Your opinion on a move to Southern California for a band

[catalinagooseV2]

If you really want to make it big in the LA area, your band will have to dress up like four overweight mexican farm laborers in matching cowboy costumes and sing in spanish to 3/4 time polka music. I hope you guys can master the tuba and the accordian.

[deanzat]

This old fart says err on the side of adventure, while you still heal quickly.

DZ

PS: People tend to regret the things they didn't do more than the things they did.

[MoreGuitars]

Originally posted by pedalpat bring lots of money - it ain't cheap living in southern california.

 

 

You got that right. Unless you want to live in a crack house, plan on spending 2k and up for a 2 bed room place.

[jerry_picker]

Originally posted by MoreGuitars You got that right. Unless you want to live in a crack house, plan on spending 2k and up for a 2 bed room place.

Yeah, and if you live in a crack house, plan on spending 2K and up for crack.

[Terrorizer]

Dont take this the wrong way but, this is the biggest waste of time asking that question on any forum.
The only only person who has that answer is the people involved.
Nobody can decide for anyone else under any circumstance.
Weigh your options and make the best decision for you and not the band cuz' if the {censored} falls out, nobody is gonna take care of you....
;)
;)

[jerry_picker]

Do you plan on having day jobs?

[Shocker]

Please don't move to LA. There are enough people there. And no offense, but if you're coming from the midwest, the city will likely eat you alive.

//S

[Plexistaxx]

Go for it, man. Mexican chicks might be your groupies. Just watch out for the asian teenagers driving 90 mph on the freeway. And don't disrespect no cholos, vato. Those dudes are mean, ese.

[driver]

it's pretty tough out here, but whatever. things are moving along.

if you get the feeling to move out of a a small town, i guess LA is just as good a place as any to go to. don't forget, you can always move back. it's not like your hometown not going to be there.

if there's something for you out here, that's fine. just don't move here and expect to 'make it!' just because you're in hollywood.

[JetCityMatt]

If you create a big enough fan base it doesn't matter where you are located.
You can live next door to the record company in LA, but what matters is the size of your fan base and what potential they think your music has.

The cost of pro-sounding studio gear has absolutely plumetted in the last several years. if I were you guys I would take the thousands and thousands of dollars it would cost just to live in LA for a few months and buy some good studio gear.
Even pro CD pressers are cheap now!

2 months ago I went on a road trip from Seattle and went through San Francisco, down the coast through Monterey, San Louis Obispo into L.A. and on through to Phoneix Arizona.

The guy at the front desk of the hotel in San Louis Obispo is working with the famous producer who put the Blue Oyster cult together and we talked guitars for a while.

He said he has talked to friends of his in southern Cali who have dreams of making it in L.A.- he says you can make way more money playing in San Louis Obispo than in LA and SLO is a very small town. So he knows the scene, and it sounds like LA is not as great as you think.

As for living in L.A., here's what I think.
I've lived in Seattle all my life and I love the big dense city and was really psyched about getting to see SFO and LA and everything, but it is so damn dense it is just insane.
Traffic, people- everything. I can handle the insane LA freeway driving (I don't know what my dad would have done if I hadn't gone along to be there to drive), but as a city LA is not that great (to someone not from there), has terrible traffic and costs tons and tons of money just to survive.

LA is not as much of a run down old dump of a city like San Francisco is, but it is very dense and expensive.

I always wanted to see California, but now that I've been there and done that I will never live anywhere but the Seattle area!

And as has been mentioned- on a southbound roadtrip, once you hit LA for the rest of the trip you'd think you were in Mexico if you didn't have a map.

In fact, in Palm Springs on the main street in the middle of a sunny day I think we almost got shot by a illegal Mexican.
I was taking pictures of the lines of plam trees as we drove down the road and they must have been in front of us in their suburban... at a light he runs up and asks, " Were you taking pictures of me? What were you taking pictures of?"

He didn't seem to be believing that I was taking pictures of Palm Springs.

He must have been running drugs because he had his right hand over the left side of his coat- like he was ready to go for a gun!!!


Fortunately he didn't and the light changed- we were blocked in by cars until it changed.

I know you said that those LA bands you listed didn't all originate from LA, but one you listed, 311, is actually from Nebraska- and they are not a very mainstream type of genre at all.

I think that if 311 can make it from Nebraska with a kind of different genre to what is usually played on the radio then you can probably make it from wherever you are.
Nebraska!

Metallica is from San Fran.

As you know, lots of artists move to LA after they get signed- this is not a rock artist, but Jewel was from Alaska. She built a fan base driving (and living in) a VW van all around the country.

Once you become popular in an area you get label attention. Actually, I think she was in San Diego- which is of course southern cali- but it doesn't have to be LA.

Bands from Seattle (who are not from LA ): Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Queensryche, Nirvana, Hendrix (technically based in London I suppose), Heart, etc...

You don't have to be from LA!


BUY STUDIO GEAR!!!!

