Challenges you are likely to face as a band
19 October 2013
Venturing into music as a band or group there are some challenges both internal and external you are likely to face because as human beings each one of us has their own perspective on certain things.
We value different styles and tastes and react differently to things happening around us.
This week we had the opportunity of having an up close with one of Kenya’s popular rock band the Parking Lot Grass (PLG). They shared some of the challenges of working as a band and how to deal with such.
“The biggest challenge has simply been staying as a band. PLG is made up of different people with different ideas, different expectations, influences and personalities. Trying to get five out of five in perfect harmony isn't easy. But we try our best to reach a common ground and work around that.
Secondly rock music is very specific in terms of the kind of equipment needed to get good sound and that’s something not very easy to find. Be it the actual instruments or even sound at venues and events. There are very few reliable sound companies locally that we’re comfortable playing a gig with so that’s been quite a learning experience. Instruments are also hard to come by so you end up either having to settle for less than you like or importing the stuff that you really want.
Third challenge is where to record our music. We were very happy when the studio where we recorded our EP; Andromeda Music set up shop. We’d tried recording elsewhere before but weren’t able to get exactly what we wanted and that delayed our music. But Andromeda literally came to the rescue when they set up shop and we’re still recording with them to date.
Lastly, it would be nice to see media focus more on the rock scene in Kenya. Media forms the perception of the masses. If they paint a good picture about the rock scene, we’ll see a lot more people interested in it. A lot of people don’t even know that rock bands exist in Kenya,” PLG.
We value different styles and tastes and react differently to things happening around us.
This week we had the opportunity of having an up close with one of Kenya’s popular rock band the Parking Lot Grass (PLG). They shared some of the challenges of working as a band and how to deal with such.
“The biggest challenge has simply been staying as a band. PLG is made up of different people with different ideas, different expectations, influences and personalities. Trying to get five out of five in perfect harmony isn't easy. But we try our best to reach a common ground and work around that.
Secondly rock music is very specific in terms of the kind of equipment needed to get good sound and that’s something not very easy to find. Be it the actual instruments or even sound at venues and events. There are very few reliable sound companies locally that we’re comfortable playing a gig with so that’s been quite a learning experience. Instruments are also hard to come by so you end up either having to settle for less than you like or importing the stuff that you really want.
Third challenge is where to record our music. We were very happy when the studio where we recorded our EP; Andromeda Music set up shop. We’d tried recording elsewhere before but weren’t able to get exactly what we wanted and that delayed our music. But Andromeda literally came to the rescue when they set up shop and we’re still recording with them to date.
Lastly, it would be nice to see media focus more on the rock scene in Kenya. Media forms the perception of the masses. If they paint a good picture about the rock scene, we’ll see a lot more people interested in it. A lot of people don’t even know that rock bands exist in Kenya,” PLG.
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