Punk Rock Etiquette: The Ultimate How-to Guide for DIY, Punk, Indie, and Underground Bands

by Travis Nichols, Travis Nichols (Illustrator)

Overview

Looking to start an underground band? Don't make a move until you've read this book!

So you KNOW you are destined to rock... well you're in luck -- all you need is this book! (Please note musical talent, bandmates, a car for touring, and an uncle who owns a record label might also help.) An original blend of nonfiction how-to's about all things DIY rock created by an indie-circuit veteran with a knack for hysterical snark, PUNK ROCK ETIQUETTE teaches you everything from how to pick your bandmates and choose a name (Never deliberately misspell your band's name. C how lame it lookz?), to detailed guides on screenprinting your own merch, and interviews and advice from studio owners about the do's and don'ts of recording. PUNK ROCK ETIQUETTE is an unfiltered peek backstage that will appeal to aspiring musicians and anyone who's curious about what goes on in the hours between the last chord and the next big show.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781429918053
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	09/02/2008
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	144
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Travis Nichols is a cartoonist whose comics appear in Nickelodeon Magazine (RIP). He's also an artist and former elementary school teacher, and has played in more than a dozen bands you've probably never heard of (how's THAT for indie cred?). A lifelong Texan, he now lives in New York.

A former member of Austin indie bands The Needies and Omega Monster Patrol, Travis Nichols is all too familiar with the joys and heartaches of starting a band. He has also authored Punk Rock Etiquette: The Ultimate How-To Guide for D.I.Y., Punk, Indie, and Underground Bands for Roaring Brook Press. He lives in New York.

Read an Excerpt

Punk Rock Etiquette

The Ultimate How-to Guide for Punk, Underground, DIY, and Indie Bands

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By Travis Nichols

Roaring Brook Press

Copyright © 2008 Travis Nichols
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4299-1805-3

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CHAPTER 1

FORMING A BAND

Who you should or shouldn't have in your band depends on your goals. If you're just planning on screwing around in the garage a couple of times a month, it doesn't matter so much. However, if you plan on playing shows at all, it starts to get a little trickier. If you're wanting to put out records, tour, and maybe get on any sort of label, this crap is important!

Posse Up!

So how do you hook up with your fellow jongleurs? Well, most people just round up some of their lousy friends and get to it. Many great bands started out when a group of pals with no experience or skills decided to pick up instruments and learn as they went. That is the ESSENCE of DIY, baby! But a lot of the time, stepping out of your inner circle is necessary if you want to be any good.

Lots of folks post and read listings online seeking bandmates, which works, but if you're going to shows and are actively involved in your scene, you'll should meet plenty of people who want to get a band together. Here are some types of potential bandmates and the pros and cons of each:

The Tortured Poet: This kid hurts. He/she has a raggedy notebook full of lyrics that are probably about being sad or in love or both. You might have to stop him/her from cutting little thumbholes in his/her long-sleeved shirts or putting candles onstage.

Pros: Comes loaded with ideas, chicks/dudes dig him/her.

Cons: Hates compromise of "vision," chicks/dudes find him/her cheesy (yeah, it can go either

The Guitar/Drum/Other Hero: Also known as "the Shredder," this potential bandmate can PLAY, son!

Pros: Skills, skills.

Cons: Long solos, likely arrogant.

The Rock Star: Eager, rowdy, and flamboyant, this so-and-so is living the dream-groupies, money, power. Wants the white-towel treatment. A throwback from the arena rock crap that punk rock rebelled against, yet ... kind of rad.

Pros: Can be fun to be around, good stage presence, good clothes.

Cons: Potentially a total prick, likely a drunk or druggie, wears sunglasses indoors (and not in an ironic way).

The Techie: Is your amp broken or on the fritz? Motion for the Techie. You'll be wailing again in no time. Armed with one of those all-in-one tools, he/she will take care of your gear. It's good to have one of these people around.

Pros: Fixes stuff.

Cons: Has too much crap, be it drum stuff or guitar pedals.

The Rich Kid: Their parents would prefer to raise doctors or lawyers, but Rich Kids want to ROCK. The Rich Kid has the hookup for gear the rest of the band can't afford, and can sometimes even supply a van! It ain't all roses, though.

Pros: They ... have money. And maybe even a pool.

Cons: Parents make them miss shows for college prep courses and job interviews with friends from "the club."

The Poor Kid: Poverty is about as punk as it gets. Poor Kids give a band cred, and they're usually REALLY into music. That guitar/drum kit/keyboard/banjo is their baby. Music is their outlet to express their animosity toward the upper class (and if they're so inclined, possibly their ticket to BEING in the upper class-dost thine hypocrisy know no bounds?!).

