And last week, we saw another with the passing of Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman.

Just to be clear:  This is not intended to be some preachy rant espousing the virtues of the “straight edge” lifestyle.  We’re not trying to run D.A.R.E. here. Nevertheless, since our only goal with the Metalluminati is to help musicians advance their careers, we can’t help but notice the setbacks that drugs or alcohol can bring upon your musical endeavors.

So, what to do?

One aspect of our scene that exacerbates substance abuse problems is the “code  of silence” kept by other musicians.  Getting past that is relatively simple — if you care at all for your fellow bandmates, you should not be shy in taking the initiative to recommend help for them.  But even if you overcome the perceived taboo of criticizing another artist’s lifestyle, bandmates’ insistence can only go so far.

At the end of the day, if you have a problem, only you can act on getting it fixed.

Fortunately, more musicians are beginning to see the ramifications of chronic drug or alcohol abuse. Moderation is key — but if you’re not too good at calling it a night, abstinence is the next best thing.  There certainly is no shame in this; did you notice Zakk Wylde didn’t take a shot with Slayer’s Kerry King at last week’s Golden God Awards in remembrance of Jeff?

Rehab on a Budget

Back in 2000, voters in the state of California passed Proposition 36, which turned drug users into patients rather than inmates.  Folks can now be sent to treatment programs and get suspended sentences based on their completion of said programs.  Sixteen other states have since enacted similar “drug court” approaches to drug arrests because rehabilitative treatment is preferred over sending nonviolent drug offenders to prison with hardened criminals.

But while more successful artists with shitloads of money can go to pricey treatment clinics like Betty Ford or a rehab resort in Malibu, the rest of us working stiffs have to find other ways to get help.

Luckily, money doesn’t have to be an obstacle — there are plenty of free or sliding-scale rehab centers in California. Along with free clinics, you also can walk into any Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meeting right now and start getting help.  Not only are they free, but they also are worldwide, so you can find them virtually anywhere.  I personally know artists that go on tour and sneak in an AA meeting at the most random locations just because they happen to be there.

Of course,  I can speak from first-hand experience only in the state of California.  If you have information on effective and free (or low-cost) rehab clinics in your part of the country/world, feel free to leave some info in the comments section below!

• Drug and alcohol clinics in California (sorted by county)
• Narcotic treatment programs in California (look for “nonprofit” in right-hand margin)

If you need help, there’s no shame in getting it.
It’s the best way to ensure that you’ll keep making great music for many years to come!

R.I.P. Jeff
Hopefully, you’ll be one of the last.

One thing that both women related to was the importance of reinforcing your band’s income off merch sales, which is becoming more important than ever in the Internet Age where your band may become popular but not see it translate to music sales.  Seeing the show that both ladies put on afterward, we don’t think gaining popularity will be a problem for either of their bands!

Andrea was a talker — and we love that!  He told us about the band’s recent tenure on last year’s 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise, then dove into the always-complex issue of downloading vs. buying in the U.S. and Europe, and also touched upon things that bands today have to deal with as opposed to 15 years ago when Lacuna Coil first started out.

And if you listen real hard, you may be able catch frontwoman Cristina Scabbia‘s interview that was going on right behind us!

We talked to Hoeks owner Jason Adams a few minutes after the police came and pulled the plug. Jason says the “official” reason given for his shutdown was that Hoeks did not have an active outdoor music permit from the city of Austin to conduct the metal fest.

The kicker?  The city’s music office cashed Jason’s $241 check to renew Hoeks’ permit back on February 28.

However, since the city neglected to send him a paper copy, (and then refused to give it to Jason when he went to their offices in-person the week before SXSW) Hoeks technically was not “permitted” to play live music during SXSW.

This year’s Hoeks Metal Fest was expected to be bigger than ever, with metal publications like MetalSucks and Metal Injection prominently featuring it in their run-ups to this year’s SXSW metal festivities.  But now, it seems like 54 participating bands and their fans may have to look elsewhere for opportunities to enjoy heavy music at SXSW.

We’ll let Hoeks maestro Jason do the rest of the talking…

Especially when it’s something that’s not pocket-friendly — like CD’s.

Luckily, there’s a more convenient way to give your music to fans after shows with Download Wristbands from CD Baby.  All you gotta do is ask the doorman to put one of these puppies on anyone who comes through the door to see your band, and they’ll have an extra keepsake after the show.  Each fan simply punches in a code on your web site and BOOM!  They have your music.

We’ve already talked about the advantages of giving your music away for free, but Download Wristbands are more than just a way to freebie your album.  You could use them to give away a limited release — like an acoustic EP or even a remix album — to fans who were lucky enough to see your band perform live.  This could end up working wonders for your concert attendance if fans know that’s the only way to get new or rare tracks from you.

Of course, we have lots of people tell us that CD’s are still cheaper to produce than other means of distributing music (e.g. USB drives, vinyl, etc.), but that’s not the case with Download Wristbands.  No matter which way you cut it, the price of pressing CD’s is still more than twice as expensive as Download Wristbands.

It’s only a matter of time before virtually all music purchases are digital.
So you’ll need a better way of getting your music into people’s hands. (or their wrists)

Nevertheless, for the sake of balance, we don’t wanna make it seem like playing SXSW is the be-all, end-all for your band.  In fact, as the highly knowledgeable Simon Tam explains, focusing only on SXSW can make you miss out on a lot more worthwhile opportunities.

Of course, if you still wanna participate in the plethora of SXSW festivities, you should also see Simon’s tips on how to do it right.  If you go in with a well thought-out plan, SXSW could be a great place to play a few shows and do some valuable networking to advance your band’s career.

Hey, Matt, thank you so much for taking the time. So how is the tour going so far?

“Excellent! We are about at the halfway point, or maybe a little more. All the bands are great. We have known the Shadows Fall and Dying Fetus a long time. We have done tours with them in the past, and it is cool to see a new band the Contortionist rocking out every night. They are different from what I expected. Great band, a lot of great parts, they’re great players, and everyone is having a great time out here. The turnouts are great, a good number of the shows have been sold out. We are back to playing smaller clubs and stuff, more intimate settings (up close and personal) with the fans. The fans are enjoying it and so are we!”

How was it to go from your past label to your current label, Razor and Tie, and what was the decision in going that route?

“Well we were on E1. The last three projects were with E1 Music we did a Live DVD (Live Dominance), our cover album “For the Lions”, and our full-length self-titled album with them. So, our main guy over at E1 Records, kinda made the jump to another label, and we’re tight with him. He just knows his shit, man, and he loves the band and we work well together as a team, so the prospect of going over there was always talked about. Going over to Razor and Tie, they have a lot of great bands, they have a lot of great people…a good team put together working for the bands, and they just do a great job. You know, at the end of the day…doing all the talks and stuff, when it was time to do a new project, they seemed to be the best fit. And so far it has been great, the album has been out almost two weeks now, and we beat our numbers from the last album cycle, so that’s good…you always want to move forward, you know with every project you do. And it is the highest charting albums we’ve done in our career thus far being this far into our career and have something like this happen, you know, to have a milestone like that is great! Shows the talent of the team at the label, and the energy that really goes behind what they do, and working for a band like us…bringing us to that level. So yeah, it is a good fit.”

You guys are close with Randy of Lamb of God, what do you think about what is going on with him? How security is ‘lax’ at certain venues, and how this is going to change in the future?

“Well it is definitely going to change the game across the board. It is unfortunate that something like this happened. I mean, no band wants to hurt their fans, intentionally or do they want to see their fans get hurt at a show. I guess…I can be…it gets hectic at shows like this. Hatebreed shows…Lamb of God shows…heavy metal shows in general, there are circle pits, and they are stage diving…all this stuff, ya know? And I guess you run the risk of people getting hurt. Security is there to make sure things like that don’t happen, so it is just an unfortunate event. I hope he can pull out of it obviously he is innocent. Like I said, the type of guy he is, and you know…no band wants to see their fans hurt. The type of guy he is, he’s not a violent person, and he would never do something like this intentionally. It was an accident, ya know?”

“So across the board, you are gonna see tightened security at shows, you’re gonna see more security, and hopefully they won’t be dicks. And ya know, we all know too, security guards sometimes can ‘man-handle’ the younger fans.  Like “what are you doing bro?? He was just crowd surfing! He came over the barricade, chill out. ” Ya know, just walk him off to the side, there is no reason to wrench him up by the neck, the kid weighs 90lbs. You’re this big…Hulk of a dude…chill out. So, they got to keep that in mind too, but I think you will see clubs are just gonna take more preventative measures to make sure their ass isn’t on the line too.” 

What do you think of the way the Music Industry has changed, and what does that mean for newer artists?

“Man.. I couldn’t even tell you. It has changed so much in the 10 years that we’ve been going really strong, like on a “professional level”, since 2002 when Perseverance came out, up until now…it’s a different game, ya know? Think about what Best Buy looks like, anymore…you used to walk into Best Buy… half the store was a huge CD and DVD display out. They have scaled that down to less than half of what that used to be, so there ya go. Are people buying CD’s anymore, physical actual CDs? People are downloading! That’s the way things are nowadays. So, labels are constantly scrambling for the new market idea, or the new way to market or sell music to people … to get around them downloading it for free, ya know?”

“It’s an unstable environment right now, and it is tough for a band to crack into it, when…and sustain a living, and make a living, and have longevity in a career of being a musician…when it is rocky terrain. Even the labels don’t know what to do…really. So I mean, as a musician and as a player, we do it for the love of it…first and foremost. That’s where it all starts, you love playing your instrument, and you love playing your songs in front of people and that will never go away. Especially for a band like Hatebreed, we have always been a hard touring band because that is what we are all about. It’s not like we are being played on the radio all the time, ya know? We aren’t a top 40 band! Our fans our loyal! They come to the shows, and that is what we do in turn…we stay on the road, and we hit every city we can ever think of and we play to our fans. So that is really how a band like, us, sustains a living. So for a new artist coming up, I think that is what you have to do: network out, hit the road, play to as many people as you can, resource out to promoters and booking agents and what not, and really… it is all about networking and being active in your career. Cause the days of signing to a record deal and the ‘train is rolling’ and you are along for the ride, I think those days are gone. You have to be hands on…and hussle.”

One of the best pieces of insight Mario gave us was about how the band has stayed together so long. Since their start in 1996, Gojira have had the same line-up — and Mario told us this was because of steady communication between all four members to nip any conflicts in the bud, before they can wreak havoc on the whole marriage band.  Seems like Mr. Duplantier would be an excellent couples therapist!

Another thing Mario told us about was how the band members’ music biz roles differed in the beginning.  As Mario put it, he and bassist Jean-Michel Labadie are “the lazy ones” in the band, whereas his brother Joe Duplantier and guitarist Christian Andreu handled the business end of things.

Now, in the latest death knell for compact discs, Amazon has unveiled AutoRip.

For those of you who still insist on buying CD’s, Amazon AutoRip will now instantly give you MP3′s of whatever album(s) you purchase, so you don’t have to wait for the music to ship to your house.  Not only that, but if you’ve been around since Amazon’s aforementioned humble beginnings, AutoRip will give you free MP3′s of every single CD you’ve bought from Amazon since 1998.

That’s some mighty good market adaptation, right there.
I have a feeling Amazon won’t be going away anytime soon.

Anders and the In Flames crew have always granted us interviews, and it was good to catch up with them at the end of this tour. Anders was beat from 33 shows in a row, and looking forward to going home for the holidays before another tour with All Shall Perish.

His advice for staying healthy on the road? Drink Beer!

In fact, the art of efficient packing is so lost, it necessitated a book called How to Pack Like a Rock Star.

Written by seasoned road dog Shaun Huberts and 40 other musicians (Cancer Bats!), the how-to book espouses one basic principle:  Pack your suitcase horizontally, like a game of Tetris.

Observe…

Be sure to regularly check the How to Pack Like a Rock Star blog for more tips to survive life on the road.
(my favorite:  put socks on your band’s show rider!)

But, in metal, we don’t just make money off songs — we also have merch!
And if your band isn’t offering up anything special for the holidays, you’re missing out on sales.

Despite its seasonal restrictions, good Christmas-themed merch can go a long way in making you money.  Recently, Slayer released an “ugly Christmas sweater” and sold out two runs of it in less than 72 hours.  Of course, Slayer wasn’t the only metal band to offer Christmas sweaters — but their Jacquard woven sweater was a lot better looks/quality-wise than the Walmart sweatshirts that other bands tried to sell as “Christmas sweaters.”  As with most things, fans will notice the difference!

(Insert clever Slayer Christmas pun here)

But your holiday haul doesn’t have to revolve only around Christmas sweaters.

Last year, shred bands Holy Grail and Austrian Death Machine both released Christmas-themed EP’s (red and green vinyl!) to give fans one more thing to put in their letters to Santa.  Also in 2011, Slipknot/Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor released his own “Christmas carol” which not only raised money for charity, but also raised his own profile with a hilarious accompanying video that was plastered all over music blogs.

Just because you’re a metal band doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the spoils of Christmastime. You can still reap a significant amount of publicity and/or merch money with good, creative holiday-themed releases. (and if you think doing a Christmas song is “not metal,” others may disagree)

Our recommendation:  Do a Christmas song or EP — but also have a memorable video (to make it blog-worthy, for publicity) and quality merch (to make it rain!) to go along with it.

Plagued by flight delays before the show, frontman Denis “Snake” Bélanger and guitarist Dan Mongrain made time for a quick chat with us and gave their advice on cutting down recording costs (practice a lot!) and why they managed to retain such a loyal fanbase despite not always sticking to one style of metal.

Adam contacted us immediately after seeing various reactions to yesterday’s death of Suicide Silence frontman Mitch Lucker. Similarly, we noticed a fair share of well wishes prefaced with “I wasn’t a fan of Suicide Silence, but…” and felt Adam made a pointed observation about how, even in times of tragedy, metalheads will still make sure to let people know that they don’t like deathcore.

Lately, I’ve noticed that people in ‘the scene’ have been acting more disrespectful and just plain stupid.

I’m all for drinking beers and voicing your opinion — but with the very sad passing of Mitch Lucker yesterday, a lot of metalheads are talking shit about him and his band Suicide Silence.

When I was growing up, I was taught manners and respect.  And the way people are downright ragging on a guy after his passing simply because of the music he made is extremely disappointing.  I respect all the Suicide guys, and my love goes to their families and friends.

Mitch was always humble enough to take time out and talk to fans, no matter what.

Some of the smartest and most compassionate people I ever encountered growing up were metalheads.  The scene is based in a brotherhood; even if a particular band is not “your scene,” they should be respected — especially a band as diligent and deservingly successful as Suicide.

But there seems to be a lot of confusion with the younger generation.  The “scene” seems to be more of a superficial beauty pageant now rather than people hanging out, checking out music, and sharing stories.  I realize the poser-smashing days of the 80′s were a thrashing good time, but it’s now 20-fucking-12!  Ironically, most of the kids who are “anti-poser” now come off themselves as desperately trying to appear cool.

I’ve been criticized for cutting my hair and liking non-metal music.  I don’t dress like I’m seeing Exodus in 1985 and, yes, I like other kinds of music too!  Nowadays, all I hear is “This guy is lame because he listens to XYZ” or “Beatles shirt? Fucking hipster!”  The metal scene is becoming a bunch of bewildered kids who lash out at anything they don’t understand, rather than try to expend some brainpower to figure it out.

Not wanting to make this too long of a rant, I’ll leave it at this:  We’re all people.  Trying to live together in peace may sound corny coming from a metalhead, but hatred and prejudice only fuel the fire of stupidity.

So, grow up!

If we don’t take the higher road, we will be doomed to watch our lives (and ourselves) be defined only by what we hate.

R.I.P. Mitch Lucker

Eddie told us about his own production company that puts on shows in the SF Bay Area, his regimen on the road, and how he really feels about his own label suing his fans for downloading ASP’s music.

It’s bullshit. That’s all it is — bullshit. I get why they’re doing it, and I can’t be mad at them 100%. But, at the same time, I think you should leave motherfuckers alone because they’re already broke.

But have you ever seen the record deals that they sign these artists to?

One look at the lop-sided sharing of money from album sales makes it hard to believe that it’s the fans who are “stealing” from bands:

So, where exactly does all that money go?
Check out the video below to have it all explained:

With that in mind, artists need stop lashing out at fans for “stealing” their music, and instead direct that outrage at their own record labels’ exploitative practices.

