Promotion
I haven't mentioned it to many people yet, as I am still in the very early stages of planning, but I am going to be running a charity gig to raise money for Oxfam in October. There are several reasons that I want to do this. The first is that Oxfam is a charity that I feel does great work and I have often thought about doing charity work. I also have very little experience in the live music industry (I'm not counting performing, I'm talking about the business), so I think that it will be beneficial for me to be on the promoting side and see the live music business in the flesh. I have a great love for live music, it is by far my greatest passion (apart from my girlfriend whom I'm sure will read this), and I really want to be a part of promoting live music and raising money and awareness for a charity that does amazing work. These are all good reasons to promote a show, but perhaps the main reason for me as far as my future is concerned, is that it will look great on my CV, provided that the show is at least moderately successful.
In Progress
So far, I have managed to book a venue and book a supporting band (I didn't ask them to be a support band, they requested not to headline). I have yet to book a headlining band, but I am optimistic, I need a band/musician who can sell tickets, feel passionate about live music and about raising money for charity. I have a few acts in mind and am currently waiting to hear back from a few booking agents and artists to confirm.
While I'm waiting, one or two things have occurred to me. Firstly, if I book a band who have a reasonable following, and are also quite a lively, upbeat band, then I may have booked the wrong venue. In live music, you have to make sure (I assume, this is my first time) that the band booked suits the venue, and that the venue has sufficient space and equipment to deal with the band. Fortunately for me, my booking is only “pencilled in”, I haven't paid a deposit on it yet so it is fairly easy for me to move the gig to another venue more suited to my Headliner, provided the replacement venue has the same night available.
The next thought that keeps niggling at me in the question of promoted the gig and selling tickets once I have the line up sorted. Where can I get posters printed? There are several places in Southampton that do poster printing, but they are not cheap, would it be better to get posters printed at uni at 5p a page? Cheaper yes, but the quality would be poor and look unprofessional. And then, once I have designed and had the posters printed, where can I put them? I would guess that both uni's would be a good place to start, the Oxfam shops on the high street would almost certainly let me put some posters up, and maybe some of the other local music venues in Southampton would be sporting enough to let me put some posters up, and maybe even a few flyers.
So that leaves us with the question of ticket printing. I have no idea how to get a decent deal on ticket printing, there are various places on the web that of it for 6p a ticket, but you have to buy them in bulk and the designs are never really what I'm looking for. One of the venues I had in mind does ticket printing at 15p per ticket. Its a more expensive deal, but I do get their logos on the ticket and most likely a ticket design that I am happy with. Swings and roundabouts really!
Professionalism
I intend to run this gig as professionally as I can, I am going to book the bands early and then quickly sort out who is going to need what, drum kits, amps ect. Once I have sorted out the back line and who is supplying it I will send each of the bands copies of the itinerary for the evening detailing what they need to bring, load in time, sound check times, show times and curfew. I will also give a copy of this to the venue and sound engineer, as well in advance as I can.
Reflection
This experience is showing me a side of the music industry I've never seen before. Its like running a business, I have 'x' amount of money to spend and I need to sell 'y' amount of tickets in order to break even and make 'c' amount of profit for Oxfam. This is showing me how promoters work with bands and booking agents, and I am learning the hard way that it not all that easy. However, I think this is something I am going to enjoy and it will hopefully be a fulfilling and enlightening adventure.
Un related
Going quickly to a drumming note, I have been practising full stroke doubles for the last two weeks and really working on my finger and wrist technique. This even I noticed that my tap stroke doubles and half stoke doubles were absolutely flying. Its fantastic how practising one technique can really transfer into other aspects of your playing and improve it in ways you didn't expect it too.
Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Scary thoughts and Perspective
Recording
Having spent the day in the studio today, I feel I've given myself a lot to think about. I was recording another drum cover today, and it has to be said, I was never really quite happy with any of the takes I did, which was very frustrating. I knew that today was going to be a struggle, as I was attempting to record drums for a Linkin Park track (will show everyone when its been mixed). Linkin Park were always going to be a tough band to cover, for a number of reasons, the biggest of which being quite obvious, Linkin Park use a lot of synthesisers and loops in there music, which makes it very electronic and dead metronomic. There is absolutely no room for mistakes and all mistakes are undeniably exposed making it a nightmare for drummers (well, for me at any rate). Having said that, I did very much enjoy the challenge, and eventually managed to put together a take that I was sort of happy with. They are an amazing band, Linkin Park, and have a phenomenal drummer whom I have to tip my hat to, not that I wear a hat, I'm not cool enough.
Scary Thoughts
The whole experience has got me thinking, what if I'm am just simply not good enough. It shouldn't matter how hard the track is, I should be able to nail it. So am I good enough? Can I ever be? The fact is that the music business is getting more and more competitive, there are 7 other very good drummers on my course, in my year alone. Think about how many others there are, in identical courses, at the Tech schools, at the music colleges. There are thousands of other drummers in this country alone, most of whom are probably at a higher standard than myself and are looking for the same kind of work I am. I am quickly beginning to feel like a very small fish in the Pacific Ocean! Everyday I hear about other drummers and musicians, guys who can nail takes in one, dead to a click, guys who can blast beat at 210 bmp without sweating. I can't do that! I have nailed takes in one before, but nothing complex, just basic beats. I could spend hours perfecting my fills on recordings, and I still most likely would hate them!
Contacts
And then there is the next scary thought. Who do I know? Who do I know that works in the music industry and would give me work? Of the top of my head, I can't think of anybody! So what am I going to do, in a years time when I finish uni and have to find work? Because I will have to work, I have to earn money. The last thing that I want to happen is to fall into a 9-5 job, and to not be able to be involved in the music industry at all. The idea of not working in music actually terrifies me, what will I do? What other skills do I have? Can I be happy with out music? Playing professionally is my dream, but is it realistic?
