The Frustrating World Of Band Forming

Hey, I just wanna say this is my first thread and this place appears to have a friendly community so I'm looking forward to posting and commenting here.

Now that the nice comment is over you can listen to me complain :grin:

So I'm at the classic spot of forming a band, and I know everyone has dealt with this, and somehow I can not get out of it.

I am currently interested in forming a band as the lead singer, though I have been open to the idea and been highly considering doing lead guitar with it. Sort of a White Stripes idea but with another guitarist and bass to make a full sound. I am big into hard rock and the blues. And I'm one of those guys that aims to make it big though I'll live if I just make a living as a recording artist.

Now Its been exactly 1 year since I quit my old band, where I was drummer for, I had to quit them because I was doing all the work. I got us a recorded album, I got us half our gigs, etc etc, one gig owed us 100 bucks, but the band refused to get it. (said if I care why don't I get it) I was doing everything else. The money is still there to this day.

I have done all the advertising on multiple sites, I make it sweet but not too long, I give them my interests, influences, commitment level, a bit of experience, contact info. Its just enough to get people interested.

I did the posters around town at music shops and clothing stores. I did a real cool professional poster.

I talked to the major local rock groups in my city. (I just moved here a year ago so I'm new to it) I've seen a few bands play, but few venues will let me in due to drinking age. (Three months left~) Most of this has short comings and people just saying "man that sucks, well good luck".

Personally I'm known for my positive attitude, my high level of commitment, and my overall music business knowledge. And yes I've done the read through hundreds of google pages on everything.

I have had jams, everyone is either death metal, or stoner experimental rock. I had 6 musicians to date stand me up in the last year when I booked a rehersal space, without telling me they aren't coming. I did try-outs for two groups, one turned out to be a lounge-metal band so they wanted soft vocals and acoustic guitar playing. The other was this odd band with zero experience of any kind, the average age was 28. I was too hard rock for them, and the age was an issue.

I've been contacting tons of musicians most are late forties-fifties. Though the ones in there 20s have wives, or are not interested in practicing more than once a week. I don't do drugs, I like to have a few drinks on social occasions. I've begun developing a rock image for myself with on stage clothing, I study many many bands on everything.

Things go on, I can't find any open mics in this town, though I know one but 6 months ago they stopped doing it. I'm being professional in my emails, I try to meet these guys or hang out at shows. Everything seems to just fail.

What can I do? Its frustrating :confused: I have lately considered buying a 250$ USB Mic, and 50$ software and do an EP with a local musician friend then try and get a backing band (but who wants to do that without pay?) And no bands that are remotely near what I like are looking for new musicians. And I'm lowering my standards lower to punk and heavy metal.

The last six months I have just been open to musicians with zero gig experience, trying to find the sit on the bed and play musicians. Thats just me getting desperate.

HELP! (Sorry for the long read, got alot on my chest)

Keep beating your head against the wall.
Sooner or later, the wall will cave-in.

Do a YouTube search on Napoleon Hill, particularly the Mastermind Alliance.

If you do it all, you will never be able to do everthing great or successfully. You must be able to find and work in harmony with others that all seek to reach a definite major purpose. Those individuals have to be good at what you're not.

Also you need to be absolutely clear on what your goal is and what you are giving in return. Dive in deep and ask yourself honest questions. If your motive and desire is to help others, people will come out of the woodwork to help. But you need clarity, a plan, faith, and a pleasing personality, and the ability to sell yourself and your services.

Don't spread yourself too thin. Be the best at what you do. You know what your true talent is, because it comes natural.

or are not interested in practicing more than once a week

Once a week seems to me to be the sort of commitment level you are going to get from people to start with anyway - not more than once a week.

..............

Follow your first "W.Stripes" instinct .............. find another like minded muso, form a duo, put an act together ...... rock it..... once you are up and running you'll find it easy to pick up other like-minded players at gigs.

My first gig here was me singing and guitaring with just a keyboard player. After the show a couple of people mentioned that they had/did play(ed) drums, bass. guitar etc. Three weeks later ....... our 4 piece gigs for the first time. :cool:

Wow, I kinda came here with the hope of good advice, but I didn't believe it. +1 to everyone above.

Sort of a White Stripes idea but with another guitarist and bass to make a full sound.


