Last issue we looked at Staging, Hospitality, Advertising and Promotions and I have received a lot of questions arising from the article, especially in relation to the complicated issue of hospitality. Just remember to look at any expense you have and think whether or not you believe it is a legitimate expense – not whether you can get away with the claim – that attitude just doesn’t work. If you do get audited, and you can justify your claiming of an expense because in your heart you strongly believe it was a true cost to your business, you will likely convince anyone challenging its validity. ...more

In attempting to categorise the types and varieties of alternate tunings I have focused on tunings with related patterns of intervals. Phrased that way it seems like something complicated and awful, designed as an intellectual exercise. Nothing could be farther from the truth – if you have worked with the major scale you have already begun solving the problem. So let’s take a fresh look at scales. ...more

So let’s just say you followed my advice from the last few issues and have booked a signature headlining gig at your local pub. You’ve lined up some great support bands and settled on a killer theme that captures the essence of what makes your band exciting and special. The promo poster is pasted up around town, at your uni, in some local businesses and popular hangouts. The band has built up to the event with an in-store appearance at the local CD shop, a couple of support slots with other bands, a live performance/interview on alternative radio and lots of word-of-mouth and internet promo. You are now one short week away from the big gig – time to relax? ...more

If your career was as a backing musician to a variety of Australian artists you’d rightly be pleased to be able to list Tina Arena, Marcia Hines, James Reyne and Wendy Matthews on your CV. Christchurch-born drummer Kere Buchanan has that, and much more besides; musical director, arranger, composer, covers and originals bands and most recently solo recording artist. He filled Richard Thorne in with some of his back story and future hopes. ...more

Killing Bear is a tomahawk-wielding, vengeful spirit possessing the reluctant body of all-American guy named Frank Williams. Killing Bear lives in the Amazon and eats mutant creatures for breakfast. ...more

As a law student learning a dense new vocabulary, Joe Buchanan admits a little legal lexicon has slipped into the rhymes he writes as Rap Authoritar. ...more

The Outsiders are a Wellington based alt-rock-punk four-piece who’ve spent the last 18 months recording their debut album ‘The Words Will Write Themselves’ in between touring Europe and Australia, and flexing their live muscles playing everywhere from squats in Germany to sold out international crowds in Amsterdam. ...more

If there is any one person that Tono and The Finance Company do not want to be, it is Barry Smith from the middle of the North Island. Vocalist/song-writer Anthonie Tonnon says he wrote the song Barry Smith From Hamilton, from the band’s upcoming sophomore EP ‘Fragile Thing’, after a Sunday night at home with his folks watching television. ...more

An insider guide to getting your music played, heard and talked about in the UK’s music capital. ...more

James Pinker is a highly experienced producer, percussionist and sound engineer who started out playing drums with Jed Town in The Features, one of the first bands to record on Simon Grigg’s Propeller Records, about three decades back. It set James on an eclectic musical trail that included time in Australia and a lengthy stint in the UK where he worked and toured with a number of bands including The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Pogues, Dead Can Dance, two albums with Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn and with Michael Brook on Peter Gabriel’s Realworld label. James is a man who has been fortunate enough to devote his life to music and art. He is also the only person I know who has met William Burroughs. ...more

Sean Kerrigan takes an obtuse look at the making of amps/pre-amps/effects. ...more