Band wants to move to Berlin (rant).

[Meddle]

I usually know better than to post band problems on this forum , its not worth your problem and usually not a problem that cannot be overcome with either some common sense or a smirk over a beer with some close friends. However this takes the cake.

My band played a flat party gig. In typically inept style the singer (whose top floor flat the gig was held in) didn't consult the people below the flat before 50+ art school types were dancing excitedly to our band. I would hate to see the room below after that. The gig was ok, but a few events typified the attitude of the singer in my band that annoyed me. Firstly the "warmup act" (a dude in tortoiseshell granny glasses, knitted jumper, skinny jeans and 'ironic' facial hair) managed to blow out my singer's room mate's speakers with a Mikrokorg. Not sure how, unless he was using beefy squarewaves or something. Either the Korg or the Ipods getting used throughout the night totally toasted the speakers.

After my band played I went and chatted to people in a few different rooms in said flat, and I heard bass playing. Problem 1, it was my bass. Problem 2 it was my amp. Problem 3, when they found that the stereo was thrashed I overheard them come to the conclusion that my bass amp would do. They didn't ask me, they were going to plug right in there and then without consultation. When I was packing up later I could not get my cables back because they had been used in the stereo rig somehow. So basically my property was being used without any of my consent.

This attitude sucks, period. I worked to get my gear together (yadda yadda I see this complaint here all the time and I understand). Ask first and I would not have a problem with it being used (usually), but don't assume.

And to continue on the band assumes I will leave Edinburgh and travel with them to set up shop in Berlin. They "thought hard" before chosing Berlin. Now here is the facts.

1) My band do not know how to promote. We are a student band in Edinburgh and the same faces come to every gig. We have not 'broken' Edinburgh and we have never been paid for a gig.

2) None of my band can speak German. I'm the best German speaker and I'm rudimentary to put it mildly.

3) Apparently with no German skills, in a country with high unemployment, we will get gigs galore (and rubbish bohemian daytime jobs to pay the bills y'all) even though we know no promoters in Berlin, know no German and have no promotion skills.

4) I'm the only band member (minus the drummer) who can set up equipment and generally be trusted to play in tune and not have a knicker-wetting episode onstage.

Now don't get me wrong I love being in the band. I love playing live music with other people, be it in a rehearsal room or a local cafe or whatever, but my bandmates are not cut out for making money this way. Complete lack of rehearsal-room disciplin, mammoth-slow rate of writing tunes, complete ego wars at any major turn, vanity and luddite tendencies abound.

They tried to pressure me by saying that this is the only oppertunity in my life to make it big, but I really don't want to. Bass is a cool hobby for me and I enjoy the music most, not the other baggage that would come from being another failing band in Berlin.

I only made this thread because I saw the thread a few days ago with the Australian thinking the UK's pavements are lined with (musical) gold for any musician here.

[dvh]

It's pretty clear your band is in NO way prepared to make a leap like that...

Find another band?

[Tampabass]

Originally Posted by dvh

It's pretty clear your band is in NO way prepared to make a leap like that...

Find another band?

On the one hand, yeah, your band ain't ready to make waves elsewhere when you haven't even played a single paying gig in your home area.

On the other hand, if it's a student band, that means you're young, and - what the heck, sounds like a cool adventure to me. I wish I'd done something "crazy" like that when I was young, before I had a wife, kids, a mortgage, a zillion financial obligations, and a (non-music) career to sustain.

Really, what's the worse that can happen?

[behemecoytl]

my guitarist keeps telling me that they'd love us in Hungary... I have no clue how he came to that conclusion.

Judy is a Punk,
Jackie is a runt,
they both went down to Berlin
joined the Ice Capades...

and oh I don't know why...
and oh I don't know why...

[Tampabass]

Okay, I've convinced myself - you take my responsibilities, I'll go to Berlin and play bass for six months.

(heh - just kidding - back to reality)

[Meddle]

Yeah sure I'm recruiting for a replacement bassist!

To whoever said it would be fun because I'm 21 and have no responsibilities, maybe I never read enough Kerouac but it doesn't appeal. Chosing to live in squalid conditions because our singer studies humanities and Marx and gets a semi thinking about poverty is not my idea of fun.

It will be a gaping hole on my CV. Besides if Germany has a high unemployment rate they are certainly not going to be handing out jobs to brits who cannot speak German. They will give jobs to the Turks with families to feed and who will work hard, not some pilled up rich kids (I am not a pilled up rich kid for the record) who will probably turn up to the job stoned.

Seriously if anybody wants the holiday of a life time working in a rubbish job in Berlin (more like living off Daddy's credit card) and want a gig every 3 months (our Edinburgh average) then drop me a PM, the gig is yours.