Perspective
I think I need to give myself some perspective here. Yes, there are thousands of other drummers in this country, and yes, music is becoming more perfectionist and far more quantised. But maybe this isn't something I should fear. And perhaps I don't need to see it as a competition to be the best drummer in the country. Because I won't win that, there will always be those who are better than me, that is the way the world works. What I need to be is good, professional, friendly and reliable, that's how to make it (I believe). As for contacts, all I can do is keep putting my self out there, you tube, jam nights, gigs what ever I can and as much as I can.
Well that's all folks, good night.
Having spent the day in the studio today, I feel I've given myself a lot to think about. I was recording another drum cover today, and it has to be said, I was never really quite happy with any of the takes I did, which was very frustrating. I knew that today was going to be a struggle, as I was attempting to record drums for a Linkin Park track (will show everyone when its been mixed). Linkin Park were always going to be a tough band to cover, for a number of reasons, the biggest of which being quite obvious, Linkin Park use a lot of synthesisers and loops in there music, which makes it very electronic and dead metronomic. There is absolutely no room for mistakes and all mistakes are undeniably exposed making it a nightmare for drummers (well, for me at any rate). Having said that, I did very much enjoy the challenge, and eventually managed to put together a take that I was sort of happy with. They are an amazing band, Linkin Park, and have a phenomenal drummer whom I have to tip my hat to, not that I wear a hat, I'm not cool enough.
Scary Thoughts
The whole experience has got me thinking, what if I'm am just simply not good enough. It shouldn't matter how hard the track is, I should be able to nail it. So am I good enough? Can I ever be? The fact is that the music business is getting more and more competitive, there are 7 other very good drummers on my course, in my year alone. Think about how many others there are, in identical courses, at the Tech schools, at the music colleges. There are thousands of other drummers in this country alone, most of whom are probably at a higher standard than myself and are looking for the same kind of work I am. I am quickly beginning to feel like a very small fish in the Pacific Ocean! Everyday I hear about other drummers and musicians, guys who can nail takes in one, dead to a click, guys who can blast beat at 210 bmp without sweating. I can't do that! I have nailed takes in one before, but nothing complex, just basic beats. I could spend hours perfecting my fills on recordings, and I still most likely would hate them!
Contacts
And then there is the next scary thought. Who do I know? Who do I know that works in the music industry and would give me work? Of the top of my head, I can't think of anybody! So what am I going to do, in a years time when I finish uni and have to find work? Because I will have to work, I have to earn money. The last thing that I want to happen is to fall into a 9-5 job, and to not be able to be involved in the music industry at all. The idea of not working in music actually terrifies me, what will I do? What other skills do I have? Can I be happy with out music? Playing professionally is my dream, but is it realistic?
Perspective
I think I need to give myself some perspective here. Yes, there are thousands of other drummers in this country, and yes, music is becoming more perfectionist and far more quantised. But maybe this isn't something I should fear. And perhaps I don't need to see it as a competition to be the best drummer in the country. Because I won't win that, there will always be those who are better than me, that is the way the world works. What I need to be is good, professional, friendly and reliable, that's how to make it (I believe). As for contacts, all I can do is keep putting my self out there, you tube, jam nights, gigs what ever I can and as much as I can.
Well that's all folks, good night.
Monday, 13 June 2011
Experience, Rocrding and Video
Its been a very long time since I last wrote on this, that is partly due to a lack of inspiration and motivation to write, but mostly down to having a busy second year at Solent. However, now I have the time to write, and no excuse not to!
Live Sound
So now I am starting to lay groundwork for life in the music industry, and I am looking to explore as many avenues as possible. One of the main things that I have been focused on in the last few weeks is live sound engineering, I have always been interested in live sound ever since we took a unit in it back in college, and I have often felt that I could make a living using a combination of performance and production. So in order to gain experience in live sound and production, I have been going to the Talking Heads (live music venue) a few times a week for the last few months to watch/assist the in house sound engineer there, who just happens to be a lecturer at Solent. Having been there, I have gained practice at rigging stages and operating equipment such as the sound desk, in addition to those things I have also learnt more about how the live industry works. As a sound engineer, not only do you need to be clued up on all the equipment your using, but you also need to be a stage manager when your working in smaller venues. You need to have great people skills and be able to deal with incompetent/unprofessional/self-important musicians alike (most musicians aren't like that, but I have met quite a few like this in my time at the Heads). I really have enjoyed my time at the Talking Heads, and I intend to continue to go there, however, I can't help feeling that it may all be in-vain, as I don't have any official live sound qualifications, and so I may not be able to find work anyway. A scary thought, the last thing I want is to be forced to fall into 9-5 and not be able to work in the music industry.
Recordings
I still have high hopes of being a performer, and I've spent along time developing my performance to bring it to a higher standard, I'm certainly not pro level yet, but I like to think I'm heading in the right direction! That is of course up for debate!. I'm trying to gain extra studio experience and at the same time showcase myself by recording drum covers in the studios at Solent, and videoing them. This allows me to post my recordings on youtube, where about 6 people may be interested in watching, but still, any exposure is good exposure I feel. I have already recorded a cover of the Doobie Brothers song “Long Train Running” which was great fun, although you wouldn't know it looking at my face on the video! Today I am heading into the studio again, hoping to record some Linkin Park covers today.
I realise that my writing hasn't been an interesting read today, a lot of “I did this” and “then I did that”, I promise I will try and make them more interesting in the future!
Live Sound
So now I am starting to lay groundwork for life in the music industry, and I am looking to explore as many avenues as possible. One of the main things that I have been focused on in the last few weeks is live sound engineering, I have always been interested in live sound ever since we took a unit in it back in college, and I have often felt that I could make a living using a combination of performance and production. So in order to gain experience in live sound and production, I have been going to the Talking Heads (live music venue) a few times a week for the last few months to watch/assist the in house sound engineer there, who just happens to be a lecturer at Solent. Having been there, I have gained practice at rigging stages and operating equipment such as the sound desk, in addition to those things I have also learnt more about how the live industry works. As a sound engineer, not only do you need to be clued up on all the equipment your using, but you also need to be a stage manager when your working in smaller venues. You need to have great people skills and be able to deal with incompetent/unprofessional/self-important musicians alike (most musicians aren't like that, but I have met quite a few like this in my time at the Heads). I really have enjoyed my time at the Talking Heads, and I intend to continue to go there, however, I can't help feeling that it may all be in-vain, as I don't have any official live sound qualifications, and so I may not be able to find work anyway. A scary thought, the last thing I want is to be forced to fall into 9-5 and not be able to work in the music industry.
