How to Start Your Own Neopian Band

Since starting your very own band can be very difficult, it’s best to decide if you’re truly up for it. Be prepared to perform for a bad crowd who might throw overripe tomatoes at you, or for harsh critics who’ll pound you down. Sure, you may think that if you start a band, you’ll get fame and fortune pouring in immediately. It’s a little more complicated than that, my friend.

Step One: Choosing the genre

First things first; you need to choose what type of music you’re going to play. Do you like to rock out to heavy metal, or would you prefer the soft, soothing sounds of a symphony? If you aren’t sure what type of genre you plan on playing, you can just call yourselves “experimental.” Listen to various genres of music and see which one you enjoy the most. It is quite necessary to decide what genre you plan on playing, because it’ll draw in the audience who likes it the best. That way, you’ll get the best crowd cheering for you (or quietly listening if you’re planning on being in that symphony) when you perform!

When the bassist from Gruuundo was asked how they came up with the genre, he coolly replied, "Dude, we just jammed out on our guitars for a few days straight, and I was like, ‘Dude, we’re totally a rock band!’ Just play, like, ya know, music that you like!”

Step Two: Choosing the instruments

Are you talented at pounding on random objects and keeping a steady beat? You might like to take up drum lessons. Or are you more interested in learning how to sing to a pop ballad? It’s very important to know what you are talented at. You don’t just become famous overnight, so you have to realize that you must practice a lot if you want to become good at the instrument! I’ve been playing piano for six long years myself, and I know that it takes patience and effort to actually amount to anything. If you don’t feel up for learning how to play a certain instrument, perhaps learning how to dance would be better for something else, such as a pop group, like the famous M*YNCI.

The Neopian Philharmonic was asked what their opinion was on taking up an instrument, and they were very happy to be interviewed. The harpist, Madame Ficelles had this to say: “Well, one must be serious when choosing one's instrument. I picked up the harp at a very early age, and even though I did not enjoy it at first, I stayed with it and now I love to play!”

Step Three: Choosing your attire!

Do you honestly think that your audience will enjoy listening to an upbeat jazz band wearing all pink and frilly clothes? Make sure you wear clothes that are original, cool, and that actually pertain to the genre of music you are going to play. If you are planning on being part of a pop group, you’ll have to wear trendy clothes to fit in, while being part of a rock band means rebelling and starting those trends! Having the entire band have a signature look will be pleasing to the eye and your fans might even try to copy it.

The talented guitarist Lizzie Grimm from Twisted Roses had this comment: “We all decided as a group that we’d have our own look, and it’s worked out pretty well. But, you know, the clothes aren’t everything... it takes talent to get where we are.”

Step Four: Writing songs

Any Neopian rock band will agree with me on this one: you must have songs to become famous! Sure, singing songs that you sang in the shower might be entertaining for a week, but it’ll soon become trite and boring. Try experimenting and play a random tune on the keyboard, or write the lyrics. It truly takes a lot of talent to be able to compose your own music, so if you can’t do that, you can hire someone to do that for you, but it isn’t always looked well upon by the music world.

The band members of Wock Til You Drop agreed to comment on how they wrote their songs. Drummer Freddy Trommel said, “We were inspired by a few other great bands to write our music, but we keep it original. Garry, our singer, wrote most of the lyrics, but we helped out with composing the tunes.”

Step Five: Signing up with a record label

If you actually want to sell CDs and perform at the Concert Hall, try finding a record label that likes your music. They can be picky at times, so make sure you play your best at every gig in case they are watching. You can start off by performing at small stores or at birthday parties to become locally renowned, and a record label might just take interest. If that doesn’t happen, try calling up a few of them to see if they are interested in at least listening to a recording of your music. Once you get this covered, you’ll be well on your way to being known by all of Neopia (that is, if you have a good band)!

The Blue Kacheek Group was erm... interviewed, but all they did was stare at me and dance. I guess they had no comment on this.

Step Six: Performing on stage!

Be interactive with the audience! If the crowd is requesting that you play a certain song, you should go ahead and play it for them to please them. Have fun and move around on stage, and make it a once-in-a-lifetime-experience for everyone who comes. Get them singing and jumping to the beat of the music, and hope that you have a good crowd.

One of the pan drummers from the Hikalakas, Warren Cools, said with a grin, “Yeah, we try to keep things on stage fun for the audience by dancing in tune with our music. It really gets things pumped up and lively.”

Perhaps you don’t necessarily want all the fame and fortune that comes with being in a great band? Maybe you just want to have fun with performing for a good crowd and earn a little on the side. Don’t sign up with a major record label, and you won’t become a sell-out. You can still have fun with strumming on the guitar with your buddies, and you don’t have to be famous while doing it.

So there you have it, the guide to starting a band! Just remember to be patient and original, and always be good to fans (unless they are lunging at you while foaming at the mouth, growling) and sign autographs if they request it. This will help you get a good reputation, and a good reputation never hurts. Be in tune to what the audience wants, and be interactive with them while performing to make it more fun for both of you. Don’t forget to tell everyone who helped you out! *hint-hint*

And don’t forget to neomail me what you thought of my article!