Long post, due it is really interesting topic that many times being discussed, but always keeps amazing.
There are different ways and reasons people do experimental/noise shows. When Trepaneringsritualen or Arktau Eos played in Finland, I feel their shows have been very often NOT among noise crowd. It's more like experimental stuff that current music guys know. I don't say that as derogatory purpose at all. Trepaneringsritualen has happened in bars/venue with bunch of slow and heavy music band and not really noise. If Aural Hypnox bands would play, you could expect perhaps more audience from metal scene than from harsh heads - even if A.H. bands have very little to do with metal music. This makes one think who should know about gigs that are being done. Where advertise, where organize etc. Who to put on the bill with them, that even people who have no idea what's up, could recognize it as event that could be interesting.
We have seen organizers who bring the BIG names related to noise. Years ago we had Consumer Electronics, Ramleh, Wolf Eyes, BDN, Bastard Noise, Pain Jerk, Merzbow, and many more, who were clearly brought here by professional organizers as names that should interest, and in combination with right kind of bands, they are the names underground alternative music listener recognizes and may go check out. Bigger venues with easy access, often sort of "freaky element" play together with bands that more usual crowd likes.
Too small name wouldn't work like that, but thing is some of the older names that were great back in the day aren't that amazing compared to some guys at very top of the game right now. I think this is two different types of crowds. Some who want to catch the "artists you should see" and then there is audience who couldn't care less about someone who was at their best 30 years ago. Simply into good noise and not in need for see someone with veteran status.
On somewhat related note, when got the feeling that Grunt was sort of heading into this "name you know" / "freaky band for music event" -scene, it was among big reasons to stop gigs until more interesting noise gigs will be doable. I see very little if any value to warm up some completely unrelated music band, (unless it would be direct invitation from the band members themselves.)
I think the crucial point that realizing there are (at least) "two crowds", and even with certain amount of % cross over, it is very much possible that one has to think for who and how you are doing things. In my opinion this applies also for running label, distro, zine whatever. Very blunt and roughly made generalizations without the talking about obvious grey areas between:
The more commercial idea relies that there is existing audience and just to bring something, release something, offer to consumer, and that will be it. (as example: This can work in city or country where is already existing and established network/scene/etc. It's easy to open metal music record store in city with thousand metalheads, bands labels, gigs, etc. Less easy to do it in city where seems to be nothing and no culture where it would be related to.)
On more grass root level alternative, it is far more about personal communication. You know couple, or bunch of guys, you talk to them, you know just about everybody feels "we should do something". When you let them know this or that is coming to play if we just set up show, everybody is excited. It's as simple as thinking how going to gigs used to be talking with friends (who's coming? Who's driving?).. as opposed to now you have lots of gigs where familymen arrive alone, who have not talked to anyone in months. At least I see lots of this.
In RAC scene it used to be very common that skin clubs would arrange bus ride. Rent bus or two, and then everybody and their friends would have heavy duty road trip to see something. In noise gig, if someone would announce there is minibus drive from Helsinki to turku and back, I'm sure it would be full quick. With guys who otherwise skip going as they don't bother to use public transportation -most often the return trip in middle of night.
Social aspect can not be underestimated, and for a lot of shows, I feel nowadays would be benefit to return back to days when people would actually contact their friends, ask along, remind their friends, mention others someone is organizing show. I think there is huge gap in information where things are happening, but you will only hear afterwards, since most appear to assume everybody follows social media. I don't think noise show is merely the act of distortion from speakers. Just like noise release isn't just sound from speakers, but relation to so many things in life.
Back in the day, to solve some challenges, in Finland was "crew" called S.I.C.K. - Suomi Industrial Chaos Kollektive, hah.. there was talk about it in Finnish Noise topic that originally was about SICK reports as far as I remember. I wasn't even involved in early gigs, but later did little things in favor of kollektive. Idea was simply that if there is like 5...8..10 guys, who will chip in 50 euro, and as a result, there can be brought things like Wertham or Mutant Ape or something that would be unlikely to be profitable. If some money actually remains, it will be used to fly over something again that makes very little sense financially, but gets done. And certainly, things got done and several gigs organized. Crew itself being almost enough to qualify as minimum crow show needs, hah, you wouldn't need more than bunch more people to get it work out perfect. Lots of killer shows that had... 20.. 30? 50 people? I guess hard to say eventually when SICK ended and when it just wasn't necessary. Mostly same guys did more shows after kollektive had put things in motion and then things started to work out just fine without it. When "network" existed and was drawing new people in.
Nowadays there is not so much absolute NEED for such collective plus these days the also you'd need to weed out any potential drama queens instantly to keep things working. That would be my advice for anyone wanting to do something in situation where nothing is happening. If you are living in city where exists even a little phenomena of some kind of alternative culture, it may be enough. I know it is horrible task for introverted guys to be asked to reach out to even moderately likeminded people and communicate with them, but that's what one has to do. It's the reality outside virtual world. (If one prefers virtual scene, then there is no shortage of things to experience virtually.)
I personally can't believe that if there is city where exists other music cultures, art scenes, and so on.. that noise could not flourish if leg work is done, so to say.
