Guide To Setting Up A Girl Band

So where to begin. Firstly, setting up your band is a bit like baking a cake. Get the recipe wrong and the band will fall flat on its face. Whoever came up with the idea of forming an all-girl band will usually have some plan in mind which path you want to go down, ie modern, soul, rock, hip hop, etc. Getting your image right is a priority. Bearing in mind that you'll probably be performing on the club circuit to start with, you need to take into consideration the age group you will be performing in front of. Do all the wrong stuff with the wrong audience and you'll find yourself in the middle of a very long hard night.

Lots of acts starting off do the club circuit to get the training they need to perform in front of a live audience and then move on, working abroad, cruises, etc. It's good experience that will really help you in the long run. Aiming for music to suit all tastes to start with will result in more work, all important to get you the experience needed, until you're established.

If you're going for a trio or more, then you need to have a solid lead vocal and, very importantly, girls that can do harmonies above and below that lead vocal, giving you that tight vocal harmony sound which is necessary. So, when you're auditioning your future bandmates, realistically all three need to be able to harmonise and a good second lead vocal is an added bonus for a change of sound. If all of you can take a lead, even better. Auditions are terrifying to most people so remember this in the early stages, making the candidates feel at home and as relaxed as possible. Take everything into consideration and, if someone is particularly nervous, look beyond at what they may have to offer. Some singers can perform anywhere and everywhere, but fall apart at auditions.

What do you do if someone auditions that has an excellent lead vocal, but can't harmonise? This is tricky and proves more difficult with a trio than a four-piece. It means that the majority of the lead has to be sung by the same person, limiting the change of sound that should be available. It means that there will be only two-part harmony when there should be three. It's something you need to be really careful of if you're serious about putting a good band together. Remember that your band will only ever be as good as the weakest member which doesn't mean the lesser singer, however. If all band members can do lead and harmonies, you have a great start and should be on to a winner.

Knowing your limitations, learning to be honest with yourself and your bandmates can prove to be tricky, but is so important. Get this right and you will automatically be putting up front the right person with the right song at the right time. The hardest thing to cope with is when someone thinks they're better than they really are. I've heard parents and friends go on and on about how brilliant this girl is even though she has done only karaoke and how knocked out I will be when I've listened to her. Well, I've been knocked out so many times, but for all the wrong reasons. How on earth do you go back to these people and tell them the truth about how good the girl IS NOT.

If you fall lucky and you have an exceptional lead vocal in your band, then obviously you are going to use that talent as your main focus point. And, remember, if you aren't one of the main leads, there's a song or songs out there to suit all voices; you just need to find it. It's good for the band if everyone can do a bit, but, that said, I'm not a believer in putting people up front who shouldn't be there. Stick to what you're best at is my motto. As I've already said, know your limitations for it's the end product, the whole production, that matters not who's doing the most solos. That fabulous tight vocal harmony sound is what you're aiming for and should be your priority as this is definitely no time for egos that could ultimately ruin your goal.

When you've finally sorted out the band members, now the hard work really begins. You now have to pick and sort out your songs, outfits, equipment, agents, sound man and possible roadie, etc. and not forgetting your new original band name. Before you even start on the music and outfits, you have to figure out as a band which path you're going down as the music you choose will or should be a reflection of the audience you are aiming at. Make sure you have variety in your music, including a strong opening and closing song and some good ballads. You will find as you start rehearsing, however, that some songs turn out better than you thought they would and some that you thought would be great turn out pretty average so you'll sort out a lot of your music as rehearsals get under way, but making a general list helps bring some guidance and focus to rehearsals.

SOLID REHEARSING

If I could only ever give one piece of advice, it would be this, plain and simply, NEVER set up any equipment as you start your early rehearsals. Get yourselves around a table in a room where you can sing freely and the neighbours don't mind. Break the song down bit by bit, line by line, testing one harmony at a time. When you've got your main lead and one harmony note perfect, fit in the next one. If something doesn't sound right or there is a note or notes that don't fit, at least you then know where the problem lies. Then work it over and over again until you know it backwards and, when you think it's about right, rehearse it again. I say again the worst thing you can do is set up any equipment. Get your songs to start sounding so good around a table that it gives you a buzz and you will reap the rewards afterwards, I promise.

Break down all your first set like this and it will pay huge dividends when you set up your gear to rehearse it through your equipment. Try to be disciplined in making sure you start together and finish together; you'll find notes starting to drift longer than you did around the table. This is just something that happens when you pick up the mic and add the reverb so staying focused about already rehearsed note lengths is very important. This will come naturally, though, as your rehearsals progress. Rehearse, rehearse and rehearse.

