how to present your band to a....

[smy1]

Originally Posted by xconnyx

wtf is an entertainment lawyer?! is there someone equal in germany?

Yes, my lawyers for example: www.zd-law.de

They don't do metal though. And they don't do unsigned acts either, because they are too busy with their other clients.

Other than them, I don't know any, but there are a number of them.

[Radd]

Entertainment Lawyer

[Djabthrash]

Originally Posted by Radd

Entertainment Lawyer

haha

[theblackmoon]

Originally Posted by Jevil

For Metal it helps to be born in SWEDEN, GERMANY, ENGLAND or USA.
Any well known spanish band? Or french? Some countries seem to be cursed.

I´m from Brasil, have you ever heard of Sepultura, Sarcófago, Krisiun, Angra? Well there are these guys from Polland called Behemoth, ever heard of´em?

How about Belphegor from Austria? Dimmu Borgir from Norway, Aborted from Belgium, Gojira from France, Avulsed from Spain, Aborym from Italy, Astarte from Greece, Moonspell from Portugal, Cryptosy from Canada, The Amenta from Australia... the list goes on...

all of them signed with mid to big labels, all of them with distribution on most Metal shops on the globe...

some of them are legends...

[Jevil]

Originally Posted by theblackmoon

I´m from Brasil, have you ever heard of Sepultura, Sarcófago, Krisiun, Angra? Well there are these guys from Polland called Behemoth, ever heard of´em?

Only Sepultura and Angra are well-known bands from a country like Brasil with 174 Millions of people living there.

Originally Posted by theblackmoon

How about Belphegor from Austria? Dimmu Borgir from Norway, Aborted from Belgium, Gojira from France, Avulsed from Spain, Aborym from Italy, Astarte from Greece, Moonspell from Portugal, Cryptosy from Canada, The Amenta from Australia... the list goes on...

Most of them I don't even know. If those bands are the most important bands of each country I think what i said is very sensible. Except for Dimmu, do you think they have the right support of their companies?

I could do a list of real big bands from the countries I mentioned.

[Deus.exe]

Originally Posted by theblackmoon

... The Amenta from Australia...

+1
I fukkin' LOVE The Amenta!

[Metal Overload]

Is true that mid size and big companies, dont even bother to look to third world countries, here in Mexico are really really talented bands, and just a few have signed a deal with medium size companies like Osmose Records, but they dont have that kind of support to jump to the world escene, in other hand, some musicians from the Mexican Scene have jumped like Marcela Bovio from Elfonía, she appeared in "The human Equation" album by Ayreon, and are the frontwoman of Stream Of Passion, a band which have three mexican members, and their little fame or fortune are vanishing since Arjen is not with them anymore.
Or tell me my friends, who of you have heard or know a Mexican Band, and please don´t say Brujeria, because they are not Mexicans, and never had Mexican Members in their line-up, people from a lot of countries think they are mexicans, but they barely speak spanish

[Djabthrash]

Originally Posted by theblackmoon

I´m from Brasil, have you ever heard of Sepultura, Sarcófago, Krisiun, Angra? Well there are these guys from Polland called Behemoth, ever heard of´em?

How about Belphegor from Austria? Dimmu Borgir from Norway, Aborted from Belgium, Gojira from France, Avulsed from Spain, Aborym from Italy, Astarte from Greece, Moonspell from Portugal, Cryptosy from Canada, The Amenta from Australia... the list goes on...

all of them signed with mid to big labels, all of them with distribution on most Metal shops on the globe...

some of them are legends...

Jevil said IT HELPS to be from certain countries, not that you can't succeed if you're not from those countries.

The few well-known bands (don't tell me that you compare Sepultura with Sarcofago in terms of worldwide popularity...) from "non-metal" countries that you mentioned have had to bust their ass off a lot more than a band from a "metal country" i think.

If you take an "average" band from a "metal country" in a "non metal country" i think the guys won't make it.

