Category: Rock Bands • Page 2 • Vintage Logos

VintageLogos Has The Best Design Services Around — Here’s Why

Posted on January 8, 2019 - 12:01 am by Caleb J. Murphy

Every custom drum head we make is driven by people like you. We strive to help musicians and bands succeed, and we do that by improving their image with the best design services out there.

We seek to help you visually communicate your awesomeness to your audience.

But you probably have some questions, so let’s cover those now.

Why Should I Brand My Drum Head?

What is one thing that will make your band stand out from all the other bands? First, your music has to be heads above the rest (we already assume that’s the case).

But the next thing is to enhance your image — your brand. The best way to do that is to improve your stage presence by branding your drum heads and amp grill cloths.

When people look at you and your band on stage, whether you’re opening for an all-star group or playing at a Battle Of The Bands, they need to know your name. Custom drum heads do this for you.

Branding your band helps define your stage presence, sets you apart, and makes you look like the professional you are.

What Do Other People Think?

As we’ve seen from our previous clients, getting a custom design from us changes things for the better.

Here’s what our customers think about us:

“VintageLogos knocked it out of the park again! Best advertising out there! Super fast, and perfect every time!” – Tom

“This company is by far the BEST professional graphic company that I have EVER seen! They did a great job doing my bass drum heads, and people everywhere that I play just drool over my Custom bass drum heads! Way to go, Vintage Logos!” – Joey

“Great product looks awesome!!! This is THE place to go for great graphics!!” – Jim

What Options Does VintageLogos Offer?

If you decide to work with us to help brand your band, we offer a ton of great services.

We can help you with designing your logo and even making custom hand-drawn illustrations for you. VintageLogos’ staff has talent, experience, and professionalism when it comes to logo design. You’re sure to end up with an image that fits your band perfectly.

On top of our custom design service, we can also clean up your existing design. Maybe you already have a logo that you love, but it just needs a little help. Or maybe you have a photo that needs some retouching or photoshopping. That’s no problem — we can smooth it out, make it snap, and generally just clean it up and make it look professional.

How Quickly Can I Get My Design?

Simply put, we work fast. Have a big show next month or even in a couple weeks? You can count on us.

Here’s the breakdown of our turnaround times:

Simple Production – 1 to 3 business days for the first set of proofs (M-F)
Advanced Design – 2 to 4 business days for the first set of proofs ( M-F)
Premium Design – 3 to 5 business days for the first set of proofs (M-F)

Like we said, we’re fast.

Sounds Great — How Do I Get Started?

We thought you’d never ask. To learn more, you can check out our Design Services page and hit the “Get Started” button. That’s where you can tell us exactly what you need — what design service(s) you need, what products you want, upload your image or logo, and when you need it.

Plus, we’re super nice and friendly.

How Much Will This Cost Me?

We know what it’s like being a DIY musician, so we purposefully made our prices reasonable and doable.

Here’s what you can expect to pay for our services:

Simple Production: $25 to $100
Advanced Design: $130 to $225
Premium Design: $325 and up

See what we mean by “doable”?

vintage logos design services

Being A Drummer In 2019: New Year’s Resolutions That Offer Hope

Posted on January 1, 2019 - 1:01 am by Caleb J. Murphy

I’m not going to tell you what to do. Every musician should create their own goals and career trajectory, especially because being a drummer in 2019 can look very different depending on the person.

But there are creative ways to go about reaching your goals. And if you’re looking for some New Year’s Resolutions ideas, this is the post for you.

Here are four things you can do in 2019 to boost your music career and give you hope for the future.

Join Or Form A Band

If you’re not already in a band, you need to be — especially if you’re a drummer.

I’m not saying drummers need a band to succeed, but the whole idea of drums is that they work best with other instruments. Plus, it’s just way more fun to play music with friends.

If you don’t have musician friends or you’ve just moved to a new city, you can look up a Facebook group specific to your area.

