I’ve had back trouble for some time. Nothing like this though. About 6th months after the band called it, they told me I had to stop doing EVERYTHING. I’d be in a wheelchair by time I was 30.

I stopped playing everyday. Eventually, a couple of months later I broke the kit down and stored it. Crying the whole time. Then, eventually, the temptation was too great…I sold it. Then I sold my little entry level kit because everyone came in one day and caught me setting it up. It was like a fucking drug addict being caught with a needle in his arm.

Over time the urge disappeared. The drive died.

My spark faded. My heart dropped. My life began to atrophy. My life wasn’t as bright…it was corroded and tinged.

I got to where I could look at them….the drums. Through the window, or at Mom’s Music and sigh forlornely. Not only wishing I could play, but wishing I had my band back.

Each year for three years, for a couple of months at a time, different members would battle the Warehouse 86 is back rumors. It would tear me apart to say that we were not back, we have no intentions of coming back.

Finally we met this time to decide how to fully handle them this year because they had already started..and talking with them…something clicked…

WISH I COULD PLAY? MOTHER FUCKER! I CAN PLAY. WISH I HAD MY BAND? THEY’RE RIGHT HERE!!! The world started taking on a brighter shade…my hopes started to build…my spark began to expand and brighten.

At the music store, after we decided we were going to come back, and just play whatever came out instead of trying to focus on a genre, I sat at so many kits and played around a bit. Felt good…but I didn’t put too much into them. I’d know which kit was it when I found it….

I was so scared as I stared out at Josh and Sexton as we were getting ready to play around. I kept wondering if I really did know how…if I still could….

My back is getting worse without the goddamn drumming. Why should I suffer and not be myself and live while I can, as my body betrays me? FUCK THAT. If I’m going down…I’m going to go down happy and not with out a fucking fight…

I miss the old days when 10 minutes of *Name Respectfully Removed To Abide By The “RULES”* would change and alter your perspective on life forever in such a downward spiral of shit stained hellish heap of horror. Threads so god awful that you quickly turn you a shade of green usually reserved for what emits out of a year old baby’s ass hole after being fed nothing but strained peas for three days straight. Images so disturbing you can’t dare even face your mother for the sheer remembrance of what you witnessed. Horrifying memories haunt you as the day goes on, you feel like you’re going to pass out; but you’re afraid to because of the paranoia regarding your ass hole, a goat, an SE, and visions of what may happen with a tub and a girl. The horizontal adventures of old men and lemons.

*Name Respectfully Removed To Abide By The “RULES”* just is not the same when you can’t feel the urge to purge with the force of a hurricane being shot out your ass and any orifice near your ass (yes this includes your urethra and/or womanal piss valves).

Sadly, I no longer have the scouring pads for my eyes. The butt plugs, the cock hammer, drill or fake pussy accompanied by bleach at hand. I no longer fear *Name Respectfully Removed To Abide By The “RULES”* and what it contains there in. Dare I say that this may be that the *Name Respectfully Removed To Abide By The “RULES”* go’ers of old have lost their touch, or that a newer generation has moved in and not yet met the standards of of the days of old. The need to drink myself into a stupor is no longer prescribed upon accessing these threads.

Long live the Queen “Bee”, and may one day *Name Respectfully Removed To Abide By The “RULES”*’s name be relinquished from these pussies running it today.

Love,

The Captains of Crunch <2

This felt familiar. It was the same stage we left three years ago. The one where we played our best…and yet our worst show. The intensity of that night was unbeatable. The sadness through the air sifted through the crowd. Nothing was said. No one was privy to the information.

Not even ourselves.

When we left the stage that night we had no idea it would be our last. We were full of energy. Sweat poured out of us in handfuls. So did this uneasy, creeping sadness.

A few hours later it was decided that we had to walk away before we imploded. Before we ruined something we worked so hard for.

3 years later.

3 years later my foot touches upon that same piece of wood. My muscles and tendons flex as I lift myself up. I’ve got the shakes. My nerves are going full bore. The jumps, arm swings and stretches did their job. The blood is flowing.

The adrenaline is flowing.

I spin to face the crowd. They face right back. I see faces I’ve not seen in three years. I see faces I see every day. I see friends, family, neighbors, members of a previous band. All here to support this.

As I walk down and kneel to adjust my kick pedals, a couple of friends in our crew hangs our banner up behind me. As soon as it’s fully posted up someone from the middle yells “YEAH! THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT!!!”

I’m starting to feel that blood that pumps in beat.

I place a kiss on the canvas and leather stick back that was my fathers and is now mine. I hang it off my floor tom, and pull my weapons of noise ordinance violations.

