How Do You Start a Prog Band
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Forum Name: Music and Musicians Exchange
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URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=27342
Printed Date: February 19 2025 at 15:01
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Topic: How Do You Start a Prog Band
Posted By: Rotten
Subject: How Do You Start a Prog Band
Date Posted: August 15 2006 at 17:24
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It seems like when progressive music was at its height, bands like Pink Floyd and Yes had places to play and develop their music. I don't know if it was just that there was a bigger audience for interesting live music or there was differrent drugs that were popular, but there seemed to be a significant audience.
Nowdays, it would seem to be impossible to get gigs. For those of you who have, how do you do it? Do you just play for yourselves? Do you just record? How do you find others with similar interests? Thanks!!
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Replies:
Posted By: Leningrad
Date Posted: August 15 2006 at 17:27
| I actually was looking for a topic like this. My friend wants to make a hard rock band, but I want to try to inject it with prog. I have no idea how, seeing as everyone I know likes either Nirvana or 50 Cent... |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: August 15 2006 at 17:31
| Unfortunately, where I live in the Appalachian hills of Ohio, You Don't. |
Posted By: Philéas
Date Posted: August 15 2006 at 17:33
I suggest you try to arrange jams with fellow proghead musicians from this forum. I'm in a similair situation, I'm soon to join a blues-based rock band. I'm going to try as hard as I can to put prog in there. However, as the other members are quite advanced musicians aswell, I don't think it will be too much of a problem. |
Chameleon wrote:Posted By: Ty1020
Date Posted: August 15 2006 at 17:36
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I'm in a proggy metal band, it's pretty easy around here because lots
of people like prog-influenced music. Obviously not everybody is into
Yes and Genesis (most aren't), but it'd be odd to walk into a metal
show and not see somebody wearing a Dream Theater or TMV shirt or
something similar, and the existance of bands like Between the Buried
and Me has made prog sensibility even more popular lately. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Ty1020/"> 
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Posted By: Philéas
Date Posted: August 15 2006 at 17:43
Prog is fairly popular where I live aswell. If I succeed with my mission, to create a "Progressive Blues-rock" band, it will be easy to get gigs. |
Posted By: Leningrad
Date Posted: August 15 2006 at 17:44
Around where I live, people say things like-
"Yes is an agreement, not a band."
"Genesis is a bible chapter, not a band."
"Camel is an animal, not a band."
"King Crimson is a...um...I'm not going to dignify that with a response."
Or they just tell you your band sucks. Without listening to them. Or even hearing about them more than 30 seconds before the conversation, for that matter.
Oh well, I'll just make a 20 minute suite in 15/8 by myself.
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: August 15 2006 at 17:47
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Chame;leon and I must liev in the same town. That's why I went to music school and studied composition. I can work by myself.
BTW Sign me up Phil, that's the band I always thouoght would be the most fun. |
Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: August 15 2006 at 17:51
| my band is trying to get shows once we have one or 2 more originals put together. in my town, prog is fairly popular (we know enough people who would see us, as we've created quite a buzz) but as for actually getting a show, i know places that would book us, but thats because we've all been in so many bands before |
Posted By: Tony Fisher
Date Posted: August 15 2006 at 17:52
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Iain Jennings, the excellent ex Mostly Autumn keyboards player, has put together a quite excellent band and is apparently finding it hard to get gigs in his home area (York). Fact is, the local scene is entirely nu/heavy metal and punk. Prog doesn't get a look in, though I know loads of young people who are fans of Floyd, Rush, Camel, Genesis etc. The problem is the venues, who are totally unwilling to take any risks. |
Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: August 15 2006 at 17:57
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ive heard some interesting comments on the bands i listen to, whether they were directed to me or not "YES? more like NO!"
"Dream Theater? more like Wet Dream Theater" (actually laughed at this one)
"Phish? like in the water?"
