BEST place for live MUSIC/musician ROCK BAND in CA??? (Orland: best city, living)

[167878]

so, i currently live in S.FL , I'd like to knowwhere the best city/area is to make living playing in a rock band...That is very diverse, heavy/electric blues, rock, psychedelic, think of, Beatles,Floyd,Hendrix,Doors,Cream,Zeppelin,Sabbath ,Mozart,Beethoven, 20's-60'sblues n' Jazz ,(we branch out in more, but these are the main influences to give you an idea)..influence....a band that can actually PLAY anything, but this is what we like (all original, but know plenty of covers )..NO disco,rap,pop,dance,screamo,death metal,techno,*ahum* 'modern day' country (well johnny cash and old old country-yea some-) or any other various forms of non-melodic noise today considered as music(sorry if that offends you)..

so lets say we have our sh*t down, have an album, a website,a studio, some capital,(and maybe-(big maybe) and RV) -everything to get up and running, just open minded places to play that PAY, and that you can work your way up from bottom (average bar venues ~few hundred audience on weekends..$400-500low end a night{100$ea is the min. around here}-$1000higher end bars)-and private parties of course)) to Top (biggest venue/fest you can get into without needing a Major Label) say crowds of thousands of audience per weekend/event..pay,, free basically for exposure.

also, a place that isnt loaded with wanna -be players, and also venues that are booked for a year straight that pay in free drinks and tips. Some where that it doesnt take a great deal of struggle to get in and get KNOWN, but somewhere big enough where being known actually matters.

ive considered LA, but sems like a rat race, same as NY, but not much of a Rock scene..(i m not intereested in heavy metal scenes)? (which im sure lots and lots of places are...metal and rap...), Austin, seemingly too small from what i hear? over hyped-i heard alot of people say its great? Orlando/ maybe Tampa too (or lakeland inbetween both), not enough venues??Anywhere in FL ideas?(just not not miami)-seemingly not big enough cities? Eugene/Portland Oregon i hear is a nice friendly town/area tht may be good for my type of music/ROCK? New Orleans?katrina made that place a mess from what i hear, and its more geared toward jazz/swing blues...i just dont really know, i v never bee any of these places,...i'd realllllly prefer to stay in the SOUTH, i like the people and weather. so any ideas would be much appreciated....we're in our 20's and ready to get going-and not spend a year trying to fight off competition to get our foot in the door (tho of courseyou have to be better than the comp to make it).

as a side note..any info on how to get on a good going circuit (say around state, or even nation wide?) w/o booking aggents and managers?=i assume just draw alot of attention and est. a following, and im looking for aplace where we can do that from nothing...(i like the idea of tamp/orlando since its pretty close, just dont know if thats optimal).


thanks a whole lot...any out of state areas are appreciated, im doing this for most of the states...thanks.

--that being said, its not aboutt he $, its about the music, and i want a place where theres a following for the type of music i play, and then work up to paying gigs...get a BIG following>state tours> and possbily the connections to get nationwide tours...IF you have what it takes...... iknow, youve prob. herrd it 10000 times in CA...but i appreciate ur help. i need detailed profiles of cities' music scenes to get an idea to relocate....

thanks A BUNCH>

[Rhenzanite]

Sorry, there are about a million extremely talented musicians and bands all around California.

And if you're calling genres 'non melodic noise', then really stay out of California... you won't make any friends here with that attitude towards music. I played in some fairly popular bands for many years and toured CA... being a musician is being one big family, if someone doesn't like your attitude you won't be booking shows.

Are you versed in music theory? Composition? Can you read music? Good luck working with most studios if you can't. I always HATED working with musicians who couldn't read music, or who would give me a blank stare when I told them what key I wanted the music to start on.

The way to make it in CA is have a large group of die hard fans, which means you need to play for many years to build up that base, it doesn't happen overnight. I can't believe you expect to be paid on your first year or so of gigs... hell, I played for years before I walked away with $200 in my pocket and that was a good night! And that was with a degree in theory/composition and many, many years of playing with the same people in the same area. You're going to be playing at 5pm and for free if you're even lucky enough to get that spot. What you need to do is go to clubs, befriend the sound guys/roadies/techies and slowly work your way up to the band. When I was playing it got really irritating to have 50 hopefuls run up to you after every show asking if they could 'hang out' and maybe 'play a show' with you sometime.

It takes time, you'll be broke, and you'll also be very lucky if you even get enough noteriety to play ONE show in the first few months of being a band.

[167878]

Originally Posted by JetJockey

Sorry, there are about a million extremely talented musicians and bands all around California.

And if you're calling genres 'non melodic noise', then really stay out of California... you won't make any friends here with that attitude towards music. I played in some fairly popular bands for many years and toured CA... being a musician is being one big family, if someone doesn't like your attitude you won't be booking shows.

