How do YOU find band members?

[Tones]

Word of mouth really worked out for my band. Especially in high school and colleges, you can ask around and you'll find some good, young talent. Online networking helps as well.

 

[Codeman]

Hey everyone! I usually post in the recording section, but now i have a big problem.

I have recently formed a band with one of my closest friends who's also the best screamer I've heard in person. I play guitar, he screams, we have a great bassist and a great second guitarist. We're all extremely dedicated, but what we lack is a reliable GOOD drummer.

Pretty much we've gone through about 4 different drummers in the past month, all of which have flaws. We've encountered drummers with no kits, drummers with no way to contact them, and guitarists that own a kit (Just because you own a kit doesn't mean you play the drums).

What's the worst is that we have a completed EP, with big name guest vocals, just sitting here. We've decided that we're not moving on until we find a permanent drummer.

We've used facebook, asking around, friends of friends of friends, and craigslist. How do YOU find Band members?

I know that feel, my band has been on a sort of limbo for almost 4 years because of drummer issues.

Just in the past 2 years alone we had 8 different drummers

 

[TheKindred]

i feel like the odd man out.

for some reason I know waaaay more drummers than any other type of musician. It could be that I work at a relatively cushy job and so maybe attracts a certain type.

 

[scottro202]

I usually meet a musician or 2 that I dig somehow, and then get whatever friends who are musicians involved who are willing to do it and that's how my bands start

 

[Rick]

Pray someone reads my CL ad.

 

[will_shred]

I found my band entirely by luck. Got expelled from fancy private school, came to public school where I met the dude who would become my best friend (and later met his brother, who is also a very good friend and guitar player) and band mate. After a few drunken jams that went extremely well they decided they wanted me to be their lead guitar player.

 

[guitarguyMT]

There is literally 1 drummer for ever 6,344,451 guitarists. Or a good one at least...

I've been trying for months now, got the rest of the band just like you!

It's an amazing opportunity when you get a talented drummer interested in working with you. Like a breath of fresh air. We gotta hold on to them when we find them, haha. For the most part though I've always just run into band members through mutual friends or a random - "That shirt's tight!" ... "Yeah, their last album was great too!" - conversation at the bar. Haha. Dumb luck I suppose.

 

[guitarfishbay]

I gig in a samba band, so finding drummers is not hard.

I found all my current band mates through networking at samba rehearsals or gigs. It is a community band (run weekly as a class but the solid players gig a couple of times a month too) so there is often a good turnover of all types musicians, especially at the start of the university year when people try new things in the local area.

This year we had about 5 guys doing Music Post Graduate degrees turn up to a rehearsal, I networked like a speed demon in the class break and I got my phone out and started playing some mp3 ideas to the guys to see who was interested. Got a guitarist and a bassist, both with undergraduate degrees in music already and plenty of gigging experience, boom.

The drummer I've been working with at the samba band for two years, he's incredible and already a pro in the Jazz field and a drum teacher. I have been sending him every single mp3 I've recorded for the past 2 years to convince him to work with me, and finally he's given in. (Or finally I've written something not crap, I don't mind which).

I know loads of folk singers, again through networking at samba, but am still struggling to find a killer rock vocalist.

We've had adverts out and held auditions, but I think we're going to have to go headhunting at open mic nights, armed with business cards and demo cds without vocals.

So my answer is just proactively network, everywhere you can, and meet anyone or friends of anyone who might be interested, even if they suck it doesn't matter. Be nice to them and say you enjoyed meeting them but you're not what we're after but if you know anyone else please let us know. The worst that will happen is you'll gain a potential fan, if you're nice to them, or at least someone who will have kind words to say.

If you want a drummer, contact local drum teachers and ask if they have any students who'd be appropriate. Worst they'll say is no.

Always be nice to everyone, you never know who they know or who they'll become in time.

 

[Carrion Rocket]

It's either people I knew in school or people they know. I can only name two drummers who went to my high school, one bassist, and about two thousand guitarists. I went from guitar to bass and now I'm considering drums. Just don't know where the fuck I'd put 'em if I got a set.

 

[goldsteinat0r]

Craigslist. Thats how I've found every band I've been in since I've been out of college. Before that I met my previous bandmates in high school. We had classes together.

Around where I live, drummers for original/not commercial/not income producing projects are difficult to come by. You wanna play reggae/top 40/country/braindead rock for 300 bucks every thursday? Tons of those. lol

 

[-OTW-]

I once found an entire band on cl.....

Its a pain going through all the crazies....I'd try Facebook. Find a local music forum.

 

[Char2000]

Quick question guys. How often do you guys check the Sevenstring postings for other musicians?

I notice that alot of posts don't get many replies.

 

[Tyler]

get to know people in your area and establish connections. It really helps in the long run

 

[JohnnyJeremy]

I play drums... And like to travel...

Jimmy Dopesick feat. Johnny Jeremy on Drums by Johnny Jeremy on SoundCloud - Hear the world

 

[DarkRain93]

Mutual Friends, friends of friends and go to music stores too, sometimes you can find good people there too.

 

[Rev2010]

Don't know if the OP is still looking for a drummer or opinions on this topic but what I did to find my singer for my electronic project was to burn a whole bunch of CD's and print CD labels with the band name and info that I am seeking a singer and contact info in large font as well as the song names. That I stuck on each disc. I put them all in paper sleeves and the whole process is actually ridiculously cheap. I then took them to clubs playing the same style of music I was doing and stood outside and offered a disc to anyone coming in and out saying "free CD" and whatnot.

Sure enough I got an email from my singer, auditioned him, and the rest is history. For my metal project I found my drummer through Bandmix I believe but it's been so much harder to find others, though I've not yet done the same trick with the CD's. So, I think when I have a little more material down I will do that as it certainly seems to be the most efficient way to find band members I've come across so far... aaand it promotes your music too at the same time.


Rev.

 

[sleepy502]

Chances are you are going to have to steal a drummer from another band and see if he wants to do two bands.

Pretty much like that here in Winnipeg. There are like 5 drummers in our community, one dude is in 5 bands haha.

 

[dclayton1388]

It's usually a process of asking everyone from your band to ask every person they've ever met if they know a drummer. Sometimes you get lucky.