Which is more important?

[Jack Simpson]

Which is more important? Playing live all over the place with self-promotion, or recording and sending demos out all over the place? How do professionals get big?

 

[Gidge]

Playing live....

 

[matty_boy]

Playing live is more important. Often poeple make demoes just so that they can get gigs.

 

[dr.colossus]

would'nt hurt to do both, the more live experience the better though....

 

[BrettB]

Depends what genre you make,

With my new band, we put our first goal to record a demo, because we don't have the facilities to rehearse much, and also the music we make lends to it. We work with trumpets, hammonds, organs, ahd the usual setûp, so while recording our songs devellop.

 

[Downside Studio]

A combination of both, performing and sending live-demo's.

If your goal is to be big you can go 2 ways:

1. Hope to get airplay and recognition

2. try to play yourself into the picture. Remember that somebody will book your band in the hope there are people coming to watch you who will buy drinks etc. So the booker has to make money from your audience. You'll make less impression by sending in a studio-demo. If you would send the booker a demo from a live gig (mayby add a little extra crowd but don't tell) with a crowd going wild, this will make much more impression. The demo should give the impression of a crowded venue and people really going into the music.
Remember what kind of place your sending this demo to. So don't add a wembley audience if your goal is to perform in the local cafe. Also the other way round.

 

[BrettB]

I know what you mean about extra audience an overdub of applause really works, and I'm convinced that with many live-CD's even of popular musician, sevral audiences were manipulated.

 

[Downside Studio]

Or when the guitarist plays this really cool solo, and the whole crowd doesn't notice because their all too busy drinking beer and looking at the girls. great to add some cheering there.

 

[mixmkr]

Or when the guitarist plays this really cool solo, and the whole crowd doesn't notice because their all too busy drinking beer and looking at the girls. great to add some cheering there.

yeah...and keep those solos under 30 seconds and turn up the reverb!!!

[sorry...had to say it!! ]

 

[Downside Studio]

yeah...and keep those solos under 30 seconds and turn up the reverb!!!

Unless you're playing in a cathedral and the rest of the band didn't show up, and you forgot your electric guitar.

That would leave you solo on acoustic...free reverb though

 

[John Sayers]

How do professionals get big?

Spend lots on drugs to feed the record execs habits!!....works every time.

Also make sure at least one member is gay, to feed the record execs habits.

cheers
John

 

[AlexHerd]

LIVE!