As of 4th June 2008 we will be advertising for:

Please read this whole page before calling for an audition.

We are Lemon Twist and we have a plan for success.  You might have seen my other web site at:  http://www.digitalharmony.com.au/ 
If you read it you will get a better idea of who we are and how we are going to be successful.

We are dedicated to see Lemon Twist become a commercially success with hit songs, radio and TV play - within the constraints of our day jobs.  We assume we will do it as an independent band with no involvement from record companies. 

The theme of this band is to make people want to dance.  It is a good time band - no angst ridden songs.  We are happy people with an infectiously good vibe.  Everything else flows from there.

The most important thing we require from singers is that they be team players through good times and bad.

We would like to have singers who are constantly striving to improve the product in a "pursuit of excellence" rather than perfectionists.  In the imperfect world of live music compromise is forced on you so often you have to happily make the best of it while striving for better. 

You should have a history of being quite successful in life and have a history of being highly reliable.  For an example of reliability:  If your car breaks down on the way to a gig you will leave it, take a taxi to the gig and worry about the car later.  

The music is good time dance music inspired by great songs like:  Funky town, Superfreak, Play that funky music, Relax and le Freak.  We have about 15 songs written to various degrees of completion.  To get you started with the band we will provide a demo CD and lyrics to make getting up to speed quick and easy.

It would be helpful if you had some knowledge of music and could play a musical instrument as we could then talk the same language.

We will rehearse until we have a confidently delivered live show.  During this period we will record the songs with the band in my studio and put free MP3 downloads on our Web site.  At this stage we are buying an audience - later they will buy us.  Give them an album via MP3 for free and later they will pay to come to a show or buy merchandise or buy a CD because CD's sound better than MP3's.

It is fully our intention that all our products including our music, stageware, web site, show and even our cafe posters be artistically rich.  Everything will be beautifully crafted works of art.

We have a 6 piece line-up.  We have a back line of Guitar, Bass, Electronic Percussion and MiniDisc for soundscapes, keyboards, horns or strings section etc.

Front line is one male singer and two female singers.  It would be highly valued if one of the female singers had keyboard skills too.

We will assemble images we like and go to a designer to develop an image, stageware and costumes.  Below is the Blue Man Group who have an amazing image (but there is no intention to look anything like them.)  We need something cutting edge.  I know I could do with a 'rock star' make over.

Check that alternative band in the Faker video - This Heart Attack on You Tube at:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWaHdIIMRqc  The Asian chicks look so cool.

Stageware has much potential for artistic content and defining image.  Right now I am thinking about the corset look.  (See above right)  The girls get to have all the fun with this!!

We love playing live.  Much of our focus will be on giving a high energy performance filled with strong dance grooves and positive vibe.  The band will rehearse intensively.  Members will be expected to put in an hour each night practicing at home and we will do a full band practice each Saturday.  This will be about 5 hours in one of the commercial practice studios at a location yet to be decided, probably in the inner Western suburbs.

Initially booking will come from partnering with other bands with compatible sounds to either do support shows for them or I will organise to book 3 acts into a venue for a night and promote it myself.  I have experience running gigs with up to 11,000 people attending and can deliver more of the same.

After an initial start up phase we will be doing 1 gig per week in Sydney or up to 3 hours drive away.  Including Central Coast, Bathurst, Wollongong sometimes even Canberra.  (I grew up in Canberra.)

It is a tough world and we have to be good to survive. Much of live band music market share has been lost to the DJs with the doof, doof music. Two guitars, bass and drum bands where the guys just stand on stage looking at their feet are boring. We need to be something with a decent groove people can dance to. We will have a stage show the punters haven't seen before. We will give them some new sounds using samples, computers and electronic percussion. We should be at the cutting edge of modern music bringing them the sounds of tomorrow. We will try to push the edges of the envelope musically and culturally. 

The pop stars of tomorrow will sound nothing like the stars of today. The big stars of tomorrow will have new sounds not just repackaged old sounds. In time perhaps we can we play virtual modelled instruments on computers controlled by guitars, keyboards, electronic percussion surfaces, laser harps and sensors on dancer's bodies?  Can we get the audience audience to control filter sweeps on our instruments by putting their hand through light beams above the crowd? We live in an age where new music technology is coming out every day we should use it.  We can't do all this now but this band will be highly innovative.  (It helps that my day job is as a computer systems engineer so I know lots about technology.)  This band will evolve artistically, musically and technologically. 

Innovate or die. Sydney band Toy Death showed us you can push the edges of the envelope a long way and still get gigs. It has to be musically relevant not just weird. It has to be good music.

