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[The Byre]

Sorry Kielan, but you are not even close.

It is one of the myths of the music business that you do not need talent. OK, some acts are more talented than others, but they all have oodles of talent.

My favorite example is the Beasty Boys. Massive talent. They can do anything from hip-hop, cool jazz, through to Schubert.

[Keilan 303]

But the beastie boys have been on the go longer than I have been born...if they couldn't pick up something in that time I'd be worried!

[The Byre]

It's the other way about! They all studied music first.

I should have added to my list, the industry is also looking for total commitment. If an artist even smells like having an alternative career, they will stay away from him / her / them as they were infected with something nasty.

[GraemeC]

Originally Posted by The Byre

Hold it kids!

I've seen bands come and I've seen bands go over the past four decades or so - and one thing is certain. Each and every band that has reached a certain level will get looked at and apraised by the major lables.

They are looking for

1. A following.

2. Talent. (i.e. the band is made of musicians who play at a professional standard).

3. GOOD TUNES.

4. Stage craft.

5. Photogenic looks.

If you have ever played a major club or event, yoiu will have been looked at. They will ask themselves if the band on stage can tick those five boxes. Maybe you are so good that they might want you even if you do not have good tunes or if the drummer can't keep the beat. Tunes can be bought and you can throw out the poor drummer and get a good one.

OK so using your 5 points justify Oasis, status quo, sex pistols, gorillaz etc etc etc etc....
There are sooooooooo many exceptions to your 5 rules it renders them pointless.

I have spoken to dozens of a&r and scouts who tell me what they look for, they then sign a band who have none or little of what they claim to look for, I believe what you claim to be the things labels look for is actually what you would like them to look for.

[Daniel]

Originally Posted by GraemeC

OK so using your 5 points justify Oasis, status quo, sex pistols, gorillaz etc etc etc etc....
There are sooooooooo many exceptions to your 5 rules it renders them pointless.

I have spoken to dozens of a&r and scouts who tell me what they look for, they then sign a band who have none or little of what they claim to look for, I believe what you claim to be the things labels look for is actually what you would like them to look for.

well, first off oasis are a bunch of good looking guys who have musical talent(many will disagree) they are extremely commited and amazing live

as for gorillaz, well its a brit pop legend, just like tom delonge did with box car racer and now angels and airwaves (the label has no fucking clue what its gonna sound like, only that its gonna sell shitloads

[Jim Stax]

Originally Posted by The Byre

Hold it kids!

I've seen bands come and I've seen bands go over the past four decades or so - and one thing is certain. Each and every band that has reached a certain level will get looked at and apraised by the major lables.

They are looking for

1. A following.

2. Talent. (i.e. the band is made of musicians who play at a professional standard).

3. GOOD TUNES.

4. Stage craft.

5. Photogenic looks.

If you have ever played a major club or event, yoiu will have been looked at. They will ask themselves if the band on stage can tick those five boxes. Maybe you are so good that they might want you even if you do not have good tunes or if the drummer can't keep the beat. Tunes can be bought and you can throw out the poor drummer and get a good one.

I would dispute a few of those points as it reads from the fifties... There are nemerous bands around these days that fly in the face of (no I can't be arsed naming and I don't know the names of some I have seen around) the sexpected A&R practise and the music industry is so broad these days the normal rules barely apply... There are still standard basics that everyband must consider but above all sellability and originality rank pretty high. Beel and Sebastian and also The Magic Numbers are hardly bonnie bands are they proving the point that you just bever know... Good tunes is a given though, which is a talent...

[Jim Stax]

Sexpected? What was going on in my head I wonder?

Again the lack of an edit button on my previous post makes it read like shit!

Why oh why oh why oh why?

[Biz]

type,read,read again ,post ....Ta ta ta ta da da TAAA dAAAAAA no need to edit Wahey....why not go to see 16again at The Lemon Tree on Sat instead,they are better than all this namby pamby shite masquerading as entertainment shennanigans and hours spent swearing at TVs and computers. revolt NOW

[Keilan 303]

Biz, you're putting my kids to college! Every time you plug that gig I'm getting a quid, the pot currently stands at £74,453,345

[Ray]

it depends where the potential market lies, a band like oasis will always have hoards of folk tripping over each other to get tickets because they identify with the attitude they exude and want to share in the experience of seeing them live - the energy. i dare say the magic numbers have a sizeable following in the ugly and overweight crowd (no pun or offence intended but you see where i'm coming from?) just as zappa will always have huge support from the pretentious, know it all crowd.

i think the 5 rules listed by the byre are valid but essentially where theres a market for a band, theres every chance someone will pick them up and help them out to meet it. boxes ticked or not.

i know that simplifies things.. and you can never use absolutes, it can come from anywhere.

thats a very corporate sounding point i just made, for which i will now go and saw my penis off with the sharpened and reshaped point of a snapped drum stick.

its only fair after all.