Recordings
I still have high hopes of being a performer, and I've spent along time developing my performance to bring it to a higher standard, I'm certainly not pro level yet, but I like to think I'm heading in the right direction! That is of course up for debate!. I'm trying to gain extra studio experience and at the same time showcase myself by recording drum covers in the studios at Solent, and videoing them. This allows me to post my recordings on youtube, where about 6 people may be interested in watching, but still, any exposure is good exposure I feel. I have already recorded a cover of the Doobie Brothers song “Long Train Running” which was great fun, although you wouldn't know it looking at my face on the video! Today I am heading into the studio again, hoping to record some Linkin Park covers today.
I realise that my writing hasn't been an interesting read today, a lot of “I did this” and “then I did that”, I promise I will try and make them more interesting in the future!
Sunday, 23 January 2011
January- A new year, A long way to go
So people, I realise i'm a bit late to announce this, but a new year is upon us. So I'm starting to look for ways to start making money in the music industry. I only have 18 months left on my course, and then I'm on my own, into the big wide world. So in order to survive, I need to be making, even if its only semi pro to begin with, at least it will be something. I can always work part time whist I'm trying to make enough money work work as a full time musician.
Having done a bit of research, I have come up with some ideas for myself, the first one, is the dream one. Working full time as a drummer, this jobs would consist of playing in a band, sessioning in the studio and on tours, teaching and maybe some drum technician work as well. All of this could combine to make me enough money to get by. However, that is the dream, and I realise that I should be able to do some of those thing, but I may have to do other things also in order to earn enough money to get by. My second idea, is to write some music for TV, film or radio. I am currently saving up for my own studio software and I hope to start write music for TV programs or adverts in order to earn some money of off adverts.
There are 100's of other ideas running around my head, but it would take me much more time than I have to go through them all right now, I would like to end by wishing everyone a happy new year. Take it easy people.
Having done a bit of research, I have come up with some ideas for myself, the first one, is the dream one. Working full time as a drummer, this jobs would consist of playing in a band, sessioning in the studio and on tours, teaching and maybe some drum technician work as well. All of this could combine to make me enough money to get by. However, that is the dream, and I realise that I should be able to do some of those thing, but I may have to do other things also in order to earn enough money to get by. My second idea, is to write some music for TV, film or radio. I am currently saving up for my own studio software and I hope to start write music for TV programs or adverts in order to earn some money of off adverts.
There are 100's of other ideas running around my head, but it would take me much more time than I have to go through them all right now, I would like to end by wishing everyone a happy new year. Take it easy people.
Saturday, 13 November 2010
Birds In Flight: At the Joiners
So last night was a trip to The Joiners for the second time for me this week. I left my house with high expectations of the night to come. Although I have herd little of all 3 bands that played last night, before the show, I had herd nothing but good things about the bands from others than have been to see them in the last few weeks. The band that I reviewing today, is Birds In Flight.
Birds In Flight
Second on as The Joiner, were Glenn Hampson's “Birds In Flight”. The band are made up of Glenn Hampson on the drums, Theo McDonald on the Bass, Luke Allen on the guitar and with lead vocals Jess Gibbons (Apologies for any spelling mistakes with the names). All four members of the band are on the course with me at Solent, Jess is in the 3rd year and Glenn, Luke and Theo are all in the second year. Their influences include Incubus, Biffy Clyro, Paramore, Deftones, Chili Peppers. With plenty of stage presence and energy from the whole band, including Glenn, Birds In Flight made sure that everyone in the Joiners knew that they had arrived right from the off, and put on a really powerful performance from start to finish.
Sound
I really liked BIF's sound, I have always been a fan of heavy riffs, and Luke has written some brilliant heavy riffs that have a really interesting modern sounding attack on them which is very exciting to listen to. With these heavier riffs, the sound reminded me a bit of how Incubus sounded when they released S.C.I.E.N.C.E, heavy riffs with a distinct taste of funk underneath. The songs were, for me, engaging because they didn't go where I expected them to go, often, tracks would take a turn in the feel or the dynamics of the song which had a really good impact on the music, and kept us, as the audience, very much on our toes. This is a sign of a good band because in music, you can be excellent musicians, but if you're boring and predictable then nobody is going to buy a ticket to see you play. The group have obviously put a lot of thought into the sound and structure of their songs. Although the tracks didn't do what I expected them to do, they still flowed nicely between sections which is a mark of both good song writing and lots of rehearsal.
The band opened with a couple of really heavy and energetic tracks that immediately caught everyone's attention, before moving on to some more chilled out tracks with some lovely groves. Something else that was really nice to hear was having a female voice over heavy riffs. I have always preferred the heavier stuff myself, and its very rare that I come across a rock band with a female singer and the band doesn't sound exactly like Paramore (as much as I like Paramore). So this was really refreshing to hear and its a sound that works really well for the band. As well as the heavy stuff, the band also had some softer tracks. Unfortunately, I don't know the names for any of these songs so will have to bare with me when I say, I really liked the 3rd track! I did really like the 3rd track they played, for a couple of reasons. The band set a really nice groovy feel, which had a great contrast to their first to tracks which were very hard hitting and full on. The track also had a great pulse with a solid tempo which makes for a really good song to dance to, if your the dancing type. What was also nice about this song was the contrast in Vocals. In the first two tracks, Jess had applied herself well to singing with the energy and aggression of the songs, and this song really brought out another side of her voice and showed that her, and the band are very versatile musicians.
