getting famous

for those among you who want to become a famous guitarist:

what does fame mean to you?
how do you plan on becoming famous?
what are you working on that might make get you fame?
what actually IS fame for you?
beeing known al around the globe?
beeing in the rolling stones top 100 list?
playing infront of 25,000 peeps on a regular basis?

Exellent thread.This is something I contemplate often.
I wouldnt want to be a famous musician for anything else but my music and ability.I would want to be respected earning less money then to be rolling in the dough and be considerd a joke by other musicians.I look down on sellout bands(nu metal)and wouldnt be able to live well knowing that others would think of me as a crap poseur jumping around with a guitar for money.I plan on becoming famous through rigorous touring and being known for great musicianship.I have nothing at the moment(a band)to attain some sort of following or fan base.I wouldnt like to be recognized by crap magazines,but rather exalted AND debated on forums like these.Playing in front of 2000+ people often would be a dream,but I would be just as happy playing in front of a couple hundred or less for the rest of my life.Being happy and content with my work and music is my ultimate goal.I want to be complemented on my great riffs and solos and instead of getting asked for an autograph get asked for tips/pointers on how to play this or that.Instead of girls jumping on my di*k I would rather read fan letters thanking me about how my music helped there musical ambitions and moves them physically and mentally.Thats all know so far...
I know its lame,but any fame wouldnt mean a thing if there wasnt integrity behind it.

Later! \m/

I cant really understand those who want to become famous. I mean think about how many of us out there play guitar. Think of all the unfamous albums that only sell a couple of thousand copies but are great! The chances of becoming famous are so slim that there aint no point thinking about it! The enjoyment you get from playing and harmonising with others is the reward for your trade!

Originally posted by chucklivesoninmyheart

Exellent thread.This is something I contemplate often.
I wouldnt want to be a famous musician for anything else but my music and ability.I would want to be respected earning less money then to be rolling in the dough and be considerd a joke by other musicians.I look down on sellout bands(nu metal)and wouldnt be able to live well knowing that others would think of me as a crap poseur jumping around with a guitar for money.I plan on becoming famous through rigorous touring and being known for great musicianship.I have nothing at the moment(a band)to attain some sort of following or fan base.I wouldnt like to be recognized by crap magazines,but rather exalted AND debated on forums like these.Playing in front of 2000+ people often would be a dream,but I would be just as happy playing in front of a couple hundred or less for the rest of my life.Being happy and content with my work and music is my ultimate goal.I want to be complemented on my great riffs and solos and instead of getting asked for an autograph get asked for tips/pointers on how to play this or that.Instead of girls jumping on my di*k I would rather read fan letters thanking me about how my music helped there musical ambitions and moves them physically and mentally.Thats all know so far...
I know its lame,but any fame wouldnt mean a thing if there wasnt integrity behind it.

Later! \m/

Dude, that is exactly what I think, too!! And what Axl_Rose said, also! I'd love to play in local bars with my friends in the audience and have a few drinks after the show and talk with them. I'd be satisfied with that if it all ended the next day. It's not up to me to become famous anyway. If people like the music, they'll buy it and you can't argue with what sells. Ideally... *sigh, here it is :)* everything Metallica did in their career really only in their first 10 years, I'd be so honored to get. They came up from obscurity and toured the world. They had no backing and made it on their own and that's what I'd like.

But to make my post short, I'd just love to be able to play shows and stuff and make enough money where I wouldn't need a normal 40 hour a week, clock in and out, go to meetings, type-of job. :D

I'm working my ass off on just learning guitar at the moment and that's all I can do now, really. And whenever I go like "Well, I played for an hour. That's good enough today." I'll see a Metallica video and how much they really sacrificed and how hard they practiced and I'll go "Damnit, Ryan!! Pick it back up and keep playin today!!" heh

I would like to be famous, I think it would be a really unique experince, get to travel the world, meet all these people, make a living off the music that you create. sounds good to me!

It would be nice to be remembered for something you worked so hard at.

Originally posted by aiwass
F*ck fame.

very constructive comment indeed...

I have to agree with what most people are saying here and I feel pretty much the same on the topic of being famous.

what does fame mean to you?

