How does a band become famous??

[hot_for_teacher]

All those great popular bands like metallica, guns n roses, Zeppelin etc. must have started somewhere. So how exactly do u go from a crappy garage band to chart toppers????

[Levinson Blade]

Hype plain and simple even crap bands can make it big with the right marketing and hype

[smfulla]

bro, you can't say metallica made it by hype
Dude, Kill 'em All, Ride The Lightning, Master Of Puppets, And Justice For All. All had no air play when they came out (Till 'tallica decided to do a video for One). These dudes got popular for their skill.
I don't know about guns n roses, or zeppelin, but 'tallica made it for skill. And I mean even if it was hype that made zeppelin get famous (which I doubt it was), they were talented as.

[eische]

I think one point is a local following, meaning you have to play your ass off to get known, first in your closer surrounding and then even further apart until you draw attention towards you from a record company - if you keep an eye on which people come to which venue that may help as well (like I know a venue, where it is very likely to run into menagement people from labels - and it's always a good adress to play, if you want to be noticed), but the main thing is that you have to gain a strong fan-community

[Pezcore]

how to become famous? 10% talent, 40% effort and 50% pure good luck.

[slaughteredsoul]

If u go about getting famous with a mere 10% of talent,you'd only get your 15 minutes of fame.

[hot_for_teacher]

Ya i know what you mean about 10% talent, 40% effort and 50% good luck, cuz thats how it seems with the bands out now,
NO TALENT!

[Levinson Blade]

What i am saying with hype is I see local bands with great tallent good music and a small following that never hit the big time the reason is that Record companys are interested in image and thats about it take some boyband like Westlife as far as I can see nil tallent but there a PR dream girls will spend every penny they have on posters & the bands latest cover version of an old song they make money from image. Local bands in my area like Elbow Badly drawn Boy(Mecury prize winner) dont make big time in the biz they stray away from the hype

[55'gibby]

If I knew how to become a big rock star, I would be one!!

Image and following used to be the two things that would get you noticed.... It has been simplified now: IMAGE... hence Jlo, Britney, N'Stink, Butt-crack boys!!! If you want to hit it big the first thing you'll need to do is hire a PR group, then Management, work out your dance steps, get a fashion consutant, get your hair frosted, get your name and faces in print, work out songs in a key 12 year old girls can sing, throw away any musical talent, forget how to play any musical instrument, then and only then are you ready for the big time!!! This will only work if your 19 and really cute. don't forget, to get 5 folks just like you, then only sing in 2 part harmony.



I HATE THIS BRAND OF POP CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Levinson Blade]

Amen

[Krieselman13]

I think that you need to have lots of skill and actually SOUND GOOD. Do it in front of a major record company producer, if he/she likes it, you will become famous instantly.

[55'gibby]

In a perfect world you would be right... but, record companies are VERY VERY gun shy on signing new acts. The record companies new buzz word is ROI (Return On Investment). Around where I live there are some EXTREMELY talented acts playing around town, some of them have recorded nationally released records. yet can't get a A&R guy to even take a look at them. Even if you get the record comany to allows you to record, then you have to get air play and that requires big big buck to bring in a marketing firm and enlist a PR department. Add to that pressing costs, studio time, an art department, engineers, sweetening musicians, and the travel costs of "face time" for promotions there is a substantial investment on someones part. Now add the cost of a tour (i.e. roadies, trucks, techs....).... well you can see how come record companies are gun shy. The other option is to carry that load yourself (ala Metallica), but then it's impossible to get air play.


so like I said:

If I knew how to be a Rock Star, I would be one.

[steve]

well you have to have about 40% performance 60% musical talent..... I mean if u just stand there and play your music you won't get anywhere u really have to be known (ex. jumping into the crowd, talking to the crowd, etc.) but if u have terrible music u won't get anywhere.....

[Terrapin]

well steve, jerry garcia didnt do much on stage, and he was the most famous 60's figure ever. i'd say its 80 percent musical skill and creativity, 20 percent performance. the 20 percent doesnt have to come from you, you can sit there, but somebody has to work the crowd, unless your really good and can do it with your music alone

[tehuti]

Get a mediocre band together but get a pretty boy or girl lead vocalist that has an A-hole attitude. It works every time. However, you will most likely get only one record made and the a-hole will dump the band to go solo so that they can put out exactly one CD.

You know you've made it when VH1 wants to interview your surviving members.

;)

[Epithet]

A very talented band in my area just got a record deal.

They just kept plugging away, for God knows how long....years. They are EXTREMELY popular locally, and finnaly someone signed them.

My band is supposed to open for them :(

[clickhoward]

eh Terrapin, whats the deal about Jerry Garcia being the most famous 60's figure ever? There's a lot of people out there who wouldnt have a clue who he is...

As for the talent thing - just watch MTV for a half hour or so, see how much 'talent' you find.

The most talented musicians are rarely found in mainstream music. They dont sell - and thats got a lot to do with the general populace out there who have been conditioned to following trends, adopting attitudes, being a part of some kind of movement, no matter how crappy it is. The actual music is secondary in popular culture. And the record companies dont give a damn. They want a product thats going to be as widespread as possible. Thats why popular music so often falls in the middle of the road, their looking for the middle average dude or dudette out there that wants something that wont provoke them too much, wont make them think so much. One of the reasons music is so bland now is that there is no risk taking. Even the bands I really love are just regurgitating old sounds. Thats as good as it gets. (by the way, there are of course HEAPS of talented people in pop, but sometimes you wonder if theyre there because of what they do with their guitar or the way their hair is cut). Over and out.

[Jook]

The music industry, as a whole, sucks. Talk about stupid people. Good lord! What a bunch of crap the music business is!! You wanna know how to make a success in music? I’ll tell you right here and right now: sound just like every other band on radio and TRL and claim that you have an original sound when you do interviews. Eventually millions of 13 year old girls and guys who smoke pot of all ages will buy your CDs just because it made Carson’s personal pick list.

Ive been sick of all this for a long time. Heh. I know that there are some talented people out there, but they're far out numbered by people who are just the new 'in' thing.

Thats why I admire bands who just TRY to be differant, and really are. I dont really like Radiohead, but I love the way the hate the mainstream and are trying to NOT be in it. Graham Coxen, with his solo albums, well... hehe... you'd just have to hear them for yourself. He just does his own thing all the time. I love it.

[clickhoward]

Radiohead are probably my favourite band of the last 5 or 6 years. I love them. But I dont think they are particularly original. The last 2 albums have followed the paths paved by others (bands that few poeple talk about). But youre dead right about them not buying into being part of the mainstream. What I love about them most is that they put so much into what they do. There's so much 'music' in their 5 minute songs. They express ideas (original or not). I suppose they are some kind of proof that there is room at the top for talent. Still you cant help but think that they are some kind of exception. You also have to wonder if they would even exist today if it wasnt for 'Creep'. And that really is something to think about.