For example, go to the Facebook search bar and type in “Nashville musicians” and check out the groups that show up. Then post in that group that you’re looking for fellow musicians to start a band.

You could also meet people the old fashioned way — in-person. Check out local artists who are playing concerts in your area, stick around after the show, and introduce yourself. Make sure you have business cards so you can quickly exchange contact info and websites (VistaPrint offers cheap and good custom business card).

Create A Practice Schedule

You’ll never be in a band if you’re not good enough. Yeah, you could do all the right networking steps and connect with other artists, but if you’re drumming is not up to par, it will all be for naught. It will go nowhere.

That’s why it’s super important to have a practice schedule (you may already be doing this). Having a schedule keeps you accountable. It tells you to practice even when you may not feel like it.

Sticking to a practice schedule will make you a better drummer. And the better you are, the better chance you have of being a successful drummer and having a hopeful future.

Focus On Advertising Your Band

Once you join a band, that’s when things get fun. You can start practicing as a band, booking gigs, and getting your name out there.

The only problem is that last step — promoting yourself.

Many musicians cringe at the thought of advertising or promoting themselves or their band, but it’s necessary if you want to stay a band.

And one simple way you, as a drummer, can do that is to get a custom drum head with your band name and logo on it.

Find New Venues To Play

Once you’ve joined a band and practiced together, it’s time to get out there and start playing shows. You could play the venues that all the other bands in your genre are playing. But you can also get creative.

You can look into some more unexpected venues to play to tap untapped audiences, like people’s houses, certain restaurants, and local record stores. And as long as you figure out the right rates, you can make money as a musician this way.

If you commit to these resolutions for the new year and apply yourself, you may find yourself with more hope for your drumming career and a success-focused path.

– – – –

Caleb J. Murphy is a songwriter and producer based in Austin, TX. He’s also the founder of Musician With A Day Job, a blog that helps part-time musicians succeed.

Get Your Musician The Perfect Gift – Custom Drumheads & More

Posted on December 4, 2018 - 12:01 am by Shawn McNamara

Get Your Musician The Perfect Gift

VintageLogos is offering a coupon this holiday season — for a limited time, save 10% on all of our products.

To save 10%, use the promo code XMAS2018 at checkout. This is good until March 15, 2019, so you may want to act fast. It’s the perfect personalized gift for yourself or the musician in your life!

Don’t know what to order? Give a gift card. Your musician can design their own Custom Bass Drum Head, Speaker Grill Cloth and Bass Drum Shield Logos. Check out all of our custom products and band merch @ VintageLogos.com

VintageLogos wishes you and your family a Merry Christmas & Happy Holiday

Here’s Why Drummers Are Crucial To A Band’s Success

Posted on November 9, 2018 - 11:10 am by Caleb J. Murphy

Drummers are the butt of way too many jokes. The truth is, they hold a band together.

People say drummers are not real musicians, or they’re not as intelligent as the other band members. Well, nothing could be further from the truth.

John Coltrane’s drummer, Elvin Jones, says drummers need to know the song just as well as the bassist or pianist, showing how the drum set is a musical instrument.

“After knowing this kind of musical information one can then begin to construct and orchestrate a musical drum part that has some substance along with a musical shape to it,” he said.

Here are three big reasons why drummers are crucial to your band’s success.

If the drummer goes down, the whole band goes down

Even if the bassist misses a note, the song still moves along. If the lead singer forgets a lyric, the band keeps playing. If the guitarist loses his spot, he can easily wait for a beat or two and jump back in.

But drummers? They have to be perfect, or else the whole band gets screwed up.

If you’ve ever played with a sub-par drummer, you know what I’m talking about. When the rhythm section misses a beat or two, the whole song starts to teeter on the rails like a runaway train. It’s near impossible to right the vehicle.

To use another metaphor, the drummer determines whether a song stays afloat and moving or if it sinks to the ocean floor.

So if you have a solid drummer who can keep the band above water and cruising, thank her or him. Every day.

