Fauxie said:

If we're talking the UK and RnB/soul music you HAVE to contact Dome Records.

http://www.domerecords.co.uk/

They launched Beverly Knight. They handle Rahsaan Patterson and Anthony David's stuff in the UK. Incognito (Bluey) is on their label. Conya Doss, too. Carleen Anderson, George Duke... I think it would be a good home for you.

Decent credentials

And they're good ppl.

I wish you all the best, Dave. You strike me as a very mature young man so I wouldn't worry about you being deluded or throwing too many eggs in one basket. Go for it, man!

.

[Edited 3/25/13 14:58pm]

Brilliant piece of advice!

Have been looking around for potential labels, too, and another one that looks interesting is Acid Jazz Records. They first signed Jamiroquai, for instance.

Thank you!

As an Internet guy, I have to ask: move to London to do what exactly? If you have enough money to cut a record in a studio, I thought the 2013 way of breaking was to simply upload it to all the music sites, Reverbnation, Spotify etc. (I'm sure musicians could tell you which ones are the best).

My site could conceivably help you - <deleted>, but I don't guarantee it. Take a look.

Once you have broken, I'm sure you can go wherever for *live* gigs obviously, but that's after you've been guaranteed a paying audience. Just my 2 c.

[Edited 4/7/13 7:45am]

[Edited 4/7/13 7:48am]

domainator2010 said:

As an Internet guy, I have to ask: move to London to do what exactly? If you have enough money to cut a record in a studio, I thought the 2013 way of breaking was to simply upload it to all the music sites, Reverbnation, Spotify etc. (I'm sure musicians could tell you which ones are the best).

My site could conceivably help you - www.webmeeters.com (please Mods, this is NOT spam), but I don't guarantee it. Take a look.

Once you have broken, I'm sure you can go wherever for *live* gigs obviously, but that's after you've been guaranteed a paying audience. Just my 2 c.

I'm afraid it works the other way round... Your live act is what counts and defines you (and where most of the money is); an album is the additional bonus to sell to the fans who ask you for something to buy at your gigs.

There's so many people throwing their music out there, the chances of becoming big just by simply releasing an album on the internet are very, very slim.

domainator2010 said:

As an Internet guy, I have to ask: move to London to do what exactly? If you have enough money to cut a record in a studio, I thought the 2013 way of breaking was to simply upload it to all the music sites, Reverbnation, Spotify etc. (I'm sure musicians could tell you which ones are the best).

My site could conceivably help you - www.webmeeters.com (please Mods, this is NOT spam), but I don't guarantee it. Take a look.

Once you have broken, I'm sure you can go wherever for *live* gigs obviously, but that's after you've been guaranteed a paying audience. Just my 2 c.

There's a London RnB/soul/acid jazz/funk live scene that lots of ppl are into. Artists unheard on the radio sell out shows and sell albums pretty well and live quite comfortably on the back of it. I think in this genre it's the best way to go.

Dave, someone you could ask for advice (if you haven't already) is the member DreZone.

.

[Edited 3/26/13 7:22am]

London is STILL the BEST city/scene for new-hungry pop/rock (and more) bands

GOOD LUCK

Don't even consider talking to a label in London until you've got gigs under your belt here. It is absolutely pointless.

Good Luck Dave!!!!

the world is your oyster ~ go 4 it!!!!

and this way no matter what happens when u r older and look back at the life u had u will not have any regrets......... if u really feel confident that its the right thing to do well then dont hold back!

i feel u have thought is through and may have been planning this for a long time!

I wish u all the best and and hope u make it cause u really do deserve everything u wish 4!!!!

Militant said:

Don't even consider talking to a label in London until you've got gigs under your belt here. It is absolutely pointless.

It's not like he hasn't got anything to show for his last few years though.

Fauxie said:

Militant said:

Don't even consider talking to a label in London until you've got gigs under your belt here. It is absolutely pointless.

It's not like he hasn't got anything to show for his last few years though.

