Modest Mouse
Newsstand: July 6, 2009
Strike Watch: Day Fourteen
Strike Watch: Day Fifteen
The Daily Photoist: June 6, 2009
Torontoist is ending the year by naming our Heroes and Villains of 2007––the people, places, and things that we've either fallen head over heels in love with or developed uncontrollable rage towards over the past twelve months. Get your dose, starting Boxing Day and running into the new year, three times a day––sunrise, noon, and sunset.
Most people would respond with shock if you expressed your distaste for the ever-growing music festival (read: conference) that involves music enthusiasts (read: label mongrels) congregating in the city with a common denominator: a love for the music (industry). Sure, with a long list of solid alumni ranging from Feist to Dinosaur Jr. to Sufjan Stevens, it’s difficult to hate NXNE in its dedication to giving independent artists the opportunity to play at a high-profile festival. The conference, in fact, is quite direct about its mission. As per the NXNE website: “NXNE has always been about the music. The festival gives 500 local, national and international artists the chance to rock the crowds and to showcase for agents, talent buyers, media, promoters, labels and management company heavies at a variety of essential downtown venues.” Yes, that is definitely what music is all about.
But the chance to "rock the crowds" definitely comes at a price—each band must submit an application and pay a fee of $25 to be considered for inclusion. Admittedly, the $25 seems reasonable compared to Canadian Music Week's $50 application fee, but the fee seems unnecessary considering how generous the city is to the conference. First, dozens of locals volunteer for NXNE and generously help with big tasks ranging from equipment load-ins, ushering attendees at venues, running the doors at shows, and posting banners and signage at venues throughout the city (many of these venues are free for NXNE to use, by the way). And of course, NXNE is very well-sponsored—sponsors everyone is made well aware of since ads for most are plastered across the venues occupied by the conference. With 500+ artists showcased at NXNE (which is nowhere close to the number of applicants), $25 with every application is a huge fee.
The conference in and of itself is not the only disappointment. Local print media jump at the chance to big-up the conference with detailed schedules and play-by-play recommendations. It is disheartening to think of the pull-out feature pieces available every year for the conference while much less enthusiasm is disposed into local music series that are equally, if not more, supportive of independent music in and around the city.
Photo of the NXNE rabbit in Vegas by NXNErabbit.
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$25 seems reasonable for an application fee if only because it means that the applicant has to be willing to invest in the festival before the festival will consider them for inclusion. In other words, they don't want people making applications willy-nilly.
Pity the poor musician or group who can't afford $25 to apply to the festival! Why aren't you complaining about the CMW's $50? I think the fee is a bit low, to tell the truth.
This article would be better written about the unbelievably high fees being charged to exhibitors by the CONTACT photography festival each year - almost $500!
You could also have pointed out that NXNE is in every respect an intended clone of SXSW. Michael Hollett flies there every year business class.
It needs a Flatstock rock poster show to truly be clone!
Ever wanted a spot in a theatre festival like Fringe or SummerWorks? $720.00 for either.
WOW! I am shocked at the application fees for those festivals!
I checked out both festivals' websites and there doesn't seem to be any clear indication where those huge fees are going. Although, Toronto Fringe claims to give tons of money back to the artists as well as help selected plays travel North America to showcase their pieces.
Although $25 seems miniscule compared to those other application fees, I still feel it's huge. This is not with respect to how accessible it makes NXNE to artists, but instead to how big the fee is considering the conditions in which the festival operates.
NXNE gets an overwhelmingly large number of applications and in the end, the festival receives a lot of money and is unclear where they spend it. All in the name of "deterring flimsy applicants"?--I don't buy it. Even the poorest of bands could afford $25 (especially with their 12+ membership nowadays).
Any established festival that is financially comfortable and asks for an application fee is questionable--especially a festival that in the end, gives little back to the artists.
I suppose we can all agree that these established festivals need to be more transparent with where they are spending these applications fees.
Whoa Anni...I don't know where you're getting that kind of number (75,000 applications). I have it on pretty good authority that they get under 3000 entries each year. SXSW by comparison gets just over 12,000.
I think what everyone has overlooked here though is not the fees ($25 really isn't that steep comparatively), it's the fact that those applications don't mean anything. Those bands mentioned (Feist, Dino Jr, Sufjan) - I'm sure they didn't apply to the festival. Same with most of the shows with bands that you've actually heard of. Clubs like the Horseshoe, Lee's Palace, Drake, etc are not going to leave their programming - their weekend bar business - up to NXNE or CMW to fill the place. They put together their own lineups. And with so many local promoters now getting involved in these festivals (Dan Burke, Keith Hamilton, Eric Warner et al), plus organizations like Chart and Maplemusic and indie record labels like Paperbag, A&C, Six Shooter, you don't have to apply - just buddy up with one of these people and use them to get on their showcase night.
That's why North by is a villain.
not risotto!
To respect your authority I have deleted the number of applicants in the event where my source was wrong (I have no intention of mis-representing the festival).
And yes, you are correct. Most of the applicants are not considered because most spots are already pre-selected by labels, etc.
I thought I should also mention that some of the local promoters that you mentioned DID NOT book for NXNE last year
While some promoters have residencies at venues, NXNE booked many of the nights that were showcased at those specific venues for the festival (and that, I have on pretty good authority)
Hello All,
I'm the Producer/Executive Director of the Toronto Fringe. Wanted to clarify some stuff in regards to the application fee for the Fringe.
1) There is a $20 processing fee and $700 applicaiton fee for a regular indoor performance slot. The $20 processing fee is to apply for the lottery. Only if you are drawn for a spot in the lottery is a $700 application fee required.
What does this $700 give you:
1) seven performances in the festival
2) full box office services including advance sales (both phone and online).
3) a house manager
4) festival associated publicity/listing in the offical fringe program (20,000+ printed)
5) a technical rehearsal
6) theatre technician to assist with running your show
7) seminars from industry professionals in the fields of producing, stage management and publicity
8) access to the 50,000+ Fringe festival patrons to help showcase the work to audiences who would not otherwise see it.
and yes we do give 100% of the ticket revenue back to the artists. Ticket prices are $10 at the door $8 in advance. All of this goes to the artist. Yes, there is a $2 fee on the advance ticket. We use this fee to help pay for the ticket stock, box office staff and annual the box office system licensing fee.
Application fees go towards paying office/front of house/technical staff, renting the theatre, marketing, insurance and other costs necessary to put a festival of the Fringe's size.
Feel free to write me if you have any other questions about the Fringe (fringe@fringetoronto.com)
Cheers,
Bridget
www.fringetoronto.com
Sorry guys, forgot to add in response to Anni's comment: "Although, Toronto Fringe claims to give tons of money back to the artists..."
Last summer (2007) we returned just over $399,000 back to the artists participating in the Fringe. Since being founded in 1989 we have returned well over 2.5 million dollars back to the arists.
Cheers,
Bridget
Bridget!
I liked that Fringe made note of that on the website--I think that's important (as many other festivals do not provide those types of numbers)
Thanks for the information!
@Bridget: I hope you didn't think I was Fringe-bashing! I obviously love the festival and understand how much it relies on the application fees. All I was trying to say is that, in comparison to the costs of Fringe or SummerWorks, or Contact, as someone else mentioned, $25.00 kinda seems like peanuts.
@Johnnie,
It's all cool. ;) I just wanted to make sure others were aware of what we use the fee for....great to see you (if only from afar) at the Fringe lottery the other night.
cheers,
B.