My Advice for Bands Just Starting Out

I wrote this a few years ago and it got passed around MySpace when it was the “In” thing. I even had a German recording studio ask for permission to print and post it in their studio…I updated it some and hopefully you can find some of it useful. It’s timeless free advice………..

Chuck

First off, this is just my observation but it does come from experience…Where you are at now, I was once there too. I want to share with you my two cents worth and hopefully you can gleam some of it and make use of it. It can’t hurt and it will surely help you avoid some of the common mistakes that new bands make. The following aren’t in any particular order…

1.Music is an attitude. But only have the attitude after you have taken the stage and the house lights have gone down and the stage lights go up. That’s when you play to kill..Walking around before hand with the rock star attitude and thinking your band is the best thing since slice bread and treating all the other bands like they are lower than you will only get your lunch ate by another band…It will happen, trust me, I was cocky once too…

2.I have noticed a lot of young bands these days usually have top notch gear when they play. I have seen 15 year old kids with Gibson Les Paul and full stack Marshall Amps. First off, I’m glad your parents or grandparents set you up with the cool gear. I had to work after school to get mine, but that’s ok too. However, if you can’t play them, they won’t make you sound any better. Your gear will look great as you go down in flames in front of everyone…Learn how to play before you choke on stage. Now you don’t have to be the next Eddie Van Halen by no means but do your homework…I once auditioned a guitar player that had the look, the gear, and the “Attitude”. He was all talk. I ate him for lunch and sent him packing. I would have been ez on him except his rock star attitude needed adjusting…So study your instrument. Watch other bands. Use the net, and back away from the Xbox, ps3’s or whatever is the latest and greatest game console on the market…

3. Getting your band together. Always start with your friends and then spread out. Find people that like the same music you do. Try them out. If you can actually play and they can’t, you may need to move on and look somewhere else. If they are better than you, stick with them and learn as much as you can. But in letting band members go as you search for the next Slash, be polite and just tell them the chemistry isn’t right or something. Don’t tell them they suck, they may go home and practice and the light bulb may come on in their head and then you’ll be eating socks trying to get into their new hot band next month…This happens every day, so watch what you say..

4. I am a guitar player too, so ***ATENNTION GUITAR PLAYERS*** Tuning your gear on stage is one of the most unprofessional things you can do. I saw a young band the other night and those two guitar players re-tuned after every couple of songs. So while you are there twisting the tuning keys and your amp is at full volume, you will lose the momentum, lose the crowd, and it’s annoying…Make sure your gear stays in tune. If you change strings before the show, you will need to stretch them. Play them hard, do hard bends on them but do it back stage or in the dressing room… When you are tuning, tune up into the note, not tune down into the note..If your axe will not stay in tune, get it worked on or replace it. If you have to re-tune, get an in-line tuner that is silent..It takes the guitar offline while you are in the tuning mode so no one can hear you . Your singer can do his job of rallying the crowd while you get in tune and no one will ever know.

5. Stage clothes are important. Think not? Look at all the bands that are now on the radio. They look like a band. They look like their music. Like they all were cut from the same cloth..Dont have a surfer dude in the band and a guy that dresses like Marilyn Manson and another guy that dresses hip hop.. Try to look like you all got your clothes out of the same band box.

6. Use the tools that are available to you. I played with a young band a couple of months ago that was good, but had no website. Come on, MySpace/ facebook is free so there is no excuse. I asked for their website address because they wanted to travel with us and I could contact them later. One of the guys in the band said, “We don’t have a website yet”. What does it take, 30 minutes to set up a MySpace/facebook account? So get to it. At least have a page there…It’s a place for your fans to check you out after the show and also next week when they tell some of their friends about your “rawkin” band.

7. Remember, the music business is tough. 99.9 % of all bands never make the “Big Time”. The odds are stacked against you, but it’s also like winning the lottery. You gotta play to win. So play, and play and play, and keep playing. As your friends stop playing, you keep pushing…You’ll never know if you give up…

8. All band members: Don’t stand on the stage and jam while you are waiting to have someone announce your band. It is unprofessional to stand up there and have everyone checking their instruments. If you need to check your guitar amp, wait until the sound man calls for you to. You want to sound good? Then let the soundman do his job. He can’t get the levels right if you are up there jamming on your favorite song while the bass player is playing his favorite song and the drummer is warming up to his favorite song and they aren’t the same song. One musician at a time should wait on his Que from the soundman and then check his sound.