Naturally, you should know how to sell more merch — but how???
Well, below are a few tips we gleaned from our brilliant friends at Unified Manufacturing.

• Fan participation:  Invite your fans to submit designs, or vote on what your next shirt should look like.  If they feel like they’ve contributed something to it, there’s a better chance they’ll buy it!
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• Models:  Lots of times, clothing looks better on people instead of just a stock photo of a t-shirt print. So, be sure to take photos of yourselves or your friends rocking your gear and use them for your online merch store.
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• Good descriptions:  When putting merch online, take the time to give details about each item — how it fits, what it feels like, what it’s inspired by, etc.  Many fans can get “hooked” on a piece by a cool product description, so don’t neglect writing them!
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• Don’t be “cash only:”  At your shows, make sure you accept credit cards at your merch booth, or else you’ll miss out on sales from people who don’t carry cash.  On your web site, make sure you accept PayPal since a lot of people trust it as their preferred mode of paying for stuff online.
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For more tips, click over to the original post on the Unified Mfg. blog.
Also, you can check out another blogpost with merch-selling tips from TAXI.

“Hevy Devy” gave us the low-down on why he wants people to download all of his music immediately, and also talked about how he “bridged the gap” between DIY and being a signed artist by choosing to work with like-minded labels and management companies.

We don’t hate all labels — just the labels that exploit and neglect artists.  So, if you’re looking to get signed, do like Mr. Townsend and only choose a label that will give you the proper attention and support.

For instance, when we talked to Paradise Lost guitarist Greg MacKintosh before they opened for Devin Townsend the other day, he told us about hunting for “booze bargains” on tour — checking alcohol percentages to determine how much of a buzz you’ll get for your money.  Call it liquornomics!

Also, be sure to check out our guide to touring, which we drew from often during our talk with Greg.

Nevertheless, there are a few crucial tips that can help you make it out of a tour healthy, happy, and alive!  I’m gonna go over a few things here, but check out our previous posts for more touring advice…

Budgeting

Necessary tour expenses can usually be broken down into three main categories…

Gasoline

The biggest cost you will find on tour is gas!

If you think about even a small tour of 3000 miles, you’ll be in a van that is roughly getting 20 miles to the gallon with all the gear or a trailer attached. In the U.S., gas is about $3.60/gal, which will make your trip cost about $525.00 for gas alone.  And, of course, that is for a small tour!  Think about a bigger one of say 8000 miles — that is about $1,440 in gas alone! Don’t even get me started on Buses and Drivers, a much bigger cost!

The best thing to do is to put all your guarantees and merch sales into the tank to offset this cost.

Where to Stay?

The other big cost you will have is where you sleep.  Sure, you can always sleep in the van — but if you don’t know the area you’re in, you could end up sleeping in the highest crime area in the city! Still, Walmart and other 24-hour parking lots can been used to park and get a good night’s sleep in the van, but you do have other options…

When you think about getting a hotel, $50/night split between 4-5 members could be worth getting a (shared) bed.  Almost as worth it as getting a shower!  Also worth noting, Hotels.com gives you the 10th room free — so that’s like a 90% discount on rooms if you use them to book nights for a 10 or 20-date tour!

One other thing I always like to do is to drive 2-3 hours after the show and find a place to crash outside of the immediate city. It makes it easier to drive for the next leg of the tour, can avoid city traffic, and is a lot more forgiving in the morning (especially for those who are hungover).

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Food

The last big cost you will find is food.

Try not to eat out (giggity!) too frequently because it’s can be pricey, (unless you don’t mind nothing but 99¢ burritos from Taco Bell) and usually you will be eating crappy fast food, which isn’t really good for you (see the “Health” section below).  So, if you do go fast food, pick healthy choices.

Also, go to Walmart or the like and buy up supplies.  Load up on peanut-butter and jelly, bread, mayo, mustard, cold cuts, beef jerky, trail mix, fruit, or whatever you like — and then load up again on the road halfway through.  Buy in bulk for foods and snacks (even alcohol) because, over the long term, it will keep the costs down and keep you from starving!

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Health

You are going to be on the road, residing mostly in a van in close quarters, drive 6-8 hours a day, pour out your energy onstage, load and unload equipment, have a few drinks (or more) with your fans, and finally get back in the van and do it all over again for the next 30+ days…

These are reasons enough why you hear about Dez Fafara talking about his tea and herb regiment. Others talk about their vitamin intake, singers drinking honey on tour or not speaking, keeping the drinking to a minimum, or eating healthy on the road. The reason? They all have gotten sick on the road, but the show must go on!  It is difficult enough to go on the road and be in these conditions — but being sick makes it worse. Not to mention you can get everyone else in the van sick!

You are already punishing your body each day for your art, so do your best to minimize it.  Drink lots of water, have a vitamin regimen that works for you, eat well (your body is a temple, treat it that way!), sleep at every opportunity you can, and keep the brutal drinking down.  I know the last one is rough, but it does hurt you over time. Plus, no one (including your fans) wants to see their idols all fucked up onstage, slurring their words and missing notes! Save that for the days off or specific times you have planned (i.e. not every night).

Keeping a healthy attitude is another way of staying healthy (mentally).  Remember that your bandmates and other bands you tour with are like family.  Let go of the little shit, and just let it roll off your back.  With all the stress and lack of sleep you will be dealing with, don’t let it get to you!  Have a healthy sense of humor, and just enjoy it all!

Tour Manager

One thing that is overlooked by a lot of bands is the importance of having a tour manager.

As an artist, you are already going to have your hands full with everything you are doing.  The last thing you want to worry about is knowing how long it takes to drive from Point A to Point B, figuring out routes, knowing when you should leave from here, when you are crashing there, and then dealing with the promoter or venue owner.

Also, if one of the band members is trying to handle this role, it can really put a strain on that member in a number of ways.  That member has to do more, resentments build — it’s just not a good idea.

So, let a tour manager handle that shit, and be the bad guy in certain instances. The tour manager can allow you to focus on the other areas needed each night to perform and reach fans.  They will handle all the mind-numbing clerical shit so you don’t have to.

Networking

Finally, touring is the greatest way to network.

Not only will you build long term fans, but you will build long-term relationships with the bands you play with.  Don’t be the band that sits back and doesn’t get to know the other bands.

Of course, you will build relationships with the bands you are touring with, but actually have at least a couple members go out and watch the local bands play.  Introduce yourself to the local bands because you never know what connections you will make, and how they might help you in the future.

Between the local bands and the bands on tour, you can seriously increase your fanbase from the relationships you build with the other artists.  When you are talking with other band members on Twitter, your fans will see those interactions and will want to know about the other band.

All in all, touring creates long-term relationships with fans, other bands, venues, and the press.  It also allows your fans to see that you are out there doing things, and going somewhere! (both literally and figuratively)

Got Any Other Tips?

Of course, if I missed something above, please do chime in the comments section below.
We’re all in this together to help each other as artists, so give us your own secrets to a successful tour!

As any stroll through Best Buy or the former site of your favorite record store will tell you, physical album sales are asymptoting their way to virtual zero.  In the last decade, CD sales dropped over 76%; by 2016, they’re projected to drop another 77%, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Yes, vinyl sales actually are going up.  Vinyl is a great piece of merch — it’s like band art in a nostalgic packaging that can be displayed and even played on the right occasion.  If you have the money and demand to press it up, by all means do it!

But don’t bother pressing up a bunch of CD’s for your next album.  Instead, put that money (and van space) towards creative merch or anything else that people will find more useful than an obsolete piece of plastic.

It was kind of a bittersweet occasion — the touring shenanigans of the last three weeks were now coming to an end and we were one band short as Casket of Cassandra had to forgo playing B.A.M.F. due to drummer Chris Campagna being hospitalized after a car accident in Washington state.

But that doesn’t mean we didn’t have a good time!

B.A.M.F. headliners Allegaeon talked to us about why it’s sometimes hard to just “get up and go” out on the road to tour, and why it’s important to stay active on Facebook and Twitter during the interim so your fans don’t forget about you.

Next up were the guys in DepriVation, who trekked here all the way from Australia to play the Zombie Apocalypse Tour, which actually was their first U.S. tour.  They were a little too drunk to get into anything too detailed, but they did tell us about how touring stateside has sent their Facebook fans and ReverbNation play numbers thru the roof.

After that, was our longtime buddy Scott Chavez from the Bay Area’s own Short Fuse.  He told us about the importance of actually talking to other bands so you can look out for each other and share opportunities as they arise. (the douchey term for it is “networking”)

Case in point:  Scott’s comments about injured Casket drummer Chris Campagna at 2:15…

Switching gears a little, we talked to Weapon Status Red vocalist Derek Thompson from the Bay Area, who also has formed a Pantera cover band as a side project to help fund his main hustle.  Just one step closer to quitting that nine-to-five…

And last but nowhere near the least were Modesto’s Better Left Unsaid. They take the honor of being the first band to make us nauseous during an interview, after previously being the first band to pull a knife on us on-camera.

No biggie!

All in all, it was a crazy marathon day to end a crazy marathon month of gigging and touring. And after crashing later that night in America’s second dirtiest hotel, the Metalluminati and Nemesis Records extended family were glad to finally have a few days to get busy doing absolutely nothing.

…Hence why this blogpost took a few days to finally get posted!

Check it out by clicking the screenshot below:

The tour has been receiving great reviews.  From your perspective, how has the it been so far?  

It’s been great. It’s definitely a different audience, and that’s good for Iced Earth to spread awareness of the band.  We’ve always been preaching to the choir, so to be a support band — especially for someone as diverse as Volbeat and Hellyeah – it’s pretty cool.

You can tell a lot of people don’t know who we are right off the bat, but by the end of our set they are into it.  Our website traffic has gone absolutely crazy.

Getting on this tour, how did you expect the crowd to receive you?

As you mentioned, the line-up has the mix of southern rock (Hellyeah) and the new age punk that Volbeat is doing – and then you have Iced Earth’s Viking rock.

Yeah, it’s different but there’s a lot of metal in Volbeat’s music for sure.  I love it.  They are one of my favorite bands of all time.

I haven’t been excited about a band since I was fourteen years old, but I became a really big fan of [Volbeat frontman] Michael’s and we became great friends. There is a lot of mutual respect there.  So, when he invited us out on tour, I was like “Hell yeah let’s do it.”

If for the fans, their only exposure to Volbeat is the radio songs, then they might not be into Iced Earth.  But a lot of the Volbeat fans are into their heavier stuff as well, and I think those people will like us and what we do.

Iced Earth is no stranger to the music scene.  What’s your take on how the industry has changed, even in this last decade?

It’s a big difference. You can’t really rely on physical sales anymore. The business model is changing and I hope that it becomes better for the artist.

The artists have definitely been the ones who have been the most taken advantage of by the “system,” or the record industry.  I think it’s going to lead to a situation where you have more contact from the artists directly to the fan base.  I think that cutting out several different middle-men — people who are reaping a lot of the profits from the work that we do — will be good for the artists.

With that, what is Iced Earth doing differently in order to garner those sales?

Well, really right now, we’re obviously touring a lot.  I mean we’re about 120 shows into our world tour since this album (Dystopia) came out in November of last year.

We’ve been hitting it hard and we’ve literally been around the planet.  All over from North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Australia, China — we’ve done a lot.

So, touring vs. album sales?

For metal bands, we have such a loyal base. So, I think we’ve suffered from it less than a lot of other people in the music industry, like the pop stars.  Our fans seem to be a little more loyal.

At the same time, this is definitely… it’s changing. I just don’t know what the model is going to be yet.  I’m just not sure.

Iced Earth has always been known for their album artwork.  Do you think there is still going to be that significance in putting out that type of artwork, or are you guys going to try to do more to put stuff online instead of physical copies?

Well, we’re definitely going to always do cool artwork because that’s part of the whole theme.  It makes for an entire vibe for a tour package.  Your theme of that record is what your stage show revolves around and the merchandise and everything so we’re always going to do that.

I can imagine that Iced Earth will probably always do physical copies.  I just hope that someday we can be our own label and deal directly with the fans.

Physical copies are important for an older group of fans.  For some of the younger people that grew up with the Internet and just downloading and basically stealing music, it’s a different thing.  They may not care about it.  But we definitely have a fan base that does care about physical copies.

With downloading and piracy, what do you think the record labels need to do to embrace this change?  You’re not going to stop people from illegally downloading music.

I think the record labels are going to be a thing of the past before too long.  It’s not going to break my heart.  It’s just that right now we’re in a transitional situation here where it makes it difficult for mid-level bands, and it’s definitely difficult for baby bands.

I don’t know. Starting off in a new band today in this market is a pretty scary thing.  Guys like Metallica that are just giant machines that move, they are a phenomenon — I’m sure they’ve felt it, of course, but not at the same level.  They are such a strong machine.  I don’t think it’s as much of a struggle for them as it is for some of the mid-level bands.

That’s where we reside. So, for us, we have to be proactive in thinking. I set goals five, ten years ahead.  We are going to be our own label.  That’s definitely going to happen.  It’s just the financing and making it where we have a database of fans that’s big enough to take it over.

Iced Earth has never been a band that was on the radio.  So, what is your industry advice for the bands that are coming up now and trying to make it in an industry where there is little radio play and no MTV anymore?

The only advice I can give anyone is that you can’t give up.  You have to have the integrity to stay true to your craft.

A lot of bands make the mistake of coming out and there’s a new fad or a new trend or whatever it might be within the music business, and the system ends up signing fifty bands that sound like the one band that actually made it.

I expect in the next couple of years there is going to be a bunch of Volbeat wanna-bes and they are going to be the leader of this new genre of music that they have created.  That’s a typical reactionary thing that happens with labels – they start signing a bunch of bands that are copying a sound.

Well, you can’t really look at it like that.

A lot of times, what happens is that if you’re playing something and you decide to jump on a bandwagon, more than likely the style that you were initially doing was what was natural for you.  And by the time anyone even recognizes you, that fad is going to be over.  You gotta stay true to your craft and have integrity.

It’s not easy these days.  But I think if you can build up a fan base, you just have to stay true.  Of course, I’m talking about metal music — that’s all I know. And I know if you don’t stay true, the fans will never forgive you for it.

On your website, Iced Earth has the mantra: “It’s a long way to the top if you want to Rock ‘n Roll.”

What do you have to say to these national and international bands that are trying to make it, but immediately think they’ll be playing top-notch venues? Don’t you think you have to pay your dues?

Of course everybody has to go through that.

What would say about a band walking away from a tour just because the venue was sub-par?

Well… they are never going to make it.

Never?

No. You can’t do that. It doesn’t work that way.

It’s a battle. Every day.  I think it’s a battle even on Metallica’s level at some degree.  Sure, they have the machinery, the giant crew, but it’s still… this life is not for the squeamish, you know?

It’s really hard when you are starting out.  We did the van tours and moved our own gear; as soon as we stopped playing, broke down, played every shithole you could imagine for really bad money – but that’s what you have to do! Then, you get a loyal following if you show that kind of commitment and they know you’re there.

Don’t you think so that the shittiest venues have probably had the best crowds?

Sometimes.

You’re bringing the music that they wouldn’t get to hear otherwise.

Yeah, it’s definitely true.  We’ve had some amazing shows in little shithole clubs where the crowd energy is awesome.

So get out there, play shitty venues, and pay your dues?

Yeah, you gotta do what you gotta do.  You gotta pay your dues.  You can’t quit.  If you want to make it in this, you can’t quit.

It’s no secret that your line-up has changed drastically over the course of your 27-year career.

What is it about the dynamic of this current line-up that makes Iced Earth what it is and makes you want to keep going?

Well, this is a very committed lineup.  There have been a lot of changes, and I think they were necessary to get point where we are now.

There’s a lot of love in this band, a lot of brotherhood.  It’s cool.  Everyone wants to be here.  We’ve had to make sacrifices to do this tour.  Iced Earth has only opened for four bands, and that’s not because we haven’t wanted to do more.  The reason why we’re on this tour is because Michael and I are brothers. When you’re in a support slot, everyone has to take a pay cut — and some people didn’t want to do that, so you find out who is in this for the long haul.

