The ultimate list - everything you gota do to start a new band

[guitarosaurus]

Any time I have put a band together, I was playing in another band and clicked with one or two members of that band. Then they know so and so and so forth.
The work part of it is marketing yourself. If you are trying to book clubs or whatever, it takes a lot of time to build up your network.

[djalt]

After implementing all above suggestions...
as Rockin' Ronnie Hawkins says...
"Stick with it, you'll make hundreds.."
:)

[MN Punk]

You really don't need to be so formal unless you're trying to play music as a second job (or only job, for people who would rather play "Brown Eyed Girl" at weddings than spend a few hours a day in an office.)

There's still money in being a "party band" and cranking out covers, if you do it right and get good players. But if you want to make music for the love of it in this day and age you shouldn't kid yourself about ever paying a mortgage on a house that way.

And if you are in a band that hardly makes any money (no shame in that; I'm in two myself) then a lot of the stresses of being a "pro" go away. LLC? Lawyers? Hell no. On the rare occasions we're in the black, we build and maintain a "slush fund" to cover our expenses during the lean months. Everything done pretty much on a handshake, and if somebody screws you over, well okay there's $150 you'll never see again, but you just got a $150 lesson in never dealing with that person again, which is not without value, especially if you play mostly in the same town and deal mostly with the same bars, promoters, other bands, and crowds.

It seems a lot of posters here on tdpri are older guys who played in the days when you could actually make enough money on a weekend in an all-original band to live off for the rest of the week. Those days are long gone, thanks to stricter DUI laws, bar smoking bans, and home-entertainment systems. I know some people in pretty successful acts who tour and have HUGE fan bases, and they all are temping or landscaping or working at Home Depot or whatever when they come off the road.

On the other hand, I know people in 80s country and/or rock tribute bands that you are unlikely to have ever heard of if you're not from Minneapolis who rake in a very good middle-class living feeding the nostalgia of 40-something housewives in big suburban BBQ-bar tent shows. Those guys probably hired lawyers and formed LLCs. Me, I'll be downtown making my noise of choice in front of a small clutch of appreciative hipsters, thanking my lucky stars that I make good money as a computer programmer the rest of the week.

[AJBaker]

Originally Posted by Jakedog

My personal check list for starting a new bar band that plays covers for cash-

Find guys I like that are already pro players.

Find guys that like the same kinds of music I do, so that we already know 50-100 of the same songs.

Find guys who have great ears and understand music, so that I can call whatever tune I get a request for if I know it, and the rest of the guys can get through it competently whether they know it or not.

Make a song list and share it with the other members. (maybe)

Don't hire anybody who doesn't have reliable pro gear.

Get every member's email address and/or cell number, so that if we get hired someplace and a certain song is heavily suggested, I can let them know a day or so before the gig, so everybody can come in ready to play it.

Go book gigs.

Go play them.

Get paid.

What is this "rehearsal" of which you speak?

My checklist for starting a new original music project from scratch-

Find guys I like, who play the instruments I need in the band.

Make sure everybody is competent and picks things up quickly.

Make sure everybody has working gear, and is willing to get better stuff if they need it.

Make sure everybody knows to bring their own beer.

Make a record.

Gig to support and promote it.

Sell a bunch of copies.

Deal with the fact that yeah, it's seriously incvonvenient, but you have to rehearse and put in extra work because it's original music that hasn't been written yet. At least it's fun to get together, and you get to slam and deride all of the crap songs you all have to play in your cover bands, so you have something to laugh at together.

Yeah, this is the ideal situation. But getting a band with only competent/adaptable people is the jackpot.

[harmonicon]

I think you're being far too vague here. What sort of band?

"* Everybody has to learn at least 5 songs so the band can start going to open mics, 10 songs to start playing a complete set, and 30 to 40 songs to play a whole night's worth of music. Practice practice practice, and then rehearse."


What songs?! Your own? Covers? Both?


