taimatsu | (no subject)

(no subject)

Tell me, O Livejournal, how you find out about live performances by music artists you like. How do you make sure not to miss things?

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I don't. I havaen't been to see live music in some time... ;-)

Likewise, hence my question :)

Local bands: Oxford is blessed with the twin gods of Nightshift and Daily Info. I don't know what Reading has that is similar.

"Bigger" bands: I am on lots of scummy ticket agencies' mailing lists, using a different email address from my normal one, and I sort through the mailouts for stuff I might be interested in.

There is absolutely no substitute for being on the band/artist's own email list if they have one. Very few don't, these days.

Blah Blah is usefully similar, assuming it's still around. I wouldn't be certain where to pick one up since the demise of Fopp.

Yes, I know of Blah Blah and the Josaka website.

Blah Blah can be found in the Dolche Vita cafe on Whiteknights Campus, when it comes out. But I currently don't know when it comes out, so...

(I imagine it might be the sort of thing Cafe Iguana would keep on their leaflets table too, or at RISC somewhere.)

I'm currently struggling with Mesh's horrible horrible website and am coming to the conclusion they don't have a list of any sort.

Reading has Josaka, which I guess isn't bad, and I think something called BlaH blaH or similar.

I wait for

invisiblechoir to recommend gigs.

Otherwise, I'm playing with adding my gigs not only to last.fm but also Upcoming (http://upcoming.yahoo.com/). It lists only two (!) events in Reading, though, one of which is the Reading Festival...

We Got Tickets will email you a list of local gigs.

There are only about five artists I like enough to seek out live performances by, and I check their websites every month or so.

I used to be able to rely on the MancGoff mailing list for gigs in Manchester. Unfortunately it's now deader than a doornail.

Artist mailing lists, the Guardian Guide listings on Saturday (when I remember), the WeGotTickets mailshot, occasionally.

Join the band/artist's mailing list, if they have one. Otherwise pick up the local gig guide, check the websites for local venues, etc...

I scrobble my music to last.fm and subscribe to the RSS feed of gigs they think I should go to. I also subscribe to the feeds of individual artists gigs there. I think the basic structure of the feed is:

http://ws.audioscrobbler.com/1.0/artist/artist_name/events.rss

(with underscores replacing all spaces in artist names)

I go to the band websites or myspace (shock, horror), as they have lists of when they are touring!

I am on some mailing lists for record labels and local music stuff too...

http://www.ents24.com. You tell it your favourite bands, comedians etc and it emails you when they're touring. Very useful.

THAT'S ACE. Thank you so much. I have been wondering for years if there was something like this and not finding it. Trouble is I might have more than 50 artists I'm interested in...

Yay, thanks! Just found a Mogwai date in London and everything (though I am actually on their label's mailling list, there is a lot of dross on it and I must have missed this).

Last.fm tells me.

Get on the mailing list for the performer in question, either if I go to a live show or by finding their website.

Alas that this worked fine while I was in the States but I don't know any local good groups here. =(

I go to live performances by other music artists I like, a lot, and pick up flyers.

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