DUFF MCKAGAN - Top Ten Rock Band Dos And Don'ts
May 12, 2011, 13 years ago
In his latest blog for Seattle Weekly, DUFF MCKAGAN (ex- GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER, LOADED) lists the Top Ten Rock Band Dos And Don'ts. An excerpt follows:
"It dawned on me the other day that at this point in my life, I have been in one rock band or another for more than 30 years. This rarefied status should definitely give me a point from which to reflect a bit, and maybe even dispel some hard-won knowledge, the things that work and do not work within the makeup of a rock band. No?With no further ado, then, here is a quick cheat-sheet on some of my wise(assy)ness.
1. Find a good and solid drummer first. Without a great backbeat, your band will simply never get out of the starting gate.
2. After that first solid drummer becomes too much of a pain in the ass - jettison said drummer, and repeat step #1. This process could very well end up consuming the rest of your career!
3. I'm kind of kidding about #1 and #2.
4. Get a singer that has what we call L.S.D. - Lead Singers' Disease. That person has to have the ability to stand in front on a stage, and usually with no guitar to stand behind - and absolutely OWN the whole stage and venue.
Yes, it takes an odd sort to feel comfortable in this odd situation. It usually takes a person who has very high thoughts about his or her own personage. It WILL get old after a while to the other band members. But hell, by the time the band is sick of the singer's antics, the sychophantic managers will already have found a way to wedge the original band guys out of the group."
To read more of Duff's advice, click here.
