While we don't know that much about the music scene, it seems as though there might be a pattern -- And this post from Minneapolis/St. Paul City Pages reads like the modern "play book."
First, get some press. Then break up.
Following in the tradition of the late Midnight Evils, the City Pages 2006 choice for Best Rock Band has broken up.
Announce it online.
Sicbay have announced the end at TCPunk and on their myspace page. Listen to their music and savor what you might have missed, a kind of cathartic twang for emotional hot-rodders.
Form new bands. (Do second (or third or fourth) ventures ever work out?)
Then begin bugging them immediately about what bands they're going to form next,
Everyone says that it is artistic differences, but there is always more, and it might be goals, or something else...
and ask them, was it really artistic differences that were to blame? Or something more personal and gossipy? Let's have it.
The new "recipe." Hmmm... how to overcome it?
And, since I have a daughter, how come there are so few girls in rock bands?
If anyone has comments, we'd love to hear them! Check back for more robust theories fully explained!
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Steve from www.taint-band.com has some interesting thoughts on why bands break up:
I’ve been in a ton of bands; everything from original folk-rock bands to progressive rock and acid jazz. I’m not an expert, but I’ve seen enough bands break-up and fizzle out to have something to add on this subject.
Getting a band assembled consisting of qualified musicians that can adequately perform the music at hand is a challenge. Anyone that has used Craig's List to recruit musicians, knows this to be true. So if you are lucky enough to get the musicians in the first place, you're half-way there. Now that you have your merry band of troubadours assembled, you need to agree on a set list of material, the genre, style, and format.
If you can get a guitar player that can play with clear tone and not distorted white fuzz, a bassist that doesn’t hog the mid-range with endless popping and slapping, a drummer that can sit on his hands when important discussions are occurring, and a singer that can sing in pitch with power, then you are 3 steps away from actually having a quality product worth buying.
When you finally can all agree on the format and everyone performs as a team and not just a group of soloists all playing the same song, you must have the following items if you are ever going to make it out of the Sound Museum and onto the gigging circle:
- A website that prospective clients and fans can easily find and that they can use to hear your MP3’s, check out your bio, and see where you’ll be playing next. Pictures, videos and links/reviews are all a plus.
- Contacts. Even if your best friend’s cousin’s half-sister knows the uncle of a secretary that can get you a gig, or get your disk on someone of influence’s desk, that is what you’ll need to take you from being a really great band that plays TT’s, Sky bar, and The Paradise every month to a band that is getting label interest. There are tons of really good bands out there that sound like they should be on the radio, but if your only contact is Sonicbids, you are going nowhere.
- The Essentials. Time, practice space, transportation, equipment, musical acumen, and an attractive/marketable look.
If you do not have the aforementioned, the following things will happen:
- Because you have no contacts for gigs/solicitation, people will become frustrated that you’ve become a rehearsal band and leave for gigging projects.
- You will suck and will laughed, or yawned off of stages until you wise up that you have no business playing your instrument for more than fun.
- You will know the songs like the back of your hand, but your live sound will be mush and any musical quality will be buried in a pillow of distortion and white noise. Seeing as most non-musicians cannot discern the true reason for your horrible sound, they will just assume it’s you and not your EQ.
- You will be so butt ugly that you’ll have to dress up in Goth attire just to hide your grotesque appearance and at least appear to have planned your look that way.
- You’ve chosen the wrong style/genre for your demographic and therefore cannot gain any traction in the market. No one comes up to you after your shows and asks for your music/website. No one asks where you’ll be playing next. And no one notices anything about your band other than wait until your done with your set.
As for me, I got lucky enough to find 3 other musicians that are all on the same page for the product we are promoting to the proper demographic. We have an adequate site, lots of paying gigs, transportation, rehearsal space, contacts, booking agent, promotion, etc. But like I said before, I can recall many former bands that crashed and burned, and I know the reasons above were the key failures.
Whether you’re original, cover, or function/wedding band, there are certain parameters that cover us all. Have a good weekend everyone and make some $$$$, or have fun gigging, or both if you can.
Steve
www.taint-band.com
Anyone else with some ideas?
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