[OPBASSMAN1994]

Wow, Berlin. I guess they've had "Back In the U.S.S.R." stuck in their psyche for some time, huh? Would they really even give a flip about rock (or whatever you guys play) in Berlin? If so, they might be on to something. If not, they might be ruining the band forever. My advice, my Scottish friend is to talk to some representatives of Stone Mountain, Georgia. I know this will sound bad, but I'm Scottish too, (by blood, not birth, but you know "a Scot is a Scot, even unto a hundred generations") so I wouldn't be trying to pigeonhole you at all. We have a pretty big Highland games/ Scottish festival at Stone Mountain every year, and they love to get some Scottish bands to come play. There are no full bands. I've seen a bassist once, and heard really good, original, or rockin' stuff there close to never... if you can play there, and get some people interested, that could start a U.S. career, which would be much better than Berlin, and would probably "break" you from Edinburgh. Plus, I know that lots of people love to go, myself included.

[Raymeous]

Hello to my brother (or is it sister) from across the pond.

To me it sounds like you have already made a decision to leave and just needed to rant. I fully understand. I would be gone, maybe taking the drummer with me if I could, and find something else to occupy my gig time with. Trust me, if you and the drummer are a solid rhythm section, you will find work. You could back up a local "singer/songwriter" type, start your own band since guitarists are the easiest thing to find, or the two of you could just work as a session rhythm section for you local scene. You have a ton of options.

Hope you find something that makes you happy soon.

[Meddle]

The drummer is not keen on the move at all, and his girlfriend gave him a good old earfull for even thinking about it (and not talking to her first), whoa all the cliches in one thread huh?

As for the band we don't sound Scottish. I am the only Scottish member. the rest are EU nationals of various locations (and the singer is half Peruvian half upper-crust UK, and boy does it show).

We don't even sound Scottish (if by Scottish you mean the Vaselines, The Jesus and Mary Chain and those other cynicism-dripping indie rockers from the 1980s). Scottish indie sounds like any other indie these days sadly. The band I'm in are probably heavy indie, in that I lay down a very thick bass instead of the usual poodle indie bass lines you get. I also play fingerstyle.

The drummer and I goof off a lot on different styles (reggae, jazz, 12 bar blues, lounge jazz, funk and even metal) if the others are late for rehearsal (which is every other rehearsal) so we gel very well.

[banks]

# 4 is great!!! Sounds like you should find another band.

[EdHunter]

Firstly, Berlin is super, mega, über awesome. I'd happily live there even if it meant leaving behind everything I know and love...

But, if they're really trying to move somewhere in Europe to "make it" then consider Switzerland. Most people speak English, there are a ton of normal, everyday jobs you could get and you can charge more for gigs (and get the same size crowds).

[Meddle]

Originally Posted by banks

# 4 is great!!!

The "lets play in Hungary!!!!111" logic in #4 seems somehow familiar.

[Tampabass]

why not London?

[Meddle]

Originally Posted by Tampabass

why not London?

Apparently the music scene is not big enough, or not worthy of us, or some other nonesense.

Seriously I think the guitarist and the singer spent an afternoon smoking doobs and trying to think up where a big music scene may or may not exist.

[Edward G.]

Without a plan, this looks like a huge opportunity to be dirty, cold, hungry, broke and angry. Away from home. Godspeed.

[basskababble]

Samples? Songs? Videos?

[Meddle]

myspace.com/screenkids


I've posted this before and you guys were not impressed!

[Edward G.]

Originally Posted by Meddle

myspace.com/screenkids

I've posted this before and you guys were not impressed!

Do not go towards the light!!!

PS,
Music just might go over in Berlin, but you need to think every little thing through and develop a strategy BEFORE you get there. Do your homework. Your band had better not be counting on good luck and the milk of human kindness. Above all else, have an EXIT strategy.

[Nashrakh]

Originally Posted by Meddle

Besides if Germany has a high unemployment rate they are certainly not going to be handing out jobs to brits who cannot speak German. They will give jobs to the Turks with families to feed and who will work hard, not some pilled up rich kids (I am not a pilled up rich kid for the record) who will probably turn up to the job stoned.

Berlin has a lot of faces. There's everything from bums and the projects to high society where the real money's at. Pretty much like any other major city on the globe.

Though, I tell you, the way music works is way different than in say, the US. No bar gigs. Next to no wedding gigs.

The only way to SOMEWHAT sustain yourself with music is playing the really cheesy Top 40 stuff, and even those guys have it real hard nowadays. And needless to say, about anyone IS going to lowball you.

[bassguitar808]

I would love it if my band wanted to move to Berlin

its such a great city, cheap rent, tons of culture, lots to do

winter is coming soon, your band should hibernate, and practice practice

practice german too, find some german friends and girlfriends

it's sucks your gig at the squat party went bad, but dont write off a whole city

remember the beatles played in hamburg for 3 years
morphing from a skiffle band to power pop ballads

try to book yourselves as a house band at a couple different venues across town
and play there weekly
even change your name if the venues are too close by

Tues night in Kreuzberg
Wed in Charlottenburg
Thurs in Pankow

also play up the fact you are from Scotland

best of luck