To try or not to try...

Well, I just received a message from a drummer and a bassist, who asked me if I might be interested in starting a band with them (or more like join their unnamed band, really). So far, I know little about them. They have a rehearsal space and they play something they call Stoner Rock , which I am completely unfamiliar with. I've read on Wikipedia that it's a slower, more Bass-heavy style of rock, so that goes a bit against my preferences. Then again, if they're only starting up, I might be able to influence the sound a bit, so there might be hope.

Now, they are probably already aware that I don't have the biggest, most badass amp of all time (they found me through a post on another website dedicated to finding local musicians, where I wrote I don't have the best gear, but it works fine for practice at home), but I'm thinking that if this works out, I'll spend the money I get back next month on a stack, that I've found on a Danish eBay-like site (100W Marshall Tube Head with 412 cabinet), which costs about the same as what I get back, so the gear will be fixed quickly if things go well.

My only problem is: Should I go for it when I know they want to play some more Bass-heavy music than I prefer, or should I hold back and see if I can find some bandmates at my upcoming music school event?

I would suggest you follow up and at least check it out. You are correct in that you can have some influence on their sound or choice of music. You looked up a definition of "stoner rock" - it may not match their definition.

As far as equipment goes, can you rent amps in Denmark? If so, maybe you could do that until you can buy your own.

Also check out what you can get going with fellow students at the music school. Don't put all of your eggs in one basket and keep you options open. Play the field as they say.

Unlike dating, you can be invovled in multiple bands :-). I know plenty of people that are in more than one band. One may pay the bills (wedding band) and the other may be for personal tastes playing music they personally like or wrote.

I've never seen any places offering rental gear, unless it is already in rehearsal space when you rent it. The venues that do offer it only offer rental of PA, lights and crew, not amps or cables.

I've talked a bit more with them, and they seem nice enough. I'll give them a shot, and see if it works out. They don't seem to mind that my amp is a Fender Mustang. "We can always mic it", as their bassist just wrote in a text message :)

The only problem is a few effects, but those aren't a requirement. They would be nice to have in stompboxes, but I have the most important ones, and the rest can be found in the amp, when it comes to Rhythm parts. They're also only looking for one guitarist, and since the Wikipedia definition of Stoner Rock says it's slow-to-mid-tempo riff-based rock, it sounds like it's perfect for me, even though I don't like Bass-Heavy music that much. Of course, their definition may vary from the Wikipedia one.

That's a good response - "we'll mic it". So they obviously have a PA which is good!

The worst that can happen is it doesn't work out, but you'll have made more connections with musicians in your area.

Maggior's dead on. It's not a marriage - just a date. Absolutely get with them ASAP and let us know how it went.

Originally Posted by: maggiorThat's a good response - "we'll mic it". So they obviously have a PA which is good!

The worst that can happen is it doesn't work out, but you'll have made more connections with musicians in your area.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, they have a PA, so I'll be able to play loud enough to be heard, and I can still use the amp I'm most comfortable with using, so it all comes down to whether or not we're musically compatible :)

[QUOTE=fretsmith]Maggior's dead on. It's not a marriage - just a date. Absolutely get with them ASAP and let us know how it went.

Will do. If it goes bad, you people will be the first to know, and if it goes well, you'll be the fourth to know, after I've notified my closest relatives :)

I'm looking forward to hearing what they've got. If they are going to write brand new material, I'm hoping I'll get to contribute, even if it's only riffs, Rhythm Guitar-parts and Guitar-solos.

I just did a bit of research, and it turns out I'm looking at two of the most skilled, unsigned musicians in my area! And they want to offer me a place in their new band
band... Their last band broke up a few days ago because they wanted to go one way, while the guitarist and singer wanted to play a different style of music, but prior to the break-up, they managed to get to the finals in an annual music contest for unsigned acts.

I'd say that it seems like a great opportunity to get some band experience and possibly even start really doing something with my music.

Wow, that sounds awesome!!! Should be a great experience for you! Cool.

I would jump on the offer,its another life experience.you can always pack ur gear and bounce out of there.and u never know maybe the drummer,or bass player will follow you. Cause they like the direction ur heading.anything is possible.and besides you just might like what you hear..GOODLUCK,KICK SOME ASS. MAKE ALLOT OF SUGGESTIONS,WHATA YA GOT TO LOOSE.

Originally Posted by: axe2I would jump on the offer,its another life experience.you can always pack ur gear and bounce out of there.and u never know maybe the drummer,or bass player will follow you. Cause they like the direction ur heading.anything is possible.and besides you just might like what you hear..GOODLUCK,KICK SOME ASS. MAKE ALLOT OF SUGGESTIONS,WHATA YA GOT TO LOOSE.