If you're doing movements which you need to do if there are no instruments, put them in as you go along, song by song, even if it's only during the number's middle break. The worst thing you can do is learn all the songs first and then put in any movements, TRUST ME! Doing it with each song, you'll find it will help you remember words and lines and vice-versa; you'll remember a certain movement that goes with specific lines, words and chorus, etc.

When you've rehearsed all your first set as much as you think you can, it's time to set up a rehearsal with the equipment. It's an exciting time and everyone will be dying to get their hands on a mic to sing down. Don't be surprised at the mistakes you make. Just rehearse, rehearse and rehearse. What you put in here will show on stage.
It's during these times that some stress can creep into rehearsals. You will find here that some of you will pick things up a lot quicker than others for whatever reason.

Try not to add pressure if someone is a bit slower because of having a day job or other reasons. Stay calm and focused, and rehearse until you can do it backwards. Support each other as much as possible so you can keep a healthy bond going between you. Most importantly, HAVE FUN. This is a great time for you all as you get to know each other much deeper. Keep personalities at bay and concentrate on getting the band's vocals, harmonies and movement flowing in unison.

You'll find yourself singing and humming away to yourselves when you don't even know you're doing it. You'll go to bed singing, you'll sing in your sleep and you'll wake up singing, such is the hold of getting a girl band together.

Outfits are a personal thing, but should be a reflection on the style of harmony band you are along with the music you'll be singing. It's important to always look good, no excuses here, but, bearing in mind that it's unusual to get a set of perfect figures and not everyone will look fine in the same outfit, you can always get around this by having, say, tops and trousers and/or a colour scheme so that each one can buy to suit their figure, but you have a band theme. It's so important to not only look good, but that each individual feels good as well. If you don't, it's amazing how this can affect your performance. Lastly, make sure everything about you, from head to toe, is clean and ironed. It will go such a long way for you as you build up your band's reputation.

This is one of the most important sections of your band, especially if there are a few voices. Make sure your gear has the power required to take your vocals and backing tracks. Penny pinch here and your sound will be distorted and the band will sound dreadful, meaning all the months of hard work will go to waste, not to mention the bad feedback you could get from the club. You want to start off correctly.

Talk to the people you're buying from; if they're any good, they should let you try before you buy. You're spending serious money here so do it right; better still if you can take someone in the business with you, someone who knows what they're talking about. No matter what size room you're singing in, you need to be able to fill it with a good smooth sound. I can't stress this enough. And always have a back-up microphone because having to share is so unprofessional in the event of equipment failure.

This is a bit tricky as every sound man thinks he's good and can be so touchy if he believes you're criticising him. So, if you're going down this road and I advise you to do so if possible, before you set one on talk at length with him to explain what your needs are and what you're wanting from his input; build up a relationship so that, if there's something not right one night, it can be sorted in a nice manner. You have to have a sound man who's approachable. That said, you have to learn, and this can be so difficult at times, to let the man do the job that you are paying him to do. You need to trust his judgement because, for those of you who have yet to do your first gig, you will be in for a shock. I have known people who have really struggled with their first night's sound. It is nothing like your rehearsal sounds.

If you're lucky enough to find a club to rehearse in that allows you to set up on stage, that's great as it will help you get used to the speakers being in front of you while singing, as your sound and feedback will be coming from the monitors at your feet in front of you, and it is these that you will be using to hear yourselves on stage. It is this sound that you must NEVER judge the band's sound on because it has NOTHING to do with what your audience are hearing. The acoustics of a concert room change drastically as it fills with people and all the heavy curtains and doors are closed compared to an empty rehearsal room. It is this sound from your monitor that can affect a singer in many ways, some find it so off-putting that they prefer not to have a monitor on stage at all. How ever if your a trio or more I would advise against this as you need to hear what's going off on stage to help everyone stay together vocally. This is one of the learning curves you will have to cope with and your sound man should be able to set a sound that you'll all be happy with on your monitors.

An agent is just an agent - all agents are the same. Never believe anyone who says this to you. The agent you choose will have a great impact on you as a group and will ultimately dictate how many times you work, where you work, how far you travel and how much you earn. Do your homework as whoever you end up with should be governed by the path you want to go down, ie do you want to work abroad or do the cruises or big hotels, etc? So make sure your agent has the right contacts. Get a good relationship going and make sure he understands your goals as a band. Never be afraid to ask questions; for goodness sake, don't say yes to the first one that offers you work and NEVER feel pressurised to sign up solely with them unless it's what you really want. Learn what commission they will be taking from you and don't forget their VAT charges as this can make a huge hole in your wages. Make sure you're happy with everything before you say yes to them. As you're just starting out, these are very exciting times, but remember this - you DO NOT work for an agent, they WORK FOR YOU! A good agent will go out of his way to help you so the relationship you build with them is soooo important.

