders Wade Davis and Jimi Moe agree. Johnny Fatstacks not only got accepted this year, they got one of the best performance slots available: 8pm, Saturday, on the Lighthouse Stage. (Whether they will be able to play is another issue. As of press time, dozens of bands had been denied performance visas.)

Musicians and rock stars, make no mistake: making the cut depends on only two people, Davis and Moe. Although the festival has grown from a handful of bands to more than 250 acts, and nearly 500 demos are submitted, each one is still vetted by these two individuals.

"We wish we had a committee," said Moe, laughing. "No, it's just me and Wade."

They use an arbitrary rating, depending on which year, Moe said. "It's comparative. We need to get an idea of how all the demos stack up next to each other."

So how do they decide? "If the demo is good, we listen to the whole thing. If the first few seconds aren't good, we fast-forward 30 seconds. If that's not good, we fast-forward another 30 seconds. We know how important it is to bands, so we'll listen to a minimum of five to six parts of the song or to the whole song. We really try to be objective and fair, but the quantity is overwhelming." He sighed. "It's just staggering."

Moe was speaking by phone from Kenting on Sunday, where he had been for the previous 10 days. Hammering and other construction sounds for this year's festival were clearly audible in the background. Moe, who also opened and runs The Wall, the largest venue for live bands in Taipei, is committed to growing the local music scene and takes time to give advice to aspiring bands. "As unique as everyone's art is, it becomes apparent in the demo about the overall composition of the band," he said. "Can you keep tempo? Keep in tune? There's nothing like a live show, but it's about a lot of things: with a better recording, you try to perfect what the song is. Those bands [that do that] end up having a better overall sound. It's a growing process to get that one guitar part right, to sing in tune." He laughs again, "Or out of tune … ."

What about bands that really go for that jam sound? "A jam-room recording has to have a lot of personality … technical precision is so important. Well, okay, sometimes: LTK [濁水溪公社] for example, in their early years, they didn't know how to play their instruments. But that wasn't the point - their antics and their chaotic opera set them apart."

What can bands do to improve their chances of getting in? Things have changed over the last 14 years, and it's no longer enough to just play live shows. "It's simple. We want bands to actively DIY [Do It Yourself]: promote yourself and make the best music you can make. Don't sell out, but also don't only play for yourself - play for other people. You have to have that audience-artist interaction and participation."

Moe strongly advocates using Web sites, blogs and MySpace. "So people can learn more about you, you need to have music people can put in their iPod or cell phone. Pretend you are a signed artist and do what they do to promote themselves - but eliminate the middleman, managers, and DIY everything and anything you can. The Internet can't replace the experience of a live show, but it can get people to want to come to your show."

"The irony is that deejays are playing other people's music, but they actively promote themselves and bring a feeling to a location - a vibe. Bands spend so much time rehearsing and practicing but forget that. It's not rocket science, it's about participating in every step of the thing. It all feeds on itself, interactions exchanged with other bands, being a part of the community."

Davis and Moe are actively involved in the community, and if they like what you are doing they will invite you to apply. DJ Shorty (aka Vinyl Word's Tom Leeming) who plays an all-Ween deejay set, caught Davis' attention while playing in Taichung. Davis likes Ween, and Leeming got an 11pm slot on Saturday night.

Johnny Fatstacks opened for .22 (Davis's band) recently, which Morden thinks helped: "Instead of just hearing our demo, they got to see us live, not just hear us, but watch our stage show." Morden's advice to bands is simple: "Keep on rocking." His band, he said, "updated a lot of things and had a much better quality demo - we're a much better band this year."

There are a lot of hoops for bands to jump through when applying for a slot at Spring Scream, but Morden said "it's really easy; they kind of take you through it step by step."

"It's not making them do something for nothing" Moe said. "You need to have a good demo not just for us; the audience is fickle. You have to grab their attention, have flair, tightness, a unique sound, and be in tune, in time. I want avant-garde, but also catchy enough sound to grab an audience while still being true to your heart."

Next year, the deadline for submissions will be earlier, and they will be looking for music videos as well. "We're the MTV generation. It's so easy with a hand-held camera or even a cell phone," Moe said. "It's important in a live show, too. If bands don't consider the visual it's a tragedy. You get us with the ears, give us something for the eyes: wear clothes, costumes, have a backdrop or banner, signs. People are going to see 250 bands at Spring Scream this year. What shows will they remember? What will they talk about and check out later?"

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