Drummers are crucial — it’s scientific

Drummers matter — science says so.

Researchers in Stockholm showed that there’s a link between rhythm-keepers and problem-solving. And drummers typically have more white matter in their brains, and that can help them solve problems, plan, and manage time. Plus, they’re usually just all-around complex and thoughtful people.

In other words, drummers are smart – maybe smarter than the other band members.

So maybe your drummer has thoughts about what show you should play next and why that might be good for the band. Maybe your drummer should be in charge of rehearsal sessions time is managed better.

Maybe it’s time to acknowledge and welcome the fact that drummers are crucial to a band. Just look at the science.

Drummers are a huge part of the band’s brand

When you’re performing live, the drummer’s energy can either fuel the rest of the band or suck the energy right out of the whole room. This is not a good look – for them or for the rest of the group.

The way a group looks onstage – their image, excitement, demeanor – can make or break how their music resonates with people. Another way to say this is their “brand.”

One thing that can help a band’s brand is having their name prominently displayed in a design that matches said brand.

And, you guessed it, we can help with that. We offer custom bass drum heads that can help bands look their best.

And if the drummer looks (and feels) their best, that’s good news for everyone involved.

5 Famous Musicians Who Once Had Day Jobs

Posted on October 17, 2018 - 12:01 am by Caleb J. Murphy

It’s easy to forget that some of our favorite rockers and musical idols are normal people. They didn’t just fall from heaven and begin making music. They’re humans like the rest of us.

And one reminder of their humanness is that many of the big names in the music world once had day jobs. They lived paycheck to paycheck, coming up with creative ways to make money.

Here are five of those famous musicians who once held down a “regular” job.

Art Garfunkel (Simon & Garfunkel) – Math Teacher

Some people say Art Garfunkel road the coat tail of Paul Simon, that Simon was more talented. That may be true, but Garfunkel could probably crush Simon in a math competition.

The falsetto-singing half of Simon & Garfunkel was attending Columbia University when the duo was signed to Columbia Records in 1964. He completed his undergraduate degree in Art History (yes, that’s funny because his name is also Art) and then actually earned a master’s degree in Math Education.

Oh, and he did this while touring and recording.

In 1970, the two men split after their No. 1 hit “Bridge Over Troubled Water” came out. And what did Garfunkel do? Go back to teaching math of course. He spent two years teaching until he returned to making music for a living.

Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) – Janitor

Kurt Cobain (yes, THE Kurt Cobain) was once a janitor for Lemon’s Janitorial Service. It’s strange to imagine him scrubbing toilets and mopping floors now that we’ve seen him rock on stage and heard his hit songs.

But’s it’s true. In the book Cobain On Cobain, he describes grunge from the perspective of a janitor.

“It’s a fine mixture of cleaning solvents, not to be used in the toilet,” he said. “When I was a janitor I used to work with these guys Rocky and Bullwinkle. They’d clean the toilet bowls with their bare hands and then eat their lunch without washing their hands. They were very grungy.”

Freddie Mercury (Queen) – Used Clothing Salesman

Fred Bulsara (aka Freddie Mercury), along with his future bandmate Roger Taylor, sold used clothing at a place called Kensington Market in Ontario. They also sold Freddie’s paintings.

After Queen’s self-titled album blew up on the charts, the now famous Mercury kept working at that stall in Kensington Market.

“We sold clothes and bric-a-brac and just about managed to earn enough to keep the band ticking along,” Taylor said.

David Bowie – Delivery Boy For A Butcher

Back when Ziggy Stardust was only 13 years old, he got a job as a delivery boy for a butcher. He had to pay for his saxophone lessons somehow.

So if it weren’t for that job with a butcher, Bowie may have never become who he was. And years later, he reunited with his saxophone teacher, the legendary Ronnie Ross, on a song Bowie produced for Lou Reed called “Walk On The Wild Side.” Ross got a solo in the song.

