When I was growing up, the music industry in Australia was very different to what it is now. Live venues had bands on 5 nights a week.......This was where I learnt my trade.
After having 2 kids and giving up music for family, at age 40 I never thought I could have it back. Hell I was too old, I wasn't a size 12, and on top of that, the music industry had changed significantly.
It has taken 5 years of hard work and pure bloodymindedness to get us to where we are today.....a working covers band in an industry that has often favoured poker machines and DJ's over live music.
Getting the setlists up and rehearsing the songs was easy - The hard part was getting us work.
Initially I looked after getting the gigs, and every afternoon after googling live venues in Sydney, I hit the phone for 2 hours locating entertainment managers and licensees, and then went onto to try to sell something I knew was a good thing. This was tough, so many knock backs, and even some agencies telling me that we were not good enough.
Well I grounded myself and pushed back....twice as hard.
We had our first taker - Seven Hills RSL. I can still remember the gig - I felt so green and so nervous. Then bit by bit the venues came, but I had my eye on Agency backing - My dealings with our current Agency had always been exceptional in the past.
So many phone calls to them, then finally they came to see us and BINGO - we were signed.
Sphere have always looked after us.
So where to now..... well still fighting my way into venues. Every new venue we have, always gets us back for more gigs.We are working non stop and for as long as I can, I will ride this wave.
I want to see live music restored to its previous glory, where young musos like my daughter have somewhere to cut their teeth. And I have every faith this will happen.
I look back often and think about all the hours that have gone into this, all the disappointment and then excitement at getting into a good venue. It has been an emotional roller coaster ride. But worth it.
Soundproofed is here to stay. We are only just scratching the surface.
Soundproofed band members:
Lo Marshall - Lead/Vox
Col Booth - Lead Guitar/Vox
Mary Blake - Keytar/Vox
Darren Hamilton - Drums
Leon Gower - Bass/Vox
Graham Marshall - Sound
Soundproofed Website: http://soundproofed.com.au
Soundproofed Twitter: https://twitter.com/Soundproofed
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