I'm going out on a limb to say this as I don't know if you've done it yet, but: I would write all the songs and record demos of at least 3 or 4 of the best ones. That shows people you are serious, that's what you need them to think of you if you need them to be serious. As a bandleader you are creating an organization that is selling a sound or songs. Create the product, then find the personnel.
Personally if I met someone that wanted a band and needed A.)a writing partner vs. B.) a leader that had the master plan, I would pick B. I would have a better idea of what its gonna be like 6 months from now.
But, I don't know your particular situation.

Just go adopt 3 mongoloid children with severe behavioral problems and call it a day.

If you figure this one out let me know. Finding the right set of like minded individuals to make music with regularly is like chasing a chicken. Eventually you'll might catch it and have a nice dinner, but it will wear you out in the process and you may find yourself settling for some McDonalds.

You forgot to mention where you are from. There may be some TDPRI folks in your back yard.

I would put out some good YouTube videos. Start by covering some White Stripes songs to get people's attention, then put some originals out there. Mention you are looking for a drummer.

I don't think any twenty somethings are going to just read a flyer and show up at your house without meeting you first. If you put up flyers, mention the Youtube links. YouTube gives you a way of letting them "meet you" first - or least feel like it.

I was in a duo for a long time and one night a bass player asked if he could play with us. Soon after we got the discarded drummer from a band that broke up and we had a groovy little combo goin' before we knew it.

Well for the record I am from Regina, Saskatchewan. (Canada)

I have considered going the route of recording a rough demo, though I've been debating how to do this. I was thinking of buying this nice USB condenser mic that is 275$ Canadian. Plus get a 25-50$ US editing software. I do have experience recording and I have an older friend who could help produce it. So that has been an option though I don't really have that money to throw :/

I also think I know a drummer that can practice once a week, I avoided him due to him being in 3 other bands, but seeing this above advice I guess it would be a start. And if I found a more permanent drummer I think he would understand. Then I can do my more "white stripes" approach to building a full group.

Then thirdly I will consider the youtube videos to get people interested in me. I can relate to that because another musician did it back to me, I ended up not liking his music but I felt connected to him before I met him.

It's a frustrating process. My band has auditioned dozens of people for various parts over 5 years. It's amazing the percentage of people who have no accurate sense of their musical abillities. "I'm AMAZING, man, you GOTTA hear me sing!", which is usually followed a terrible audition.

Be VERY specific in your "Musicians Wanted" ads. Be clear and emphatic about what you want and don't want. Also, your expectations have to be clear. Say that you expect 2 rehearsals a week, etc. The more information you include about your goals, expectations, musical styles, payments, etc., the more likely you'll find who you're looking for sooner rather than later.

We've put stuff like this in our ads -

"We're looking for a singer with a strong knowledge of Soul, Classic Rock, R & B and Funk with a strong, likeable stage presence and a strong vocal range who can read music and learn by ear in a short time period. Our show regularly features "Angel of Harlem," "Let's Stay Together," and "25 or 6 to 4." If you can't NAIL these songs, we're not the band for you.

Hopefully, eventually you'll find who you're looking for.

Also, I've been doing all the stuff for my band that you do for yours. Make sure that the band pays you a premium for all the extra work you do on their behalf. Maybe it's a percentage of the gross rate, maybe it's an extra "cut" so that you make double what everyone else makes, whatever you all agree to. Most musicians are happy to pay one or two members more if all they have to do is show up, play and go home, and not worry about all the other stuff.

You're already feeling the frustration of being under appreciated, so being paid extra for your extra work on their behalf is a fair tradeoff for everyone.

People playing in other bands can work. We have 9 people and we use an online calendar to coordinate people's availability. We work under the premise that I will book around people's schedules as much as possible BUT they must book out their time both on the calendar and via an email to me well in advance of their absence. That way I'm free to book any gigs when everyone is available without sending "Are you available?" emails to everyone!! If it's a weekend night or a very big paying gig, I book 'em. If people have conflicts then THEY are responsible to find a sub for at least one rehearsal and the gig.

Be clear and stick to your guns. Overall it works much better when everyone knows the structure.

Try using www.bandmix.ca, it's worked very well for Groove Hammer.

Be persistant and very very patient..

I have some rules not big ones really..

Know the songs when you come to practice
No over abuse of anything.. (pot, drinking)
If ya can't come to practice just call me
And no rock and roll attitudes.

