Too old to start a band?

[VitaminG]

oh go suck a dick

ain't you a charmer?

I just read through the whole thread. It's pathetic... just pathetic. Godamnit, I'm sorry guys. Severe mental depression, and all that kind of shit is what I deal with daily. Not excusing my behavior, just stating fact. Sorry.

Everyone here is trying to help & give you solid advice. Take some of it. Get together with one (or some) of the garage bands you've talked to. Talk to the guys about what you're ultimate dream is - they might actually be into it and change the course of the band you're starting together. Start jamming, practicing with an eye to playing some gigs. Even if you don't love the music you're playing. It's all experience for all of the reasons previously stated.

But don't take my word for it. I'm just a hack playing covers around my regional city. Listen to markD - he's the real deal, decades of experience, playing originals on big stages, opening for national touring acts.

[xenophobe]

But whatever. Dude wants to start a band, complains that no one else wants to start a band. His city is lame and everyone else is a poser douchebag playing country or turntables. But wait, here are some guys who want to start a band. But the stuff that they want to play is Drop C style (whatever the hell that is) and the Tool-guy requires a different skillset. And besides, it's apparently retarded mathcore. But rather than spend some time in the shed playing with others and potentially getting some experience, make connections, get into any kind of scene & meet some people who might eventually help you put together the gig that you actually want, all of these guys that actually want to start a band are dismissed for one excuse or another. But while dude with no band or gigging experience is willing to take any music-related job (apart from all of the aforementioned because of reasons), these offers weren't jobs. They were garage bands. If you don't want to offer inexperienced, untested & unproven Dude a JOB in your existing band, don't bother calling

Wow... that's brutal. Truth hurts. Fucking nailed it.

May God rays shine down upon you.

[xenophobe]

Everyone here is trying to help & give you solid advice. Take some of it.

Yeah, everyone is trying, he's the one that needs to drop the attitude.

Get together with one (or some) of the garage bands you've talked to. Talk to the guys about what you're ultimate dream is - they might actually be into it and change the course of the band you're starting together. Start jamming, practicing with an eye to playing some gigs. Even if you don't love the music you're playing. It's all experience for all of the reasons previously stated.

But don't take my word for it. I'm just a hack playing covers around my regional city. Listen to markD - he's the real deal, decades of experience, playing originals on big stages, opening for national touring acts.

I don't think he wants to hear that, I'm getting the impression he just wanted people to agree with his complaints, not get advice from people who have been there. Funny thing, I'm a total hack, too, but still managed to play out nearly half my life at shit gigs almost covering expenses.

[Mudlark]

One thing I'll add is: When bands decide to take a new member onboard, in my personal experience and in many stories I've read/heard, they'll almost always pick the guy who seems to be the easiest to get along with.
As long as he can play the tunes, the next criteria will usually be his personality.

I'll just throw this out there and you can ignore it if I'm outta' line.

About a month ago my anxiety and anger were threatening my new (5 months) and by far best job I've ever had.
Went to my doc and he did what I expected...long term, slow working medication.

30 days later, and aside from someone slapping my face, I can't imagine what it would take to stir me up.

Perhaps by 'garage bands' he means they have no desire to leave the garage?

[pianoguyy]

It doesn't take years. I saw on TV that some guy was just sitting on his couch posting on social media and some big time hot shot producer saw him and made him a super star the next day. I can be famous by tomorrow.

[pianoguyy]

Speaking of social media...
I posted about this here and on my Facebook - Earlier in the year I asked if anyone knew what the AFM & SAGAFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund was and how it was different than the regular AFM and SAG-AFTRA organizations.

Well, I still don't fully understand who they are or how they are different. And I don't care as long as they keep sending me checks like this -



They sent me one check for each name variation. I mean, why would I Mr. Pianoguyy need a separate check from Pianoguyy and Piano Guyy, but that is how they do.



And how is that relevant to the current discussion?
Never take advice from me about music business stuff. I mean, I didn't even know that the evil corporations owed me seven figures. How could I possibly give advice.

[AgentX]

And how is that relevant to the current discussion?
Never take advice from me about music business stuff. I mean, I didn't even know that the evil corporations owed me seven figures. How could I possibly give advice.

