Analysis of the audiences of three other similar artists

Reel Big Fish
Ska punk
Third wave ska
Reel Big Fish our an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach,
California.They formed in 1990 and are have been signed to Mojo, Jive, Rock Ridge Music records.

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Who is their audience?

"The kids who filled the floors of the Ogden Theater that night came to dance, mosh and crowd surf, and they got their wish".

"My conviction that Reel Big Fish are one of the world's best cover bands was also reaffirmed as they ripped through their classic take on A-Ha's "Take on Me", as well as their excellent version of Lita Ford's "Kiss Me Deadly", playing up on Aaron's '80s metal fetish".

Some comments from a gig review on Last Fm.

Fan fashion
The picture to the left is a generic diagram of a ska/punk fans dress. It combines tradictional ska dress (tilby, checkered tie) with a punk/nerd elements (Crazy shirt, baggy shorts and glasses)

'Last FM' provides information of recent Top Listening and other artists they listen to. This is really useful as it allows me to find out what other music the bands fans listen to.

How do they interact with their audience?

Gigs

Recent tours

Vans Warped Tour 2010 - America
Soundwave festival - Australia
Fashion 
Bands connect to and influence their fans though their fashion/style. Bands of course are also influenced by their music influences, Reel Big Fish's style is a mixtire rudeboy and punk fashion.

 The music

“The songs are filled with something anyone can be relate to: desire, despair, drugs, parents, learning from your mistakes and ultimately hope,” observes Chris. “The topics hit home whether you’re 12 or 50, and year after year, we find this wider and wider cross section of fans coming out to our shows.”
 

What can you learn from this artist about how to appeal to the audience?

Touring, gigs and their fans are evendently important to the band. 

 

Cd covers

 

Reel Big Fish's album covers tend to feature cartoon drawings. Similar to that of pop art, notiably Andy warhol in this cover. This is a motive across the bands album artwork. 'Reel Big Fish' image is particually comically, this is portrayed though their album covers, on stage performance, videos and their dress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This best of cd cover features a picture of the band, there iconic font is featured on the cover. The checkered background is a generic image of the ska/ punk genre.  The costume is also generic, the lead singer in wearing a black and white suit, and the band member next to him in holding a trombone.

 

 

 

 

 

No Doubt

Ska pop
Third wave ska
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. 

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Who is there audience? How do they appeal to their audience?
Fansites:
http://www.justnodoubt.net/
No Doubt combine a misture of ska and punk as well as pop, this makes them a wide appealing band, meaning that they have a greater range of fans. A mixture of ska fans, punk and pop.
Fashion
No Doubt fashion/ image combines the generic/ tradictional ska look with a punk rock twist, and 90's fashion. The band seeks to appeals to it's fans though their image.
The Music
The band's diamond-certified album Tragic Kingdom helped to launch the ska revival of the 1990s, and "Don't Speak", the third single from the album, set a record when it spent sixteen weeks at the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart. Following this the group released its next album, Return of Saturn, four years later. Rocksready - the album produced two Grammy-winning singles, "Hey Baby" and "Underneath It All". No Doubt released the compilation The Singles 1992–2003 and box set Boom Box in 2003. Frontwoman Gwen Stefani launched her solo career the next year with several collaborations, the band embarked on a US national tour throughout the summer of 2009.

Album cover for 'Rock Steady' the font used is dissorted, it looks rebelious reflects punk. Rock Steady, which incorporated reggae and dancehall music into their work.

Album cover for 'Tragic Kingdom' The cover features the lead singer of the band in the forground, and the other band members in the background. The design is a mixture of illistrations and photography. The images of the band memebers 

The release of 1995's Tragic Kingdom and the single "Just a Girl" allowed the group to achieve mainstream commercial success. No Doubt began touring in support of the album late that year, and it grew into a 27-month international tour. The band embarked on a US national tour throughout the summer of 2009.

Madness

Ska/pop
Second wave ska - 2 Tone
Madness are a British pop/ska band from Camden Town, London, which formed in 1976. Madness achieved most of their success in the early to mid 1980s.

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As of 2007, the band has continued to perform with their most recognised lineup of seven members, although it’s varied slightly over the years. They were one of the most prominent bands of the late-70s 2 tone ska revival. However, as their career progressed, the band moved away from ska & closer toward conventional pop music.

Who is there audience? How do they appeal to their audience?


Fansites : http://www.mis-online.net/madness/
Fans now:
Fans in 2005 Norfolk, forest tour

Early in their career, Madness were linked to skinheads; members of a British working class subculture that the media often stereotyped as racist (although many skinheads, including the original generation, are non-racist or anti-racist). Not only were Madness, along with other 2 Tone bands, popular with skinheads, but it was said that the band members themselves were associated with the subculture. In a 1979 NME interview, Smash was quoted as saying "We don't care if people are in the NF as long as they're having a good time." This added to speculation that Madness was a racist band supporting the National Front, although the band members denied those allegations, and Smash responded to the NME article in the song "Don't Quote Me On That". Eventually, band members denied their skinhead roots, which disappointed much of their skinhead fan base.

Madness's fans are a mixture of older fans 'original fans' from when they where first sucessful, and newer fans who have come to like there music though their parents, interest in the genre - music history etc. It's fair to say that from the wide range of fans they have there music will remain popular for a long time. I think what makes the band so successful with all aspect of music fans is that they have a 'comforting' British ska/pop sound. People wore brought up listening to Madness when they where teenages, and then their children follow to listen to them to. They are an iconic Brtish band, with a strong sound and image.

The music
Early success:

In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince".The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers.The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts at number 16. A performance of "The Prince" on popular UK music show Top of the Pops helped Madness gain public recognition. Madness then toured with fellow 2 Tone bands The Specials and The Selecter, before recording their debut album, One Step Beyond..., which was released by Stiff Records.

Fashion

Part of Madness's generic image is their fashion - in several of their videos and photoshoots they wear black suits, sunglasses and hats - trilby, porkpie. There distinct image is partly used to appeal and relate to their fans, as well as establish an 'image'.

Album cover for 'Total Madness' The London bus is a cultural signifier - British culture. The cover features the bands 'logo' motif. The cover also features an iconic image of the band.











These are three very different bands/ types of ska. How does your act fit into this?


I have looked at three very different types of ska, Madness - 2 Tone (second wave) Reel Big Fish and No Doubt third wave. The Skanx descibe themselves as a ska/funk band, with the bands I have researched I would say The Skanx are similar to No Doubt because they have a female singer but also they have a similar rocksteady style.

How can you draw on your understanding of these bands to strengthen the promotion of your band?

I think we can draw on how these bands market themselves though there use of online media (band websites etc)
also there print productions - I have looked at some album covers of the three bands. For example 'Reel Big Fish' have a particually comical element to their album covers.
Notice how humour is important to all these acts (in the cd artwork and fonts; in the 'dances' of Madness; in the costumes...): how will you use humour in the promotion of your act?

We have planned to have a comical element to are music video. We have started to look at and research several slapstick comics, and comic acts such as Norman Wisdom, Laurel and Hardy by watching comidians work it has given us inspiration to what kind of comedy we create in our music video. The theme of the song we are using is money, so we have began to plan comdey based around the topic of money, for example we shot an animation using monopoly money which spells out the title of the song 'Moneygrabber'. This issue of money is also very topical at the moment with the recession, and new 'goverment' etc, so we have also thought about including a political side to are comedy.