I haven't had to deal with any of this in a good ten years all the players that I have had in the bands have been damn good.

A wiser, older, better musician than me told me once ... "Book the gig FIRST. The musicians will come second."

Made a lot of sense to me. After high school everyone has lives, and coming to a strange house and play someone else's music for free isn't a high priority. Write some songs, do some simple recordings, then book a paying gig. Then start making some calls. You'll be surprised how musicians will come out of the woodwork once they hear the $$$ part.

A wiser, older, better musician than me told me once ... "Book the gig FIRST. The musicians will come second."

Made a lot of sense to me. After high school everyone has lives, and coming to a strange house and play someone else's music for free isn't a high priority. Write some songs, do some simple recordings, then book a paying gig. Then start making some calls. You'll be surprised how musicians will come out of the woodwork once they hear the $$$ part.

So true, so true!
Once you have a gig, the people who want to play will be more than happy to hang with you.

If you don't have a gig, it can be a never-ending up-hill climb.

I was in a duo for a long time and one night a bass player asked if he could play with us. Soon after we got the discarded drummer from a band that broke up and we had a groovy little combo goin' before we knew it.

Every band I have been in has developed out of a couple people who made the most of what they have; 2 guitars, guitar n drums, bass n keyboard. Then other people wanted to come on board. I've never assembled a band of people all together at one time, that's like lighting hitting. More likely, the bass player who is busy now will be looking in four months and there you are playing what you can ready to have the next player step right in.

Follow these simple steps.

1. Write some good songs and book some studio time.
2. Find local pros who are versatile enough to play your music, your way.
3. Beg (or hire) them to help you lay down the tracks.
4. Use your completed album to book paying gigs.
5. Hire pro musicians to play your music, your way.

Learn to lead... or learn to follow.
You can't do both.

So to update everyone where I am right now after following some advice.

In a side move I found an opening as a rhythm guitarist in a progressive hard rock/metal band. This is just for practice, making contacts, and opening myself up a little. Not really advised but the opportunity came up, though I don't care for progressive music.

One more favored step is I have found a drummer, we are jamming and are working on the personal project of building a band around the "white stripes" idea said above 2-3 times. I like this one a lot and we'll see where it is a month from now. And like said above he is a busy guy and so I sold it to him as a side project. So about once every 2 weeks we will practice. I begun learning my perfect 30 minute song setlist and I'll have just have him pull his drums onto it. Only one original in this right now. But I'll begin changing in my songs once we get farther. (If anyone wishes for me to post my setlist let me know :)

I see that a lot of musicians I guess want to have paying gigs already booked or nothing it appears eh? In some cases but yeah, so I am going to give my above "White Stripes" approach a try. Then I will consider recording an album with that to get me booked gigs to help fill with more professional musicians if I fail to find good ones before that.

Every once in a while, I see a singer/guitarist with no gigs lined up, nothing recorded, and almost no songs written who say to themselves, "I'd like to form a band in which I'm the center of attention, playing all the solos and singing all the leads"... And after nobody beats down their door to beg to be their backup musicians, they say, "gosh it sure is hard to find band members!"

If you want to form a band, form a BAND. Gather some musicians of similar interests and ability levels, and collaborate with them as equals.

If you want to HAVE a backup-band (or even just a Meg White) to support your rock-star fantasies, you're probably going to first need to establish yourself as somebody worth backing up. Write some songs, record demos, get a booking agent. Accept the mindset that you'll be auditioning for each member you try to recruit as much as they are auditioning for you, if not more-so, because there are a lot more "lead" guitarists wanting to front their own bands than there are rhythm sections looking for front-men.

..............

Follow your first "W.Stripes" instinct .............. find another like minded muso, form a duo, put an act together ...... rock it..... once you are up and running you'll find it easy to pick up other like-minded players at gigs.

My first gig here was me singing and guitaring with just a keyboard player. After the show a couple of people mentioned that they had/did play(ed) drums, bass. guitar etc. Three weeks later ....... our 4 piece gigs for the first time. :cool:


Must be the right advice. This is pretty much the trajectory my band took some 30+ years ago. I knew how to play Pipeline, and showed a guy in my class who'd just gotten a new guitar. We brought our 1 amp between us and our guitars and played Pipeline and a couple of other clumsy versions of songs in the gym after school. Ended up drawing a very large crowd, even though we were LOUS-EEE. But we got better, and we got other people interested in playing with us.