9. And while we’re on soundmen. If your best buddy from high school wants to run sound for you, make sure he knows what he is doing. He is a member of your band too. He makes you sound good or bad. Make sure he has a good ear. He needs to study the mixing board just like you study your instruments. And if he is your soundman and you are playing paying gigs, he needs to be paid too. He may not make as much as the band but he has your sound in his hands, you had better take care of him.

10. Girlfriends. Here’s a tough one. Everyone is different, but for the most part your girlfriend will dig that you are in a band until another girl hits on you or starts to pay attention to you. Musicians like to have their ego stroked, it’s part of the game, but an upset girlfriend ramping at a show because some girl screamed your name is bad news. And if they fight at a club you are playing at, well you won’t get booked there again and that club owner will tell the next club owner. Girlfriends are probably the number one reason why bands break up. Don’t take my word for it, look at “The Beatles”. Yoko Ono tore that band apart systematically by herself. So if you got a steady girlfriend, you are probably at some time or another gonna have to deal with her being upset with you because of another chick. Your girlfriend will get tired of hearing your music after a few shows and then will grow tired of your always being with the band. I’ve seen this over and over and have experienced it myself.

11. Concerning Managers: If your band has got the right stuff. Find a manger. Make sure they are an honest one. Have them with you or do it yourself, draw up a contract for your band. It spells out how much you get paid, what he gets paid and how the money is handled. But do not legally bind yourself to him forever. Make the contract expire in six months and after six months you have the option to renew it or go your separate ways. Too many bands have made deals with managers and the managers bled the band dry. Pay attention to every detail or it could cost you your ass in the future. Open up a band account for the monies and make sure at least two of you have to sign to withdraw funds from it.

12. Parents… Parents’ giving their kids support to be in a band is cool. My mom used to let us practice full stage volume in the living room of our house and never once complained even when we used stage lights and smoke machines even when we blew fuses and the house would go dark while she was eating supper. Now that’s cool. However, I did a show last year with a young band that was kicking with the crowd and right in the middle of the show the lead singer asked his mom to bring him some water. And she did!! Now that is so uncool. We supplied the sound system and had them sounding great but I had to get on to Dad too cause he wouldn’t let me do my job. I told him if he touched my mixing board again I would break his fingers. Parents need to support the guys but stay in the back ground. Any chance of these guys being a killer rock band that day went into the dirt with the “Mom, get me some water please” statement…so kids, love your parents, parents love your kids but on stage ..It’s your gig, your fight, don’t call on Mom or Dad to bring you anything…Have roadie or someone else do it…that’s ok…

13. Make a set list. Nothing marks a band as being more unprofessional than lulls between songs and arguing what they’re going to play next. Give everyone a couple of it too. Make sure you can read it. Print it out and use large fonts..

14. Technical difficulties WILL happen. Don’t let them affect your performance. I’ve seen a lot of bands get shook up because something goes technically wrong and they ain’t worth crap afterwards. You can lessen the pain by having extra speaker cables, extra instrument & mic cables, extra strings (they tend to break at the most inopportune moments) and anything else extra you can afford. Drum heads, sticks, batteries, even a power amp if possible. Have a tool kit with screwdrivers, pliers, duct tape, soldering iron, and anything else you can think of.

15. Make a promo kit. It should contain killer photos of your band, a demo cd of a couple of your best songs. A band bio, website address and contact numbers, . Don’t go to a department store to have band photos taken. Call a photographer in the phone book and ask if they have an eye for taking band photos…You can get a decent photo for around a 100.00…Look up other online promos from other bands and get ideas on how to set up your online promo kit…It’s old school I know but have some business cards printed up with your band name, contact person, website address on them. People still ask for business cards…If you print them out at home, make sure they look professional and not like you did them at home…

16. Eye contact. While playing on stage do not stare at your feet. Make eye contact with the people in the crowd. You are trying to connect with them on some special level… Music moves people. Share a moment. Look people in the audience in their eyes and smile. There’s the moment. Have a great time on stage. If you hate playing live, go do something else..If you live for the stage, watch other bands and see how the act and react on stage..Learn from the bands you live for…

And last but not least…

Playing music is a gift. Use it wisely. I have run into countless numbers of people that only wished they could play an instrument. So cherish your gift but don’t be arrogant of it either. What you create can bring someone up or down in the course of their day. Every time I hear music that I grew up on it takes me away to that special place, as Axle Rose would later say..You have been handed a gift, so now what are going to do with it???

