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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
pros and cons of the 1 man band/recording yourself
pros and cons of the 1 man band/recording yourself
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waltertore
1191 posts
Mar 18, 2011
10:35 AM
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I have been a full time (full time as in that is all I do not a full time gigging) 1 man band for the past 10 years. I learned it from arguably one of the most famous 1 man bands wilbert harrison. I never dreamed in those years as a teenager that I would be typing this post today. Heck I never even knew there were computers back then except on sci-fi movies :-) Also owning my own recording studio is another area I never dreamed would come to fruitation unless I made it as big as Willie Nelson.
here is a list of the pros and cons as I see it after doing a real band full time for 20 years and part time for another 10 or so and the home recording thing.
Pros 1 man band:
* you can play anytime the urge hits.
* no more hassles with bandmates-addictions, crazy habbits, volume issues, dress code, punctuality, money spits, food choices for meals
* no more hassles with keeping a good band-I use to regularly book tours/gigs then find a band.
* you can keep your own tempos, chord, key changes as the mood hits
* traveling is much easier because you don't have to share a vehicle, rooms, with bandmates
* your wife and dogs can travel with you
* if you hustle, gigs are fairly easy to get and the pay is at least as good as a share of a real band gig
* you are limited only by your own fears and rules
* if you like to tinker with modifying gear to make it work it is a dream set up
* you learn to work a simple groove or 2 to deep levels like most of the blues greats did for a career. If you really get it you make it all sound different like guys like jimmy reed, lightning did.
* blowing lots of peoples minds as they look at you doing all those things at once :-)
Cons 1 man band:
* you have to lug all the stuff. In my case:
bass drum, snare drum, drum pedals, cymbal, cymbal stand, PA, guitars, guitar amp, keyboard, keyboard stand, mic stands, guitar stand, rug for the drums, cds, harps
* most clubs will not hire you as a headliner
* most festivals will do the same
* you have to carry the entire show. If you stop it all stops
* you lose a lot of the flashy stuff that you can do when playing just one instrument at a time (the older I get the less I find that stuff interesting anyway)
* loss of going down the highways with other musicians like jimmy carl black, louisiana red, etc, telling stories as the empty highways hum under the tires....
* having to spend the decades to learn all those instruments in isolation and then with them together.
Recording yourself:
Pros:
* Having a dedicated space to record lets you relax
* no more franticly watching the clock as the tape/dollars roll
* no longer dependend on engineers and producers to shape your sound
* no more having to wait for a record deal to record on someone elses dime
* you can custom tailor your space to your music
* you can record 24/7 in a space you know. all you have to do, in my case, is walk out the door 50 feet.
* no one can alter your music
* the studio can become one of the coolest places on earth to record/make music when you are the owner
Cons:
* teaching yourself the skills to make decent recordings is a steep and long learning curve
* learning what gear to buy can really tax your wallet and emotions
* the cost of putting this together is beyond most all full time musicians.
FOR BOTH CONCEPTS: learning to be patient. Just because you can play well doesn't mean you will be able to play new instruments as well very quickly as well as play them in unison well. If you hear great mixes in your head, that doesn't mean they will quickly come out that way via recording.
that is a list off the top of my head. I am sure I will add more to it. Overall the more an artist can control all aspects of their art, the more freeing and creative they can be. I am totally self contained with the 1 man band, recording, producing cds, and videos. Life really couldn't be much better. Walter
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walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
" life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
2,600+ of my songs
continuous streaming - 200 most current songs
my videos
Last Edited by on Mar 18, 2011 1:33 PM
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toddlgreene
2748 posts
Mar 18, 2011
10:43 AM
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Very good observations, Walter. Heck, not having to deal with other people's drama and inconsistent schedules alone makes me consider being a OMB.
When things click and everyone in a band is 'on', I do very much enjoy the comraderie and collaboration aspect of a band. The key word here is 'when'.
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Todd
Eudora and Deep Soul
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waltertore
1192 posts
Mar 18, 2011
11:22 AM
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I hear you Todd! The good nights are hard to beat. I do miss them, but to be honest they tended when playing full time, when you factor in all it took to get onstage with the band, to be top heavy in hassle. Walter
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walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
" life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
2,600+ of my songs
continuous streaming - 200 most current songs
my videos
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bluemozark
43 posts
Mar 18, 2011
1:07 PM
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Keep at it, walter. One day you may actually convince yourself that people don't think this one-man-band deal is a total joke and is actually a good idea.
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waltertore
1193 posts
Mar 18, 2011
1:30 PM
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bluesmozark: I don't understand what you wrote. I don't think people think the 1 man band deal is a joke. I never said that. I have said doing everything spontaneously has been not very welcomed by the music industry. I have had lots of offers if I would go mainstream and forget spontobeat. Can you clarify what you are trying to say? This medium of internet communication can get misunderstood easily. Thanks. Walter
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walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
" life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
2,600+ of my songs
continuous streaming - 200 most current songs
my videos
Last Edited by on Mar 18, 2011 1:35 PM
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oldwailer
1577 posts
Mar 18, 2011
3:13 PM
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Good points there, Walter--I had some experience back in the 60's and early 70's with bands--never could get that together, since we were all too loaded to find a gig--or get one in the first place.
All in all, I really prefer the 1-man thing--although I don't think I'll ever really master it, it just appeals to me. The biggest group I aspire to is to have my wife sing with me now and then. . .
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Always be yourself--unless you suck. . .
-Joss Whedon
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mandowhacker
32 posts
Mar 18, 2011
5:06 PM
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Not a lot different than being a solo OTR truck driver.
Except I really can't hear my foot tap too well and I can't quite figure out how do the mandolin/drive combo, yet.
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Just when I got a paddle, they added more water to the creek.
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oldwailer
1578 posts
Mar 19, 2011
1:32 AM
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Mando--you need two neck racks--one for the harp--and one for the steering wheel. . .
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Always be yourself--unless you suck. . .
-Joss Whedon
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waltertore
1196 posts
Mar 19, 2011
7:23 AM
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mandowhacker: I love driving the country. I did it in a 40 foot bus/motorhome for a good amount of time. I miss that big disel pusher....
oldwailer:The traditional band approach has its great points. When you have a good combo and good gigs, it is a blast. The one man thing just takes time. What the heck, all we got is time so what the heck. Even when I was gigging full time I wished for a instant band to appear when the mood hit and we weren't onstage playing. I had trouble keeping the drum kit with all the traveling we did. Then when I tired of promoting/booking my band, the 1 man band jumped right in my face. Now with my studio I not only have a band behind me whenever I want, I also have discovered how to create great rooms and audiences in there. For me to do a real gig today, it will have to be a really good club. Playing those places where people come for other things than music no longer interests me. Walter
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walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
" life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
2,600+ of my songs
continuous streaming - 200 most current songs
my videos
Last Edited by on Mar 19, 2011 7:24 AM
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