I started my own company for this very reason. I'm forty four and have been floating on the fringe of the Sydney music scene since the mid eighties, so I already knew a lot of promoters, but I just started running my own shows to get gigs. It was easier. You'd ring up the booker and say "I need a night" instead of "can you slot me in?". That built up to my actually booking three rooms. Right now, I'm setting up a mini-festival of garage punk acts. Do it and have a good time. If you have any questions, it might be better to bounce off another country man, but you can ask me any time and I'll try to be helpful.

Chuckles.

Heard from musicians from all over the world that it is really difficult for Garage bands to get shows in clubs and bars because the music industry places its own bands there.

Now, I did just what you think: I rented a café and invited several bands from all over Europe, and now we start a Garage punk festival.

I don´t know if it will work in the end, but I think this is the most practical way to start a good Rock´n´Roll evening with your friends.

I started asking some bands already some time ago, and looked for a good place. After some changes in line-up and place we got this thing together now. It is a lot of coordination work from my side, but costs and the risk of losing money are not too high, I hope. I can tell you more in a few months.

Fikki (ML)

hey all,

I've been part of this two piece band since Thanksgiving last year and in that time i've realized two things: around here a lot of the hip and cool places to play are usually bars and that booking shows anywhere else usually means the shows are far apart and that we'll be playing with bands who's music is pretty different than the garage rock/punk we play. and since i'm still 20 and my drummer is 19, that severely limits where we can play.

One idea i've been having is to just rent out a banquet hall or something between 2-4 bands and just playing there with our friends and have a little party/show.

Thing is, i'm not sure where to start. I'm sure there are some of you who've had experience with DIY shows and whatnot, so i thought we could share some tips or ideas or stories here.

any wisdom from your veteran players out there would be especially helpful.

I am waiting for that day I get to meet you in person. I'm actually thinking of a pilgrimage. 

That said, I no longer go to shows that much (as a 5am grownup job takes it out of me) and I tend to wear band shirts only on vacations or working on the lawn, but I have my buttons and I'm a pretty approachable guy, so feel free to say Hi if you ever see me buying groceries or cussing at the kids who can't pull up their damn pants. 

swt said:

Very rarely -- especially in the garage-punk realm. I remember running into an acquaintance in a parking lot wearing a Dead Moon T-shirt. I almost hugged him.

I am a hillbilly music nut and have a local radio show for that obsession, so it's a little easier to find common ground with folks with old country stars like Willie Nelson or Roger Miller. (Just don't ask me about virtually any country act played on commercial radio since about 1980.)

I do a weekly music column at my paper (the local daily). So people cone up to me all the time and say stuff like, "You're a music fan. What do you think of the new Rod Stewart album?" My first thought is usually "You don't actually read the words in my column do you?"

On the other hand, ever so often people come up and tell me I've turned them on to some good music with my column or radio shows. That's always nice.

But more often, I'm like Mark. When someone asks me what I've been listening to and I spout off names of bands I really like, even a lot of the country bands, people look at me like I'm nuts.

All the time, but I am the sound lady at a music venue bar club. 

Like never.

But my wife is tolerant, and I do rule the garage, so that's OK.

Our record store in RI is dying quickly and shifting to be a Hot Topic-type thing. Sucks. That said, I'm most likely looking for the same stuff (Nobunny, Dan M., Joey Ramone, McClusky)

but the Lee Scratch Perry set looks really interesting.

I am bummed because of the re-release of the pink cover Misfits Walk Among Us. It was already a Record Store Day exclusive a few years ago. 

Definitely looking forward to the Neanderthals, Nobunny, Little Richard, and Trouble In Mind releases.

trying to get them Nobunny, White Stripes, Little Richard, Dan Melchior releases... however thesis presentations are that day too!! need to figure out a good time to sneak out before or after my presentation for hour or two

Ok, so according to the counter thingy on the the Record Store Day website, Record Store Day will be ensuing at your local wax peddler in four days and two hours.  That's assuming you still have a record store in your town.  In Atlanta, we are in danger of losing one of our most popular record stores, Criminal Records. The store's owner, Eric Levin, is also one of the founders of Record Store Day.  After Criminal announced that they were in dire straits last fall, our community rallied around the store with benefit concerts, fundraisers, and donations, which resulted in a stay of execution for the beleaguered store. 

Hopefully, you will rally around your store this Saturday and take advantage of the insane amount of exclusive releases that will be for sale.  Of course, I am just as excited by the free swag, like the cool record carrying satchel I scored a couple of years ago.  But what release am I most hoping to find?  Why, the Buck Owens Coloring Book with Flexi disc - Duh!  Now what releases are you guys trying to get your grubby hands on?