Don't sell yourself short. The advice you gave me to off myself without the slightest hint that you were being facetious or joking was probably the best advice given in this entire thread.

[veemagic]

This is the strangest fucking thread we have had on here in a long time. Seriously? You asked a question and it was answered by a lot of people in here. People that took thier time to help you, and all you do is shit on their suggestions and whine like a little baby. Do something to help yourself. If you lose your shit because of us clowns then you don’t have any chance in the music business or any business for that matter. You think we are tough then you don’t know shit. Now, if your just a prepubescent troll then thanks for the laughs.

[triplehold]

Rad! Go for it Agent X. Think it and it will happen. Never use age as an excuse, it is limiting. Hey I am starting a new band at 65. Gonna kickass. Have a solid drummer!

[markD]

But don't take my word for it. I'm just a hack playing covers around my regional city. Listen to markD - he's the real deal, decades of experience, playing originals on big stages, opening for national touring acts.

Thanks Gary!!! This is a tough one because we're all (for the most part) trying to help this dude out. I'm not getting his angle or what he's expecting. You gotta start somewhere. Just get out there and do it, you gain experience, and start becoming part of A scene - may not be your IDEAL scene, but you're making music, working with people, developing the skill set needed to be "successful".....

I do wish this dude the best, but I am not getting it....

AgentX....I was "lucky" starting out in the sense I was 13 when I had my first "gigging" band. It was Saturday matinees at the Rec Center, or playing skate parks. I was "lucky" in the sense that everyone in my band liked Hardcore and Thrash. It's what we did (and rather poorly - we were A LOT like Venom, lol) and we loved it. It took a couple of years, but as we became better players our music/song-writing improved. We moved from Venom to Mercyful Fate in about 2.5 years....

THEN the 90's hit. My area EXPLODED with "punk" - not the cool kind....but the crappy Seattle kind: Mudhoney, the Melvins, Nirvana. Literally overnight venues switched format, musicians didn't want to play metal anymore. Playing a "pointy" guitar became blasphemous. To play live your only options were to adapt or not play...

Know what I did?

I changed EVEYTHING about how I play and I started an AOR rock band. We started as a singer and guitarist doing original ACOUSTIC sets. I played a 12 string and we did harmonized singing. Even as we gathered a "band" everything stayed acoustic based for the songwriting. It was TOUGH at first, but eventually that "change" developed in to something. We ended up with an Indie record deal, toured, and played with national acts.

The bandwagon bands? The played pizza joints and parties. ONE of them also got a small deal and eventually ended up on Epitaph Records - but their legacy was short lived. My wife works with one of the guitar players and he is regularly envious that I built a "lasting career" while his was a flash in the pan. Their shows these days? Thrift Store parties, "punk" revivals on a piece of plywood in a parking lot. We're buds, and all is cool - but it's fun to rib him about it.

I could give TONS of anecdotes about "compromising" musically over the years. I won't. It comes down to this, though. If you wanna play, do what you have to do. It may NOT be your PREFERRED style/genre, but you NEVER know where your opportunities will take you. I know a TON of guys that always waited for the "perfect situation/band" and NEVER got out of their bedroom. To a fault they are usually bitter and negative and ALWAYS have some shit to talk (out of envy) because they never TRIED. They are the guys that come out to shows and bash everyone and talk about how awesome THEY are as guitarists and how they can BLOW EVERYONE AWAY....it's weak.

My point? Just get out there and join SOMETHING....even if it Drop C, or hipster. You gotta have a certain skill set to be successful. It ONLY comes from learning to work with others, compromising, writing, and performing. Waiting and waiting WILL prevent your dream from EVER happening.

[Nightbat]

Anyone thinking about going into the music biz and getting things handed to them on a silver platter, need to be hit with a 2x4 with "reality" written on it

[joshulator]

I would like to suggest that whatever interest we each have, whether guitar or playing a sport, is an art that we can work on and hone our entire lives. Even when age diminishes our physical abilities, we can still continue to expand our mental mastery of our art. From youth we desire to obtain fame with our art, and some are successful. I believe, however, a deeper and lasting joy is found if we pursue the art for its own sake and any resulting fame or fortune to be a happy bonus.