"* Acquire adequate PA and lighting and music gear."

I call B.S. on this, in most cases. I've never felt any need to have my own PA. Lighting gear?! Are you starting a club? If a place you're going to play doesn't have a PA, then they likely don't regularly have live music, so why are you playing there?

"* Pick a band name, a leader, a theme of what type of music to play, what types of clothes to wear, overall expectations."

That's several different things right there. I'm thinking that establishing expectations is step one - this is part and parcel of what type of music you're going to play. Leaders just fall into place - I don't think you can pick them.

"* Create email, web site, facebook, marketing packages. Take band photos."

As someone else said... before playing gigs?! No way. Don't put the cart before the horse.

"* Find places to play, hand out packages, follow up phone calls, get contracts signed."

Contracts? I've signed contracts for putting our records on labels, but rarely for gigs.

"* Acquire adequate transportation for all the people and gear to/from gigs."

meh... in my experience, if you're determined to make it happen, you'll make it happen. Everyone will get to the gig somehow.

This, I think, is the first and only step that matters: find people who you respect and get along with who you can also play music with. Once that's done, the rest will get sorted out. It will be work. You will have to buy some new gear in many cases. You will have to chase down gigs. The music, however, will take care of itself, so long as you all like each other and like playing together.

[Green Lantern]

Get people who are on the same page and who can all work together toward a certain vision, whatever that vision may be.

Make sure everybody knows what to expect when working on the project, and what is expected of them.

Get band members who can appreciate what the band is about stylistically and thematically, and who can operate appropriately in context of that.

Make sure all band members are at an adequate skill level for the music you're playing. Make sure they're reliable, easy to deal with people with reliable, quality music equipment.

Beyond that point, I think things can branch out depending on specifically what kind of band you are and what you want to do.

[Jakedog]

Originally Posted by harmonicon

I think you're being far too vague here. What sort of band?

"* Everybody has to learn at least 5 songs so the band can start going to open mics, 10 songs to start playing a complete set, and 30 to 40 songs to play a whole night's worth of music. Practice practice practice, and then rehearse."


What songs?! Your own? Covers? Both?


"* Acquire adequate PA and lighting and music gear."

I call B.S. on this, in most cases. I've never felt any need to have my own PA. Lighting gear?! Are you starting a club? If a place you're going to play doesn't have a PA, then they likely don't regularly have live music, so why are you playing there?

"* Pick a band name, a leader, a theme of what type of music to play, what types of clothes to wear, overall expectations."

That's several different things right there. I'm thinking that establishing expectations is step one - this is part and parcel of what type of music you're going to play. Leaders just fall into place - I don't think you can pick them.

"* Create email, web site, facebook, marketing packages. Take band photos."

As someone else said... before playing gigs?! No way. Don't put the cart before the horse.

"* Find places to play, hand out packages, follow up phone calls, get contracts signed."

Contracts? I've signed contracts for putting our records on labels, but rarely for gigs.

"* Acquire adequate transportation for all the people and gear to/from gigs."

meh... in my experience, if you're determined to make it happen, you'll make it happen. Everyone will get to the gig somehow.

This, I think, is the first and only step that matters: find people who you respect and get along with who you can also play music with. Once that's done, the rest will get sorted out. It will be work. You will have to buy some new gear in many cases. You will have to chase down gigs. The music, however, will take care of itself, so long as you all like each other and like playing together.

The majority of places I gig do not have PA or lights, and book live music regularly. In my experience, the only places that have that stuff are the "concert clubs". Very few of those pay anything worth going after, and most only book original music. I play a lot of those places, and I enjoy it. But a ton of my gig income comes from regular bars that book bands. There are a LOT of them, and almost none have their own sound and lights. If I did not have my own PA rig, I could not make a living playing music. I average 5 nights a week year 'round. Sometimes more, sometimes less, but usually right around five shows a week. I have to carry PA to almost all of them. I can only think of three venues I work all the time (once a month like clockwork) that have their own PA and such. Only one of those pays top wages, the other two you work for the door.

