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The Vibe Tribe
...or...
Co-Operative Systems in Competitive Environments
by Victor Manning - victor@protel.com

Since contacting Jam Bands about doing an article relating to some of what we've experienced here in the South San Francisco Bay Area, I have been thinking hard about what to write that might be of some assistance to other members of within the JamBands community, that doesn't seem redundant. Most of us who have been pursuing musical careers for the last many years, have been doing so with very little understanding of what we, as a musical genre, are doing withing the context of a larger musical industry. I certainly don't pretend to know the best answers, or even the right questions as far as making your scene successful, however I wanted to attempt to convey the approach that we have been using to build our scene here in the South SF Bay. So with that as a caveat, here are some new clues that might or might not be of any help to anyone.

The title of this essay pretty much tells the story, so the body should elaborate what I mean by Co-Operative Systems. Basically it involves a shift in thinking about how a business can be set up within the confines of a relatively small region, with the intent of growing that business to be able to compete in a larger competitive environment. The Music Industry is huge, and a new band, just getting off the ground has every reason to be overwhelmed by it. Unless you have an accountant, a lawyer, a booking agent, a manager, stage tech, etc... in your band, you will likely have to approach such people in the future to provide these often expensive services. To do that, you need to have something to show them, at least if your musical career vision includes moving into a situation where such people are needed. However, if you're just getting started, you really don't need these people. What you need are some good friends who are appreciative of what you want to do, and would like to help in any feasible way they can. Believe it or not, some of the best friends you can have are other musicians and artists who have similar visions. And that's what this essay is really about.

Of course if someone walks up to you after hearing your demo, with the promise of major bucks in some form or another, then things do get real serious, real fast. The smarter folks among us know to look at such gift horses with a magnifying glass for this simple reason: NOBODY IS GOING TO OFFER YOU MORE THAN WHAT THEY CAN EXPECT TO MAKE OFF OF YOU. That will pretty much include anyone in the mid- to upper ranks of this industry, so I suggest you remember this when something like that happens. Unfortunately that puts a rather cold spin on things, but there is a way to approach that truth to your band's development which can create some very interesting possibilities. That is, the idea of developing a co-operative environment from which to grow your band.

Sometimes the members of up-and-coming bands can lose focus very quickly of their real status in the world. You play a few gigs, get your girlfriends (or boyfriends) to scream for you in the audience, make a few new fans along the way, and the next thing you know your ego is twice the size of the venues you're actually playing. No matter what style of music you are into, this is a glitzy business. For someone so inclined, it often doesn't take a lot before one feels like they are the hottest new shit on the block. Attitudes can change, as will band line-ups and musical styles, all as a result of something that began as a lot of fun suddenly getting really serious. That's not to say that such people aren't highly trained, and talented individuals who may very well become rich and famous. But they are often not a whole lot of fun to hang out with unless such people really turn you on.

The fact is it takes a lot of people to make a band or a larger surrounding scene happen in such a way as to propel your career to the stratosphere, no matter how much Heaven has blessed your individual existence. So lighten up, and try to dig this proposition: The folks in the other local band playing across the street, may actually be your best friends. So rather than being jealous that they have 10 more people in their audience than you have, instead you might want to go over there and smoke a bowl or have a beer with them, and make some new friends. You might even want to organize a gig with them and combine your audiences, increasing the general energy for both bands. Whatever actually happens, life as a performing musician can be a lot more fun when there are more people around to share it with. And FUN is probably the most important component in building a successful local, regional, or national act. FUN, more than anything else in your musical arsenal, will be responsible for bringing folks back to your next show. I don't care how brilliant of a musician you are, or how cute you are, or how many people are telling you that you are The Shit. If the music-buying public aren't having FUN in your scene, then prepare yourself to showcase in your garage. Check it out for yourself at the next concert you go to. Do the people on stage look like they're enjoying themselves at all? Do they look nervous? Are they pretentious and pompous, or do they really act like they care about the audience's (that is, your) experience? Do they look like they really believe in the message of their music and the words they are singing? These, and other items, are the factors that often determine the energy level of a show, and by extension, the likelihood that the individuals in the audience will have such a good time as to come to the next show, and hopefully bring 3 or 4 of their friends.

Our scene, collectively known as the Vibe Tribe, is a loosely-based umbrella which on some mutually understood level, combines the magic of a number of original bands. These bands are not necessarily dependent on each other for their success, but there is a recognition that the community which was created out of both the band members, as well as their audiences, is something far more valuable in the long term for everyone involved. Band line-ups have changed, and some folks in the scene move away, to be replaced by new folks getting turned on. We have found that those whose lives take them outside our circle still spread the news of our existence, as well as our music to whatever corner of the Earth they end up in. No one ever really leaves the Vibe Tribe. The real point to all of this is that where we could be three bands competing for the same audience, there is now a stronger, self-supporting scene including everyone- musicians, artists, and other genuinely kind people.

That may sound like a major horn-tooting (which I can't really help as I'm damn proud of what we've created over 8 years), but I hope it illustrates the point of this article. Our situation within the larger Music Industry is essentially the same, but on a micro level, where we mostly happen to be operating, a co-operative circle functioning for the good of the whole has been created, and is slowly being recognized within our SF Bay Area region. Now your situation may be very different depending on the political situation in your band, the nature of the Music scene in your area, and a host of other unpredictable human factors. However I would offer that a synergetic approach by the active musicians and artists will likely provide results that extend way beyond the limited abilities of smaller groups working against each other's interests in a small, localized music scene. My impression, after meeting lots of musicians in various areas on the West Coast, is that the basic premise contained in this article is pretty well understood, especially by those who have participated in the Deadhead community over the years. Generally speaking, musicians are friendly, likeable people usually interested in playing together. But its not often that I find this kind of congenialty espoused as a recognized, shared philosophy for developing cool scenes. Sometimes groups just fall into something like this without even knowing how or why it happened. But now, with the Jam Bands genre being identified after years of being on the fringe of any accepted industry "market," it might be a good idea for those of us who have been doing this for a while to step back and look at what we are a part of as a national musical movement.

Anyway, this is what we've been attempting out here in the nether regions of San Jose/ Santa Cruz California. I am very interested in hearing from those of you who are thinking along the same lines within your communities, as well as those who think this a load of BS, and that its hard cash that rules the roost, or anyone in between or outside of those polar extremes. If anything, I hope this might stimulate a dialogue amongst those of us in this genre in an effort to find out just who we really are. In the meantime, may we all become hugely rich and famous as we Rock this World into a new millenium! Good luck to all, and Blessed Be to All of Ye.

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Victor Manning, a card-carrying member of the Vibe Tribe, performs with Old Dead Bug and the Blissninnies.
Victor Manning is a founding member and guitarist of the BlissNinnies since 1990, and guitarist for Old Dead Bug since 1993. He is also active in the Vibe Tribe, a network of artists and musicians in the South SF Bay Area who are committed to the development of healthy, thriving futures and warm, lasting memories for all.

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