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RS Interview Reprint :
HEADING : David v/s Goliath: Controversy breaks out surrounding Gulf Coast Music Festival
There seems to be some controversy surrounding two count 'em, two, 5 Day music festivals popping up at the same time on the Gulf Coast of Alabama. We spoke with the Rick Shell, the producer of the Festival of Musicians scheduled for March 12, 13 ,14 to find out how this happened and what he thinks about it.
Interview:
Q: So, two giant music festivals, less than 30 days apart, and almost within walking distance of each other. That seems like quite a coincidence. Would you say there is a "copycat" element here?
Rick Shell: Well, certainly not on our part. We have been planning this thing for 9 long hard months.
I did talk with the Hangout about hosting some auditions for the Festival of Musicians a few months ago. They were very supportive and offered to use the Hangout for the event, but we would have had to give up the camping and the whole concept of "a concert at every car". You see, the Festival of Musicians is A Music Festival FOR Musicians. We are not just throwing money at art. Anyone can go out and hire a rich bloated band and call it a music festival. It is something else entirely to gather thousands of musicians in one place and put on a real music festival. That is the Festival of Musicians.
Q: So is there a rivalry here here? Any hard feelings?
Rick Shell: Certainly not. Those guys are totally cool. It is really great if I can inspire people to act. That is a big part of my life goals. I produced some 5 Day events with Jewel and Jason Mraz a few years ago and posted a blog of all my activity online just to show people that if you just try, you can do pretty much anything. All you gotta do is do it!. Thats is my philosophy.
Q: The Hangout is claiming a budget of 3 million dollars. What is your budget?
Rick Shell: Haha! Id rather not say. This project is handbuilt with hundreds of hours of love and inspiration, and thanks to Tech-Star Soundstages and Joe Gilcrest at the Flora-Bama, we have everything we need for a great party like nothing you've ever seen.
Q: How many bands will you have?
Rick Shell: We have room for about 420 acts and we are looking at having around 15-17 total stages for "The Gauntlet" with 2 giant mainstages, and open performance areas scattered throughout the venue. This will include the festival grounds and shuttle buses to the Beach with performances at the Flora Bama and other local beach clubs. It's really crazy!
Q: Talk about the Gauntlet. What is that?
Rick Shell: The Gauntlet is a multi-stage competition to find the best indie acts in the World. 25 % of all regular price tickets sold at the gate will go back to the performers through voting tokens called "Kudos". Giving "Kudos" is how the audience shows appreciation for their favorite acts. When they hear an Act they like, they give then "Kudos". Each "Kudos" equals 1 vote. Performers redeem these "Kudos" for cash.
The acts with the most "Kudos" and highest judges ratings advance to the final stages of the Festival of Musicians Gauntlet and one act will become the "Festival of Musicians Artist of the Year:. Festival of Musicians will contribute up to $100,000 in "House KUDOS" and festival goers can purchase more kudos ("Heartfelt Kudos") through-out the venue.
Q: Very interesting. How much are tickets?
Rick Shell: We kept the price very low as the festival really is more about sharing music than just making money. One day tickets are $12.99 and parking/camping is $10.00. Hopefully we will see a lot of support from the community and everything will work out even with these low prices.
Q: How many people do you expect?
Rick Shell: Well, you never really know with a first time event. Nothing like this has ever been done before. We are hoping for 20,000 to 30,000, but who knows. We have about 200 acres right off the Beach Express, so we certainly have plenty of room. "laughs"
Q: Do you have plans after the Festival of Musicians? Whats Next?
Rick Shell: Yes I do have plans. The first one is to plop down and relax for about a month! I have really have worked night and day on the Festival of Musicians for 9 months. If it was a baby, I would be having the festival now. It has been a labor of love, certainly with its ups and downs, but it is an epic adventure of a thousand facets.
My goal is to produce three major Festival of Musicians events per year in addition to the many smaller talent finding events we produce. One major festival in my hometown here on the Gulf Coast, One on the West Coast around Los Angeles, and East Coast around New York. Other than that, you'll probably find me strumming my guitar around the Flora-Bama. Or the Hangout.
Contact: Rick Shell
Festival of Musicians
Spring Break March 12, 13,14 2010
21774 Miflin Rd, Foley, AL
Website: http://FestivalofMusicians.com
Myspace : http://myspace/FestivalofMusicians
Phone 251-279-7394
_________________________________
The WORLD of
MUSIC is Coming together
SPRING BREAK 2010
We are planning for this to be one of the best music festivals in history.
It will
certainly be one of the most MUSICAL!
Our goal is to unite
musicians
in a creative forum creating a
spectacle
that will bring us, individually and collectively,
before the eyes of the world."
There are several ways to
perform at
the Festival of Musicians
A. Performing
for Fun:
The
Festival of Musicians is fun FOR ALL MUSICIANS.
We
encourage all
musicians to bring their instruments
and be prepared for a weekend of playing. Whether it be on the main
stage or in a lawn chair beside your pickup truck with a few friends.
B. $The
Gauntlet$
$
RUN the Gauntlet $
- Each Competing
Act will "Run
the Gauntlet", performing
on a series of stages.
- The BEST
ACTS advance to the final
stages and big star status!
Here is
how it works...
- Spectators receive voting tokens called "Kudos".
Giving "Kudos"
is how the audience votes for their favorite acts. When
they hear an Act they like, they give "Kudos"
to the Act. Judges also grade
performances.
- Performers
redeem "Kudos" for cash!
