The Petra Zone

Ok, it's funny when I'm startled out of my seat but then I'm shaky for 5 songs afterwards. But I'm old school too and I don't have online CD's.

I have seen some very few bands not bothering with making studio records, but releasing new material through live performances. If Petra ever contemplated going through this route, the benefits are there - no need for costly studio time, no hiring studio cats, no bothering with publishing & distribution etc etc. Just an ensemble of band members & friends, practice sessions then sell tour tickets as a live experience of an album. The best them to pursue if they ever consider this is the J&H theme for continuity. I think they should consider trying coz there are a good number of Petheads who can form primary market and form word of mouth marketing network plus there is social media.

Vic wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 03, 2020 9:25 am

I have seen some very few bands not bothering with making studio records, but releasing new material through live performances. If Petra ever contemplated going through this route, the benefits are there - no need for costly studio time, no hiring studio cats, no bothering with publishing & distribution etc etc. Just an ensemble of band members & friends, practice sessions then sell tour tickets as a live experience of an album. The best them to pursue if they ever consider this is the J&H theme for continuity. I think they should consider trying coz there are a good number of Petheads who can form primary market and form word of mouth marketing network plus there is social media.

Larry Norman did this for the Stop this Flight album (and a few others). This album yielded Messiah, one of my favourite Larry Norman songs.

Also Neil Young did it on Rust Never Sleeps and then had the audience noise mostly edited out to sound more like a studio album.

Vic wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 03, 2020 9:25 am

I have seen some very few bands not bothering with making studio records, but releasing new material through live performances. If Petra ever contemplated going through this route, the benefits are there - no need for costly studio time, no hiring studio cats, no bothering with publishing & distribution etc etc. Just an ensemble of band members & friends, practice sessions then sell tour tickets as a live experience of an album. The best them to pursue if they ever consider this is the J&H theme for continuity. I think they should consider trying coz there are a good number of Petheads who can form primary market and form word of mouth marketing network plus there is social media.

I think you're underestimating how much work it takes to produce a live album.

Mountain Man wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 03, 2020 5:16 pm

Vic wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 03, 2020 9:25 am

I have seen some very few bands not bothering with making studio records, but releasing new material through live performances. If Petra ever contemplated going through this route, the benefits are there - no need for costly studio time, no hiring studio cats, no bothering with publishing & distribution etc etc. Just an ensemble of band members & friends, practice sessions then sell tour tickets as a live experience of an album. The best them to pursue if they ever consider this is the J&H theme for continuity. I think they should consider trying coz there are a good number of Petheads who can form primary market and form word of mouth marketing network plus there is social media.

I think you're underestimating how much work it takes to produce a live album.

Well, could skipping recording the album but play the songs live till they have enough resources to make an album out of it work for Petra? The Grateful dead proved that record albums are overated as long as there is a loyal fanbase.

Honestly, if it takes work, go for it! Petra shouldn't go lazy here! We have to do our best for God, if that's really our purpose, and putting in effort if He even wants it to happen is the least we can do. That's my ten cents.

Diehardpetrafan:) wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 07, 2020 4:23 pm

Honestly, if it takes work, go for it! Petra shouldn't go lazy here! We have to do our best for God, if that's really our purpose, and putting in effort if He even wants it to happen is the least we can do. That's my ten cents.

The only thing is that Bob needs to think about funding some sort of a retirement. It's not the time for sinking a bunch of money into a risky venture. Also, it could be a year or more before anyone will be playing concerts before a live audience.

The only problem is, these guys are getting on in years, they need money for retirement like sickasadog said. It'd require money to make an album and market it, and I doubt it'd sell well enough to be worthwhile. I don't think they have enough longtime fans who will buy it, and it's unlikely they'll be popular with a newer audience. They are too old and their style of music is no longer mainstream. I'd love to see them play live more often, and I'd go see them if they ever played anywhere near me, but I don't know if Bob is interested in touring anymore. And then there's also the problem of drawing enough of a crowd.

That being said I'd really love to hear another album of music similar to Jekyll & Hyde, Beyond Belief, Wake Up Call or anything really. But I don't know if that's very probable. At least John still does music. He still sounds great, and TUSS' work is as good as at least some of Petra's in my opinion.

