Letting a band sleep on your floor is an essential rite of passage for any person trying to engage with the scene. It’s fun, silly and leads to a lot of great memories. If you are trying to become a guy known for helping out the scene then this is sort of essential. So many people shoot themselves in the foot by not offering to help out and engage with their compeers in this community. If you want to reach that next level letting bands sleep on your floor is key. Why? Because it’s a party, it brings value, hooks you up for the future and it really just is the right thing to do.
It’s Like A Heavy Metal Slumber Party
This is the most obvious and immediate thing about it. I have had so many fun and rewarding experiences with some of my favorite bands who came over and decided to shoot the shit with us until three in the morning. At one point we had ten bands crashing on our floor every week. The heavy metal slumber party aspect is really rewarding. After all – who doesn’t want to rage with their favorite band? I mean a lot of bands just want to show up and go to bed and that works too. In the morning there is usually also time to hang out. This is how you start to build some really cool relationships.
It’s How You Cheaply Bring Value
Do you know how much it costs to let a band crash at your house and take a shower? Literally nothing. This is important. If it doesn’t cost you money to host them and you can do something nice for them then why not do it? I know that it can be a hard ask sometimes with work schedules, roommates and girlfriends, but even if you can pull it off once in a blue moon it’s a way to bring value. People are always looking for how you can help them, volunteering your home is a really great way to do that and to contribute to your community.
Now YOU Have A Place To Stay
Here’s the thing – if you let a band sleep on your floor, then someone from that band is absolutely going to let you sleep on their floor when you are in their town on tour. It might not happen for a year or two but it’s a great way to build connections for future tours or travel you intend to do. The more you can hook up the people around you then the more people who will hook you up it’s simple as that. Hell, I’ve even had people let me sleep on their floor because their FRIENDS slept on my floor. Hotels are a huge money drain on tour and you need to save money in any way possible. In many ways letting bands crash with you is an investment for the future.
It’s Just The Right Thing To Do
The arts are in a hard place right now. There is minimal funding in the US and touring is hard. The people in DIY touring bands are really rolling the dice in the name of their craft. They are just artist who wants to be heard. You need to be willing to help them out. After all, if you don’t help others why should you expect help from strangers? As members of the DIY community, we have an obligation to each other to help this thing keep growing. If we can’t do that then what’s the point? We all need to grow and we all need to work together. Letting bands sleep on your floor means that this community can persist for one more night and guide us through the struggle.
MATT BACON
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Matt Bacon is a consultant, A&R man, and journalist specializing in the world of heavy metal. Having worked with everyone from Glam Rock icon Phil Collen of Def Leppard, to post Black Metal titans Alcest, by way of legendary thrashers Exhorder as well as labels including Prophecy Productions and Ripple Music, he has dedicated his life to helping young bands develop. Having started his own blog at the age of 14 he views his career in artist development as ‘a hobby that got out of hand’. In 2015 he formed Dropout Media in order to better support the artists he loves. We sit here now, years later with countless tours booked, records released and deals signed, and loving every minute of it.
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