I can’t raise people’s salaries until we start getting bigger.  The exposure has to be more.  This is an investment in our future.  I know that, and so does everybody that’s here — but some people couldn’t handle it.

That’s why this line-up is great! And I hate to subgenre everything, but Volbeat, Hellyeah, and Iced Earth – that’s attracting three different crowds of people.

Yeah, it’s a great package.  They’re cool people, all of them.

The Volbeat people are amazing and the Hellyeah guys are cool as shit.  All of crews are getting along great and working together. It’s a cool thing.

Dystopia came out in 2011 to positive reviews with Stu Block on vocals. Many claimed it to be a return to Iced Earth’s core sound.

Where do you see the band’s sound headed when you guys get off the tour and start writing?

I think it is gonna… you know what, I never know how to answer that question. (laughs)

It’s always the natural next step, whatever that is.  I think it’s going to be a similar approach in the song writing.  Stu and I are an awesome team together — in the writing process, in the studio, on the road.  I don’t see any need to change it because it works killer.  We have a lot of fun together, sometimes too much fun together and we get ourselves in trouble. (laughs)  We’re 120 shows into this thing, and Stu’s voice has been amazing every night and his work ethic is incredible. He’s a warrior. He’s committed to this shit. That’s really cool.

I think that – as far a creative thing – Dystopia still a fairly new record, so it’s kind of hard for me to start blowing up that bubble.  I have some ideas, some musical ideas, but I don’t have a theme.  That’s where things for me as a writer start to come together – when I come up with a theme for a record or how the artwork’s going to be, then it helps me create.  We’re a little early for that.

I think in the fall, we’re going to start doing some stuff.  I also have the DVD that we’re getting to film, so we have to do post-production for that – mix it, edit it, and all that stuff. I’ve got my hands full.

When will the DVD be out?

I think probably spring.  We’re recording it and filming it too late to get it out for Christmas, so I imagine that it’s going to be February or March.

And then a new album?

Yeah, we’ll be focusing on a new album – but the cool thing is that we’ve got a lot of touring opportunities.  We’re on the radar of other bands for support, which we need to do so we can grow.  There’s some stuff that may happen that will obviously dictate what our schedule is for next year.

Iced Earth is headed to Europe for Bloodstock, right?

Yeah, we’ve got several festivals, and that’s one of them.

We’re doing some headlining shows in Ireland and Scotland.  Then we’re doing the DVD on August 19, and then we have a break until December.

So, to get that word out there, what are your thoughts on the use of social media? Do you run your own Twitter accounts?

Um, no. (laughs)  Should we? Yeah. probably.

I actually have a Twitter account that I use for Sons of Liberty (my solo thing) because that was more of an activist thing, but I just don’t use it very much anymore.  All the other guys have Facebook accounts, but I don’t.

Are you just anti-Facebook?

Yeah, I’m pretty much anti-Facebook.  I have one just to administer Sons of Liberty’s Facebook, but that’s just sharing information and that’s not rock star bullshit. It’s just about real issues that are going on.  I’m into that.

The personal Facebook thing would just be another thing I would have to deal with that I really don’t want to.  People know how to get in touch with me.

Do you think that’s a sign of the generational times?

Yeah, probably.  I’m sure it is.

I also think it is part of the dehumanization that’s going on.  I look around and people are fucking staring in their phones wherever you go.  Nobody sits and talks. I mean I’ve seen couples go out for dinner and they’re both staring at their fucking phones.  I’m like, “What’s wrong with you people?”  I think it’s doing some damage.

We’ll see. All this new technology, it’s good and bad.

We’ll try to keep up the good side — thanks for talking with the Metalluminati, Jon!

Thank you.

But last year, the metal blogosphere was taken aback by Janaza, a purported “anti-Islamic black metal band fronted by a female in Iraq” who introduced herself with a single called “Burn the Pages of Quran.”  The mere mention of this song’s ballsy title made even the most hardened of metalheads take notice.  I remember personally telling members of Acrassicauda (another wartime Iraqi metal band) about Janaza before their show last July in San Francisco, and watching their eyes go wide in shock.

In other words, Janaza was awesome!

But now, the more Anahita talks, the less believable her heroic story becomes.

Earlier this week, The Atlantic published an article by metal writer “Grim” Kim Kelly about the burgeoning Middle Eastern anti-Islamic metal scene.  The story revolves around Anahita and her projects Janaza and Seeds of Iblis, another anti-Islamic black metal band  (supposedly) based out of Iraq.  Kelly writes that Anahita insisted on corresponding via Facebook rather than phone, and much of the resulting information in the article about her isn’t anything new from a year ago.  Nevertheless, the Atlantic story was Janaza’s and the other mentioned bands’ biggest publicity to date.

And then, the Internet happened!

Shortly after the Atlantic story was posted, a commenter named “Boullan” pointed out that at least one of Iblis’ band member photos was taken from the line-up of another obscure black metal band.  That photo was used by Seeds of Iblis on their Metal Archives profile and on their 7″ EP Jihad Against Islam, which was released last year. (on the French label Legion of Death – tsk tsk!)

Seeds of Iblis guitarist “Yousef” may look familiar to fans of Norwegian black metal band Vulture Lord.

The same photos were used by Seeds of Iblis inside their debut 7-inch EP.

And that wasn’t just a one-off occurence.  Another band in Kelly’s piece named Tadnees (who are in a black metal coalition dubbed the Anti-Islamic Legion, alongside Janaza and Seeds of Iblis) pulled a similar switcheroo with their “band photo” and that of German Nazi black metal band Morke.

Yes, really.

An anti-Islamic black metal band (left) and an anti-Semitic black metal band (right) walk into a bar…

One last instance of pictorial plagiarism comes from Anahita herself.

Another commenter on the Atlantic article named Raúl González recognized the (supposed) photo of Anahita from somewhere else. You see, Raúl is an amateur photographer in Mexico, and he posted that photo of his wife (who is not Anahita) a couple years ago after she dressed up in fake blood and corpse paint for a photo project he called “Black Metal Barbie.”

Photo from Raúl González’s “Black Metal Barbie” set (left) repurposed as Janaza publicity photo (right).

After Anahita’s use of fake photos was brought to the Atlantic editors’ attention, all photos purporting to be of her or her band were removed from the article.

Of course, there could be a simple explanation to the fake photos — these self-professed “anti-Islamic bands” are living in too dangerous environments to show their own images in public.  So, they instead use photos of their idols or other cool pics they find on Google Images to promote themselves.

But their story still doesn’t check out!

Anahita claims Janaza and Seeds of Iblis are both based in war-torn Iraq, and are part of the deeply underground Iraqi metal scene.  And according to the Atlantic story, two of her Seeds of Iblis bandmates were in previous bands:

Seeds of Iblis features five men and one other woman besides Anahita herself (Epona, who has also spent time in the now-defunct black metal band False Allah)… One of the band’s guitarists, Yousef, pulls double duty in Tadnees.

Here’s the kicker:  False Allah and Tadnees are listed as from Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, respectively.

Do they really expect us to believe that two Seeds of Iblis members immigrated to post-war Iraq to start the band? Especially since Anahita has stated on record that they’re actively trying to score a record deal. (I doubt many A&R’s hang out in Baghdad — where Anahita claims Iblis have played concerts)

Ms. Kelly, how did you not notice that???

At the end of the day, there’s little reason to doubt that Anahita, Janaza, or Seeds of Iblis are anti-Islamic metal musicians.  However, their Acrassicauda 2.0 backstory of currently living in Iraq and covertly dodging “religious authorities” as Kim Kelly’s (supposed) reporting describes just doesn’t add up.  And since that was their main claim to blogosphere fame, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to promptly give them the Milli Vanilli treatment.

And since they’ve hid behind fake photos and only talked to the press via Facebook messages, it also doesn’t seem unreasonable that Anahita could be a 40-year-old white guy from Georgia.

Naturally, he has picked up a bevy of knowledge along the way, which he shared with Pitchfork a few months ago for their year-end “Guest Lists of 2011″ feature.

And it just now occurred to me that a lot of RJ’s tips (if not all of them) can apply to metal musicians.
So, without further ado…

RJD2′s Top 10 Ways to Not Completely Eat Shit on Tour

1.  Do NOT hire a tour manager.

This one comes with a big caveat:  Only self-tour manage if you have your shit together.

If you are decent at numbers, care about how things shake out at the end of the night, and are not intimidated by having some semblance of responsibility for your own career, you can totally do this yourself. It’s really not rocket science.  If you are the kind of person that likes being on time, and can book a flight to somewhere in the continental U.S. on your own, you will be very good at self-tour managing.  While it is work, so is touring.

This right here will save you 10-20% in commission, as well as the expense of an extra person. I have done this for many tours, even when I am responsible for a crew of five. If you choose your band members/merch person/driver wisely, you will avoid herding cats.

2.  Only hire a tour manager if…

…You are a.) bad with numbers, b.) determined to spend your mornings face down in a pile of cocaine infused puke, or c.) generally don’t like being responsible for yourself.

While I say this last part with some modicum of sarcasm, really, you’d be surprised. Some people just aren’t built like that. I have met a lot of musicians who would rather have a bad guy to take the blame than to be responsible for their own fuck-ups.

3.  Buy (don’t rent) the vehicle you tour in.

This may seem elementary, but some folks rent for years before taking the plunge. Live music isn’t going anywhere soon. Plus, if your band implodes, you have a head start on that fruit basket delivery service you’ve had your eye on.

4.  Make merch people actually want.

Posters are great, kids love ‘em, and they are easy to store and transport. Find a local artist who can screen-print, get them to run off a small batch, and restock as needed.T-shirts are second-best in terms of something people always want.  It’s tempting to go for some cutesy merch that nobody else has, but a lot of them are duds.

So, unless you’re determined to roll out smorgasbord style, stick to the stuff that actually works.  One item does not fit all.  I know some artists who still can kill on CD’s.  Well, I can’t.  C’est la vie.

5.  If at all possible, hire folks with experience touring.

If you take a greenhorn, make absolutely sure you won’t be babysitting.

Take people you would want to be marooned on an island with, the kind of folks with interesting shit to talk about besides music.  I guaran-fucking-tee that you are not going to want to debate which Zeppelin album is definitively their best by Day 13 or Day 26.  East Coast Scrabble Champ 2007-2009?  Sign me up.  Opinionated, annoying music encyclopedia?  ’Scuse me while I fucking choke myself to death.

While this won’t always affect your bottom line, successful touring is best thought of as buying a timeshare — it pays off incrementally over many years.  One three-week stint with a complete dickface can sour you to the whole idea.

6.  Get yourself a good booking agent.

This is frankly easier said than done, but still very much worth it.  My booking agent is arguably my most valuable business relationship, I definitely would not be where I am today without him.

A good agency can both save you and yield you considerable sums.

I often talk to artists who can’t find an agency to take them on, thus, I know this can be hard to source.  Nevertheless, get in where you fit in.  For what they do, the commission is without a doubt worth it.

7.  Pretend you joined the military.

This may sound like a joke but, honestly, two of the most important things one can possibly do is to a.) stay clean and b.) eat well.

You know how they tell you in the military not to touch your face for sanitary reasons?  It’s true.  If you love picking bogs, you better stop now, ’cause you are entering ground fucking zero for germs and shit.

For food, stock up on rations.  Peanut butter, dried fruits and nuts, and cereal are all your friends.  Pizza and Mickey D’s are not.  Cancelled shows due to health-related reasons are a surefire way to fuck your money up quick.

8.  Know what a properly functioning show looks like.

Don’t know?  Watch.

I have been telling myself this for years, so don’t take this as being rude – the most valuable thing you can do in most situations is shut the fuck up and listen.  Opening slot on a big tour for the Blah Blah’s? Sit back and absorb.

If you know what the contour of an evening looks like, you can identify when something is wrong. I have been in many situations where a show was a total clusterfuck, and if I didn’t step in and make things happen, (backline, soundcheck, set times, etc.) no one would have picked up the pieces on my behalf. Most nights, it’s clear what roles people play.

Other times, you exist in a responsibility vacuum.  This, again, is where tour managing yourself can be a big help; there are times where you won’t have time to get three parties to talk to each other, you just need to make shit happen, and happen now.

9.  Sell your own merch.

I guarantee this will double or triple your sales.  It just does.

10.  Don’t be an asswipe.

I’ve gotten gigs from promoters, kids, activity club directors, etc. just from them saying “Oh, we had him last year and he wasn’t difficult at all — not like Artist X was.  Jesus, that guy sucked!”

You can be supremely talented/popular and people will put up with your shit to book you.  In that case, you will be the 3% — but, sooner or later, you’ll become one of the rest of us 97%ers.  And when that happens, you don’t want to be that guy.

It’s really not hard, just pretend that you’re the same guy that was stacking boxes five years ago for $9/hour before you “hit the big time.”  You will have to revert to him sooner or later anyway, as we all do, so you might as well just be him all the time.

RJD2 at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis. (March 2010)

We got to see an all-day festival with enthusiastic crowds (sold out a 20,000 capacity venue in San Francisco) that packed the place for literally every single band, starting at 11:30am. So, next time you hear someone complaining about how nobody comes to rock shows anymore, point out Warped Tour!

Still, the most refreshing part of it all was talking to the bands and seeing how well-tuned they are into the practices of today’s music biz.  Instead of lamenting over the pre-Internet “good ol’ days,” the Warped artists are using things like Facebook/Twitter and “illegal downloading” to push their scene forward and get more people out to their shows.

This was the Warped Tour crowd — at 11:30 in the morning!

First up was For Today frontman Mattie Montgomery.  Mattie explained how the relatively younger age range of the Warped fanbase makes it easier for the bands to wrangle fans via Facebook and Twitter (e.g. For Today’s almost 200,000 Facebook fans).

After that was Chelsea Grin.  Vocalist Alex Koehler summed up the Internet Age attitude best:

If it weren’t for the Internet, bands like us wouldn’t be this big… As long as people are listening to us and digging it, that’s all I care about.”

And lastly, we had a great time talking to Of Mice & Men, who summed up everything we talked about with the previous bands and then added in their own two cents about the excessive number of sub-genre labels dividing heavy music today. (“It’s all rock & roll!”)

Moral of the story:  Don’t knock the Warped Tour scene — you can learn plenty from it!

Sure, the Internet has made anyone able to start a band and release music without depending on a record label — but that also means a lot of crappy music gets put out, as well.  Or some fans love being able to instantly download their favorite bands’ albums, but then are missing out on goodies like album artwork and lyrics that don’t always accompany MP3′s.

Ultimately — as IWABO’s Krysta and John concluded here — the best thing to do is adapt with the times (as seen in their prolific merch selection) and be happy to see more bands today putting originality into their music rather than whatever a producer tells them to.

So, when we caught up with drummer Pat Thetic at Warped Tour yesterday in San Francisco, we were curious to see if he was equally outspoken against record labels’ exploitation of musicians.

Well…

…Awesome!

Morgan told us about Marduk’s relentless tour schedule and how it’s made them black metal mainstays for over 20 years now.  He also explained the deal that the band have with Century Media Records, where the label handles marketing and album distribution while Marduk takes care of their own recording and show booking. (two decades of touring contacts sure come in handy!)

Very cool guy with a lot of valuable, time-tested information.

Also — if you noticed that we flubbed our “suggestions for upcoming bands” question to him — Morgan later told us off camera that the best advice he has for new bands is to simply be themselves and make the music that’s in their hearts rather than riding the current hot trend of the moment.

Wouldn’t that be nice?  A scene of bands who aren’t copycats of each other!

Well, those days are now over!

If you have a smartphone, you can now take credit cards at your tasty pig parts merch booth.
In other words:  There’s an app for that!

One such app is Square.  It has no sign-up fees, and its plug-in card reader is sent to you for free upon registration.  All what you need is a bank account for the money to be deposited into, and then Square will take just 2.75% of each purchase as their fee.  And that’s it! (no monthly fees or anything)

With Square, you simply swipe a fan’s card on your phone and have them sign their name on the screen.  BOOM!  Merch sale done.  Your fans can even have a receipt e-mailed to them on the spot, just in case they don’t trust you and your fancy new technology.

Last, you can log into your Square account online to look at all your sales, where they were made, and even keep a photo inventory to see what’s selling good and what’s not.  (market analytics, yo!)

