Success Stories 

I'm on tour all over Europe with the band that I'm producing. We're the official support act for 50 cent. 15 shows in the greatest countries of Europe. You can find a tour schedule on my website: www.marcelbrell.de

Anyways. i wanted to invite you to the show, we played in the O2 Arena in London in front of 10.000 People and it was pretty massive... I had some free tickets for you, but the friendly lady who I talked to on the phone told me you were on tour. Thought we could have met each other... well, next time maybe.

all the best,
Marcel [German Member]  See http://www.makehits.com/testimonials.htm

Subscriber's Section [ How to start a live career - with apologies to musicians ]

N***

 

I don't think you are a Member... if you are, forgive the notice above ... you have not given your ID number.
 
First, with enormous respect, you are insane to employ musicians at your early stage of the game.  The calibre of musicians available will be sub standard, poor readers, quite old fashioned, look like sh*t and will play their version of your toons ... not the hit versions you envisage.  I will not even mention the age of the instruments they will play [and try to convince you that that is what Kanye West uses].
 
They will dress as musos always do [dreadful!]  Behave as musos do [dreadful] and drink like musos do [again dreadful]. Turn up late, smoke and leave every dressing room like a tip.  They will also have the physique of your grandfather.  Altogether not what you see on MTV.  [The top musicians do not behave like this ... mostly herbal tea drinkers, work out daily, immaculate and behave like vicars .... but cost a fortune to employ]
 
My advice is to have you toons made into top Hit potential tracks by the best 'today' programmers/producers you get to know or can afford ..... any producer worth his salt, if he is excited by the prospects of your songs will practically do this for free ... or for a small percentage of the action.  [My best advice would be to check your toons with my Demo Consultation Service ... I can also put you in touch with arrangers ... www.makehits.co.uk/demo.htm ... that will save you a fortune in misspent money]
 
Then make sure he does 1) full finished mix 2) mix with no lead vocal [for TV and Radio work] 3) mix with lead vocal and drums missing [for use on TV and radio where you can use live drums] 4) lastly a mix with all those who you envisage will be on stage eventually with you missing.  This will leave all the samples, special effects not available on stage, special echoes, reverbs, choirs etc.   This is called in our business an 'added instruments track'.  90% of the major bands use this system.
 
Make sure he does not provide you with a 'click track' version [too complicated to explain] ... all the cues should be on the track for the live band.  My band use precisely this system [I invented it 30 years ago] ... we do not have live bass on stage and the whole band latches on to the bass on track - just as in a recording studio.
 
You then perform this material, in public, on your own, with a couple of speakers and a mini disc player.  This will prove that the music works or not with an audience - [having musicians with you does not add one jot!]
 
When you realise what stagecraft is and how to handle an audience [without talking and waffling] then add a keyboard player, playing sparsely from the original guide sheets used on the original session [those sheets are gold dust ... never use the originals, keep them in a safe ... use copies].

If you feel you could use help in perfecting your stagecraft then have a look at 'The Art of Live Performing' .. the ten month audio performing programme at www.liveperforming.com ]
 
The keyboard player has to be gorgeous, perform like a dream, preferably dance, black is best and if she/he back sings that is better..... but must sing the back singer notes on the track.

You are earning money now ... not much, but more than you were last month?
 
Next start to improve the equipment ... lights are so important ... [check out the new LED type low voltage lights] .... then add another person on stage [you notice I did not say 'musician' - keep well away from them].  It does not matter whether they can play or not ... they simply have to learn to mime ... and mime accurately [as accurately as you see on MTV].  It is looks and performance you want, if they can play, that is a bonus.
 
[This is assuming that YOU are a stunning performer, killing the audiences, sold-out signs and the managements are increasing your fees - other gigs should be flooding in, at least three extra offers per gig]
 
Now ensure that the act is looking 'costumed' ... as in colour co ordinated .... no primary colours, no browns .... white / silver / pale colours are best .... no jeans [unless Dior or Versace] ... no Tee shirts... no dirty trainers.  Check out Black Eyed Peas, Scissor Sisters.  Be careful of 'Stage Costume Designers' ... they are mostly steeped in the Sixties.  Best scout around the ultra trendy shops and then add gloss to the outfits, bling, ribbons and sown on tat work great.   Primark is a goldmine for stage clothes .... by the way, stage clothes are only worn on stage.  They go on immediately before a show and are taken off the second you come of stage and carefully hung up and covered ..... a golden rule. NEVER sit in a stage costume.
 
Now add a great black conga/roto-tom player [again not a muso] ... enthusiastic, preferably female, great performer, hopefully a back singer, loves the audience, the audience loves him/her .....
 
Now add changes of costume ... if the band are 100% behind what you are doing great ... if they are not sack them fast .... individually or together.  It is hard to find folk who understand all this logic.  You only employ performers who ADD to the show .... in fact they should be ESSENTIAL to the show.
 
By this time, you will be selling your latest white label single CD's ..... albums, posters, photos, tour brochures .... Polaroid photos in folders ... all pulling in serious dosh.  You will be collecting database and email addresses ... taking digital photos and promising the audience that they will be uploaded tomorrow .... "give us your email and you can see yourself on our site!"
 
Now the weekly newsletter with the gig list and the MySpace/UTube with new toons and gig lists ..... DO NOT put naff amateur footage on UTube ... it will come back to haunt you in years to come!
 
And all this success is because you did not employ musos.  By the way, a record deal HAS to come .... it would be impossible not to.  Purely depends on writing and writing ... checking with the demo consultation service until your have the 'dead cert' Number 1.  You see, you have the ideal vehicle to check out the songs ... your own killer act.  The audience tell you immediately whether you 'have one, or not'.

 

The Record Companies will actually find YOU ... think about it ... selling 2,000 albums a month, packing every venue with sold-out signs? 35,000 database?  Come on?  Half the audience with your Tee Shirts on?
 
By the way, musos do not write arrangements ... arrangers do ... a bunch of musos with simply play an approximation of your toon in their own 1976 style!  And moan all the time that they hate the chart.  They will argue that they wrote/co-wrote the songs and cause you huge grief.
 
Lastly you MUST have you own publishing company - see "How To Start Your Own Music Company For Less Than £100" www.makehits.co.uk/publishing.htm

 

This all works for world class Rock 'N Roll, Hip Hop, R 'n B, Soul, Country, Pop ..... this is dosh making show biz .... not for 'locked in the pub circuit'.
 

 

DEC [Cluskey]
mailto:dec@makehits.com

The best  product list in the 'success in music' business:

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https://secure.mistral.co.uk/makehits/swgappsecure.htm or fast cred*it card line: +44 1323.728005 or UK 01323.728005

 Make it a Great Week  ...... 

Dec    contact Dec direct at dec@makehits.com   He answers every Email. 

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The gags: .....      Willy again!   Boys will be boys?

A little boy got on the bus, sat next to a  man reading a book, and noticed he had his collar on backwards.

The  little boy asked why he wore his collar that way. The man, who was a  priest, said, " I am a Father."

The little boy replied, "My Daddy  doesn't wear his collar like that."

The priest looked up from his book and answered "I am the Father of many."

The boy said, "My Dad has 4  boys, 4 girls and two grandchildren and he doesn't wear his collar that  way."  The priest, getting impatient, said, "I am the Father of hundreds" and went back to reading his book.

The little boy sat  quietly thinking for a while, then leaned over and said, " Maybe you should wear your pants backwards instead of your collar."