Sepultura, Angra, Krisiun, Gojira, Cryptopsy, Moonspell (Dimmu Borgir is from Norway which is a metal country to me; Aborted and Avulsed are more "underground" than previously mentioned bands and Sarcofago / The amenta / Aborym / Astarte (never heard of this band before) are even more "underground" ) ) are exceptions since they are :

-awesome bands with a strong personality
-very hard-working bands
-they have/had good support from their labels


nowadays metal countries are :
-Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland)
-USA
-UK
-Germany, Netherlands, Belgium

-Brasil has a different situations cuz' there has been no "huge hit" since Sepultura / Angra / Krisiun

and there are some new "metal countries i guess" to the growing popularity of certain bands there that kind of "opened the doors" for the other bands :
-Canada (Cryptopsy...and now bands like Despised Icon, all the technical death metal scene...)
-Poland : Vader.. and now Decapitated, Behemoth, ...

-France could be the next on the list with bands like Gojira and Scarve but French scene seem to be a little "cursed" worldwide for a long time though

[theblackmoon]

I think what you guys are missing is the fact that those "metal countries" you guys listed are actually economically stronger countries than the rest. Is Sweden stronger than Mexico just in Metal? Obviously not, Brasil is third-world country, ruled by corrupt politicians, my city has a murder rate bigger than Bagdad! The chances for everyone "making it" here are far more dificult than it´s for someone on the countries you listed. But the point is not just in Metal, in everything, and I actually believe Metal is one of the most globalized aspects of western society.

Moonspell is a big act. Those polish death metal bands we all know are mid to big. If you go to a Metal store in São Paulo you will find cds of all of those bands, with plenty of kids wearing t-shirts from Gojira and such, "underground" is a term dificult to describe, because most people would consider Nevermore underground, and I don´t consider anything to be underground so...

Don´t get me wrong guys, I´m just defending the possibility of someone that was not lucky enough to born in those ideal countries to be able not only dream about it but also be able to actually make it, and many did.

[Djabthrash]

Originally Posted by theblackmoon

I think what you guys are missing is the fact that those "metal countries" you guys listed are actually economically stronger countries than the rest. Is Sweden stronger than Mexico just in Metal? Obviously not, Brasil is third-world country, ruled by corrupt politicians, my city has a murder rate bigger than Bagdad! The chances for everyone "making it" here are far more dificult than it´s for someone on the countries you listed. But the point is not just in Metal, in everything, and I actually believe Metal is one of the most globalized aspects of western society.

Moonspell is a big act. Those polish death metal bands we all know are mid to big. If you go to a Metal store in São Paulo you will find cds of all of those bands, with plenty of kids wearing t-shirts from Gojira and such, "underground" is a term dificult to describe, because most people would consider Nevermore underground, and I don´t consider anything to be underground so...

Don´t get me wrong guys, I´m just defending the possibility of someone that was not lucky enough to born in those ideal countries to be able not only dream about it but also be able to actually make it, and many did.

+1

But still countries like France, Spain, ITaly, Germany, UK are almost on the same "development" level, but in the reality it's easier to succeed as a metal band if you're from UK/Germany than from France/Italy/Spain.

But you're right about the general "country's economic development" aspect.

[Metaltastic]

Originally Posted by Djabthrash

Netherlands...

Who in the metal scene is from the Netherlands?

[-Gavin-]

When you guys say "UK" you mean England.

Scotland has fuck all and gets fuck all recognition!

[Gustavo_Loureiro]

Just remembered Lamb Of God guys speaking on the Headbangers Journey Documentary about their growing up environments and how it affected their music "on saturday nights, you could hear guns.. you just hear them". Following that thought Brazil should be one of the most extreme metal country!!!

[Deus.exe]

Originally Posted by Gustavo_Loureiro

Just remembered Lamb Of God guys speaking on the Headbangers Journey Documentary about their growing up environments and how it affected their music "on saturday nights, you could hear guns.. you just hear them". Following that thought Brazil should be one of the most extreme metal country!!!