Kanye West – Gap Sales Assistant

When Yeezus was just a teenager, he worked at Gap, like many of his peers. Can you imagine going into a Gap, having a boy named Kanye help you, then one day seeing that boy on TV rapping about his experience at that Gap?

He did just that in his song “Spaceship”:

If my manager insults me again I will be assaulting him

After I f**k the manager up then I’m gonna shorten the register up

Let’s go back, back to the Gap

Look at my check, wasn’t no scratch

So if I stole, wasn’t my fault

Yeah, I stole, never get caught

What’s The Takeaway Here?

I guess the point of this article is this: even if you come from humble beginnings, you can reach the success you desire.

Even if you work a dead-end job, that doesn’t mean your dreams have a dead end.

Many famous musicians know this to be true, and so should we.

How You Look On Stage

Posted on August 8, 2018 - 12:01 am by

If there’s one element of performing live that is commonly neglecting, it’s paying attention to how you look on stage. We as musicians are guilty of practicing our instruments for countless hours but then getting on stage with no idea of how we’re presenting ourselves.

Of course, we all know that how you look on stage can mean just as much, if not more, than how well you play your music. This is because people first and foremost SEE your performance, and only secondarily LISTEN to your performance.

This is reflected in a very insightful perspective shared by J B Hildebrand, a photographer who specializes in shooting live band photos. Here’s what he said:

I shot a band a year or so ago that got up on stage and played their latest album, start to finish, flawlessly. They stood in front of their microphones for an hour and change and pumped out sonic gold… I’d tell you who they were… but I can’t remember.

Is this what you want for your own performance – to be musically impeccable but visually unmemorable and forgettable? We sure hope not!

To that end we’re going to give you a few carefully curated tips in helping you to improve the appearance and presence of your live performance. Read on to learn how you can start looking your best on stage!

Develop a band appearance

Let’s start with something obvious: when you perform, you should dress to impress! Of course, we don’t mean you shouldn’t be true to your own sense of style. However, if you’re not putting any effort into picking out the clothes you wear on stage, you’re probably doing something wrong.

The next step is to consider how your band, as a group, looks collectively. If you’re all dressed nice but your styles clash horribly, how are you going to look like a cohesive group? For this reason, it is important to develop a unified look that ensures everyone looks like they belong together.

A cohesive look can be as simple as all-black outfits or as elaborate as full-out costumes developed for each band member. The important point is that you’re taking time to develop your band’s appearance and image. (More on that later in an upcoming post…)

Build connections with each other

Anyone in a band knows that the musical interplay and dynamics between the players can be a huge part of what defines that band. If that is the case, why limit this interplay only to the music? Make it visually evident by incorporating into your performance on-stage!

Tom Jackson, a producer who works with artists on developing their live show, makes the following observation:

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched bands, duos, groups, any number of people onstage, completely ignore (visually) what someone else in their band is doing.

It only takes little steps to start changing this, but these changes can make worlds of difference! Let’s think: what can you do to visually acknowledge and respond to your bandmates on-stage?

Maybe you can get excited and walk over to the lead guitarist when he/she takes their solo? Or, if you’re a sideman, you can scream out the chorus along with the lead singer, even though you’re not even behind a mic?

The point is that, whatever you do, don’t get on-stage and just ignore each other!

Build connections with the audience

In a similar way to the last topic, work to engage the audience with your performance. After all, they are the reason you’re on-stage in the first place!

This can be broken down into simple steps as well. If you break into a huge, singalong chorus, get the audience to join in with you. If you rip into an intense solo guitar, get yourself to the front of the stage and shred their faces off!

A fact that is widely recognized is that audiences reflect the attitude of the artists performing. Consequently, to quote J B Hildebrand again, “Do I look as into the song as I want my audience to be?”

Show your audience how your music should make them feel and they will respond in kind.

Conclusion

In the end, we see that it doesn’t take much to start improving your stage presence little-by-little. We encourage you to keep reading and learning more about this subject and stay tuned for more posts coming here every Wednesday.

Now get out there and rock some stages!

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