Pros: Scene points galore, passion.

Cons: Has trouble getting off work for shows. Tour? Good luck. Unless he/she quits his/her job for it ... and then you'll have to spot him/her cash along the way.

The Delinquent: Everyone loves a criminal. Robin Hood and Billy the Kid-those guys were KICKASS. But if your band's Delinquent dabbles in anything violent or something that could get YOU in trouble, steer clear.

Pros: Cred, keeps you stocked in guitar picks and snacks.

Cons: Probation officer meetings get in the way of practicing and touring.

The Whatever: This guy/girl just wants to play. No big whoop. Doesn't really add or subtract from the equation. Most often a bass player. 'Nuff said.

Pros: Up for whatever, doesn't argue.

Cons: About as exciting as a sack of doorknobs.

Most common combos: Of COURSE there's overlap. Don't get all pissy. Here are the most frequent combinations.

Tortured Poet/Rock Star: Usually a "front man." God, what a dorky term. If it's a guy, he probably wears eyeliner.

Tortured Poet/Poor Kid: Parents just don't understand. This might just be the most common potential bandmate combo.

Guitar Hero/Poor Kid: Ah, the bedroom shredder. Hours and hours of solitude and noodling around have produced this, this beast of rock and roll. All hail. And give her some of your fries.

Rock Star/Delinquent: All too common. This bastard will steal money from a bartender's tip jar because he/she doesn't think the band was paid enough. Motel-trashing trouble.

Guitar Hero/Techie: Subscriber of various gear magazines. Don't let him grow a goatee and you'll be okay.

Poor Kid/Delinquent: At the risk of sounding like somebody's grandpa, these people are hoodlums. These kids are all right.

Rich Kid/Delinquent: Happens sooooo often. An attempt to regain lost scene points.

The Look

Appearances are pretty important. People will judge you. Sssshhh. Yes. I know. That's not what music should be about. But in this day and age, with a fuhskrillion bands clambering for attention ... you just ... just THINK about it.

Before you take your band public, you need to spend some time on this. How you look is going to send a message to the audience, so make sure it's a message you WANT to send.

If you go to hundreds of shows, you'll get pretty good at knowing if you're going to like a band or not by looking at them as they set up. Here are some examples of what to expect by employing a smidge of prejudice:

* If the band you're about to hear has dirty clothes that don't fit and crummy equipment, they're going to be awesome. Unless they're college kids trying to look all DIY. Then they're probably crappy.

* If everyone in the band you're about to hear is skinny and dressed in black T-shirts and tight jeans — except for the drummer, who is wearing baggy shorts, a colored T-shirt (read: not black), and flip-flops — get ready to hear a BADASS drummer. Yeah, there's a reason these guys signed this guy on. He honed his skills by listening to crappy music like Dave Matthews Band and 311 and became a technical HERO because of it. The guys in the band are pretty hung up on image and seek to change their drummer bit by bit, and if the band lasts more than a year, he will become indistinguishable from the rest of them (unless they compromise and let him keep his soul patch). Also, this is probably a Christian band.

* If anyone in the band you're about to see is wearing one of their own T-shirts, leave. Now.

* If you see guys that look like the dudes that played saxophone in your high school marching band (you know, newsies hats and khakis), ESPECIALLY if you see them setting up a laptop, this band is going to be boring.

* If you see Mohawks and plaid pants ... well, that's obvious.

* If everyone is wearing tucked-in button-up shirts, nice pants, skirts or dresses, and somebody (likely the guitar player who doesn't sing) is wearing Ray-Ban sunglasses, well, do you like college music? Pop!*If the band consists of eastern-European-looking men and/or (especially) women with choppy haircuts, you're going to hear some weird singing. And some handclaps.

* If you see four or five guys setting up ... and there are nine or more wristbands between them ... and each of them has some crazy screen-printed shirt with the illegible name of whatever band ... and one or two of them has tattoo sleeves and lip rings, yeah, you've heard this band a thousand times with a thousand different names. If that's your thing, lucky you. One more CD in the pile. One more mass e-mail you'll get every week. Every. Single. Week.

* If you're about to see a band, and they're a bunch of fat dudes with beards, prepare to be DESTROYED. Awesomely.

So remember the old adage: Always judge a book by its cover. You don't have to be the coolest bunch of guys and gals, but consider putting a little effort into it. If someone in your band absolutely insists on playing shows in their crummy workout clothes, you might have a problem. Or maybe, just maybe, you could ALL dress in workout clothes. Make it your thing.

