How Do You Find Bands To Join? Online? Newspaper?

[Matter-Eater Lad]

If you have any good websites to find bands, list them here. Or other methods.

 

Here are a couple I go to (had some luck too):

 

 

http://www.minneapolismusician.com

 

http://www.tcmusic.net

 

http://www.citypages.com

[Lee Flier]

http://www.craigslist.org .

 

And our very own Harmony Central has musician classifieds as well. I am hoping to greatly expand the resources available here, in fact.

 

I've said before though that the best way to find the right people to play with is to support other local bands. Go out and see any bands that are in a similar vein to what you want to play. When you see bands that are really good or have a really good individual member or two, introduce yourself to them, buy them a drink, become their new best friend. Tell them you play, etc. Do that often enough and you will be the first one to know if a band breaks up, a member quits, or someone wants to start a side project. You can also ask your new pals whether they know any other good musicians who are looking. And of course, if you do end up playing with any of them you will already know how they play and something about what they're like as people, so the transition to being bandmates will be a lot more comfortable than going on auditions with strangers.

 

Worked great for me, anyway.

[Hollow body]

I've mentioned this here before, but try local open mics.

[mstreck]

Originally posted by Lee Flier http://www.craigslist.org . And our very own Harmony Central has musician classifieds as well. I am hoping to greatly expand the resources available here, in fact. I've said before though that the best way to find the right people to play with is to support other local bands. Go out and see any bands that are in a similar vein to what you want to play. When you see bands that are really good or have a really good individual member or two, introduce yourself to them, buy them a drink, become their new best friend. Tell them you play, etc. Do that often enough and you will be the first one to know if a band breaks up, a member quits, or someone wants to start a side project. You can also ask your new pals whether they know any other good musicians who are looking. And of course, if you do end up playing with any of them you will already know how they play and something about what they're like as people, so the transition to being bandmates will be a lot more comfortable than going on auditions with strangers. Worked great for me, anyway.

 

Worked for me, too. I really don't think I would have done well at an audition, but I've been with THIS band for almost two years. All because I knew them ahead of time. And I wasn't best friends with them either. But I casually knew the bass player, went to their gigs (some were two hours away), and even asked to watch (not play) at a practice to see how they did things.

 

A few months later, I got a phone call, played with them at a rehearsal, and the next thing you know I was in.

 

Mike

[srsfallriver]

Word of mouth worked best for me. First, practice like hell and then jam with as many different people as you can. Open mic nights are a good idea. Get your name out in the music circuits and work will come to you.