[Guit Fiddle]

Originally posted by mockingbich Plus you guys in the Midwest don't really know what's happening on the west coast. Spanish is now the Freakin official language. The southwest US is starting to look like a foreign country because of all the damn illegal aliens. I said ILLEGAL aliens, not immigrants.. there is a difference

Word. I live in Colorado also, and it is starting to make me sick. Hey, did you hear the one about the illegal alien who shot and killed two Denver cops a few days ago?

Be sure to thank your President for ensuring that the border is an open barn-door for everyone and anyone who wants to mosey into the country.

[tehuti]

Last time I checked No Doubt was from Anaheim.

[Big Boss Man]

One of the good things about LA is all the cheap gear out there. A lot bands that don't make it have to sell all their stuff to buy a bus ticket home.

[santos]

I actually did what you're talking about. In 1990 my songwriting partner and I moved to LA and formed a band. We were together for about 4 years before splitting up.

So, here's my take: If I knew then what I know now, I'd have stayed where I was, for various reasons.

Now, I don't know what the music scene is like now (I'm talking Hollywood/Sunset Strip), but back then the "scene" sucked. There are good places to play, but say you get booked for a 11pm on Tuesday night slot - they want you to bring 20 people in the door. So you maybe do that, they give you 8pm on Thursday and want you to bring 40 people, etc.

You can only ask your friends to "support" you so many times, and the sad fact is that very very few people in LA go out to see live music. And if they do, they're there to see their friends' band, and they show up right before they're time slot and leave immediately after. I don't know how many times we'd be setting up to a decent crowd only to have 3/4 of them leave before we even started. We'd go out to see local bands all the time, and some of them were decent, but even on a Friday or Saturday night there'd be like 20 people in the whole place.

The main thing is that it makes no difference where you are. The bands that get signed from the LA scene rarely play the rounds for years and develop a following - they usually know someone. Countless times I'd read the local entertainment paper and see that such-and-such a band got signed "before they'd played their first gig!". Wow, that really gives you encouragement.

To me, it makes more sense to play your local area, and slowly expand that to a wider region. If you can somehow afford a van and have the right approach, you can book mini-tours and just keep plugging away at developing a following. People in smaller towns/cities actually want to be entertained by new music. Plus, as you do this, you're playing playing playing - the more gigs the better. So, your live show and talent can grow as your audience does.

I'm not saying that's easy, but it's a more practical approach than trying to impress the trendoids who don't give a {censored} about anything but being the coolest asshole in the room.

Like I said, the scene may be different now, but I don't think LA is the place for young bands to develop a following. Plus it's smoggy, expensive and overcrowded.

I know nothing about the scenes in SD, OC, SF, etc. They might be better.

[CAC]

Listen to Jet City Mat. He was spot on with his comments. I have been living in Seattle for eight years. I'm originally from So. Cal and still have some family in L.A. so I visit pretty much yearly. If you live on the beach and have tons of money it's OK I guess. If I was rich and could afford Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo I'd be tempted, but I don't think I would move to L.A. for the music business without a plan in place. L.A. sucks if you don't have money. If you are insistent upon moving to a larger city maybe somewhere in the midwest or northwest would be better. I know it would be cheaper and there is sure to be a local scene supporting live music. I have two cousins trying to earn a living as and they moved to a small college town in the northeast where rent is cheap, but they can make the short drive to multiple colleges and Boston or New York for gigs as well. I don't think it's necessary anymore to go to L.A. to "make it." That being said, if it's your dream to live in L.A. and try to make it the go for it, but know the odds are pretty stacked against you. Smashing Pumpkins, the White Stripes, and Slipknot are all bands coming from the midwest who did just fine!

[Shocker]

Originally posted by CAC If you live on the beach and have tons of money it's OK I guess. If I was rich and could afford Santa Barbara ... I'd be tempted

Wait, I'm rich? Holy crap. I'm gonna tell my chauffer!

//S

[SpeedKing]

OK, sorry an old thread, but I realize what some of you guys are saying. HOWEVER, how many of these bands that stay in their rural areas, make it anywhere? How many do you know of, that stayed in rural midwest, or even conservative Chicago and has had a number of succesful artists come out from a region like this?

I guess I can't help but question that a band can make it "that's from anywhere"...well yeah, but what's more likely. Like I said, most bands that hailed from California, were usually bands that were from rural areas and decided to head west to become successful.

[Occam]

The main reason you should want to do this should either be fame at any and all costs or to just have a good time. If we could afford to not work for awhile and just hang out and make music I'd move to LA with my band to do that...or even new york or any place cool. If you're not making commercial music though, you don't have to be in any particular major market....find a good city that supports the kind of music you make and move there. LA is a fun town....lots of parties and crazy people to make fun of plus a ton of great gear shops although it's not quite as good gear-wise as it used to be before ebay.

[Mazi Bee]

Hootie and the Blowfish developed a huge following in South Carolina playing the club circuit and the Dave Matthews Band did it from Charlottesville, Va.

