Need a Musician

Need a musician?

Looking for that missing band member is probably one of the hardest things to find when you are in an extreme metal band. There just isn't that many around, espacially if you don't live in London or Bradford. So what can you do?

Asking in the local pubs, advertising on the net and putting a leaflet in the local music shop have no doubt already been done yes? Maybe you have done this maybe you haven't, even so it's still a good place to start.

First things first is preparation. You are going to need some leaflets and posters making up, 'Wanted band members etc' Remember, it's likely that your elusive drummer may walk past your designs without ever seeing them so it's important that you have a bold title.

FREE BEER!
SEE DIMMU BORGIR!
Etc

It doesn't matter that they don't like Dimmu Borgir or you don't like them it's bold and eyecatching because it's out of context from the real world. It called PR bollox, The media use it all the time to attract the attention of a potential buyer.

Pubs

I suppose you have a local? And I'm guessing that it's the only one in town where you can go without some trendy tosser giving you 'What for'? So your options for looking that band member seems pretty limited does it not?
NO... just because your elusive future drummer doesn't frequent the pub in town, it doesn't mean that his old man doesn't. So find the pubs where the grey haired gang hang out, order a pint or two and sit down for a hour. When leaving leave a few 'Wanted band member for extreme metal band' leaflets on the tales before you leave.

Internet advertising

Now this is a fucking biggie, where the bloody hell do you start? Again PR bollox, target your audience.
Place yourselves in this young drummers shoes. He's just moved into town, he's fanatic about Darkthrone, Opeth and Emperor. Some little nu-metal twat has just called him a dorky mosher wanker, he's upset and he doesn't know anyone. His drums are still packed up in the garage so he goes upstairs and goes on the net.
Now where is he going to look?
Well the best place to start is band guestbooks and message boards, leave adverts all over (just leave email!) Check all the other entries, you may get lucky, if someone leaves an entry from your hometown but just says they love the band etc, email them, tell them you saw ther'e guestbook entry and ask them if they can play the drums or do they know anyone who does. Is this spam? maybe, but word will get around that you need a drummer.
In fact (apart from webzines) that's all you can really do.

Shops

Don't just limit yourself to music shops, people have to eat or buy a paper or get a mars bar or a donner kebab. You still have a few of those leaflet left? Well get em into the windows, Your drummer has to come out of his bedroom sometime.
Don't forget - Post Offices and Supermarkets. Your drummer must have parents or may have close relatives who live in the area and know of his loud obbsession, bloody hell! They would do anything to get him and his damn drums out of the house, maybe they will see one of your adverts.

Posters

Ok you have these posters made up and what are you going to do with them? Most cities and large town have public billboard stands dotted around the area, you can't can't miss them. Look for the garish posters adverting new trance records or some new fucking trendy nightclub opening very soon. Get your posters stuck up on there, you may not get many replies but at least you won't suffer vision blindness from some dayglow lime poster!

There are plenty more ways of finding band members but I need a cup of tea so I'll finish this in a couple of days.

Note

Putting free beer on a leaflet or poster could be classed as false adverising, so make sure you put ' when you give over £1.75 to any pub landlord' in very small letters at the bottom.