Performance
I could not fault the band on their stage presence last night, all four of them used as much of the stage as they could, particularly Theo, and it was clear to see how much they were enjoying themselves. One of the things that I have always said is that if you don't look convinced by your own music, then how are you ever going to convince anyone else by your music? On the whole, the band were very tight, there were one or two areas where Glenn and Theo needed to be a bit more together, they weren't out of time with each other, but in one or two places they were playing very different rhythms which, for me, didn't quite work. Other than that the band were very accurate and dead tight, particularly on the stops where they all stopped together and started together which sounded very professional. The vocals were very good too throughout the set, it is very difficult to stage in tune when playing live as everything is so loud it can be difficult to hear yourself. One of the highlights for me was when they performed a cover of Lady GaGa's “Bad Romance”. I loved their version of this because they were really imaginative with it, they put a completely different grove and feel onto the track but when the chorus came in with a really big sound that got everyone singing along. Jess also sang this in a more inventive way than the original track and Glenn and Luke sang some good backing vocals that really padded the chorus out nicely. Glenn also put a brilliant drum break in the middle which I absolutely loved, so on the whole it was a great cover and a great performance.
Verdict
Overall, Birds In Flight put on a fantastic performance, all of the band used the stage really well, interacted with the audience well and had some really good and well written songs. Considering they are a young band (only formed in the summer) they were very impressive and I look forward to hearing more of their work as time goes on. If you are a local in Southampton, they are playing at the Talking Heads tonight and I believe they are playing Hamptons on Thursday, though I could be wrong about that, but they are well worth checking out anyway! I would certainly go see them again.
Monday, 8 November 2010
Alice Avenue at The Joiners
its been a while since I last payed money to watch a gig, the last few gigs that I have been at I've either been playing or its been free entry. Tonight I went to see Alice Avenue play at The Joiners Southampton and it was a show well worth the admission fee of £5. Alice Avenue are a 3 piece band made up of Mike Wyatt on guitar and lead vocals, Jordan Easby on the bass and ALex kemp on the drums, all of which are in my year on the Popular music course at Solent. The band were formed over the course of last year and Joiners gig was one of their first "land mark" shows. (Though Im sure it didn't match up to playing The 100 Club last week).
Performance
Now that I've given a little bit of background, lets focus on the performance of the night. For me, it was probably the best show I've seen since I was at Bliss Fields earlier this year. The set was filled with blistering guitar solos, great bass fills and excellent drum beats from Alex, everything was dead tight and rehearsed to perfection, (as it Mike's way). The band also have, I don't want to say chemistry it sounds too weird, but they do have a great understanding between them. A great understanding certainly of music but also a great understanding between the three of them. Jordan and Alex were locked in dead tight, and the groves between the bass and the kick drum were well thought out and accurately played. Mike was great on the guitar, some really good licks as well as some fantastic solos that fitted the music really well, he also sang very well and was a very good front man despite the broken leg! There are few, if any, areas where I could really fault them on performance, so I'm not going to! There is such thing as being too picky!
Music
Alice Avenue has a really individual sound that really appealed to everyone in the room tonight. Their sound is difficult to describe, as is the case with most bands, but if I had to pick a style for them, I'd say that they were a fusion of Blues, Funk and Rock. I'm fairly sure that they would all disagree with me on that as very few bands like to be pigeon-holed into a set genre. One of the things that I most enjoyed about the band is that although each member puts in their own feel and personality into the music, they are very carful about doing it in such a way that it compliments what the other band members are doing. This is very refreshing to see as many band members try to either take over the much with too many licks and fills, or just don't put any personality or extra feel into the music at all. With Alice Avenue, this is not that case. The guitar solos were played in such a way that they added to the music, rather than took away from it, the fills on the drums and the bass were well placed and tasteful. Its great to see young musicians playing music that is well thought out and rehearsed and being enjoyed by the musicians and the band.
Conclusion
All in all, a great performance. Great music, well played, profession, fantastic! If I was going to be very critical then i would suggest that the band could use a few more members, perhaps some keys or brass? However this may take away from the feel that the band already have as a 3 piece, but still worth considering. Even staying as a 3 piece though, more could be added to the sound with the use of some backing vocals from Alex or Jordan. There is some room for some really nice vocal harmonies. But thats just me being very picky. Well done guys, keep it up!
you can access Alice Avenue's Myspace Account here
http://www.myspace.com/aliceavenue
Performance
Now that I've given a little bit of background, lets focus on the performance of the night. For me, it was probably the best show I've seen since I was at Bliss Fields earlier this year. The set was filled with blistering guitar solos, great bass fills and excellent drum beats from Alex, everything was dead tight and rehearsed to perfection, (as it Mike's way). The band also have, I don't want to say chemistry it sounds too weird, but they do have a great understanding between them. A great understanding certainly of music but also a great understanding between the three of them. Jordan and Alex were locked in dead tight, and the groves between the bass and the kick drum were well thought out and accurately played. Mike was great on the guitar, some really good licks as well as some fantastic solos that fitted the music really well, he also sang very well and was a very good front man despite the broken leg! There are few, if any, areas where I could really fault them on performance, so I'm not going to! There is such thing as being too picky!
Music
Alice Avenue has a really individual sound that really appealed to everyone in the room tonight. Their sound is difficult to describe, as is the case with most bands, but if I had to pick a style for them, I'd say that they were a fusion of Blues, Funk and Rock. I'm fairly sure that they would all disagree with me on that as very few bands like to be pigeon-holed into a set genre. One of the things that I most enjoyed about the band is that although each member puts in their own feel and personality into the music, they are very carful about doing it in such a way that it compliments what the other band members are doing. This is very refreshing to see as many band members try to either take over the much with too many licks and fills, or just don't put any personality or extra feel into the music at all. With Alice Avenue, this is not that case. The guitar solos were played in such a way that they added to the music, rather than took away from it, the fills on the drums and the bass were well placed and tasteful. Its great to see young musicians playing music that is well thought out and rehearsed and being enjoyed by the musicians and the band.
