unglamorous music

How do I get a guitar, a bass or drum kit to get started in a band?
There are lots of things that stand in the way of women who might fleetingly think about being in a band. The big one is confidence in knowing what to do, but another is having never had a go on different instruments to try them out. Here’s a few ideas that might help you have a go at playing instruments without making any big financial commitment:
- Music shops – With a friend, go into a musical instrument shop at a non-busy time (early morning or weekdays). Have a look around and then talk honestly with the person serving. You’ve never tried a bass/drumkit/electric guitar and would like to start. Can they give you any tips? If the shop isn’t busy, ask if you can have a go on a basic instrument. If you get good service, go back in a week, buy something cheap – drumsticks, a guitar plectrum etc and maybe have another go.
- Contacts and friends of friends – In every situation (work, family, socialising) mention that you’re trying to find someone who will let you try out a drum kit/guitar and does anyone know someone who might help you out? There is bound to be someone who will let you have a go, or maybe even lend you something basic.
- Second-hand and charity shops – you often see instruments on sale in these shops. The quality isn’t always good, but if it’s cheap enough, it’s worth considering and you can always have an extended try out in the shop and then decide not to buy it. Don’t be embarrassed about any lack of skills, just hit, pluck or strum any old thing confidently!
- Rehearsal rooms – people in bands hire practice rooms, often by the hour to do rehearsals in. Often weekends and evenings are busy, with muso types carrying guitars in and out. But these spaces will have quiet times where they’d be glad of any new customers. Look for rooms or studios that are staffed and ring up or go in to enquire whether they can help beginners. The people should be friendly; if they’re snobbish, ageist or sexist, ask them why – because everyone has to start somewhere and music should have no limits. Ask if they could help by letting you borrow or hire instruments (drum kits and amplifiers are usually provided) and showing you how to set up. If you and some friends go together, maybe daytime or early evening, you might be able to play around and experiment in a private space for less than £5 each.
There are barriers to getting started playing in a band, but a lot of them are to do with knowledge and knowing what is possible. Please comment if you have other tips!

Main picture The Wonky Portraits band formed in Leicester 2022
Vim Renault

January 2, 2023

Start playing music

all female, band, how to be in a band, learn drums, learn music, music
But what if I can’t play an instrument?
You CAN play any instrument you fancy, but the hard part is not comparing yourself with others, feeling isolated and then giving up. Ruth Miller of unglamorous music believes that beginners should experience the absolute joy of playing music in a band now, not after 3 years of practising.

If you’re starting long after you have left the education system, it’s harder to follow the conventional route of lessons, grades, music school, in which case you’re never going to be THE BEST. But that’s not really the point. Playing an instrument with others in a band as a beginner is such an awesome experience that it’s worth trying just so you can see how it feels.

Unglamorous music is a very specific approach, aimed at women – but applicable to anyone lacking in confidence and experience of playing. Some of the principles are:
- Choose an instrument that appeals and fits in with others
- Find helpful people to lend you stuff and support unconditionally
- Form a duo or band with other beginners straightaway
- Explore very simple rhythms and sounds
- Write your own words about your life
- Sing great tunes and backing vocals
- Play your song in a confident, cool, challenging way
- Get encouragement and applause from friends
- Start performing to audiences as soon as possible
You’ll notice that a lot of the principles are about getting encouragement. This is the key. It’s what stops you doubting and giving up. Those early audiences for simple, authentic, inexperienced playing made garage rock, punk, grunge, riot grrrl music happen. Your supporters online and in real life need to be open-minded, generous, artistic people who will lend you a guitar and praise your efforts unconditionally. You do not need a virtuoso bass player showing you how to do it properly, or anyone who criticises or gives ‘helpful feedback’. They mean well, but ultimately it will kill your art.

If you’re a woman, it is particularly powerful to play with other beginner women or anybody who truly wants to help you try your own thing. Sadly, the music tutor scene and many YouTube tutorials are often about people showing off and making you feel inadequate and slow. That’s why so many people have a guitar they no longer play – they felt that they didn’t SUCCEED at it.

The unglamorous music project isn’t part of high culture music or the beauty/fashion-led youth music industry … nor is it some funded community thing aiming to cheer people up in a village hall for 6 weeks. Unglamorous is every bit as raw, challenging, genre-busting as The Slits were in the late 1970s. Except it’s now 2023 and women don’t need to be young, skinny, white, attractive, living in London and dating members of The Clash in order to voice their thoughts through music.

