The Successful Band formula
So...since you're all so fascinated with my incredibly exciting existance, you'll be thrilled to know I'm still in western NY visiting my pal here.
But on to the real story - this weekend in a local resort town there was the the annual Oktoberfest, or the \"Fall-Down Fest\" as they call it around here.
During the festivities, my pal n I did a little bar-hopping and saw a 5-piece group playing. Drummer, bass, 2 git'rs, and a KB player. All late-30's to late 40's, tho the one git'rist coulda been 50-something???
Anyway. They were very good - tight, good players, all sang well, excellent songlist, etc. Really enjoyed it.
But what got my attention was how they did all the things people talked about when 'taus and others were trolling for tips n trix for a band.
They talked up the service people (bartenders, waitrons, etc)
They talked to the crowd a lot.
Great setlists: mid-70's to mid-90's; everything from classic funk/disco hits to Van Halen, lots of classic rock. And they had the tunes nailed, right down to the drum licks. Excellent vox/harmonies, great players.
They had lots of rhythm toys for the crowd to pick up - tambourines, etc. The chix were all over that.
They encouraged people to dance in front of, and even ON, the stage (which was floor level), and let the floozies sit on the KB'ist's lap, bump n grind with the bass/git'rists, etc. The chix had an outrageous time and I'd post the floozie pics but I got busted taking them by the hottest girl in the bar, who I nearly went home with (my married pal was losing his lunch over her, she was so hott 8)), but had to let her go, as I had a \"date\" showing up within minutes. Ah yes, the nightlife... :roll:
But definitely the kind of cover band I'd want to be in. It's the kind of band I imagine 'taus to be in. And if I could make points with chix like the little sweetie I met that night, I'd give up my day job to do it.
But on to the real story - this weekend in a local resort town there was the the annual Oktoberfest, or the \"Fall-Down Fest\" as they call it around here.
During the festivities, my pal n I did a little bar-hopping and saw a 5-piece group playing. Drummer, bass, 2 git'rs, and a KB player. All late-30's to late 40's, tho the one git'rist coulda been 50-something???
Anyway. They were very good - tight, good players, all sang well, excellent songlist, etc. Really enjoyed it.
But what got my attention was how they did all the things people talked about when 'taus and others were trolling for tips n trix for a band.
They talked up the service people (bartenders, waitrons, etc)
They talked to the crowd a lot.
Great setlists: mid-70's to mid-90's; everything from classic funk/disco hits to Van Halen, lots of classic rock. And they had the tunes nailed, right down to the drum licks. Excellent vox/harmonies, great players.
They had lots of rhythm toys for the crowd to pick up - tambourines, etc. The chix were all over that.
They encouraged people to dance in front of, and even ON, the stage (which was floor level), and let the floozies sit on the KB'ist's lap, bump n grind with the bass/git'rists, etc. The chix had an outrageous time and I'd post the floozie pics but I got busted taking them by the hottest girl in the bar, who I nearly went home with (my married pal was losing his lunch over her, she was so hott 8)), but had to let her go, as I had a \"date\" showing up within minutes. Ah yes, the nightlife... :roll:
But definitely the kind of cover band I'd want to be in. It's the kind of band I imagine 'taus to be in. And if I could make points with chix like the little sweetie I met that night, I'd give up my day job to do it.
Comments
Obviously they have been lurking and following taus's threads! :P
Dude, I told ya....see what happens when you come down out of the hills?? No more slathering over Shania. Well, maybe not as much.
Hey Shredd... good on ya mate!
I constantly remind myself of those suggestions, and others, offered by the guys here on the forum. You don't just get great advice like from people off the street. That advice comes from experience working with crowds and I took all those suggestions to heart.
This past weekend my (re)formed band made it's first performance in over 3 months. I did the announcements and talking to the crowd. We got some requests from a table and I made sure we announced that the next song was for that specific table and they really seemed to appreciate that. I met a guy in his fifties during break and got his name - later in the night he came up on stage and sang a song (Pretty Woman) for us with my band backing him. He was smiling from ear to ear and the locals were hooting and hollering for him. We thanked him, by name, for coming out and singing with us because it really makes our night when we can do stuff like that. And of course, during the night, from the stage, we thanked the owner of the bar for 'inviting' us out for the night to play at his bar for his friends and how much we had enjoyed it. I try to make all those announcements at least once per set because people come and go.
The owner of the club loved us. He is talking to us about doing his biggest annual \"Biker's Day\" event next year. The last 'Rock' band he hired for his big event nearly killed each other while on stage and barely made it through the night. He said he had sworn off rock bands after that experience for a long time. We were the first rock band he hired in over a year, and really liked our music, our stage presence, and how well my bandmates interact with each other. We had people dancing from the very first song to the end of the night (we played from 9 til 2). I can honestly say, that after 2 years of gigging on stage, that was the best show we ever put on - both musically, and working with the crowd. It really felt good.
We are the only band in the area that talks up the workers, the owner/manager, and makes announcements for the venue. It separates us from the other local bands in the area of \"professionalism.\" That is all stuff I learned from you guys on this forum. Our music list is constantly changing and expanding and some of our best song leads have come from the suggestions I received on this forum.
I know that I have been \"trolling for tips n trix for my band\" and make lots of requests here on the forum. I take those suggestions to heart. My band has been gigging for just over 2 years now which is really saying something since most bands around here don't make it much past their first night on stage - if they ever get out of the practice room at all. A large part of our continued success has been learning how to work those points that Shredd mentions he saw on stage and has read about in this forum.
Shredd, I hope someday to see a post from you telling us that you are now gigging in a band. It can be lots of fun when the chemistry is there between the bandmates and the crowd. Nothing like it.
Anyway...what I meant to say is that your ('taus)'s group is a real benchmark, something I admire and aspire to, and in the meantime live vicariously through. Lots of great stories about this group over the last year or two. JV's too.
Great Songs, mix them up. Take requests.
Have a feel for spontaneity (those moments of knowing what to play, what to say).
Get to know the patrons. Walk around before show and breaks and find out if there are any special reasons they are there (coming from another event, birthday, anniv, etc).
Generate a mailing list. Use FaceBook, band website, and other sources. Communication is key so drop off and post fliers at venues you are playing 7-10 days in advance. To some, this is a pain or inconvenient, but it really adds potential for walk in's and regulars to want to see you perform. On avg you should be able to grab the attention of 20-30% of the patronage. That results in bodies which is good for your band. Clubs like to see their regulars on other nights besides 1.00 drafts and happy hour.
Band:
Practice practice practice until songs are second nature.
Practice, practice, practice. Of course. I have found my practice is much more productive now that I am recording our live gigs with my Zoom HD16CD multi-track recorder. I take the songs, recorded in 8 tracks, and just completely drop my channel from the mix and play along with the recording for my practice. Since my bass guitar is recorded direct from the GNX4 output, I can eliminate almost all my bass from the live recording on the Zoom for practice play-along. If your band has the discipline to lay down tracks during practice, that would be great. You could even use the GNX to record your band on one track and your instrument on the other track. My band doesn't want to take the time to do that. But recording us live on the multi-track Zoom recorder has been great for me.
Get involved in this guitar forum and read all the great suggestions and advice offered by people who actually know what they are talking about. Almost all my good ideas have come from the guys on this forum.