Sure you’ve heard it before. Save Ferris even wrote a song about it. But what does that phrase mean to you? Think about it, and while you’re thinking about it, I’ll tell you what it means to me.
On its most basic level, this phrase means exactly what it says, get up, go out and let your local ska band know you care. That means going to shows, dancing your ass off while you’re there and if you like the music buying their CD. Local bands have their hearts in to what they are doing and they love the attention that their fans give them. This may not be the case as some bigger name bands become complacent with their fans. Not that they feel that they don’t need us, just that they want a break. I mean I’m sure that Dicky Barrett gets tired of losers like me coming up and asking when the new album is being released, I would get that way too. But local bands soak up that attention like it’s their job. And it is these bright-eyed and bushy-tailed musicians that produce some of the most enjoyable tunes and put on some of the best shows around.
Another thing that SYLSB implies for me is supporting your local ska scene. Get involved, spread the word about shows, and invite your friends. Furthermore, go to see the bigger name ska acts when they come through your town. If clubs don’t sell enough tickets or drinks or whatever when a certain band plays, they’re probably not going to invite that band back. And as much as I hate to say it, it all comes back to the money. I’d like to think that this is a perfect world and that people don’t base their decisions on dollar signs, but they do and we have to deal with that. So get out to that show and help the club turn a profit. That way they’re more likely to put on more ska shows in the future.
Finally, another big part of supporting local ska is buying merchandise and albums directly from the band whenever possible. Not that you need to buy their stuff, but if you want to buy it, you should make an effort to get it directly from the band or at very least, from the record label. There are two reasons for this, first and foremost; you are helping the band more because they make more money off of the CDs that they sell themselves. Secondly, the band usually sells its merchandise for a lot less than any of record stores can afford to. This creates a win-win situation, you win, the band wins…easy. Most bands now have online shops on their websites, so you don’t even have to go to a show to buy their stuff. And if the band doesn’t have an online shop, check their record company’s website, they’re guaranteed to have a store*.
So for me, SYLSB boils down to going out and doing all that you can to show those guys and gals that you care. This includes pulling out all of the stops at the shows, and buying merchandise directly from the band and going to all the ska shows you can. Figure out what it means to you and get off your can and act on it.
*There is a pretty hefty list of ska and punk record labels on my links page.