Sunday 2 Jan 2022, 3:50pm
I'm an older multi-instrumentalist looking to start a new band from scratch in the Oxford area. As it all really starts with the voice, I'm looking for a singer. I have very broad tastes in music and am mostly open to what style of band it becomes, it just depends who gets in touch.
So, maybe you're an Amy Winehouse, Aretha Franklin or James Brown and want to do the soul thing.
Maybe you're a folky like Joni Mitchell, John Martyn, Suzanne Vega, or Paul Simon.
Maybe you want to rock out like Ozzy, Jim Morrison, Robert Plant, or Billie Joe Armstrong.
Maybe left-field indie is your thing and you're a Robert Smith, Florence Welch, Michael Stype, Mark Linkous, or PJ Harvey.
Maybe you want to sing the blues, belt out old 50's rock and roll like The King, sing Marley's reggae, do the 80s Bowie / Gabriel / Queen thing, or create some laid-back Floyd-style prog? Ska, reggae, rock, blues, soul, funk, folk, indie, prog: whatever rocks your boat, from the Arctic Monkeys to Zion Train, I'd like to hear from you.
If you've sung in bands before, that's great. Equally, if you've never sung in a band before but want to have a crack at it, that's great too. If you can also play an instrument, all the better but no problem if you don't.
There are some key things that are important though, please:
1. You need to be able to hit the notes - although I love the Joe Strummer/Shane McGowan non-singing thing, I'm really after a good singing voice.
2. You need to live within 45 minutes drive of Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Further than that just does not work long-term with regular rehearsals after a day-job commute/grind.
3. You need to be committed and prepared to turn up to the rehearsals and put the time in to develop the band. This will mean once per week, at least for a couple of months until we've found the band's voice
4. I'm not really interested in doing Adele/Abba/pop or thrash metal - these are all great in their own way, just not my thing.
I love playing covers, I love writing originals. I love playing gigs, I love recording albums. I've got a full PA, a home studio, lots of gear, transport, and know a number of musicians that might be suitable to get involved once the nucleus of the band is formed. I play bass, guitar, and keyboards, plus can do some limited backing vocals. If you want to see what I look like, I'm the guy in the hat here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo-UXKCQLyw&t=5s
So, if the above is of interest, please email me at mikejunk@michaelamos.net. Please either include a link to you singing something or attach a recording of you singing along to something on your phone.
All the best,
Mike