[stevens]

Originally Posted by Martin R

But check CraigsList when you're ready for the groupies.

Dude, I heard those are code for hookers. You can attract a lot of people to a show with a group of hookers hanging out. Well, that is if they aren't nasty hookers...

[Old Cane]

Here's how we do it here:

1-book a job
2-call a player
3-wait for him to fill out the lineup because he knows who's working that week/weekend/night and who isn't and who needs to get a sub for one or two nights
4-keep an eye on facebook for postings about you because so-and-so is mad you didn't call him
5-make fifty bucks
6-drive the drummer home and help him to the door of his girlfriends house
7-post on this forum that you are a professional from way back


At least that's how I do it.

[Seasicksailor]

... Make sure you do not have a drummer who is cuckoo enough to walk off half-way through a song in the middle of a gig because he/SHE thought that one of the other players started playing a bit too fast. :-(

[Jakedog]

Originally Posted by Seasicksailor

... Make sure you do not have a drummer who is cuckoo enough to walk off half-way through a song in the middle of a gig because he/SHE thought that one of the other players started playing a bit too fast. :-(

I once had a guy answer his cell phone in the middle of the set, walk straight off the stage, and out the back door to go have a conversation with his GF. I took off my guitar, cased up his guitar and unplugged his amp, carried them out after him, and shut the door behind me on the way back in.

Bass player stuck his head out the back door as I was setting the guy's gear at his feet and said "is he fired?" I said oh yeah, he is definitely fired. We played the rest of the night 3-piece, and never saw that dude again.

[JCSouthpawtele]

Originally Posted by Jakedog

I once had a guy answer his cell phone in the middle of the set, walk straight off the stage, and out the back door to go have a conversation with his GF. I took off my guitar, cased up his guitar and unplugged his amp, carried them out after him, and shut the door behind me on the way back in.

Bass player stuck his head out the back door as I was setting the guy's gear at his feet and said "is he fired?" I said oh yeah, he is definitely fired. We played the rest of the night 3-piece, and never saw that dude again.

Wow!
I once saw a drummer fall back off his drum stool,passed out drunk in the middle of a set. A guitar player overstepped the front lip of the stage and fall face first at least 5ft. to the ground. But never walk off with his/her cellphone during a set.

[Green Lantern]

I never had anyone walk off during a live, but I've seen it happen. I have, however, had a guitarist walk out during a rehearsal. I had written a song, but hadn't yet recorded any of it, and I wanted to hear how one part I wrote would interact with another. It was a very basic part, but the other guitar player just couldn't rhythmically get it. I was patient, and played it over and over for literally about twenty minutes, and he just wasn't getting it. Then, I turned to the bass player, told him the notes I wanted him to play and showed him the part. He got it within about three minutes, and even embellished upon it with his own flourishes, and I was finally able to see how the two parts worked together. As the bass player and I were perfecting the part, the guitarist, without a word, packed up his stuff and headed out the door.

He came back about forty minutes later after exchanging $120 worth of coins he had been collecting in a shoe box for bills. Then he had a one on one talk with me about his insecurities about not being good enough. I wasn't going to tell him he was good enough, because I didn't think that was true. I told him he should practice harder and take things more seriously.

Eventually, he was tossed from the band. Mainly because he wasn't good enough and he thought we operated on his time and at his convenience. Whenever he felt like doing something else, he would get out of rehearsals. To do class assignments, to do his taxes, the excuses went on. It literally got to the point where he was missing about 40% of them. The final straw was when he canceled to go to a party with his cousin in Pasadena for the off chance he could have sex with a girl. That wasn't the reason he initially gave as to why he wasn't coming, but a couple weeks after, it came out in casual conversation as a small aside, but I held onto it.