If you can’t use Square, there are other apps out there too.  Intuit works pretty much the same as Square, and also gives you options of paying either 2.7% of each sale or 1.7% plus a $12.95/month flat fee.  I haven’t used Intuit myself, so I can’t tell you much else about how it compares to Square.

One more thing:  If you have a business bank account with Bank of America, they also are now offering a mobile pay system completely free.  They don’t seem to take any % off the top of each sale like the apps above, but it’s only available to BofA business account holders.

Either way, you’ll no longer be forced to turn away fans at your merch booth just because they don’t have cash. (fuck ATM fees!)  That means more potential merch buyers for you and, in turn, more money!

You’re welcome.

However, with most cities, the average musico probably won’t have the slightest clue about what venues to play or whom to contact about doing so.  Usually, this results in bands hiring a booking agent (who usually have other priorities) or simply doing nothing after hitting the dead-end.

Well, that shouldn’t happen anymore thanks to Indie On The Move.

At its core, Indie On The Move (IOTM) is a city-by-city directory of venues and their direct contact for booking shows.  For bands, this takes away hours of web-crawling and trying to figure out who to e-mail about playing at a venue.  IOTM even lets you sort venues by size (capacity) and genre, so you know exactly where to shoot based on your band’s status.

Along with booking info, each venue page includes Yelp-style reviews from a performer’s perspective and vitals like photos and video, so you know exactly what you’re getting into.  It’s almost like IOTM have read musicians’ minds about what info they’d want on venues — which makes sense because the site actually was created by Philly rock band Zelazowa. (artists helping artists!)

Whether you’re planning a nationwide tour or just wanna know where you could play in your hometown, IOTM is one helluva resource to lock down shows for your band.

Click the Magic Tour Bus school bus below to check it out…

But maybe I have it wrong — maybe MP3′s really are worth that much money?
Maybe if we break it down like this…

Kudos to Alex Furlin for the infographic.

Well, the good folks at Unified Manufacturing have laid out an excellent way to do just that.  Part of it involves simple-but-ingenious uses of social media (e.g. tagging fans in your live photos), while other parts sound like plain ol’ common sense (e.g. talk to anyone who approaches you!).

All in all, it’s an excellent checklist to follow so you can turn your fans into superfans!

Kudos to Marion from Unified Manufacturing, who let us know about this via a blogpost comment!

After giving some behind-the-scenes details on their new album The Industrialist  (drum machine brutality!), Burton also shared his own candid thoughts on the collapse of Roadrunner Records and the importance of bands today to have a good lawyer and not sign shitty contracts.

Brian Fair of Shadows Fall had a lot of valuable info to give to us — making money by getting your songs on video games or ESPN, using “piracy” (i.e. people downloading music for free) to your benefit, and the unexpected benefits of being on the same label as Kidz Bop.

The best quote:  ”Be careful of signing right away to a [record] deal… Why not stay independent? Even Kickstarter the money to get it going.”

Gone are the days when you could be the “enigmatic rock stars” who only peeped their heads out from behind the curtain once every couple years.  Nowadays, it’s a two-way street, hence why you need to be as good at Facebook/Twitter/YouTube as you are at guitar/bass/drums.

A strong fanbase can work wonders for you. Oftentimes, you can do more with a small but dedicated number of fans than “bigger” artists can do with a large-but-casual following.  Fans will be more likely to help chip into your Kickstarter campaign (where niche-punk rocker Amanda Palmer just raised $750,000) or help you out while you’re on the road if you’ve taken the extra time to actually, you know, give a fuck about them.

On that note, check out this mini-doc called FanCulture: The Evolution of Influence, made by the folks at digital marketing agency Amplify.  FanCulture delves into the importance and how-to’s of creating die-hard, lifelong fans for your brand band.  (Amplify have done precisely that for brands like Converse, PlayStation, and Heineken)

And in case you need it, here’s a good breakdown of FanCulture by Clyde at Hypebot in a more music-oriented context:

True fans give more to bands but also expect more. Often this expectation can be fulfilled through honest dialogue as well as rewards for superfans in the form of interaction and recognition from featuring fans in one’s marketing campaigns to making fans the stars on one’s blog or social media account.

Serious fans want to be part of the process. That might mean giving them opportunities to choose their own album tracklist, as did Kaiser Chiefs, or have input into a concert playlist, as does Umphrey McGee.

Just because somebody Likes your Facebook page doesn’t mean they’re a fan. As one marketer put it, clicking like is more like a “grunt of acknowledgement” in a conversation. Take it as an invitation to engage but recognize that focusing on one’s Like count is the opposite of building a deep affinity with one’s fans.

Remember:  If you wanna make a living off music, you need to treat your band like a business.
And your fans keep you in business — so, don’t neglect them!

Naturally, Bay Area death-comedy metallers Feral Depravity heard about PledgeMusic on our Facebook Page and went for it since they could use it with PayPal (Kickstarter only allows Amazon Payments). Specifically, Feral Dep wanted to use PledgeMusic to fund a tour walking the fine line between safe sex awareness and adorable gore-comedy, not unlike Cannibal Corpse.

Problem is, all that gore-comedy was a little too br00tal for PledgeMusic’s internal Morality Police.

Here’s the e-mail Feral Dep got back from PledgeMusic’s “assessment team,” who must approve each project submission before it goes live:

Hi there,

We have reviewed your project and taken a look at some of your promo videos to gauge how feasible it is to meet your goals. While we think its [sic] an honourable mission to seek to educate people about safe sex, on reflection we feel that some of your content is inappropriate and out of sync with PledgeMusic’s message and ethic.

I personally do understand the comedy grind angle and its tongue in cheek sensibility, alas it can come across as crass, tasteless and offensive to users of our platform and staff alike. We have to gauge how our wider audience would view your content.

I’m afraid on this occasion we are going to have to decline your project, and I assure you this is a decision we have made lightly [sic, I hope] as it is by no means our intention to stiffle [sic] any band/artist’s creativity no matter how they choose to express themselves.

However, we do wish you all the best with your mission.

Ummm… Okay.

Despite touting themselves as being “run by music people” and helping artists “to raise money for anything your music career needs,” PledgeMusic’s staff apparently do not dig the death metal.  Internationally renown Apocalyptica are fine, but underground metalheads are not.

To each their own — but if you’re interested in fan-funding and your music runs on the edgier side, you’d be better off creating a U.S. bank account and going with Kickstarter.  Granted that Feral Dep’s proposal video (seen below) probably could have used a little polish to look more appealing atop a pledge page, PledgeMusic’s arbitrary judgement of what’s “inappropriate” and “tasteless” makes their dedication to musicians seem shaky, at best.

It was a pretty traumatic day for the metal biz, and many artists offered their condolences to Roadrunner’s European and Canadian staff.  Indeed, a lot of Roadrunner employees had worked tirelessly over the years to blow up bands like Lamb of God, Machine Head, Slipknot, and even Nickelback (love ‘em or hate ‘em!), and played a crucial role in many artists’ continuing success.

So, how might this affect Roadrunner bands?
Earache Records owner Digby Pearson chimed in quite resoundingly:

Some corporate twonk at Warners thinks promoting Machine Head & Opeth can be done just like Linkin Park & Green Day? #SoWrong #StayIndie

Metal Blade Records owner Brian Slagel espoused a similar #StayIndie sentiment:

What happened today to Roadrunner is one of the biggest reasons I never sold to a major #StayIndie #Freedom

All in all, the talking point from indie metal execs toward the Roadrunner/Warner fiasco is that major labels only care about money, and will slash promotion and personnel for the sake of the bottom line.  Of course, there’s a dirty little secret they’re hiding — indie labels do the exact same thing!

Metal Blade have been exploiting bands for almost two decades.  Back in the 90′s, the Goo Goo Dolls were Metal Blade’s biggest act to date, selling over 2 million copies of their A Boy Named Goo album on the label  (“Name” was my jam!).  Their payout from Metal Blade?  About $6,000 in royalties for each of the band’s three members.  Fed up with their “grossly unfair, one-sided and unenforceable contract,” the Goo Goo Dolls sued Metal Blade to get dropped from their record deal.

That was during the mid-90′s, which was quite the Golden Age for CD sales.
Imagine how stingy Metal Blade must be with bands nowadays!

In fact, Metal Blade bands now are panhandling virtually to raise money to go on tour because their label doesn’t offer them any significant tour support (gas money, van rental, etc.).  Factor in a tradition of lopsided royalty-sharing and an overloaded laundry list of bands, and it’s safe to say that Metal Blade aren’t too different from a greedy major label — they don’t give artists the proper attention to succeed, and still take an overwhelming chunk of their money.

But it’s not just Metal Blade.

Last month, “respected” indie label Nuclear Blast Records pawned the rights for Bay Area metallers All Shall Perish‘s latest album to a Panamanian licensing company, who now are suing downloaders of the album (i.e. the band’s fans) for $150,000 each without even needing the band’s approval.  Yes, Nuclear Blast literally sold out their own artist’s music to God-knows-who  just to make a pretty penny. Sounds like something only a big, money-hungry major label would do, right?

In all honesty, it is in the best interest of these labels to “stay indie” — because they can exploit bands all by themselves, without any help from a major.  Conversely, Roadrunner began selling off to a major in 2007 to pursue greater “commercial successes,” even if it meant cutting dozens of knowledgeable staff to widen the profit margins.

One side “indie,” the other side “major.”
Are they really that much different from each other?

Sven really elaborated on the differing aspects of touring Europe vs. the United States nowadays, confirming some long-held suspicions that it’s just better in Europe.  Hopefully, it’s not that bad Stateside as Aborted finish up their current tour with Origin and Cattle Decapitation.

Note to U.S. venues:  Stop treating artists like shit!

While his much talked about tweets from last September were quite the no-holds-barred reality check for anyone getting into the music biz, Mark reeled it in to give us an honest breakdown of record labels today vs. going the DIY route.

You’ve mentioned the earning gap before where labels pocket 6-7x more from album sales than bands do.

Seeing how many of metal’s top artists rail against “piracy” from music downloading (i.e. the same position as the labels and RIAA), are they turning blind eye by not publicly calling out the labels’ exploitation of artists?

Most like to talk only behind closed doors.  Humans fear repercussion.  Nobody wants to lose their job for having a big mouth, so the culture accepts the hierarchy.

Before we signed, our mentors bombarded us with tales of horror.  I suppose we can blame cognitive dissonance for the desire to swim with the sharks.

But the paradigm is shifting daily, and some bands are at the point where getting “fired” and yapping their trap might be a better option.

Speaking of shifting paradigms, there are lots of hip-hop and electronic artists nowadays embracing “piracy” and launching their careers by giving away all their music for free.  They don’t earn a cent from sold music, but the influx of new fans ends up paying off handsomely via sold-out tours and other opportunities.

Why don’t you think metal bands have caught onto this technique?

This could be due to the fact that metal is the oldest of the genres you mentioned.  There is an extreme degree of tradition you’re fucking with.  It’s a rough birth into the new era – and metal has followed an archetype for ages.

Personally speaking, spending energy yelling at fans of music for their method of intake would be trite, not to mention hypocritical.  Chimaira got popular thanks to Napster, Limewire, and various other file-sharing platforms.  We embraced YouTube in the beginning, and were one of the first metal bands to make webisodes.

While we follow the metal path musically, we’ve been heavily influenced business-wise by innovations in technology, and learned from all types of artists — from Portishead to Pungent Stench.

Like you mentioned at the end of your first answer, bands who sign to labels sometimes end up in “label hell,” where the label no longer finances their tours or marketing, but still lays claim to X more albums in their XX-album deal.

In this case, would you recommend a band intentionally try to get dropped?

It’s important to look at all angles of the situation.  It’s bigger than “label hell.”  You have to be clairvoyant in a sense.  It’s a big move to switch teams, but at the end of the day, what’s important is your happiness and the experience.

Example:  For us, leaving Roadrunner in 2006 was necessary for the band to continue.  We didn’t feel part of a team, so I simply asked our A&R Monte Conner to let us go.  The pro was we got our freedom; the con was our career in the UK suffered drastically.  While we paired up with good company after, Nuclear Blast had less of a presence in the country and our sales (both, album sales and live tickets) dwindled in the UK while they went up in the rest of the world.

I can’t recommend what’s right or wrong, I can only guarantee there will be unforeseen consequences to any path you take.  Some labels might have a market cornered — like heavy metal in the UK — so you actually might be better suited to stay in that “hell.”

Labels used to offer vital functions for artists like pressing albums, booking shows, selling merch, and paying for every expense in between.

Since the Internet now is democratizing those functions and making them more DIY, (money-raising via Kickstarter, album distribution via TuneCore, merch shops via IndieMerch.com, etc.) what do labels need to do differently to remain important and vital to artists’ careers?

Hire developers, hackers, and a tech-savvy staff of genuine fans.  Offer only the best bands deals which they can survive and flourish with.  Invest wisely in their careers and offer fair 50/50 deals.

Since finances are tight for artists, what effective money-saving tips you can suggest for bands to maximize their profit margins? (e.g. self-managing, not bothering with roadies, tour buses, etc.)

Hire a business manager.  They will help guide your expenses and make sure you don’t overspend, unless you want to.  They will help you with taxes as well.

Obviously, a DIY approach all-around saves the most money, but it will also eat away at your sanity.  Outsource from time to time to give yourself a break if you’re on the grind.

And watch your money.  This is the essential tool for survival.  If your business is not in check, you simply won’t have one.

What do you think is gonna be the next thing — like “illegal downloading” and direct-to-fan connectivity (i.e. social media) in the last 10-15 years – to turn the industry on its head and scare the hell outta record companies?

Software that creates the perfect music for each listener.  We will have the ability to create our exact tastes at the click of a button.

Thanks for your time, Mark!

With that, we present the Zombie Apocalypse Tour!

We’ve linked up with fellow DIY anti-exploitationists Nemesis Records to bring you a trek of the American Frontier (west and southwest) starting in July.  The line-up is a little random but quite awesome — Australian brutalists 4ARM and DepriVation will play their first shows on U.S. soil, while Texas metallers Prey for Sleep and the Bay Area’s own Casket of Cassandra round out the main card.

A string of initial dates is below, and more are sure to be added.
Be sure to follow the Zombie Apocalypse Facebook page to know when additional dates are posted.

July 07:  San Francisco, CA @ The Joint
July 11:  Colorado Springs, CO @ Sunshine Studios
July 15:  Austin, TX @ The Dirty Dog
July 16:  San Antonio, TX @ Zombie’s Bar
July 17:  Lubbock, TX @ Wreckers
July 18:  Albuquerque, NM @ The Juggernaut
July 20:  Las Vegas, NV @ Cheyenne Saloon
July 21:  Everett, WA @ Haley’s Bar
July 23:  Spokane, WA @ The Hop
July 24:  Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
July 25:  Nahcotta, WA @ The Clam Shack
July 26:  Medford, OR @ (TBA)
July 27:  Stockton, CA @ The Plea for Peace Center
July 28:  Oakland, CA @ The Oakland Metro

If you live west of the Rockies, be sure to come out to (at least) one of the stops!

Aside from the usual ice-breaker question about being a girl on a metal tour, Alissa tackled the pros and cons of downloading, the importance of self-management (“If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself.”), and why record labels need to be done away with entirely.

Rock on, Alissa!

Since the Devil’s Blood are a Dutch band, Selim gave us some good insight about touring the U.S. as an international band (two words:  government grant!) and the revelation that “I don’t think anyone on this tour is actually earning any [money].”

Oh, and Selim also stressed the importance of getting your visa issues done early — tsk tsk, Watain!

But, as much as we love it, there’s one little problem with Kickstarter — you can only use it with a U.S. bank account.  And since metal bands come from all over the world, that might be a problem for a big chunk of Metalluminati readers.

Luckily, there’s a solid alternative – PledgeMusic!

PledgeMusic lets you to get funds from your fanbase just like Kickstarter with the same type of “all or nothing” stipulation where people’s money is only taken if you meet your total funding goal.  Not only that, but bands also can take advantage of special musician-centric PledgeMusic perks like sample-clearing, song distribution, and even a directory of recording studios.

The fine print:  PledgeMusic lets you accept donations via debit/credit cards and PayPal, but they take 15% of your total donations if you successfully reach your funding goal. (whereas Kickstarter takes only 5%)  Nevertheless, while Kickstarter is still working on allowing international projects to be funded thru them, PledgeMusic is a solid Plan B for bands outside the U.S.