I think there are two different categories of Fame. One is you are someone that someone else can make alot of money off of. So you are promoted around the world and people see your face in every direction they turn. Second is you become famous from what you do yourself. People know you for your craft not for your connections. Of course to be truly famous you need both but I would want to be famous because of my craft rather than if I am acceptable by society trends and fashions.

how do you plan on becoming famous?

I don't. If I become famous I become famous if I don't, I don't. I don't think any person has enough control over this kind of thing. All we can do is try the best we can at becoming famous and hope for the best.

what are you working on that might make get you fame?

I'm just writting the music that comes out of my head. And the day I release it to the world I hope they enjoy it as much as I do.

what actually IS fame for you?

I answer that one already. But having thousand of chicks who want on my ..., that's fame.

beeing known al around the globe?

Yeah that would be nice. But I also don't like my privacy invaded and I think I would be one to kill a paparatzi. (SP?)

beeing in the rolling stones top 100 list?

Sure. :)

playing infront of 25,000 peeps on a regular basis?

If that many people want to hear my music, hey I'm not gonna pay them to go away.

I love playing gigs now and again but I wouldn't want to end up on some treadmill having to do PAs, interviews and making albums because it's been stipulated in a contract. I couldnt deal with press intrusion and seeing bulls**t written about me. Nope, I've got an interesting and worthwhile day job and playing a gig once every couple of weeks does me fine.

That's a cool story. I can say I've been there before, in my first years of High school I was pretty much a loner. Then my senior year I played the talent show at my school and then I became a local celebrity the next day. People I never knew existed where coming up to me, asking me to sit with them, gurls that were too stuck up to acknowledge my existance now wanted to my number. The last part was pretty cool but it bothered me cause, yes I got it because of something I worked hard for, but they didn't like me they liked the fact that I could play. I think one reason those guys will hang with you is because you treat them just like you treat everyone else. They like the fact that your friendly with them because of who they are not what they are. I think celebs are just pissed because they have a hard time telling who is really there friends and who isn't. That's a hard way to live, it's like having a million dollars but no one who cares about you. That's why I don't strive to be famous, my little taste of it showed me it wasn't for me. If my music goes high enough for the whole world to hear and love, I will still be an enigma.

I'd just like to be able to be up on stage and look out into a crazy moshpit and see some fans' eyes light up as they know I'm about to play a cool riff or solo.

I'm not too bothered about real fame, if I can make enough money to not have to work that would make me truly happy. Then I could devote all my time to music or whatever.

I don't think I'd have a problem with being famous. I'm a working-class guy and very easy going, people always like me. Getting spotted out and having to spend 2 hours signing autographs when all you want to do is get home would not bother me, these things you should expect and always value each and every fan.

this is such a cool thread.
To me, fame is living forever, you know, having someone put on your album in 50 years time and going 'wow!' like I am these days when I listen to hendrix or BB king.
I would like to be famous, I would like to be recognised as a musician and a songwriter, I believe in equal measure, I read so many extremely capable guitarists who say they dont put huge shredding solos in their music because it doesnt fit the song, my view, is if you're a good enough musician and composer, you can make anything fit into a song and make it great.
For years and years I've been into rock and metal music, trying to find those bands that just have that perfect balance between great songwriting and great musicianship.
I used to practice 5 hours a day trying to get as good as I possibly could, the instrument can be used for anything and I want to use it to the very most of my ability, yet still have people say they enjoy the whole song.
I would like to release an album or five in the future, I believe I have the songs that people can appreciate and relate to.
I'm currently at the very beginning of forming a band and I have high hopes, I dont dream of making it rich or playing in front of adoring thousands, I'd like to just be happy knowing that there are some people out there who feel the same about my music as I do.
If you want to know the bad sides of fame, read Henry Rollins' book 'get in the van' he talks about being a nobody, suddenly fronting one of the more popular bands on the hardcore scene, he talks about people threatening him, not wanting to sign autographs and being misunderstood. He explains fame has many downsides and that all he wanted to do was play music with Black Flag.

Originally posted by PonyOne
I think Maynard Keenan of Tool has a good balance of celeb/engima.

Yeah. :) I love tool man, and as soon as I can collect enough coin I'm getting the new Perfect Circle CD. I like that style (not a goth or anything).