We want a percussionist willing to play an electronic percussion instrument that we will supply initially but in time you will build your own.  At the right you can see an electronic percussion instrument played by the Blue Man Group.  The instrument we will supply is based around an Alesis DM5 drum module and triggers.  This could be supplemented with a hardware sampler.  I have a Yamaha A4000 sampler that would be suitable.

Think about being innovative.  Of course you must have really good, musical timing!

I have a reasonable good home studio and production skills.  We anticipate we would self produce our material and get some professional assistance to polish it up.  I know some quite good people who can provide this help.  My studio is based in Wahroonga and quite a bit of our time will be spent working on material here.

We will put most of the songs up on the Web site as MP3's and give them away for free.  We will have some bonus tracks on CD's and paid services such as iTunes.  We will give away MP3's for free but sell premium quality product like DVD's and high definition audio product.

We are fairly Internet centric with use of YouTube, MySpace and our own web site.  We will have lots of video content on the Internet too as I have access to video equipment and production people at the right price.  Internet content will include gigs and interviews with band members in Quicktime that can be watched from iPods or computers.  

We are developing an e-mail database to keep in touch with our fan base.  This will become a key part of our gig promotion strategy.

Of course there will be the traditional print advertisements and cafe posters for gigs.  This will be supported by press releases, reviews etc.  Remember, if you buy advertising you will get editorial.

I will do direct marketing to key decision makers and "gatekeepers" as I am well positioned to do this.

Have a look at my  http://www.digitalharmony.com.au/  web site for more of my ideas on marketing.  Especially to radio and major concert promoters.

Initially we will self manage but hopefully, in time, the job will become too big for for a DIY approach.  At that point we will find a suitable manager.

Playing in an originals band would have to be the worst Get Rich Quick plan I have ever heard of.  (You will make more money and have a better chance of success in business delivering Pizzas.)  Do not join a band for the money, you join a band because you can't live without getting on stage and singing.

Originals bands lose money until they have a hit record.  If you are expecting to be paid anything in the first 3 years then you are not the guy or girl we are looking for.  All earnings for the first 3 years will be reinvested into promoting the act.  You are going to need your day job. 

"I quit the band because we had been doing gigs for a year and it was not going anywhere."  How many times have you heard this bull shit?  It takes years to establish a brand, build a following, tighten up the act and hone our skills together.  Just look at how long it has taken for the top Australian acts today to establish themselves.  Don't expect to do it any faster than they did.  We would be perfectly happy to have our first hit song in 5 years time.  If you are partnering with us in this band then you have to be thinking in time frames of 5 to 10 years.  (If you are expecting commercial success in anything with time frames of 6 months to 2 years - you are dreaming.)

Our short term objectives are outlined below:

Over 90% of bands fail to survive until their 10th gig.  This is NOT going to be one of those that fail. 

There is no expectation that this would be the only band you could play with.  Playing with another band is diversity of experience not 'cheating on us'.

You should fully understand the concept of:  deferment of gratification.

Not every day in the music business is a fun day and some days shit happens but you have to be emotionally robust enough to carry on without undue complaint.

An interesting quote:  “Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go” -  William Feather.

We anticipate you will spend 5 hours each Saturday in rehearsals or the recording studio, 1 gig a week that may occasionally involve an overnight stay, 1 or 2 weeks of touring per year and about an hour a night at home practicing or doing other related stuff.  We will all have day jobs that we will have to work around.  You will need flexibility on when you take your holidays so we can do some interstate touring. You will have at least 4 months notice of interstate tours.  You need to be able to make this time commitment to get results.

Yes, this will impact your social life.  

No, we never want to hear you can't make a gig because your bestest, bestest friend is having a 21st birthday party that night.  Gigs will always take priority and if I have to tell you this you are the wrong person!

If you are still interested please give me a call and we can have a talk.  My mobile number is 0412 252588 and landline is (02) 9487 7166.  The best time to call is between 7:30pm and 11:00pm.

My e-mail address is: mark@digitalharmony.com.au  if you have any questions.  Please include a phone number in your e-mail.

Join our mailing list and we will send you 2 free MP3's now and a recording of the Potty Mouth Girl then keep you notified of gigs and free MP3's when they are available.

Funky MALE singer and 2 FEMALE singers required for band doing good time dance music inspired by great songs like:  Funky town, Superfreak, Play that funky music, Relax and le Freak with the aim of being commercially successful.  Must be a team player, have excellent ability to sing sing tune, able to do vocal harmonies, backing vocals and you must be emotionally robust.  The mission of this band is to make people want to dance with a fun, good time vibe.  You will need a mature professional attitude, reliable transport and day job.  Wanna-be Australian Idol singers, shift workers and drug users need not apply.  Some rehearsals will be in Wahroonga.  For further information, rough MP3 demos and a short form business plan please see:  www.lemontwist.com.au