25 Golden Rules for Bands

[twistdpair]

Hey all! For the new year, our band is consciously trying to elevate our game. In that spirit, I looked around to see if I could find the 25 best bits of advice that we could post in the band room. Some of these address specific shortcomings of our band, and some are more general.

Is there anything you would add or remove from this list?

25 Golden Rules

Have fun!

Be at the gig/rehearsal on time (all members, even singers!!).

Do your share loading/unloading and setting up/breaking down.

Always be in tune.

No excuses…everyone is busy, broke or tired. Suck it up.

Have spares on hand of anything that may present a problem, from fuses and tubes to cables, tuners, straps - even a spare amp.

Know how all of your equipment works.

Present & conduct yourself in a manner that isn't detrimental to the band or yourself.

Internal matters should be dealt with privately and not in a public forum.

Remember it's your job to make the place come alive - not the other way around.

Stay two drinks behind your audience.

Play every show as if you were competing for a million dollars...even if there are only three people in the club.

Always look the part. When you walk through the room, people should know you are in the band.

Always be nice to the soundman.

Always be nice to the bartenders, waiters, waitresses, manager, owner, bouncers, etc.

Come prepared to work at rehearsals. This means having done your homework so you don't waste everyone's time trying to get your parts together.

Rehearsal is sacred. Always show up unless there is a major unavoidable disaster.

Use rehearsal time to work on the things that you CAN'T do well, and DON'T sound good, not the things you can do well and already sound great. Accept that productive rehearsal is not always going to be fun, but keep in mind you can’t be an anal-retentive Nazi either.

Before rehearsal, make notes and come with an agenda: "at the last gig the middle 8 of XYZ didn't sound right. Let’s look at it."

Tape your rehearsals, even if it’s just a boom box on the ground. Things that sound great in the moment may not sound so good the next day, but you'll never know without a recording.

Always be honest with each other. Communicate.

No girlfriend/wife interference.

Leave your ego at home.

Be open-minded.

No chili before practice.

[MarkMyWordsXx]

agreed for the most part

[Johnny Mack]

always look the part? no thanks, im there to have fun like a normal person.
wife/family comes first dude.
wednesdays: chili @ 6:00pm; practice @ 7:00pm.

[twistdpair]

For us, we are competing against other (some very good) cover bands in a crowded scene. I think looking good and having a bit of an aura or mystique around you can help differentiate us.

And the Chili one...tongue in cheek. Our singer was burning out our nasal hair last week

Originally Posted by Johnny Mack

always look the part? no thanks, im there to have fun like a normal person.
wife/family comes first dude.
wednesdays: chili @ 6:00pm; practice @ 7:00pm.

[salcott]

Always dress better than your audience; otherwise, you're just a bunch of shlubs with instruments and not worthy of their attention.

[rumbler]

Ya man,

I can agree with most of the stuff on your list. And for some people some of these they wouldnt agree with depending on how serious the band you are playing is. But cool post!

Andrew

[QORC]

Originally Posted by twistdpair

Hey all! For the new year, our band is consciously trying to elevate our game. In that spirit, I looked around to see if I could find the 25 best bits of advice that we could post in the band room. Some of these address specific shortcomings of our band, and some are more general.

Is there anything you would add or remove from this list?

25 Golden Rules

Have fun!

Be at the gig/rehearsal on time (all members, even singers!!).

Do your share loading/unloading and setting up/breaking down.

Always be in tune.

No excuses…everyone is busy, broke or tired. Suck it up.

Have spares on hand of anything that may present a problem, from fuses and tubes to cables, tuners, straps - even a spare amp.

Know how all of your equipment works.

Present & conduct yourself in a manner that isn't detrimental to the band or yourself.

Internal matters should be dealt with privately and not in a public forum.

Remember it's your job to make the place come alive - not the other way around.

Stay two drinks behind your audience.

Play every show as if you were competing for a million dollars...even if there are only three people in the club.

Always look the part. When you walk through the room, people should know you are in the band.

Always be nice to the soundman.

Always be nice to the bartenders, waiters, waitresses, manager, owner, bouncers, etc.

Come prepared to work at rehearsals. This means having done your homework so you don't waste everyone's time trying to get your parts together.

Rehearsal is sacred. Always show up unless there is a major unavoidable disaster.

Use rehearsal time to work on the things that you CAN'T do well, and DON'T sound good, not the things you can do well and already sound great. Accept that productive rehearsal is not always going to be fun, but keep in mind you can’t be an anal-retentive Nazi either.

Before rehearsal, make notes and come with an agenda: "at the last gig the middle 8 of XYZ didn't sound right. Let’s look at it."

