SWSW JUDGEMENT

Olaf Furniss, Born To Be Wide

Graded Around 500 Applications 2007-2009

QUESTION 1

DO YOU HAVE?

-A full-time manager?

-A deal with a rich, or at least well-respected, record label?

-A well connected booking agent?

-More money than sense?

-A hardcore, protestant work ethic

NO?

• THEN YOU NEED TO WORK ON GETTING AT LEAST ONE OF THESE.

WHO DOES THE GRADING?

• A SECRET TEAM SCATTERED AROUND THE WORLD

• THEY GET PAID $1 PER APPLICATION [keep this in mind]

HOW APPLICATIONS ARE GRADED

• EACH BAND APPLIES VIA SONICBIDS UPLOADING TRACK, PICS, BIOGS AND PRESS

• EACH APPLICATION IS GRADED BY TWO DIFFERENT JUDGES, WHO EACH MARK IT OUT OF TEN. THEY ALSO HAVE THE OPTION TO RECOMMEND AN ACT FOR SXSW.

• APPLICATIONS POP UP RANDOMLY. WE DON’T KNOW WHO IS GOING TO BE NEXT

IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE MUSIC

• MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A SUCCINCT BIOGRAPHY

AVOID - PRETENTIOUS PISH [a popular trait among bands from Brooklyn], AUTOBIOGRAPHIES, DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SONGS

WHAT I LOOK FOR

• AN ACT WITH A FANBASE• AN ACT WITH LIVE EXPERIENCE

INCLUDING FESTIVALS AND AT LEAST ONE NATIONWIDE TOUR

• MEDIA EXPOSURE• EVIDENCE OF INITIATIVE EG IF AN ACT

HAVE ORGANISED THEIR OWN TOUR OR RELEASED A SUCCESSFUL RECORD ON THEIR OWN

WHAT I LOOK FOR [CONTD.]

• AN ACT WHICH HAS SOMETHING TO PROMOTE.

• AN ACT WHICH HAS HAD SUCCESS IN THEIR OWN TERRITORY LOOKING TO MOVE INTO THE US.

• US INTEREST [eg have recorded with a promoter, been featured in Rolling Stone, used in a commercial]

WHAT I HATE

• PRETENTIOUS BIOGS.• INCOMPLETE SONIC BID PAGES. I’M

GETTING PAID $1 FOR THIS. DON’T MAKE ME SEARCH FOR YOU MYSPACE TO LISTEN TO YOUR TUNES

IF IN DOUBT

• ASK YOURSELF WHAT YOUR BAND WOULD DO WITH £7000? THIS COULD PAY FOR -

• RECORDING AND TOUR AN ALBUM AND GET IT PROMOTED BY A PROFESSIONAL PLUGGER WHO CAN GENERATE PRESS

• IT COULD PAY FOR YOU TO PLAY AT GO NORTH, THE GREAT ESCAPE, EUROSONIC AND REEPERBAHN FESTIVAL COMBINED. IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT THESE ARE, YOU ARE NOT READY TO DO SXSW.

IF STILL IN DOUBT

• ASK YOURSELF IF YOU ARE ABLE TO GET HALF A DOZEN GIGS IN AUSTIN, AN IN-STORE AND ENSURE THAT YOU GET SEEN BY KEY PEOPLE?