Krisiun anyone?

[mts1979]

Hey, enough of that -- back to the "how to get signed" part!! I'm bumping this back up, it was just getting interesting!!!

[-Gavin-]

The truth is there is no set way to get signed?

Some bands work for years building up a followig, doing shitty gigs and paying a lot of money, or some, lik us, email one sentence to a record company for a joke...

It depends on your music, the label and your attitude.

[fabz]

With R:I:P, we recorded our album, took pictures, wrote a bio, made a promo-cover, sent it out to about 60 lables and finally got signed. So far so good.

The funny part is that we got signed by a label we did not sent any promostuff to! They signed us because of the songs of our Myspace site. The Band was founded in 2005.

So i guess the internet is the future... somehow...


But I'm still lookin' for a label with my other band...

[EdSOE]

Round 2 anybody? I just read the whole thing and seems like almost 2 years after, we can come with new ideas.

Having members from "well known" bands doing a review of your album or doing quotes might help or not ?

Cheers

[Black neon bob]

I second this! MOAR!

[The Unavoidable]

Originally Posted by Gustavo_Loureiro

Just remembered Lamb Of God guys speaking on the Headbangers Journey Documentary about their growing up environments and how it affected their music "on saturday nights, you could hear guns.. you just hear them". Following that thought Brazil should be one of the most extreme metal country!!!

Hah, yeah I saw that too. What the hell, if growing up among criminals and in bad neighbourhoods is what made you metal, then why the hell is Sweden one of the top (if not THE) metal countries in the world?

[skeksis268]

Originally Posted by EdSOE

Round 2 anybody? I just read the whole thing and seems like almost 2 years after, we can come with new ideas.

Having members from "well known" bands doing a review of your album or doing quotes might help or not ?

Cheers

thanks for bumping, very interesting thread

[Sptz]

Originally Posted by Metaltastic

Who in the metal scene is from the Netherlands?

Pestilence!

[Force666]

There's 3 ways to get signed I think.

1. Someone with the right connections helping you out.
2. Being Ultra-Badass and working your ass off.
3. Having a shitload of money.

[enditol]

I can tell you how we did it, and other bands I know::

1. Record an album that is ready to go on shelves yourself
2. Tour and market and build yourself a following

Everyone knows the music business is fucked up, it revolts me in a lot of ways, but at the same time helped bring a lot of great experiences.

I don't want to be broke and live in a van for the next 10 years so i'm not sure how long i'll last hah...it seems that is expected somehow if you 'love the music enough'. While I have to love myself a bit too so fuck that shit!

[Suicide_As_Alibi]

Not sure the name will mean much to anyone outside the UK, but some friends of mine in a trashy rock band (think The Darkness but more punk) ran into Rolf Harris at a Guilfest a few years ago. They got him to sign a copy of their demo and took a photo of him with the band holding the singed CD - then they pretty much just used that as their press kit, with randomly made up quotes from Rolf like "they're so fucking rock, their CD made my knob explode". It was clearly bollocks, but they did get responses from almost everyone they sent the press pack too

One of my old bands got signed the old fashioned way - we got scouted at a gig and the A&R guy pretty much signed us up on the spot. That was a tiny label though (though the guy who saw us had arranged gigs for Nirvana and the Manic Street Preachers).

Knowing people does help though, as does previous reputation. I know a guy called Mid who used to be in Deviated Instinct (one of the pioneers of Crust Punk) - he also does artwork for a lot of bands, including Napalm Death. He was regularly doing art for bands on In At The Deep End Records, so when his band Bait got their demo together he sent it to the label along with the artwork he'd been doing - so he pretty much knew that their CD would get listened to pretty quickly, and all three members of the band were known from hard-working, frequently gigging bands (the bassist was also in Deviated Instinct and the drummer used to be in Subvert) so they were fairly safe options.

Steve