when starting a band....

[M.A.R.T]

i'm interested to see what people think the best methods for starting a band are.

trying to find people that are into the same music as you but have the same level of commitment in aberdeen is a pretty task, so what ways do you find the best?

whats the best way to find people?

and once you find the people whats the best way to start? one person having a demo or just starting from scratch etc? if you do start from scratch how do you gauge that its good or whatever?

i'm into the idea of starting a band but have a few doubts, mainly down to identity crisis and people never being into the idea of working hard.

so uhhh...opinions please.

[Tav]

Well my first band was formed with friends from school. We agreed on some covers to learn and went into a practice room and attempted to play those songs together to get a feel for it. Then the singer/guitarist started bringing in song ideas on guitar and we added to those. It's still working like that but with more involvement from the other two members.

Another band I am involved with is just starting, only had one practice. That was aranged by Paul advertising on aberdeen-music.com. He has already jammed with another guitarist and they had some ideas on how it could sound. After getting all the elements together: keyboard, bass and drums. We all went into a practice room and just jammed from scratch. No one knew how it was going to work or where it was going. The music just happened...for a whole 2hours and 30mins it was off the cuff.

Both ways have been equally as good as far as I can tell. Certainly enjoyed both. The next practice with the new band is going to involve people bringing some more thought out riffs. I do think it is important that people bring some song skeletons with them for people to work on.

[bitchesbrew]

I think u usually have to go trhough 1 or 2 shit bands before u realize how bands r formed. By then u shud've made enough contacts. I'd say aswering ads is better than putting ur own up because u can be pretty sure the person is committed.

[M.A.R.T]

ive been in a lot of shit bands, but a lot of the people in other bands that ive met in my time have moved away from town or are busy with work or have a new band etc.

i'm never sure if answering ads is the best of ideas, because its bands being formed out of similar interests in music rather than friendship. plus i have answered ads before and after meeting the person ive realised that they are a total time waster.

i also have the big problem that i can do a lot of stuff and have no real way of describing what a i do. like what i did in hookers green, i wasnt a keyboarder and i cant exactly advertise myself as a synth dude. finding a band where i'm going to fit into is almost impossible and because i can play other stuff and have a wide taste of music and the kind i want to play changes all the time i'm never totally sure what i want to do. hence the identity crisis. anyone else go through a similar thing?

someone wanna define me?

i'm a bit like a cuter more pretty johnny greenwood, with cooler synth stuff and less pedals......and crossed with eddie van halen.

[betamax]

based on what I saw in Drakes the other week you dont need a band

it was all there> you and the pre-programming

very highly watchable (although I missed most of it)

all you need now are some pogo-ing dancers

japanese girl ones obvioulsy

the consencus in the micro audience was that it was almost brilliant and we all* think its something you should stick at and develop much further, cos like you say you have the identity crisis thing where you take a really good project so far and its just about there.....and then you drop it for something else.....everyone* knows that already

its the type of thing if I was starting a record label; I would want to put out your stuff but I would be very wary of doing so cos I would expect you to suddenly split up with yourself at the worst possible moment

*the 5 people I knew to talk to at the gig

[delboy]

i think its time for MART to resurrect the mighty Kanedas project! and start releasing five minute albums again!

[M.A.R.T]

i never really drop anything....i just put it down for a while and pick it up at a later date. or it gets added into the newer stuff.

like the stuff i did at drakes is a big mix of everything ive ever done...the only problem i have with the solo stuff live is....1.its not very live 2.its not fun for me 3.its far to jokey...i'm tired of jokey stuff.

i like playing guitar, i like using synthesizers but doing this on my own on a stage is fucking boring to watch, hence the karaoke stuff.

the moshulu and drakes gigs i did were a test to see if what i was planning was going to work and i dont think it did, which is why i want to move on to something else.

thanks for the kind words though!

xx

[M.A.R.T]

Originally Posted by delboy

i think its time for MART to resurrect the mighty Kanedas project! and start releasing five minute albums again!

actually the plan was to do a full leangth album on yellow 7"

[delboy]

Originally Posted by M.A.R.T

actually the plan was to do a full leangth album on yellow 7"

way to go! i think you'd probably suit a guitar/synth duo with lots of machines backing you up. you did sometimes look a bit uncomfortable on stage on your own but the music you pumped out was always top notch! the zoidberg thing you did with Matt was neat as well but that too was a bit 'jokey' (i know where your coming from on that one).

[betamax]

Originally Posted by M.A.R.T

i never really drop anything....i just put it down for a while and pick it up at a later date. or it gets added into the newer stuff.

like the stuff i did at drakes is a big mix of everything ive ever done...the only problem i have with the solo stuff live is....1.its not very live 2.its not fun for me 3.its far to jokey...i'm tired of jokey stuff.

i like playing guitar, i like using synthesizers but doing this on my own on a stage is fucking boring to watch, hence the karaoke stuff.

the moshulu and drakes gigs i did were a test to see if what i was planning was going to work and i dont think it did, which is why i want to move on to something else.

thanks for the kind words though!

xx

I'd have to contend that one person and a some backing material is boring to watch after seeing Har mar SuperStar EASILY blow away the Hives (who tried ever so hard to have 'energy') at last years SXSW....amazing

very hard to do though I agree it must be tough and I suppose if you are on your own theres the addded pressure if you fuck something up

but see youve done it again.....split up with yourself after two gigs before you ever really got it going!

but if you did stay solo, then you would probably only need to add some props and more theatrical presentation....I once saw a solo synth/vocalist guy start of his set like this >

Dark stage. Music Starts. Spotlight on a Large battered washing machine centre stage. Guy starts singing. Sounds like hes in a washing machine. Song continues. Stobe Lights come on. The washing machine appears to be singing along to the electro disco music booming from the PA. After about 5 minutes the song finishes. Washing machine door opens and bespectacled nerd in pyjamas climbs out and silently walks offstage. Re - emerges in an electric invalid trike with a synthesiser fastened to the front. Next tune. Bubble machine kicks in. It just got better and ended up with an audience participation synth version of 60s song DownTown....edited thus ''Downtown....youll get your head kicked in...Downtown Theyll all be waiting for you-oooooooo!'' One of my fave gigs of all time.

It wasnt Fad Gadget either ....the covering himself with shaving foam from head to toe stuff was simple but brilliant set to bleepy music!

Not suggesting this is the way ahead, but just showing that for a solo act theres a lot of ways to engage the audience in ways a proper band would find difficult, and simply having more people onstage jumping around like retards dosent really mean its interesting to watch ...ALA The Hives

So no japanese pogoing MART dancers then?....DAMMIT!

See you in your next band then!