[Harp-L] Help with starting a band?

[Mike Fugazzi <mfugazzi67@xxxxxxxxx>]

I've decided to start my own band...the Mike Fugazzi
Band if you will (working title only).  It will be in
the style of bands like R.L. Burnside, Otis Taylor,
Moreland and Arbuckle...kinda punk blues I guess.  The
idea for this group is to focus on groove more then
soloing, however.  Many of the songs won't be 12
bars...There will be a lot of vamping.

I would like to keep it small to start...no more then
three members.  I am torn between a format that has
harp, guitar, and drums or a format that has harp,
guitar, and another guitar (with mandolin and banjo
too).

My goal is to play smallish local clubs a couple of
times a month.  However, I want to do some of the
bigger shows around town too like I did with my old
four piece. 

Care to help me weigh the pros and cons of each
approach?  I want to go after the college crowd.  I
suppose the hippie types would be the niche.  

One pro of having a drummer is the production of a
danceable beat.  It would also let the band fit an
outdoor stage better.  The drummer doesn't need to be
fancy...just hold a good pocket together and keep the
tunes driving.  Having a drummer would bring more of a
party to the stage.

However, having two string insturments would add some
sweet textures.  I would try to avoid having two
electric or two acoustic guitars going at once.  I'd
want to pair an electric with an acoustic, mandolin,
or banjo for example.  It would open up some jamming. 
It would also make it so I wouldn't have to handle the
majority of leads and solos if I didn't want too.  It
might be easier to do some of the old Son House type
tunes as well.

Any thoughts?  I can line up either combination for
auditions.  I have a song list of 40 covers and have
been working on writing originals too.  I also know of
bookers in the area that would let me get a start.  I
went through each song trying to decide if the songs
naturally favored one style over the other, but most
could work either way. 

Mike Fugazzi
Harmonica/Vocals
http://www.myspace.com/mikefugazzi


"Music should be healing; music should uplift the soul; music should inspire. There is no better way of getting closer to God, of rising higher towards the spirit, of attaining spiritual perfection than music, if only it is rightly understood."
-Hazrat Inayat Khan


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