17 Things Local Bands Don't understand .

Hmmm..... That arrangement sounds like enthusiastic members are being 'planted' in the audience. Not cool, and not genuine IMO.
But glad you enjoy doing it.

It wasn't pre-planned and nobody was told to do it. It just happened spontaneously and everyone had a good time, but I understand that in some scenes it could work while in others it wouldn't go down so well.
 
One thing that really pisses me off about a lot of local bands here in the bay area is that they think they're too cool to stay and listen to the rest of the bands on the bill if they aren't last. On the same coin, if you are last, it's a punk move to leave and ignore the other bands only to come back right before your set.

Some guys always have a stupid excuse ready too(maybe stop booking gigs right before you have to "get up early" on sunday?)... But it's clear to me, especially after the 3rd or 4th time that they just don't give a shit about the other bands or their music.

Irks me maybe more than it should.

Kind of similar and less frequent is when a band knows when they're going on, and has all their friends just show up for the one hour and not see any of the supporting bands. We should all encourage the other acts and support as much as possible.
 
Hmmm..... That arrangement sounds like enthusiastic members are being 'planted' in the audience. Not cool, and not genuine IMO.

We used to do the same thing, and even extended it to stuff like cross-staffing the merch table, co-oping with dance and theater troupes, partnerships with local businesses for plugs, crowd ringer planting, etc. Every trick in the book to get people dancing, hitting the bar, buying merch, and coming back to the next show.

Had I known back then how "uncool" we were being, I would have thrown in the towel long before I did.
 
One thing that really pisses me off about a lot of local bands here in the bay area is that they think they're too cool to stay and listen to the rest of the bands on the bill if they aren't last. On the same coin, if you are last, it's a punk move to leave and ignore the other bands only to come back right before your set.

There's a venue near me that doesn't tolerate this sort of behaviour. In fact, if bands do this they are named and shamed on the venue's Facebook page and they are not asked back to play there again.
 
I've worn cargo shorts once or twice to a gig, but that was in the dead of summer when it was 100 degrees outside at 7 pm (when we played).

I usually dress nice, but I made a fucking exception to that rule in that case.

I think the next gig you do, you should dress up like a king (Think George V for example) and have some incredibly fancy crown to show that only the drummer is a king.
 
There's a venue near me that doesn't tolerate this sort of behaviour. In fact, if bands do this they are named and shamed on the venue's Facebook page and they are not asked back to play there again.

Good. I think it should always be as such for local bands. Support each other dammit!
 
I thought it was pretty universally accepted that cargo shorts aren't to be worn by any man over the age of 23.

Also, no leather jackets after Memorial Day.

No straw hats before Memorial Day or after Labor Day (except on blazing hot days when you're outdoors).

No felt hats in the summer

No indoor hats.

No white pants, except at clam bakes.
 
My bands have rack mounted heads with a tuner in them. When they tune it doesn't come out of the amp. they look at the display..

Out of tune guitars is frigging AWFUL to hear haha. It takes them about 15 seconds to get it back as they are already usually pretty close.

Every 2-3 songs I recommended tuning. Or grab a second guitar.

I agree though. The tuning song is pretty annoying to hear in the crowd, E,E,B,B,G,G,D,D,A,A,E,E (although we tune to B)


I'm sure people don't like to hear us tuning our drums on stage, or practicing doubles, grooving between songs. etc.

My band actually treats the last few jams before a gig LIKE the gig. Singer practices banter like he is at the gig. No screwing around between songs in the set etc.. It just makes things run smooth.

^^^^ That's exactly how we practice before a gig.
 
I thought it was pretty universally accepted that cargo shorts aren't to be worn by any man over the age of 23.

Also, no leather jackets after Memorial Day.

No straw hats before Memorial Day or after Labor Day (except on blazing hot days when you're outdoors).

No felt hats in the summer

No indoor hats.

No white pants, except at clam bakes.

And camouflage is not a style

and you don't wear your cap backwards beyond the age of 30.

8>)
 
- You don't have to dress "nice" for every show because it doesn't befit every style of music to do so. I play in a heavy psych band with two female singers and a full on projection screen behind us. We'd look ridiculous wearing suits and dresses, but we'd look equally ridiculous in denim jackets with band patches or oversized tie-dye shirts.

The best advice I've heard on that topic is "Don't look like you're one of the people who just got off work to come drink and watch your band."

- Bands not sticking around after the set, or manipulating their crowd to come in just before their set.....that's a problem that will never go away.
Sometimes people have viable reasons (work/cant leave their gear in the venue and cant leave it sitting in the car) Sometimes they're just selfish people who think the entire night exists solely to have people journey to come watch them play a guitar.

I will say this, I feel like other bands (who tend to be good bands) notice when you play an active part in promoting the show as an entire evening concept and/or share your audience with them the night of. Sometimes it's as simple as mentioning that one of the other bands is selling an awesome T-shirt design over at the same table where yours are. It's the easiest way to make friends with other bands doing their shit correctly and leads to playing future shows with them.

I'm sure there are quite a few successful bands who spent their club days trotting into a venue, acting like assholes, not passing out the drink tickets to the other bands, and then leaving after they killed it on stage (12 minutes over their set time).

I'm certain there are a lot more awesome bands that came about because a bunch of people were in various bands, were generally cool and helpful towards each other, and eventually coalesced into better groups and collectives of the best players with a reputation for having the most cooperative attitudes.
 
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Cargo shorts are out, but Tommy Aldridge can wear a loincloth? (wink) I would add,

18. Get to the gig in time to get set up and do a sound check

19. Mixing from the stage is a recipe for disaster.

The last working band I was in has a lead guitarist who got to the gig 10 minutes before start time, insisted on running sound from the stage, and then at 9 PM said "Hello! Welcome to sound check!" Between that and his refusal to play songs IN BARS that anyone knew, we didn't last long. Pity too, because musically we were pretty good.
 
20. Two minutes of electronic noise music composed by the drummer is an entirely respectable way of filling time in a set when the band is i) a metal band ii) doing a reunion after 10 years and iii) has six weeks to get everything together.

Ahem.
 
But I wear cargo shorts!
Somewhat (but not overly) baggy ones that hang below the knees. Rounds out how I look with my height with how skinny I am, and visually fits the style of music my band plays.
 
1. Enjoy what you play, and look like you enjoy it. Enthusiasm beats a band playing by numbers, every time.

2. Creativity. You don't need to be the worlds best musicians to be creative, just try something different.

3. Believe in the band 100%. If you don't why should anyone else.
 
1) Work together as a socially functional unit.

2) If something doesn't work, don't have an ego about it, just fix it.


Successful band done. :)
 
I disagree somewhat with the point about Facebook. It shouldn't be your only tool for promotion, but it's very useful for its networking properties alone.
 
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