If our experience was typical, you'll eventually find people frequently dropping "broad hints" about playing a little of this or that. Another kind of problem, actually. :cool:

Every once in a while, I see a singer/guitarist with no gigs lined up, nothing recorded, and almost no songs written who say to themselves, "I'd like to form a band in which I'm the center of attention, playing all the solos and singing all the leads"... And after nobody beats down their door to beg to be their backup musicians, they say, "gosh it sure is hard to find band members!"


Just going to address this, my ads originally were not to be the guy, just to find/form a band as a lead singer. Though with it getting tough I ended up spending time doing a lot of lead guitar. So that opened up that idea. As well as being at University recording is not exactly affordable. And sure the idea of recording has opened now out of I see that to be a good option, but ideally to have that other person to help critique through the process and bounce ideas would improve the good number of songs I have written.

As cool as acoustic may be for most, I feel I would be giving off the wrong impression of my vocal abilities by doing shows like that. And you can't book gigs with me alone on guitar singing, I wouldn't even pay to see anyone do that with hard rock vocals and overdrive. What good would booking gigs be if I didn't get all the musicians, like if a bar books me for half hour show a month in advance for some reason. Zero drummer, not going to give a good impression to the club owner. :/

The big aspect of being the main guy is easier to market, less dependancy on others, more creative control, decision and power. One hard working person goes way farther than one with someone weighing him down.

The big aspect of being the main guy is easier to market, less dependancy on others, more creative control, decision and power. One hard working person goes way farther than one with someone weighing him down.

You're not wrong. My point is just that, with a thousand guys in every market trying to form a band around their creative ideas and under their control, why would anybody look at an ad from yet another such guy and think, "wow, I gotta get in on this" unless you can demonstrate that you're bringing something to the table worth getting excited about?

Yeah, I get that it's and unfair Catch-22 type of situation. How can you be a talent magnet if you haven't already surrounded yourself with talent? I certainly got lucky with Parental Advisory (http://glamarmy.com), the band I front, in that I stumbled across a few very good players willing to "buy in" to my vision for a show-band. I also do my very best to make sure they feel appreciated, because I'm useless without them.

towcar...An old friend of mine instructs at Long & McQuade in Regina. He's a great player who will be well connected in your local area. PM me for details. Good luck!

@MN Punk - Oh sorry ok I get what you mean
@Mike - Will do :)

BUMP
-This is old but I figured I would update people who posted on this to where I am currently! I tried many ideas discussed here, I tried doing a 2 piece band but he ended up musically wanting to write music to the same sound of White Stripes and Raconteurs... so I through that out, I put up more ads online, met about 12 musicians, only actually met 2 of them, the rest stopped replying or stood me up when I booked a jam space.

I now jam with 2 bands weekly, and I have third band forming that is going to do the gigging and recording direction. It is going good except we have been through 3 drummers in a week, non can commit to once a week get together. So until we have a drummer we are currently stuck on the ground and considering doing acoustic shows.

I did not contact Mike Bruce's friend, I still plan on it if need be but I was able to get things semi rolling enough I never came to that yet.

I also am recording my solo album on the side, it is coming along great, I began that in March. I could only record on weekends that I returned home, so it started moving slowly but I aim to finish recording phases by may 30th. Writing songs through a recording device also has been my new favorite technique for song writing!

If my band falls apart without a drummer then I am going to take alot of the advice above to push this solo album out.

So thats where I am now, slowly moving but hopefully going to pick up pace.

I've leaned in 40 years of doing that my band consists of me. That's it. I'm the one constant in every band I play with/in. The rest are just decoration.

Everybody comes to see me. That's what my mom told me.

Glad things are moving along for you. If you really can't accomplish your goals in the long run though, you might consider that you may be in the wrong place.

Sometimes to find like minded people, who want things as badly as you do, and are as willing to work as hard for those things as you are, you might have to move to where that scene is happening and those people live.

Maybe not. But sometimes, if you're into a particular scene or style, it helps to be where it's happening. If you want to play music for a living, it helps to be where lots of people are doing that. If you want to sign a deal, it helps to be where lots of bands are getting deals.

