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]

finding members

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]

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]

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]

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' date=' 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[/quote']

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!

[M.A.R.T]

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

dont really think i need to get it going' date=' i know in my head where it should be going and it really isnt working....i may fix it...i dunno...i'll see where i end up after working on some new stuff.

ive just had a lecture from motormark saying i should keep doing it.....so i may keep at it.

either something new or just become a one man devo tribute act.....mr dna!

fucking genius huh?

i know har mar works well....i know atom and his package works well....but they both use a lot of humour in the music and performance...something i dont really want to be doing.

actually the reason i thought gigs on my own might work was after seeing simon bookish, he was pretty much sans jokes. i like that....i'd like to see him again so i can rip off more of his act.

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

i actually have a strong hatred of using japanese things....because i like japanese stuff but for some reason certain things become ok in some peoples eyes if its related to japan. a good example is yumi yumi....i like them...but ive seen a lot of better beat box bands get slated but somehow yumi yumi were great! why was this? i dont think it was totally down to the boiler suits.

i sometimes feel people use the term japanese as too much of a scapegoat to be accepted, even people who arent japanese label themselves as "japanese style"....these bands can kiss my ass. i hate being tagged in with japanese stuff too.

uhhhh....sorry...

this is kinda straying from the point huh?

whats the point again?

oh yeah...i'm gonna be the next kenny loggins!

[betamax]

Bookish!!!

personally I think your Material is way better than Herr Bookish.....he was amusing but not funny when I saw him and he ended up arguing with a rapidly dwindling audience because they didnt respond to his flaccid 80s revival by numbers....for some reason he assumed it was groundbreaking and *chuckle* ...confrontational.....errrr yeh Simon, bye bye ya loony

I also like your stuff better than Motormark style wise, cos to me their stuff while obviously semi-brilliant it theoretically should be my thing, but I always feel like Ive heard it before (Im fucking contraversial me y'know!)....and that its maybe just 'too retro to be fresh' if youknoworramean

So Im part of the concensus that would say keep working on it in cos you are onto something good (its hard to see it sometimes - when its your own work), if you aint comfortable with your stage presentation, change it so you are, darken it somehow, dancers with guns? (sorry thats pimp-rap innit)....although your 'cute' tag is gonna be very difficult to shake off. I would emphasise it rather than hide it, but i reckon you'll oppose that thought....ho hum

I know what you mean about the lazy Japanese jingo-ism when seeking words to describe what one cant describe properly.......

[M.A.R.T]

although your 'cute' tag is gonna be very difficult to shake off. I would emphasise it rather than hide it' date=' but i reckon you'll oppose that thought....ho hum

[/quote']

actually....emphasis is the way!

my new song is called "you know i'm the cutest guy in here!"

seriously.

i'm rad...i know....

anyway....i'll figure it out....we shall see what happens.

motormark so kick my ass though...one of the best live bands ive ever seen....they keep getting better....highly reccomend seeing them when they next come up.

they are a bit retro, i get that....but who isnt?

[Guest]

Look at dat puddum

I thought the dancing was cute.... but you normally dance like that anyways... you little penguin you.

Personally I think your solo stuff is rad - to the max - and think you should keep at it.

As for Bookish... he's alright, I dont mind a lot of his stuff, but it's certainly not ground-breaking.... I'd say you are superior, my friend (it's the rad-factor X-treme).

If you're going to get a band... you should get a keytar mentalist... an electro drummer... a wacky guitarist (perhaps yourself) and a creepy geek tangled in wires and synths in the corner (perhaps yourself... Just kiddin' ). Though that perhaps sounds like the Kanedas... Whoops. You get what I mean anyhoo... maybe? Urm...?

Make the Eddie Van Halen shoes a uniform.

[Guest lime ruined my life]

martin, i dont know if you ever met jeff, that foreign dude who was the guy behind afurnishedsoul. he did kinda electronicy guitary ambient stuff on a 4 track. but he wants to form a guitar band thats kinda hardcorey punky stuff. he left a message on abysmalist board you should go over and read it. iv pm'd you his email.