Costumes or rad outfits can take a band to the next level. An already great band could don gold masks and capes and suddenly become completely flipping amazing. Again, playing music should be about the MUSIC, but playing live brings a visual element that should not be overlooked.

The Name

Okay, listen up. Your band's name is crucial. You're going to be stuck with this thing. Don't be hasty. Here are some Do's and Don'ts.

Other ideas: Consider obscure historical figures, childhood references (be careful!), old books and films, flipping through a dictionary and slapping your finger down a few times. Yeah, that's a little bit middle school, but at least four of the bands you listen to did it that way whether or not they would ever admit it.

How to Secure Your Spot in the Band

So you're in a band you really like. This is IT. Your meteoric rise to the top is totally impending. So how can you make sure that you won't, nay, CAN'T get kicked out of the group? Well, if it's not "your" band, you've got to do as many of the following as possible to make sure that getting rid of you isn't an option.

Practicing

One of the toughest things to do as a band is get together to practice consistently. The more people you have in your band, the more schedules you have to deal with. If you've got a member who can't seem to ever get to practice or acts really annoyed to be there, maybe he or she shouldn't be in the band. If you're trying to play shows and tour, you want to be with people who are dedicated and have the time for it.

Practice as much as you can without getting sick of it. When you're practicing, work on your songs, yes, but when you're getting ready for shows, practice your whole set. You've got to be in good rock shape to get through all of your songs without running out of steam. If you move around a lot onstage, don't practice sitting down. Stand up and do what you do live. Dance, baby, dance. Do some jump kicks. Spin your guitar around. YEAH! You might feel silly doing that when it's just your band in your practice space, but if you sit and watch your hands while you practice and then get onstage and suddenly try to flip out while playing, you'll embarrass yourself.

A good practice space is vital. You have to be concerned about volume, security, and availability. If you've got a garage or big room you can use at home, awesome. Put blankets and mattresses up to block the sound. Your neighbors still might complain, however, and then you'll have to figure something else out. Some bands rent storage units or share a rehearsal space with other bands. If you go that route, make sure it's secure and at least moderately climate controlled. Otherwise, see if someone in the band has a backroom at work you can use.

It would be ideal to have a place where you can safely leave your stuff. That way, you don't have to spend precious time setting everything up and taking everything apart every time. Show up, rock, then go about your business.

SONGS AND RECORDING

The last thing this book would ever delve into is telling you how to write a song. Relax. It should be said, however, that bands break up over writing all the time. If there's more than one hotshot songwriter in a band, things could get hectic. Some bands have one writer who brings his or her gifts from heaven to practice and teach the rest of the band what to play. Some bands have a more collaborative approach where everyone writes their own parts. Do your best to secure the songwriting arrangement early on. Otherwise, when your bass player wants to sing the lame song he wrote and put it on your record, you've got two choices: You can suffer through it and embarrass yourselves, or you can shoot him down and create a rift in your band.

Here, pals, are some of the options you have for recording those oh-so-inspired, kickass songs. The options range from lo-fi gutter style ... to total balla (shot calla). What used to cost thousands of dollars can be done for a fraction of the cost. And don't mistake this information for claims of authority or supreme knowledge. There are many books on recording. This is just to give a taste. Just a little taste.

Four-Track

Dirt cheap and lo-fi chic. Every time recording technology advances, used four track recorders get cheaper. Less advanced models can sometimes be found online with a microphone and all necessary cables for less than fifty bucks (plus shipping), and after that, your main investment will be cassettes.

Your basic four track will allow you to record one or two tracks (or parts) at a time and build up to four. If you have two microphones, you can track a vocal and guitar part at the same time if your four-track record allows for two tracks recording at the same time. More advanced models let you bounce multiple tracks onto a single track, thus increasing how many parts you can record. Many a great record was recorded in a bedroom on a four track (or even on a single-track, cheapo tape deck) with a ten-dollar microphone. On the other hand, many a crappy, unlistenable record was recorded in a bedroom on a four track with a ten-dollar microphone. There's good lo-fi, and there's baaaad lo-fi. Just because your recording is free of high-dollar pretension doesn't mean it has to sound like it was taped via payphone outside a convenience store. Unless that's what you're going for.

Four-track recorders are pretty easy to figure out. When all needed tracks are laid down and you have the volume levels where you want them, you can go from the outputs onto a cassette deck and make copies that way, or you can hook up to a computer and make digital files that can be put on CDs or sent to a record-duplication facility.