Still, I'm virtually unknown outside Austria; and even in my home country I'm not exactly a well-known mainstream act, but rather lurking around in the underground funk world. I'm known among fellow musicians as a good keyboarder and singer, but I haven't had major airplay or anything like that yet.

Yeah, I also think my goal should be to find a band as quickly as possible to play my songs with and start gigging as much as possible...

oh, and there are also GREAT/BIG/JUICY tits in London/Britain

you're gonna have fun Dave

Hoorah!

You know I wish you all the best, Dave.

I'm not in London, but i'd make room for you at my house.... if that counts for anything.

Don't bother.

There aren't enough jobs as it is, we have too many immigrants as it is. And costs of rent and living conditions are not good at the lower end. Plus as an Austrian you won't easily find teaching English work to sub yourself as there are so many native speakers.

And you have millions of other struggling musicians too....at least in Austria they may take you seriously, here you'll just get laughed at!!!

And your rather arrogant attitude and lack of self effacement will get you nowhere unless you change it.

It's the grass is greener concept.

[Edited 3/28/13 4:05am]

At last someone with a sense of reality.

I almost posted the other day then thought better of it seeing all the dreamers encouraging ya. I thought it better to leave it. There were only a couple erring on the side of caution and well, you gotta have a dream I spose?

I always felt at home in London too. Alright, I was born in Camberwell, smoke Camberwell carrots and I camber pretty well so I spose I would. From what I've seen I'd be right at home in the Maldives though. Maybe I could have a beach bar and start tapping Elisabeth Shue lookalikes? Somehow I know it's unlikely.

I hate to piss on any bonfires which is why I hadn't posted til now. I'm a cynical old fart. You have to be realistic. Seems like everyone wants to live in London. Apart from half the Londoners if they have any sense. The PM's been talking about tightening immigration. He does like talking bollocks but immigration went batshit here years ago. Someone's gotta get a handle on it someday.

We're short on housing, rents are through the roof and buying is a pipe-dream for most. Especially in London. Unemployment's a massive problem too. As usual they try to make the stats paint a better picture but in reality, too many are out of work. Thousands pour into England all the time thinking it's all paved with gold. It is in a lot of ways but it's turning to shit and rapidly. We have massive problems with economic migrants along with all the health tourists. It's beyond a joke.

Then you have the music industry as a whole. Best of luck with that one. It still amazes me how many think if only they'd hit the City, everything would be fine. It very rarely works out that way. What can you do over here that you can't do from there? Maybe get a few gigs? You'd be a tadpole in an ocean over here.

I'd say promote yourself online. I know I wouldn't just move to a foreign country without having plenty to go for. Work, accomodation and finances for a kick off. Dick Wittington wasn't a documentary.

JoeTyler said:

oh, and there are also GREAT/BIG/JUICY tits in London/Britain

you're gonna have fun Dave

and the place to meet them is outside the Bravissimo bra shop

Fonkyman said:

At last someone with a sense of reality.

I almost posted the other day then thought better of it seeing all the dreamers encouraging ya. I thought it better to leave it. There were only a couple erring on the side of caution and well, you gotta have a dream I spose?

I always felt at home in London too. Alright, I was born in Camberwell, smoke Camberwell carrots and I camber pretty well so I spose I would. From what I've seen I'd be right at home in the Maldives though. Maybe I could have a beach bar and start tapping Elisabeth Shue lookalikes? Somehow I know it's unlikely.

I hate to piss on any bonfires which is why I hadn't posted til now. I'm a cynical old fart. You have to be realistic. Seems like everyone wants to live in London. Apart from half the Londoners if they have any sense. The PM's been talking about tightening immigration. He does like talking bollocks but immigration went batshit here years ago. Someone's gotta get a handle on it someday.

We're short on housing, rents are through the roof and buying is a pipe-dream for most. Especially in London. Unemployment's a massive problem too. As usual they try to make the stats paint a better picture but in reality, too many are out of work. Thousands pour into England all the time thinking it's all paved with gold. It is in a lot of ways but it's turning to shit and rapidly. We have massive problems with economic migrants along with all the health tourists. It's beyond a joke.