Not to say that you can't be successful from wherever you are, but when there's lots of success in one area, there's usually a reason for it.

That's why I use sequenced drums, play my own keyboards, sequence some bass lines, sing (badly) and then play the guitar over that. It's hard to argue with a sequencer - easy to get frustrated but hard to argue...

Only problem is they suck for live performances :sad:

You lost me at "White Stripes".
Seriously, good luck.

Post your setlist you mentioned earlier. I wanna see what you've got in mind.

don't EVEN get me started

A demo will help you tons!! The 2nd band I play in happened because the bass player of the band we shared our rehersal space with came to one of our shows and I made a good impression with my playing that night.... The week after I had an e-mail telling me to listen to the cd on my snare drum to see if I was interested...

We tried it, it clicked and now two an a half years later both bands are still going and we've even double-booked ourselves with either one opening for the other... makes for rough nights but hey! keeps me busy!!

Record something and start peddling it around. Once you get the ball rolling, make some time for informal socializing with your bandmates... We have some beer drinking sessions that involve lots of record playing and concert dvd watching to kind of "show and tell" our perspective of what we see and hear with the band. Helps us bond and broadens our musical horizons... You might be surprised, one of those metal players might be a closet bluesman waiting for an opportunity!!

Keep working on your rock star image and you will get a band eventually.

I've leaned in 40 years of doing that my band consists of me. That's it. I'm the one constant in every band I play with/in. The rest are just decoration.

Everybody comes to see me. That's what my mom told me.

--> LOL. Luv it.

Hey so I'm bumping again but its my post so thats ok, and I really wanna sort of carry on this discussion too.

Anyway here is the song I just released, I eventually had to go solo and record this, I have more that I am yet to release

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6tmSZquG0Y

Anyway I have a photoshoot and ordering cds in December, early February is my music video and radio interview, the new website coming up, etc etc, all is looking well except...

FORMING A BAND!!

I have auditioned so many musicians, some had no gear, some were against playing originals, one was stabbed in the hand so can't really play too much, others are so flaky its sad.

So I found a drummer that had tour exp, talent, etc etc. Perfect
I found a bassist that has gig experience, and has blown me off twice now for practice
Every other musician has just been bad experiences.

I put in all this effort and the only thing that's slowing me down is other people which is the main reason I'm going solo. I don't know if anyone can give me advice but this venting at least is helping.


Edit: and for anyone who read my last post I ended up having to record this in a studio because the little device's quality was just too much ****) :p

Finding the right people is the hardest part of the business. Most "players" I meet have no feel, bad time, poor phrasing, no dynamics and/or personal problems. Unreliability is a big problem.

Depending on your geographical location it can be more difficult. Everyone who tries to break into the business has probably been through this to some degree. I've auditioned at least 15 drummers and 65 singers over the last few years.

The option and only solution I found was to go out to the jam clubs. If a person actually has the balls to get out there and try --- you have found a guy who has a head start on the craigslist posers.

Your other option is to stay solo, hire studio players and if you can then get gigs with your demos you can hire pro players to play live gigs.

It isn't over until you give up...

Yeah, don't go in the white stripes direction. Play in tune.

Bassist just quit on me today, guess he didn't have a license so he said it was too much hassle to get to any of the practices!

I just need 3 guys, to learn 30 minutes of music, thats all I need to start, why is it so tough :(

WELL HELLO THERE! I'm from Regina too, but I moved to BC a few years ago, otherwise I would have been happy to jam (I play both guitar and drums). If I were you check out the message board I posted in this message. It's the Regina "punk/hardcore" scene, but that board generally gets used by everyone and almost every musician I know in Regina has some knowledge of it, so check it out, if you haven't already, it may be your best bet.

http://qcp.proboards.com/

You can't find an open mic night? Sounds like there is a gap in the market. Running an open mic is a great way of meeting like minded people, getting live performance experience, engaging with an audience, dealing with problems, seeing how your songs go down with people. If you are underage try cafes or college venues.

Think about what other musicians want from being in a band then work out how you can offer that. A very useful life skill I didn't really figure out til my thirties!

Wow! Great thread!
Does it seem that rock is a niche music these days, or is there a seething underground waiting to erupt? ? ?