If it’s good enough for Apocalyptica, it’s probably good enough for your band!

Now, episode #3 of On the Record is out and has so many money-quotes that it’s hard for me to pick just one.  But, if push came to shove…

“Though they say the music industry is dying, I think it’s at one of its strongest points ever on the musical side. Because more music is being consumed now than at any other time.”

Exactly!

“When you start seeing — from the business perspective of things — analytics being based off of unique impressions, eyeballs, and clicks before album sales, it has a huge profound impact.”

You can check out previous parts of On the Record at Metal Injection.

Instead, we have some more hilarious stuff that we found on Deviant Art (yes, again) to show you. Portuguese artist LusoSkav crafted this series of “funny because it’s true” caricatures of people from all walks of metal dubbed Luso’s Handy Guide to Metalheads.  And yes, camo shorts are in there.

Scroll down thru the pictures and find your favorite subgenre — it’s like looking in the mirror, isn’t it?

Pretty damned accurate, eh?

Of course, I was reluctant to try that at first for fear of sacrificing the almighty tone.

My preciousssss!

I saw that Christian Olde Wolbers and Dallas Coyle (formerly of God Forbid) were using Guitar Rig, so I picked up a copy.  Wolbers posted pics of his setup online and it was very impressive:

Wolbers also uses an Apple Mac G4 laptop live, with Native Instruments’ Guitar Rig to replicate some of his tones from albums into the live set.  Guitar Rig is used primarily for clean tones as well as occasional weird sound.

 
I also saw that the guys in Nine Inch Nails were using Reaktor as a virtual guitar processor, so I picked up a copy of that too.  After experimenting with that and Guitar Rig, I found the possibilities to be endless – the quality was so close to old school “mic to cab” methods that I switched completely to using Guitar Rig for guitar tracking needs.  Previously, I used a Digitech 2112 but found Guitar Rig to be even more versatile than the 2112 (the same guitar rig used on NIN’s The Fragile album).

Since I wanted something I could use all the time with ease, I stayed with Guitar Rig.  After implementing Guitar Rig as my go-to tone generator, many guitarists “came out” and told me they no longer track their guitars with amps on their records either (something of a “trade secret”).  And, to be honest, you can’t tell sound-wise on their albums!

I had an opportunity to track with Dallas Coyle  on some material a while back.  We both sat down, loaded our laptops, and BAM!  We fired up Guitar Rig and used it for guitars and bass.  Sound-wise, you can’t go wrong and — with a nice transparent power amplifier behind it — you can even use it during live performance, as well.

To use Guitar Rig, all you need to do first is get a good audio interface or “direct in” (DI) unit. The Apogee Duet is nice and does a great job.  The REDDI red box is as solid as a brick for a DI.  In fact, Fear Factory heavily use the REDDI to get those fat, “warm” bass tones that they are known for.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love tracking the good ol’ way of mic’ing cabs.  It makes the process seem a bit more… classy.  Nevertheless, there are plenty of artists who opt for the software method — and they make some pretty damned good music!

Dana Presson II | Only the Dust Remains

It’s crazy to think that it has already been 10 years since Layne Staley passed away. He was actually found April 19, 2002, but had been dead in his home since April 5. I  was fortunate enough to have seen the original lineup many times and hear his amazing voice destroy major venues as well as small ones.

I just wanted to put out my favorite story of seeing Alice in Chains play out of respect…

AIC were opening for Ozzy Osbourne at the Oakland Coliseum, October 8, 1992.  The stage was all set up, but there  was a couch in front of Sean‘s kit. I thought:  That is really odd to be on stage. They usually didn’t have a big stage set up, just the basics back then.

When they started off the set with “Dam that River,” Layne was not onstage. Then, as the crowd went crazy as the song picked up, Layne came out in a leg cast – rolling in a wheel chair!  PIMPING! He just used the mic stand to pull himself up, and threw his leg up on the monitor, and just belted that shit out like a legend!

All respect to William DuVall, the new singer of AIC, he is doing a great job with the band. However, seeing them live last year, you definitely miss the sheer power of Layne’s voice. Just a remarkable talent, fallen too soon.

R.I.P. Brother!

So, this past weekend, Jeff got a text from frontman Jon Howard saying “Hey man, you will love our new video!”  Now, this is a little odd since we already dig pretty much everything Threat Signal put outs, but now interest was piqued higher than usual.

Then, only seconds into the video, we see Jon flying the company colors — he’s wearing a Metalluminati shirt!  And not just some quick cut either, but throughout the entire video!

The “Comatose” video was helmed by our homeboy Tommy at the studio, and the song is on Threat Signal’s latest self-titled album.

Follow Threat Signal on Facebook and Twitter, and keep an eye out for when they come to your town. Oh, and they’ll buy a drink for anyone who approaches them at a show and screams “METALLUMINATI!!!!” :-)

All hail dihydrotestosterone!

Kudos to Online PhD for laboring over this thing!

Fresh off a previous interview with a raving fangirl, Loomis talked to us about why he actually likes his label (Century Media — same as Warbringer), offered his best advice to younger bands, and warned against being a “bedroom guitar player.”

First, you must start with the all important click track.

Clickity!

It may seem like a no-brainer, but some musicians see “the click” as an evil-made digital innovation.  However, in a genre where accuracy is key (METAL!), a click track is an absolute must for both you and your engineer.

The click track serves several purposes, mainly  keeping the drums and the rest of the instrumentation in time.  Playing to a click track will ensure that you don’t speed up and “run away” with the track like most musicians tend to do, even if it’s only by 10BPM across the whole song.  A click also will allow your plug-ins at a later stage in the production sync up with the tempo of the song, making them fit perfectly (like delays and other time-based effects).  Lastly, if there are any stops and subsequent punch-ins, employing a click track will ensure that all timing is perfect throughout each song on your next project.

Don't fuck around in here!

The first thing a good engineer/producer will ask you is “Have you worked out the clicks?” — meaning whether you got BPM and time signature information down for the varying sections of your song.

This is simple to figure out, and can even be done with online BPM calculators that allow you to tap out a tempo on your computer keyboard — or you can use a mobile metronome app with tap tempo functionality.  Either way, this step is crucial and will save you a lot of studio time if you come prepared with it.

Make sure you include info on the amount of bars each section of the song runs for and also if there are any stabs or stops.  This will help the engineer (or you, for the DIY folks) produce a tempo map that displays all the differing BPM’s and time signature changes across the track.  They’ll also be able to put together a “marker track” for an even easier recording process detailing what sections are where, e.g. Intro > Verse > Chorus > Balls-Out Breakdown > Vegetarian Progressive Grindcore Interlude, etc.

If you are going DIY with your recording, then most DAW’s will allow you to create the above using the tempo, meter, and marker tracks commonly located at the top of your recording software.  Once this is done, I would next record a “scratch” guitar or vocal guide track for practice purposes that allow each band member to work on their parts at home before coming to the studio.  You can bounce these parts down with the click track so the annoying beep of that metronome becomes part of your rehearsal and practice regime early on.  The sooner you are using it to practice, the easier it will be later to record.

On my earlier note, I can’t stress enough folks to practice your parts!  

You may think you know them and have played them 100 times at practice, but as soon as it comes to the crunch you definitely will flub them a few times.  When you’re in the studio and the clock is ticking, you are going to want to know your part inside and out, and be able to play it without thinking.  A great friend of mine once said “Amateur musicians practice their parts till they get it right, professional musicians practice until they can’t get it wrong.”

Next time:  How to prepare your instruments for battle in the studio

Graham Waller | Freelance Audio Engineer

I’m not much into horoscopes, but I can definitely get into this metal zodiac.  It’s been around for almost a year now, but I came across it again on creator Jolly Rotten’s page at Deviant Art.  Jolly is a German-based graphic artist who can be commissioned to craft your next album cover — so get in touch!

Hey baby, what's your sign?

Sucks to be Virgo.

If you don’t remember what tape-trading was, here’s a quick rundown:

When cassette tapes became widely available in the 80′s, many bands mass-copied their EP’s or demos onto them and passed them around for fans to listen (yes, for free).  It became so popular that you could find classifieds in the back of metal magazines offering to trade tapes from all over the world.  A fan in the UK would send you a tape of a local band, and you would send them one from your area.

Simply put:  It was the best way for underground bands to be heard worldwide before the Internet.

"Back in my day..."

Today, file-sharing is the ultimate evolution of tape-trading.  Why wouldn’t you want as many people as possible to hear and love your music?  Make it an underground movement!

Of course, the biggest complaint about file-sharing is…

File-sharing steals money from bands 

This argument has been debunked a million fucking times.

Under a traditional label deal, the artist only keeps about 10% from album sales, and even that money goes toward paying off a pithy advance from the label.  Even record deals in the “good ol’ days” rarely were a smart financial decision for artists.  You’re better off giving your music away for free to maximize your fan base, and then selling merch and deluxe editions of your albums to make the moolah.

But let’s play devil’s advocate and pretend that file-sharing was completely abolished (a best-case scenario for the RIAA today).  Two things would happen:

1. It would kill underground music.
   Without file-sharing, the pop establishment (including the Hot Topic/Warped Tour machine) would be in greater control of what you can listen to.  You hate them now?  It would be a hundred times worse!  With file-sharing, you create a more democratized scene of exchanging and discovering new music. That’s what tape-trading was all about — it was a collective “fuck you” to the labels, declaring “we listen to what the fuck we want!”
   .
2. Bands would still go broke.
   With the traditional establishment in firm control of much of the music scene, bands would have to pay big money to marketers or upper-echelon publicists to get their material out among the rest of the music approved by the overruling “gate keepers.”  Unless, of course, tape-trading makes a comeback. (but then that technically would be stealing!)

If you watched VH1′s recent Metal Evolution series, you might remember how a little band called Iron Maiden got their tape in the hands of British DJ Neal Kay, who played it regularly at his Soundhouse metal club in London — and the rest is history!  Likewise, many non-metal artists today are blowing up by giving away their music for free and making legions of fans in the process.

So give your shit away for free, and tell your fans to share it too.  It’s the best way to be heard!

“The Internet — the thing that’s going to make my job obsolete!”

That’s a half-joking remark made by Decibel Magazine editor-in-chief Albert Mudrian in the upcoming web documentary On the Record.

Metal Injection (who produced the five-part series) say On the Record is a look at the past decade in metal, particularly the effects of the Internet on the metal ecosystem.  It’s great to see an online heavyweight like Metal Injection finally ask the upper echelon point-blank about whether the Internet is really as detrimental to music today as so many old-timers claim.

Now, if your idea of “music” involves the ways of the Old Guard (a few magazines determining what bands get seen, labels dictating what sounds get heard, etc.) then of course the Internet is killing it.  Hallelujah!

Let’s call this what it actually is:  Free publicity for Warped Tour.

Seeing as how Facebook and other social media is still unfamiliar waters for big-name marketers, they know that getting tons of bands to blast their followers with “VOTE FOR US TO OPEN WARPED TOUR!!!!!!!” messages will promote the Warped line-up and tour dates in front of countless online scenesters.  It’s quite the ingenious exploitation, and many bands are dumb enough to fall for it.

My band is among only a few in our area (as far as I know) who are not competing for the Warped Tour slot.  There are a couple reasons why I believe so strongly in my stance against the competition:

1. I don’t believe in competition amongst bands.

   I know music has always been an extremely competitive industry, but the animosity of competition is not really as necessary in the industry as it’s made out to be.

   Music is supposed to be a community, not a contest.  Since we’re all here for the same reason, we have no choice but to coexist — musicians, labels, venues, and promoters should be assisting each other in reaching their goals rather than cutting each other out.

   With the Warped Tour around the corner, I have been asked by several bands all in the same week to vote for them.  With that, all I can think of is how disloyal of a friend I would be if I chose only one of the many bands I know to make this perceived progress in their careers over others.

   A true community doesn’t require you to pick favorites. 

   .

2. Much more productive things could be done with the time and energy spent in that contest.

   Instead of spamming friends on Facebook with a link to vote for your band, you could be networking online, writing new material, promoting your other shows, raising funds, planning and purchasing merch, setting up photo shoots, and booking tours.

   Honestly, I’d prefer going through all the hardship and experiences to get to a sufficient level to perform at Warped Tour as a supporting act than to compete every year just to play a couple songs on a tiny stage facing the food court.

Overall, competing for one big gold star on your musician’s resume seems a bit less important to me than a ton of smaller accomplishments to rival the significance of it.  And even though I may still go to Warped Tour, I’m sure I feel much less stressed than others over it.

To my friends who are competing:  Best of luck, and to each their own.

— Riley Olacsi, Casket of Cassandra

How do you describe it?  You don’t!  You have to experience it to even understand how insane and incredible it is, kid!  (Joe talks like a stereotypical Bostonian)

And I think he is right!

To experience the sounds, smells, sights, and feeling of this insane event, you have to just stand on 6th Street and just absorb it for a minute or two…

You have to think of the whole city of Austin (downtown and its east side Warehouse District) turning into the Mecca of music for a week.

Every fucking building is basically a venue playing music. I just don’t mean most places are playing music, I mean every building that can hold people inside is playing live music!  Hell, they even had live music in an auto repair shop.

Stages were built in parking lots, warehouses were turned into mini-festivals, and every bar and food joint had a band or solo act playing inside.

With so many showcases going on (typically an afternoon showcase from noon-6:00pm and a night showcase at 7:00pm-midnight), it’s very difficult — if not impossible – to schedule in everyone you want to see.  So, as my good friend Jamie at HardRockChick wrote: 

Bands: please don’t come to SX and only play once.  There’s so much scheduling conflict that it is only worthwhile to be here and play at least three times to be able to capture your entire audience.

And, once again, I couldn’t agree more!

It is definitely worthwhile to play this event if you’re a band because there are not only so many fans there, but also many other bands and industry people to network with.  Make sure you have everything lined up and ready to go to reach as many people as you can.

I saw a lot of bands giving out CD’s, but that can become cumbersome for passers-by to take.  A better thing to do is have your Bandcamp address set up in a FR/QR code, so fans and industry people alike can simply download it to their phone instantly.  Of course, if you’re playing showcases, it’s best to have all the typical goodies and maybe something more creative that will help you stand out from the crowd. (and, boy, is it a massive crowd!)

If you are looking to play a show to get your SXSW cherry popped,  you should definitely do it at Hoeks Death Metal Pizza!  Not only is the pizza killer, but the metal is relentless.  Ask for James of the Texas Metal Collective (TXMC) to get in touch about that — they got sick of promoters screwing them, so they took it upon themselves to take over their scene.

TXMC has free metal going on at Hoeks every night from 6:00pm-midnight during SXSW.  So, if you act early enough, you can probably get on one of the line-ups.  I got to check out Prey For Sleep there, and was seriously impressed with them and a bunch of other bands.  Cheers to James for taking care of me at the joint!

There also are plenty of bigger brand showcases (MetalSucks, Thrasher+Converse, Metal Blade, etc.).  My own surprise of the week was Cancer Bats, who really killed it at the Metal Blade showcase!  I did find it ironic that we have been talking about how Metal Blade screwed Gypsyhawk for that showcase, and there we were — interviewing their bands about it all!

As I stated, SXSW is not only the place to play, but also to network!  I was lucky enough to meet Ariel Hyatt of Cyber PR, who does some incredible campaigns for artists.  I also met with Emma Peterson of Tikly, which is a great site for artists to sell show tickets online practically for free.  This all happened at the Topspin event during the Music Tech Mixer.

Finally, if you are going to be going to SXSW to play a showcase, remember that it is insane to park and navigate.  Talk with the parking garage attendants about being able to go in and out during load/unloading.  Also, if you aren’t playing really close to downtown or are playing far off the other side of I-35 in the Warehouse District, it might not be worth playing.  Once you fight the insane traffic to get into the city, no one is going to want to go too far out of the city to see you play.

So, next on the agenda — a Metalluminati showcase for 2013?  Fuck yes!

And the answers were not pretty…

Point blank:  What do you think is wrong with the California music scene?

There’s actually a lot wrong with the California music scene. There are tons of respective scenes spread out over the entire state and they seem to differ from each other. As for what I’ve seen lately, bands aren’t offering much in terms of diversity, and they’re over-saturating the markets to the point where  many kids don’t care to see the same band at the same venue a couple times a month.