My shoes and socks come off. For some reason this feels right. It feels like I’m more of a part of a machine when I touch the pedals.

I push my glasses up on my nose and spin my PDP hat around.

My feet touch the pedals and I find the sweet spot instantly.

Instinct and Love are taking over.

I look up at my bass player who nods, and then start spinning my stick.

As each twirl moves in a rotation, the nervousness escapes through it. I look to my guitar player.

They’ve finished checking their tuning.

Normally we do a sustain on the guitar and then after a silent count, we come in. This time it didn’t happen. The crowd took over.

They’ve waited 3 years. They’ve waited through two previous bands. Could they wait through an 8 count? The bodies out there with the silent adrenaline bursts suggest otherwise.

We didn’t even count it.

We were home.

*BOOM*

We rip into our first song, “ECHO PLASM”.

Nothing like the old music. Nothing like the old us mostly.

What did stay the same was the stage presence.

The “monkey” came out in me.

During the drum and bass break of the first song, someone yelled out “YEAH! MONKEY ARMS IS BACK!!!”. I was standing up and swinging my arm around in the air doing a silent count while pointing at the crowd with the other stick. The bass player, Josh, was pumping his fist.

When we came back in we both LEAPED up into the air. His feet hit the floor as his fingers hit his strings and I flammed, double kicked, and my ass hit the throne as we took it home through the rest of the last chorus and outro.

We finished out our set, and at the end of it we heard nothing but whistles, calls, and screams and claps.

I am me again.
My spark shines brighter.
I am complete.
I am home.

The best part about it. The absolute best was when my 6 year old daughter, who pulled a chair right up front, jumped up with this big grin on her face and was clapping as hard as she could as we hit the last note to one of the songs. I jumped up and was almost crawling over my kit with anticipation and she timed it with mine exactly. I made eye contact with her and I never felt so complete in all my life.

We had the loudest crowd. We had the biggest crowd. We had all the crowd participation we could ever hope for. Especially for a first show!

I hopped off stage and the drummer for the band that was up after us asked if he could use MY kit instead of his. He had a Yamaha Stage Custom. Ironically it was similar in color. A red fade. Not a sparkle like mine, but it looked similar. I asked him why? Are you running short on set up time?

No.

“Your kit is the best sounding kit I’ve ever heard in a long time!!! Seriously! It sounds good up front. In the back. There isn’t a spot where it sounds bad at all!”

Seriously. Ego Boost. PROPER!

I asked him the main questions. “Do you have the money to replace anything if you break something?” “Yes.” “Ok, I’m holding you to your word…”

At this point the other drummer from one of the first bands was coming near the stage to help us offload my kit. I told him that he’s going to use mine, and he said:
“Good! That’s one hell of a kit you have there. I love the sound of it. You should be proud!”

“I am…”

We walked out towards the entrance to grab some drinks and a couple of little girls asked for some sticks. I gave them to them. I’ve got plenty. I’m in a great mood. I’m honored.

I was more honored when they come back about ten seconds later with a sharpie and ask us to sign them. “And put your band name too, because you were our favorite!!!”

We also helped out and for every donation in our donation jar, they got a free button! We’ve made a nice chunk for a very cool disabled guy, as well as donating our cut from the entry fees!!! I’m proud.

It was such a great show. It was perfect. That made it BEYOND official. Warehouse 86 is back! Full Force! We’ve got the power. Like He-Man, we’re channeling Castle Greyskull!

There are numerous social sites, forums as well as your own websites to promote and spread the word of your band. I’ve used all of the above, and especially in the case of THIS forum, I’ve gotten positive responses and ideas and comments on my ideas and such. Which is the best anyone could ask for. The things that fans remember besides the music are the keepsakes they take home with them. That old torn, faded t-shirt in your dresser of yours probably has your favorite band on it!

Let’s take a look at this, in depth, from a fellow Independent Band stand point…

The physical side of things…the goodies…THE MERCH:

A banner for when you play live is so cheap now that if you’re considering seriously gigging it’s a must.

Buttons are cheap and are good freebies to give out at shows and to quite a few others. You can also sell them cheaply to recoup cost.

Stickers? There are many types. The decal types for cars and such are the best route to go if you can do single color designs such as your logo. Regular stickers are good if they’re not going to be weathered. The price varies, but once again, like in the case of buttons you can give some out…you can sell some.

Shirts, if you can find a local screen shop can be of a great asset. The person who is wearing your shirt is a walking billboard for you. You want to make sure the shirt comes across as clean, smooth, and sharp as you can. You want your band name very prominent. Across the front,top of the chest is a perfect spot. Across the shoulder blades, or just above them on the back is good as well.