Conclusion
All in all, a great performance. Great music, well played, profession, fantastic! If I was going to be very critical then i would suggest that the band could use a few more members, perhaps some keys or brass? However this may take away from the feel that the band already have as a 3 piece, but still worth considering. Even staying as a 3 piece though, more could be added to the sound with the use of some backing vocals from Alex or Jordan. There is some room for some really nice vocal harmonies. But thats just me being very picky. Well done guys, keep it up!
you can access Alice Avenue's Myspace Account here
http://www.myspace.com/aliceavenue
Sunday, 7 November 2010
You can't beat experience, in any field
As I may mentioned before, I am now working in a pub round the corner from my house in Southampton. One of the best things about working in a pub is the people you get to meet, of course, that does exclude the ones who have had a few too many pints and hurl glasses at you. But still, when working behind bar you do get to meet some really interesting people. Around two weeks ago, I was working the bar at said pub, and I guys came out to chat to me whilst he smoked. As we got to chatting he told me he worked as an engineer on the railway, after asking what I did, I told him I was a student studying music. It was at this point that he said something very thought provoking, that has been playing on my mind ever since that evening. He said “I don't have any qualifications, I learnt my trade on the job, and now, people hire me on my experience because they know that I have seen it all and I know what I'm doing. You can't beat experience, where ever you go”. That statement has really stuck with me these last few weeks, particularly the last bit “you can't beat experience, where ever you go”.
Before I go any further, I should point out that I am by no means trying to argue that qualifications are redundant! I am thoroughly enjoying my degree and I have learned so much from studying at Solent, I wouldn't be anywhere near the standard that I am at without uni. Qualifications also say a lot about a person, they will tell us how committed somebody is to their field, how hard they work, what they are good at, what areas they are knowledgeable in. However in saying all this, one could also argue that experience of one's field will give them an advantage over somebody with qualifications but little experience. This may not be true for all industries, but it is irrefutably true for the the music industry. I'm not the only one who say's this, as I mentioned a few weeks ago, one of my tutors, Pat, voiced the question “what will you do when you finish your degree? Because you can hardly walk up to The Rolling Stones and say, I have a degree in Popular music, can I be in your band?”. I believe that Pat has hit the nail on the head with that Rolling Stones comment, because that is what the real world is like. As much as my degree will help me improve my playing, and greatly improve my understanding of music and the music industries, it can only prepare me so much, for life in the real music industry. The people who really know what they're talking about are the people already out their doing it, working the sessions, doing the tour, “living the dream” as we budding musicians like to call it. And it is these people, who will get the work, because they have done it before, they will know what to do, and more importantly, the record label/sound engineer/ promoter will know, that they know what to do.
This is not to say, that people on degree courses in music, will not make it in the music industry. Our degree actually gives us a huge advantage in the sense that we are being “trained” for life in the industry. So when we do go out on our own, we will at least know, to a certain extent, what to expect. My point in this article is that, as much as I am going to score as highly as a can, a degree in popular music is going to do me loads of favours in the music industry in terms of qualifications. But what it does do, is prepare me for the really music world, and gives me a broad knowledge of music, and just a little bit of a kick start into my career. Which is why I would recommend further education to anyone, no matter what your field.
Before I go any further, I should point out that I am by no means trying to argue that qualifications are redundant! I am thoroughly enjoying my degree and I have learned so much from studying at Solent, I wouldn't be anywhere near the standard that I am at without uni. Qualifications also say a lot about a person, they will tell us how committed somebody is to their field, how hard they work, what they are good at, what areas they are knowledgeable in. However in saying all this, one could also argue that experience of one's field will give them an advantage over somebody with qualifications but little experience. This may not be true for all industries, but it is irrefutably true for the the music industry. I'm not the only one who say's this, as I mentioned a few weeks ago, one of my tutors, Pat, voiced the question “what will you do when you finish your degree? Because you can hardly walk up to The Rolling Stones and say, I have a degree in Popular music, can I be in your band?”. I believe that Pat has hit the nail on the head with that Rolling Stones comment, because that is what the real world is like. As much as my degree will help me improve my playing, and greatly improve my understanding of music and the music industries, it can only prepare me so much, for life in the real music industry. The people who really know what they're talking about are the people already out their doing it, working the sessions, doing the tour, “living the dream” as we budding musicians like to call it. And it is these people, who will get the work, because they have done it before, they will know what to do, and more importantly, the record label/sound engineer/ promoter will know, that they know what to do.
This is not to say, that people on degree courses in music, will not make it in the music industry. Our degree actually gives us a huge advantage in the sense that we are being “trained” for life in the industry. So when we do go out on our own, we will at least know, to a certain extent, what to expect. My point in this article is that, as much as I am going to score as highly as a can, a degree in popular music is going to do me loads of favours in the music industry in terms of qualifications. But what it does do, is prepare me for the really music world, and gives me a broad knowledge of music, and just a little bit of a kick start into my career. Which is why I would recommend further education to anyone, no matter what your field.
Thursday, 30 September 2010
Interesting Stuff
Like most students, I started back at university this week, and the first thing that I can say is that it is great to be back and studying music again after 4 months! The second thing I can say however is that I have certainly got my work cut out for me this year. But that's not a bad thing as I love what I do and I love studying music, and I want to get good grades and in order to do that I have to work hard! I'm also paying 3 grand a year to take this course so I would expect it to be quite challenging anyway!
All that aside, what I really wanted to talk about today was something that' has been playing on my mind all week. On Tuesday I had my first proper lecture of the year and was briefed on my new assignment. In this lecture, Pat (my tutor), said something that turned about to be very thought provoking. He said “when you have all finished this degree, how are you going to start your lives in the music industry? Because you can't very well go up to the Rolling Stones and say 'I've got a degree in popular music, can I be in your band?'”. This is a sentence that I have been dwelling on all week, I have of course thought about what I'm going to do once I finish university. For quite a long time I thought I'd spend a year at Drum Tech, an option still open to me. But recently I've been starting to think that maybe I don't want to spend all that money there learning things that I've probably covered whilst doing my degree anyway! The other thing about going to Drum Tech for a year is that it means I'll be in the classroom for another year! Could I maybe learn more about drumming in the music industry by actually going out and doing it for myself?
