The advice for new bands thread

Here's the dealio. Some of us have been around the block a few times with bands. If you could give one piece of advice to a new band starting out, what would it be?

It doesn't have to be THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF ADVICE EVER!!!111, just something we're aware of, that new bands might not be.

for the craic like :pac:

Mine would be...

Remember what we do is "play our instruments" so literally, play around with them. Have fun with your guitar/bass/drums/keys/vox/triangle/moog etc. 99% of bands don't get signed, and of the 1% that do, 99% of them won't have a second album. So enjoy every minute of being in a band. Keep business out of the rehearsal room. You should only use rehearsal rooms to jam and rehearse in. Meet up out side of jam time to discuss the business side of being in a band.

Anyone else?

raindog.promo

Deleted User wrote: »

99% of bands don't get signed, and of the 1% that do, 99% of them won't have a second album.

Where are you getting these figures from?


Advice: Jam more than once a week!

I remember going to a summer rock school and that was thrown at us. Do you disagree? Look at any bargain bin...

\edit: Advice: Always tune your guitar before going onstage and especially soundcheck! and ideally leave your guitar onstage so the strings get used to the heat

raindog.promo

Deleted User wrote: »

I remember going to a summer rock school and that was thrown at us. Do you disagree? Look at any bargain bin...

Seems a bit convenient or highly suspicious.

Advice: Spend the cash and get a tuner pedal. It's invaluable and a pain in the arse when someone else keeps needing to tune up off your pedal.

Malice

Even if you're a bassist always bring spare strings and ideally a spare guitar so that if the unthinkable happens and your low B or low E string snaps, you're not left on-stage looking like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck.

happyman81

Be honest with yourself about your songs, because all your mates are gonna say your music is simply the most awesome material ever committed to record.

If you think everything you write is good, then you're not being honest with yourself.



Question: Once a band has written and rehearsed a score of songs, what is the best way to promote your material? Playing lots of gigs? Sending demos to record companies? Getting a manager? I would like to see a discussion on this topic.

happyman81

happyman81 wrote: »

Be honest with yourself about your songs, because all your mates are gonna say your music is simply the most awesome material ever committed to record.

If you think everything you write is good, then you're not being honest with yourself.



Question: Once a band has written and rehearsed a score of songs, what is the best way to promote your material? Playing lots of gigs? Sending demos to record companies? Getting a manager? I would like to see a discussion on this topic.

Feel free to start a thread. But this: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=65923795 was a pretty good read.

rcaz

Don't play every single gig you can get your hands on. Yes, you need the practice and experience, yes you need to get your name out there, but playing every ****ty BotB you see isn't the way forward. The band that plays a few really good gigs and picks the gigs they play looks way better than the band that turns up at every open stage going. Get REALLY ****ing good at playing gigs and then be selective about the gigs you play. Because when you nail that one really good show, that's the one that'll count.

Rigsby

Respect and do your utmost to get along with your fellow band members.

Leave your ego at home when you go to a gig or rehearsal.


Be reliable, always turn up for rehearsals, and be on time.


If you must drink alcohol before or during a gig, ( better not to IMO ), make sure you know your limit. Otherwise it could effect your performance and therefore the band's also.

TheLighterPad

When you turn up on a gig have your **** together.
Be polite and helpful to all venue staff, especially your FOH and mons man - he's going to determine how good your band sounds!

Get on the stage when you're told and get off when you're told. If you feel like cracking into another song because its going well but you're out of time DONT.

Have all your gear set up and ready for your sound check, don't piss about on stage wasting the crews time - this is very unpro and make you look like a complete tit. Drummers sit at your kit and play what your told to play, don't play over people - we all know you can hit them. When you're asked for kick that means kick not kick, snare, hats. Same goes for all the guitar virtuoso's out there, nobody cares if you're Steve Vai or started playing yesterday. Basically get on the stage for your sound check and get it done. don't mess about. Get your levels, bash through a song and piss off. Thats what will make you look pro.