I recently was looking for members -I said music kind of like a cross between ac/dc, guns n roses and howlin wolf - every responder was like `Oh, man, I dig the Eagles, Yes, and Little Feat -I think we can work together!`

You`re discovering why many industry people think MUSICIANS are the weakest link in the music business.

BELIEVE in yourself, and don`t get thrown by the people you meet who believe in THEMselves for seemingly no reason.

Like they say in FLCL -the ability to try hard is a talent too, and you seem to have that covered!

I don`t intend to be mean, but the White Stripes themselves had to go to England to make it beyond being a bar band here. IF this is really your dream you might have to relocate.

I`d like to pose the eternal band question - is it better to recruit friends you can live with, or the best musicians, and try to contain all those egos until they explode?

Good luck!

They don't have to be the best. You know at the amusement park, the clown holding his hand out saying you have to be "this tall" to ride the ride? Same here. You have to be as tall as the clown's hand. I am that tall. I took a lot of work from a lot of big-name players (this was 20 years ago) because, hard to beleive by some of you, I know, people like me. I get along with people. I'm good enough (barely), smart enough and doggone it, people like me.

If you deal with amateurs you get amateur problems. If you deal with professionals, especially people that used to do this for a living like me, you get professional results. There are a lot of us older guys out there. No, they probably won't play in your garage twice a week for a year until you are comfortable doing what you do (if they will they are probably alcoholics if they think you have a beer fridge or on the verge of their next divorce and have nowhere else to hide). What they will do is show up when they say they will and make you look good. We all have egos. That's why we do this if we are all honest. How can I look good if I make you look bad? And I need all the help I can get to look good.

Hey thanks for the replies!

I'll check out that board for sure and see whats there.

And yeah I can't find any open mics if there is one, I'm working on doing a half hour acoustic set but I've just spent so much time on my electric is a wierd step back and I can't help but feel my vocals seem unfitting to acoustic, sorta like imagining ACDC doing an acoustic set, I don't know how well it would fit? And yeah my idea I've been telling these musicians is I'll give them opportunity to shine (solos, name announcement, etc)

Next yeah If their is some great underground scene its not here, I am now talking with my buddy about moving to Saskatoon which is where Sheepdogs, Jordan Cook, One Bad Son, and Wide Mouth Mason came from.

Lastly I don't even feel like the musicians I am getting are the greatest but most my auditions now have come to finding out if they are the type to show up, learn music, etc. Which is why if they have past band experience they'll understand some commitment understanding.


Now In bigger different news... I recently have been offered a spot on HMP Recording and Development's development roster. Which then next November I will be included in the cross Canada tour (5-8 cities). http://www.hmprecording.com/

Which is an exciting opportunity it'll cost me 2500$ for the year of development, they are also a recorded label with KingDoom which is a band that contains the drummer of Nine Inch Nails.

They don't really advise me to keep working with musicians, they will supply the band for the tour. Now I'm not totally sure about this plan so Tuesday I have a consultation meeting with a woman from SaskMusic.Org

Quite the time I'm having over here!! (Maybe I will just move to England )

people like me

i like you too mr cane

Now In bigger different news... I recently have been offered a spot on HMP Recording and Development's development roster. Which then next November I will be included in the cross Canada tour (5-8 cities). http://www.hmprecording.com/

Which is an exciting opportunity it'll cost me 2500$ for the year of development, they are also a recorded label with KingDoom which is a band that contains the drummer of Nine Inch Nails.

If I'm reading this right they're charging you $2500? It's a scam dude.

It is a scam. Please be careful. They should be paying you. If this is a consultant that is supposed to provide you with connections, yeah, a few are legit but 99.9% are not. They are like stock brokers. The market goes up, the market goes down. They always get paid regardless of whether they advised you well or poorly.

haha yeah scam was my first thoughts on it, I have a friend who is studio engineer in Toronto so I asked him about that and his thoughts were that they get a bunch of people to pay for the opportunity, then they can put on a large cross Canada show case but its really is just to promote a few specific artists.

So with that, I know I could use this opportunity to put on an amazing show, which we'll both be using each other then

How do you make a million dollars in the music business? First, you start with two million.....

or are not interested in practicing more than once a week

Once a week seems to me to be the sort of commitment level you are going to get from people to start with anyway - not more than once a week.