If you cannot afford much, just use your bands logo on the front. People will still want them. If I goto your show and you put out your absolute best and you play it like it’s your last gig, I’m going straight to your merch table to buy a shirt. This is because A.) I want to support you, and B.) I want to spread the word about this awesome band I just seen.

You do not have to get overly fancy if you’re using a design, either. Less is more in the case of up and coming bands. You’re coming out of your own pockets for this, you want it to rock. You can do so by not over-complicating it. You want to be cost effective as well. The thing you want to remember most of all is not to slap your name on the shirt 4 times.

If you use a design with your logo in it on the front, use the back for something like a lyric quote or maybe even leave it blank. If you can, separate the design and the logo so you can split it front and back maybe? Let your imaginations run wild…it’s where the good ideas come from!

Hats, Beanies, Skullies, etc.

I know I want to promote my band and I love hats during the summer, and skullies during the winter, but these are a big NADA during your up and coming. They are easily the most expensive thing, and no matter how awesome they look they won’t sell to everyone. If your shirts are ten dollars, and your hats are twenty…everyone will buy the shirts.

Now granted if you have a little money on the side for your band (In my case 3 members) and say 3 more so we get a nice round number you’re looking at:

$14.00 (give or take) per hat
$20.00-$60.00 digitizing fee for your logo
$0.20 and up for extra stitching (per 5,000) if your logo is overly complicated.

These numbers are entirely based on my information gathering and quotes from various companies. I used a Flexfit Hat and the logo was just our abbreviated Circle 86 logo in orange.

That’s well over $100.00 (plus shipping if it’s not local) just for SIX hats!!!

That money could be well spent toward new cymbals or sticks. Picks or strings.

Do NOT be afraid to shop around! Go prepared for local hunting. Take a jumpdrive and a cd with your artwork on it. Know what you’re looking for. Have how much you’re WILLING to spend in your head and start talking to them. Be confident and upfront. If you think they sound high, tell them that it’s a little too steep for you and ask what you guys can work out. You’d be surprised how many local places will be willing to work with you when you tell them that you’re playing out pretty consistently. They know what that means for them as well…free advertising when people ask who did the shirts!

Ask if they’d like to sponsor you! Broad move? Maybe? Can it work? YES!!! For an exchange of knocking a chunk off the price, let them screen the shop name on the sleeve. Watch how fast that price comes down. Tell them you’re willing to put a small banner under yours during live events (If you’re willing to go that far!). Create a sponsor page on your website and social sites that say sponsored by: , and create a link back!!! You’d be surprised how many local companies will jump at a chance! You’re opening up a new broad spectrum of potential RETURN customers for them!!!

All this goes for the other merch as well:

Stickers, Buttons, Etc!

Search online for banner makers and button maker companies. Do the graphics yourself using their templates and you’re ready to go! Same for the sticker makers once you decide on which type of stickers you want.

They also have little picture keychains out there as well. Also good for a keep sake!!

Shop around online and start by emailing each company. You’ll get a representative who will be more than happy to assist you. Tell them who you are. Go into a little detail about your band and what you’re looking to do. Tell them how you’re wanting to use them and what the main focus will be. Giving them away? You may want to get smaller buttons so you can get more of them. (Alternatively you could purchase a button maker and supplies fairly cheap and you could make them yourself!!!)

If your banner is going to be used for indoor shows as well as outdoor you’ll want an all purpose/all weather as opposed to a lighter weight indoor only. Are you going to be handing buttons out at shows to the front row people and the people who get into it, as well as selling them online? You may want to get around the 1.25 inch and 1.50 inch. They are the sizes that are standard for band/artist buttons, and they have the captive back hook for the pin as opposed to just the built in one for the smaller sizes.

Don’t be fooled. Stickers can get expensive as well. There are numerous types, and sizes. Die Cut Vinyl Stickers are usually my fall back, as they can take one heck of a beating from the weather and still look pristine. You can pretty much put them anywhere, except concrete. Once they’re on…they’re on! They’re great for logos, and maybe neat designs as long as it’s not to intricate! They come in numerous colors, and you can even get fade and sparkle stock too.

Most companies I know are willing to do multiple colors for one design. If you’re wanting a good set of everyone pleasers, you can go with Black, and White. In my case, my band’s name is Warehouse 86, and the original logo started off as a rusted spray paint color. That doesn’t translate well, but the next best thing is ORANGE! Orange is my color anyway so it got mixed in our set of stickers.

So you have Black, White, *and another color possibly*. You just expanded your merch shop THREE TIMES. If you get car friendly stickers, you can get 30 of them for about $40.00 on up. This, of course, is depending on size and design. Don’t be afraid to talk to them and see what can be done!!! Nothing can spread the word like a finely made vinyl sticker on the trunk of a car!

