What Motivates You to Play In An Originals Band?

[bluewine]

This past weekend I had the opportunity to see 3 very talented local originals bands.

In this case all 3 bands had good musicianship, professional look, pro gear and good material. This is not always the case. I have seen some original acts with overall very little to offer.

I had the chance to talk with some of the bands members ( all under 30). They really have a different approach to being in a band.

For them it's really not about gigging the way it is for most cover acts. These bands are trying to "make it" .

They will do what I consider a handful of high profile shows annually. Many are non paid fund raisers & benefits with large crowds.

These folks are perfectly happy in this sort band culture. They have no interest in the hectic demanding schedule of many of the cover bands playing bars 3-4 times a month.

I thought it would be interesting to open up a discussion to learn a little more about the originals band culture.

Keep in mind,this is more for those that are fully fledged band members in one solid originals band with structured goals and a realistic mission.

What is your motivation, in other words why do you choose to be a member and play in an originals band?

How old are you

On a 1 -5 scale, 5 being very important, how important is being in a band to you. ( I know for some it's not that important and for some of us to you. ( I know for some it's not that important and for some of us we depend on it)

What specifically are you and your original band trying to achieve? ( record contract, sponsored tour, good gigs, money, just for fun, Playing for friends and family)


Is there a viable thriving market for for originals bands in your region of the country.


Do you always see yourself dedicated to originals bands.

[mikegug]

Mostly originals band. Teen band. We play out about once a month. We try to get paying gigs (to pay for pro recording) or play the biggest shows we can.

Our motivation (outside of the primary God-driven motivation) is to tour and sell. That means either get big or influential audiences.

Turns out our most important audience (so far) was in a setting where this producer was just chatting with only part of the band. We pulled up our Facebook, he saw our video and he's interested.

No real local originals market for a Christian rock band. You gotta go big from here (Sacramento, CA).

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by mikegug

Our motivation (outside of the primary God-driven motivation) is to tour and sell. That means either get big or influential audiences.

Tour & sell, makes perfect sense.

Good luck to you and your band.

I understand the margins are tough for touring Christian bands?

[fraublugher]

The tears.











not in one at the moment :P

[Varcolac]

I'm 26. I play bass in an original progressive rock/metal band.

I'm motivated to play because we create music that I would want to listen to. I think it's clever enough, hooky enough, experimental and extreme enough to cover most of the bases for my listening tastes.

I'd say being in a band is 5/5 for me in terms of importance. I realised a few weeks ago that I have barely made any friends through outlets other than music.

Currently we're trying to achieve more exposure, with the objective being more and better gigs and a record contract (though, as we're entirely self-produced and there's not much that record company money could improve, that's mainly more for promotion and sales than anything else). Plus, it's fun.

There should be a market, and there are plenty of original bands, but London seems to be home to an extremely fickle and apathetic underground music scene, especially in the metal world. We're looking in to touring mainland Europe, as the audiences there seem, shall we say, a little more enthusiastic than this jaded city.

I've played in primarily cover bands before, I've played big band jazz from the 1940s, and I've played folk music for céilidhs. I like playing originals, but I wouldn't say it's the only thing I'll ever do (or have ever done) musically.

Edit: and I play for a weird experimental big band, the end goal of which is PhD research for the bandleader/composer. I do that 'cause it's fun and we get free tea and biscuits!

[Marial]

I really enjoy the creative process and get a special kick out of seeing something my bandmates and I have created get appreciated by the audience, and I like doing my own thing (not that it hasn't all been done before anyway, nothing new under the sun, after all). I enjoy the process of building a set of new tunes, and while my current band isn't nearly as collaborative as my last band, I'm still pretty much left to my own devices as far as my bass lines go.

I listen to a ton of music, like most other folks here, and I like to incorporate different styles into what I do, but I've never had any inclination to play other people's music. It's not something I've ever really considered or found attractive.

I don't personally care at all about 'making it'. I have a lifestyle to which I've become accustomed and the life of a touring/working musician is simply not compatible with the lifestyle I went to lead. I don't care about the money, that's why I have a career, and what money the band makes (which has been pretty damn good this year) gets put back into the band for recording and promotional expenses. Simply put, I have absolutely no interest in music being my job.

I am fortunate enough to live in a place where original music is sought after, appreciated, and pretty much expected. It's the norm in Seattle, and other than specific, niche, cover/tribute bands, you really don't see many cover bands in Seattle proper. People want to hear original music here, and that's why there are a zillion bands playing a zillion different styles of music, and why bands from Seattle (and Portland), in many genres, seem to keep showing up in the charts and on national magazine covers.

The only cover band I've ever been in was my first band ever, when I was in eighth grade. I've been playing nothing but originals since high school and I'll be 40 in November.

So it's just my thing, but as always, mileage may vary.

Edited to add: Being in a band is 3/5 for me. Making music is 5/5. I can do that playing upright with my neighbors and friends without electricity or anyone around to listen to us, and that's just as satisfying as it is to play in front of a ton of people in a sweaty club or what-have-you.

[AndreBas]

Most cover bands won't let me play my own bass lines... Reproducing stuff that others have created, ain't art to me. Nevertheless, I do play in cover bands, for the purpose of money, but not for art.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by Marial

I don't personally care at all about 'making it'.