I was lucky with my former band. We rehearsed 3-4 days a week for years and had fun doing it. We did all original music but I was able to stick to that schedule because we had a clear musical vision we all agreed on, we all got along great, and the other guys were just as ambitious as I was. Plus we kicked ass....

Bottom line though, I started with one person who shared my vision, talent level and enthusiasm. It helped immensely while we looked for the other member(s), because going it alone is rough.

Here where I live (Florida) there's a limited gene pool of players per-genre as well. It's common that all the good players ages 20-40 are all moonlighting in various groups, and sometimes it's hard to break in. I also remember being where you are at. Here's my advice:

#1 Concentrate on making sure that you are really really good. Then try to play with players even better than you wherever you can. For example, at 17 I lied about my age and joined a band on the college circuit. I just acted the part and next thing I knew I was in a pro situation. Of course 6 months later they busted me and were pissed ... but ...

#2 Get together with other musicians at jams, at auditions (even if you won't get the gig) and more. If you can't get a band, join someone else's. Things have a way of working out if you are moving forward in any way whatsoever, and at least then you are learning something.

#3 Attend shows of bands that sound like you want to sound like. I would never add a member to a touring band that I was in based upon an internet listing. I would always call other players and ask who they knew. Musicians know other people that hang out at places with other musicians. I added a guitar player to a band I started that immediately got a development deal, just because I remembered hanging with her at a show two years before and she said "yeah I play guitar". I added her on facebook and then hit her up when i had the project going.

#4 Get decent gear that isn't ridiculous. I had an awesome drummer audition once that was such a goof about his gear on the 'first date' (in flight cases, three times more gear than needed to be there, and a spinal tap-esque don't even look at it attitude) that I didn't move forward because I knew it was going to be a pain. I have also been in recording sessions where the people there had guitars that were such pieces of junk they wouldn't stay in tune. Got to make sure you are on the level.

#5 Promotion / Hype is a mistake. If someone is trying too hard to get noticed, players will think that there is a reason that no one wants to jam or work with them. The best players / performers all are really busy, even if it is just being really busy drinking beer with pretty girls. Try to get out in the scene you are in and support the bands you are into, while being subtle about "working on a project". Don't hit people over the head with information. If you go about it right and what you are doing is interesting and solid enough you will attract the right people. Don't hand out CDs that's annoying. Get people's email and info and shoot em an mp3 but only if they ask for it.

And above all else: Subscribe to the Lefsetz Letter.

Someone asked Duke Ellington how he kept such a talented group of musicians together. He said, "You have to have a gimmick".

"So what's you're gimmick?"

Duke: "I pay them money."

It's not a perfect solution but it certainly works.

Hey forum, can't believe how much effort has gone into forming a project and nothing. I actually ended up filming a music video (half of a birthday gift half to get me in the door). So in about two weeks I should have that ready to release, very proffesionally done hired 18 different models, five locations! We got kicked out of one.
And well I was suppose to have a gig... this saturday! But it got cancelled, it was at this teen club, suppose to be my warm up show with my band. After that got cancelled my bassist quit and then my drummer just texted me today saying he said his schooling was too much for him to continue. My rhythm guitarist is a good buddy of mine but he told me from the start he's not permanent.

So now I have recorded music, enough equipment for a full band, a full set of photoshoot photos, a large basement to practice, a website, enough great material for a full show, and a music video coming out. And I can't do anything.

At this point, I dunno what to do at all.

I just heard your Let It Roll video. It's awfully good, especially the singing. I have a real issue with so many singers on YouTube being pitchy. To my mind, you can't be pitchy and be in a band. There is good pitchy and awkward rank amateur pitchy. It's the second one that I am talking about. The good pitchy sounds good in its pitchyness. Anyway, you've got it, so that's half the battle of attracting musicians right there.

Carla Bley and Steve Swallow visited our university a few years ago. I went to a lecture they gave, and it was all Steve Swallow. He couldn't stop talking. Well, we weren't that interested in him, we wanted to hear Carla Bley speak. Finally, at the very end, she looked up and said, "People only care about what they get out of your music."