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Posted By: erik neuteboom
Date Posted: August 15 2006 at 18:20
Collect as many Mellotrons as possible and start to jam on it  !
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Posted By: The Wizard
Date Posted: August 15 2006 at 18:23
Something I've always thought about- does some have to be long and in a funky time signature to be prog? I think not, and thats just a sily generalization. -------------  
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Posted By: Leningrad
Date Posted: August 15 2006 at 18:24
No. I have just always wanted to do that.
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Posted By: heyitsthatguy
Date Posted: August 15 2006 at 21:16
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Well, the 2 big bands in our grade (mine and my friends') happen to all listen to prog to some degree or another, I know mine is trying to lean in the prog direction, the other seems to be more of a funk/blues/jam band ------------- 
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Posted By: Leningrad
Date Posted: August 15 2006 at 21:34
I tried introducing a friend to prog. I showed him Foxtrot. He zones out and can't listen to it all. 
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Posted By: Prog-jester
Date Posted: August 16 2006 at 06:34
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I have a doom-metal band.I always loved prog more than Doom - actually,I've grown out from Doom-metal and I listen very rarely to it.I've tried to dring some OPETH-like elements to our music - I must admit I've manage to do it!!!Anyway I'm boring with this band and I want to leave it.
Because I want to play Symphonic Prog,not even Neo or Prog-Metal!!!It's impossible... 
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Posted By: Stars Die
Date Posted: August 16 2006 at 08:03
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I am playing in a slightly progressive metal band, and I find it very difficult to find gigs, but I think it would be even harder if we had played Symphonic prog or any of the older styles. The few times people books us, it is because we are a metal band and they want one, never because of the prog influences. ------------- Du Skojar om att jag Skojar men jag skojar inte alls |
Posted By: mystic fred
Date Posted: August 16 2006 at 11:33
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Some time ago i used to keep seeing a young classic rock group with a very good guitarist playing locally at every opportunity they could, every pub, club - even in the local shopping centre one day! I haven't seen them lately, maybe they've moved up from local places! Top marks for persistence if they have.
-------------  Prog Archives Tour Van 
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Posted By: Empathy
Date Posted: August 16 2006 at 12:14
Where we are, many consider The Ramones the absolute pinnacle of musical accomplishment.  Prog is generally hated. If you live in the Boston area... SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL PROGGERS!  ------------- Pure Brilliance: 
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Posted By: Leningrad
Date Posted: August 16 2006 at 12:16
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At least your town knows what prog is.
"Prog? Like that place in Europe?"
And I really want to be in a symphonic band, so it's gonna be pretty impossible to get gigs.
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Posted By: Bastille Dude
Date Posted: August 16 2006 at 12:48
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When I was much younger in the mid 1980's, I was very lucky to have three best friends who not only were my fellow musicians in our band but also loved prog and especially Rush. Oh how I miss those days.. ------------- DEATH TO FALSE PROG! |
Posted By: Gravity Eyelids
Date Posted: August 16 2006 at 13:05
You were quite lucky. My brother was in a few bands who did'nt even know what prog was. He never stayed in them long, and has realized if he wants to play prog he has to play alone.  ------------- Into this wild Abyss the fiend Stood on the brink of Hell and looked a while, Pondering his Voyage. |
Posted By: StyLaZyn
Date Posted: August 16 2006 at 13:11
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If you want gigs, it obviously depends on where you live. (speaking from the USA) Larger cities provide more opportunity to find places to play. Otherwise, at the very least, you better be damn good. Bands comprised of excellent musicians can capture a willing audience for a short time merely on their abilities. And it dies quickly if the music doesn't offer an appeal. If you have a band in a fairly remote area, rather than a thriving metropolis, the odds are that you'll need to play covers because originals will usually flop, especially if they are long and complicated. So, its always luck of the draw.