Teaching
Obviously, the dream is to be a full time session drummer, always in the studio and on the road, I target which is not unreachable but certainly quite high up there! And before I even get close to making it as a full time drummer, I am probably going to have to teach for a few years in order to make a living.
Teaching is something that I have often considered doing. Its not something that I'd want to do full time, but it does bring in consistent money and I do have to make a living. There are also lots of different options available to me in teaching, I could teach privately, I could teach in a school, I could teach adult learning, I could even teach on a B-tec course like the one I took at OCVC. There are plenty of different options and the chances are I will end up doing most of those things at some stage. One idea that I did have was that I'd set up my own teaching business once I've finished uni, teach privately in my home town Bicester. Right now that's just an idea but you never know where things are going to lead.
Journalism
One of the main reasons I started writing this blog was because I would love to one day write for a drumming or music magazine. And when I say music magazine, I mean Magazines such as Rhythm, Drummer, Sound On Sound and so on. Magazines that write about musicians not celebrities. I'm not at all interested in writing for NME or Kerrang where I can write about what ever the Magazine thinks is popular, and I certainly don't want to be dictating to people what they should listen to. I want to write for musicians, I want to write about something that another drummer would be interested in reading, even if they don't agree with me! One of my all time biggest dreams is to write for Rhythm magazine and for people to read my articles about the latest drum kits or interviews with famous drummers, not about their personal life's, but about their drumming techniques, where they learnt to play, what equipment they use and so on and so forth!
The Real Thing
Of Course, there is always the possibility that I get lucky, get behind the right act and work incredibly hard and some how make it as a professional player. Its not entirely unrealistic, it would take a hell of a lot of work, and loads of self believe, but it is doable, it has been done! And there is nothing to stop me writing and teaching as well to keep the money coming in. I have always liked the idea of being on tour with a band as a drummer and tour manager. Often people don't have the money to be able to hire a tour manager on top of a band, and I really feel like I could fit the bill! Part of me would really like the band I'm with at the moment to make it, The Lauren Bannon band. They are all hard working guys with a lot of talent and some decent potential. Lauren has some great songs, I'd really like to record an EP and go on a toilet venue tour next year to kick start the band's career. I would also like to film a music video to put on youtube, just to get our name out there a bit. I'd really like to see Lauren Bannon make it, but there will be so much work to do before that! You never know what will come along.
Hopefully, I will be able to make it as a professional player, but the chances are I will also have to do a combination of teaching, management and journalism as part of my musical career. But I think if I did all those things, I would be very happy!
Unrelated
On a completely unrelated note, I would like to add that I am on a course with some fantastic musicians. Ever week we have a music workshop where everyone has to individually learn a track and then on the workshop day, a band has to go on stage and play it. These sessions are great because we always learn so much from them. But I would just like to mention that this week's track was Pinball Wizard by The Who, not an easy track to learn for the first day back. They guys that went on stage nailed it almost first time which, needless to say, takes a lot of skill. So I would like to say that I work some some very skilled musicians, and I hope its not too cheesy to say that I feel Privileged to do so!
All that aside, what I really wanted to talk about today was something that' has been playing on my mind all week. On Tuesday I had my first proper lecture of the year and was briefed on my new assignment. In this lecture, Pat (my tutor), said something that turned about to be very thought provoking. He said “when you have all finished this degree, how are you going to start your lives in the music industry? Because you can't very well go up to the Rolling Stones and say 'I've got a degree in popular music, can I be in your band?'”. This is a sentence that I have been dwelling on all week, I have of course thought about what I'm going to do once I finish university. For quite a long time I thought I'd spend a year at Drum Tech, an option still open to me. But recently I've been starting to think that maybe I don't want to spend all that money there learning things that I've probably covered whilst doing my degree anyway! The other thing about going to Drum Tech for a year is that it means I'll be in the classroom for another year! Could I maybe learn more about drumming in the music industry by actually going out and doing it for myself?
Teaching
Obviously, the dream is to be a full time session drummer, always in the studio and on the road, I target which is not unreachable but certainly quite high up there! And before I even get close to making it as a full time drummer, I am probably going to have to teach for a few years in order to make a living.
Teaching is something that I have often considered doing. Its not something that I'd want to do full time, but it does bring in consistent money and I do have to make a living. There are also lots of different options available to me in teaching, I could teach privately, I could teach in a school, I could teach adult learning, I could even teach on a B-tec course like the one I took at OCVC. There are plenty of different options and the chances are I will end up doing most of those things at some stage. One idea that I did have was that I'd set up my own teaching business once I've finished uni, teach privately in my home town Bicester. Right now that's just an idea but you never know where things are going to lead.
Journalism
One of the main reasons I started writing this blog was because I would love to one day write for a drumming or music magazine. And when I say music magazine, I mean Magazines such as Rhythm, Drummer, Sound On Sound and so on. Magazines that write about musicians not celebrities. I'm not at all interested in writing for NME or Kerrang where I can write about what ever the Magazine thinks is popular, and I certainly don't want to be dictating to people what they should listen to. I want to write for musicians, I want to write about something that another drummer would be interested in reading, even if they don't agree with me! One of my all time biggest dreams is to write for Rhythm magazine and for people to read my articles about the latest drum kits or interviews with famous drummers, not about their personal life's, but about their drumming techniques, where they learnt to play, what equipment they use and so on and so forth!
The Real Thing
Of Course, there is always the possibility that I get lucky, get behind the right act and work incredibly hard and some how make it as a professional player. Its not entirely unrealistic, it would take a hell of a lot of work, and loads of self believe, but it is doable, it has been done! And there is nothing to stop me writing and teaching as well to keep the money coming in. I have always liked the idea of being on tour with a band as a drummer and tour manager. Often people don't have the money to be able to hire a tour manager on top of a band, and I really feel like I could fit the bill! Part of me would really like the band I'm with at the moment to make it, The Lauren Bannon band. They are all hard working guys with a lot of talent and some decent potential. Lauren has some great songs, I'd really like to record an EP and go on a toilet venue tour next year to kick start the band's career. I would also like to film a music video to put on youtube, just to get our name out there a bit. I'd really like to see Lauren Bannon make it, but there will be so much work to do before that! You never know what will come along.
