General Music Chat

Chaeya,

Yes, it comes down to priorities. If I were still alone and 25 years younger I'd have no problem with being homeless as long as I could still play music. But, I'm not. I have someone I care about who cares about me, and we're both too old to do the starving artist thing indefinitely. Life moves on.

My sentiments EXACTLY! Also family, jobs, TIME, bills up the wazoo... The black dude with the dreds has all the fukiin' time in the world... no mortgage, no kids, no fukkin responsibilities! You can't seriously use that as a reasonable example? As this point in my life, there's no way in hell I could afford ANY studio time! I can still be a serious musician without sacrificing my hard earned money just to satisfy a few BM members....Fuk that! Any dope that chooses to use what little $$ he's got on studio time over shelter and food has definitely got some serious problems!

You miss the jist of what I was saying, which if you read my entire post, you guys would have understood.

The bottom line is this, if you want to play professionally, you need a demo. It isn't to make BM happy, if you want gigs at a club, want to get a record deal or whatever, you need a press kit.

If music is just a hobby then by all means, work and take care of your family and get to it when you get to it. Done.

Chaeya

Chaeya,

Yes, it comes down to priorities. If I were still alone and 25 years younger I'd have no problem with being homeless as long as I could still play music. But, I'm not. I have someone I care about who cares about me, and we're both too old to do the starving artist thing indefinitely. Life moves on.

My sentiments EXACTLY! Also family, jobs, TIME, bills up the wazoo... The black dude with the dreds has all the fukiin' time in the world... no mortgage, no kids, no fukkin responsibilities! You can't seriously use that as a reasonable example? As this point in my life, there's no way in hell I could afford ANY studio time! I can still be a serious musician without sacrificing my hard earned money just to satisfy a few BM members....Fuk that! Any dope that chooses to use what little $$ he's got on studio time over shelter and food has definitely got some serious problems!

You miss the jist of what I was saying, which if you read my entire post, you guys would have understood.

The bottom line is this, if you want to play professionally, you need a demo. It isn't to make BM happy, if you want gigs at a club, want to get a record deal or whatever, you need a press kit.

If music is just a hobby then by all means, work and take care of your family and get to it when you get to it. Done.

Chaeya

I agree with you fully....except for needing any demo or press kit to get gigs... I've never needed anything to get a gig...I just started by opening up for some acts and then after a while I was able to book my own gigs! For instance, I'm gonna be a very busy "musician" in 2011 because I figured out a slew of tunes for an already established band that already has a rep and plays almost every weekend.... good enough for me... Before that, all the bands I've been in, I've formed myself, picked out most of the tunes, just called the clubs and booked them... You're right...at this juncture of my life it's just a hobby but it seems I'm doing a helluva lot better than my musician friends who are paying up the wazoo in studio time and press kits etc.. They usually lose interest due to the lack of CD sales and the lack of gigs and their bands fall apart... It is very, very hard to start an original act without a slew of $$ for recording and advertising.....and even then, you better pack the place each and every gig just to try and pay for all of that!

Like I've said before, When I was younger, I was in a few original acts and wrote most of the music... got airplay, travelled, etc.. Been there...done that...It's not what I want to do at this stage of my life... waaay too busy trying to pay da bills just to survive...and...YIKES...I've got 2 teenage sons who want to go to college in a few years ... No time for having "original" dreams till maybe they're grown up and out of the nest!

Chaeya,

Yes, it comes down to priorities. If I were still alone and 25 years younger I'd have no problem with being homeless as long as I could still play music. But, I'm not. I have someone I care about who cares about me, and we're both too old to do the starving artist thing indefinitely. Life moves on.

My sentiments EXACTLY! Also family, jobs, TIME, bills up the wazoo... The black dude with the dreds has all the fukiin' time in the world... no mortgage, no kids, no fukkin responsibilities! You can't seriously use that as a reasonable example? As this point in my life, there's no way in hell I could afford ANY studio time! I can still be a serious musician without sacrificing my hard earned money just to satisfy a few BM members....Fuk that! Any dope that chooses to use what little $$ he's got on studio time over shelter and food has definitely got some serious problems!

You miss the jist of what I was saying, which if you read my entire post, you guys would have understood.

The bottom line is this, if you want to play professionally, you need a demo. It isn't to make BM happy, if you want gigs at a club, want to get a record deal or whatever, you need a press kit.

If music is just a hobby then by all means, work and take care of your family and get to it when you get to it. Done.