I've been playing nothing but originals since high school and I'll be 40 in November.

I hope others read your reply. Getting away from the whole "making it" mentality is wise & realistic for all 40 year olds.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by AndreBas

Most cover bands won't let me play my own bass lines... Reproducing stuff that others have created, ain't art to me. Nevertheless, I do play in cover bands, for the purpose of money, but not for art.

I guess art is relative, I play in a cover band, I consider every aspect of my performance as art. However I play my own bass lines.

[Marial]

Originally Posted by bluewine

I hope others read your reply. Getting away from the whole "making it" mentality is a wise & realistic for all 40 year olds.

I don't completely disagree, but if there is something one wants to achieve to create an arbitrary age barrier like '40' is nothing if not self-defeating.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by Marial

I don't completely disagree, but if there is something one wants to achieve to create an arbitrary age barrier like '40' is nothing if not self-defeating.

The age issue will always be controversial.

I'll give you this;

The door will not be closed for all 40 year olds.

[grinx]

What is your motivation, in other words why do you choose to be a member and play in an originals band?

---i like the music, the words. i have no restrictions on what i want to do. the music isn't offensive. anyone can listen to it. i am not asked to do much and i deliver in spades =p.

How old are you?

---45

On a 1 -5 scale, 5 being very important, how important is being in a band to you. ( I know for some it's not that important and for some of us to you. ( I know for some it's not that important and for some of us we depend on it)

---5. it is as important as drinking, eating, sleeping and makin' the luvz

What specifically are you and your original band trying to achieve? ( record contract, sponsored tour, good gigs, money, just for fun, Playing for friends and family)

---initially, a rum company-sponsored tour of 2-8 weeks in the caribbean playing piratey americana music. we are going to be placing an ad in sailing magazines to see if we can't have someone create a festival for us like Gasparilla in Tampa, Fl but with a bunch of pirate-ish bands. we are also, since we are in the 2nd largest movie filming area of the country (Wilmington, NC, IronMan 3 is being filmed there right now) looking into ways to get our tunes into movies with the pirate resurgence thanks to Johnny Depp.


Is there a viable thriving market for for originals bands in your region of the country.

---not so far. but we haven't pushed it very hard either. we are the home of pirate lore (blackbeard nee edward teach, and yes, we have a song about him). who else is writing original music about pirates? we are hoping to CREATE a market since none currently exists.

Do you always see yourself dedicated to originals bands.

---i have been in originals bands since the late 80's. always a mix of originals and covers (does that count?).

[viper4000]

I'll bite on this one...

Up until about 6 years ago I was always in original bands up in OH. The art, craft, and collaboration were the main attractions. We played the typical venues in the area, which at the time was very good for originals. I loved it when we debuted a new tune and the place would go nuts and groove to it just like they had heard it on the radio for years.

Ultimately I have always had two goals when it came to music. 1) Make art 2) Perform

Both have their place. I played in a cover band to perform every weekend. I played in original bands to create art. The original bands never quite got enough speed behind them to go regional or national, but that would have pretty darn cool back then.

I'm currently in the studio recording an EP of my own stuff. Will I gig this material? Probably not. As I can not sing and play a bass at the same time. And I am not a good enough guitarist to gig, even though I can play guitar and sing. So what's the motivation for that. Purely art. I want to be able to throw that CD in and tell myself I made something great (even if it isn't LOL). I'll probably try to peddle it, and may try to sell it during my cover gigs. But that's probably all the light of day it will see. If so, I'm good with that, as long as when it is all said and done I can say I gave it my heart and soul.

If I could play guitar up to par, or could play bass and sing I believe I would be in the camp of "play every gig you can" to ensure as many people as possible got a chance to hear us.

[bluewine]

Of recent years I was in 2 very cool originals bands.

I loved the material, however at the end of the day, that alone was not enough motivation for me.

[dustinfennessey]

Creativity and I've never been interested in playing someone else's music - just not my bag man.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by grinx

---initially, a rum company-sponsored tour of 2-8 weeks in the caribbean playing piratey americana music. we are going to be placing an ad in sailing magazines to see if we can't have someone create a festival for us like Gasparilla in Tampa, Fl but with a bunch of pirate-ish bands.

Thats an " out of the box" vision. I like it!

[Argali]

The entire reason why I picked up guitar and bass in the first place was to create my own music. Ever since, I've only been interested in that, and have sought out others interested in basically making art through music. I've never sought to make money doing it, so I've had the luxury of being as selfish as I could within a collaborative process. I'm now 35 and haven't gigged in almost a decade - too busy raising kids - but I can see myself going back to it, and I still have no interest in playing covers. I still have a lot of ideas that I want to try out.

And overall, it's fun making original music! Maybe you take more risks in terms of people liking it, but I found it very rewarding.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by dustinfennessey

Creativity and I've never been interested in playing someone else's music - just not my bag man.

Cool, however for those who have followed my threads know that I have almost completely dropped the reference to "I " out of my musical vocabulary.

For me it's all about "them"

My band played to over 1000 people last night and we'll do the same tonight. We're opening for
Big James & The Chicago Playboys.

Sadly, what the band and I play is all about "them"

[Marial]

And that's your bag, which means it's still about 'I'. That's what YOU want to do. Dig?

[Biggbass]

The quality of the songwriting and the skill level of the players.