To reiterate what everyone else has said, yes it's a tough gig to get into. One bit of information to keep in your head throughout your pursuit of music AND in life in general is
"If I had this idea, there's a 99.99% chance that someone else already has as well". Nobody gets into or starts a band to achieve mediocrity, we all watched/listened in amazement as the Beatles played on TV, when we heard Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd on the radio, when we saw Guns n' Roses live in concert, or (for the younger guys like me) had your mind blown when you first heard Smells Like Teen Spirit. We all want to get there just like those guys, and you very well MIGHT, but you more than likely won't, and you need to have a backup plan.
There are plenty of people who make it later in life and have/had full-on careers before REALLY getting somewhere with their music. Tool would be a good example. At age 25 I have a self-sustaining income and a day job that I like quite a bit. The dream is to get where those guys are, but I won't be eating tuna out of a can and living at a homeless shelter to "get there". I'm not sure how bands or the music scene is in your neck of the woods, but I personally will pass over somebody that doesn't have stable, 9 to 5 employment when it comes to band members. If they can't hold down a decent job, it's VERY unlikely they will be super reliable when it comes to the commitment that a band takes. If they are serious, they'll come by after work, get up at a decent time on saturday mornings instead of sleeping in until 1pm, and save up money to cover gear and gig expenses in general. The myth is that you have to be a penniless teenager, fresh outta high school, and have magically acquired tons of talent by learning to shred and smoking lots of pot to become a rock god without even stepping foot into any higher education institution. There are some things wrong with this though:
1) You may be talented, but that guy (points away) will be better than you every day of the week and twice on sunday(better looking while he does it too). So you better have something else to offer besides just raw talent and your looks, because he plays faster and looks prettier to boot....but we all know how much people despise good-looking and talented people
2) Originality! You've got a totally unique and edgy sound that oozes with character and artsy angst. Only one problem...nobody really likes your music. Because it doesn't have a bouncy beat or isn't what they are pumping at the clubs, your music sort of becomes a novelty that really doesn't go anywhere. That's ok though, when 4 or 5 other bands tweak it slightly and get swooped up by record companies because the time is right, you'll have your artistic integrity to pay the bills and make sure you don't die of starvation. Besides, your bandmates were tired of playing your music anyways, which brings me to my next point.
3) So you're the cat's butt, you've got the talent, look, and sound...but you've got nobody to play it with you. Sure your stuff sounds awesome, but if you don't have some other guys to play it with you and convince the talent scouts that it's worthwhile, you aren't going much of anywhere. Also, be prepared for these guys to never have money when it's necessary (when eating, paying for gas, fronting money for other important things), but will waste most of it on getting drunk and being too hung over to show up for band practice, gigs, or funerals.
4) Lets say all the planets have aligned, it's a blue moon, a solar eclipse happened, and pigs just flew....you just got signed for a big record deal! You're on the road to fame and success like a jet taking off from a runway. You'll go and record an album which will actually be written mostly by a producer with little input by you, it will consist of 2 or 3 decent songs and 1 hit song that you all hate but will sell records and get panties thrown up on stage. You'll play the hit song until you all want to vomit and will then be dropped like a hot rock the next year when the album receives terrible critiques and you'll be yesterday's news like so many other bands before you. All the while, you'll have made less money than if you worked as a package delivery man for a parcel service.
Depressing and cynical this may be, it happens to many many many many unsuspecting young guys/gals. The whole point of that lecture and rambling is to make sure you keep your priorities straight and don't make unnecessary sacrifices that will hinder/ruin nobody's life but your own. Be smart, get a decent (not one that owns your life completely though) job and then pursue your music career with caution and wisdom. Don't worry, music isn't going anywhere...it'll still be there when you get older
).