As for fans, it just seems like many would rather just sit behind their computers than support any local bands. There’s also a lack of all-ages venues and affordable door prices, as well.

Still, my biggest beef these days is with promoters. Many of the people who are booking shows are a huge part of the problem. They’re lumping everything so genre-specific that it is sucking out any hope of diversity. When diversity goes, you end up with a very significant decrease in attendance!

Also, quit making bands sell tickets to play; it hurts bands and the scene! If you got into promoting for the sole purpose of making it your cash cow, then you’ve simply got it wrong. As a promoter, you have to accept that you’re going to take a few hits — and when you’re new at this game, you should be happy to break even!

Why aren’t fans coming  to shows or supporting local music as much?

Bands need to push the envelope to keep things fresh, but not at the expense of taking all the fun out of playing. Also, people are getting too content with living online rather than getting involved.

Why do you think people are so stuck on certain genres, and aren’t open-minded to something new?

I never understood people being close-minded toward so many genres. Some pin the blame on young kids trying to prove themselves and how loyal or die-hard (“tr00”) they are for their music, but I outgrew that when I was 14 and too young to find rides to shows. So, that’s no excuse.

Lately, every sub-scene has become increasingly more closed off to new ideas and new sub-genres. God, I hope they snap out of it soon.

What would you like to see change in the California metal scene?

I’d really like to see the Internet become less important to kids, and for community to start becoming priority.

I remember when community was a huge part of heavy music, and things were so much better back then. People actually went to shows and did stuff together outside of the shows. When there was no place to have an event, we made shit happen. When there were no local bands, we started our own bands. When there was no scene, we built it.

It’s time for people to prioritize and fix this sad excuse of a scene. It wont fix itself!

No word on wattage, but the Marshall fridge does have knobs that go to 11 — which kinda ruined the joke I originally had planned for the title of this blogpost.

The Marshall fridge will be released in October for $300.

Special shout-out to John from Warbringer for the “traveling t-shirt salesmen” line! :-)

The music industry has been changing dramatically  (downloading, declining album sales, etc.). So, how do you guys stay current with the industry and find new revenue streams?

Business is hard these days, with all the downloading and stuff. That’s why we are on the road most of the time — we don’t get that much money from selling records. We’ve always paid the bills from being on the road and merchandise.

How do you guys set up your tours? Do you use a booking agent or DIY (do it yourself)?

We have an agency for that and a management. They take care of all that stuff — we just have to say yes or no. :-)

You guys tour Europe frequently, and don’t get over to North America very often. What are the difficulties you face in touring the U.S., or other countries for that matter?

It’s hard for a German band to get good offers in the U.S. You just have so many bands over there, that you technically don’t need us. But we’re working on a U.S. tour right now. It’s about time to hit the States again!

How different is it touring Europe compared to other places you have toured?

I can’t complain. Touring in Europe is quite easy because we get enough money to pay for stuff. In Russia, it’s hard sometimes because of the long distances and the landscape. In the U.S. we always toured with a van, except on the last tour. It’s rough, but also fun!!

Your guys’ newest release I Am Nemesis is coming out, can you take me through the process of recording for you guys? Is it DIY-style in a home studio? Or did you record with someone local?

We worked over six months on this record, and it was a hard time. Marc wrote tons of songs in co-op with our producer Benny Richter, and only the best 12 songs made it through. He used a lot of different styles this time (and) new effects.

We worked very hard on I Am Nemesis, and we are very happy with the result. We recorded in different studios. We did the drums and strings in a studio of a friend in our hometown, and the vocals were recorded in a shed. Elm Street Studios.

So you obviously are a touring band, so I presume you are gonna be touring like mad?

After the Get Infected Tour in Europe, we’ll play the summer festivals and shoot another video. After the summer, we go on tour in Russia, Asia, China, and — like I said — we’re working on locking down a U.S. tour. So, this year is pretty much about touring and promoting  I Am Nemesis.

We recently were in Boston hanging with Joe and Don of On The Fringe Studios, and they have now put together a great video of killer tips for artists going into a recording studio.

Our Australian representative Jake Weber caught up with LORD’s bass player Andy Dowling to talk to him about his thoughts on the current state of music.

The music industry has changed so much recently, where do you see it going?

Overall, I think it’s in the process of evolving into something completely new. The way in which we’ve viewed the music market, industry and culture will be forever in the past. As to where it’s going, who knows?! As an artist it’s concerning, but also exciting if you can keep up.

Touring is so important nowadays, how do go about setting up your tours? Do you DIY it?

Jerry Maguire, where are you???

We do everything ourselves. Unfortunately we haven’t been lucky as of yet to get in with a good booking agent, so we physically sniff out and organize shows ourselves. I personally put together our tours, book shows, network with local promoters and cross my fingers in the hope that it all comes together!

For young artists, the biggest skill you can have to book tours and shows is to master your social skills and network. Make contact with other bands, promoters, fans, people of interest etc. Don’t be a dick and outright ask for things, but instead build a connection and some rapport. As the old saying goes ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Not only will you form great connections that your band can potentially benefit from, but also form some fantastic alliances and friendships that will last long after your performing days are over.

The polarizing issue that is facing musicians today is the piracy debate.
What are your thoughts on it?

It has its pro’s and con’s. I think it’s a fantastic way for young bands to be heard by people all over the world. As I mentioned, the industry is changing and this is the biggest reason why. Bands are no longer making any money from their music itself, but are instead investing more in other areas to bring the money in (e.g. merchandise). It’s a shame, because it’s harder to get good label support, because the labels are no longer making money themselves.

For us, there’s no point dwelling on things that cannot be changed. While I have little respect for people who no longer buy music and grab it for free on the internet, I have to realize that there’s nothing we can do about that. It’s got to a point where we’re looking outside the square and hoping we can find new ways to keep the band alive financially. You either embrace the changes, or you get swept away and forgotten.

How hard is it to be successful and survive in today’s modern music industry?
What do you feel it takes?

A completely fresh approach and way of thinking is needed. New artists need to realise that the chances of making any money from their music is slim, but to not look at it as a negative thing. You have to be open to any and every opportunity that comes your way. Don’t be afraid to do something that a lot of other bands are not doing.

Afterward, we had a quick chat with drummer Pete Webber and guitarist Reece Scruggs — not only about the usual stuff like today’s music biz and social media, but also about a sweet deal they hashed out with English Dogs beforehand that saved them $1000′s on this tour!

I figured it would be a good idea to do a timeline from recording to touring for an album…

1.) Partnership or Business Agreement

Something which most bands fail to do is to set up a partnership or business agreement.

There are some great sites out there where you can print out legal forms, while sites like LegalZoom are a great way to fill them out online. Then, set up a business account and company credit card in your band’s name, and run everything through the business to get write-offs. Definitely talk to an accountant to make sure it is all set up right. This way you can write-off so many of your expenses!

2.) Social Media

Social Media is highly important for anyone in the music biz today. Some of the first things you need to do is set up your social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and perhaps a slew of others. OneSheet has a great list of different music-related social media sites.

You will need to draw up your band logo and take some early photos to fill out the pages. It’s super important that every site you have on the internet has the same design and color scheme, preferably the band logo or the upcoming album layout. You have to consider your band as a new startup company, and you want what your fans see to be cohesive and consistent (i.e. professional) everywhere.

3.) Recording

Recording is super important! Don’t hesitate to talk with different studios and meet with the sound engineer early, so you can see if you have a rapport. You can also go the DIY route if you have someone in the band that is really good with Pro Tools or other equivalent software.

Still, no matter what you do, I highly suggest you have an outside studio do the mixing after you record, and another place to master. Having talked with a number of great engineers around the world, they ALL agree to have another set of ears mix it from the recording.

4.) Distribution: Music

The great thing about the Digital Age  is how you can push your music across the globe for super cheap! Tunecore and 101 Distribution are great sites that allow you to digitally and physically distribute your album to the masses for $50 per album! These sites will get you on all the major outlets: iTunes, Amazon (both MP3 and physical), Rhapsody, Spotify, Google Music, and a bunch more — and you can be up and live within 24 hours of submitting your album!

Another thing you absolutely should do is give your album away for free! Bandcamp is perfect for this. Not only can you give your fans your music in any format, but you can collect e-mail addresses and locations as a sort of “market research” on where your fanbase is coming from (major businesses pay for that kind of research). I have worked with many bands that fought me on the “give it away for free” model — but, later on, every single one of them came back and thanked me for doing it that way.

The reason? It actually increases sales you would never have had! What most artists don’t understand is when you reach a greater number of people, you have a greater potential to make more die-hard fans. Fans who absolutely love what you are doing, fans who will come to your shows, buy your merch — and even buy the physical CD that they previously downloaded for free!

5.) Distribution: Merch

The other part of distribution that most don’t do is to get a real legit apparel site! You can use sites like Big Cartel, where they will handle the front end (taking orders, keeping inventory, etc.), but you will have to do all the shipping and stocking.

If you don’t want to handle all of that work, you can also create a site on Zazzle. With Zazzle, all you have to do is put your logo or artwork on the site and they’ll print it onto a plethora of merch items whenever someone places an order. The advantage of sites like Zazzle is you can have endless types of merch without having to pay a dime and reach a global market — but it’s best to save up the money to mass-print your own merch while on tour, so you can keep a greater percentage of sales without skyrocketing prices for your fans.

6.) Online Video

A lot of musicians do this well, but others don’t. Whether you are in the studio, recording, on tour, or just fucking around — turn it into video.

Find a friend or someone in your band who can do edit video footage and put it on YouTube! Remember to make sure it looks incredible because you don’t know who is going to see it. Don’t use video with 3 people in the audience, and don’t use shitty quality video — this is your brand!

Also, make sure to also upload all your full-length songs onto YouTube with album covers as the “video” footage — seriously, you need to be on YouTube! To put it in perspective: YouTube gets 379 million views per month of music alone! That is 3 times more than all other music sites on the web combined!

7.) Touring or Booking Agent

If you want to make it in today’s industry, you have to tour!

We recently spoke with John of Warbringer and he said they have done over 700 shows. So if you want to succeed in any way, you have to tour religiously. Your best bet is to find an incredible booking agent, and have them get you on as many tours as possible. Accept as many tours as you possibly can — and make sure you have albums, shirts, and creative merch items like flash drives or beer coolers to sell on tour and make more money. (see how this all weaves together?)

8.) Publicist

Most of the things above are things you can DIY as a band and figure out on your most.

But the two things you must have at some point is a booking agent (see previous point) and a great publicist. It is important that you have someone that understands design elements, has connections to all the blogs and media sites, and will work their ass off to get you interviews and press. A great publicist will know how to get you exposure!

Hey Obe! I wanted to thank you to take time to talk with us, and being a part of the Metalluminati family. I wanted to ask you what you feel is the most difficult thing to overcome in the music industry?

The dawn of the social media era in the music industry has had its pros and cons for our band. It’s easier these days for us to get our name out there as a young band but it’s just as easy for millions of other bands to do the same.

Staying on top of our social media sites (Facebook and Twitter), building hype, and finding ways to stand out in the enormous crowd has probably been our greatest ongoing challenge. In the real world, the challenge of keeping every member on the same page as far as time, money, and the pressures of everyday life is a close second. Luckily, we have finally found a group of guys with good heads on their shoulders and a great work ethic!

You guys just released a new self titled album. A lot of young artists DIY or record at home, but you can find reasonable studios that are willing to help artists. Talk about your experience and suggestions you could give artists in the recording process.

Yeah, we just released our first album at the end of January and had an amazing experience at our CD release show!

A lot more artists are doing things in-house because it is widely available, it is increasingly inexpensive, and the high quality of recording software. We like to do all of the preproduction ourselves because it gives us time to listen to the material and gain a new perspective on our songs.

When it came time to record the album, we did things old school and called in the professionals. There’s always room for other opinions and ideas in the recording process. Being able to take and make use of constructive criticism is imperative if you want to have an enjoyable and productive recording session. We had the privilege of working with Don Budd (Tone Freq Studios) and Sam Pura (Panda Studios). Even though they had very different styles and ideas, both of these guys know their shit and contributed to our sound in their own way.

Money is so tight as an artist in the modern era of music. Tell me how you went about deciding where to invest in yourself as a band, and what have you learned in the process.

Ahh yes, the money! First of all, every member in this band has a 9-5 gig! Without incoming funds our band goes nowhere. So many musicians think that they’ll “make it” by putting out a crappy demo on Facebook and hanging out in their mom’s basement smoking weed. Not even close!

One thing we are really proud of is being able to completely fund the band on our own.  We have avoided outside investors such as friends, family, and small indie labels that are essentially just credit cards by another name. Recording our album at a quality studio was our best early investment because if you don’t have a decent product to push you have nothing!

Other than the usual merch, we’ve been putting quite a bit of time and money into social media and it seems to be paying off in a number of ways. We’ve been fortunate enough to know people that have had semi successful bands and we’re very grateful to be able to learn from their mistakes and successes.

Touring is so important in the modern music business, how will you incorporate this into your future as a band?

Since our album dropped we’ve been working on putting together some summer blast tours. We’re trying to reach out to other bands in different areas that are on the same page as far as trading shows.

It’s funny, when you start contacting these other bands you quickly learn who’s on board for the long haul and who’s going to end up quitting in a few months. Playing shows out of town and going on small tours is so important in today’s music industry and it’s really the main way that bands make their money.

I know you are big on DIY, and I am glad! Talk about what efforts you have made, and what has been successful and what has been unsuccessful.

DIY is exactly that — doing it yourself. I’ll tell you what doesn’t work: asking people to do anything for you!

We’ve learned the hard way that enlisting the help of other people and not babysitting them is a huge mistake. Vendors, promoters, other bands, and even friends of the band will at some point drop the ball if given the opportunity.

One thing that worked well for our CD release was bringing in our own sound guy. Brendan’s dad, Michael Meier, took time out of his work week as a pro live sound engineer to mix the show for us and it paid off big time for the band and fans! Booking our own shows and not having middle men take a cut is always a nice feeling too!

Being DIY, what is your feeling on record labels?

The more we hear about other bands’ experiences with labels and the more hard times we see “signed” guys having,  the less interested we become in signing to a label.

Frankly, we’re turned off by the idea of somebody owning us without giving much back in the way of money or support. When a band can record their own album, make their own merch, book shows, even buy advertising and distribute a product worldwide with enough cash then what is the label for?

Labels have become machines that feed top-tier bands and executives with the blood and sweat of lower-level acts like us. The days of “I’m gonna get signed and the label will just handle me” are way over. We have friends that have been dropped from labels because they let the label “handle” them and now they owe the label thousands of dollars!

So, if you want our opinion, just save your cash and do it yourself. That way, if the band fails, you’ll still own all your music, van, trailer, and equipment. Oh, and your dignity!

So what is next for Until We Sleep?

2012 is going to be a busy year for us! Lots of shows to book throughout California, more merch diversity, and upgrades for the band. Oh, and by the way, we’ll be releasing our official music video this year so keep an eye out for that!

In the mean time be sure to hit us up on Facebook.

Thank you so much for taking to talk to us about and letting others know about your experience!

Thanks for having us, Jeff!

One of your fellow Shreddit metalnerds compiled all the geographical info from Encyclopaedia Metallum and created this awesome heat map showing which countries have the most metal bands per capita. And it looks like the stereotype is true — Nordics reign supreme!

Luckily, the good folks at Unified Manufacturing offer awesome merch ideas like iPod skins, flag pennants, and even cassette tapes (so kvlt!) for the equally awesome production price of $5 or less. Check out their full range via the link below, and hit them up via the “Instant Quote” form on the right side of their site.

John dished on many aspects of the music biz, including how he’s dealing with his label (Century Media) pulling all their artists off Spotify and about Warbringer’s JK-BNR role of being “traveling t-shirt vendors.”

Turns out, that’s not the case.

Case in point:  L.A. retro-metallers Gypsyhawk signed with Metal Blade Records last year, presumably for perks like added publicity and the aforementioned tour support.  But now, they’re turning to DIY fundraising site Kickstarter for gas money to play at their own label’s SXSW showcase.

Yes, really.

This is not entirely out of the ordinary, as we personally know several bands who have to front every dollar of their touring expenses by themselves despite being signed to “respected” record labels.  If you’re in a band with a similar debacle, Kickstarter can lead you to the Promised Land by crowdsourcing funds from your fanbase for anything — touring, recording an album, or even buying gear.

