Musicians Wanted

So you’re looking to start a band...

Why is it so hard to get a decent band together these days? When I was a teenager I was in four bands at a time but now I'm lucky to get to get a turn on 'guitar hero'.

One factor for me is cost. Did anyone notice the point in time when rehearsal studios became posh. No more damp cellars or church halls, practise rooms now have top line PA systems and grand pianos. The average cost of a 3 hour rehearsal session in a London rehearsal studio is around £40. How on earth are poor musicians going to be able to afford this? Answer, they aren’t.  They will probably go home and buy a copy of Cubase and start making dance music.

The second reason for me is that is now very difficult to get a decent gig. Every pub in town used to hire live bands but now its dj's, karaoke or something equally as bland.  You could watch a live band every night of the week 10 years ago. There are some gigs still out there but they are difficult to find and there is often a lot of competition.

The third reason (which is linked to reason two...) are the licensing laws in this country. Extortionate live music license costs and the implementation of the two-in-a-bar rule has given landlords another massive reason not to promote live music.

So now the "musicians wanted" board is growing a little more sparse and people just aren't jamming as much anymore. So what can we do about it.

Well, firstly you can go and sign yourself up to some forums and start posting around to start a new band in your area.  Try and be as specific as you can and list references like style and artists you wish to emulate. Secondly, you can add yourself to some musicians directories to further your chance of meeting the right people to start playing with.

About the author: John Crayfoth is a musician and painter from Norfolk.

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