The key to both of these groups success is that they developed such a huge local following, that the record labels flew an A&R guy out to THEM to check them out.

LA or NYC are not magically delicious places where fairy godmothers grant wishes to everyone.

Making it big is all about hard work. Years of it. You have to be saavy too. You have to know how to market your band. Marketing is the single most important thing you need to do to make it. Plus, record companies rape you anyway and dump you at the first sign of failure. I really don't see what's so great about getting signed....

Ideally, you should invest money in recording and distributing your own product. That way you get to keep all the money.

[SpeedKing]

Originally posted by Mazi Bee Hootie and the Blowfish developed a huge following in South Carolina playing the club circuit and the Dave Matthews Band did it from Charlottesville, Va. The key to both of these groups success is that they developed such a huge local following, that the record labels flew an A&R guy out to THEM to check them out. LA or NYC are not magically delicious places where fairy godmothers grant wishes to everyone. Making it big is all about hard work. Years of it. You have to be saavy too. You have to know how to market your band. Marketing is the single most important thing you need to do to make it. Plus, record companies rape you anyway and dump you at the first sign of failure. I really don't see what's so great about getting signed.... Ideally, you should invest money in recording and distributing your own product. That way you get to keep all the money.

 

 

Couple of points..obviously LA/NY aren't magical places, but they are the places where magic CAN happen.

 

Second, if you think record labels are that evil and that these bands have succesfully marketed/promoted themselves to get a large fanbase, they STILL both signed to major labels (obviously to have the ability to market their music to a broader audience). Regardless, it's a necessary evil for LARGE success.

 

Many of you seem to think a DIY plan is the best way to go, but how many of you actually do this, or even know anyone who does it, and is successful? Even examples you mentioned who initially did a DIY plan ultimately went with a major label.

 

Anyone care to respond, with personal real world experiences..just for sheer curiousity.

[pedalpat]

bottom line is if your happening (sell out shows, tour, sell your own cd's) and generally making it locally, atrracting crowds etc, the record companies will find you. they will hear about you.

the way to get signed nowadays? release your own cds, tour, sell merchandise, repeat for 2-3 albums/tours. if you turn a profit, can keep your band fed and clothed, record companies will take a serious look at you. if your not doing any of these things, no record co will even consider looking at you. bands that are self sufficient and have proven that they can be run like a business are attractive to record companies becuase:
1-they don;t have to waste money developing an act
2-the band has already proven that they are a worthwhile investment.

make sure you have these thngs intact first, moving to LA without any of these things is career suicide.

[Teddy]

I think touring is the key. I was in an original band and we were making 100-200 a night and the promoter at this place in philly (who had given white stripes and strokes their residencies at his club) began looking to us as like his 'go to' band and giving us more and more gigs. and he told us that we should tour for 3 to 6 months and then we'd be able to command 1,000 - 2,000.

he told us touring was really crucial. but the guys in my band were all recent newlyweds and had kids on the way and it just wasn't going to happen.

[jjpistols]

More bands probably do get signed from LA/NY, but there are MANY more bands to choose from as well. The competition is stiff.

Most labels won't be too interested in most bands unless they have a proven track record, so DIY sales and careful, confirmable sales tracking and gig history are a must.

Outside of prefab, label-created pop bands, etc. this is the harsh reality.

I've been in the trenches for years, and relocated several times for new opportunities. Still no mansion or cool cars but I've gotten to see and do plenty of things a lot of folks haven't.

Of course I've lived most of my adult life below the poverty line, and have no wife/kids, mortgage, health insurance, savings, credit, etc. etc. etc.

And no regrets. But it ain't for everyone, and the "romance" fades pretty quickly for most.

Good luck, and hopefully your band is good enough AND all on the same page about the future. Expect the worst, and hope for the best.

Rock n Roll.

[SpeedKing]

Thanks for that response, care to discuss more?

The reality of my situation is, I am signed to a major (Winedark/Universal) and the truth is we didn't do the DIY method of trying to gain this extremely large audience before labels come like a shark and hunt us..we got lucky. So, I know that's a crock of {censored} when people say it's a MUST..it's not. We have a record coming out in a few months internationally, a Gary Katz/Hugh Padgham production, the whole 9, but I only ask this as a hypothetical for a discussion purposes and the fact that even with that happening, we are still considering the move to California (you just never know what might happen or you find).

Any other stories ppl care to share, regarding to whole idea about heading west, hoping for the best?

[SpeedKing]

And because my band is relatively unknown, I'll give you 2 real world examples of successful artists that did the opposite of the DIY method by only having played a single show, or no shows at all (pased around a demo and it caught a producer's ear): Evanescence and American Hi-Fi.

I only say this, because I just wanted to make clear that there are SEVERAL ways to "make it" not just YOU HAVE TO DO THIS, YOU HAVE TO DO THAT...everyone has their own whacky story of how they got lucky.

I only wanted a discussion of heading west as a "more likehood" of being successful kind of discussion...