Second Stock 2008

Where were you when Second Stock happened? Probably doing something else, at least when I was playing.

I use to have a phobia about BIG EVENTS, but I must say the whole Second Stock thing didn’t suck at all. It seemed to go off with out a hitch. Even my trepidations about the helicopter ride seemed unfounded. Good going Second Stock peoples.

I did observe and learn a few things. First off, since this was an offshoot of the whole “Humming bird/Streamteam” amalgam, they had some fellow introduce me. He babbled out for what seemed forever about the vendors, the security, how wonderful Second Stock was, and then read my old bio. As he was reading it I had to wonder, “Why don’t you just let me play now and people will know all they need to know”?

Keep in mind this was my old bio, the one before I made up the “So-called” funny one. God I hate Bios.

I also notice as I was wrapping up my set, I didn’t see the helicopter with the next act fly over head at all. I have to wonder if it was worth all the effort they put into it. Of course you could say, “Well the act got to see the whole panorama of Second Stock as they flew in”. But remember, this is second life. As I flew in I got to watch things try and rez as I flew by. I could not even see the audience. As I waited back stage I had to wonder if anybody was out there.

As to the issue of attendance, it seemed about the same as any well-attended show I’ve played. I probably should have gotten my group join board up. It’s possible I got to play for a few people that had never even heard of Zorch before.

An hour after Second Stock I did a short set at “The Lost Continent”. There seem to be as many, if not more people in attendance at that show. While Second Stock didn’t seem to hang up on the organizational level, I have to wonder if the event was not more work then it justified. I’m sure the POPULAR KIDS pulled in as many people as they usually do, but I don’t think at anytime the massive resources of the event were utilized. Yeah the stream handles 1,000 listeners, but there are only 30 out there.

I’ve seen an event where Digby Smalls and Maximillion Kleen played together. They had a crowd of 82. They are two of the biggest draws in second life.

It seems to me, something is horribly wrong. There is an invisible barrier that seems so far unreachable. People like music; Second Stock had a pretty high profile, why was attendance so freaking average?

I guess if I ever figure that out, I’ll only be a few steps short of turning lead into gold.