It is important to understand that the world of music is not all glamour; there is also intrigue and disappointments in the journey to the road of success. Preparation does not only involve practicing your music and playing smoothly as a band but being prepared as a group to handle all the hurdles that come with the journey to stardom.

Shows, no matter how small, can help you boost your career in the music industry. Small gigs serve as your stepping stones. Performing in one does not only add up to your portfolio but makes you seasoned artists as well.

Some of the most popular bands today were discovered while performing in places where the presence of talent scouts or managers were unexpected. Your gig just might be their next stop. So, perform like you have never before and catch their attention.

Small-time gigs are referred to as that because of the size of the venue and the amount paid for the band’s talent fee are relatively small. They are incomparable to what the posh hotels and big restaurants can offer but still, there are several groups who grab small bookings because they still pay the bills and serve as a venue for them to be heard and be seen by more people which would count a lot in terms of exposure.

Discipline can go a long way. Bands whose members possess this very important trait are sure to make it to the top. Those who do not have this will never make it. In fact, the lack of discipline is sometimes the reason why members part ways. Make an extra effort to not be one of them. Here are some helpful tips.
1. Be punctual and arrive on your gigs on time. Do the same on your band’s practice sessions.
2. Be mindful of band rehearsals. Group rehearsals are very important to fine tune everything before the gig.
3. Take all the necessary precautions to preserve your voice.
4. Do not mix work with pleasure. Doing both at the same time might bring downfall to your career.

Most bands have a manager while others prefer to get bookings on their own. A number of successful bands (those who are always fully booked) today have managers who scout opportunities for them. These managers get a percentage of the band’s earnings. Find out how getting a manager can help your band’s career.
1. The manager can do all the dirty work for you – from scouting venues to fee negotiations.
2. The manager can take care of everything that you need before, during and after the show. You and your band can then focus all your attention on your performance.
3. The manager can observe the crowd’s reactions on your performance while you are still doing it on the stage.

It’s not easy to set-up a rock band. Music lovers tend to look for something fresh and they will be likely to shy away from starting bands that do cover songs. But if you really wish to set-up a band of your own, then here are some tips to remember.

It’s better if you know how to play the guitar. The guitar is the “basic” instrument of rock bands nowadays (you won’t see one without a guitar player in it!). But if you don’t, then better learn how to. Guitar playing is very easy to learn. If you’ve mastered strumming, then maybe it’s about time that you learn the “lead” (the “solo” like plucking you hear in rock music).

After you’ve mastered things, the key here is to get other people to join your future band. Ask friends (and their friends too!) if they wish to join you and experiment with music. Also, try composing music of your own or if you wish to do cover songs, make it real good.

Lastly, record in a quiet isolated room. You don’t need a studio to do this. There are a lot of software programs that allow you to minimize background noises and create studio-like music. Burn it in CDs and distribute it to people you know. Don’t forget to ask for feedback. You’ll need it, trust me.

Photo taken from http://www.kudlian.net

If you’re tired of bands with lots of members in it, why don’t you check out Idiot Pilot? Idiot Pilot is a duo band (yep, two members only!) that tag themselves as an electronica or rock group.

The band was risk taker indeed. They released their first album entitled “Strange We Should Meet Here” without a record label to support them. After Reprise Records heard their performance, Resprise signed them and helped them release their second album, “Wolves” which hit big in the music market. Today, although they’re greek to mainstream music, they have performed tours with some of the most prominent rock bands such as The Used and The Smashing Pumpkins.

Photo taken from http://www.punkrockreviews.com

If you’re fond of indie music, then The Rakes should be on your list. Since its formation in 2004, The Rakes has been true to its name—they’ve been raking awards and brushing others aside in the UK top charts. Since today’s generation prefer indie bands over those who already have labels to support them, The Rakes never had troubles acquiring a spot in every rocker’s heart (and the non-rockers too).

The Rakes’ songs are mostly about the working life, routine events that seem to be ignored already by the many, and surrealism (or some argue that it’s actually escapism). Three of their singles have been included in the UK Album Chart and most of the indie rock genre listeners predict that they’ll continue to storm UK top charts come their next album.

Photo taken from http://www.gigwise.com

The Number Twelve Looks Like You. What? No. It doesn’t mean anything, really. It’s the name of the band hailing from New Jersey. They’re not your typical punk rock kiddos found in garage concerts. First, they’re old enough to be considered kiddos and second, they’re music is not punk rock—it’s mathcore. Mathcore, or grindcore for some, is a new kind of hardcore music. The Number Twelve Looks Like You incorporated technical metalcore, techno hardcore and progressive metalrock in their music to create mixes of different genres that jive. The name of the band was taken from an episode of the most popular thriller series of all times, The Twilight Zone.

Photo taken from http://www.vh1.com

This upcoming band has learned to capitalize on the advances of technology in order to promote themselves and the music they stand for. Their web site allows people to keep track of various band activities and shows and gives their fans a way of interacting with the members over the Internet.