I would like to be famous, I would like to be recognised as a musician and a songwriter, I believe in equal measure, I read so many extremely capable guitarists who say they dont put huge shredding solos in their music because it doesnt fit the song, my view, is if you're a good enough musician and composer, you can make anything fit into a song and make it great.

I dunno from my experiences when I write a song. Once I get the first few bars, the music sort of writes itself. I hear it and I put it down, I don't try to force something that I'm not feeling or try to conform it in any other way. If I do it always seems un-natural and that's the worst thing you can do to your music. I don't try to write the greatest song every time I sit down to compose. I just get the ideas out and what it becomes is that moment, sort of like an impressionist.

I got inspired into playing guitar after watching a band called X-Japan (1982~1998), almost every Asian in my generation (I'm 21 soon) knows the band. The crowd, the music did it for me, and when the lead guitarist died the funeral brought 50,000 people onto the streets following the car that carried the body to the burial ceremony, also few fanatical fans commited suicide. So I guess thats my standard except for the suicidal fans... I don't want any of my fans to die :D

It's nice to be famous, especially if you know you have what it takes to be famous, but be prepared to face the fact that automatically you will become a "public property" and it sometimes result to the extent that you loose your privacy coz all eyes are on you. There is always a boon and bane to it.

i think fame is when at least everynow and then someone recognises you when your down the street...I'd hate to be that famous where every single person knows who you are, but it would be cool to have a few people come up to you every now and then because they love ya music.
Lv Sheree
XOXOXOX

Fame? Don't knock it till you've tried it :)

For me it would have meant that my work was music. There's an element of immortality in there. Even now I know there are a few thousand of my CDs all over the world. People still play them (so I'm told) and I still get emails from "fans". That feels good, to know that my music is out there somewhere in some form, something of me left when I'm gone. It's a primal thing.

In a local band in Worcester (UK) I used to get recognised in the street which I liked. Why is it the bands I played in never had groupies? :(

Anyway, I would have loved to have made some money but didn't.

Basically there's a lot of good guitarists and songwriters out there and you either have be something special or hook into something special. Then you have to have a lot of luck and know the right people. That's really important, knowing the right people.

If you've got the desire then go for it. You've only got one life and when you're lying there on your death bed you really don't want to be having regrets.

And on that cheerful note I bid you goodnight :D

Cheers

Dick

I don't really know that I ever do anything for the intention of gaining notoriety. I mainly view fame as a potential side effect of what I want to be doing in my future. Past that I'm really not too concerned about it.

I just want to be famus enough to play with some of the bands I like or maybe just be a well respected session musician. :rolleyes:
...and maybe that some day a good guitarrist would say that I´m a big influence for him/her :o

Originally Posted by: VHLOI just want to be famus enough to play with some of the bands I like or maybe just be a well respected session musician. :rolleyes:
...and maybe that some day a good guitarrist would say that I´m a big influence for him/her :o

Yeah, I can say I've thought about those ones and as nice as they seem to be, I can't help but think that the most rewarding thing in music would be being able to survive off doing something you love doing. I dunno, I can't really explain it, but given the site I'm at, I really don't think I need to explain. I've given up a lot of things so that I could make sure my music would continue... a lot of things I was raised to believe I shouldn't give up ever for anything and for any reason. But in the big scheme of things I really don't care. All I really want in life is to play music forever. And I've elaborated off that one to the point where, let's say I'm at work in front of a computer. Naturally to break the monotony of the day I'll draw, or read something else or something. Every so often I'll just day dream and one of my most common fantasies is that of the afterlife where I begin wondering just what it would be like. Naturally I can't help but wonder what my boss and/or coworkers or anyone else I meet would wish the afterlife to be like. And somewhere in there I think about what I would like it to be... for me anyway. An empty void with just me in a chair with a guitar so I can play music for eternity. No time to track, no work to go to, no sleep, nothing but music. I can play music for as long as I wish, and when I stop playing it's because I've had enough, not because I need to hurry up and get back to work or because I need to get some sleep or because I need to go to the store or whatever. And that is why I am pursuing a career in music. Because I can't imagine anything greater than being surrounded by music. I'm aware the business isn't all fun and games, but I'm willing to go through all of that for the sake of music just the same as any man would go through enough struggle for, say, a woman he cares about.