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Tips for winning a battle of the bands

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Contributed by: James "Jimbo" Davis on 9/11/2007

Jimbo here -- the drummer for Nemesys, the winner of last year's Battle of the Bands in Douglas County, held in Lone Tree on June 17th, 2006.

I was asked to shed some experience for bands aspiring to enter the same Battle of the Bands, Battles of Bands in general and bands aspiring to make music in general.

First and foremost, my experience with Nemesys has demonstrated the importance of having solid relationships with those in your band. This is my first piece of advice because drama will happen, and it's nice to not lose your guitar player because you don't get along on a random evening.

Also, staying organized is essential because a disorganized band carries that characteristic into their music on-stage from my experience -- not to mention their lives, which do affect yours! Designate roles in the band outside of who plays what. For instance, have a MySpace guy, a booking guy, a techie guy to put together digital press material such as promo packs or anything digital for the website(s), someone to maintain the band's accounting, etc. Consider those roles ongoing roles necessary to keep momentum. Mix and match things based on members' respective skills.

Next, don't forget the power of networking. Everyone, no matter what our preconceived notions may suggest, is someone who can help our cause. People are what make bands grow into respected acts in the scene -- not spiked purple hair, tattoos and a pretty face -- but the latter example certainly helps (a lot)! The whiplash effect from poor networking is incredibly dangerous. Snubbing someone who appears inconsequential may turn out to be the son of a major label in town, the lead singer of a band you'd want to open for, the guy who does booking for one of the best venues in town, or -- more importantly -- having an ego off-stage will result in people who run around and tell other people in the city that your band consists of a bunch of punks.

No one likes working with punks. People in music aren't any less business-minded than the guy who interviews candidates for the accounting department at a major corporation, and -- if anything -- they're less tolerant. In other words, be cool!

Thanks for the time, and -- remember -- the crowd doesn't know you screw up unless you're wearing it on your sleeve! Once you're on stage, the crowd is looking for a reason to be excited; they're not excited first, waiting for a reason not to be. It's my opinion that live performance is what makes a band; albums just initiate the attention -- assuming the album is good.

Long story short, good bands demand the attention rather than waiting for it. Don't stand around! Be fun and intriguing. Don't expect people to feel intrigued or have fun by simply listening to you.

Good luck to all who pursue music, performance-geared or not, and feel free to hit up my band, Nemesys, at www.myspace.com/nemesysprofile and/or contact me at my personal profile: www.myspace.com/jimbodavis. Ask for Jimbo! Rock on!

Editor's note: Click here to read an article about the sixth annual Douglas County Libraries Teen Battle of the Bands, which takes place Oct. 13 at O'Brien Park in Parker.
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James "Jimbo" Davis is the drummer for the Englewood-based band Nemesys and the Denver representative for the Association of Independent Artists (AIA).

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Submitted By: Charmaine Robledo

posted on 9/11/2007 @ 1:55:36 PM

Rated Story

Thanks for the advice, Jimbo. My boyfriend Damon is a drummer. Drummers rule.

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