Why didn't YOU make it big?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Chubtone
  • Start date Start date
played the ski circuit for two years right outta high school doing 3 sets a night,5 nights a week. played songs i hated while listening to the first metallica/slayer/exodus cassettes between sets. was dying to go back home and play thrash.

'85 head home to start a thrash band. was in pure heaven.

was introduced to meth. game over.
 
I haven't read every response but the honest truth is probably that I just wasn't dedicated enough and didn't work hard enough. Not that I'm super talented or anything but I'm pretty certain I'm as talented as many that have 'made it'.

I did suffer an injury right when I was really trying to make it (we had reserved studio time to make a demo, injury occured 1 week prior to studio time). Went through several surgeries and none worked. My right index finger still does not work (severed tendons) but is always poised for a harmonic. Had I known how proficient one can be holding the pick with middle finger/thumb (watch stradazone) I maybe would have kept at it. Instead I basically gave up guitar for years, went to college and the rest is very boring history. This goes back to the 'dedication' part. However guitar is just too alluring to me so luckily I picked it back up.

This is probably one reason I'm such a huge Django fan.
 
4 year revision w/ new songs:
We toured with Sevendust and Taproot back in 2008 which gave us a LOT of good publicity. We went on to record in Los Angeles but some things went down and some bad decisions were made there by other members of the band. It fizzled out by mid 2009. In 2015 we reunited and 2 of us went in with a hired gun drummer to do these songs below. The singer tragically passed away 3 weeks ago and i've discussed with his dad about finishing the album and continuing with the name. (Allyria)
Anyways here's what we came up with last round. (Pre-masters)
Maybe i still have a shot. :rock:

https://soundcloud.com/themutinyband/50 ... x1/s-1tRw6

https://soundcloud.com/themutinyband/72 ... ix/s-huvfd

https://soundcloud.com/themutinyband/di ... ix/s-gFdvM
 
Lived and breathed moving my band forward for about a 2 year stint. I felt after that time that no one else in the project was taking any responsibility, or was working towards anything other than the next party after a show. I went to the band and said I needed a break and took a month off from all booking, promoting, merchandise procurement, and/or basically anything that wasn't strictly playing the guitar.

Fast forward a month, record label that had been pussy footing around with us for a year came after us at that exact time I "needed a break". The two guys that said they'd handle that aspect for the band while I was "on vacation"; didn't even return a single email or call. No shows were booked, a summer tour I had lined out was now not happening, Bills didn't get paid.. Was basically the last nail being lined up on the coffin lid. Sure, we could have survived that, but In my mind... why would I put myself through that when these other guys clearly were just there hoping drugs or trim would fall out of the sky because they were "in the band".

Got laid off and moved to Canada for a job. By the time I came back, the whole structure of record labels and the path of making it big had been completely torn apart. Oddly enough the group I'm in now has all of the checks marks you see in bands who tour successfully.. More so than any project I've been apart of in the past.. The Irony is we're all mostly to a point where touring would have to be so financially successful it'll most likely never happen.
 
Talent for me was never part of the equation. I never wanted music as a career. From the time I was 14 years old I knew I wanted to pursue a career as an architect. I chose college, a career, and having a family. Not one day have I ever regretted any of those decisions.

I personally know handfuls of players who don't have $5 to their name and have way more talent than many of the players who made it big. Would sitting around doing nothing other than playing the guitar all day and doing shitty bar gigs hoping for your big break be worth it? It wouldn't be for me. On the flip side of that, I grew up playing around Chicago with Dan Donegan of Disturbed. I'd say he's done pretty well for himself.

Ed
 
I love the songs, and I'm so sorry to hear about your singer.

spguitar":3ebfch9j said:
4 year revision w/ new songs:
We toured with Sevendust and Taproot back in 2008 which gave us a LOT of good publicity. We went on to record in Los Angeles but some things went down and some bad decisions were made there by other members of the band. It fizzled out by mid 2009. In 2015 we reunited and 2 of us went in with a hired gun drummer to do these songs below. The singer tragically passed away 3 weeks ago and i've discussed with his dad about finishing the album and continuing with the name. (Allyria)
Anyways here's what we came up with last round. (Pre-masters)
Maybe i still have a shot. :rock:

https://soundcloud.com/themutinyband/50 ... x1/s-1tRw6

https://soundcloud.com/themutinyband/72 ... ix/s-huvfd

https://soundcloud.com/themutinyband/di ... ix/s-gFdvM
 
I grew up around the music business; no fucking way I wanted that as my job. :lol: :LOL:
 
prsplayer86":3ik3h9y1 said:
I love the songs, and I'm so sorry to hear about your singer.

spguitar":3ik3h9y1 said:
4 year revision w/ new songs:
We toured with Sevendust and Taproot back in 2008 which gave us a LOT of good publicity. We went on to record in Los Angeles but some things went down and some bad decisions were made there by other members of the band. It fizzled out by mid 2009. In 2015 we reunited and 2 of us went in with a hired gun drummer to do these songs below. The singer tragically passed away 3 weeks ago and i've discussed with his dad about finishing the album and continuing with the name. (Allyria)
Anyways here's what we came up with last round. (Pre-masters)
Maybe i still have a shot. :rock:

https://soundcloud.com/themutinyband/50 ... x1/s-1tRw6

https://soundcloud.com/themutinyband/72 ... ix/s-huvfd

https://soundcloud.com/themutinyband/di ... ix/s-gFdvM

Thanks for the kind words. 727 is my pride and joy. I dunno how i wrote a song like that. Makes me happy every time i hear it.
 
My first band in the 80's could have possibly gone somewhere, but I quit it to move to California for grad school.
The band was post punk, alternative. Thought it was easy to start a band, didn't realize the chemistry involved.
While in grad school, got introduced to crystal meth. My musical career was toast from then on. Have since gotten clean and just write for my own satisfaction.
 
I started playing waaaaayyyyy too late to make an original career out of it. Since then I've done a good job of making a living travelling the east coast in agency contracted cover bands.

It's the consolation prize lol.
 
Playing music for a living would burn me out so fast. I have been working 80 - 100 hour work weeks since I was 19 or so which is 100% fine for me but whenever I have to play with a band, go to rehearsal, etc... it burns me out so fast. I find I stop playing guitar and get stuck doing things I don't really like doing.

For example, if I feel like working on some jazzy stuff one week, I can't just stop practicing the death metal material, and then you have to pick between the two, which I don't like doing.
 
I always treated it like a hobby, never as a way to support myself. I've been lucky enough that my hobby has led to recording albums in studios, being signed to small labels, going on 1 or 2 week long tours that have made a little money (and cost the band / individual members nothing), being flown out for festivals, etc.
 
Main project is an instrumental band.

My other project is fairly big and fairly well known, but that is because our drummer is the drummer from Nile. The tunes are good too, but that isn't why people know us. Plus it's strictly a studio project.
 
I don't think I'm phenomenal by any stretch but I was usually told after gigs that I was better than the band band I was in. Not many options in my area.
 
Fat
Ugly
bald
Mediocre player
nothing special
not naturally talented

take your pick
 
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