Butcher Birds
Saturday October 03, 2009 at 12:00 AM
Audience: 18 and over
The ZooAudience: 18 and over
711 Ann St, Fortitude Valley
QLD, 4006, Australia.
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Event Listing (QLD)
711 Ann St, Fortitude Valley
QLD, 4006, Australia.
Show on a Map.
Butcher Birds
As Butcher Birds play, there's a dude - ostensibly a friend of the band - accosting every individual in the room in an attempt to influence their decision to purchase the quartet's debut album, Set My Bones. So far, I've seen no sales among the dozens leaning against the wall. He reaches me and shakes the album in front of my face, obscuring the band from view and diverting my attention.
"What?" I enquire above the noise, though by now his intentions are clear.
"Buy an album?" he offers optimistically.
"Not now. Maybe later."
"What?!"
After I repeat myself several times - "what?!" - he dismisses my response and moves on. By now, he's successfully distracted me from what's happening on stage. I watch the roaming merch desk as he continues to annoy paying customers throughout the set. I've never seen anything like it before. If the band enlisted him - that is, if he's not doing it off his own back, as a dedicated fan - it's among the worst marketing tactics I've seen at a show. People paid to be here, so they're fans: we're at least marginally interested in hearing the band's music, and potentially buying their album. We know where the merch desk is: we'll buy their shit if we like it.
Butcher Birds released their first EP Eat Their Young in 2006, but postponed their album launch for three years. Tonight, they play most of it, and it's a largely enjoyable display of retrospective alternative rock. Three females hold guitars and sing, while Donovan Miller keeps the beat. The metal-influenced whipcrack ending of 'Millions' and the hypnotic, distorted tone of older track 'Tiger Paw' make up for occasional plodders like 'Sweet Sweet Cones'. Screamfeeder bassist Kellie Lloyd lends vocals to 'Stone Fox', and a cover of The Amps' 'Tipp City' punctuates their set. There's plenty to enjoy about their sound, but their overt marketing fails to convert this potential buyer.
by Andrew McMillen
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I'm just pre-empting ;)
I for one welcome our CD-shaking overlords.
Okay seriously, this is the absolute worst review I have ever read in my life. I'm in the band and I really felt the need to respond to this.
I don't really care if you didn't like the show or not. We had a great time and we have worked really really hard on making our record putting it out, and putting together this show. We're proud no matter what. But it astounds me that you can put something like this out in a reputable press source like Mess+Noise and sit on a panel at Big Sound and call yourself a music journalist? Jesus.
See, the thing is, when you are an indie band, on an indie label and you pay for your record, you pay for the room hire, you pay for the shirts, you pay for the mixer, you pay for the posters and you do all of your own PR and web design, AND you play in the band, sometimes you can't afford a professional merch person to sell your stuff. Sometimes your mates are kind enough to help you out. And yes, sometimes they get a little over excited. That was the case with Lachie and I am sorry you find that confronting. We sold nearly a grand's worth so he must not have been doing too badly.
And ''three females hold guitars and sing''??!! We have names, and can PLAY guitars better than you ever could. Do your job next time.
reputable press source like Mess+Noise
How can I trust what you're saying after that?
Off the topic a little but when I was at uni we were studying phobias and a girl claimed to be petrified of birds after seeing a dead bird hanging in a tree left their by a butcher bird. She went on to talk about how she couldn't even look at a feather without shaking.
One afternoon I was sitting in the computer lab probably doing not too much. Probably this actually, fuck me. Anyhow she sat next to me and started at her work then a bird flew straight into the window. She screamed and ran out of the room. I failed to take advantage of the unlocked computer porno oppurtunity but throughout the year made pigeon sounds from my loft in the back of the room.
HAHAHA
I guess you had to be there.
i don't think the review said anything bad about the performance, moreso about the merch dude. admittedly too much about that
user 'butcher birds' needs to relax
i don't think the review said anything bad about the performance, moreso about the merch dude. admittedly too much about that, and not enough about the performance
user 'butcher birds' needs to relax
At least the reviewer didn't repeat themselves.
repeat themselves
It's a very good record, actually, regardless of who sells it to you, or how.
