So, when’s your gig?
Everyone should be in a band. Oh wait, they are.
Melissa Hiebert Staff
If you throw a drumstick in a crowded area in Winnipeg, it will probably hit at least 10 guitar players. Perhaps the reason there is a growing number of musicians in Winnipeg is that there simply isn’t much else to do all winter. Or perhaps with the revival of classic rock resulting in a surge of Jimmy worshipers (both Hendrix and Page), being in a band is the cool thing to do.
“Part of what explains why there are so many people in bands right now is because playing guitar is a fad,” said Tristan, who has been playing in various basement/bar bands for eight years and teaching guitar while attending the University of Manitoba.
Then again, being in a band was always the cool thing to do. Even the otherwise embarrassing experience of struggling through a simple Blink 182 song in your parent’s basement or garage just adds to your “image.” After all, isn’t that how all of the greats started out?
But despite an ever-present minority of people who would rather work on their stage persona than on a pentatonic scale, most people just love to play. “Even if you suck, playing in a band is the best way to learn,” said Damien, who currently plays in a band called Seventeen69 with his brother Tristan, his sister Rhiannon and two of his friends, Dave and Kevin.
For the bands that have passed the learning stages, the next step is playing out in bars, coffeeshops or festivals. I asked the members of Seventeen69 (your average neighbourhood basement band) how they went about getting their gigs.
“We don’t get gigs, because we suck,” joked Damien. “But you can just do a couple battles of the bands when you’re starting out, and if you bring demos down to the Zoo or the Pyramid it’s not hard to get them to throw you in on a Thursday night.”
He also stressed that one of the most important factors in getting gigs is the number of people you bring into the bar. “If you attract people who will buy booze, you’re in.” Damien said.
Of course, bands are always forming and breaking up, but that is just a fact of life. “You all start out on the same page, but think of it like a married couple by the end,” testified Damien. “You fight, you argue, your musical tastes drift apart, the band drifts apart, you start something new, and the cycle starts all over again!”
But as with everything in life, the more you practise something the more you improve. “When looking back on every previous project you are probably thinking ‘what was I doing? That was ridiculous!’” said Rhiannon. “But you get better.”
They all agree that there has been an increase in the number of bands in Winnipeg in recent years, but overall the quality has improved. “The music in Winnipeg is actually pretty good,” affirmed Damien. “There are a lot of really tight bands out there.” Of course, there will always be poseur bands and bands that are just in it for the fame or ‘“cool” factor, but most bands are just happy getting the chance to play, be it in a bar, at a bar mitzvah, or at home in their basement.
What is Seventeen69’s final advice on how to become the ultimate rock star extraordinaire? “Don’t! You’re not going to be, you’re going to be bums like us!” said Damien. “So don’t take yourselves too seriously. Just have fun.”
