Want That Big Record Deal?

We all dream about it. Nailing that gig and afterwards this guy comes up to you and says: “Hi, I represent Universal, I think you guys really have something special. Here’s a bag of money!” And off you go to a big-ass studio in LA, record a platinum album and be on your way to rockstardom. Sure, it’s not a very realistic scenario, but somewhere in the back of our minds, we all secretly hope for it.

I read this really cool article about how the industry works. Despite what we know about countless bands getting screwed over, we still think we need those big companies to make it big. In fact, that’s the reason these companies exist: you take care of the creative side, they take care of the business side, because you don’t know or want to know about these things. Even though all the necessary information is just a google search away.

But still, we want to rely on people who really know the business, so we can focus on what’s most important: the music. Right? And the companies want you to be successful, because it means more money for them. Unfortunately, this is only partly true. Yes, they want you to be successful, but not too successful. Bands like Metallica have a huge fanbase, so they’re in a position to make demands, like bigger royalties. And record companies don’t like that.

Here’s how they work. For example in the Netherlands, the Big Three (Sony, Universal, Warner) will each sign three bands per year, give each one a budget and then continue with the most successful band, dropping the other two immediately, leaving them with a big debt. If you’re in the successful band, expect to be dropped within three years (because they don’t want you to create that big fanbase).

If you want to stay on longer, there’s the 360-deal, where you get a lot of freedom and room to develop your music. But this freedom comes at a price: 360 means all the way. So what you earn from touring and merchandise (the band’s biggest source of income), goes right into their pockets.

This is not a rant against major labels or labels in general, it’s just how they work. It’s just economics for them and it happens to be music. I know this because many of my friends are musicians or work in the business.

What I’m trying to say is: do we really still need labels? A lot of stuff they do for you, you can do yourself. You can make a really decent recording at home, hire a producer to polish and master it and just upload it to iTunes or Spotify. As for promo, artist bio and marketing, same thing. Do it yourself or hire someone to write it for you (still much cheaper than any label). Want gigs? Contact programmers and venues or hire a manager.

It’s a lot of extra work and it might distract from the fun of making music, but if you work together as a band, it’s not that hard at all. We have the interwebz, so all the info is at our fingertips. We all know it’s very hard to make it in music and only very few people do, but we all secretly hope for it. And labels may seem like a shortcut or a great way to focus only on the music. But if you really want to make it, all the extra work is a small price to pay. So, still want that big record deal?

Shredding Sucks

I just saw the awesome shreddy cat fight video, and it got me thinking. Do cats in general dislike shredding, or is this cat just an aggressive little monster that will bite you no matter what you play? It also got me thinking that shredding is actually getting really old.

I realize this isn’t the most popular statement ever on a guitar forum, and that now might be a good time to pack my things and hide in an undisclosed, safe location. But, at the risk of being hunted down by an angry mob, armed with pitchforks, torches and v-shaped guitars, I’ll say it again: shredding sucks.

Sure, it’s pretty awesome to be able shred those scales at warp speed, cramming fifteen notes into a millisecond. But there’s a point I’d like to make. There is the tendency to overdo it. It’s totally understandable that you’re very proud that you can pull it off after years of practice. And, in your enthusiasm, you want to incorporate it as much as you can in your playing. If the singer could just shut the hell up for a second, so you can do your thing and melt some faces off in the audience with your lightning speed virtuosity.

And that’s just it. The fun of playing music is that you do it together. All the instruments are equally important in creating a cool song, the solo is just part of it. There’s this emphasis on the guitar as a solo instrument and that you need at least two insane solos in any rock song. Imagine the drummer doing that, or the bass player. Hell, imagine Will Ferrel laying down that cowbell in poly-rhythmic blast beats any chance he gets. Might be fun for one song, provided it’s just the one song and it doesn’t last more than a minute.

Poly-rhythmic cowbell blast beats, like shredding, are an added feature to a song. They make a cool song even cooler. Overuse it, and it loses its power. It’s just like any hilarious joke or catch phrase: it doesn’t get funnier if you use it in every other sentence. In fact, healthy gut laughs will soon turn into polite ‘hahas’ and then awkward attempts at smiling. You won’t get invited to as many afterparties as you’d like and people will think that there’s something seriously wrong with you.

So, to use that analogy of the joke, shredding has been a running gag for almost thirty years. Isn't it time we came up with something new? Unless you have a obsessive compulsive disorder and the alternative to shredding is lying on stage in fetal position of course. It would make for a sad, sad show and you can just keep on shredding away! But for the rest of us, I think we can come up with awesome new guitar tricks we can exploit for the next thirty years. What do you guys think? Flame war in 3... 2... 1...

Hi! New Here

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum, so I figured it'd be a good idea to introduce myself!

I live in the Netherlands and I've been playing guitar for about 12 years. Mostly rhythm stuff, blues, jazz, soul, funk and a truckload of Hendrix. I'm not really into the flashy stuff, I think a catchy riff is infinitely more cooler than an insane shredding solo (though Hendrix stuff is flashy in its own right) .

Looking forward to practicing and discussing music with you all!