General Music Chat

Pierce, One other thing, There Is NO MONEY in originals! How old are you? I have given my heart and soul for original music! unless you are 15 years old and have a record company behind you, your ORIGINALS are going to
"break your heart" and possibly RUIN your life!

Hey Bro! I hope you are the next Justin Bieber! Based on what I am hearing from you that is not the case!

Sorry Bro

I didn't mean to be insulting, I genuinely meant it when I said that Jerry was fantastic at everything else, and he certainly sung, "Lights," very well. Honestly, your lead singer is better than me and probably very much so, I was just doing a little ego-stroking there by pretending that I might be as good! Just different styles, you know, wink wink, that's all it is!

I also just meant that about, "Lights," in comparison to his other songs which were positively incredible. There's also a local band where I'm from that covers, "Lights," and their singer is the Diamond-Standard for that song, so maybe I'm making an unfair comparison.

Your modesty is a really cool quality, but you are not, by a long shot, "Just a guitar-picker." You're freaking incredible. Like you said, "This video is condensed down," so that's only a sample of your abilities, which already seem to be approaching limitless.

Pierce, One other thing, There Is NO MONEY in originals! How old are you? I have given my heart and soul for original music! unless you are 15 years old and have a record company behind you, your ORIGINALS are going to
"break your heart" and possibly RUIN your life!

Hey Bro! I hope you are the next Justin Bieber! Based on what I am hearing from you that is not the case!

Sorry Bro

I guess originals were really the one area where I wasn't too concerned about the financial side of things. You should also consider that I was between the ages of 18-22 while our band was in existence. (My birthday is VERY late in the year, I'm 27 now, almost 28). I would still do originals in addition to covers, though, because...well...because I want to!

I mentioned this in another thread, so please excuse the redundancy, but we would always slide a very well known, "Cheap pop," song in between two originals just to make sure we still had the audience with us.

I wouldn't want to be Justin Bieber. The band and myself did originals mainly for our own satisfaction. I mean, there was always that off-chance, we played in big cities, but...we knew (and I still know) that's getting signed is probably not going to happen.

Pierce, I have not taken anything you have said in an insulting way! 27 Ah that's a WONDERFUL age and this is a GREAT time to be alive and be a musician. Back in my day (when I was 27) I wished I had the smarts you do! Just keep being YOU MAN (doing what you are doing) and you'll be just fine!

Wow... With all the troubles that arise from having a band, it almost makes sense to just hire out for each gig...

I guess I'll never understand how some folks can be so irresponsible that they cant even show the professional decency and courtesy to touch base with those, who clearly had depended on them for one thing or another...

The world is full of so many damn flakes...

Ha Ha dog! I thought about doing a one man show for that very reason! I have friends that do that and they wind up hating it. It is just not the same as having musicians up there playing with you. If you go into a band situation knowing that occasionally you are going to have to suffer replacing a member. Eventually you wind up with the players and quality of band that you want! For now I am there! If I have to start over 100 times more I WILL! In this Biz. you have to be RELENTLESS if you want to achieve your goals!

Your dead-on about patience and compromise,
throw in some understanding and some putting
up with, and oh yeah old ladies.

I don't agree with the comment about the
originals, there the only thing that will
distinguish you from a ton of strictly cover
bands. You got to play some originals to break
the monotony of playing covers over and over
and over. You know songs like Takin Care of
Business, Gimme Three Steps, You Cheatin Heart,
Folsom Prison, Johnny B Goode, crowd loves them
but after a couple thousand times?

The new group I've been forming is going to concentrate
more on originals, and less on making money, but we do
hope to save some money in the process.

Kru straight up I can't be in a group with any uncool
a@#holes, eventually I'll say something, but I'm older
and wiser now so I try to get the drummer to do it.

Here is my two cents.

Buy a big freaking calender for 2012 and have every member of your band mark " unavailable dates " at least two months in advance.

Or find someone else.

We are just a podunk local band ... and my boys have more dedication than that.

Hell Eric and Candice made a rehearsal on their wedding anniversary!
None of us would have said a thing or thought worse of him had he canceled.

Makes me want to slap someone.

Man, I have to sit around and wait 2-3 weeks for the guitarist to get a printout for some legal things. It is what it is, but some new offers have come and I'm afraid they may be gone. This guy NEVER answers his phone and rarely returns calls. Ever since I got angry with him about interrupting me he hasn't acted the same since...and it was no big deal at all. Truth is, I don't trust him. In fact, I don't trust anyone in the band I'm in. They can be nice guys, and that's the scary part. If I was to leave the only one I would keep would be the drummer...everyone else would be forgotten.

I might have another project underway with an old drummer/friend of mine. I hope it happens, cause I'll be able to breathe and do alot of writing. I know for a fact that my crazy guitar riffs will be free for me to play. This has been my common goal. I've wanted to try being in two bands, but if I end up in one, its going to be the one I've been trying to start all along (the trio).

I figure either we're going to get out there and play shows, or I'll have to jump ship before somebody makes me look like an ass. There's no other way to go about it.

I think everyone is more focused on everybody's quirks than anything. I also don't think anyone in this band should trust each other. I see and hear a lot of dishonesty, and a lot of bullshit. I'm done with talking, its time to just play or move on. I almost quit the band a month ago but the drummer talked me into staying, and he's the only reason I did stay. Thinking about this band is a burden. I'm hoping that if some shows get played then everyone else will liven up and enjoy this band. I've been back and forth with this for so long that its bound to eventually fall apart real soon if it don't come together. Seven months of this, and the only reason I'm still around is because this band isn't average and I know it could go somewhere if everybody tried. But, I'm not going to let this band steal my happiness anymore, so if I have to go it will be for my health.

Jeff,

I'm glad you didn't take anything the wrong way, thanks for all of the terrific compliments!!!