At the moment there is no NE PopFest scheduled.
The 2006 Band FAQ is presented here to give you an
idea of how things were and may be in the future,
though they may change somewhat.
What kind of music qualifies for NE PopFest?
As mentioned on the
NE PopFest home page, it is difficult
to define just what "pop" is.
The organizers would like to use a fairly general, but not too general, definition.
Essentially, it will be the subjective opinion of the organizers to decide on a
case by case basis.
If in doubt, it doesn't hurt to apply, as there is no application fee.
What qualifies as a New England band?
If any of the band members is a current resident of New England (which includes
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine),
the band qualifies.
There may be special cases that allow other bands to qualify, but they must
be clearly explained to us.
What is the last date I can apply to be in NE PopFest 2006?
The band application period for NE PopFest 2006 has ended.
We expect to begin taking applications for NE PopFest 2007 in late May or early
June 2007.
When will I find out whether or not I've been accepted and what
my day and time slot are?
The organizers are allowing ourselves about a month from the application deadline
to review all the materials and decide upon the festival program, and you will be
notified soon after that.
We hope to have a festival schedule in late July or, more likely, early August.
Can I change my mind about playing the festival after applying?
You were allowed to withdraw your application any time up until the application deadline,
after that agreeing to play if accepted.
As the application deadline has now passed and we are in the process of considering
the applications, we expect you to honor that
commitment just as you would any other scheduled gig.
There will only be about a month between the end of the application period
and the acceptance announcements in which you will be committed to play without
knowing if you are accepted to the festival.
We apologize for this inconvenience, but it is necessary.
Does the "2-week rule" apply to NE PopFest?
Yes. The 2-week rule means that if you are accepted to play the festival,
you must not play any other shows in the Boston area within 2 weeks of the
festival. (If you have a question about whether a location qualifies as
"the Boston area," please ask. Providence and Worcester are not considered
the Boston area.)
How much money will each band get?
While it would be nice to guarantee all bands lots of money, unfortunately this
is not the case.
Given that there will be 6 bands per night (probably more, counting
the Pub Stage) and that The Abbey is a relatively intimate club
(holding about 125 people), there can't be a huge amount of money
for everyone.
But I try to pay the bands as much as I can without personally losing
too much money.
Last year I took out of the door significantly less than my expenses,
and in 2004 I took nothing out for my expenses.
Feel free to contact people in bands that previously played NE PopFest
to see that I am very fair about this.
And don't forget that you get to sell your merchandise.
If you are in it primarily for the money, NE PopFest 2006 may not be for you.
In addition, being a musician may not be for you.
Why don't band members get in free all days of the festival?
There are number of reasons for this.
First, assuming an average of 4 members per band (it may be more),
this would be at least an additional 48 tickets per day that could not be sold,
which means significantly less money for the bands (do the math).
Since many band members may not want to attend the other days,
this arrangement allows more tickets to be sold, generating more money for the bands
as well as having more people in the club during the sets.
(You wouldn't want fewer people to hear you because some band members who
played other days didn't come but still take up tickets, would you?)
Remember, even though attending another day will cost you $5/day,
you get free beer.
(Note: Musicians who are in two bands that play the festival will get in free
two days, even if both bands play the same day.
Musicians in three or more bands that play the festival will get in free all days.)
Do the bands get guest lists?
Unfortunately not.
Given that there are 18 (or more) bands, allowing guest lists would
reduce the paid admissions too much.
If a band member wants to tell someone they are on the guest list,
that can be done if the band member prepays the admission for that person.