In other words:  Kickstarter might be financing bands today more than their own record labels do.

Check out Gypsyhawk’s Kickstarter pitch video below, and throw ‘em a few bucks here.

And yes, there’s a meme for that:

We asked them about their thoughts on dealing with (or, in their words, “coping with”) the music biz, including one-sided record contracts, working second jobs to support their music careers, and the importance of going DIY without relying on a record label to make your albums.

Hopefully, this means no more battered bandmate syndrome for you.

These days — to be DIY — you have to stay ahead of the game, working harder and researching more. You can’t think of yourself as simply an artist, because this is a business and you will have to be strategic with your career. Like I said, in my previous post: Today’s industry is not easy to make it in. You have to know where you want your career to go, and plan accordingly.

You can’t just wing it and expect to get famous. It doesn’t work like that. It is a numbers game, and the more traffic you have coming your way, the more of the spotlight will be on you.

I’m not saying that your career is solely based on your business tactics because your talent and quality of written music is a huge part of it. Just be careful not to let the business take over the reason you started playing music in the first place…

Work that shit!

Being smarter with our business so we can be strategic with our planning.

– Joshua Rumer, CEO of Invengo Records

One thing I see too often is artists oversaturating their hometown, which actually works against them in a lot of ways.

Your fans love you, but seeing you every weekend of the month gets old, even for the most diehard of fans. Instead, why not play a show using other marketing tactics leading up to the show: By releasing an unseen video or rare live track, you make the impression that you are something they need to see — which you are!

If your fans see that there is always something new happening, then they will tend to pay attention way more! It also makes you look very professional at the same time.

Meet Your Fans!

Last week, I sat down with DIY boutique pedal-maker Walt Cannoy of Cannoy Pedals. He has devoted a lot of his time and research into what really makes famous branded pedals tick — from components to price — and set out to provide an economical alternative without sacrificing quality.

Walt believes musicians everywhere should have affordable access to signature sounds and all from a DIY methodology.

What inspired you to begin making pedals?

Walter Cannoy: There are things out there that I want but I can’t afford. I can’t afford to pay full retail brand name prices for everything. But I’ve also learned that — with a little bit of common sense and following directions — I can get a lot of the things I want by just making it myself.

I have a little bit of experience in a lot of things, as some people say, “A jack of all trades, master of none.”

Commercial pedal prices seem overinflated.

Retailers like Guitar Center, are trying to compete by manufacturing their own line of “cost effective” pedals from DeltaLab. It is not widely known that GC purchased the name rights to several brands like DeltaLab and Acoustic, but have no real basis for attaching themselves to the original products except by name only.

They outsource to an overseas manufacturer to make these products and only stamp the brand name on them. GC seemingly makes the most profit off their house brands like DeltaLab. Their sales people are encouraged to sell these products because of the profit margin, and it helps their commission.

How do you feel about this corporate practice?

Walt: I am not really familiar with Guitar Center’s line of pedals, but from what you say, it sounds like standard practice for a large company. Of course, Guitar Center isn’t going to just go out and open a production facility for anything they want to stick their name on, such as Mitchell Guitars. They certainly would contract out to another company.

I think anyone buying a house brand and not realizing that this is going on may be a little naïve. If you think you’re going to go out and buy quality just because someone put a name on it, there may be a little bit of naivety going on there.

When you think about commercial pedal prices, there are a lot of things you have to consider. Their price may not be overinflated. Anytime you have a large company producing anything (not just pedals) you have to pay for their building, electricity, their janitors, their office staff, all their executives, marketing, distribution network — and that’s all before it gets to the store! With that in mind, their 50% markup is pretty standard keystone.

So, as far as “overinflated,” if you’re talking about relative to the alternative products, yeah the prices are pretty high — but they are about right on with what you can expect from a large company in order to keep their CEO’s vacation homes paid for. (laughs)

What separates Cannoy Pedals from corporate-branded pedals?

Walt: When you have a corporation, the bottom line is the bottom line. They’ll contract it out to another company who is going to deliver an adequate product at their lowest and fastest price.

What a lot of boutique pedal makers do — I can’t speak for all of them, but specifically with Cannoy Pedals — you’ve got a lot of research devoted to finding a good balance between quality materials and components as opposed to just price. Then, we take it that info and put it with people sitting at a workbench and putting together components by hand — and that process is checked over and over throughout the build process, as opposed to a larger company using robotic automation.

It’s not always the cheapest guy who wins, it’s the most cost-effective guy who keeps quality who wins.

We etch each board one at a time and each gets hand-checked. It’s really hands-on work. The price is what it is, but our pricing goes back into materials and the person who sits down there and drills holes in the PCB, etches the board, and plugs components into it. Everything is hand-assembled and we hand-select all components.

The money we make? It’s not going back to some CEO for his new car or retirement fund, or funding a Christmas party or whatever — so that cuts out a lot of costs for the final price. And, honestly, that’s how we are able to make a better product for the same or less money. We don’t have all that extra crap that large corporations have.

Pedals currently offered by Cannoy: Their 45ACP Overdrive and Shaky Old Dog Tremolo Pedal and in development: Analog Delay/Compressor.

For more information, visit Cannoy Guitars.

– Dana Presson II, Only The Dust Remains

The biggest problem I have with bands coming into my studio is them being unprepared.

First: Write everything before the studio

Aim to write more songs than you want to record. Sure this may take longer but this will also get you into the writing process and help you understand what works and what doesn’t allowing   you to be objective of your own material and make better decisions.

Second: Record everything when you practice

Most of you have cell phones with recording functions so throw one into record and listen back to your stuff. Nothing tells you quicker what is or isn’t working than listening to it back and thinking “okay this section is cool, this needs work and that other one sucks, forget it” this allows you to have some objectivity and more importantly gets you keeping the good stuff and loosing the bad.

Finally: Map it Out

Once you have the parts ironed out then its time to work on arrangement. How will one section lead to the next, how are the vocals going to fit in? What layers are you going to put on? (extra guitars, gang vocals, lead breaks, keyboards etc)  Finally, how fast is each section going to be in BPM? (beats per minute)

You can download metronome apps for your phones with tap tempo functions on them allowing you to tap in time on screen and see the BPM. Note these numbers down along with how many bars you are playing at this speed and how many beats in the bar aka time signature. This will later help you with the next step of pre production that all important click track! Finally, rehearse to that click and get used to playing with it as it will make the studio recordings later down the line a lot tighter and in time which is an essential part of any metal production where the threshold of accuracy some of the highest in any musical genre.

Next time: Becoming one with the click

Graham Waller,  Freelance Audio Engineer

But when the Grammy Awards come around every year, nowadays all notions of being “metal” are thrown out the door.

The Grammys and the metal community always have had a contentious relationship, beginning with the infamous Jethro Tull/Metallica incident in 1989 when the Grammys featured their first-ever hard rock/metal award.  Since then, most metalheads haven’t taken the awards too seriously.  Today’s blogosphere continues to cite out-of-touch nominations and superficial attention toward heavy music as examples of the Grammys’ irrelevance to metal.

Also in 1989, the Grammys featured their first-ever hip-hop/rap categories.  However, the hip-hop awards were relegated to the non-televised portion of the ceremony, which didn’t sit too well with rap artists.  Feeling disrespected with their apparent “back of the bus” status, most of the hip-hop nominees boycotted the ceremony for the next few years until they were given prime-time recognition by the Recording Academy.  In 1991, label head Russell Simmons (president of Def Jam Records — the same label that released Reign in Blood five years earlier) orchestrated a Grammy boycott, and hip-hop heavyweights like Public Enemy rallied in solidarity.

There are very few, if any, of our heroes in metal who would dare do something like that.

For much of the past decade, the Recording Academy similarly has demoted the hard rock and metal categories (which they’ve lumped back into a single category) to the non-televised portion of the Grammys.  Nevertheless, much of metal’s old guard swallow their pride and continue to show up, despite their second-class status at the awards.

Tom Araya of Slayer at last year's non-televised Grammys ceremony.
Slayer lost the 'Best Metal Performance' award to Iron Maiden — who did not attend.

Which brings me to the titular subject of this blogpost — Jay-Z.

In 1999, Jay boycotted the Grammys in his first year as a nominee because the Recording Academy yet again decided not to televise its hip-hop categories.  In 2002, he boycotted the Grammys again due to the awards featuring only one televised hip-hop category.  Arguably the biggest artist in rap at the time (and arguably the biggest artist in music today), Jay-Z’s refusal to attend was aimed at pressuring the Grammys to give hip-hop its proper shine.

Despite being nominated for three awards both years, Jay-Z was looking out for his entire art form. Simply put: he was pissed that the Grammys weren’t nominating quality artists for the hip-hop categories. Even if commercial appeal takes some precedence over talent at the Grammys (which Sinead O’Connor claimed during her own 1991 boycott), Jay pointed out that fellow rapper DMX released two #1 albums in 1998 — the first musician ever to have his first two albums debut at #1 in a year — but was snubbed for any Grammy nomination until four years after his mainstream debut.

“I didn’t think they gave the rightful respect to hip-hop.

It started when they didn’t nominate DMX [in 1999].  DMX had an incredible album, but didn’t get a nomination.  I was like, ‘Nah, that’s crazy.’ ”

So, why can’t metal musicians stick up for each other like that?

Wouldn’t it have been awesome to see big-name hard rock/metal musicians skip the Grammys in 2010 to protest Mastodon’s Crack the Skye nomination snub?  Sure, the metal press scoffs plenty at awful Grammy nominations and omissions – but what if the top brass of hard rock/metal came together and demanded that the Grammys properly acknowledge their art form, like hip-hop did over a decade ago?

Of course, metal doesn’t need the Grammys or mainstream attention to survive.  But if metal artists now are yearning for the “good ol’ days” when the masses flocked to their shows and bought up their music, they should think about how they allow themselves to be viewed (and not viewed) in the public eye.

Artists not sticking up for their art — ain’t that a bitch!

If you like Animals As Leaders and Allegaeon, you will definitely love what these guys are doing. Check out guitarist Mike Gianelli showing off his Buckethead-esque chops on an eight-string Ibanez below. Jeff Faria, drummer, gives a sneak peak at the new song This Defense Mechanism Has Failed 

Since we’re awesome, you can already download this song on the Metalluminati Mixtape here.

I am unable to continue unless a “signable” contract is drawn up; a contract that reflects some dignity and respect toward me as an original member of the band.

 

As much as I want to play and participate, I also have to stand for something and not sign on.  If I sign as-is, I stand to lose my rights, dignity and respectability as a rock musician… I am in the spirit of integrity, far from the corporate malady.

Apparently, this hasn’t phased the other three members of the band, who have now decided to continue on without Bill.

Crushed dreams of a reunion aside, this case also illustrates that anybody — even metal royalty — can get screwed by record contracts.  If the drummer for Black Sabbath can’t get a fair shake, do you really think your band can?

Contracts are a persnickety thing in the music biz, often using very meticulous language to screw over artists and entitle the label to a bigger share of assets (ownership of music, higher percentage of sales revenue, etc.).  Before you sign anything, you need to have it looked over by a trained professional — i.e. a lawyer or, at least, the members of Dethklok.  And unless you have a law school graduate in your band, this could end up costing hundreds of dollars an hour in legal consultation fees.

Luckily, indie label Sargent House is now offering informal contract advice for free!  It isn’t official legal advice, but the guys at Sargent House will use their extensive experience in dealing with contracts to translate legalese into plainspeak.  If you have an actual contract in your hands right now, hit up Sargent House via the (awesomely titled) link below, and they’ll do their best to help you understand it.

Kudos to CD Baby’s DIY Musician Blog!

Laying a Foundation

We have witnessed a revolutionary change in modern recording in the last decade: the ability for anyone to have access to affordable means to record a song from the convenience of their own home. Despite that, one big challenge that remains is achieving a commercial, studio-quality sound in such an small, DIY environment. A professional recording studio can offer things like an insulated environment, gear, engineer — access to equipment and expertise that’s out of reach for the home studio enthusiast. I do recommend utilizing a recording studio if you’re just starting out. You can gain a vast amount of knowledge and hands on experience from Engineers and Producers and can develop a sense of the do’s and don’ts.

Drums are the essential backbone to a recording. Bands spend big money on studio time for full range of studio room environment, microphones, etc. Many factors are involved in tracking drums from microphone placement techniques to mixing. For a tracking drummer, they know all too well how time consuming this can be to achieve perfection. Therefore, If you are looking to add drums to your song or can’t afford a budget in a studio environment, there are tools available.

First, you’ll need a computer and digital audio workstation (DAW). For the sake of this article, I will refer to using an Apple computer with at least 1GB of RAM and Garageband, a free preloaded DAW included in MAC OS X. A company to emerge at the forefront of drum software samplers is Toontrack. They offer a program called, EZ Drummer ($179.99 MSRP), a scaled down version of their flagship, Superior Drummer 2.0. It is essential a DAW within a DAW with access to its own plug-ins like compressors, etc. You can typically find a copy of EZD for about $79.99 on sale; however, there are no trial or academic versions available at this time. Expansion packs are available to provide specific drum kits for various types of music such as Drum Kit From Hell designed specifically for Hard Rock and Metal. This revolutionary software offers a wide variety of multi-sampled (16-bit, 44.1kHz) drums recorded at the Avatar Studios in New York, using vintage and modern equipment. Keep in mind these “samples” are from LIVE professional, studio drummers in a REAL studio environment and are NOT synthesized.  It works with Garageband 3 or above. (However, Garageband’s own restrictions limits its ability to take advantage of multi-channel routing and MIDI channel filtering.)

EZD gives you access to kit constructions tools: e.g. microphone bleeds, internal individual drum mixing capabilities, plug-ins, and ability to create and tailor your own drum kit, among many other things. Furthermore, EZD gives you access to fully editable MIDI files of beats that you can drag and drop to construct patterns. This is great for guitarist seeking to work out riff phrasing for song construction. How can EZD help a drummer? He/She has the option to hook drum triggers to a MIDI controlling device to the computer and use EZD as a “brain” and multi-track recorder providing amazing clarity and perfect room environment every-time. The Swedish Metal group, Meshuggah, used Toontrack to record the drums for their ObZen masterpiece, “Bleed.” It would not surprise this writer if they used Toontrack for the entire drum tracking. ;) Chris Adler from Lamb of God also uses Toontrack, “I’ve struggled for years programming drums in my studio for writing purposes. There is nothing worse than waiting to program a simple beat to begin auditioning ideas. These products not only make it easy, the quality is unreal.” (Source: Toontrack)

Conclusively, you can achieve professional studio quality drums for your recording for around $80. EZD can provide you with the tools and resources for achieving your goals in releasing a professional sounding product.

— Dana Presson II, Only The Dust Remains

The answer…well, if you say yes; lucky you. But for us mere-mortals, there are options. Firstly, Gibson, Fender, PRS and every other high-end manufacturer offer much more down-to-earth options. Epiphone, Squire and PRS’s SE range are quickly catching up with their more expensive, American made siblings. The quality of components, hardware and woods is not all that different from one range to other; not until you hit the $1500+ price tag. So you can get a descent, off-the-shelf guitar for under $800, easily.

“But” I hear you cry “the pickups are rubbish!” True as that may be, pickup construction has taken similar leaps-and-bounds. You can now buy pickups to suit ever genre, style, preference under the sun; all without breaking the bank. Wilkinson and Dimarzio pickups have become the standard go-to for replacement pickups, and rightly so. Two Dimarzio ‘Domination’ humbuckers will set you back £160 ($250ish); that’s hardly bank-busting! Put these inside a good Epiphone Les Paul or Ibanez RG…boom, instant Mark Morton! Tune to Drop D, get a heavy set of strings and grow a beard…If that’s not your thing, head over to Bare Knuckle  pickups in the UK, and they can hand build you anything your budget can allow.

So, in these times of skimping and saving, but still wanting that ideal setup, do we have to spend $2000+ just on the guitar? This writer says no. If you’re intelligent and do your research, you can pick up a very good guitar for under a grand. Then add in some high-end pickups for less than a good night’s drinking, and there you have it! And what’s more, it’s custom!

Next time: Amps! Can you get an amp to cater to all venues?