If you found this helpful, I would like to hear from you. My contact info is located below.

Chuck Gee

copyright 09/2006

chuckgee1965@yahoo.com

www.myspace.com/chuckgee

http://www.facebook.com/thechuckgee

Vinnie Vincent Incarcerated

First time he has made the news in years so where are the arrest photos??

Former KISS Guitarist Arrested on Assault Charges

Vinnie Vincent — the guitarist who famously took Ace Frehley’s place in the band KISS — was arrested today on charges of aggravated assault … TMZ has learned.

Vincent (real name Vinnie Cusano) was busted by the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department in Tennessee and held on $10,000 bond. He posted and was released at 11:27 AM.

Vincent was known as the Ankh Warrior during his time with the band.

http://www.tmz.com/2011/05/22/vinnie-vincent-kiss-guitarist-arrested-tennessee-ankh-warrior/

Fifty Fifth Anniversary

This the island “Bikini” aslo known as the Bikini Atoll. A beautiful set of islands  one day and the next… a radioactive wasteland. It was 55 years ago on May 20th, that we dropped the first airborne Hydrogen bomb on it. We managed to set off 23 nuclear bombs over the years on it too… Good going there U.S. Enjoy the photograph, it’s an awesome display of beauty in a man made created hell.
chuck

American Idol, Rock Star and sleeping in cars … an interview with Dennis Duncan

Kris Allen, Dennis Duncan and Adam lambert

This week we are speaking with Dennis Duncan. His name not ring a bell? Well, it might not be a house hold name like Elvis but you can bet your bottom dollar he has lived the life and he recently sat down to write about some of his experiences and maybe help out a few future American Idol contestants or two and a few  future rock stars. Well, to give you some back ground on him. He was born in Henderson Kentucky…not much there but you got to start somewhere… Dennis started singing and playing drums early on in life and stating playing shows while still in Jr. High.  He wrote a few songs and recorded them with another fellow from Henderson, released it and sold them all out in just about a week and before long… He was on his way to Los Angles. Not because of the limited but sold out sales of the before mentioned release but because he was on a mission…He had a dream

But let’s let him tell it in his own words.

1.Hello Dennis. Welcome to Kickacts. Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.

I’m from Kentucky.  I still have many friends from there.  You being one of them.  In fact, you and I teamed up for the MTV “basement tapes” and I actually forgot that we had done that.  I SUCK that I didn’t recall that prior to sending in the edited version of the book.  I would have included it.  We would have been either famous by now or we would have shown that we are washed up!
Any way, this is a book about a path that many can take to stardom.  A path that could be Idol or one that may be through the clubs.  Many may think Idol is BS.  However, I think you,the reader, will agree, that it is a platform for success.  Back in the day, when we were mullet wearing idiots, we would have killed for this opp.  Much like the MTV basement tapes exposure that we never got.  SO, I want to share with your readers that Idol is not for the “Sell Outs”. It is for the “Sell INS”.  It is the platform for being discovered.   It is all that you and I desired

2.No harm no foul on omitting me, but I thought we made a hell of a team back in the day. But me having kids sort of sideswiped my “career” …But back to the questions…Your hard work and determination worked. Without giving away too much of what is in your book. You actually got signed to a major recording label . A deal bigger than Guns and Roses deal at the time right?

Well yeah.  I guess you could look at it like that.  I know Vicky Hamilton. She was the original manager of Guns.  She told me that when the label signed them that they new that either these guys were going to be the biggest band ever or the biggest flop.  According to her, at the time they were completely out of control; difficult to get in to the recording studio, always late, just total screw ups.  But to answer your question our deal was bigger than theirs from what I was told.  But that really doesn’t mean anything.  That is just hype.   See the reason being that if a label signs your band for 100K you are better off anyway.  Less money to recoup to the label and more of an upside for the label and band.  If they label gets some sales on the record it is easy to recoup that 100K in short order and they are more likely to put the profits back in to promotion and marketing.  In the book I break down exactly how our deal was structured and where all that money went. Our total deal, over the life of the deal, would have been upwards of 7-Million dollars in advances without the escalations.  But, even though the premise of the book is about Idol I thought it was important to share with the reader how these deals work and my first hand experience of actually getting a “Deal”.  The deals now days are much different than back then.  So, yes, as far as the dollar amount, we were signed to a much bigger deal than Guns.  I’d rather switch places with any of those guys.  In fact, I almost did.

