Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
At The Back => The Dressing Room => Topic started by: Sailor Charon on September 30, 2007, 08:19:34 PM
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Well, I'm trying to put a band together. I'd prefer it to be made up of women about my age - purely because of the name I came up with.
But I need: (This is the advert I'm thinking of running)
38 Year old female lead guitarist (Based in Derbyshire) seeks
1 - 2nd lead guitarist. Ideally influenced by Jimmy Page, Angus Young, Richie Blackmore, Toni Iommi.
2 - Bass player. Ideally influenced by Steve Harris, John Entwhistle, Geezer Butler.
3 - Drummer. Ideally influenced by John Bonham, Keith Moon. And NOT Karen Carpenter.
4 - Lead singer. Ideally influenced by Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford, Ian Gillan. And NOT Karen Carpenter.
for band.
Ability not essential, I'm not that good myself, but must be committed and prepared to work hard. Yes, it'll be fun, but not a joke.
Thoughts?
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I wouldn't start with you being a lead guitarist. I would check for a rehearsal place - if you have that and the name, then you can say you have a band and need some new members, sounds like more, doesn't it?
I also wouldn't make a distinction between lead and rhythm guitar, just say that you look for another guitarist and wanna share tasks.
As all your example musicians are male, I think you should make clearer you're looking for females...
Just my 3c
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If you're trying to build a five piece, especially an all girl five piece with those influences, I'd just try to get as many replies as possible. let your advert get people to your audition, then use the audition to sort wheat from chaff.
Also, people could be put off the fact that you need so many people- try getting a singer and drums, then find the other two people.
what would make you go for an audition if you saw an ad? always think of that.
My advert would run:
38 Year old female guitarist (Based in Derbyshire) seeks Drummer and Lead singer
All levels off ability considered, but must be committed. Yes, it'll be fun, but not a joke.
sure, you might end up with loads of drummers and singers who love the carpenters, but at audition, find the ones flexible enough to learn how to play like keith moon.
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I've been in bands that have acheived more commercially but the reason I regard my current one as successful is that we started out with a clear idea of what we wanted to achieve - 1 gig a month paying at least £200 - and within nine months we're doing double that number of gigs and averaging about £180 a time with a number of venues now offering us regular slots paying at least our target price.
Thinking about why this has happened I've realised that, aside from actually playing our instruments, we have each slotted into very productive support roles - I look after the musical arrangements and book rehearsals, the singer works for a print company and does posters and CD's as well as running myspace, facebook and a website for the band, the rhythm guitarist is a sales director by day and uses these skills to sell us to venues and negotiate payment.
We have a mixed range of experience musically but the less experienced ones were committed to improving and have taken advice and coaching from those of us who are. All of us were willing to put the effort in to regular rehearsals and this has payed off as we sound pretty good live.
The other thing that has helped is matching the music we wanted to play (rock covers) with the venues we were approaching. This sounds really obvious but if a pub is advertising live music it's worth checking if this means karaoke once a month and again there's no point (for us) in trying to play venues that only put on original music.
I know this may not be exactly what you're thinking of at this point but it's easy to get into a situation where you are rehearsing endlessly with either no idea where you want to go next or no idea how to go about it.
So far as the proposed line up goes it's pretty versatile and from the musical influences you mention it will probably be about right.
One thing I would mention from my own experience is that male fronted bands tend to do better than female fronted ones (I've been in several of each). I know it's awfully sexist and hopefully someone out there will prove me wrong but how about a female band with a male singer - it'll be different to most other bands out there.
Good luck
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I wouldn't start with you being a lead guitarist. I would check for a rehearsal place - if you have that and the name, then you can say you have a band and need some new members, sounds like more, doesn't it?
I also wouldn't make a distinction between lead and rhythm guitar, just say that you look for another guitarist and wanna share tasks.
As all your example musicians are male, I think you should make clearer you're looking for females...
Just my 3c
Thanks. I've never tried to put an advert together before.
The only reason why all the examples are male is that I can't think of very many female hard rock/classic metal bands... :oops:
I supose I could say I'm trying to come up with a (slightly older) British version of say, Princess Princess or Show Ya... [Or a female version of bands like Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden...) but aiming for two lead guitarists...
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In fact, thanks everybody. I'll have a think, and, if it's OK, run a second draft by you?
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:D By all means run as many drafts of your add past us as you wish. Its what the forums for. We have a belief here on the boards that go`s the only stupid question is the one you dont ask. so ask away........
:D 8)
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However you word the ad, I hope it goes well and works out-getting band together is hard but when it all works it is great. In one of the bands I am in, we have lost my co guitarist and replaced him and I am busy learning all his bits.Gonna miss him like mad as he is a great mate.
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More or less repeating whats been said so far, but I'd say you've been a little too specific in what you are looking for, the more people who apply the more choice you get, and you never know, someone who doesn't fit the criteria might fit the band very well.
I wish you luck, keep us posted on how things go.
Oh and you forgot to say 'Must have decent pickups or I'll make you wish you did.' :twisted:
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Shame you're after all girls - I'm after another a second band to play it at the moment...
All the advice above sounds good to me. Best of luck with it!
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erm.... guys, you're supposed to ask for n000dz before you give any useful information.
Christ.
Have you tried just hanging at local music venues? You'll find musicians easy that way.
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What's wrong with Karen Carpenter?
:twisted:
Mike
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I look like Karen Carpenter does that mean I can't audition?
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What's wrong with Karen Carpenter?
:twisted:
Mike
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
But can you really imagine her playing drums on 'Rock 'n' Roll'? Or singing 'Whole Lotta Love'?
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Ok, folks here's my 2nd draft...
"38 year old female guitarist seeks singer and drummer (alternate version guitarist and bass player)
for Ripley (local ads, ads in relevent magazines, South Derbyshire) based female Hard Rock/Classic Metal band 'Gal Force'
All levels of ability considered, but commitment required. It'll be fun, but not a joke."
I thought of a couple of names, but decided to go back to an earlier idea. [The others were a bit too 'clever for the sake of being clever']
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"38 year old female guitarist seeks
I would say:
Female guitarist seeks singer and drummer (30+) ....
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Yeah, that seems fine. I'd agree with hunter that you don't need to mention your age.
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What about this:
Bare Knuckle Guitar Girl seeks ...
:twisted:
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Yes don't mention age! All the ads i've answered run a mile when i've mentioned mine before! :lol:
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your not saying ageism goes on in the music world..are you? *L*
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When we went through a similar thing about 18 months ago we did not mention age either - worked on the principle that 18-25 year olds would not want to play 'Classic Rock' - seemed to be reflected in the response that we got from the advert.
Sounds like our band has similar aims - play Classic tunes and having some fun about once or twice a month. From playing pubs etc I'd say that it doesn't matter if you are male/female etc - audience like hearing the good old songs and singing along. We have a lot of debate around playing 'stuff that we like' v 'songs that the audience expect to hear' - I'd come down in favour of the latter - if you play an obscure album track by (e.g.) Bad Company that the drummer really likes, but the audience has never heard of, the reaction will be WTF?????? Play stuff like Highway to Hell, Alright Now etc and it does down a storm!!
Good luck with the ad
Mike
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Quite agree with Mike's views above-a philosophy that abounds in one of the bands that I play in.