Hopefully, I will be able to make it as a professional player, but the chances are I will also have to do a combination of teaching, management and journalism as part of my musical career. But I think if I did all those things, I would be very happy!
Unrelated
On a completely unrelated note, I would like to add that I am on a course with some fantastic musicians. Ever week we have a music workshop where everyone has to individually learn a track and then on the workshop day, a band has to go on stage and play it. These sessions are great because we always learn so much from them. But I would just like to mention that this week's track was Pinball Wizard by The Who, not an easy track to learn for the first day back. They guys that went on stage nailed it almost first time which, needless to say, takes a lot of skill. So I would like to say that I work some some very skilled musicians, and I hope its not too cheesy to say that I feel Privileged to do so!
Sunday, 26 September 2010
C7's and Bang Tail Feather
Yesterday evening, I was back home in Bicester watching my younger brother's band, The C7's, perform at one of their first big gigs. They were supporting Band Tail Feather who are an already established local Jazz band. The C7's are a quartet consisting of piano (Dan Crook), Bass, Drums and Sax. The band write their own music and, even without considering their age, were absolutely brilliant. And I'm not just saying that because they are my brother's band! The band were dead tight, very imaginative and were very talented as a group and as individuals. Each one of them stood out and every part was essential to the sound, none of it was obsolete. Last night made me think back to when Dan first got the band together and how they very quickly clicked as a group and started writing to killer jazz tracks. Of course, being the older brother, I never mentioned this to Dan, but I found it impossible not to be impressed listening to them practice all those years ago. And to see them live really brought out the talent and hard work that all of them had put into their music.
Material
As Bang Tail Feathers are a cover band, I can't really say very much about their material because they don't write their own. So I'm going to look at The C7's material and what it is about them that makes them so good. Most of the songs they played last night were lead by the piano. I love listening to Dan play because he has a very particular style of playing that I rarely hear anywhere else. It's kind of a mix between blues, jazz and fusion with plenty of swing thrown into the mix. For as long as I can remember, Dan has loved to play the piano and particularly jazz, and he has always loved to swing, even if he's not aware of it almost everything he writes is very heavily swung. This is going to sound odd but that is Dan's personality coming out through his music. To me, Dan's is one of those people who just plays what they feel, what they think is cool. He's never written for a particular audience, he just writes what he feels which is very refreshing.
Performance
So that's where, I think, the inspiration for the music comes from. But what about the rest of the band? The music wouldn't be anywhere near as good with out the bass, drums and fantastic lead lines from the sax. Unfortunately for Lewis (the bass player) the stage was poorly lit, and he was stood in the darkest part of the stage making it quite difficult for us to see him, but that certainly didn't stop us hearing him! He had some really cool bass lines which really filled the gaps between the drums and the piano and laid a great foundation for the Sax. He walked freely around the bass making some really interesting bass lines that suited the songs perfectly. Considering Lewis is a self taught bassist, he had a great understanding of music and dynamics and performed very well.
Gemma, the Sax player, played really well. She had lots of lead lines that worked nicely with what Dan was playing on the piano. Her sax sound was clear and had a really nice tone. Gemma improvised really well and Dan had obviously written his music with lead lines in mind for the Sax. She has an excellent understanding of music and a really good understanding of how their style works.
The C7's regular drummer James, who I happen to know is a really good drummer, was unavailable to play at the show last night. Instead the band had Jesse fill in for them. I've known Jesse for a number of years and he easily one of, if not the best drummer I know and I always learn from listening to him play. I met Jesse whist playing in a youth Jazz band in Oxford and in Kidlington. I always loved listening to him play Jazz because he would put a fantastic grove onto everything we played with lots of exciting and clever fills as well as some really tasty hi-hat work. Last night was no exception to this, Jesse was tight and very musically aware. Considering he said he didn't know the set very well he played beats and groves that suited the music brilliantly. I imagine that James has gone through he songs with him before as he played fairly similar stuff to what I've her James play, but it was none the less a very impressive performance.
Best of Luck
The performance from both bands was fantastic, and nobody should ever underestimate the difficultly of being able to play covers well so I give all credit to Band Tail Feather. However I have never been more proud to be Dan's brother than when I saw him get on that stage and play like he did. I would also encourage him to sing more, as last night was the first time I'd ever really herd him sing and he was fantastic. The C7's as a whole put on a remarkable performance and I genuinely they continue to play together and produce more material. I would also like to add that these guys are all only 16-18 years old, I think we can expect many more great things to come from these musicians.
Material
As Bang Tail Feathers are a cover band, I can't really say very much about their material because they don't write their own. So I'm going to look at The C7's material and what it is about them that makes them so good. Most of the songs they played last night were lead by the piano. I love listening to Dan play because he has a very particular style of playing that I rarely hear anywhere else. It's kind of a mix between blues, jazz and fusion with plenty of swing thrown into the mix. For as long as I can remember, Dan has loved to play the piano and particularly jazz, and he has always loved to swing, even if he's not aware of it almost everything he writes is very heavily swung. This is going to sound odd but that is Dan's personality coming out through his music. To me, Dan's is one of those people who just plays what they feel, what they think is cool. He's never written for a particular audience, he just writes what he feels which is very refreshing.
Performance
So that's where, I think, the inspiration for the music comes from. But what about the rest of the band? The music wouldn't be anywhere near as good with out the bass, drums and fantastic lead lines from the sax. Unfortunately for Lewis (the bass player) the stage was poorly lit, and he was stood in the darkest part of the stage making it quite difficult for us to see him, but that certainly didn't stop us hearing him! He had some really cool bass lines which really filled the gaps between the drums and the piano and laid a great foundation for the Sax. He walked freely around the bass making some really interesting bass lines that suited the songs perfectly. Considering Lewis is a self taught bassist, he had a great understanding of music and dynamics and performed very well.