Then you have the music industry as a whole. Best of luck with that one. It still amazes me how many think if only they'd hit the City, everything would be fine. It very rarely works out that way. What can you do over here that you can't do from there? Maybe get a few gigs? You'd be a tadpole in an ocean over here.

I'd say promote yourself online. I know I wouldn't just move to a foreign country without having plenty to go for. Work, accomodation and finances for a kick off. Dick Wittington wasn't a documentary.

I hear you. I didn't really imagine London to be any different and I've spent a lot of time acquaintaning myself with how people (have to) live over there, how things work etc. I certainly do not believe London is all paved with gold, and even less so for musicians.

The central question is, as you say, what can I do over there that I can't do here?

Well, for starters, the potential audience is much bigger. People speak English and have no problem understanding English lyrics. The surroundings are urban and international and there is a proper Funk/Soul scene (whereas there is no such thing in Austria).

And gigs, yes. I may be one in a million acid jazz/soul/funk acts, but inevitably, more people will hear me (if I get to playing in soul clubs etc). If I'm good enough/better than other acts, they will listen more closely. Over here, I can be as good as I want and the few hundred people who dig my music can praise me as the best young funk musician Austria has ever seen all they want, because I doesn't mean fuck all in the end. Too few people into that kind of music, not enough venues, not enough radio stations playing that kind of music. I'd forever be an "insiders' tip", but the problem is that the Austrian "underground scene" is not big enough to keep you alive... Not with my kind of genre at least.

In London, everything will be about 100 times harder to achieve and work for, but the ceiling will be 100 times higher. I want to give myself that opportunity.

I don't have any expectations and I wouldn't feel as if I have "failed" if after three years I returned to where I am right now.

And, like I said, I still have a couple of years left. I will try testing the waters a bit by recording new songs and see what people think about them (over the internet).

Glad you didn't take any of that the wrong way.

Long as you keep ya feet on the ground and give yourself a chance, now's the time to do it, while you're still young. Better to have a go (Sensibly) than to leave it and end up 20 odd years down the line wondering what if.

Best of luck to ya.

ZombieKitten said:

JoeTyler said:

oh, and there are also GREAT/BIG/JUICY tits in London/Britain

you're gonna have fun Dave

and the place to meet them is outside the Bravissimo bra shop

have u been there?

JoeTyler said:

I'm a strong believer to find out for yourself if a plan works or not.

Rather have not made it than never tried it, imo.

And I really think you can make it work when you combine it with your study.

As I mentioned the Erasmus program might be a good idea to do some classes.

You can get student funding for that program, I'm sure a student advisor can tell you all about that.

You can apply for housing at the International House. A wonderful place, that offers a great world wide network for the rest of your life. And very affordable.

You can lengthen that one semester Erasmus study program with another semester for a research.

If you need to do a research or thesis for our bachelor, try to do it in London. FInd yourself a professor or supervisor in London.

Can you choose the subject of your thesis yourself?

Because if you can, you might choose a subject about funk/soul music.

For example, how did the funk/soul scene influence the urban language in London?

To answer that question in your thesis, you have to interview people in the funk/soul scene in London.

And do you need to do an externship for your study? Because you can also do that abroad.

I mean, if you want, you might be able to study in London for 2 years and enjoy all the student offerings.

Don't listen to the grumpy old men.

You might fail, but hey, than at least you have lived in London for a while and lived the fast life.

It's just not your time to be a grump old man, yet.

dJJ said:

It's just not your time to be a grumpy old man, yet.

Fonkyman has very grounded and sensible arguments for you to be wary, but if you wish to truly pursue this career you may have to be a bit "un-grounded" and nonsensical. If there's ever a time to be a "starving artist" in your life it's now, while you're young and carefree (for the most part). You don't want to be sharing a studio with 3 roommates eating ramen noodles when you're in your late 30's or 40's.

Now is when you can take the gamble and struggle as you try to climb the ladder to artistic success.

My 2cents anyway.