-
Each "Kudos"
token also equals 1 vote.
- The acts with the most "Kudos"
and highest judges ratings advance to the
final stages of the Festival of Musicians
GAUNTLET.
Acts that successfully run
the gauntlet will leave the festival much richer than they
came. Festival of
Musicians will contribute up to $100,000
in "House KUDOS"!
"Kudos"
There are 2 types of "Kudos"
"HOUSE
Kudos" and "HEARTFELT
Kudos"
"House
Kudos"
comes with your tickets at the gate. Festival of Musicians will
circulate up to $100,000 in "House
Kudos" to get
the ball rolling! 25% ($3.00) per ticket of regular admission tickets sold at the gate will be
distributed back to the acts through "Kudos"!
"HEARTFELT
Kudos" is "Kudos"
that festival goers purchase for acts they really like. There is no limit
to how many of these will be distributed.
Performers
are allowed to have "Kudos
Collectors" circulate in the crowd after each
performance collecting "Kudos"!.
Acts redeem
"Kudos" for cash
at $.50 each. Acts with the MOST "KUDOS"
advance along to the highest level stages of "The
Gauntlet"
AWARDS "Festival
of Musicians "Artist of the Year" Awards
Gauntlet Finalists
become FEATURED ACTS and perform in concert for the entire festival
audience.
The highest rated finalists earn the
titles of
"Festival of Musicians BAND of the
Year"
"Festival of Musicians SONGWRITER of the
Year."
"Festival of Musicians SINGER of the
Year."
of those three, one will become the;
"Festival of Musicians ARTIST of
the Year."
C: FEATURED ACTS:
There are
two ways to
become a featured act.
1. Qualify the highest in your category in
"The Gauntlet" and
you become one of the featured acts for that evening.
2. Be a big bad famous act that can
guarantee lots of ticket sales.
Tell us about your act.
info @
festivalofmusicians.com
Please give all of your support because we are together in this.
IF you are a performer, help by adverting your upcoming festival
performance and putting Festival of Musicians
in your top friends, and of course adding the Festival of Musicians to your
calendar/tour dates. As
show time draws near, please remember to send out bulletins and
official invites.
If you need help on how to do any of this, let me know,
I'm glad to help.
See you there!
Join Us on Myspace!
The WORLD of
MUSIC is Coming together
SPRING BREAK 2010
"This is an INDEPENDENT MUSIC festival
created by musicians for musicians. Everyone involved pitches in on the
marketing and chores and also shares in the REWARDS.
About the Festival...
Fun for everyone!
Finally!
A music festival for musicians.
For 3 straight days
Spring Break 2010. musicians and music lovers
from across the world will converge
on the Gulf Coast for the largest gathering of its kind. The Festival of
Musicians.
Click here to get your
tickets now.
This festival
unites
musicians
in a creative forum and creates a
spectacle
that will bring us, collectively and individually,
before the eyes of the world.
Just minutes from the
spectacular
beaches
of the
Gulf of Mexico
in
Gulf Shores /Orange
Beach Alabama
We are having an
all out,
non-stop
5 Day
music party!
Days begin early with
Coffee,
Singers and Songwriters, moving on across
multiple stages from
Battle of Bands, Feature Showcases, Singing Star Competitions, open
jams, and
feature performances by top bands and national artists going long into the nights.
Plus tons of
special events, games, contests, giveaways, cook outs/ BBQs, and
fresh live music everywhere.
Click here to get your
tickets now.
MUSICIANS
We will provide sound equipment, but If you would like more freedom in where and when you
play your music, bring your musical gear, as there are open stages throughout the
concert venue.
Please bring your musical instruments, including drums, guitars, keyboards, bass guitar,
amplifier, cables, microphones, mic-stands
and other musical items you need for your enjoyment.
Click here to get your
tickets now.
We welcome all musicians. whether you or your band play new rock, classic rock, blues, folk, country, jazz, reggae,
Christian, metal, hip hop, or even bluegrass music!
All musicians are welcome to come and play music!
Space is Limited, so get your tickets now! If you plan to bring your RV or Motor home, you are highly encouraged to get your spaces early!
Click here to get your
tickets now.
This is an independent music production. We welcome help from our friends in the community. If you feel you can contribute in some meaningful way,
please
let us know.
Sign up for...
Singing Competition - Battle of the Bands -
Songwriters Competition -
Vendor Booths -
Directions
-
Sponsor this Event -
Purchase Tickets
Contact Us info
@ festivalofmusicians.com
LATEST NOTES:
The festival will take place
MARCH 12,13,14 SPRING BREAK 2010. In Gulf Shores Al.
Welcome to our newest sponsor! Tech-Star Sound and Lighting
http://www.tech-star.net/ They provide High -End Sound, Lighting, and Staging for events large and small. I promise you they are some of the nicest people you will ever do business with. Call them ASAP if you need any of these services for your concerts, shows, or festivals.
July 2009: Just had the MOST AWESOME show I ever had. Super special thanks to The Big Shots, Regular Joe, Blue Island, Blake Cameron, and Dillon
Broxson. Also to Gregory Page, Ishmael and the Peace Makers,
Kill the Silence and Buzz Kiefer who entertained us during breaks from afar with their
wonderful music on myspace.
And of course thanks to YaYas and Hwy 59 in Foley for making it all possible.
Site
Map
LATEST NOTES:
Oct 23 2009:
Love is learning the song in another's heart and singing it back to them when they have forgotten...
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