Tape your rehearsals, even if it’s just a boom box on the ground. Things that sound great in the moment may not sound so good the next day, but you'll never know without a recording.

Always be honest with each other. Communicate.

No girlfriend/wife interference.

Leave your ego at home.

Be open-minded.

No chili before practice.

this is gospel

[txbasschik]

Here's one we've instituted: Do not interrupt your bandmates when they are trying to convey an idea. Let them finish what they are trying to say, and then try the idea. *Then* give your input and get the band to try your idea. Use the one that works best.

You know...common courtesy.

This has eliminated much bickering and frustration in our band.

Cherie

[Mike Shevlin]

[quote=twistdpair;5224650]

No girlfriend/wife interference.

Amen on that. I subed last month for a band I know & the guitarist's drunk girlfriend 'decided' that I should play with a pick becuase the regular bass player used a pick (she had ALSO dated the bass player).

I told her that I would be happy to play with a pick, but I would have to play guitar & replace her boyfriend.

She yanked her guitarist boyfriend out of the room for a 'meeting' & then left a few minutes later.

The gig went well - haven't heard from them since (geez - was it something I said???)

[tZer]

Originally Posted by txbasschik

Here's one we've instituted: Do not interrupt your bandmates when they are trying to convey an idea. Let them finish what they are trying to say, and then try the idea. *Then* give your input and get the band to try your idea. Use the one that works best.

You know...common courtesy.

This has eliminated much bickering and frustration in our band.

Cherie

Amen! And I am the one most guilty of breaking this one! I talk WAAAAAAY too much...

I'd like to add to it - "Yes before No" - It's all too easy to dismiss an idea that is not yours. Too many times I've seen band mates ready to down an idea before it even has a chance. I don't know how many times I've personally thought that an idea would fall flat on it's face only to discover it worked really well upon trying it. Had I voiced the "No before Yes" thing, not only would I have to eat crow later when it worked but I could have also been the reason a really good idea didn't even get tried.

[Johnny Mack]

Originally Posted by salcott

Always dress better than your audience; otherwise, you're just a bunch of shlubs with instruments and not worthy of their attention.

they dont necessarily have the choice to pay attention if the shlubs have instruments with loud amplifiers, only the choice to stay or leave.

i personally do not play dress up, but YMMV.

[txbasschik]

Originally Posted by tZer

Amen! And I am the one most guilty of breaking this one! I talk WAAAAAAY too much...

I'd like to add to it - "Yes before No" - It's all too easy to dismiss an idea that is not yours. Too many times I've seen band mates ready to down an idea before it even has a chance. I don't know how many times I've personally thought that an idea would fall flat on it's face only to discover it worked really well upon trying it. Had I voiced the "No before Yes" thing, not only would I have to eat crow later when it worked but I could have also been the reason a really good idea didn't even get tried.

I'm a big talker, too. But with my two bandmates, it is extremely difficult to get a word in edgewise. They're too busy interrupting each other! We had "The Talk" two practices ago...I could contain myself no longer. We worked a lot of things out, and #1 was "use courtesy, and stop talking over each other". #2 was "don't take every criticism or suggestion as a personal attack".

So far, so good.

Cherie

[cutthroatmolloy]

Originally Posted by twistdpair

No girlfriend/wife interference.

this rule should be number 1

[Lucas G]

other than dressing the part (not my bag) and adding 'yes before no' someone should sticky this one.

[mjolnir]

Good set of rules, though I find in my bands many have trouble being on time on a regular basis...

[Valerus]

Good list!

[Aged_Clayman]

-Don`t take each others sonic space. That goes out mostly for you, rhythm guitar!

[gjsven]

Originally Posted by twistdpair

Always be nice to the soundman.

I would change this to 'Always behave professionally with the soundman' as there's only so much being nice will achieve when he/she is being an ar*ehole and/or is incompetent - which in my experience is most of the time (YMMV).

Otherwise these golden rules are, well, gold!

[txbasschik]

Originally Posted by Aged_Clayman

-Don`t take each others sonic space. That goes out mostly for you, rhythm guitar!

AaaaaaMEN!!!

Had this problem with a rhythm guitarist...she was forever playing the bass lines. When I pointed out that she was too close to my lines, she replied, "But I can play them. You just play the root." My reply? "Yeah...you *can*...but you *shouldn't*. Your job is rhythm guitar, not bass!"

Oi.

cherie

[rodl2005]

Good list!! AMEN to the respect everybody's musical space!!!!!!

+ the evrybody lugs gear one could read " everybody-including vocalists!!!!!"