— Rich Norton, Bury the Hatchet

Jeff, The Metalluminati

The piracy debate is definitely a polarizing argument in the music industry, even among the writers and staff of the Metalluminati. So, I figured it was time to lay out my opinion. Just remember: Wherever you stand on the debate, the overall goal to both sides of the argument is ultimately to defend and help artists, not tear each other down.

First off, let me say that I am personally against piracy — but to that end, there is a huge ‘however…’ As you all know, I started the Metalluminati to help artists, and I do understand both sides of the argument.

I have a 2 TB drive full of music I have personally paid for over the years. I bring artists food on tour, let them stay at my place if need be, help them every so often for free, and still even ‘drop money in the jar.’  At one of the recent CD releases I went to, I gave $20 for a $10 CD which had already been given to me by the band (for free) before it was released…just because. I am only saying this to explicitly lay out that I support artists in every way I possibly can.

Those Against Free Media

The biggest argument from those against piracy is that “it’s stealing,” and with this I agree. I have heard the “Randy Blythe argument” that it is :stealing burgers with the magic key,” I have heard it is ‘stealing from your momma’s purse,’ and I have heard it is ‘the lazy consumers that just want something free.’ There are also all the costs of tour buses, gas, set up, repaying recording costs, etc. They also say that an artist cannot survive or make a living in this environment. These are all valid points. Especially if you are in the mid range to larger bands with bigger tour budgets, bigger studio costs, etc. These guys are tied to large or major labels. And all of the money thrown out for these large tours – including traveling and recording costs – have to be recouped in some way.

Those For Free Media

The majority of these folks are fans, upcoming bands, and other people that see the changing market of music. The new industry is all about the free model. The problem with the music and movie industries is that they have been doing it the same way for so long, that they don’t know how to advance. There is no innovation, and very little change in their business models.

In the Tech Sector, free is actually the old model! There is a great article in Wired Magazine entitled Free! Why $0.00 Is the Future of Business and this was written in 2008! The reality is that a lot of media companies, and even software companies, have modified and changed their business models to adapt for this. They use freeware, free versions, and other methods in order to get their product out there. They have even created shorter versions for people to check out first, and then have a “full” version as it becomes more popular. Out here, in Silicon Valley, the understanding of technology and market change is of prime concern, and “adapt or die” is seriously real.

What Does It Mean?

In my opinion, we have to understand the movement of progress and change. I know this is different, but if you made buggy whips during the day of horse and carriages, and then the automobile came around, you would have to adapt your business model to doing upholstery or something with materials that you already sourced or risk going out of business. Look at Kodak for example; they are in the process of bankruptcy because of the digital age. Sure film is better, but it is going out of style. And sure records were way better in sound quality than CD’s, but that changed as well. I recognize these examples are a format change and they are not exactly the same as the piracy issue. However, it does show that while we don’t like change, the only constant is change.

Also, I feel that if an artist wants to charge for their artwork or music, LET THEM! If you want it for free, don’t support them. This is simple supply-and-demand economics! What artists don’t see, is that all of those free downloads give them exposure. Exposure in areas they might never even get the opportunity to be heard. Even the major artists talk about how they are not getting all they can. But it is the free downloads that will translate to more fans: more fans that will go to shows and buy merchandise. Merch that the bands might not have sold and they may even turn into future purchasers.

Another thing that most artists don’t realize is that in the age of Google Ads and Google Search, if you are not giving it away for free in some way, all the “pirate” sites go to the top of the search results from all the downloads! When I recently worked with a band, I told them that they should market both ways — sell the album and give it away for free. They didn’t want to do the free part, but I respected that and helped them anyway. Not even two weeks later, when you typed in their band and album name into Google, the first four search results were pirate sites with thousands of downloads.

Google placement is huge in tech, and companies pay huge sums of money to get their brands listed high on search results. Now, if they had done both (free and sales) and advertised it, it would be way more likely that their sites would be at the top of the searches. Not only that, but they could have gotten real market research from those downloads.

Consider this, you have 20,000 free downloads with a site like Bandcamp, where the user has to input an email address and location. Bandcamp will give your band a great spreadsheet with all of your interested user’s information. So now you can see where your fans are, and keep them informed with monthly emails from a site like MailChimp. When planning your next tour, you can see which cities you should stop in by choosing the ones with the largest sample size. This can save you gas, lodging, and other expenses on the road. You can also provide promoters and clubs with your band’s draw in their city.

I know others will disagree with some or a lot of this and that is okay. We are all passionate about changing the music industry. Later, I will be discussing a lot more ways artists can utilize the new industry that is already on the horizon, whether we like it or not. Right or wrong, we must adapt to find new ways to monetize with innovative ideas — adapt or die.

Check out Only the Dust Remains

Jeff Schenck | The Metalluminati

I know that we talk about the power of giving your music away for free, and it is truly a good way to utilize the marketing model to get your music out into the world. You are truly trying to reach a largest possible audience with your music. Yet, the thing that most artists don’t realize is the ever increasing media cycle. The media cycle has hit every other form of media except movies and music — but I have seen it creep into both recently, and I want our members to be thinking of it a year ahead of time and getting a jump on it!! Cause that is what we do here — help our members not only succeed, but have the latest shit to consider before it happens…

First let me preface again, briefly, how I would suggest utilizing your music. The best case studies for music, in a variety of genres, is to give a portion of your music away for free (as we have said many times). Consider giving half of it or more away for free on the web, so that you can gather all the marketing information. Think of it as a marketing expense to not only reach new fans (even global fans you might not be able to, not be able to tour there, or reach otherwise), but also to gather great statistics for. If you have all the locations and downloads of your songs and merch, you can then know in each country, town, etc; where your fans are! This is valuable information! You might now skip that town where you had 10 downloads, and go to that city you wouldn’t have gone too that has 1000 downloads… with tight finances, this can truly help you configure a good tour, mini tour, or see where your fans truly are!

So giving away the section of music away for free, and then have a deluxe version that is signed or has something special  (like a special release on it, merch, etc) would be the optimum way to utilize both sales, marketing, and reaching more fans.

Okay, now with that said, it is time to discuss quickening the cycle of music. As with all media, not just music, the cycle has been increasing in speed. This is both a good thing and a challenging thing at the same time.  As you know, our attention spans are growing shorter, we want the next new one faster (video game, movie, album, etc.) The old way of releasing an album every year to 2 years is a stale proposition. Other genres, that are more mainstream, are releasing singles closer and closer together to get more money out of them, but for metal, it isn’t about the single. Yet, the same appetite for music from metal bands still exists… The best way to be ahead of this (besides constantly writing, which you should be doing anyway) is to not release 12 song albums! Yes, I said it, release 6 or 7 song albums more frequently!

The problem with being under a label is that you are at the mercy of the standard format… Write music… take the 20 songs or more you wrote… whittle them down to 12… record album… tour for a year or so… repeat. Now considering the freedom of DIY or Indie Label, you can actually record all of those 20+ songs… and release 6 – 7 songs every 6 months. This gives your fans new music to get excited about, and it allows you to add some cool avante garde experimental shit as well!

If you are constantly engaging your fans and new fans with new shit, they are always talking about you, always hungry for the next album, and you are moving quicker than all the other bands. You are getting them new shit every 6 mos while the rest of the industry is releasing every 18 months to 2 years. You are also giving a wider array of what you are as an artist! You might reach those select fans that love those obscure songs, like us artists do, and again…with a wider array of music, you reach more fans!

Here is a great example, but in a different media format, yet that is completely applicable to what I am talking about. Let’s consider television. Let’s think of network television (this is NBC, ABC, CBS – hoping that translates internationally, but you will see through the example) as the standard music industry labels, then let’s take the other basic cable networks as the DIY or Indie labels or individual bands. The networks had a basic and set business plan: 2 seasons – the Fall (Sept – November) and the Spring (February – May) that composed primarily of 16 episodes give or take. During the Winter and Summer seasons, they would replay these episodes in sequence again. When the lesser cable networks came into the world, they didn’t have the marketing or advertising to compete with the Networks, so the cable stations did something wise, they put their shows on the opposite seasons.

They put their new shows out during the winter and summer, knowing people didn’t want to see the same stuff again. This got viewers hooked to their shows! Then, wisely, as the shows grew in popularity, they put those that had good ratings directly against the network season AND pumped new shows into the opposite season. Think about how smart that is, they had new episodes going ALL YEAR ROUND. The networks scrambled and started putting on shows in the off seasons to compete with their viewership going down, and studios starting to take shows that would have in the past only go to a network to cable. They knowingly understood how viewers constantly want ‘NEW’, and gave it to them. Not only that, but they did it together as a group — sound familiar?

Constantly, I’m finding people all over the internet going on about how their favorite music is king and all others are all garbage. Reading ill-composed YouTube comments such as, “SLAYER PWNS ALL U FAGGITSS!!!! THRASH ALL THE WAY!!!11!!1!11″, sucks just about as much as hearing “Metallica sux, theres not enough breakdownz!!!!”. Why do we live in so much musical separatism in a time where so many different kinds of music should be coexisting in the same universe? I know plenty of thrashers and I know plenty of brocore kids, and the thing I’ve come to notice about all of them is that they’re quick to judge each others’ tastes, but they both like the same thing: HEAVY MUSIC.

Would you compare Cannibal Corpse to Korn? Yes their styles are different, but they’re both heavy, aggressive bands. Anthrax and Suicide Silence? Different styles, both heavy. Killswitch Engage and Motorhead? Very different, but both are heavy. It’s all heavy music, and despite what YouTube trolls say, it’s all Heavy Metal. No matter what subgenre you call it, it’s all metal. There’s a billion different ways to make the music heavy, so why must there be judgment? Open your ears and hear the heavy, everybody.

– Riles Olacs, Casket of Cassandra

Just like each of you plays a different instrument in the band, you should definitely define the roles you will each play in your business. Some members of the band definitely have stronger skills in this area, so utilize this. As an artist, you focus on your music, your performance, and your recordings, but as we all know, there are many more aspects of it than this. With the way the music industry is failing artists with supporting their growth, there is an increased pressure for artists to do more of their own managing, marketing, bookings, recordings … practically everything before they even give you any thought.

In looking at your band, consider who already is the social media whore, who books the shows and does a management roll, who does the interviews and mingles with fans, etc. Bands do so much better when these rolls are defined and shared. It also allows each person to just take the lead in each of these aspects.

If you want to succeed, I would split the business rolls into some simple parts:

• Managing – Handles setting up recording times, rents for practice studios, getting merch, setting up your music for distro, getting art and logos set up, etc.
• Booking – One person deals with setting up the shows, handling the venues, setting everything for the performances, promoting the shows, setting up gas stops, hotels or rest stops, etc.
• Social Media/Press – This person handles all your online stuff and deals with setting up press interviews, and makes themselves the person updating status’ on everything while on tour, in the studio, and documenting the bands move everywhere.
• Fan Person – All of the band should take time to meet and great fans, and do as much as possible. But we all know, with everything that is going on, it is tough for all to do this. The Fan Person should be out with fans talking to them no matter what and every time.

Now, if no one wants to do this, you can bring in people to do this, but no one will have as deep an interest in your success as YOU! No one said life in a band would be easy, so take control!

Jeff Schenck
Founder | The Metalluminati

We all ask ourselves “why did this happen?” But what we really need to be asking ourselves is “How can we change this?”

For some reason, bands these days have it in their head that they need to be #1, and that they need to “make it.” And that mentality has led to the idea of competition — many times, cut-throat competition. Instead of helping one another, we fight with each other to get to what we think is “the top.”

But we don’t see how this affects others: Fans are getting more closed off and hostile to other bands and subgenres, getting into fights at shows, and only coming to see the band they want to see before heading for the exits. If I’m paying $10-15 to get into a show, why wouldn’t I stick around to see the other bands?

Point being, we musicians have started a war.

Why does music need to be a war? We are all here for the same purpose. Whether you are an acoustic, metal, hardcore, pop-punk, or even hip-hop musician — we are all here for the purpose of performing music! Instead of having just narrowly-defined metal shows or just pop-punk shows, let’s have them become one!

Now, you might say “there won’t be a good draw.” Well, if you let your fans believe it is okay to dig artists across vastly different styles, they won’t think it’s such a big deal either. Your fans will have to go to your shows sooner or later — even if you have a polar-opposite of an opener!

Stop this war. Encourage your fans to go to other shows, and not just yours. Stop letting egos get in the way of what you and the person next to you love doing. The faster we can unite as one and become stronger musicians, the faster the music scene will recover on all fronts. Just let all the negativity go.

— Amanda Maddera, Casket of Cassandra

Fear not! There are options to having these tools at your disposal.

Most companies offer Academic Software versions to dealers, meaning if you are a student, you can email or fax a copy of your student ID to a participating dealer and get the software at a significant discount. A source at Native Instruments told me, “Don’t spend your money on the full version if you’re a student, always buy the Academic versions, you’ll save a lot of money and it’s the exact same thing except there is an Academic sticker on the box.”  Visit Florida Music Co for a full selection of Academic Software.

An additional option is the use of trial software plug-ins. These are usually 14-30 day, full working versions. Keep in mind, if you find yourself relying on the trial plug-in, invest and purchase the plug-in when you’re able to. Many companies also offer free plug-ins that could be very useful in your mix.

Stillwell’s 1973 is based on the classic Neve 1073 EQ and is offered in a fully functional trial version. The Neve 1073 EQ is clearly an essential recording tool and has been used on most professional commercial recordings. Stillwell offers a full commercial-use license for only $39.00. Compared to spending hundreds on a branded version, they offer a very economical solution to having that Neve sound on your recording. I have used various digital versions of the 1073 and find the Stillwell as close to the original as the Universal Audio officially licensed Neve 1073 plug-in, which I also own. For further information, visit Stillwell Audio.

— Dana Presson II, Only The Dust Remains

I am not saying they had it easy — because they earned every bit of fame and fortune — but when the music scene is growing overnight, it makes the odds of exposure that much better.

Today, it is a chaotic competitive market where standing way out from the ‘norm’ and being resourceful is the name of the game. What we do have is our own kind of movement we call it DIY (do it yourself), major labels do not want to dump tons of money into an artist that isn’t a definite money maker. There are thousands of bands and artists in every city around the world that we have to compete with, making the music scene flooded and over populated. So, how do they choose?

Well, that is where doing it yourself and being resourceful comes into play. This requires a lot of hard work, doing your research and putting your determination and knowledge in to play. In my experience’s in traveling ,touring and recording as a professional drummer for many years with many different styles of bands I have learned one thing: knowledge is power, and strong business relationships is the vehicle to success.

Building relationships with the people you meet while you’re doing your thing as an artist, is setting your =self up for your future. It doesn’t matter if it’s the local record store clerk, or a touring band you opened for at a local venue,, or promoter make a positive impression on them and they will remember you. Because one day when you need your album in a local record store , or you want to go to that touring bands home town to play a show, or put a show on yourself, you now have a contact to do so, thus giving you leverage and some validity.

Thinking outside the box and embracing the business and seeing opportunity, is what is needed to stay working in the industry. If you show the major labels you don’t need them, than you will attract them. It’s all about helping each other and growing as one. At the end of the day, we don’t need major labels.

As an artist, you always have to be thinking about your next step, how to get more exposure, how to create a buzz, etc. Well here is a tip that I have learned that can apply to the business of an artist. It’s called A.P.E = Anticipate, Prepare, and Execute.

1. Anticipate your next move, or that new change in the industry, doing this will allow you to stay ahead of the game.
2. Prepare so that you gain the most out of it as possible. Do your research on that next show or the producer you want to hire, and make sure you have all the facts.
3. And finally, execute on your plan.

By following these steps, you will be the most effective and efficient you can, by doing all the work yourself. There are so many websites for information for indie artists, and site’s to generate capital for recording an album or going on tour. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask questions to those you share the stage with, make friends with, or go online send emails out and get the info you need to get moving forward, failure is not an option.

Here are a couple sites I use and have used to get info, or raise money or get press from time to time. And as always don’t be afraid to email me, I am here to help, educate, and do all things DIY.

• Social Media Marketing – Great DIY Blog Site.
• Kick Starter – Crowd Sourcing, raise money yourself.
• Loud Stuff – Great for out of country press.

– Derek Upton - A&R of Invengo Records (e-mail)