I'm sure the overzealous merch dude was annoying, but did he really deserve two paragraphs? Maybe I'm stodgy, but when I read reviews I expect to hear a bit about how the band sounded and what songs they played a little earlier than halfway through the last paragraph.
Also, I know you have a strict word count to adhere to, but referring to the band as ''three females and drummer's name, who by the way is a dude'', is a bit off. Not your finest work, sorry dude, especially not after the awesome Forster review the other week.
Eeeeek.
Threadjack saviour : way to ignore my text yesterday, KR. I hope Rhys punished you. And I hope it was good.
You are confirming everything I warned Darren about. He's like the Godfather, you know.
Ahhhh fuck. I didn't ignore it my phone is just such a piece of shit it doesn't get reception anywhere other than if I sat my ass on top of some kind of antenna.
Apologies.
He punished himself and did bad bad things.
$1000 merch sold = I don't care how bad the forthcoming reviews are WHERE IS THIS MAN AND HOW DO I HIRE HIM !!!
fivefootnothing said 22 minutes ago:
That's news to me!
Anyway, while admittedly the review could have addressed the music a more, I sympathise with Andrew's aversion to this aggressive merchandising technique. As he says: People know where the merch desk is and they'll buy a CD if they want to. Most likely after the show.
a more?
Hey Butcher Birds, chill down. I liked your show, I like your music and I'll probably buy your disc when I'm near Rockinghorse next.
My editor saw fit to publish this. I'm not sure that immediately firing up about how I decided to approach the review is the best response here. You can't always have it your way.
Critic, band...please stop talking to each other. It's not allowed.
I'm not firing up. You can say what you like- I fully respect writer opinion. I just thought it fit to respond.
FYI- I am now informed that the ''merch guy'' was actually an extremely ''refreshed'' member of the audience who actually stole stuff from us.
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Did they pay you to say that?
Dancing With Architecture has its first topic for discussion whenever it returns to the screen.
I see what you've done there, Ol'Drippy!
Very clever of you.
See that, kids, that called a reccuring joke, they usualy happen when it's 1/2 funny the 1st time.
dude no.
Well I can't argue with those cold, hard facts and mathematics.
I see what you're doing, cleverly attempting to fool people into believing you have a teacher's degree with your address of them as 'kids' and lessons on comedy... We all know you're like, 20, ''mr junkie phil''
I'd grab a beanbag and popcorn, but I can't be fucked.
Lamest m+n controversy ever.
dude are you gay? dont u know hottness math?? chicks who play guitar = hot. + 2 chicks lezzin out = hot. x 2 = crazyhot.
PS Did you know they don't hire photographers either? They pay for their own PR.
Ukeladies? Or was that the best? It's getting hard to tell, but you know you're doing something right when Jerry Thackray weighs in. I heard that guy wheeled Kurt Cobain on stage once. I wonder if he's washed his arm since.
My mate's label put out their records. Their a good bunch. Apparantley their Brizzy launch was huge. I'm DJin their Melbourne launch. Should be really good..
The Butcher Birds Melbourne shows are going to be crazy after this review / fallout.
The best bit was when somebody gave a shit.
and when the buildings fell down
Slug Guts anyone?
It's always got to be Zaph who asks the hard hitting Qs!
Dunno, but the sun shines out of the drummer's aaaaaaarrrrrr....mpit
thats their old drummer, not Donovan Miller
As long as everyone knows who Donovan Miller is, and is not, I think the review is a success.
Who are those other three? Oh, just the band.
Playing old bar
just sayin'
Perhaps someone should tell them that their record company has this to say about them:
Three hot girls (and 1 hot guy) play for you their sludge-driven fuzzy-pop gems. Around since 2005, Butcher Birds have quickly built a reputation as a kick arse live band and Mere Noise are proud to have their debut EP, “Eat Their Young” available for your stereos!
Debut full length album OUT SOON!