Rockbandhowto.com

You've always wanted to grab that old Strat of yours . . .

The sound is palpable. You can feel the grimy floor vibrate through the
soles of your boots while the kick drum shakes your chest cavity. The
bass has a grinding, ripping tone, like a dull saw slowly cutting its way
through your spine. The screaming guitar sears a bluesy riff into your
brain like a red-hot branding iron. His hand clenched tightly around a
Shure Beta 58, the lead singer assumes a power stance and with a
throaty howl launches into one of rock-n-roll's great classics.

It's 1:00 AM. The stage lights play through clouds of stale cigarette
smoke. The room reeks of spilled beer, sweaty leather and burnt fry
oil. Only the diehards are left. But it's worth it. The band has only just
begun to really rock.

Most of the patrons stand in a loose knot in front of the lead singer,
their bodies swaying to the beat. Not you. You stand off to one side
of the band so that you can study the musicians, their equipment
and what they do. You've always wanted to grab that old Strat of
yours and find your place on stage somewhere; you've sworn to
yourself that at least once before you leave this world, you will rock.
You've got the will. But you've never been able to get your arms
around all the elements necessary to make it happen. This site will
tell you how.

Do You Have A Question or Topic Suggestion?
Just email me, and I will get back to you. If it is one
with a wide application, I will post the question and
answer right here. For previously asked and answered
questions, click on Questions & Answers.

Site Host: Dave McCormack

Question: K-Mosh asks:
Dude, if you are forming a rock band, how
should you allocate a limited amount of
pooled cash?
Answer: A new band's most urgent need
is usually a practice PA of some sort.
Typically, each musician is responsible
for their own instrument and amp, but the
PA benefits everybody and it makes
sense that is be shared by the group. If
you have someone who is only a singer, it
makes sense for that person to pay for all
of one component since he or she does
not have the expense of an instrument or
amp. A good choice might be
microphones, for example. Be sure to
keep track of what is group owned and try
to keep it as even as possible so that
nobody feels taken advantage of and it is
easy to know where each member stands.
Dave