There are a lot of aspiring musicians out there on /mu/ that I'm sure dream of playing out, and possibly making a career, no matter of small out of music. Let's post some tips about playing out and navigating the world of small time preforming.
The type of music you play, and where you play it matter more than anything else. You can whoop ass at an instrument, your whole group can be on point. But if you're playing the wrong tunes at the wrong venue, you'll never get a call back. This has happened before, where we were to loud for a venue and don't play there anymore unless it's acoustic.
Pick a genre and stick with it. You play a pop tune and all the 21 year old girls start dancing, but as soon as you whip out some rock or metal they're gone. You play a metal tune and you get all the metal heads ripping it out in front of the stage, then you play a country tune and you lose them. You need to pick a style and never move from it. You can't afford to have anyone leave the venue, if they drink, the bartenders get paid, and odds are you are getting a percentage of the bar tab.
Learn to appreciate acoustic gigs. Lots of venues don't have much room, and if you can downsize your group to the point where you can fit and won't blow everyone's ear drums you will get way more opportunities to play out, which is more money for you, and more exposure. You can advertise your upcoming acoustic gig as (band name) acoustic, or unplugged. The people who like that show might just end up at your next full sized event.
Those are three little bits that I have come to realize now that I have playing out for a while, please feel free to share and ask questions to anyone willing to answer. Cheers!
>>61432278
Me and my friends this summer are renting a house and practicing/performing at small bars and other small venues. Mostly acoustic stuff, but we have synths and drum machines to spice it up, and two of us can really sing. We are hoping to really get our name out there, so should we book some studio time to record some demos in case anyone at our shows asks for a copy? What sort of stuff do you hand out, a business card, a CD , a link to SoundCloud, etc. What's the best method?
>>61432364
If you think you're ready for demos the first thing you should do is make sure everyone's on board. And that everyone is in the right position to handle it. Studio time isn't cheap and if someone falls off their rocker you all might be out of alot of money. Second is do a rough demo before going to the studio, so that you all have a settled agreement on the progression of the song and the parts you will play in it. Do not adlib parts of the song in the studio. Get all of your parts and shit together, practice before you go, alot. And then go and run through your parts. Show the audio engineer your rough copy so he has an idea of how the song will be played. And do be nice to him. They don't get as much credit as they deserve. As for handing things out at a gig. Just make a simple business card, attractive but not too overzealous. And just throw your bands name, soundcloud, Facebook, one of your emails, onto the front. If you really like you can throw your band mates names and respective instruments on the back of the card but it's not necessary.
>>61432364
If you do get a solid following you can press your own cds once you get nice recording done. A cd printer is not too terribly expensive. Just remember if you plan to sell them at the gig, the first thing you should negotiate for when you go to perform is the right to sell your music on their property without paying them royalies. Make it happen!
>>61432278
In a garage band, just graduated high school, where do I start?
>>61432581
How old are your band mates brother?
>>61432598
They're 18, I'm 19.
>>61432610
Do you live in the states? Or else where?
>>61432650
Texas
>>61432667
Okay dude. Things will get so much easier for you once one of you is of age. It makes it hard to book bar gigs if you're all underage. Being that's the case, work on your sound. Throw shit on bandcamp, make a name for yourself as a recording artist first. Then once you guys are old enough to legally drink yourselves stupid, people will be more likely to let you play. You can always offer around to play parties too. And if you get the right sound and the right people going to those parties you can start to develop notoriety on a very underground level. Which isn't a bad place to start at all. The golden rule is the more you play, the more likely you are to play again. And that you're only as good as your last gig.
>>61432723
We play sorta a garage rock-esque sound. We have a few friends that could throw parties for us, and we're fooling around with some recording equipment now actually. Any advice for recording?
>>61432741
Recording by yourself is never a bad idea, the bad thing about it is that it takes time and money to figure it out well. Being an audio engineer is very much like being a musician in that regard. Unfortunately I have not spent much time recording my own shit. But if I may there is a YouTuber who goes by the name Fluff. Look him up and he has really good advice for people starting to record at home.
>>61432787
I'll give it a try, is getting a studio worth it?
>>61432833
Studio time or building your own?
Make sure you light the stage with red lights and never wear a shirt.
>>61432840
studio time
>>61432889
It's is. But only if you have the money to spend and the material together. Like I said before it isn't cheap. You and your dudes need to know your instruments like the back of your fucking hand and know the songs like you know how to pleasure youself. Make sure all of your members are on board too. If someone isn't pulling their weight then you arnt ready. Everyone needs to be on the same page.
Just another tip. When you're not playing. Be nice. And by nice, be the sweetest guy ever. Be a professional, and just over all don't be a shit. No one likes a musician who acts snotty. Once you hit the stage however. Throw caution to the wind and act like a rock star. That's where the image counts, off stage, just be respectable.
>>61432278
that's one gay drumset
>>61433168
Good thing it's not mine!
