My experience in the music biz.....

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dantell

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If it cost money upfront it's a scam. If somebody really believes in your music they will promote you for no money up front, but expect a percentage off the top when you do make some cash. That is the music biz..............period. Everything and I mean EVERYTHING that promises to fullfill your dreams for a little cash up front is a scam. No exceptions. So what if all of the sudden 260 people from Bumfuc, Eqypt have downloaded your songs off your webpage or mp3.com. It ain't putting any money in your pocket.
Let me save everyone a lot of time and effort and broken hearts.
The music biz is very hard. I've been in a gigging band for over a year now. We have a devoted following. We play 50% originals and 50% covers in the hard rock heavy metal style. Don't play all original shit. Tried it, takes too long. Sell your prerecorded CD's and CASSETTES every time you gig. Don't give ANY away. If you give them away it's just like sending them to a major label. If people have an investment in your music they WILL listen. If you gave it to them they will lose it or use it for a coaster. That is how it works.......period. Sell T shirts at your gigs. Don't sell a half assed recording of your band. Have it professionally done. I do all of our recordings but I know how. If you don't, don't bother. Hanging flyers all over town is worthless and a waste of time. Buying radio time to announce a great time is money well spent. Dedicated fans are fickle and you will lose some to the band that warmed up for you. YOUR MUSIC IS NOT MAGIC. There is no heavenly angel that is going to whisper in everyones ear about you. You play to drunks and druggies and they are only going to remember you if for some reason you stood out that night. If you are having sound difficulties never act like you are pissed at the sound guy. Sound check should be done way before anyone shows up. If you become a problem or a headache to the bar owner, that will be your last gig there.
My thoughts on the internet. Promote it only on the free sites and don't subscribe to anything that costs money. No reason to. I've done it. It pays nothing. Don't give away all your music on the internet. Give them a taste of your best shit, then sell them an album. Most people that hang in bars don't even own a computer. About only half own a CD player. But almost everyone owns a cassette player or some sort.
Put on a good show. A very tight show. Have some actual choreographed moves for excitement. Don't just stand there and bang your head.
Every fan will hate a few of your songs. The next fan will love the ones the other one hated.
There will always be someone who thinks you suck. Don't ever let that even bother you. Hell the fucker probably plays the zither.
This is my experience. Take it for what it is. Been there, done it. I made a lot of mistakes. But this year I'm not. I'm having the website revamped and I'm going to only upload a few partial songs to my site. We are going to gig our asses off and if something happens great. If it doesn't there is always next year
 
Preach on!!!

Even if it only is to the choir.
 
You guys are too skeptical.

What about:

studios
attorneys
record pressing
radio promotion
street promotion

All of those things cost money upfront.
 
I have to address this one.

I'm talking about getting something for your money........NIMROD....iF I join mp3.com's Premium Artist's Services just so they can possibly pay me one red fuckin cent because 450 people downloaded a song from our song list. Whopdie fuckin' do. Let's see uh..........hmmmmm. Dern!!!!I lost 19.98 in one month to mp3.com. Let's see, hmmmmmm, that means that sucks as far as a good investment in my band. Hey but you get an mp3 fast uploader, so it only takes 5 minutes to upload a song instead of 10. And hey it only costs 19.99 a month for this 'tubload of shit' .
Next;
Attorneys
What do I need an Attorney for? I play gigs in a club, I sell my own shit. I guess somebody might choke on my CD and sue me. I don't have a record deal and until I do I don't need an attorney. Total on Attorney fees $0.00
Next;
Studios.............Hmmmmmmmmmmm Aren't we on some kind of Home Recording Board??????? Aren't we all on this board recording our own songs. Wrong site dude
Cost on Studio Time $0.00
Next;
Street Promotion
This ones a toughy, because hang up flyers is totally worthless. Done it. Costs about 11 cents a flyer. If you think somebody's gonna see your flyer hanging above the urinal and think they want to come see you, think again. 99.9% of everyone that goes out is looking to get layed. A few, mainly musicians themselves, come to actually see the band and they're still there to get layed.
So, for arguments sake, let's say we throw a measly $2.22 for flyers because we are idiots.
Profit the printer made off my dumb ass $2.22
Next;
Record Pressing
CD Pressing. I pay about $1.50 per CD for store bought quality. I sell them for $10 at our gigs. On a decent night we will sell 25 CDs. I've profited $212.50 for that night and we sold 7 shirts at a $8.00 profit each, that's $56 bucks. We also got $3.00 a head out of the $5 that they charged for 70 people. That's another $210. Out of that night we have about 10 converts to our cause and they told a few people and burned a couple of CD's passed they out and for some reason, through word of mouth, a few people hit our site and we sold 3 more CD off of that. That is another $25.50. So in one night we made $504.00.
We've made more and we've made less. But this would be a good average.
I would consider this a GOOD investment. I got something for my money. Not an empty Bullshit promise of Stardom.
Hopefully our fan base will keep growing.
I don't pay for my CDs upfront, only on delivery so the total upfront cost on this little idea.............0.00
Next;
Radio.....................hey I only had to pay for the first time I advertised with them, the second time it was always on credit until after the gig. Besides there is always a way to get free radio. There is usually a hometown deal on most Sundays and we go to the radio station and bribe our way in with Tacos. It works. We get them to play a song or two and announce our gig.
Radio costs upfront with Tacos $20.00
There you have it.
By the way, if anyone's reading this, if you send me $100.00 I'll listen to your CD and critique it. Submit it to some major labels(Ha-Ha) and string you along for 6 months telling you I can get you signed until you grow weary and go away. It's a Great Investment!!!!!!! for me. I gave of my time to type this. You send me $100 and I'll fuck you out of it.
Good Luck everyone!!!!!!!
Dantell
 
Re: I have to address this one.

