Comments on: Surface Unsigned are fools

By: Somebody stop the bandwagon, I want to get on! « the careless gene.

Somebody stop the bandwagon, I want to get on! « the careless gene. — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 20:40:33 +0000

[...] Said entity found out about said post, and became quite cross. [...]

By: Live music lovers: beware ‘Surface Unsigned’ « GoodFaf Central

Live music lovers: beware ‘Surface Unsigned’ « GoodFaf Central — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:18:49 +0000

[...] more detail, see what the three Created In Birmingham guvnors Chris, Danny and Pete have to say about [...]

By: Sean O

Sean O — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:32:08 +0000

These new band competitions are just a sham everytime, there are no shortcuts for you bands, if a band is good the music does the talking. I found one of these unsigned competitions promising bands that an A&R rep from ORG Records would be attending one of their London events recently. ORG is my label, we don’t have an A&R department or representative last time I looked, and if we did then the last place we’d be looking for bands is at one of these unsigned battle of the bands forced ticket buy cash in on bands type of events… if your band is any good you don’t ever need to play these events, just get your music out to the alternative media and word will spread to the labels and such naturally – don’t waste your time and money falling for these events…

By: Links - 13th June 2008 « Curiously Persistent

Links - 13th June 2008 « Curiously Persistent — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:01:34 +0000

[...] Is the Surface Unsigned new bands competition a scam? (Pete Ashton) [...]

By: Denis

Denis — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 03:08:02 +0000

Interesting… 25 tickets is nothing. By Montreal standarts this is considered pretty moderate. We’ve got a much bigger shark here called Emergenza (which actually takes place (or takes money) in up to 50 cities all over the North America and Europe). They don’t make the bands sell 25 tickets. They simply made up the arm vote. So each band is simply forced to sell as MANY tickets as possible to be able to votes from their own friends and family to try to move on. If you’re interested in the structre here goes it:

Starting with about 215 bands (This has been going on for about 6 years in our fair city).
Preliminaries: 8 bands play, 4 bands move on. You have to sell tickets at 12 CAD. Usually 60 tickets will get you through to the next round
Quarterfinals: 8 bands play, 4 will move on. Tickets are still 12 CAD but you have to sell about 80 to be able to move on.
Semifinals: 8 bands play, only one moves on. Tickets are 15 CAD and you have to sell about 120 to move on, 150 to be sure to be in the finals.
Finals: 12 bands play, only top 6 six get judged by “real” judges. Tickets are 20 CAD and you have to sell 200 minimum to be sure in the top 6. The winner simply gets an all expenses paid gig at a German festival somewhere during the day (well you know the drill).

How does surface unsigned sound after this?

p.s.: the copyight infringement claim is pittiful at best…

By: pulling socks

pulling socks — Sat, 24 May 2008 03:26:17 +0000

You also have a right to quote something without violating copyright for purposes of education or parody, which arguably a blogpost can be either….

By: ian

ian — Wed, 21 May 2008 22:40:27 +0000

Surely, by playing the copyright card, as opposed to, say, the libel card, Surface are implicitly admitting that what CIB claim is true?

By: brenda

brenda — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:28:14 +0000

CiB story is Google’s 3rd and 4th, me next at 9th and the magnificent BINS 10th. Very pleased with that, and especially so since I’m having serious server issues, hence my site has only been active about 50% of the time.

Google likes tags, or so it would seem, in preference to categories. I’ve only been using them for a couple of months. Wtg!

By: catnip

catnip — Tue, 20 May 2008 09:54:24 +0000

(Comment cross-posted from CrIB):

Another thing that concerns me about this is how they handle the text voting (details on the banner at the bottom of the http://www.surfaceunsigned.co.uk/presspage.html). If a band does not qualify by not bringing 25 fans, what happens to any text votes for that band? Voters have to pay £1 plus network fee for each vote. Is this announced at the end of the gig before voting starts “You can vote for BandA, BandC and BandD, but not BandB”. This seems unlikely.

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 20 May 2008 09:35:28 +0000

Funnily enough, access to high-end legal advice on intellectual property is one thing Created In Birmingham isn’t exactly short of. Surface really did pick the wrong fight.

By: Jack Kirby

Jack Kirby — Mon, 19 May 2008 19:08:12 +0000

I think the response ‘see you in court’ would be appropriate. It could be fun to watch a judge dismiss their case.

By: Andy Mabbett

Andy Mabbett — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:37:24 +0000

One more: http://pigsonthewing.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/suface-unsigned-to-be-avoided/

By: simon gray

simon gray — Mon, 19 May 2008 11:10:31 +0000

linked to from the top of birmingham alive! (josh & jonny - fancy doing the same thing on your sites ?), & also blogged about on my personal blog & the stirrer forum.

By: CatherineBray

CatherineBray — Mon, 19 May 2008 10:53:42 +0000

Hilarious. Linked and linked, here, with due amusedness at the mess Surface have made. Will be interesting to see what happens next. (Unrelatedly, lovely to see you Friday.)

By: Keri Davies

Keri Davies — Mon, 19 May 2008 08:39:53 +0000

This legal threat is highly spurious for several reasons.

1. I can’t find the “festival’s” terms and conditions, but I expect they are much longer than this one paragraph. Copyright law only applies when you quote a “substantial part” of a work.

2. Even if this was the entire terms and conditions, there is a very strong defence case for this being fair comment on a matter of public interest.

3. So copyright doesn’t come into it.

4. Even if Surface has a non-disclosure agreement with the bands taking part, there is no such contractual relationship between Surface and CiB.

What an own goal by Surface. Instead of engaging with the issue, explaining what the money is used for, how much it costs to administer the competition, pointing to the success stories large and small of bands who have taken part, they are now going to be branded as exploitative cowards who don’t understand the blogosphere or the law.

By: Sam

Sam — Mon, 19 May 2008 01:31:20 +0000

As if paying to play wasn’t insult enough …

By: dp

dp — Mon, 19 May 2008 00:19:58 +0000

Wikileaks, anyone? Nice to see you lending this kind of support to Danny.