General Music Chat

Are you/have you been in a band that many musicians love, but others don't quite connect with? Better to connect with the musicians though! Great advice is never far away either...

I don't quite know how to respond to that. I've always performed with a chip on my shoulder. I've never liked the idea of playing what everybody wants us to play. My attitude is kind of hard to hide. I'm pretty intense. I think musicians appreciate me, but I guess I'm intimidating to some. Kind of hard to explain, but I've led a rough life in a lot of ways and it comes out on stage. I feel it. I've sat in with classic rock, party bands pretty much, good followings, lots of chicks dancing, but that's not me. Just me earning a buck. The down and dirty blues is me, the sometimes nasty lyrics, in your face. It works for me but not for most I guess.

I am fortunate to currently have two bands that people love. Most musicians respect us, but there is a lot of jealousy in music, it's very competitive. Some of us support each other by going to each others shows, etc. but some look at you like you're a threat. None of it bothers me, most people suck so it's to be expected.

My philosophy has always been to entertain "paying" customers. That side of it is a job, thats your job if you are paid to play. Im shocked that a lot of my local favorite bands dont make any money, I got an offer to join one recently, guys I think I could get along with, they play quite a bit. But I asked money wise what I could expect, it was a third of what I had come used to in my band. I just said at this point, what is the point of working for that.

I like musicians to come, listen and sit in, but they arent who we have been concerned about entertaining, its the people that dig our band, and if they request us to play something, hell I will play it.

I know thats different than your attitude Bob, no offence but when I see your FB post wanting people to come to shows I dont get it, you seem to think listeners are stupid and must be challenged to come see your band, dont take that in the wrong way, but its just a different perspective than I have on playing for people. If you want to make good money playing music, you have to have some sort of fans that will pay to see you, its business plain and simple.

Whenever I promoted my band it was about having fun, a night out without kids, to dance and feel young again. As I said after talking to a few people about doing something different, whatever we were doing worked, based on what we were getting paid regularly.

Rock On All!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQCkaGnTs9s

I played in a band briefly in the early 80s that was doing original progressive jazz fusion. Lots of interesting time signatures and key changes. It was an experimental romp into the realm of Alan Holdsworth and Billy Cobham but it was a lot of work with no gigs... ever... which got stale pretty fast. I play music to entertain the masses, not to impress heady musicians.

I have great respect for the technical ability of the guys in Dream Theater but would I pay to see their show? Probably not. I need me some theme and melody and those guys wear me out.

All interesting and different perspectives here. Nice!

I love the fact that musicians like our style, but it would be cool to see more ears that didn't hold instruments catching on.

No need for a spotlight, but entertaining is something I think a musician has to be...well...if you're going to perform anyways...

I think I am a bit too out there for many musicians to want to get too close to, largely because I am an alternative lifestyler (in a positive manner such as being a vego, naturist and environmentalist).

People either take or leave me, but Brisbane is a very conservative city in the main and people get freaked out very easily by anybody who marches to the beat of a different drum. :-S

Interesting topic, for sure. There are two ways to think about it, I guess.

One of my bands is always "the best band here" according to the musicians we talk to afterwards. I think that band has always been about writing the songs we want to write with the parts we want to play - some songs are technically intense while some songs have very manicured arrangements and/or structures. From a psychological standpoint, validation from your peers is really fantastic. From a career sustainability standpoint, musicians don't buy much merch or attend as many shows as "civilian" (non-musician) fans.

My other "act" (the one I'm posting as) is pretty new but I'm trying to really focus on being humble, present, vulnerable, and accessible to fans. The songs are good, it seems. I'm too attached to be objective but they seem to land with people. Hopefully the people that get the songs are the kind of people who are ready to be engaged by an artist/person like myself. A little (or a lot) more time and emotional investment for potentially buckets of emotional and psychological return. Plus, from the business side, fans pay to get in to more shows and buy more merch than my scuzzy musician friends do, anyway.

In the end who do you want to connect with - musicians or fans? If you had to pick one would you rather have peer respect or human connection with people you may-or-may-not have anything in common with?

To answer your question:Both

My area has always been filled with Thrash and Punk bands...and now there's more with a new generation. We don't exactly fit in with either styles, as far as any "codes" on what to do go. We would have took off if we came out in the 90's, which I overlooked musically until I recently saw how big of an influence that decade was. But yeah, we do what we want. We have that cult status sound. Right now we're very underground and gearing up for opening slots. I have no expectations. In fact, being in a small, yet productive corner is fine with me. Keeps a musician hungry, and not only that, says that you're doing something right. I don't know, if popularity hit too fast even locally I would worry that something was sounding too much like everyone else. It will take time to build fans and has. We've had plenty of listeners and lots of passes, and that's ok. In the end its about what it all means to you.

The reason musicians like us I think is because they appreciate some of our approaches to creating.

I am fortunate to currently have two bands that people love. Most musicians respect us, but there is a lot of jealousy in music, it's very competitive. Some of us support each other by going to each others shows, etc. but some look at you like you're a threat. None of it bothers me, most people suck so it's to be expected.

Yeah, that's the other part. What's up with that? Funny when adults try to hide jealousy. But it's there. Instead of bands doing what they used to do by trying yo up each other at a show(friendly competition) they don't bother to support those they feel threatened by(jealousy).

When you're #1 at everything...what else is there to do? I say keep the gold star on your forehead and I'll continue to create for the sake of music. All are welcome to be a part of us if they want...