I'd say to build a following, keep your first originals listener friendly and add small touches of progness. A good hook in the song helps immensely as does a chorus that relates to lots of people. People will love to sing along if the words and melody are simple. Over time, you could build a stronger prog repertoire. ------------- 
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Posted By: StyLaZyn
Date Posted: August 16 2006 at 13:14
Wow...me too, well almost. We all loved Rush. We gigged and played a number of Rush tunes, but that was the only prog we played. I loved it when we did The Camera Eye. -------------
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Posted By: EssentialFaris
Date Posted: August 18 2006 at 17:37
| just start a band with people who have infleunces of the blues, pop rock, classic rock, hard rock, punk, its doesnt even matter, as long as the music your going for is just rock. from there you can manipulate the band through the songs you write, you dnot have to be prog...to be prog...if you know what i mean... |
Posted By: Jay440
Date Posted: August 25 2006 at 00:15
Seems like the best option to me. Make some flyers and post them in your local guitar shop and see what happens, too. I'd personally go for the first option, searching through the Internet, because: 1 - It's easy to find exactly what you want. AND.. 2 - I'd post something at Guitar Center but I don't like going there, not only because I have to listen to crappy Punk Rockers, but because I have to LOOK at them too, and I can't stand looking at them. G*d-d*mned Trendies with their smug facial expressions, shaggy Emo haircuts and covered in tattoos that look like a Clown puked on their arms. Man, fellow members of my Age Group SUCK!!! But I digress.... Sorry. Anyway, I think I might post a thread on here in the near future to see if there are any other Prog-Heads in my town. Here in Cleveland, OH., USA, there are actually a hell of a lot people my Age who dig Prog/Psych/Free-Jazz, etc. The only thing is that not many of them play an instrument, or at least not well enough to try playing this kind of stuff. However, I do have a Vibraphonist friend who's a big Zappa freak, so there's a possible collaboration right there. One big reason why my favorite hang-out is my favorite hang-out is because I once went there wearing my Magma T-Shirt and had so many people respond favorably that it completely blew my mind! It's been a while since I touched the Bass, so I need to get my chops back in shape. It's been so long since I jammed with anyone. |
Posted By: Badabec
Date Posted: August 26 2006 at 17:31
| There will always be some people who like your music... |
Posted By: The Whistler
Date Posted: September 02 2006 at 04:06
That's actually somewhat clever; I'll have to remember that.
I seem to recall, from some snatch of memory, that Phil "the Boomer" Collins joined Genesis because the ad for the band said "looking for a drummer who wants to be in 12-string guitar based rock band." Or something like that. ------------- "There seem to be quite a large percentage of young American boys out there tonight. A long way from home, eh? Well so are we... Gotta stick together." -I. Anderson |
Posted By: Eetu Pellonpaa
Date Posted: September 02 2006 at 14:45
We get gigs for out small jazz rock ensemble from the local pubs. Old drunkards actually like improvised jamming! 
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Posted By: sonic_mat
Date Posted: September 14 2006 at 21:21
Well,
I haven't actually started a band but
I think that ah, You basically come together find out all of your interests and find out how well you play together.
Thats what i tink!  ------------- _/\_M*A*T*H*E*W_/\_ Hardware.... Epiphone Les paul custom Takimine classical guitar Yamaha Acoustic 30 watt Marshall with effects Andre Dardeau Flute |
Posted By: purplepiper
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 02:22
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All I hear these days is crappy emo, metal, or rap! I AM SICKENED BY IT ALL! Prog is definitely an unknown term in my area. It's like i'm stranded in a sea of trendyness, with my classic prog collection as my only life raft! Hopes for a band seem to go nowhere.... ------------- for those about to prog, we salute you. |
Posted By: The Whistler
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 02:29
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Well, I think my progressive blues/jam band Electric Catfish is dead...that is, it never came to life, so I still don't know how to answer the "big question." ------------- "There seem to be quite a large percentage of young American boys out there tonight. A long way from home, eh? Well so are we... Gotta stick together." -I. Anderson |