Anyone help me out here? How to start a band and get shows with no resources

[tr00 kvlt grim frostbitten etc]

Well, not "no" resources, but definitely close to none.

Hey, I'm new to the forum - I figured this might be the best place to bring up this question.

you see, recently me and some friends have been trying to get a band set up and I'm dying to play some shows as soon as fucking possible. We haven't actually practiced together yet, but we've all been playing for several years, so we know what we're doing individually and we've all got instruments.

What's getting to me is that nothing seems to be going forward, and I'm not sure if we're all just making bullshit excuses for being lazy as hell, but there seem to be a million things in the way of us playing live. Some of us are nowhere near happy with our instruments, and basically "refuse" to play until they've got some gigantic upgrade that none of us can afford at the moment. None of us have the kind of amp equipment it'd take to play live even in a small club (and I'm guessing no shitty little venue is going to provide amps?)

We don't have a practice space set up and can't afford to rent a place, so the idea is more or less to play at each other's places. There's a problem of distance too, some of us live further than others which can make all getting together tricky, and obviously no one wants to spend a ton of cash on gas.

So I'm feeling damn frustrated by all of this. There seems to be a whole ton of shit in the way, not to mention a lot of excuse making, and a big fat lack of money - since we're all close to broke at the moment. Can anyone help me out here? Give me some tips or sagely advice?

 

[(((0)))]

None of us can help you.

 

[tr00 kvlt grim frostbitten etc]

None of us can help you.

Fuck.

 

[sevag00]

What a ridiculous username you have.

 

[General Zaroff]

Get jobs?

 

[Vimana]

 

[tr00 kvlt grim frostbitten etc]

You inexcusable polesmokers. Whatever happened to the brotherhood of metalheads and all that Manowar oriented stuff.

I'm serious though, as ridiculous as this sounds. Something's got to give, if I don't start making music soon my head's going to blow itself clean off. I'm guessing a lot of the early 80's bands started with close to jack shit - Sepultura, Megadeth, Cannibal Corpse, etc. so I'm guessing there must be some trick here.

 

[XSASweet]

find other local bands and suck up to them in order to play with them and let you guys use their amps?

 

[tr00 kvlt grim frostbitten etc]

find other local bands and suck up to them in order to play with them and let you guys use their amps?

Hmmm... you may be onto something there. The only real problem is that we aren't "friends" with any local bands and don't go to see them too often, since they're all Indie / Emo / Screamo-jazz-fusion-bullshit. Local metal bands don't seem to exist around these parts

 

[Einherjar86]

Well, if you're really serious...

You need to record. Most places won't let you play until they've heard some of your material. Even if that means you set up an old boom box, put a blank cassette in the tray, and push 'record,' you should do it. It will sound like shit, but at least a venue can gauge what kind of band you are.

If you have the ability, I would recommend investing in some recording equipment. Buy some microphones, buy a mixer (maybe even a program for your computer-Guitar Tracks Pro is good), and try to make some decent recordings. If you don't have the money, save up for it; and in the meantime, practice. You said you haven't rehearsed yet together, so maybe you should try that. Even if you're all already fantastic musicians, playing together as a band is a totally different beast than wanking by yourself in your room (define 'wanking' however you want).

Once you get some recordings, put them up on myspace. Find the venues you want to get booked at, and send them a message. Some venues don't accept messages or friend requests from bands, which I think is really stupid, but that's how it is. Myspace really is great for up and coming acts, and it's great for getting your stuff out there. Use it to your advantage.

The "trick," as you put it, is taking the initiative. You need to promote yourselves. Sign up for Battles of the Bands, talent shows, any stupid thing you can find. Advertise for parties, weddings, funerals, etc. Sell yourselves; but you better be good, because venues will talk, and if you suck you won't get hired. So, again, practice.

 

[The Ozzman]

IT'S A TRAP!
troll alert
etc

 

[tr00 kvlt grim frostbitten etc]

Well, if you're really serious...

You need to record. Most places won't let you play until they've heard some of your material. Even if that means you set up an old boom box, put a blank cassette in the tray, and push 'record,' you should do it. It will sound like shit, but at least a venue can gauge what kind of band you are.

If you have the ability, I would recommend investing in some recording equipment. Buy some microphones, buy a mixer (maybe even a program for your computer-Guitar Tracks Pro is good), and try to make some decent recordings. If you don't have the money, save up for it; and in the meantime, practice. You said you haven't rehearsed yet together, so maybe you should try that. Even if you're all already fantastic musicians, playing together as a band is a totally different beast than wanking by yourself in your room (define 'wanking' however you want).

Once you get some recordings, put them up on myspace. Find the venues you want to get booked at, and send them a message. Some venues don't accept messages or friend requests from bands, which I think is really stupid, but that's how it is. Myspace really is great for up and coming acts, and it's great for getting your stuff out there. Use it to your advantage.