Good point. The way I see it, I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. They've already offered me the chance of a lifetime, so it'd be stupid not to cease it. Yes, they may prefer a more Bass-heavy style than me, but since they're starting a new band, I'll have a chance to affect the music a bit. Maybe I can inject some classic rock into the music, and actually make it sound good. I'm still only learning, and they know that, and my speed isn't the fastest, but I don't think they mind since they're the ones who invited me, not the other way around. I'm also pretty sure I am going to be the only guitarist in the band, at least to begin with, so there's gonna be a bit of pressure on me to write riffs and melodies for their/our original stuff. Of course, that also means the Lead Guitarist role is open for me to take.

One thing I know for sure is, that I'm going to give it a shot and see what happens. Who knows? We might just experience that moment where we just jam and everything just sounds and feels great, even though our styles are different.

Now, before actually meeting them and jamming with them, I might want to learn a few songs by their influences, just to be somewhat sure I have some songs they might know.

Just a word of advice: don't over-think it so much. Its kind of like going on a date with someone, and in the first 5 minutes saying "hey, if this works out, maybe we'll start planning what college to send our kids too...".

Just get out there, jam with people; you'll know pretty quickly whether or not its going to "click". If you do meet someone and it doesn't feel right, just enjoy the opportunity, and then at the end be honest but gentle. Don't burn bridges, and don't lay any kind of trip on them. Just say it doesn't feel like a good fit, or the direction is not quite where you want to go, something like that.

If it goes well, (and this is the advice I think you need the most), be cool about it. Enthusiasm is great, but don't get ahead of yourself and start talking about record contracts or stadium gigs or "how are we going to manage our touring schedule when we hit the road?...". Just say "well, that was great for me, how about you guys? Would you like to do this again?" and then take it from there.

You like to think things through, and there's nothing wrong with (planning is good thing!) but don't get caught up in the "what ifs" of the "big picture" too early. Probably the #1 reason for indie bands breaking up that I've been privy to is people just getting way too wrapped up over power-struggles and non-existent issues "who gets what when we're famous?"... that kind of stuff. Thinking too far ahead can really be destructive.

For now, get together, play, have fun! When you start sounding good as a band, get out, do some gigs, and see where it goes from there. You've mentioned "unsigned" a few times. Just be aware that the glory days of getting offered a recording contract and being "picked up" by a label are pretty much over. Watch the documentary "Artifact" about 30 Seconds to Mars battle with their record label. Brace yourself, its pretty depressing stuff if you're hoping to live the dream of being a rockstar. On a more positive note, look into the career path of the band "Of Monsters and Men"... very different genre, but essentially all started with a indie folk artist in Iceland whose career took off very quickly. The music business is a very different landscape than it was back in the days of Guns and Roses... and its changing all the time. All the major labels are struggling these days, and as a result, are demanding much more of artist's revenue streams with things like "360" contracts. Musicians have to find adaptive ways to claim their income, as the model of "press an album and sell millions of copies" is fading quickly. But the good news is that it also means major labels no longer have a strangle hold on who can get exposure and who doesn't. As in the case of "Of Monsters and Men" their music essentially spread virally, and they were able to capitalize on their on-line presence.

Good luck, and have fun!

I don't think "unsigned" is a bad thing at all. I've seen a tendency in the local music scene, where unsigned acts play shows fueled by passion and ambition, while signed acts don't get near that. Typically, the unsigned ones have as much energy as GNR displays in the famous Ritz-show from 1988, and when they finally get signed, they just start standing still on-stage, as if they're trying to say "we've got a record deal, we don't need to impress you anymore".

Personally, I don't even want that highly coveted record deal. I can't really see what it can do that a band can't do on their own. The first band I ever jammed with was too caught up in getting that record deal to even bother recording any more than one demo themselves, while the two guys I'm gonna try jamming with now are way more well-equipped. They have their own recording studio in their rehearsal space, with studio-quality gear, no less.

I've listened to a few songs by the band's they're influenced by, and so far, it actually sounds much better than I had thought it would. I think I could have lots of fun playing some of that stuff.

Originally Posted by: KasperowPersonally, I don't even want that highly coveted record deal. I can't really see what it can do that a band can't do on their own.

Yep... you totally caught my drift. Hopefully the deal you'll want some day is a "distribution deal"... but that's a very different thing, and you'll know clearly if and when the day comes along that you'll ever need one!

Make sure you RECORD the jam, and post it so we can finally have a listen to your playing!! :)

(PS, you probably know this, but for YouTube, you don't have to post a video if you don't want to... you can post an audio track with a still image).

Yeah, I've read a bit about those. It's pretty much where you just let a company handle the distribution of a record, in exchange for a small fee. I can see lots of advantages to having a Distribution Deal, unlike the Record Deal itself. Still, it's more important for me to just find out if our styles are compatible.

I'll try recording the thing, and then cut out the small-talk in between the jamming. The most important part of the recording is the music, in my opinion, not some people talking between two jams.