How would you go about this?

[MonsterTone]

So, here’s the thing... I’m the kind of person who must be in charge of the band. I’m not willing to join someone else’s established band and fall in line. I must have it my way. Think what you will of my attitude, but that’s how it is. That’s not what I’m asking you to evaluate here.

Now, with this in mind, I’m likely soon going to start my own original band and hire all of the other members, paying them a salary. I will be able to do this because I have a lot of money coming to me this year from a current entrepreneurial venture that I’m on.

So, if you hire members (and I mean members, not merely “hired guns”), how much would you expect to have to pay them? How would you set things up so that you hire the right people, they get taken care of, and you don’t go broke in the process? In the beginning, their pay will have to come out of my pocket, but I’m willing to do it to get my way. Later on I suppose theyly will be getting paid a portion of what the band earns.

I’m also looking to buy myself a house in the next few months and making a music/studio space for my band to use to practice/rehearse and record.

If you had a hefty budget, and were going to start something original and be completely in charge of the whole thing like I’m wanting to do, how would you go about it, and what key things do you think I should know/consider before embarking?

Thanks!

 

[311boogieman]

Never been in those shoes before but common sense tells me to start small and take it easy.

How do you expect to pay people salaries without any idea of how good you guys will even be?

My limited knowledge tells me successful bands are bands that start out with common goals and common interests. Friends often.

Why don't you see if you can get some guys together that can even get through some basic songs that you all enjoy. Practice. Rehearse. Record. Gig. Make some bar money. Split it (4) ways. And then come back and tell us how that went.

Just a thought. Not trying to be condescending.


Edit: I hope you are not trolling because I think you've been called out on that before. If so, I want my thirty seven seconds back.

 

[MonsterTone]

How do you expect to pay people salaries without any idea of how good you guys will even be?

Like any job, you audition/interview them. You hire the best ones who fit the best. If they start underperforming, you fire them, then replace them.

My limited knowledge tells me successful bands are bands that start out with common goals and common interests. Friends often.

This is too damn hard to find these days. Too many flakes out there. Most people are not my style (which I’m not willing to compromise on), and I ain’t got that kind of time. I want to cut right to the chase, hire players for my band, and make the music I want to make. I want to be a band, not a solo artist, so I need to hire members who are right for the project.

Edit: I hope you are not trolling because I think you've been called out on that before. If so, I want my thirty seven seconds back.

I’m not sure why you would see this as trolling. What’s wrong with what I’ve suggested here? This is typically what one would do if they had vision for a startup business and wanted to hire talent to work for them. Why all the sudden do people frown on this when it involves music? If I’ve got the money to pay these guys, then what is wrong with me wanting to just hire players for my band to make it the way I want it?

 

[Markedman]

First of all, do you have your own music?

1) Take a month to find the right guys/gals, practice for another month and hit the road. Don't waste any time.
2) Sell band-aids with your name on them. Sell t-shirts, bandanas, hats and shoes with your name on them.
3) Write some much better songs for your second album, or go home.

 

[skullfxr]

This is not a successful path to go down IMO. Not likely a successful way to go about things opinions aside, I would go to local shows and see how they perform. Then I would buy them a beer and make my pitch.

I don't see it working,but do as you wish.

 

[MonsterTone]

I mean, don’t most successful bands work this way? Megadeth comes to mind. Mustaine hires who he wants. He’s in charge of Megadeth to the T.

 

[rottingcorpse]

Learn to write and program drum patterns,and do it all yourself. When you have enough material written recorded and copyrighted,release it yourself and use that to audition members for you band. Negotiations should be handled professionally,stating plainly and simply that it's your project and you are in charge.

If you don't have all the material copyrighted,any small change to the specific players parts that they make will wind up becoming a copywriting issue.

Also note,you are hiring artists. As you yourself have artistic expression,they will too. If you choke someone's artistic expression,you will breed contempt. See your provided example of Dave Mustaine. Or Papa from Ghost. Or Lars and James verses Newstead. Eventually you get tagged as hard to work with,and people will be wary of dealing with you.

And until you get cheated of song writing credit and royalties(no matter how small they may be in these times)you will never know just what that feels like.

 

[alan67]

This is not a judgment on what you're proposing but in that scenario I don't see how whoever you hire can be anything other than a "hired gun" vs. actual "member" of the band - and that could result in a lot of turnover.

Yngwie comes to mind......

 

[Goat]

Self edited... Rude post.

 

[Chris6870]

Later on I suppose theyly will be getting paid a portion of what the band earns.

Here is a major flaw in your plan. You say your going to be paying a salary to members but then at some point it will change to a portion of earnings? Original bands don't make much if anything unless they happen to hit big. Usually it costs the members money to run a band and tour and they usually play for little to nothing night to night. Who is going to sign on and stick around for that if they are not a vested member and just a hired gun?

 

[MonsterTone]

...

 

[Goat]

Self edited... Rude post.

 

[ZEEGLER]

I mean, don’t most successful bands work this way? Megadeth comes to mind. Mustaine hires who he wants. He’s in charge of Megadeth to the T.

It didn't start out that way.

He has been able to make it that way after he had some success.

 

[MonsterTone]

...

 

[Goat]

Third paragraph, 100% on point. I agree, and have thought the same thing for years. Finally someone else says exactly what I’ve been saying. We’ll be the first huge band in the ethnostate. Lol

I was being sarcastic, of course.

 

[japetus]

This is the same guy in Off Topic who said he needs to hire a hooker because he could never get laid otherwise. Apparently he is a "hiring" troll.

 

[MonsterTone]

This is the same guy in Off Topic who said he needs to hire a hooker because he could never get laid otherwise. Apparently he is a "hiring" troll.

I’m asking you to consider the propositions in/of themselves. Not evaluate or judge me.

 

[japetus]

This is the same guy in Off Topic who said he needs to hire a hooker because he could never get laid otherwise. Apparently he is a "hiring" troll.

I’m asking you to consider the propositions in/of themselves. Not evaluate or judge me.

Evaluation is part of consideration.

 

[MonsterTone]

This is the same guy in Off Topic who said he needs to hire a hooker because he could never get laid otherwise. Apparently he is a "hiring" troll.

I’m asking you to consider the propositions in/of themselves. Not evaluate or judge me.

Evaluation is part of consideration.

Concluding “troll” is hardly evaluating anything. It’s an easy, overused, cookie-cutter response to something that seems different to you. Just because it might seem odd to you doesn’t make it a troll.

 

[skullfxr]

This is the same guy in Off Topic who said he needs to hire a hooker because he could never get laid otherwise. Apparently he is a "hiring" troll.

I’m asking you to consider the propositions in/of themselves. Not evaluate or judge me.

Evaluation is part of consideration.

Concluding “troll” is hardly evaluating anything. It’s an easy, overused, cookie-cutter response to something that seems different to you. Just because it might seem odd to you doesn’t make it a troll.

But all trolls say that.