BUILDING A BAND

Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. \nIt sounds easy enough -- grab some equipment and a few friends and you have yourself a band. Before you know it you'll have girls lined up outside your room and money and drugs at your finger tips. Not so fast. \nWhile throwing together a band seems easier than throwing together a term paper, it's not all hot girls and headlining at the Bluebird. \nMaking a band takes time, money, work and lots of patience. Look at P. Diddy; it's not even easy for a multi-millionaire to make a band. Diddy's MTV show "Making the band" is in its third season and Diddy still hasn't made those kids famous.\nAlthough it's not easy, the bands that have stuck it out say it's all worth it in the end. And just like everything else, you can't get something from nothing.\nTake it from those who know. Louisville-based drummer Rick Graves has been in the music business on and off for 37 years and he's still going. The band Graves has been with for the last four years, the Vinyl Kings, hasn't sold millions of records or traveled a 30-city tour, but they've been a success in their own right. The band has achieved a loyal fan base and a good amount of fame in the Louisville area. \nFor Graves, the Beatles first U.S. appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1964 was the moment he knew he wanted to make music part of his life. He was 10 years old. \nAfter this, Graves jumped headfirst into music, with the help of his family and the guidance of the Beatles. \n"The first step to emulating the Beatles was to buy a guitar or drums; learning to play was secondary to owning a guitar," he says. "Hell, most of us didn't realize that it took hard work and practice to learn to play these instruments. Fortunately for me, my grandfather was a musician ... a piano player, so I had already had an interest in music that he instilled. The Beatles just heightened my desire to learn to play. I think that most people get involved in music because they want to be like their music idols."\nThe first point of order in getting a musical career off the ground is finding something to play -- think super-cool drum set or a rockin' guitar -- but also think cheap. Graves suggests buying used before blowing your life savings on a guitar that's going to sit in the corner of your room for years if it doesn't work out. He suggests checking out eBay and local classifieds to find a cheap starter instrument. Once you've mastered your $50 guitar you can move on to the big guns; Fender and BC Rich in the guitar department. DW drums are Graves' first pick for drums, but also recommends Slingerland, Rogers and Ludwig. \nAfter you have your talent on the way to super stardom, the next step to creating the next Rolling Stones is to find others with your same musical goals. Unless a solo career sounds appealing, finding a few people to plug away with is the only way to get anywhere.\nFor the local band Bloodstream Days, finding the lead singer was the hardest part. Since October of 2002 the band had been building up its following in hopes of leaving Bloomington for bigger and better things. But before they could set out, the guys in the band, who also live together and are best friends, had to find a lead singer. \n"You will always run into problems as soon as the band starts," bass guitarist Jarrett Burton says. "Probably the biggest obstacle we faced was in finding a singer. We canvassed the town with flyers, looking for someone who was able to sing, as well as move with us to wherever the hell we were going to move. Eventually I was shoved into the spotlight, and in retrospect it was for the best. Adding a new member to a band is always a hard thing to do, especially if the current members already have a good relationship."\nFor Graves, finding people who had the same interests and goals was the biggest factor when he was looking to form a band. Graves has played in bands with his best friend for years and added different musicans to the mix throughout the years. His biggest piece of advice is to drop any ego before getting started. He says while talent is important, the main ingredient for a band's longevity is the chemistry between band mates. \n"Some of the most talented musicians that I have played with were shitheads. I would rather play in a band with moderately talented musicians who were respectable and considerate of their band mates than very talented assholes ... any day," Graves says. \nOnce the equipment has been bought and the line-up is set, it's time to practice, practice, practice. Whether it means hanging out in someone's apartment and strumming away or getting some local bar or club to let you play, the main thing to remember is practice makes perfect. \nFinding a place to practice or landing the first gig can be harder than all the stuff leading up to this point. Where's a good place to jam away and not bother anyone? Where's a place dumb enough to let a start-up band wail? \nOvernight Haven had this very problem. Living in the dorms and small apartments in Bloomington, the all-student band was forced to play everywhere from Read Center's music practice rooms to the basement of their apartment buildings. \n"Lugging amps down and back the halls ... that was like my workout for the evening," lead singer and bass guitarist senior Ben Leang says. "We were fortunate enough that the places I lived the following years had enough space to practice and leave (the equipment) sitting there, and that I had some really, really cool roommates who were willing to put up with the noise -- I mean, beautiful art."\nWhile the music and the money can be motives behind making a great band, Leang says the band experience is more than that. Meeting new people and giving an audience something to rock out to is more rewarding than any amount of fame or money. \nBurton agrees, advising any new band to remain humble and patient. \n"If it's your first show, don't maintain the illusion that you're the next Led Zeppelin, and that your show will be sold out. It's not going to happen," he says. "We've been together for over a year, and we're still happy if 10 people make it out to our show. Plug away, tighten up your songs and word will eventually get out."\nBut in the end, whether the band takes off on the Billboard charts or finds a following in a big city, Graves has the perfect advice -- have fun, live the stereotypes and enjoy it. \n"The best thing about being in a band is the women and sex! At one time, many years ago, that was definitely an appeal. I have only been hit on about five times in the last five years and two of those times were men, damnit," Graves jokes. "Sex, drugs and rock n' roll ... it is a bit of a myth, but baby, it was a reality when I was in my 20s. It's a thrill still to play for a crowd that is into the music, dancing and having a good time"