JUST FUCKING DO IT

I saw this post on the SA forums, and felt it was pretty good advice for myself and a bunch of people I know, so here it is before the post gets lost in the mire that is Something Awful.



So here's my advice to you kids loving around at home

Get up, go start a band and book gigs. Become the most overblown confident liar when it comes to pimping your band. Stop being the emo-self-doubter misunderstood artist and just loving do it. Become the rock star. It's you baby, you can do it.

I wish I could go back in time and kick my own rear end at 18 and make me do something instead of waiting another 15 years, fearful of clubs telling me no, or nobody liking my incredible talent, or whatever the hell it was that held me back.

I wish I was as cocky and full of poo poo back then as I am today, instead of self-doubting and chickenshit. I wish I knew the things I know now - that it's not about talent or practice or even ability when it comes to getting onstage and playing your instrument. And nobody - NOBODY checks your presskit facts. So lie. Tell them you opened for some B-level currently touring band that sounds like your band. Tell them you just finished a tri-state tour of small clubs. Nobody - NOBODY cares enough to check your facts. All they want to know is "who do they sound like and do they have any experience and will they draw a crowd". Lie. Lie your rear end off but be sure to bring out a crowd when you DO get your show. Or else they won't call you back.

It's all about confidence. I've seen lovely mediocre forgettable StevieRay Wannabees pull in a huge crowd, playing His licks, note for note but without any feeling, all because they had balls the size of kentucky. They had that kind of Elvis "I'm letting you in on my secret - this is all just for fun, there ain't no talent anywhere onstage" thing that goes a million miles beyond the snoozefest Eric Johnson "skill over all else" approach.

So get up there. Start your own band or go join one. Be a dick. Laugh at yourself. Play the wrong notes and scream out "I PLAY JAZZ BITCHES". The only person seriously judging you is yourself. If you get up there and have fun, everybody else is going to remember that, over your lovely redundant solos and flubbed chords.

But don't wait, because before you know it, something will get in your way and you'll have to stop, whether you want to or not. And then you'll be saying "I sure wish I'd listened to that brilliant motherfucker mag7 because not only is he talented and awesome, he's also my daddy's bitch and I have to show respeck."

edit:
In my bitching and moaning, the least I can do is give you a link to help you market your band better.

This guy is The poo poo
http://www.bob-baker.com/buzz/music-video.html