Are you saying that hosting your music and making it available to the world isn't "something for your money?"
 
dantell said:
...Have some actual choreographed moves for excitement. Don't just stand there and bang your head...
Click to expand...


But...

but...


I just spent days choreographing my band's on-stage moves.

We don't just stand there and bang our heads, we stand there and bang our heads in unison!

Is this okay?

Brad

P.S. K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton RULE!
 
Reply to da Man

Yes my 8.95 a month goes to hosting our website. Just because I have a website doesn't promise that anyone will find it unless you direct them into your site. You can meta-tag the hell out of your site and it might bring in a few visitors a day. You can go and load up on a bunch of bulletin boards(like this one) and shamelessly promote your band by spamming the hell out of it. What I want to know is, how the hell does a no talent like 'ill Mitch have 680,000 hits on his website? A russian rapper? Give me a fuckin' break. This guys blows. But who am I to judge? I laughed my ass off at eminem. I thought he was a joke. But he's selling a shitload of cds. So who am I to say that anyone sucks? Promotion must be the key. Yep, It's radio and the Majors telling us who to like. We follow just like a bunch of cattle going in to feed.
Oops a little off the subject. Sorry, those bong hits are kicking in.
Yes, David hosting my music is worth the money. You got me on that one. It's pretty cheap though. But mp3 will host it for free and you don't have to sign up for the premium services. There is a few others that will too.
Banging your head in unison is still cool only if you are covering Kiss or Judas Priest song. We've actually covered "You got another thing comin'' at a wedding gig. I think that song got the biggest response of the night. The groom replied, "Dudes.....you are so 80's" It was fun till the bride puked on my mic and monitor singing "Highway to Hell". There I go again. Off the subject . That was some good shit. Anyway,
ROCK ON AND LET'S BRING BACK LEAD GUITAR!!!!
I'm gonna get something to eat
Later
 
Lil Mitch, whether or not you like his music, is compelling. People are taking about him and they're curious about what he sounds like...and that sells CDs.

Everybody here could learn something from him.
 
Bang Your Head........Mental Health will drive.......

I finally got it. I see the whole shebang. I figured out how these bastards are using the internet and gaining all these hits on their site. I went searching to see what kind of angle "Bitch Mitch" is using and I stumbled upon it. Wow, it's kind of simple. It's kind of like meta-tagging your site but multiplying it by 20,000. He has definately caused a buzz in cyberworld. Send me $100 and I'll tell you what it is........................Just kidding. I'm going to do a little experimenting with my own site and give this little idea a try. I'll let you know how it comes out.
Dantell
 
Re: Bang Your Head........Mental Health will drive.......

dantell said:
Wow, it's kind of simple. It's kind of like meta-tagging your site but multiplying it by 20,000. He has definately caused a buzz in cyberworld.
Click to expand...

what do you mean? i looked at his source code and it didn't appear that way.......am i missing something?

explain more about what you think please.........
 
Say Dantell,
Speaking of getting off the subject, I checked your web page and saw that you are playing at Georges Majestic Lounge. I played there back back in 79. Isnt that the place with the train tracks right next to the "beer gardens"¿ I like your DIY approach and wish you the best of luck.
el jordo
 
Right next to the train tracks

Yep that's the place. That place pulls a good crowd on it's own. It's right next to the U of A, where you get a lot of college kids. We recorded one of our shows there and I'm mixing it down right now. Thanks man
Dantell
 
I feel Ill Mitchs...uh... success... is attributable to one thing. That is the fact that he is a novelty.

His project is so terrible that you can't help but forward the suffering to other people. :)

Though it's not as bad as a Columbus, OH christian local "Martyrshop Quartet"...a trio who would play a song in the background (words and all) and scream their own lyrics over it. People accidently started yelling "Get off the stage!" because they didn't know they were a "real" act the first time I saw them...I think they're broke up now...or murdered...they were terrible...
 
Live is the Most $$$$$$

As a band we have made most our money performing live. You have to put on a good show. You have to be original. I've seen some horrible bands. I've seen audiences just stand there and stare after a band finishes a song. So, with that said, you must realize nothing flows over better than a gimmick. You can jump around all over the stage like an electrocuted fag. That not only looks stupid, but the audience will talk amongst themselves and discuss how stupid you look. Or you can just stand there and move around and look kind of cool and maybe bounce a little and the audience will not pay attention at all. Especially if you're playing an original song. So what is the answer...................... ???
Two words FRONT MAN. Your front man has to have character, and be one at the same time. He needs to get the audience involved. That's how the rappers do it. They get the audience involved and they get involved with the audience. How many times have you seen a rapper yell "Put your hands in the air!!!" Now we are not Rappers or Hip-hoppers, but we are rockers. We yell at people, single them out, embarass the hell out of them and tell them to get the fuck on the dance floor even if you can't dance to our shit. That is the whole key. Controlling your audience. Showing them a good "MEMORABLE" time. Telling them "Let's all get drunk and be somebody". Single somebody out and tell them to go get you a drink. Tell a wild story about your last gig........MUST BE FUNNY AND INTERESTING AND SHORT. We also get one of our dedicated fans to come up and help us sing his/her favorite song and make an extremely big deal out of this. Once you have them in the palm of your hand sell your shit shamelessly. Never announce that you are trying to sell them something until you've showed them something. It works.
Later
Dantell
 
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