The "trick," as you put it, is taking the initiative. You need to promote yourselves. Sign up for Battles of the Bands, talent shows, any stupid thing you can find. Advertise for parties, weddings, funerals, etc. Sell yourselves; but you better be good, because venues will talk, and if you suck you won't get hired. So, again, practice.

Thanks for the genuine reply, definitely appreciate it.

I agree about taking the initiative 100%. Unfortunately the group of us basically act like a lot of procrastinating, excuse-making fucks too much of the time.

I should be able to get a crapped up 2 channel mini-mixer from a friend of mine, and I'm sure there's some free software out there that would work for recording some stuff in a low-quality kind of a way.

I think one of the things you touched on with the "use an old boombox if you have to" comment, is that some of us are being much too idealistic. Wanting fucking Grade A stage gear and perfect tone for even our first show / proper recording, before taking the initiative and actually making shit happen.

As far as myspace goes, is it still good for bands? Heard it went through a massive decline. Aside from that too, I've always avoided having a myspace account - the whole corporate sponsored teen trend of it really puts me off in a big way

 

[tr00 kvlt grim frostbitten etc]

IT'S A TRAP!
troll alert
etc

Your trolldar is malfunctioning. I'd get that checked out

 

[Einherjar86]

As far as myspace goes, is it still good for bands? Heard it went through a massive decline. Aside from that too, I've always avoided having a myspace account - the whole corporate sponsored teen trend of it really puts me off in a big way

It's definitely one of the best things for bands today. Lots of labels search myspace for bands, and one of the things they look for is how many friends you have. I know a band here in Tampa that got noticed by Atlantic Records because their lead singer went on myspace and friended every band he could find. Now he's signed to the label and has a record coming out this summer.

I know there's that negative stigma that goes along with Myspace and Facebook, but the former really is great for posting your music. I created a myspace account just for such reasons.

 

[CF87]

Well, not "no" resources, but definitely close to none.

Hey, I'm new to the forum - I figured this might be the best place to bring up this question.

you see, recently me and some friends have been trying to get a band set up and I'm dying to play some shows as soon as fucking possible. We haven't actually practiced together yet, but we've all been playing for several years, so we know what we're doing individually and we've all got instruments.

What's getting to me is that nothing seems to be going forward, and I'm not sure if we're all just making bullshit excuses for being lazy as hell, but there seem to be a million things in the way of us playing live. Some of us are nowhere near happy with our instruments, and basically "refuse" to play until they've got some gigantic upgrade that none of us can afford at the moment. None of us have the kind of amp equipment it'd take to play live even in a small club (and I'm guessing no shitty little venue is going to provide amps?)

We don't have a practice space set up and can't afford to rent a place, so the idea is more or less to play at each other's places. There's a problem of distance too, some of us live further than others which can make all getting together tricky, and obviously no one wants to spend a ton of cash on gas.

So I'm feeling damn frustrated by all of this. There seems to be a whole ton of shit in the way, not to mention a lot of excuse making, and a big fat lack of money - since we're all close to broke at the moment. Can anyone help me out here? Give me some tips or sagely advice?

You can play with any size amp and it does not matter because it's run through a PA. Practice amps,etc... so whatever you already have will work.

 

[Unfaithfully Metalhead]

get summer jobs even if you have mow lawns and perhaps buy used equipment on Ebay or local garage sales... or even Craigslist...

As for practicing together, you and the crew have to get off your lazy asses and meet somewhere to practice like one of your garages?

And as for venues to play, do some research and make a list of places that local metal bands play gigs at. Research statewide if you have to.Call/write those places and see what is required to play there and as someone already said create a Myspace page and make friends with other bands that will link to you once you get some songs written and recorded. Don't rush things so quickly. One step at a time.

 

[Geeks]

I book and promote a weekly metal club every Friday night, and the best thing I can suggest to young bands is that you don't play live until you're absolutely tight-as-fuck and are happy with the songs you're creating. The old adage 'first impressions count' could not be truer when it comes to bands, both live and on myspace. My own band spent a full year practicing twice a week before playing our first show and releasing our first demo....to be perfectly honest I wish we had of waited another 6 months.


But from the nature of your posts, it sounds like you're buggered before you even begin. If it's that much work to get your own bandmates interested, you've got two-fifths of fuck all chance getting anyone else to care.

 

[Ross]

Your trolldar is malfunctioning. I'd get that checked out

Your humourdar is malfunctioning. I'd get that checked out.

 

[Vimana]

Your dardar is malfunctioning. I'd get that checked out.

 

[waif]

For recording, for <400 you can get an audio interface and some simple mics, then pirate Protools and record with decent quality that way.

For jamming...basically, it sounds like you guys are fucked. See if you can find a place to rent if you all chip in, or a friend's house or something, somewhere with a garage or some shit. Do whatever it takes. As far as instruments/equipment...you should always try for better equipment but it's more important to play well, as you can mic it through a PA when playing live.