Chaeya

Y'know? I've never used a demo to get a gig or anything...ever. A lot of labels won't even accept demos without mgmt. Quite a few bands I love got their record deals without ever making a demo, just on the strength of their live shows or word of mouth. If I'm going to put money into a recording it will be for a finished album or something. Everything else is just a rough sketch to trade with bandmates. So, the essentialness of a demo to a music career is a bit of a fallacy. Also, having dealt with all kinds of press kits, they don't require a lot of money either.

Just my 2 cents, Crip & Cheya

If this is a site for getting hooked up with band then:

1. It makes no sense to create a profile, and then not put at least 1 item of your resume' on it. If you're starting a band, and someone says put me on your band, you wanna see they can actually play, right? Goes both ways.

2. Money should not be the issue. If you're broke and live in a box, then what the &*^#$ are you doing trying to start a band for? Get a job so you can afford to be in a band...

3. You don't need a press kit to join a band. Go ask someone with a cell phone to video record your singing or beating on a wood box, and post that on Bandmix ... it's better than nothing, and video quality is actually pretty decent these days.

Bottom line - what's the fuss about? If you have the IQ of a tomato bug, you can manage to post a video or audio of what you can do on the site. If you're unable to ... you should pick another career or hobby - because this one is going to be too demanding for you. If you're unwilling to, then again I ask - what the $%## are you doing on this site with the "seeking a band" checkbox marked on your profile? That wreaks of "troll" - er, maybe troll is a bit harsh, but there seems to me to be a correlation based on what goes on in this forum.

cheers

Agreed, for a club, you don't need one, but for corporate gigs, unless you know someone, you do. Most of the club gigs Cisco gets, don't need paper, just a phone call or meeting will suffice.

It's just better to have one than not and Crip, they don't cost a lot. I put press kits together in my sleep. You can get some folders at Staples for under $10, 1,000 business cards for $30 or less, a resume, a list of songs you do if you're a cover band, any copies of write ups or press you've gotten, and a CD and bam!

Record labels, it depends, some you need them, some you don't, it's just better to have one.

BandMix has yet to do anything for me. Tons of people check out my profile and listen to my music and only once in a while do I get a bite, and it's usually from someone who has nothing at all in common with us. Still, I've met some cool people here to shoot the sh*t with.

Chaeya

Thanx, Chaeya...very good info Good part is that this is the first band in 5 years that I'm not in charge of in any way,shape or form and they already have their press kit.... They just have to update their pics as their old guitarist is still on the photos and business cards...

Yeah, for band biz cards it's best to just do them yourself since members change so often, or use a logo.

I got my husband a gig at my firm for Xmas and even though they know me, I had to send corporate our press kit. But heck, got paid some major bucks for just two hours worth of work. Yeah!

Also, we got the NAMM show coming up, you have to have some business cards and press kits, especially if you want endorsements.

Chaeya

It's true that you don't really need a recording or press kit to get a gig but it doesn't hurt either. Having a recording of your material does help when it's time to replace the drummer, etc.

I never had any interest in corporate events. But, a recording would be important for something more high-profile like that or NAMM.

If I include a recording with a press kit though, it is going to be the same recording in the record stores. Actually, I did get a radio interview once like that, now that I think about it. I don't consider that a demo, though. I released several cassettes myself, with international distribution (sold more in Japan than here). I should probably add those onto my "discography" if it will make any difference.

Steve Albini (Big Black, Rapeman, Shellac) refused to include recordings with any press kits except those going to radio stations. The others included a note saying "no free lunch." I was never that crass about it, though.

It's true that you don't really need a recording or press kit to get a gig but it doesn't hurt either. Having a recording of your material does help when it's time to replace the drummer, etc.

Yeah, I am working on it, for that reason.

I released several cassettes myself, with international distribution (sold more in Japan than here).

Oh really, lets hear it... I was a promoter/producer/consultant in Japan from 1979 to 1992. I still have lots of contacts over there.

I released several cassettes myself, with international distribution (sold more in Japan than here).

Oh really, lets hear it... I was a promoter/producer/consultant in Japan from 1979 to 1992. I still have lots of contacts over there.

Do you really think I care.

I released several cassettes myself, with international distribution (sold more in Japan than here).

Oh really, lets hear it... I was a promoter/producer/consultant in Japan from 1979 to 1992. I still have lots of contacts over there.

Do you really think I care.

How rude, Well then, based on that remark, You sir are a liar

I released several cassettes myself, with international distribution (sold more in Japan than here).

Oh really, lets hear it... I was a promoter/producer/consultant in Japan from 1979 to 1992. I still have lots of contacts over there.

Do you really think I care.

How rude, Well then, based on that remark, You sir are a liar

Like I said, do you really think I care.
PISS OFF, LOSER.

Like I said, do you really think I care.
PISS OFF, LOSER.

True colors huh Mr Nobody, You are a Troll and now the Village Idiot.