3.Can you explain how you “almost did” switch places? With which member?

Well, i go in to detail in the book in depth but, essentially, I was contact by Slash and Duff from Guns N Roses to audition for their then new unnamed band.  I wrote 3 songs with them and they flew me out.  Let’s just say the gig was mine until a certain person got out of jail.  I saw it all go down on TV was disheartened to say the least.

4.How did your stint on American Idol come about?

I was working on a Christian Project called the Red Letters Project.  We took the red letters from the book of Matthew and put them to rock music.  It was a 40 song triple cd set.  I was living in LA at the time and I was looking for someone to mix the project.  I was put in contact with Brad Gilderman who worked with Motley Crue, Madonna, among others.  I eventually hired him to mix the compilation.  We became good friends during the process.  Around the time the Red Letters Project was wrapping up he got a call from 19 Management to join the Idol team.  He worked on the show season 5 and then brought me on board for season 6.  So, I just kind of fell in to it, if you will.  We worked well together and he trusted my musical insight greatly.  We made a good team and we are alike in many ways.  Part of working with someone is that if you can have some fun at the same time then the job is more enjoyable.  Brad and I had a lot of fun working together and still do to this day.

5. Your new book covers a lot of bases. For the person wishing to audition for American Idol, it’s in there . For the person that is wanting to try their hand at being a professional musician, it’s in there. For the casual person that just watches “AI” and is just interested in the  “behind the scenes” of American Idol that’s not shown on TV, its in there too..
How can our readers contact you and get their hands on your book?

The initial run will be in e-book format only via Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  The book industry has already seen a tremendous swing in how people purchase and read books.  The book industry is following in the footsteps of how music is now distributed and listened to: remotely and on hand held devices.  For me it is just the right way to do it.  I know some people may still enjoy holding a book in their hand and reading it.  I do as well.  However, I’d rather be on the cutting edge than have to deal with publishers and all the red tape.  I’m not really in to working with “the man” if you will.  It seems so archaic to me.  So e-book format is a good fit for any entrepreneur trying to get their book out to a wide audience.   And, aside from the time put in to writing the book, the e-book avenue is much quicker.  I’ve truly learned a lot by writing the book, formatting the book and getting it up on line.  It’s a pretty interesting process.  I look forward to writing my next book soon.

Kind regards,

Dennis Duncan

And check out this great music that Dennis has made with over the years!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lhgEvTvN8I&feature=related

R.I.P. Randy ‘Macho Man” Savage

Pro wrestling superstar Randy “Macho Man” savage died after having a heart attack while driving his Jeep Wrangler, TMZ reports.

The accident happened in Tampa Bay, Fla. according to Savage’s brother, Lanny Poffo.

He told TMZ the accident happened Friday morning when Savage lost control of his vehicle.

Florida Highway Patrol said Savage leapt a concrete median, veered into oncoming traffic and smashed into a tree head on.

He died from his injuries at largo Medical Center.

Savage, 58, had just celebrated his first wedding anniversary with his wife Lynn. He helped put WWF wrestling on the map in the 1980s and ’90s, becoming, along with Hulk Hogan, one of its biggest draws.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/05/20/pro-wrestler-randy-macho-man-savage-dies-car-accident-report-says/#ixzz1MuhSZQIy

Family finds $45,000 in new home — then returns it

This is a great story to read. What a great guy.How many of us would do the same thing he did? Hopefully now he can do what he wants to do by being blessed. Maybe someone out there will pay it forward too…

chuck

y CHI-CHI ZHANG, Associated Press Chi-chi Zhang, Associated Press – Thu May 19, 8:50 pm ET

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110520/ap_on_fe_st/us_found_money

Jon Bon Jovi: Still Rockin, And Making A Killing

The next time you play Rock Band don’t invite Jon Bon Jovi. The 49- year-old singer’s wife and kids recently convinced him to give the popular videogame a try. So he picked up the microphone and launched into a rendition of his classic “Wanted Dead or Alive,” backed by family on virtual guitars and drums. He never made it through the song.

“I failed–it buzzed me down,” Bon Jovi admits over lunch in Manhattan.

