Members AJP Posted June 22, 2014 Members Share Posted June 22, 2014 After a long while off, gonna start booking pretty much as many solos as possible. My question is this... have any of you guys/gals "renamed" yourself as a solo act? I don't mean a first/last name change, but a "play on words" kind of thing? I ask because my first & last name is... well.... dorky. Gonna do the VistaPrint business card thing again so now would be the time. Also when the venue puts it up on their marquee, it looks... well.... dorky. Something like "Drew's Tunes", "Andy on Keys", but nowhere near as bad ;-). Man, I suck at coming up with this {censored}! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted June 22, 2014 Members Share Posted June 22, 2014 I know of someone that has come up with a moniker - I guess it works okay for him but in all honesty, I don't even know his name. Not sure how great that is. I know of other guys that insert dexcriptions into their names - that seems to work well for them. Stuff like Frank "the folk guy" Foster (not a real example). How "bad" is your name? Maybe you can use your first name and then your last name's initial. That system worked well for Kenny G Or perhaps your first two initials and your last name. like AJ Pearson. Then everyone can call you AJ. There are also names that you think wouldn't work, like Kardashan but that hasn't hurt Kim's Twitter numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted June 23, 2014 Members Share Posted June 23, 2014 A dorky name isn't necessarily bad. If it is catchy enough to make people remember it, it might work. Weird Al Yankovic is pretty dorky. Andy Prayner isn't really that dorky, but it isn't as easy to remember either. How about Handy Andy? OK it sounds like a cartoon name - forget it. Sorry, I guess I'm not being much help. Changing a name is a very difficult thing to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted June 23, 2014 Members Share Posted June 23, 2014 How about "Studz Buckley." I don't believe that's taken. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bob Dey Posted June 23, 2014 Members Share Posted June 23, 2014 I think it's a good idea, unless your former name is well known in the area. A name that's easy to pronounce and remember makes sense to me. Even better would be a name that creates an image. There's a DJ that goes by "the hurricane" and he lives up to that name be being very active and entertaining. And people call him by that name too, so it's been working great for him. OTOH, there was a solo that went be "the fall guy" and, well, he just wasn't that good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted June 23, 2014 Moderators Share Posted June 23, 2014 "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AJP Posted June 24, 2014 Author Members Share Posted June 24, 2014 Thanks, all, for the insights. I think the AJ - something thing makes the most sense. No real risk in colliding with an already well-known brand ;-). Whiskey Cliff used to call me "Dandy Andy" when I'd solo in his Cleveland Express Blues Band, at dive bars, at 15 years old. Jeeeeez, my daughter's age. And Studz Buckley... DEFINITELY a close second. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted June 24, 2014 Members Share Posted June 24, 2014 AJ Kees Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SusieP Posted June 26, 2014 Members Share Posted June 26, 2014 I think choosing a name for your solo act, duo or band is the hardest thing.A nightmare in fact. A.J.Andy JAndy Jay I think all are simple to remember and effective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted June 27, 2014 Members Share Posted June 27, 2014 Names are over rated. They are only as good as the band is. There have been some pretty horrible band names over the years that no one thinks of as bad because the band is good. Grand Funk Railroad, anyone? The Turtles? Would ANYBODY here choose those names? But today we don't think twice about them as being either good or bad names. They just are. Just come up with something easy to remember and be good, and you should be good to go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve mac Posted June 27, 2014 Members Share Posted June 27, 2014 Also try to get something original so that you will be easier to find on the net Cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MDLMUSIC Posted June 28, 2014 Members Share Posted June 28, 2014 I use my first name and middle initial. That way when I get the check, I can write in my last name and cash the darn thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bob Dey Posted June 28, 2014 Members Share Posted June 28, 2014 Grand Funk Railroad was clever because the Grand Trunk Railroad was well known in eastern Michigan at that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted June 28, 2014 Moderators Share Posted June 28, 2014 well, clever in eastern Michigan, anyway...best thing they did was dropping 'Railway'...no, second best...first was finally disbanding... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AJP Posted June 29, 2014 Author Members Share Posted June 29, 2014 Thanks, guys/gals. Going with simplicity... A.J. it is. And added 3 AM and Her Diamonds (Matchbox 20/Rob Thomas) today. Man, the wife DIGS that stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mmmmqac Posted July 5, 2014 Members Share Posted July 5, 2014 Call yourself FREE BEER and watch the crowds roll in... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted July 5, 2014 Moderators Share Posted July 5, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sirfun Posted July 5, 2014 Members Share Posted July 5, 2014 Call yourself FREE BEER and watch the crowds roll in... call yourself LIVE BAIT and it will seem that you are all over all the time and you will get lots of free Publicity !! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted July 6, 2014 Moderators Share Posted July 6, 2014 Back in the '70s there was a local band called 'Special Guest'...talk about getting free publicity... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jimbo_Keys Posted July 8, 2014 Members Share Posted July 8, 2014 Many years ago i had a bandmate ask in all seriousness who this "TBA" band was that was listed as playing in so many places ---- sometimes two or three venues the same night! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted July 8, 2014 Moderators Share Posted July 8, 2014 they have their own TV show on cable now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted July 10, 2014 Members Share Posted July 10, 2014 Many years ago i had a bandmate ask in all seriousness who this "TBA" band was that was listed as playing in so many places ---- sometimes two or three venues the same night! I don't know why, but that reminds me of a long ago conversation a bandmate had with a very attractive lady. We were in Switzerland at the time, and he asked about the car she drove. She answered it was a (phonetically) BAY EM VAY. It took him quite a while to realize the car was a BMW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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