Gemma, the Sax player, played really well. She had lots of lead lines that worked nicely with what Dan was playing on the piano. Her sax sound was clear and had a really nice tone. Gemma improvised really well and Dan had obviously written his music with lead lines in mind for the Sax. She has an excellent understanding of music and a really good understanding of how their style works.
The C7's regular drummer James, who I happen to know is a really good drummer, was unavailable to play at the show last night. Instead the band had Jesse fill in for them. I've known Jesse for a number of years and he easily one of, if not the best drummer I know and I always learn from listening to him play. I met Jesse whist playing in a youth Jazz band in Oxford and in Kidlington. I always loved listening to him play Jazz because he would put a fantastic grove onto everything we played with lots of exciting and clever fills as well as some really tasty hi-hat work. Last night was no exception to this, Jesse was tight and very musically aware. Considering he said he didn't know the set very well he played beats and groves that suited the music brilliantly. I imagine that James has gone through he songs with him before as he played fairly similar stuff to what I've her James play, but it was none the less a very impressive performance.
Best of Luck
The performance from both bands was fantastic, and nobody should ever underestimate the difficultly of being able to play covers well so I give all credit to Band Tail Feather. However I have never been more proud to be Dan's brother than when I saw him get on that stage and play like he did. I would also encourage him to sing more, as last night was the first time I'd ever really herd him sing and he was fantastic. The C7's as a whole put on a remarkable performance and I genuinely they continue to play together and produce more material. I would also like to add that these guys are all only 16-18 years old, I think we can expect many more great things to come from these musicians.
Thursday, 9 September 2010
Gig number 3
So I had my 3rd gig with Lauren Bannon on Monday night, at The Winchester pub in Bournemouth. The night got off to an interesting start, its always interesting when you turn up to a show having been told to only bring your breakables and then the promoter says to you as soon as you're through the door “We need your drum kit on stage asap”! Unfortunately for us, the headlining band had dropped out and we were to replace them as headliners which meant we needed a kit, the promoter had left us a message on Lauren's Facebook, informing us that we needed to bring a kit, but we hadn't checked it. If we had, we might've been able to say that my drum kit lives in Bicester, and there was no way I'd be able to get it there! Luckily, the only drummer playing that evening lived locally, and was able to have somebody drive in his kit, this did of course mean that the gig got off to a late start, and considering it was supposed to start at 9, meant it was going to be very late by the time we played!
Once the gig did get started however, it turned out to be a really good night. First on was an acoustic act, female singer and her guitar player. I wasn't sure of her name but we had played a gig with her before and I recognised her remarkable voice. The first time I herd her sing, it took me a while to get it, she sings in sort of a ballad type way and uses a lot of minor keys and odd guitar tuning. She has a big voice that fills up the room and her lyrics are just a little bit dark, one of the more memorable songs being “Murder Ballad”! But she was very good and I enjoyed her set, the only thing that I would maybe suggest is possibly having more instruments behind her, maybe some strings and a piano? But that''s just my opinion.
The next act on seemed like a bit of a reunion. I was told before turning up to the gig that we were playing for the 10th anniversary of “Solid Air”. I've not herd of them before but that is probably down to me not being local. Solid Air, from what I gather, are a promotions company who run regular gigs in Bournemouth and get plenty of local bands to play for them. The main guy, not sure of his name, was playing with this group and said a few things about Solid Air, there was also a very good birthday cake. The band were pretty good, considering they hadn't performed as a group before, and their music was really enjoyable and brought a great atmosphere into the pub. I really enjoyed their set but by the end of it, I was itching to get on stage.
Our Set
It was about 10 past 11 when we got on, so sadly, the pub and mostly emptied, but there were still about 15 patient people who sat through our set, and to be fair to them, made a fair amount of noise between songs. I felt the set went very well, and certainly the rehearsal time put into it really paid off. Me and Kris were much tighter and put together a much better grove. I still really feel the need to expand the band, and certainly we missed the presence of the bass player! It sounded good to me, Lauren sounded the best I'd ever herd her so that was really good. I still think they we are looking at these as practice gigs, trying to build the band and make it tighter before we start pushing the band as far forward as we can take it. Our next gig is on Saturday, in Bournemouth, not sure exactly where though, but it is during the day. I'm dead excited for that one!
Once the gig did get started however, it turned out to be a really good night. First on was an acoustic act, female singer and her guitar player. I wasn't sure of her name but we had played a gig with her before and I recognised her remarkable voice. The first time I herd her sing, it took me a while to get it, she sings in sort of a ballad type way and uses a lot of minor keys and odd guitar tuning. She has a big voice that fills up the room and her lyrics are just a little bit dark, one of the more memorable songs being “Murder Ballad”! But she was very good and I enjoyed her set, the only thing that I would maybe suggest is possibly having more instruments behind her, maybe some strings and a piano? But that''s just my opinion.
The next act on seemed like a bit of a reunion. I was told before turning up to the gig that we were playing for the 10th anniversary of “Solid Air”. I've not herd of them before but that is probably down to me not being local. Solid Air, from what I gather, are a promotions company who run regular gigs in Bournemouth and get plenty of local bands to play for them. The main guy, not sure of his name, was playing with this group and said a few things about Solid Air, there was also a very good birthday cake. The band were pretty good, considering they hadn't performed as a group before, and their music was really enjoyable and brought a great atmosphere into the pub. I really enjoyed their set but by the end of it, I was itching to get on stage.
Our Set
It was about 10 past 11 when we got on, so sadly, the pub and mostly emptied, but there were still about 15 patient people who sat through our set, and to be fair to them, made a fair amount of noise between songs. I felt the set went very well, and certainly the rehearsal time put into it really paid off. Me and Kris were much tighter and put together a much better grove. I still really feel the need to expand the band, and certainly we missed the presence of the bass player! It sounded good to me, Lauren sounded the best I'd ever herd her so that was really good. I still think they we are looking at these as practice gigs, trying to build the band and make it tighter before we start pushing the band as far forward as we can take it. Our next gig is on Saturday, in Bournemouth, not sure exactly where though, but it is during the day. I'm dead excited for that one!
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