Vic wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 07, 2020 12:57 pm

Mountain Man wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 03, 2020 5:16 pm

Vic wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 03, 2020 9:25 am

I have seen some very few bands not bothering with making studio records, but releasing new material through live performances. If Petra ever contemplated going through this route, the benefits are there - no need for costly studio time, no hiring studio cats, no bothering with publishing & distribution etc etc. Just an ensemble of band members & friends, practice sessions then sell tour tickets as a live experience of an album. The best them to pursue if they ever consider this is the J&H theme for continuity. I think they should consider trying coz there are a good number of Petheads who can form primary market and form word of mouth marketing network plus there is social media.

I think you're underestimating how much work it takes to produce a live album.

Well, could skipping recording the album but play the songs live till they have enough resources to make an album out of it work for Petra? The Grateful dead proved that record albums are overated as long as there is a loyal fanbase.

As long as it's a large loyal fanbase, yes. Petra's fanbase may be loyal, but we're not large.

sickasadog wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 07, 2020 4:28 pm

Diehardpetrafan:) wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 07, 2020 4:23 pm

Honestly, if it takes work, go for it! Petra shouldn't go lazy here! We have to do our best for God, if that's really our purpose, and putting in effort if He even wants it to happen is the least we can do. That's my ten cents.

The only thing is that Bob needs to think about funding some sort of a retirement. It's not the time for sinking a bunch of money into a risky venture. Also, it could be a year or more before anyone will be playing concerts before a live audience.

Maybe they should just retire… sad, but better than seeing albums not many people are interested in.

Diehardpetrafan:) wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 07, 2020 7:55 pm

sickasadog wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 07, 2020 4:28 pm

Diehardpetrafan:) wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 07, 2020 4:23 pm

Honestly, if it takes work, go for it! Petra shouldn't go lazy here! We have to do our best for God, if that's really our purpose, and putting in effort if He even wants it to happen is the least we can do. That's my ten cents.

The only thing is that Bob needs to think about funding some sort of a retirement. It's not the time for sinking a bunch of money into a risky venture. Also, it could be a year or more before anyone will be playing concerts before a live audience.

Maybe they should just retire… sad, but better than seeing albums not many people are interested in.

I agree. I would rather see them retire than see them in projects that would not be very succesful. I will not rule out that there could be certain incarnations of the band that could succeed under certain circumstances. Getting the dream team, or most of them, to play those classic albums in their entirity could perhaps wake up some of the old fans who lost interest after 1995. But I am not even too sure about that. It really is a shame that they wore out the name "Petra" to the degree that they did.

Retire? No. Never say die.

Progfan wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 08, 2020 7:36 pm

Retire? No. Never say die.

You can retire and still do shows etc for fun for people

Diehardpetrafan:) wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 07, 2020 7:55 pm

sickasadog wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 07, 2020 4:28 pm

Diehardpetrafan:) wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 07, 2020 4:23 pm

Honestly, if it takes work, go for it! Petra shouldn't go lazy here! We have to do our best for God, if that's really our purpose, and putting in effort if He even wants it to happen is the least we can do. That's my ten cents.

The only thing is that Bob needs to think about funding some sort of a retirement. It's not the time for sinking a bunch of money into a risky venture. Also, it could be a year or more before anyone will be playing concerts before a live audience.

Maybe they should just retire… sad, but better than seeing albums not many people are interested in.

It's a too late now, but I think Bob should have been far more protective of the Petra name. I think this lingering presence where they're sort of retired but not really (and hey, here are these other guys also calling themselves Petra!) has damaged the brand. It would have been better, I think, if there was only ever a single definitive lineup known as "Petra" that would release the occasional song or do the occasional mini-tour.

But like I said, it's too late for that now. Hindsight is 20/20, as the saying goes.

Diehardpetrafan:) wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 07, 2020 4:23 pm

Honestly, if it takes work, go for it! Petra shouldn't go lazy here! We have to do our best for God, if that's really our purpose, and putting in effort if He even wants it to happen is the least we can do. That's my ten cents.

Well, Petra no longer exists technically. Since Bob IS Petra on the recording side of things, he would have to be the one to do it, fund it, etc. Since he would make little to no money in return, there just isn't an incentive. Doing our best for God has nothing to do with anything related to this kind of stuff. This is about money and the ability to recoup it. If Petra had sufficient demand, they never would have quit to begin with. But the reality is, not enough people willing to part with their money give a care.