I think I’ve already adequately covered my disdain for MySpace in previous posts. And we know that I accept it’s existence as a -for now- necessary evil for bands.
With that in mind, I’m going to share some advice with any upstart local bands out there. Trust me, these simple tips will make people visiting your MySpace page a lot happier.
1. If you can’t write your band’s bio in less than 250 words, find someone who can.
2. Do not flip off the cameras in your photos. That’s so Hot Topic, circa 2002. Stop it, okay?
3. Skip the fancy backgrounds. They take FOREVER to load. Do what Spinal Tap would do: Make it black. None more black. Or red. Or just one color of whatever.
4. Use multimedia wisely. Look, fuzzy videos of you playing at local venues or backyard parties won’t really impress anyone. If you must do a video, execute it well, and show only one of them. More videos also slow loading speed. By the time your page would’ve loaded, the MySpace visitor has already moved onto the next band.
5. Nobody really cares what sort of gear you play, especially if you’re not endorsed. Mind this advice even more if you’re playing cut-rate garbage. If you’re playing a BlackMachine guitar through a Kasha RockMod head, I might be intrigued. Otherwise, no. Just no. And no company is gonna offer you free gear, either, unless they stand to gain from it. Learn to play the instruments first.
6. Back to the subject of band photos, brick walls and railroad tracks are also verboten.
7. Don’t tell me you’re gonna change/redefine/revolutionize music as I know it. Please.
8. Friend some real people, not just other bands. Look, few other bands are good audiences. Especially established bands. We’ve got day jobs, outside interests, maybe even families. We’re interested in a few bands, but we’d rather have real people as your friends - and so should you.
9. If you friend somebody, drop them a note. Generally, I’ll send a message along with a friends request. Usually, it’s just enough to let them know I actually looked at the page and added someone for a reason. Yes, that involves more work. But it’s more friendly. I even do this for bands.