It wasn't fair that we were committing so much to the project, keeping it going, and basically carrying it while he was dicking around. Yet he still wanted to get paid a fair share, and have a say in the band. No sir. Not gonna' happen. I took it as a learning experience. He was my best friend, but I haven't seen him since the day he was kicked out. While it's a shame, I can't say I care about that, though. He did it all to himself, and anyone who gets in the way of our dream and ambition must be discarded.

[cband7]

Ronco's "Band In A Bag"!!! It slices, it dices, it folds, spindles and mutilates! Just add water and practice for 10,000 hours! It's just that easy!!!!


(not available in stores or, unfortunately, real life.......)



.

[TimmyM]

There are a lot of variables here but it makes for good reading. I see a real difference between garage bands, bar bands, club bands, professional bands and one I like to call Early Evening band. Let me explain:
Most of use were in a garage band at some time in our early guitar life. Garage band consist of a bunch of friends that get together with whatever cheap instruments they have at the time and try to learn songs...mission accomplished when a song can be played all the way through...Note there is no money in this!
Bar bands play top 40 of any style of music and usually do it because they either A) it is their hobby and they love to play, B) are trying to get experience and exposure or C) they don't write their own songs. You might get payed, but it won't be much. You've come a long way and you're getting better equipment, hell you may even own more than one guitar.
A club band is trying to make it and they want to play their own music. These showcase gigs may attract a lot of attension (groupies and maybe even agents) but they certainly don't pay well if at all. You better have good, trustworthy equipment. God forbid something go wrong during a song or yikes! even before you start.
Professional bands, you've made it, your making some cash, but now you might be playing with people you don't even care for and it is now a business. You better have lawyers, Book-keepers, a good manager and the list goes on and on and the money is divided up more and more.
Lastly, my favorite, the early evening band (or duet or trio). Get a good friend or two, some acoustic guitars or electrics with small amps, find a nice casual place to sit on bar stools and play the same stuff that you've played for years and have a graet time doing it. Have a beer, hang out with the guys, take request, learn to be a better singer, Be home by 10:00 p.m. and two more highly important things,...have a day job and a very understanding wife.

[claudel]

If I ever do a band with elevated expectations again, and the chance of that is quite low,
in addition to many of the excellent suggestions already posted I'm going to:

1: First recruit a booking agent/business manager/road manager who isn't a player to deal with all the B.S.
Someone like a Peter Grant if the mold wasn't broken. Someone on my side...

2: Recruit a sound person/tech coordinator who is not a player in the band to deal with the sound reinforcement nightmare scenarios,
deal with the local sound crew, and who can properly mix/operate the monitor system.
Ideally the band would be self reliant to the point of providing a single stereo/5.1 signal to the FOH and the
overall sound would be controlled by someone who is both familiar with the material and is actually motivated to make it sound good.

3: Recruit a superior drummer. This can make or break a band.

As has been stated many times in this thread, everyone involved needs to have the same level of commitment
or else things can turn sour quite quickly.

Here on my own Fantasy Island, I remain a solo act for now and the immediate future...

[Sneaky Pete]

The same Peter Grant who checked a briefcase into a New York hotel safe, with $300,000 of Led Zepplin's money in it....and found there was nothing in the briefcase the next morning...?

...aah...the old Checking an Identical Empty Briefcase into the Hotel Safe Trick...

[beep.click]

Originally Posted by Big_Bend

they want to become a professional band that actually gets paid to play.

If "getting paid" is going to be part of the equation, then you forgot the part where the miracle occurs (in sunny fun-drenched California, anyways).



Here's an interesting article about the new and old way of doing things (but note the emphasis on writing original music):

http://blog.tunecore.com/2012/06/the...r-artists.html

[Old Cane]

3: Recruit a superior drummer.

This one shows up on time, knows what a groove is, doesn't drink, isn't a recovering anything and can actually be depreciated instead of just depreciating.

I've spent more than this on bail.

http://www.toontrack.com/products.asp?item=30