| It’s not easy starting a band. Promoters want to be sure a band can draw a crowd before booking them, and how can bands draw a crowd if they’re unable to play shows and create a fan base? Perhaps The Radio Network can help.
Created and run by 16-year-old wunderkind Brent Laubman of Calgary, and launched on November 25th, The Radio Network is a website designed to showcase emerging talent. Bands and artists can sign up at http://the-radio.net, which hosts a list of bands and information on upcoming shows and forums.
The centrepiece of the website is "the radio," a 24/7 stream that plays each band’s music on almost any media player. In addition to the music, bands can advertise themselves and their shows. In addition to the roster of Calgary bands, the site also lists bands from Vancouver and Edmonton, with hopes to expand to other cities.
Laubman hopes promoters will hear emerging local talent on the radio and book accordingly. Not a bad job for a self-professed "computer geek" who really just wants to make sure that new bands are given a chance. "I had the idea awhile ago when I was just browsing on the Internet," says Laubman, who runs the site virtually by himself. "I thought, ‘Why don’t I do something like this to help out the local scene?’"
Bands are also able to sell merchandise on the website, and reviews of local shows will soon become a regular feature. Laubman knows from experience that it’s hard to get positive and negative criticism from people on the scene, and thinks that bands would appreciate the feedback.
So when all is said and done, what does Laubman hope The Radio Network achieves? "I really want kids to tune in," he says. "We have lots of potential and I just want people to start to listen." |
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