Your Merch and How to protect it!

You’ve spent a lot of money on your stickers, buttons and shirts; you don’t want someone slipping a hand up behind you and taking something. Think is if they got away with it once, they’ll keeping trying. They probably will not take just one either. You need to be prepared!

Let’s start with the money. It get’s hard to keep track of all the money. You don’t want to throw it all in a jar because you may need to count out change. Shoebox? You’ve got to be kidding.

You can protect your return by investing just a bit more! For 20.00 at an office supply store you can pick up a small cash box. It has a removable cash/change tray, three number combination lock, and it’s sturdy. Not to mention small and easy to carry around with all the other stuff. It also has a handle itself!!!

One of the quickest ways to lose merch to greedy people is to drop it while you’re loading/unloading and carrying it to the site. Most people will be honest and bring it to you unless it’s a button or a sticker, but if you’re dropping 20 or 30 buttons and 4 stickers it can get to be expensive. You also want to make sure you have it all ORGANIZED as well!

Your best bet would be to get a couple of Rubbermaid style tubs. Maybe a 20-30 Gallon tub. You could fit the shirts, folded nicely in the bottom and on top of them put smaller tubs of the buttons and stickers. Then you pop the big lid on and you’re ready to go!

Keep Everything In The Tubs At All Times/How to Display Your Merch

But how am I going to sell anything if they can’t see what we have to offer?

Easy. Here’s where you think about YOUR trips to see your favorite bands!!! You want a merch board! It can be cheap, and easy to make! Most of all…it can be fun! Imagine, a blank board just waiting for your loving paint!!! Or, you could keep it blank for that streamlined look. It’s up to you! You could also use peg board, metal gridwork, whatever! It’s all up to you!

Just have it all set up and ready, and post your shirts up. You want one with the front, one with the back! Then a little sticky note with the price written out in sharpie! The stickers? Hahahaha. Fun part! You get to tag your own board! Then do the same thing with the price! Buttons? You COULD do that with the buttons, or you could get a bit of customer interaction!

Put them in a small jar on the front desk with the price on the jar! They pay you, they pick their own out. You just have to watch and make sure they just take one though!

If you have more than once shirt design, put a letter beside the prices. That way they can just say “I’d like A, in XL!!”.

When they request something that is kept locked down, the person just reaches into the bin and pulls it out! Simple. Easy. Safe!!!

Manning the Merch!!!

Here, you already know what you want: Someone trustworthy, honest, and really digs the band! It could be a wife, girlfriend, friend…you name it. I would suggest maybe even manning it yourself every once in a while. That shows the fans that you really care about them too! Hell, make it through the crowd after your set giving out some stuff and announce you’re going to be at the merch table. You may even have to sign some stuff…You never know…

Always be prepared.

When it comes to the merch table, the best advice I can give is always do it in pairs if possible! Two sets of eyes are better than one. They can work together to serve up that piping hot goodness, and if it gets busy, they aren’t going to get totally stressed out. When it’s dead they can keep each other company!

In Closing…

I’d like to say that there are a ton of ways to get your name out there, spread the love, and spread the word, but nothing beats an old fashioned piece of swag. The banner behind you while you’re playing gives your fans a sign to rally under and your band members a call to arms. You know that if you get done with a set, you’re all hot and sweaty instead of taking off, you go out and mingle with the crowd handing out buttons, stickers and maybe even t-shirts that YOU CAN BET you’ll give them something to remember, and I’m not just talking about the merch!

The Merch Table can be a band’s best friend and it’s worst enemy at the same time. You do not want to buy things that will not sell because they’re too expensive. You always want to be prepared, and bring about $30.00 in change in your cash box.

Even though you paid money for them, do not be afraid to hand a few out! The scene is littered with bands vying for peoples attention. What a lot of them do not realize is that people can be fans of multiple bands! You could be the best at the show and if you act like an ***, people aren’t going to want to deal with you, as opposed to the band that had sound trouble but worked their arses off and then got out there and hand freebies out even though the same things could be purchased at their merch table!

However! Please be ready for the scavengers to come out of the woodwork! You’ll never realize you had so many friends, fans and supporters! Do not let your merch, which is a form of musician currency in it’s own way, get away from you!

While it’s okay to give your wife or girlfriend one, you can’t AFFORD to give your Great Uncle Marcus Twice Removed one. Or that friend of a friend. If they really want one, tell them to come out and see you perform. Then they can decide if you, your band, and your music is worth the small amount of money to support! You’ll be surprised. You can SELL more merch by asking them that. You can turn a beggar into a buyer!

The absolute BEST advice I can give is: HAVE FUN.