Same for change over. Everyone is working against the clock, if you run over your time, you cut it out of your set. Thats how it works, so cooperate with the crew. If you go on 5 early, by all means throw another song in but if you have to be off at 8:30 that means 8:30 not 8:33!

Be respectful of all equipment that is not yours, most if it probably cost more than you earn in a month. So don't throw mics on the floor, jump on the monitors, kick over the heir kit - you'll find your self slapped with a large bill or large slap!

And remember, the crew in a lot of bigger venues, festivals etc. work in the music industry. Most of them have done so for a long time and if something goes your way someday you'll need them. If you impress them they'll bend over backwards for you - so work with them and cooperate.

And be wary of dodgy "promoters" who get you to go out selling €10 tickets to your mates!
Shows like these, although they might be in "cool" venues will do nothing for you. Don't get caught with that very old scam.

raindog.promo

^^Good Post^^

bogwalrus

If you just started a new band play as many crappy gigs as possible. Travel all over Ireland, play with lots of other bands from Ireland and abroad. Talk to small promoters to get support slots with other established local bands.

Basically get as much experience with your fellow musicians and get a feel for what direction your band seems to be going in. Try to find a nice groove. After a year of doing this and your all best mates you should be able to collaborate on some good song writing.

Be diplomatic in the songwriting process. If you wrote a nice riff or half a song be open to your band mates changing it. Take criticisms and play around with the song, let it evolve with your band mates, Dont be Precious!!!!

If you have an amazing drummer, USE HIM/HER. Having a good drummer means you can be a more technical band without sounding technical so let him/her influence your riff's with interesting off beats and time signatures. Once again allow your riffs to evolve with imput from your fellow band mates.

Thats all for now, might post again.

Fandango

My 2 cents:

1. Always plan. Dont just take things as they come. Agree a practice schedule (as much as other commitments will allow. Obviously jobs, family etc will interfere but practice when you can and as much as you can). Plan gigs in advance also. If you have 3 gigs next month, dont wait till after them to plan more. If you have 3 in April say, start looking now for May.

2. Have all your websites, social media sites updated with the same info and keep fans interested by regular but not spamming posts.

3. Always be respectful to everyone you work with from bands to sound engineers to managers etc. These are the people who can make or break you and if they dont like you as a person, they wont help you.

4. Think twice about everything. There are alot of seemingly great oppertunities out there that, with a second thought, is either full of holes or quite simply a scam.

5. Practice and improve as much as you can. Not only as a band but each individual member. Listen to as many styles as you can, whether they are your cup of tea or not, you learn something from all styles. Youtube is a warehouse of one instrument covers (as in the bass for this song, drums for this song, guitar for...you get me) so if you like a certain player/band/song, hit youtube and learn how its played. We all learn from past players so the more you learn how they wrote their pieces, the more it will help you write yours. Also, learn a bit of theory. Just the simpler stuff like scales, modes, triads as they are invaluable.

6. Finally, designate roles outside the music to different members. As in, person A is the contact for gigs etc. Person B updates the websites etc etc. When you have a manager he can obviously take alot of this on but until then its important to be and look professional.


Past 4am so might be a pile of $%^& i just typed but hopefully helpful to someone somewhere!


Actually, one more...BE ON TIME! If your late (or dont turn up) for gigs, soundchecks, recordings, photoshoots, meetings etc, you will get a bad name and seem unreliable and people in the industry talk to eachother so this will spread. If they cant trust you, they wont book you.

Fandango

One more to add: when recording, go for the best studio possible in your budget if you plan to release it. If your not delighted with the result, dont make it available publically as if it doesnt turn you on, it wont turn anyone else on. Also, if possible, get previous work from the engineer who will be recording you. Some engineers can be amazing in certain genres of music but terrible in others. You could also pay €2,000 for a studio but if the engineer isnt up to scratch, you may as well have paid €100 and could have got a better result.