One of the most essential, and commonly overlooked, part of an artist's career is finding the right bandmates. We spoke to Rich Dale, creator of muso2muso.com, about how his neighbor became his drummer, and other musings on the search for the perfect compatriots.Dear musicians,
Finding your perfect band mate? Is there such a thing?
I believe this is a combination of luck and bloody hard work! You can meet someone in the pub who is a musician, who loves the music your into, is looking for a band, dedicated to practice, has good gear and transport, and well you get the picture.
Or, you can spend months searching through classifieds in the local paper and still not find the right person.
So, my big tip is to keep an open mind and listen hard! The drummer in my band lived upstairs for over a year, and we often exchanged metal riffs while cranking our stereo’s, and talked about bands we have seen. I knew he played the drums, but he always said he was crap and he was just learning. To cut a long drunken story short, he came to the studio for a jam, and it was dynamite. He locked in hard and loved the music. Perfect band mate!
There is also a lot to say for tenacity and perseverance. Use social media sites like Facebook, MySpace and of course the site I designed, muso2muso. Check out people’s profiles, listen to their music, get an understanding of who they are and what their story is. This will give you a good insight if they might be the right fit for you. From there it’s up to you to make contact, and see if they gel with the rest of the band.
It is also a good idea to socialise by going to gigs, events, clubs, etc. Go to events in the music genre you are interested in and get out and talk to people. I have met loads of muso’s at the pub, and even jammed with a few. I have even talked to the bands who were playing that night and got on stage and jammed with them. So anything is possible.
I think the biggest thing is to get the right chemistry in band mates, and for everyone to be on the same page. If everyone’s expectations line up, then your half way there. It’s important to ask those questions early on. For example, if the band needs to rehearse three nights a week and play gigs on the weekend, and you can only rehearse one night a week and you work weekends, this probably won’t work.
Having similar background and tastes in music, style and technique also helps. A metal drummer is unlikely to want to play in a blues band!
So be positive, listen for opportunities, search online and go out and socialise. Put the word out for what you’re looking for, and it might even come to you.
Good luck,
Rich Dale
Director
muso2muso.com
