A That's weekly series where we ask a Shanghai-based somebody to tell us 5 Things specific to his or her life.
Shanghai may not have the same music reputation as Beijing, but each January brings a new We Are Shanghai compilation documenting the city’s music scene. Organizers Ivan Belcic and Michael Herd are rock vets, releasing albums earlier this year with their groups The Machinery of Other Skeletons and XXYY. Giving souls, they share some tips for aspiring musicians on how to join in the fun.
1. Starting Out...
IB: New faces need to just show up at shows and make connections. It’s the only way. Nathan Sidoti has been doing a lot of work to bring Harley’s back as a viable performance space with his Rat on Monthly event series. Stegosaurus? guitarist Josh Galyean organizes the Sunday Live shows at 696. Yuyintang has a ‘New Faces’ night and Michael Herd (above, photo by Alex Rao) organizes a Rock and Roll Vandals series. All of these target new bands, and there’s a weekly jam at LOgO on Thursday.
2. Building a buzz...
MH: Gig regularly and network with different acts to organize shows. This will help you reach out to fans of these other acts. Try to make your shows interesting. Have a theme to the events and don’t try to invite the same bands over and over again as this becomes a little off putting.
IB: Promoting and ‘building buzz’ is only half the battle. You’ve got to have your shit together on stage and put on a killer show to really get people talking.
3. Making a record...
IB: Get your hands on the software and try to record on your own. If you’re prepared to educate yourself and put in the hard work, you might just surprise yourself with what you’ll achieve. It’s a nice feeling to be able to stand behind something you did in-house as a team.
4. Touring China...
IB: Take trains! They’re cheaper and much less hassle than flying. Promoting in other cities is tough. Regardless of whether you play to a packed house or to a few tables of dice players, the onus is on you to turn it into a fun time. If nothing else, it’ll at least be a learning experience.
MH: A big tip is to seriously brush up on your Chinese. This way you can interact with the audiences far better, make negotiations with the venue directly and it offers a much bigger scope of places to visit as most cities will not have an English speaking rep who can help out so easily.
5. Additional tips...
IB: Just be on top of your sh*t. Check your e-mails, follow up on things, stay sharp and people will see you as a professional who’s worth working with.
// To see more from our 5 things series, click here.
0 User Comments