Are you versed in music theory? Composition? Can you read music? Good luck working with most studios if you can't. I always HATED working with musicians who couldn't read music, or who would give me a blank stare when I told them what key I wanted the music to start on.

The way to make it in CA is have a large group of die hard fans, which means you need to play for many years to build up that base, it doesn't happen overnight. I can't believe you expect to be paid on your first year or so of gigs... hell, I played for years before I walked away with $200 in my pocket and that was a good night! And that was with a degree in theory/composition and many, many years of playing with the same people in the same area. You're going to be playing at 5pm and for free if you're even lucky enough to get that spot. What you need to do is go to clubs, befriend the sound guys/roadies/techies and slowly work your way up to the band. When I was playing it got really irritating to have 50 hopefuls run up to you after every show asking if they could 'hang out' and maybe 'play a show' with you sometime.

It takes time, you'll be broke, and you'll also be very lucky if you even get enough noteriety to play ONE show in the first few months of being a band.

.............been there done that, itsa ***** getting on stage, regardless of how good you are, unless you have a way for someone to be open minded enough to listen to your music and give it a chance--(meaning u need atleast recorded originals)(which means you cant suck like 95% of 'hopefulls'), not being rude, just straightforward and to the point...and it took me under 2years to put together a band, and gig at nearlya every bar intown , now make 500-750 a night 5days aweek,..just took a matter of time for word to travel, ..but thats not saying much as the competiticon here isnt too harsh, and its not crazy like LA, and its like idk...over 3town area...just trying to get a couple notches ahead.thx

[Rhenzanite]

Originally Posted by 167878

.............been there done that, itsa ***** getting on stage, regardless of how good you are, unless you have a way for someone to be open minded enough to listen to your music and give it a chance--(meaning u need atleast recorded originals)(which means you cant suck like 95% of 'hopefulls'), not being rude, just straightforward and to the point...and it took me under 2years to put together a band, and gig at nearlya every bar intown , now make 500-750 a night 5days aweek,..just took a matter of time for word to travel, ..but thats not saying much as the competiticon here isnt too harsh, and its not crazy like LA, and its like idk...over 3town area...just trying to get a couple notches ahead.thx

Actually, I was a paid studio musician getting around $300 an hour, so I don't really think I 'sucked'. I just didn't play a genre that is commercially stable. I have been on a little over 30 records and have 2 to my name alone. I've also played with orchestras as well as rock bands, bluegrass bands, country bands, screamo bands and Christian rock bands. I've been a bass player and rhythm guitarist on 3 national headlining tours.

Just because you can play well doesn't mean you're automatically going to 'go somewhere' with your band... Excellent musicians are a dime a dozen, especially here in California. If your attitude in real life is anything like the projection I'm getting from you here, good luck getting any gigs. Arrogance gets you nowhere.

[167878]

but thanks for the frankness.

[167878]

o srry i fu think im being arogant, im not, im just wondering wat the scene is up there/..much diff than mine..i didnt say u sucked at all,-ur rights thats a bad term,...mayybe,just not the right fit...for the occasion....trust me i know there plenty of GREAT musicians,,, they just dont make it for w/e reasonl....

[Capt. Dan]

Originally Posted by JetJockey

Actually, I was a paid studio musician getting around $300 an hour, so I don't really think I 'sucked'. I just didn't play a genre that is commercially stable. I have been on a little over 30 records and have 2 to my name alone. I've also played with orchestras as well as rock bands, bluegrass bands, country bands, screamo bands and Christian rock bands. I've been a bass player and rhythm guitarist on 3 national headlining tours.

Just because you can play well doesn't mean you're automatically going to 'go somewhere' with your band... Excellent musicians are a dime a dozen, especially here in California. If your attitude in real life is anything like the projection I'm getting from you here, good luck getting any gigs. Arrogance gets you nowhere.

Shall we give him directions to POZO????????????

[Rhenzanite]

Originally Posted by Capt. Dan

Shall we give him directions to POZO????????????

ooooh yeah! I nearly forgot how great Pozos music scene has gotten in the past few years!

[167878]

doesn't everyone just love musicians with ego's? ...if u look in a dictionary, the synonym for ego will be 'musician'...not to be offensive to any one as, I myself am a musician, but c'mon, everyone knows its sooo true. and if you don't, well, u mustn't know many musicians...music is merely a skill or trade, (in it's technical sense) and learning 'theory' and various musical technique (& yes, i know theory reading etc etc), etc, is comparable to learning how to become a mechanic, or doctor, or being a mathematician (well, music is mathematical in a sense). Knowing music is nothing special. It is the ART of music that differs, as Einstein used math in a more artistic perspective, than regurgitation of a book-here is where CREATIVITY and IMAGINATION are the key factors. and don't forget above all....brotherly love.

[Homesick17]

hey guys for a screamo band where would the best place to go? :/