Fortunately for Bon Jovi, audiences in real arenas around the world are kinder. His eponymous band took home $125 million over the past 12 months by FORBES’ estimates, more than any other music act besides U2–and more than relative whippersnappers Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Kanye West combined. In the past year the band has played 74 gigs in 15 nations, grossing $203 million in ticket sales and $20 million in merchandise; Bon Jovi ranks No. 8 on this year’s Celebrity 100.

http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/stopthepresses/392201/jon-bon-jovi-still-rockin-and-making-a-killing/

Ronnie James Dio. A real Legend.

One year ago today we lost the true “King of Rock and Roll”.

chuck

And my favorite…

“KISS KRUISE” All Aboard? Not me…

KISS needs more of your money….:(

I am so over their ten  reunions, final tours, last calls, caskets, condoms, and the other 3,000 plus patented products they are hawking. I remember when they were a band and not a brand. They do a disservice to the legacy. Love the music, tired of the never ending infomercials. But what the hell, it will be an over priced “Kruise” and it will sell out too I am sure…

chuck

GET THE HOTTEST KISS ARMY MERCH!  New – 35th Anniversary KISS Destroyer Satin Jacket ORDER NOW JOIN THE KISS ARMY FAN CLUB FOR PRESALE ACCESS AND MORE! JOIN NOW New – 35th Anniversary KISS Destroyer Tee ORDER NOW New – KISS 27oz. Stainless Steel Water Bottle ORDER NOW ANNOUNCING THE FIRST EVER KISS KRUISE!   SHIP WILL SET SAIL OCTOBER 13-17, 2011 Hello KISS ARMY! We know you have been waiting patiently for the big news…and here it is! The KISS Kruise: Wet, Wild, & Rockin’ Sailing on the Carnival Destiny October 13 – 17, 2011 from Miami to Half Moon Cay & Nassau, Bahamas ARE YOU READY to INVADE the seas on the first ever KISS Kruise? KISS is partnering with cruise industry leaders, Sixthman for this sea-bound adventure. On this outrageous ship, you’ll get to party with fist pounding hard rock all night, and live like a rock star all day. You’ll see a legendary show with KISS in an intimate indoor venue and an acoustic “Sail Away Concert” (no make-up!!) to keep the party going as the ship leaves port. It doesn’t stop there; we’ll have krazy on board activities, KISS-themed nights, badass costume contests and more! KISS ARMY Fan Club members will be able to book first during the pre-sale, so if you’ve let your KISS Army Fan Club membership expire or you’re thinking about joining for the first time, make sure to sign up by May 22nd! The sooner you book, the better selection of cabins and seating for your main lounge show! So, don’t wait – sign up now for the presale here: www.sixthman.net/KISS and make sure to become and ARMY member before May 22nd! Here’s how it works: STEP 1: Visit www.sixthman.net/KISS to register! Pre-sale sign ups end at 11:59PM EST on May 30th , 2011. (IF YOU JOIN THE FAN CLUB, SIGN UP FOR THE PRE-SALE BY MAY 22nd TO BE A PART OF THE KISS ARMY FAN CLUB PRE-SALE). STEP 2: All those who are not Fan Club members will receive more detailed information by email from Sixthman on or around May 31st . The email will have your Earliest Booking Time – a randomly assigned date and time starting June 2nd. STEP 3: On or after your Earliest Booking Time, visit www.theKISSKruise.com and click Book Now to reserve your cabin! STEP 4: Start planning for the best vacation of your life! The public on-sale date is June 7, 2011, at which time anyone who didn’t join the pre-sale may book. For more information on our ship, itinerary, and overall event, please visit The KISS Kruise: Wet, Wild, & Rockin’ website www.theKISSKruise.com when it launches on May 18, 2011. If you have further questions before the website is launched, please contact Sixthman by email at KISSKRUISE@sixthman.net, or through Sixthman’s Live Chat feature (http://www.sixthman.net/util/chat) or by phone at 877-379-9183 (open M-F, 10am-6pm EST). And if that’s not enough info for ya, head over to the KISS Kruise Info Page at www.kissonline.com/kruise for all the details. This is only for supreme KISS fans. Are you ready to rock & roll all night and party every day? See you onboard! Myspace Facebook Twitter Bebo iLike Powered by Live Nation Merchandising

Allen Tate Computing Services

Allen Tate Computing Services

Welcome

Welcome to the Allen Tate Computing Services website. I specialize in providing website hosting & content management system (CMS) websites for small businesses as well as troubleshooting and repairing PCs for homes and small businesses. In June 2011, I will begin offering laptop & desktop computers and other computer components for sale.

For all your technology needs, call (812) 250-8699

http://www.allentatecomputing.com/