"Making it" without gigging

rbro · Post by **rbro** » Wed May 31, 2006 3:51 pm

snowtires wrote: i just find it hard to believe that someone in this day and age could make music that nobody wants to hear. i mean, unless you're one of those people who only listens to frank zappa, most people get influences from SOME popular artists, whether they're popular now or were popular 30 years ago.

I don't get your point about Frank Zappa......

rbro · Post by **rbro** » Wed May 31, 2006 4:12 pm

I also think that the PR benefits of gigging for an artist may be somehwat genre specific. IOW,I can't imagine a "traditional" rock band getting anywhere without gigging, whereas someone playing purely electronic music may be able to get away with it, or at least alot less of it. Maybe it's because of the disparity in visual appeal. Maybe I'm completely wrong, but that's the sense I get...........

YILA · Post by **YILA** » Wed May 31, 2006 4:13 pm

whats difficult about going to a night club playing a set and getting drunk?

i think you have to gig to "make it" one gig leads to another; you look like a more proffesional artist when you have a gigs list, and its shows more passion i think.

www.yila.co.uk

snowtires · Post by **snowtires** » Wed May 31, 2006 4:19 pm

rbro wrote:
snowtires wrote: i just find it hard to believe that someone in this day and age could make music that nobody wants to hear. i mean, unless you're one of those people who only listens to frank zappa, most people get influences from SOME popular artists, whether they're popular now or were popular 30 years ago.

I don't get your point about Frank Zappa......

i meant that frank zappa is highly influential to some people, but he's still pretty far out there for the general populace.

jerry123 · Post by **jerry123** » Wed May 31, 2006 5:24 pm

Two examples of bedroom musicians making it I do know of are The Russian Futurists and Mat Johnson. Both were making tracks and sending them to labels and radio station in Europe. They made their friends this way and eventually, labels in Europe flew them out, put them up and got them gigs. They were successful in getting a certain level of success without playing any shows at all. But when the time came to reap the benifits, it meant leaving home for extended periods of time. I totally think it's possible for someone with a suportive family to have success in this way. It just takes planning and patience.

Mbazzy · Post by **Mbazzy** » Wed May 31, 2006 5:37 pm

If you mean Matt Jonson of The The fame, I hardly would call him a bedroom producer ... he's going back way to the early 80's ... and certzinly did gigs at the time ...

jerry123 · Post by **jerry123** » Wed May 31, 2006 5:49 pm

I meant the techno producer Matt Johnson.

I think one thing that needs to be said is that if you do what you love, it will become your life. No matter what.

tomperson · Post by **tomperson** » Wed May 31, 2006 8:52 pm

Really interesting thread, as this also applies to what I've been into lately. I'm in the process of making a 5 year roadmap for myself and my life which is quite centered in the question how can I have more time to experiment and make music?. My goal is not an impossible, i don't want to be a rockstar, nor do I think I can really live from my music, but i'd be very glad If I just had a wee more time to explore, to read, to try new techniques, to study and to make music.

My 8 hour day job routine is slowly tiring me more and more, and since I realised music and art are the things I want to put more effort (and love) into, it's becoming more of an annoyance. I don't think I can get rid of it, but it would be so cool if I didn't have to spend so much time at it. The 8 hours can easily transform themselves into 11 hours (transport, lunch time, etc), and by then you're quite burned out. Weekends seem to fly. My musical work seems to creep at painfully slow speed, and finishing a track takes quite a lot of time.

Due to the above facts, I'm also finding that I just can't gig as often as it's needed to gain momentum. And If I do, I have to choose between giging and doing music (which is what I enjoy the most). And If you don't have enough music...how can you gig? It's a difficult balance for us who love music but at the same time have to pay bills and live in the real world.

Maybe in the end all that adds up so we have a deeper love and respect for our craft.

And as for doing music for $$$, I just made my first serious game audio project. I have to say, it has consumed me a lot of time, and (by now at least) the pay was so/so, but it's an interesting side, and i'll definitely try to do more of that and see where it takes me. I didn't really enjoy very much of it, but it has been a learning experience. And as someone said, by working in the audio field, you also get to know people and make more contacts, which is quite a big part of the equation for "making it".

My 2 cents.

Best of lucks at your project mate, I can feel what this is all about.