[TommyRaver]

Hey guys, it been along time since i have posted. I turned 21 on the 18th november and was happy to discover that someone from gxg sent me some flowlights. Who ever you are many thanks.

I have not done much glowsticking since i started uni, however i have been to a number of uv partys. Im really disappointed to see a number of people have joined an agency and are performing at clubs. Im not a hater or anything, but i would not take the stage unless i had a more that a few tricks up my sleeve.

I know people would do anything for money, since money is the root of all evil. If your skills are not up to standard don't bother joining an acency, thats why you will not get booed of stage.

What happened to being unique, so many people do the same stage routine speically from the same agency.

Do anyone else feel the same way

[Daisy]

OMG! it's TommyRaver you disappeared on us.
Happy late birthday. There's a ton of November birthdays lol

[starlet]

hey? whats all this about? is this all this 'get paid to party' thats going down at Tokyo's?

[TommyRaver]

Originally Posted by starlet

hey? whats all this about? is this all this 'get paid to party' thats going down at Tokyo's?

Kinda of scarlet. I just don't feel that people have the pasison or love for the art. It's seems to be all about the money. Do you remember the iziba show at livingstones, that was VERY POOR. The guy on poi was a beginner. What with the people with the two sticks on fire about, they should be using poi with short stings if space is tight

[starlet]

oh i didn't go to that ibiza show, but i do know the guy that was doing poi there. He is/was a beginer.

I know that right now i don't have the time and energy i need to perform (paid) so i'm leaving it a while. i have too much on personally. If i was offered it, i would adapt my rates to reflect the position i was in.

It's true that there is a lot of exploitation and some circus arts are seen as a quick and easy way to make some extra cash. HOWEVER those of us that do perform professionally need to work twice as hard to show people what a GOOD perfomance is. It's hard because people that don't care will do it for less, and so our living is harder and to be honest this is another reason i've cut down the performance recently, because someone less experianced will do it for less money and this is ultimatly what promotors care about - how much it costs, not how safe it is, or how professional it is, or how good it looks.

[/rant]

[TommyRaver]

Originally Posted by starlet

oh i didn't go to that ibiza show, but i do know the guy that was doing poi there. He is/was a beginer.

I know that right now i don't have the time and energy i need to perform (paid) so i'm leaving it a while. i have too much on personally. If i was offered it, i would adapt my rates to reflect the position i was in.

It's true that there is a lot of exploitation and some circus arts are seen as a quick and easy way to make some extra cash. HOWEVER those of us that do perform professionally need to work twice as hard to show people what a GOOD perfomance is. It's hard because people that don't care will do it for less, and so our living is harder and to be honest this is another reason i've cut down the performance recently, because someone less experianced will do it for less money and this is ultimatly what promotors care about - how much it costs, not how safe it is, or how professional it is, or how good it looks.

[/rant]

The credit cruch is making life hard, but i would not turn my skills in a profit. I just don't understand why people jump on stage when there not ready, experince is priceless. The thing with poi is that most people turn off if your do the same over and over agin . The rest just watch to shame ya if you mess up

Im relying on uv parties to build up some experince, since that is the only time and place you can spin and be accepted in a club. Im not one to steal the show but if i feel the beat, im cracking them sticks and letting loose regardless.

[dancefloor]

I don't know of any craziness like this going on in the US, but theres some similar PoVs expressed in this. I try not to ever draw attention to myself while I string. Yes, I will crack ultras when I have them at a party (I'm actually uploading a video of said event as I post this), but I always stay off the dancefLoor. As for going on stage, if offered to do it, I definitely would but not for money. Free admission to whatever event I'm at would be awesome, but I wouldn't want to take money for stringing (glowsticks or poi).

[elvisthe2nd1]

woot woot!!! welcome back, tommy!!! and happy 21st b-day....stay around a little longer this time!!!lol

[glowing fool]

to preface im just going off my experience in the u.s.
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glowsticking i usually stay away from the dance floor and go where there are just people chilling. thats because im not a speed spinner and prefer to chill. if i was asked to go on stage- fuck yes. i would not take money for that. now if you have me bringing my fire setup, if money was offered it would be taken. youre paying for a safe exotic art. the art part you can get from glowsticks but i dont mind getting paid when im handling fire. would i do it for free though- again fuck yes.

tommy i think i see where youre coming from because it happens here too. ive been to a couple shows now (live music and dj) where theyve had a group there doing some really weak stuff (poi staff hoop whatever). part of me wants to ask for a spin or a burn but the other part of me respects the fact that they probably signed a contract to be the sole visual entertainment. nevertheless it is frustrating when you know ameteurs (not meant to be mean just as a measure of skill) are getting paid like professionals. what further gets me is that there arent a lot of gigs like that out here by me, so when i see someone wasting what should be a spot for a great performer i get a little annoyed.

[LilRaverBoi]

Well I kinda feel you on this. Every single time I have seen any short clip of a fire performance on TV, it has been super lame....like a butterfly or a 3 beat weave.....nothing even intermediate which makes me wonder if they CAN do more.

Of the scene in my area, there really are no big clubs or anything, so there is really no one who gets paid to spin on stage. I have a few friends who do UV and fire performances for pay. Their UV stuff that they get paid for is a little more complex than your simple performance though....it's for a band, so they get all painted up head to toe with custom made costumes and spin flowpoi/flowstaff/etc....and they are super good at it and can do choreographed duo shows and stuff of that caliber.

For me, personally, I'd feel a little weird accepting money for glowsticking....cause it's glowsticking, I mean, really. I've only really been paid once for poi and that was $30 for a performance I did this summer for 10,000 people....so that's not really even a fair compensation....but it was amazingly fun, so I did it (actually I didn't even know I was getting paid till after the event). I have gotten into plenty of parties for free for either doing laser shows of performing poi or both. This happens pretty frequently and I take use of it when I can.

I won't lie, if someone offered me money to spin, I'd probably take it. I would like to have a regular gig set-up....it'd be a nice extra income and I don't feel like I'm whoring myself out or taking advantage of my artform....since plenty of artists sell their paintings/pottery, etc. But then again, I'm not a beginner either....and in my opinion, if a promoter is dumb enough to hire a lame performer, that's their own fault, not the performer. If they get booed off the stage, I'd feel sorry for them....guess they didn't have to take the gig, but they did. However, if they knew like two tricks and then went around purposefully LOOKING for a paid gig, then that's kinda shady and is more their fault than the promoter...but once again, the promoter didn't HAVE to hire them either. So it's kind of both people's fault in either case.

That's my opinion...take it for whatever it's worth.