05-15-2002, 05:47 PM
OK, this is really long. Sorry, but there's so much to say on it. Just read it through because I'm really interested to hear your opinions and viewpoints on it.
Two sections here.
So you’re starting a band. You’ve been practicing those guitar licks until they were perfect. Worked on your chops for countless hours. You’re now a guitar god. So, you find some other people and start jamming. Now what? Where do you go from here?
What kind of music do you play? A lot of bands start out doing covers (ok, most bands), so what kind of music do you play? Do you play catchy radio hits that all the frat boys and girls want to hear? Do you play that obscure stuff that you’re really into but no one else has heard? Do you compromise between the two? Is it possible to book gigs when all you play is noise core? It’s probably REALLY tough. You’re going to see a lot of VFW halls in your future. So you opt for the catchy tunes route. At what point do you just get sick of it and play what you want? When you do, do you lose all your bookings because of it?
Personally, I’ve done a bit of playing in my day. We’ve done the play other peoples tunes to jam. We’ve also played some really out there shit. If I’m going to invest the amount of time it takes to practice, then deal with organizing a group, and the countless hours of rehearsal, I’m gonna play what I want. I’m not going to play Creed because I think that the kids at the bar will like it. What the hell do they know, they think DMB was the greatest band ever. Now don’t get me wrong, we will play some more commercially friendly music, by bigger known bands. But it’s going to be stuff we enjoy playing. You won’t hear us playing Creed, Incubus, Limp Bizkit, etc. Why on earth would I want to do something I LOVE (playing music), but not doing it the way I want? I don’t like that music, I don’t like their attitudes, and I don’t like the fans. My attitude in music, and in life, is I’m going to do what I want, and if you like it, GREAT, if not, sorry but I’m going to do it anyway. This is pretty much the basis of what Punk music was. Not that I consider myself punk because I don’t like a lot of punk music, but its all about the attitude.
Second part. The music you listen to.
How much of the music you listen to is because you really like it, and how much is because you turn on the radio and hear it everyday? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten shit for loving Radiohead. On this board, and in real life. Not many of my friends are into them, and I know many of you think they’re overrated. I think they’re talented musicians who have taken a few different turns in their career and many people don’t flow with it. Two of my other favorite bands are The Melvins, and Ween. Ween has gotten a bit of notoriety in the past few years, but still remain pretty much underground. Yeah, most of their stuff is hard to listen to, but I love the creativity, and I really dig their songs. Sure, almost all of their lyrics are really out there, and more comedic than anything else, but I love it. Take The Melvins. They are everything I love about music, and the “punk rock attitude”. They started in the mid-80’s right along side all the other Seattle bands. In fact, almost every one of those bands credit The Melvins to being the originators of Grunge. A lot of the other bands made it really big while the Melvins didn’t. Why? They decided to move out of Washington to California. They wanted no part of what was going on there. Their music changes constantly, and they will do things JUST to piss people off. Like play entire concerts where all it is is noise. They went from being one of that fastest bands, to one of the slowest bands over night. If really flipped people out. Just more of the stuff that I love.
Sure, I’ll listen to bunch of stuff thats “commercial”, but a lot of it really doesn’t groove with me. I listen to stuff that I find appealing to ME. Not to record companies, or to the guy next door.
Two sections here.
So you’re starting a band. You’ve been practicing those guitar licks until they were perfect. Worked on your chops for countless hours. You’re now a guitar god. So, you find some other people and start jamming. Now what? Where do you go from here?
What kind of music do you play? A lot of bands start out doing covers (ok, most bands), so what kind of music do you play? Do you play catchy radio hits that all the frat boys and girls want to hear? Do you play that obscure stuff that you’re really into but no one else has heard? Do you compromise between the two? Is it possible to book gigs when all you play is noise core? It’s probably REALLY tough. You’re going to see a lot of VFW halls in your future. So you opt for the catchy tunes route. At what point do you just get sick of it and play what you want? When you do, do you lose all your bookings because of it?
Personally, I’ve done a bit of playing in my day. We’ve done the play other peoples tunes to jam. We’ve also played some really out there shit. If I’m going to invest the amount of time it takes to practice, then deal with organizing a group, and the countless hours of rehearsal, I’m gonna play what I want. I’m not going to play Creed because I think that the kids at the bar will like it. What the hell do they know, they think DMB was the greatest band ever. Now don’t get me wrong, we will play some more commercially friendly music, by bigger known bands. But it’s going to be stuff we enjoy playing. You won’t hear us playing Creed, Incubus, Limp Bizkit, etc. Why on earth would I want to do something I LOVE (playing music), but not doing it the way I want? I don’t like that music, I don’t like their attitudes, and I don’t like the fans. My attitude in music, and in life, is I’m going to do what I want, and if you like it, GREAT, if not, sorry but I’m going to do it anyway. This is pretty much the basis of what Punk music was. Not that I consider myself punk because I don’t like a lot of punk music, but its all about the attitude.
Second part. The music you listen to.
How much of the music you listen to is because you really like it, and how much is because you turn on the radio and hear it everyday? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten shit for loving Radiohead. On this board, and in real life. Not many of my friends are into them, and I know many of you think they’re overrated. I think they’re talented musicians who have taken a few different turns in their career and many people don’t flow with it. Two of my other favorite bands are The Melvins, and Ween. Ween has gotten a bit of notoriety in the past few years, but still remain pretty much underground. Yeah, most of their stuff is hard to listen to, but I love the creativity, and I really dig their songs. Sure, almost all of their lyrics are really out there, and more comedic than anything else, but I love it. Take The Melvins. They are everything I love about music, and the “punk rock attitude”. They started in the mid-80’s right along side all the other Seattle bands. In fact, almost every one of those bands credit The Melvins to being the originators of Grunge. A lot of the other bands made it really big while the Melvins didn’t. Why? They decided to move out of Washington to California. They wanted no part of what was going on there. Their music changes constantly, and they will do things JUST to piss people off. Like play entire concerts where all it is is noise. They went from being one of that fastest bands, to one of the slowest bands over night. If really flipped people out. Just more of the stuff that I love.
Sure, I’ll listen to bunch of stuff thats “commercial”, but a lot of it really doesn’t groove with me. I listen to stuff that I find appealing to ME. Not to record companies, or to the guy next door.
<center>
i want something good to die for, to make it beatiful to live</center>
i want something good to die for, to make it beatiful to live</center>