Damn United States! Would love some input from the Band

**Fri Jul 21, 2006 5:39 am**

So I've mentioned I'm trying to start a band and to be honest, the only "style" I'm trying to go for really is a Pogues style, because no one has done it like the Pogues, I mean no one.

Here in the U.S. we have Flogging Molly and Dropkick and whatnot, but they don't do it for me, they're too electric. I want to make a large Irish band that plays soulful and amazingly fast and killer music with lyrics that tear you to pieces, and I want to front the band singing.

Now, maybe the rest of the Pogues can answer this for me, but do you think that would even work in the U.S.? I mean, would the Pogues have worked if they started in the U.S.? I really am starting to believe my attempts at this are futile and I have to move to the U.K. to even try this. I met with some musicians today and I go to all the Irish music nights around the pubs I can find, and it all seems to be that Americanized crap, which is tell jokes like "An Irishman and an Englishman walk into a bar..." and then tell some more jokes and the history of the song and strum along lazily. Somebody kill me please.

I want to get up there and take the mic from those guys during the Irish Rover or Nancy Whiskey and tell them to kick up the tempo and start singing at the top of my lungs, but I can't find the musicians for it. Everyone wants to play background Irish traditional music like Whiskey In the Jar and strum along to some jigs, no one actually wants to form a 6-8 piece Irish band.

I'm sorry if I'm ranting, it's just been a really tough night and I've run into so many dead ends with this band thing that it is becoming quite disheartening. Maybe the members of the band can adress some of my questions. I'm going to keep trying, but it's looking grim. Not to mention I live in Maine

**Fri Jul 21, 2006 9:12 am**

Nobody ever said forming a band was easy. Which is why I cling for dear life to BOTH of mine! Take your time, it's worth it. And oh yeah, Maine needs you more than Europe does - for now. By the way, I have always believed the Pogues could never have come out of Ireland. Which is why we always considered ourselves a London band. Other people called us an Irish band, not us.

**Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:15 pm**

Thanks, Phillip. I'll keep trying, I really want this to work, it's just tough. You might need to ship us over one or two Irishmen though.

**Fri Jul 21, 2006 5:27 pm**

My guess is you might have more luck in a place like New York or Boston.

**Fri Jul 21, 2006 6:39 pm**

99% of bands dont make it big time. if you wanna perform just get a guitar and do it yourself down some bar. thats probably the best way to start.

**Fri Jul 21, 2006 7:31 pm**

kmurray105 wrote:My guess is you might have more luck in a place like New York or Boston.

yea, but I happen to live here currently.

**Sat Jul 22, 2006 12:15 am**

Maine, therein lies the problem

**Sat Jul 22, 2006 11:43 am**

all good things have to start somehwere

**Sat Jul 22, 2006 11:54 am**

KathleenwithaK wrote:Maine, therein lies the problem

Well, yes, but we said that about Santry/Ballymun when I was a kid. The area spawned U2, the Radiators, the Virgin Prunes and Luke Kelly to name but three.

**Sat Jul 22, 2006 2:33 pm**

philipchevron wrote:
KathleenwithaK wrote:Maine, therein lies the problem

Well, yes, but we said that about Santry/Ballymun when I was a kid. The area spawned U2, the Radiators, the Virgin Prunes and Luke Kelly to name but three.

Must be somthin' in the water.

**Sat Jul 22, 2006 4:10 pm**

philipchevron wrote:
KathleenwithaK wrote:Maine, therein lies the problem

Well, yes, but we said that about Santry/Ballymun when I was a kid. The area spawned U2, the Radiators, the Virgin Prunes and Luke Kelly to name but three.

Thanks, Phillip.

**Sun Jul 23, 2006 6:16 am**

I didn't mean to offend. My point was that with a tiny population you have a smaller pool of talent to draw from. Magic, of course, can happen anywhere. Good luck to you!

**Sun Jul 23, 2006 8:41 am**

Kathleen: I believe that except real top of skill in music (which isn´t needed mostly), the talent isn´t crucial really. It is the work which is. I believe you have like "100 points" (for example)
If you have talent 65, you have to spend just 35 of work
If you have talent 10, you have to work hard to get 90 of work.

Yes, it is simplified, it just says if you aren´t talented, you have to exercise more and so on. + instruments are like languages - once you learn some, other are easier and easier.

I don´t consider myself some big talent - I have learnt classical guitar for 7 years - now it sounds good, but the process was slow and painful :-)

Then I took a tin whistle, could play some melodies few days after I bought it and now, after two years, fingers dance almost without input from my brain :-)

Two years to learn to play on something is incredibly short (right, whistle is easy, but still).
I just worked hard as young person - now it pays back.

Revsta: If you manage to get people who want to play same things as you (something like the Pogues in that case) - you will be all right - if they show enthusiasm, they will learn their instruments far more easily.

And to the lyrics - you said you want to write "lyrics that tear you to pieces" - I would advise not to stylize in Pogues lyrics or anybody else lyrics - you certainly had some life with some difficult situations - first several lyrics maybe won´t be that great, but the time is good healer and good writer :-)

If you start the band too quickly, it will fall apart probably. As it had been said - take some time.

**Sun Jul 23, 2006 7:32 pm**

Good luck starting an Irish rock band in Maine, the new music scene does need a new jump start. I hopefully starting one as well, Pogues-influenced of course, I live in Virginia Beach, and no one plays that music. So hopefully I get the band started as soon as I get out of the Air Force. But, good luck to you.

**Sun Jul 23, 2006 9:36 pm**

pogues22 wrote:Good luck starting an Irish rock band in Maine, the new music scene does need a new jump start. I hopefully starting one as well, Pogues-influenced of course, I live in Virginia Beach, and no one plays that music. So hopefully I get the band started as soon as I get out of the Air Force. But, good luck to you.

Thanks! I've found a kid who would like to play bass in the band but plays a million other instruments and his all time favorite band is the Pogues, so maybe I can con him into playing something like the accordion or the banjo. Bass players are slightly easier to find.

Damn United States! Would love some input from the Band

Damn United States! Would love some input from the Band

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