No live show. Am I screwed?

[daviddeschain]

Hey all, names Dave, I'm new to taxi and this message board, and looking forward to seeing what happens with this whole thing.Anyway, I'm wondering (a lot) if me not having a live show is really going to kill my chances. I love playing live on the rare occasions I do, and people seem to love watching, but I also realize that my own review is not going to convince the record label I play all the instruments and work at a studio, so there is very little incentive to form a band. Also, I'm a control freak.So, from your TAXI experiences or otherwise, should I be really concerned about this? Because I am...Thanks Davewww.taxi.com/davedeshanewww.myspace.com/davedeshane

[ddusty]

Hi Dave,It really depends on the kind of listings you are submitting to. If you are submitting your music to a music library, for film/tv placements then this is not a problem at all. Same goes for pitching a song to another artist.There are some artist listings where it specifically mentions "strong local following" and "ability to tour". These are the ones where not having a band can hurt you.Most of the people on this board appear to do most of the music themselves, so I don't see this as a big problem.Good Luck.

[mazz]

Hi Dave,Welcome to TAXI and the forum.The answer to your question lies in what you are attempting to accomplish. If you are promoting yourself as a recording artist and wish to get a record contract with a major label, then a live show is pretty much required as I've learned that labels want acts with an established regional fan base and documented CD sales in the thousands.If, however, you are attempting to place songs and/or instrumentals in Film/TV, you can join the ranks of many on the forum here as a one-person composing machine with no need to perform live unless you really want to.Hang out on the forum and you'll see how many are going the solo songwriter/composer route (also know that the forum is a small representative sample of the overall TAXI population).I also suggest you check out some of the music business books listed on the TAXI site if you are not familiar with the different streams of income available to you from Film/TV placements.Good luck and welcome,Mazz

[ggalen]

David,In what way are you concerned about being screwed?What are your goals? Do you want to sell records? That's a quickly diminishing money stream.The money for the artist is in the live show, and in merchandise that you sell at the show.

[arkjack]

Hey DaveI can dig where you're coming from..... these days finding any decent venue that will pay what you're worth is next to impossible..... and at least for me.... I can't stand schlepping the gear, setting up, and then playing my ass off with my best tunes for a couple of peanuts and a free whiskey sour..... I also made it my policy that I will have a one man crew to help schlep and run the sound management which raises the price..... so for what it would take to get me out to play,... noone wants to pay.... yet on the other hand ..... if I want the following, I "should" be out there promoting.... and "competing" with all the other solos and bands that are willing to do it on the cheap cheap...... To me.... there's owning a PA and setting it up to play a gig... big deal.... then there is a REAL show.... where you hire your best backup band.... have stage and sound management.... lights camera and action.... that's entertainment.... and it takes some good money to do a great show the right way.... The better approach is to NETWORK with some more established acts and see if you can get a slot as a opener in an act that has the "show" already put together.... where their personnel runs things behind the scenes.... and they already have the stage set up.... if you can line up some of those slots.... then the main act will create some draw that gives you exposure and crowd traffic by your CD sales table..... you still might be playing for little or no money, but the exposure and hopefully a regular slot on the tour dates will give you something to build on.... thats if you're available and ready to "go the distance".... Otherwise, I feel your paid.... we're kinda screwed.....ArkJack

[daviddeschain]

Thank you all for the replys.What I mean by screwed is not monetary- I would gladly pay for free if I could and people enjoyed it. I want a record deal... I think. The more I look into this the more confusing it all is.My goal, my ultimate goal, is to have the opportunity for my music to go as far as it can go, as an artist (not a composer for other artists). If I could get on the radio, or open for some fairly decent band somewhere, or whatever, it feels like that would open things up for me. If people dig it, great, if they hate it, then I move on and keep working. I just want people to hear it, to give it a chance. I feel like a record company can do that for me better than I can.As far as the live show thing goes, I've got the "1 man band" thing going on. Look at Nine Inch Nails, he got famous and he did what I did- recorded his demo at a studio he worked at after hours, and got a contract based on that. So, we'll see I guess.Sorry if I seem like I'm not sure what I want. I don't know what I want. I have a lot of thinking to do...

[mazz]

There's many ways to get that deal and yes, it sounds contradictory, but you "could" do it without playing live a'la NIN but he ended up putting a band together and touring to promote his music anyway. How did he get that contract? What contacts in the industry did he cultivate to get there? If you go to the Road Rally and sit in on the A/R listening session and hear them talk about the amount of music they go through to find that one thing, you'll see that you have to have something that makes you stand out from the very large crowd of wannabes and posers and people who just want to be famous and the really really good ones that are too old or ugly or don't fit whatever flavor of the month 12 year old that the labels are looking for.I said it before and now after reading your reply I'll say it again: learn as much about the business as you can and what it takes to get to where you want to go with your music. While you're doing that, get clear on what you want, it really helps to do this to keep from going around in circles and covering the same ground over and over again (I speak from experience on this!). It will help you get the most from TAXI as well.A record company won't do what you want them to do for you unless you've already done most of it yourself. That's the other part of the reality of the record business that a lot of people don't realize but you'll hear it over and over at the Road Rally.I'm not trying to squash your dreams, on the contrary, I'm challenging you to get real clear about what you want because maybe you'll find out that a record deal really isn't what you want, or maybe it is.Respectfully, your colleague,Mazz

[ggalen]

David,As far as I know, record companies today basically only accept artists who already have a significant following, based on playing live.Then if you are signed, the record company will want you to tour and play live.Playing live is what you have to do, either way.Recordings today are merely something to bring the crowds to live shows. The artist typically does not make a living from recordings. Most of the profits go back to the record company who paid for the recording sessions. Anybody have a different take?

[edteja]

There are numerous advantages to playing live anyway, Dave, if you want a recording contract. The audience feedback (or lack there of) is an enormous help in refining your song selection and arrangements, and those are both issues a recording artist shouldn't guess at. Furthermore, if you hustle, it is a way to get paid to practice. On top of that, although Arkjack is right about the dreariness of hauling gear, it can be a lot of fun if you pick the right people. I am not trying to be discovered, but I play regularly with a group of great people. We played a freebie today for a volunteer fire department in a podunk town and had a blast, and made some new fans. So take the fact that you SHOULD be gigging and make it into YOU GET TO PLAY LIVE! What more fun can a musician have??PS If people give us a hard time we threaten to bring Casey along as lead singer for the next gig.

[Casey H]

Quote:PS If people give us a hard time we threaten to bring Casey along as lead singer for the next gig.I think that might be unconstitutional... Something about "cruel and unusual punishment"...