Turf War - Record Store Day 2011

Honestly, I only go to Facebook after I have heard the band.  I don't really rely on Facebook as a tool to market or gain followers for my podcast, but as a means of disseminating information and stuff for people already following. Facebook doesn't attract bands like Myspace used to, it is designed really to sell itself. DO you want to be on a label that is worried about Facebook likes?  

I dunno man, speaking as a guy who is constantly looking for coverage in a different but similar field, I'd say that social media like facebook and twitter are welcome additions to the tools in my marketing kit, even if I don't have thousands of "likes" on facebook or followers on twitter.  

I think it's more about the content of what you throw out on those sites than the sheer number of fans you can claim.

by taken seriously i mean that for record labels to really be interested and also good venues do you need to have lots of facebook likes - to prove that you can pack out venues sell records etc,,,

personally I think it helps alot. either way this is not meant as a complaint full stop I posted it to see if other people experienced this as well

What do you mean by "taken seriously"? Are you having problems getting booked because you don't have enough Facebook fans or something? What's the root of your complaint?

i feel stupid even writing it but it seems to me that unless you're popular on facebook it is really hard to be taken seriously......come on!

Of course. Nowhere does it say you need a Facebook account. What made you think that, anyway?

SWAHILI BOB said:

is there any way to get the download without a Facebook account?

I'm a tryin to stay off the grid

Thanks for another Comp, Kopper. These are handy to have when doing house hold chores or lazing about relaxing with a beer.

Cheers!

is there any way to get the download without a Facebook account?

I'm a tryin to stay off the grid

The Hunches are a good noisy/trashy lo-fi garage punk band you could check out.

I love lo-fi!

I also love the irony of it being played on a hi-fi too.....

Lo-fi ish bands I like include:

Surfy/lo-fi/garage.....

Lo-fi garage pop

The Babies are a lil bit lo-fi? in an indie rock way maybe....

i hate it, but i'm going to go ahead and use this as an oppurtunity for shameless self=promotion! i play in a sludgy, reverb-drenched, garage band...here's the link to our bandcamp, i think there's everything we've released on tapes here.."under the stairs" was recorded on 4track - i hope it scratches your itch! http://magicshadows.bandcamp.com/track/under-the-stairs-4-track-demo

Yeah!!! 

I had this all girl band for a while:

http://www.reverbnation.com/milwaukeeflips

Now I play guitar in this band:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ramma-Lamma/123076214380043

Before I was in a bunch of other bands that are all mentioned here:

http://www.kindturkey.com/questions/questions-with-plexi-3s-wendy-norton/

Sorry I am too lazy and humble to list my rock'n'roll resume!! Check it out if you're bored. 

Dear world:

I am not new to this.  Been a member since 2009, but I think I just signed up to plug one of my various projects one day- and then didn't come back for a while.  Then I realized that I like the layout of this place because you can choose to ignore dicks- unlike most message board type things that are all cliquey and stupid, so I am trying to see if it can be a thing that I do because Facebook is full of local dummys, coworkers, and relatives.  I miss the old Bomp! message boards from the late '90s and tape trading so I thought "Hey!  Let's give this a whirl."

I been in a ton of bands no one cares about that did a buncha records, currently play lead guitar in a Glam group called Ramma Lamma that did a buncha records. I had my own label for a while too until I realized that was a stupid waste of money.

Yeah so I like super good music and a lot of music that you probably don't like too.. I am 30 and married so I am not looking for compliments or a relationship but if you want to complain about stuff that I hate, too, or turn me on to some new sounds then let's be friends! 

XOXO,

Wendy

Ps I also book shows for a venue here in Milwaukee so if you're band is looking for a gig hit me up. 

I think garage had its rebirth in the 70's through comps like Nuggets and Pebbles because it let people hear amazing gems off albums that were sometimes sub par. Bands like The Merry-Go-Round, or Q65, while they released classic singles, I don't think they had great full albums. 

matthew rosedon said:

Aren't garage punk and greatest album mutually exclusive terms?  On vinyl, going round at 45 rpm, on some obscure label, and lasting no longer than 2:20 - otherwise it doesn't count (he said controversially).

Wrekking Hrs is ON THE AIR! April 16th episode is LIVE right now till 6pm on 89.3fm, listen @ whfr.fm or on TuneIn.com & on ur phone!

On todays show we're featuring Psycho Bluegrass, Rockabilly Accordion, Surf Country, Spaghetti Western & all that is Neo-Rockabilly & Psychobilly music sub-genres or alternative "billy" styles.

Tune in 4-6pm w/ your phone via TuneIn radio or from our site at 

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