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playing-live

First Gigs, Nightmare Or Otherwise

by Jessica Smith / June 1

If you’re an aspiring rock star, you’re going to have to do it eventually. I’m not talking about waking up naked being spooned by a stranger on the couch of a hotel room under a dirty sleeping bag. I’m talking about getting up on stage for the first time ever, in front of a (hopefully?) large crowd who probably hates you already because they don’t know who you are. Read full post »

Filed under: 52 Weeks to Rock / Tags: hmxjessica, playing-live / 2 comments

How To Win Fans And Influence People: Projecting “Rockability” Onstage

by The Hellion / May 25

A few years before I started working at Harmonix, I got into this big argument with my roommate at the time over who should be called the “greatest front man in history.” I said Iggy Pop; she said Jason Kendall of the Amazing Royal Crowns. Read full post »

Filed under: 52 Weeks to Rock / Tags: hmxhellion, be-a-rockstar, playing-live / 13 comments

Rock The World, Pass The Twizzlers: A Crash Course In Tour-Bus Survival

by Brett Milano / May 18

The tour is about to begin, the open road is calling, and for the next couple of weeks, the tour bus (or van, or RV, or really crowded Volkswagen) is going to be your home. Read full post »

Filed under: 52 Weeks to Rock / Tags: hmxmusoman, playing-live, be-a-rockstar / 0 comments

You CAN Come Home Again, But You'll Never Get The Smell Out Of Your Bomber Jacket: The Hellion's Tour Diaries, Part 4

by The Hellion / May 4

It wasn't me. I swear. Read full post »

Filed under: 52 Weeks to Rock / Tags: hmxhellion, playing-live / 19 comments

I Got A Free Bird For Ya, Buddy: Dealing With Hecklers

by Brett Milano / April 27

If you’ve played a lot of Rock Band, you know what happens when the band screws up a song: the audience boos, the singer throws a little hissy-fit with the microphone, everybody gives the drummer a dirty look, and the band gets to try again. Read full post »

Filed under: 52 Weeks to Rock / Tags: hmxmusoman, playing-live / 14 comments

Most Likely To Succeed: The Hellion's Tour Diaries, Part 3

by The Hellion / April 20

I know that lots of things have changed since I was in high school. Read full post »

Filed under: 52 Weeks to Rock / Tags: hmxhellion, playing-live, dealing-with-bandmates / 9 comments

On Tour And In Trouble: The Hellion’s Tour Diaries, Part 2

by The Hellion / April 13

About two years ago, my band VAGIANT was approached by our Number One Superfan, an affable chap named Wes, about playing a show in a hotel for his birthday party in Virginia. Read full post »

Filed under: 52 Weeks to Rock / Tags: hmxhellion, playing-live / 7 comments

Nancy Is A Punk Rocker: The Hellion’s Tour Diaries, Part 1

by The Hellion / March 30

I recently came back from my first tour with my band VAGIANT and the very badass boys of Razors in the Night.  Read full post »

Filed under: 52 Weeks to Rock / Tags: hmxhellion, playing-live / 17 comments

Inside South By Southwest

by Brett Milano / March 24

You go to the South by Southwest conference in Austin, TX for a number of reasons—to see bands; do business, see more bands, make contacts, see more bands, and eat more barbeque than you can handle. Read full post »

Filed under: 52 Weeks to Rock / Tags: hmxmusoman, playing-live / 1 comment

The Commute From Hell

by Brett Milano / March 16

You’re a hot Boston band with a national buzz, you’ve been on the road and the big hometown gig is coming up. Everything’s going your way—except that your van just broke down. Read full post »

Filed under: 52 Weeks to Rock / Tags: hmxmusoman, playing-live / 5 comments

Giving Props To Props

by Brett Milano / February 17

If you need proof that the right props and staging can make or break a show, consider a Yes concert I saw in 1985 (yes, I loved Yes in 1985 and proudly admit that I still do today). Read full post »

Filed under: 52 Weeks to Rock / Tags: hmxmusoman, be-a-rockstar, playing-live / 14 comments

Riders On The Storm: Making Backstage Demands Like A True Rock Star

by LadyRachel / January 26

I learned many things during my tenure working at a nightclub: what platform boots are good to wear when working the guestlist, what not to say to bouncers, how to tip your bartender, and how much money a touring DJ makes.  Read full post »

Filed under: 52 Weeks to Rock / Tags: playing-live, promoting-your-band / 16 comments

The Gig From Hell: What Happens When Everything Goes Wrong

by Matthew "Nord" Nordhaus / January 5

Often playing a gig is the most amazing experience or your life. Other times things go wrong. Sometimes things go very, very wrong.  Read full post »

Filed under: 52 Weeks to Rock / Tags: playing-live, promoting-your-band, dealing-with-bandmates / 17 comments

Adventures In Booking: A Guide To Getting A Show

by Jessica Smith / December 22, 2008

The hard part is over. You’ve gotten a band together and written some songs. Now you’re ready to play some shows but you don’t have the faintest idea of where to start. Follow these guidelines and you’ll be on your way to stardom in no time. Read full post »

Filed under: 52 Weeks to Rock / Tags: promoting-your-band, playing-live, hmxjessica / 2 comments

Talk Is Cheap, But So Are You: Advice On Stage Patter

by Steven Moy / December 15, 2008

Okay. So you've got the band together through want ads or social networking websites or maybe just recruiting random interesting-looking people you saw on the subway. You've written some songs, maybe learned some covers. Read full post »

Filed under: 52 Weeks to Rock / Tags: be-a-rockstar, playing-live, promoting-your-band / 3 comments

It Is Really Unlikely That Your Arm Will Suddenly Snap Off: Fear And Your First Show

by The Hellion / December 8, 2008

When I was a kid, I was scared of almost everything. I was what child psychologists might call a “highly imaginative child,” which is what a normal person would call... Read full post »

Filed under: 52 Weeks to Rock / Tags: hmxhellion, start-a-band, promoting-your-band, playing-live / 22 comments