The following is a conversation with Sonicbids’ David Ellis and Christof Huber, Festival Director of Open Air St. Gallen.  Topics discussed include festival information, what type of bands should submit, what the festival is looking for and much more.

Now in its 33rd year, The Open Air St. Gallen is one of Switzerland’s largest summer music festivals. 90,000 people attend the festival over three days making this a great gig for any artist.

Check out the listing here

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

By Frank LaMonte

This article, the first of a five-part series from Line 6, explores some classic uses of popular guitar effects. Over the coming weeks and months, many artists, writers and in-house music freaks will be contributing articles, videos, downloads and more to the Line 6 Lounge. Bookmark the Lounge and don’t miss a thing!

What the What?

The signature swish of early Van Halen’s “Atomic Punk,” the soft swirl of Hendrix’s “Machine Gun,” the white-hot waves of Husker Du’s “Metal Circus,” and tons of others: phase effects have oozed their way into every damp corner of rock history. And if today’s oversized pedal boards are any indication, phasers are here to stay.

How Did They Do it?

(more…)

This article was written by Matt Everett, at Nu-Communitek LLC for bands and promoters.

It’s no secret the music industry is changing.  The power of success is shifting from the hands of large record labels to the hands of the artists themselves, largely thanks to the power of the internet.  Savvy artists, managers and promoters have come to realize that the new model for success is not by hoping to be discovered, but through independent entrepreneurship and self-promotion.  To succeed in this newfound battle for supremacy, they must become online marketers, attracting others to their talent through various creative methods & ideas.

Over the years, it has become clear that one of the most important parts of finding industry success is establishing a devoted following of loyal fans.  For the hopefuls to succeed and become stars, they must dive into the world of viral, buzz & guerilla marketing to get the word out about their talent.  In light of advancements in mass communication over the past few years, what started out as word-of-mouth advertising has quickly become one of the most popular methods in the world for garnering publicity!

Where do I start? (more…)

This article was written by Forrest Powell at Sweetwater. We’ve publishing an entire series of articles in the Lounge from Sweetwater. Keep your eyes peeled and check back often! And now for some motivation.

I’ll start off citing a source, surely to some of my readers’ chagrin: I was at church today (I even saw a dude from work there). While I was there, this great pastor mentioned something stirring and brilliant that coincides with my attitude toward music:

“The word ‘amateur’ was never intended to define a second-rate person.”

It’s a common misconception of our audiences and our age that “pro” is somehow inherently superior to “amateur. I think of all the musicians out there, working hard and playing hard and not getting paid, and I just have to grit my teeth, because many musicians who DO get paid churn out emotionless pig-fodder. Pigs will eat anything, and it seems that so long as radio or the “professionals” can polish a turd, they will never have to go hungry.

(more…)

This article was written by George Howard over at Artists House Music. This site is great resource for musicians at all levels, and particularly with acts getting off the ground. Click on over and check it out, below is one such great article.

You must first pick the right gig. Too often artists do everything they can to book a gig at a club, only to find themselves playing to two men and a dog on a Monday night. This is counterproductive. Chances are you will not be invited back to this club to play a second time.

So it makes sense to build up a following in a more organic manner. Look to alternative venues — house parties, college gigs, churches, even open-mics — to not only refine your live show, but to begin building a fan base. To this end, it’s essential that you collect information (email and snail mail) from those who attend your shows. It’s often not enough to simply pass around a mailing list. You may want to consider burning a three-song CD to give out to people only if they sign your mailing list. In this way, you’re not only giving them an incentive to sign your mailing list, but more importantly, you’re giving them a tangible souvenir of your gig (encourage them to burn copies for their friends). (more…)

This article was written by Arend Raby at Sweetwater.  We’ve publishing an entire series of articles in the Lounge from Sweetwater. Keep your eyes peeled and check back often!

As a longtime singer/songwriter, I would have to say that one of the biggest banes to my existence has been writer’s block. Many of you surely know the feeling. There is nothing worse than enduring an extended period of time where the urge to create something doesn’t subside, but there is simply nothing there. It can be very frustrating, and the more we dwell on the fact that our creative resources seem to have “run dry,” the more the paradigm seems to perpetuate itself. Heck, an astute critic would likely notice that I’m attempting to think of something clever to finish this article with as I ramble through its introduction.

Levity aside, I’m going to share a few pointers that will help you get through those ugly periods of time. These are things I’ve found that seem to work for me. I hope the same is true for you.

(more…)