Getting a girl band together requires total commitment which means that your time together with your partner goes out of the window as rehearsals take over most, if not all, of your free time. If you are in a relationship, then you need to sit down with your partner and really talk so they understand what will be involved. Remember that your weekend nights out with him and your friends ARE OVER if you commit to the band. It will literally become your social life and you will need a very understanding partner that can handle it. Many join the band on their gigs, but sometimes this can backfire on you.

Girl bands naturally attract attention and, human nature being what it is, means that little green monster called jealousy can and will rear its ugly little head, causing the band endless problems. This is the last thing you want while working. Talk together as a band, make rules, take a group vote and stick to what you've voted on. If I'm honest, I will say that the percentage of relationships breaking up during the early stages of a band getting together is very high and, in truth, most don't make it. This is something everyone needs to be aware of.

A word here on what I would describe as another NO NO. Please don't ever make the mistake of bringing a boyfriend, etc into any role connected with your band. IT IS A KILLER in every possible way. Nuff said. JUST DON'T.

Away from all the glamour, you will need someone who is willing to do the band's accounts. It's a thankless, boring, pain in the butt job, but somebody has to do it. There's usually someone in a band who's amenable to doing the books, but remember that it's important to keep up to date with them and fill them in daily so there's no chance of forgetting and making mistakes. It will only lead to stress and arguments in the band. Meeting once a month for everyone to look at the books should suffice, but it is important they are double-checked and signed by the rest or at least one member of the band.

You will also need a spokeswoman to handle the bookings and generally deal with the agent; it's another thankless job that must be done, but be warned here that whoever takes this on will get the backlash of anything and everything that goes wrong connected with the band - and there's nothing worse than an agent in a bad mood!!! Generally, though, they're pretty even tempered.

Girls, from the first day you start getting your girl band together, don't forget to begin collecting every single solitary receipt from bus fares, petrol, make-up, lotions, skin care, tanning, hair appointments, food and drink while rehearsing and travel to and from gigs, clothes, shoes, tights, nails, backing tracks, phone calls and, of course, your gear and absolutely anything connected with the band. Get yourself a container and, if you can get into a routine of adding your receipts up every few weeks and making a note, clip them together and put safely away, you will save yourself hours of work and a major headache.

Although you won't be paying any tax for quite a while, you still have to go through the procedure of submitting your band's books. Whether you submit as a band or individually will be a band decision. I have always submitted my own and online when it became available, saving hundreds of pounds. Although it seems daunting at first, many of the tax form's pages don't even apply so it's worth considering if you want to save some serious money.

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When you've done your gig, hopefully your audience will go home satisfied. Of course, they see only the glamorous bit - your stage performance. They have no idea how long you were travelling to the club, all the humping of the gear into the club, the setting up, etc, etc. Then, as they all make their way home for some supper and a late-night film, you've got to help take down all the gear, carry it outside, load up your van and make the journey home. After the last person has been dropped off, you can finally fall into bed utterly exhausted. But there is NOTHING, and I repeat NOTHING, that can touch the buzz and adrenalin rush you get from it, especially if you've had one of those nights when everything was just utterly frigging perfect!!!

It's a fantastic life like no other and, if you have a band of note, you will earn a good living.
Here are a few important golden rules:

Always get ready in plenty of time; that way, if there's a power cut or any other disaster at home, it means you don't have to finish your make-up and things while on the road. Be ready for your arranged pick-up time which should defuse any stress build-up and shows respect for your bandmates and driver. Set off for your gig in plenty of time to allow for traffic build-ups, accidents, getting lost, although it's best to get some directions and generally map out the route you will need.

Treat the club venue and people in it with respect; no matter what issues you may have, always raise them in a calm manner and discuss things with your agent the next day. NEVER argue or raise your voice with club officials, etc, no matter how many times you may want to put your hands around their necks and squeeze hard (believe me, there will be many). DON'T do it. Think about the rest of your band and remember you could lose a whole bunch of work in the process. It's just not worth it. Grit your teeth and move on, there's always another great gig awaiting you around the corner.

Always leave dressing rooms clean, in the manner you found them, even though some defy belief!

Have a great life. I did and I hope some of these tips and advice will be of help to you in your chosen career. Good luck.

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