As a musician, I love reading autobiographies and biographies of rock stars. As an unsigned musician, I’m always left disappointed that there isn’t more in these books about their time before they were famous.
I don’t mean stuff like their Dad working in a factory and their cat being called Tiddles, or whatever. I mean that period of time between deciding they want to be a musician and starting a band, to the time when they get signed and start having commercial success. It always seems a bit vague, covered in a chapter or two, and makes getting signed look very, very easy. It reminds me of that South Park episode with Underpants Gnomes whose business plan is:
- Phase 1: Collect underpants
- Phase 2: ?
- Phase 3: Profit
It could be translated in this context to:
- Phase 1: Start band
- Phase 2: ?
- Phase 3: Profit
In reality, Phase 2 for musicians is a lot of work, a lot of expense, a lot of playing to eight people in a backstreet pub, and probably not making it as far as Phase 3. Personally, I could write a whole book of my time as an unsigned musician. It’s far from glamorous, there are no drugs or girls, but the banter is immense, and the characters you encounter can be surreal.
The consequence of this is that people who are not involved with music in any capacity beyond reading somebody’s autobiography or biography feel the need to tell unsigned musicians just how easy it is to get signed and what they need to do. They hear you are in a band and have no idea that you need them to get up off their behinds, come to your gigs, and buy your music and merchandise, just to see Phase 3 on the distant horizon. That’s not in the books.
There is of course the chance that I’m the one who has got it completely wrong. Maybe it’s not supposed to be as much fun? Maybe I’m not supposed to be enjoying my time as an unsigned musician so much, and enjoying reflecting on the stories that come out of it. Maybe I’m making a point of enjoying it and cherishing the adventures because of the high improbability of making it to Phase 3.
So why do successful musicians largely ignore their unsigned roots? Is it the lack of glamour and drugs and girls, or did they just not have enough fun to have anything to say about it?
Either way, it would be great to hear more unsigned stories from successful musicians. It could act as a beacon of hope for those in Phase 1 or at least clarify what Phase 2 actually is.
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By Ronan Fitzgerald
Ronan Fitzgerald plays in a band called Nerve Centre and has lots of opinions about unsigned music.
Hi Ronan,
I have some tales and stories of being an unsigned musician so I could send a blog post over to you. I think you’ll like it as it’s a tale of failing success. Let me know how to add a post and I will happily do this.
Karl
“This blog is open to invited readers only” when visiting http://ronanfitzgmusic.blogspot.com — is that what’s meant to happen?
Jon – it was open the other day, so dunno what’s going on there. Closed for maintenance perhaps?
Hi guys,
Many thanks to Created in Birmingham for publishing my guest blog and the link to my own blog.
Unfortunately, I have had to take down my blog. Hopefully it is only temporary.
Many thanks and kind regards,
Ronan.
I’m sorry, but guy doesn’t no s**t about music.
“As an unsigned musician, I’m always left disappointed that there isn’t more in these books about their time before they were famous.” why the did you think it was nessasry to say your an usigned musician? thats just shameful self promoting. do what you were asked and write a blog. in fact you say it a further 2 or 3 times. “wow really, what band are you in, please tell us all!” NERVE CENTRE, there i’ve done it for you, check them out, as you can see by their pictures their great background music whilst you playing fruit machines, oh but dont say anything bad about them or they’ll get there mums to complain. free speech!
[deleted a bit here] he’s write these blogs like he’s god. this blog doesn’t even make sense! talent mate, that is phase two, talnt and desire. [deleted this bit too]
i hope you read this and do nothing but appologise. you defriended and blocked me cus you couldn’t face the shame of being everything you clame you hate.
[Editor’s note – I’ve deleted the defamatory bits of this comment. And, to head off the inevitable complaint, I haven’t done it because someone’s asked me to. Chris]
Woop, woop, it’s the sound of the (West Midlands) police!
they screwed over my band, and wont face up to it, but bleet on like they know all about the unsigned comunity. fakers, this blog is all about ego
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