Digital Four- (or Eight- or Sixteen-, etc.) Track

Many of the limitations of four-track cassette recorders are eliminated when you step up to a digital recorder. Many have built-in effects such as reverb, chorus, flanger (use sparingly!), echo, delay, etc., so you can save a pant-load on pedals and cables (however, your live show and recorded stuff should sound similar, so you'll probably want to be able to re-create those effects). Increased sound quality is another bonus.

Computer

There are lots of free programs for recording on your home computer. There are also programs that cost loads of money. Macs come with Garage Band, which beats the pants off an old four-track. It's definitely not as advanced as the high-end programs out there, but who do you think you are, anyway? A computer can be a one-stop studio-recording, mixing, duplication. You can buy a mixing board and other external equipment, or use the internal stuff included in most decent software.

With all of the DIY recording options, you'll need a decent microphone or two. You can get one that will do the job for the cost of a couple of records or a hoodie. No big whoop. If your singer makes a lot of hard PPP! sounds, have him or her back away a little bit. You can also make your own pop filter by bending a wire hanger into a loop and stretching pantyhose over it. Then attach it with the ends of the wires so the filter is a few inches away from the microphone.

You'll also need a good place to record. If you're recording at home, try out different rooms for the most desired sound. You might find that drums sound best in your bedroom, guitar sounds best in the kitchen, etc. A common go-to for vocal recording is the bathroom due to the reverb-y quality. Experiment.

So ... in what order should you record everything? Drums, if you have them, should usually be tracked first. Your drummer can listen to a guitar or bass playing along in headphones so he or she will know where they are in the song. When you have the drums tracked, record everything else in whatever order makes sense to you, probably with vocals last. It's easier to sing along to music than to play along to singing. But do what you want!

Studio

Using an actual studio has many benefits. Better equipment and people who know how to use it is one. A professional studio's sound will trump your garage's. If it doesn't, you're in a crummy studio. Studios charge by the hour, by the song, or by the day. There might simply be a session charge.

If you're going to use a studio, there are a few things you should do before you get there. First and foremost, have your songs down. Don't use studio time to write songs. You're not Def Leppard. You could spend TEN YEARS in the studio and you could never top Hysteria. Don't even try it, amateurs.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Punk Rock Etiquette by Travis Nichols. Copyright © 2008 Travis Nichols. Excerpted by permission of Roaring Brook Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Introduction,
THE BASICS,
Forming a Band,
Songs and Recording,
Putting Out Your Music,
Merch,
Stage Etiquette,
TOURING,
GAS MONEY: A Tour Journal of Revel in This,
Preheating Your Oven of Destruction,
FREEEEEDOM!,
Glossary,
Resources,
Acknowledgments,
Index,

Editorial Reviews

Gr 8 Up

From the first steps of forming a band through going on tour, Punk Rock Etiquette provides how-to advice on aspects of the indie and underground music scene. Nichols's narrative has a "been there and done that" tone and borders on the cheesy, as it at times tries too hard to use teen slang, but his advice is valuable even beyond the rock environment. Suggestions are offered for silk screening posters and T-shirts, designing Web pages, and using social networking sites to help create a brand, all of which could apply as easily to poetry-slam hosts and other creative groups as to rockers. For would-be performers, the author provides sage advice on recording and tips on touring, from what vehicles to use to what to pack. Parents and advisors should be aware that tour tips include sleeping in cars while traveling cross country or staying at the homes of strangers, practices that seem unsafe, particularly for teens. In areas where many students are hoping to make their way in the music world, however, the good advice is valuable and will appeal to a broad audience. The illustrations, spread throughout, are most successful in the comic of one band's road trip in the middle of the book. In other places, the animal characters are so cute that it is hard to tell if Nichols is being ironic, which would appeal to his audience, or if he felt that the cuteness would gel with the punk rock style.-Alana Abbott, James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford, CT

School Library Journal

In a breezy but firm tone, Nichols dispenses his message of what being in a self-made band is all about-definitely not a gig for conceited poseurs craving audience adoration. Pulling no punches, the author warns, "In the underground music scene, you'll be carrying your own equipment." Practical recommendations about promoting, organizing and touring mingle with advice that moves quickly from copyrighting music to building websites and selling original T-shirts along with other merchandise. The author knows his turf; many segments are anecdotal, but he also seems to be looking back with a degree of nostalgia, which results in a few hiccups. MySpace is briefly mentioned as a promotional tool but equal attention is given to paper flyers, and the how-to-pack-a-van section fails to mention including a laptop. The slim volume's most worthwhile advice zeroes in on organizing setups, knowing the guy running the soundboard and courtesy to other bands. Geared to musicians with a passion for shredding, the work's coolest message is, "You came to rock, so ROCK!" (Nonfiction. YA)

Kirkus Reviews