Forming a New Band

On Labor Day, I got up on stage with some friends who were in another band and realized how much I missed it. It may just be time to venture back into another situation. I feel like the Blues Brothers heading to Chicago. Here are some things I think about when forming a new band.

The Type of Band is Important

Deciding which type of band to pursue is probably the starting point for any situation. The style of music will determine what and how many places are available to play. If I am in a town that only listens to country music and I only play metal, there may be a lot of traveling involved to get to the gigs. Some people would rather compromise their musical taste for the local scene. While others would find traveling much more worthwhile.

I am too lazy to write my own songs, so deciding on playing original songs or cover someone else’s songs is an easy decision. I will want to be in a cover band. Writing songs in a band that does its own music takes a lot of dedication and patience. The payoff can be far more rewarding though.

Playing rock songs from the 50’s to today’s is my main passion, but it would be nice to add some blues, country, and disco to the set list as well. The music scene here in Northern Colorado seems to like a good variety of music.

Finding Players When Forming a New Band

I am fortunate to have played in the Colorado music scene for years. So, this part of putting a band together will be a little easier for me.

For those starting out, the best places to find musicians are the open jam nights. This is a great way to see the talent that is out there. More importantly, it is nice to be able to meet the person and get to know their personality to see if it is a good fit.

Music stores also have postings of musicians looking for bands. In the past, we used to call several musicians and let them know some of the songs we were playing and then have a jam session. This is a great way to get to see if they prepare and if they are easy to work with.

What to Look for in a Musician

The funny thing is, so many people think that if they are amazing at their instrument, they will have an automatic spot in a band. Being talented helps, but the number one thing is-are they easy to work with?

Putting together a band is like being married to 4 or 5 other people. If someone in the band is difficult to get along with, it can kill your stage show. Not to mention, the tension will increase exponentially.

The best thing to do is find the people that have a personality that fits the situation, even if their playing is not spectacular.

Forming a Band with the Same Goals

It is very important to find people who have the same goal.  One question to ask is do I want to make a lot of money or is this something to do for fun? This will determine how often I want to play and how often do I want to practice?

At this point, I am interested in having fun and getting back out there maybe once per month. I hope to get together on the weekends we are off for a few hours or so and work up about 50-60 songs.

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