Someone in the posts above mentioned that all band members care about is what they personally get out of it. When you set about getting the word out in various ways, I would consider shifting the tone and focus of your message toward what the individual musicians get out of it. For example, even if all your songs are amazing, consider that a prospective band member is not that interested in someone else's songs, except insofar as they would help blaze the trail to a record deal, well-paying gigs, and whatnot. You don't have to say those words, but write your blurb in such a way that the kind of musician you want to work with can see for himself that taking this gig will, in fact, lead to those good things. It means close to zilch to tell someone that you are going to make it in the biz, and that you feel with all your heart that this is going to happen. Those sentiments are valuable, but only to each individual person in their own way.

What I am going to say next might seem like a criticism of certain bands, some of which have members in this forum. But here goes. On a band's website, I all too often see things like, "Audiences get swept up in the excitement generated by the Doozies (a fake name, but pay me if you want to use it). Our high energy music gets dancers on the floor and keeps them there. Venues in the entire Tri-State area are left buzzing long after we have played there." This is just commercial advertising verbiage, that can be true or not, as there is no way to verify it. Anybody can say these things.

What you have to do is entice good musicians to join up with you based on the evidence that you supply" YouTube clips, set lists, venues played, professional activities, and photos of yourself if you are going to be the frontman and focal point of the show.

It is very difficult, but re-read over several days anything in text that you put out in the world advertising for band members. I would try to avoid words and phrases that project any kind of negativity. First impressions are critical, and if one's first impression of you is that you are angry, disappointed, frustrated, and mocking of other musicians, that could certainly be seen as a red flag. When I join a band, I don't want any drama and negative emotions in the room or on the stage. That brings the fun factor way down.

I think your music, based on that one video, is really good and assembled with passion and skill. My advice is to focus on writing and recording your songs. If a song is really, really good, people will notice and remember it. That is the one thing that you do have control over (the quality of the songs, not the response). I think that person-to-person contact at gigs and jams is a very good way to approach this. As I said, anyone can write advertisements for a band, but the way a musician has of knowing you better is done via face-to-face. Success in music is, to a large degree, a matter of not giving up. The higher you climb, the harder it is to stay at that level and get to the next level. When encountering failure or hurdles, the less driven person will give up and chose another direction in their life.

YouTube, YouTube, YouTube.

^^^^^^ I recommend that you read that a few times, think about it, read it again, and PM Larry if you have any questions. ^^^^^^^^

In summary, put all your energy (even the negative stuff), into the music. Then get the music out there, on a wave of only positive energy.

You have talent, energy and drive, someone that matters will see that.

I wish you luck.

Wow that was pretty damn well put, so I don't think I need much more replies cause that has given me fresh ideas on what to do right now. I'll see what I can do now.

It isn't who you know, its who knows you!

This story is as old as Rock-n-roll; and I don't know of one musician who hasn't experienced this nightmare. As for myself, I just got back from playing 9yrs in Scotland, in every ****e-hole you can imagine - but I made a living playing music the whole time I was there. I went over with nothing but some cash and determination. Like you, I tried to get a band together (logistical nightmare). No one showed up on time for the gigs, transportation, PA, personal baggage, etc. Like you, I booked all the gigs, did the posters, called all the pubs, my PA, etc. Finally... I said screw it. I cut it down to a duo (waaaay easier). I still did all the singing, booking, posters, and called the pubs, but all I expected from the other guy... was to fill in the blanks (solo), and drive to the gigs (where I paid for no petrol). I paid him what was fair (which was always $25 to $35 less than me), and we always worked. We got into places that wanted music... but couldn't afford a band. I cut my PA (big Mackie) down to a Bose L1 (killer for a duo, but nothing bigger, and I'd buy it again... no matter what the hell anyone said). My point is this:

You're young, ambitious, and have a realistic goal.Take yourself some time and try a different approach. I'm not saying to never again try a band. But for the time being... get out and play. If there's not an open mic? START ONE! All most of these bars want is for people to buy liquor. If you start an open mic, believe me, people will come. You'll get every facet of talent you can imagine, and then some; but you'll be out there! Then, slowly but surely, you'll connect with the right people. It may take some time... but you'll connect!! THINK OUT OF THE BOX!!!!

So the current situation of everything now has stepped up a bit with a few of the recent suggestions. I am not trying super hard to get a band at the moment, instead I am performing acoustic guitar in two months at a cancer fundraiser and next next Thursday at a local bar. I hopefully will be getting a video camera to film it so I can get some more media out.

Additionally I've seen my music video, I've made some small changes. So hopefully in two weeks I can release it, thanks for the suggestions everyone!