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EDIT:  We don't have a 'gigs' section, but this seemed to be the closest to it.  If you want to move it, feel free.

Dear chiptune musician,

Before you read on I'll explain what this is about so that if you're not interested you can stop reading now.  This is an offer to play a show to a large public audience.  It doesn't pay, because we have no money and will be making no money directly from the show.  However, we'll be making a compilation album with tracks from all the participants to sell and the proceeds will be split evenly between all performers (hell, if you've never recorded any of your tracks we'll record them for you free of charge).  We did it last year and we had a huge audience.

Nuit Blanche 2009 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj2gJla7A7U

If you're still interested, read on.

My name is Jeff Alyanak.  I am a chiptune musician and performer from Toronto.  Last year, along side deadbeatblast and DJ Eastern Blok, I organized a guerrilla chiptune concert outside of city hall.  With little equipment, no promotion and little organization we pulled of an extremely successful show, drawing in huge crowds and holding them for hours at a time.  The show was great as it was but I immediately got to thinking how much greater the show would be next year.  The biggest thing I wanted was to have an even larger group of performers the next year round and to increase the promotion of the event.

That's where you come in.  I want this year to include as many performers as possible, so that we can run it as long as possible.  Nuit Blanche runs from sundown to sunrise and that would require a large number of different performers to attain.  I doubt that we'll complete that goal but I'd like to get as close as possible.  I want to start the night with an open mic and then allow each of our performers a 30-45 minute set (or a bit longer if required/wanted/etc).  The gig, of course, has a few restrictions and quirks that may scare some of you off but I really hope you consider it.

Since the event will be done guerrilla style it is possible that we will be told to move at some point.  Though this is unlikely given the atmosphere of art and excitement during Nuit Blanche (last year we were cheered on by the Nuit Blanche staff) we must plan for the eventuality.  So equipment must be kept to a minimum and must be planned in a way that allows for easy setup and packup (Ideally we should be able to move without stopping the music.  The second requirement is related to our power source.  We have two large car battery/inverters that we will swap back a forth (one always being recharged as the other is being used).  Most of this power will be used for the amp, which can run for about 5 or 6 hours on a single charge (though cold weather will lower this number).  This means that, while additional low wattage items can be used, we want to keep it to a minimum.  Got an effect unit or two, that's cool, but try to minimize your stuff (use batteries where applicable).

My motivation for the event is primarily a love affair with chip music.  I really just want to expose more people to it, and I'm looking to book a lot of musicians that I love to listen to.  However, I understand that people want to make some money doing what they love, too.  So to do a little bit to monetize the event, I'll be putting together a compilation album.  Each artist playing that night will submit one track which will be added to the album.  We'll sell the album at the show and split the proceeds evenly.  You can also sell your own swag - shirts, CDs, etc - and give away promotional material for yourself.  There are nearly a million people walking around on Nuit Blanche and they are a demographic that is very receptive to new forms of art and music, so it's a great chance to market yourself.

So, that's the plan.  Make a CD, play a show, have fun.  I'm sure the event will be a great experience and even if you aren't able to come, please keep in touch with me about further shows in the city.  If you have any questions, or want to help out in any way, or just need to talk about your feelings, drop me a line at:  jefftheworld at gamerarmy d0t com.

Cheers,
jeff

PS: Send this to anyone you know who would like to play this show!