Follow this blog to get tips on how to get going, wherever you are in the world. In Leicester, UK, there’s an unglam scene with eight all-women bands, plenty of gigs and a forthcoming album.
Vim Renault

December 31, 2022

66 Days To Your Debut, Uncategorized

all women, band, how to be in a band, learn drums, learn guitar, learn music, women band
Countdown to 66 Days – start playing music on January 1st 2023!
Last year, I decided to get more women of all ages playing instruments, writing songs and quickly forming garage bands. There aren’t enough women instrumental players so most bands are all-male or just have one woman in the line-up. I’ve always loved the sight and sound of all-women bands and the 70s/80s punk and post-punk ethos seemed to encourage it. Nowadays, bands like The Slits, The Raincoats and Mo-dettes are an important part of music history.

Here are the reasons why even beginner women can do this:
- Simple garage rock sounds great;
- Women’s voices sound great;
- There’s lots of potential help out there;
- Audiences want to see and hear something different;
- We can create amazing original songs;
- With self-belief and a few basic skills you can make great art;
- A community of women musicians is a powerful thing.
Many many women enjoy going to gigs, listening to all kinds of music but could never see themselves as being a creator in that world. What I have proved is that, with others, you can take part and find a new kind of creativity in yourself. The friendships, courage, and mental health benefits of playing in a supportive local scene are amazing, and we find that the music we are making is a new tranche of art rock music – every bit as valid as The Velvet Underground, The Sex Pistols, The Beatles … but with women evolving new themes and sounds.

Last year’s 66 Days project

Here in Leicester, I ran weekly practical workshops in January 2022 where women of all ages could try different instruments, get coaching on how to listen to others and play simple bass, guitar, drums and keyboard. Even in your first time, you can play one note, create a rhythm and turn it into a cool song, with a little guidance. I organised gigs on International Women’s Day, March 8th, where five new bands played one or more songs to an excited audience.

I also created the 66 Days to Your Debut Facebook page and posted information, videos and tips for women worldwide who were interested in the project, to help them get something started in their local area last year.

Starting soon on January 1st 2023

Everyone involved wants to do it all again! We have a bigger venue booked in Leicester for 8 current bands and, we hope 2-3 beginner all-women bands that will form in the next month! Due to me undergoing cancer treatment at the moment, the 2023 Leicester Sunday workshop sessions will be run by last year’s participants – women who now play in one of the many all-women Leicester bands like Velvet Crisis, Virginia’s Wolves, Dada Women, The Wonky Portraits, The Verinos, Venus Attax, and Glitch Magnet. But I should be able to post on Facebook and possibly YouTube to help anyone who wants to learn to play in this unconventional but rapid way, regardless of where you are based. One of the most helpful parts of this coaching is showing you how to find people in your local area who could help you or join your band. Just a few days to go now!
Vim Renault

December 28, 2022

66 Days To Your Debut

all women, band, Leicester, music, women band
Welcome New Followers and Velvet Crisis fans!

This week, Cathy from Velvet Crisis was published in The Guardian saying how she’d joined a band as part of the unglamorous music project, so here’s a blog post about what Velvet Crisis have been doing.

Read the article here

As a result, Velvet Crisis and Cathy have received wonderful messages of support from around the world and many people have subscribed to the unglamorous website, which is only partly constructed and not really anything grand at the moment. But thank you if you have subscribed!

It’s a really busy time at the moment, but we’ll try to add loads more images and words to the blog and website when we can. This week, Velvet Crisis are playing a gig in Leicester at The Soundhouse Leicester LE1 1SJ with Helen McCookerybook and The Verinos.

It’s on Friday 11th November, 8pm – 11pm and you can buy tickets here

Then on Wednesday 16th November, there’s an unglamorous music event where women can have a go at playing instruments, followed by a performance that includes music, narrative, chat, as we tell the story of the 9 all-women unglamorous bands that have formed in Leicester so far! There must be nearly 40 women involved now, and it’s another chance to see and hear Velvet Crisis.

Its Upstairs at the Western, Leicester LE3 0GA with the show beginning at 7.30pm. The workshop is before that from about 5.30pm while we’re setting up and is very informal. Click here for more info and tickets from the venue.

The other thing Velvet Crisis and the other unglam bands are doing is finishing off the recording of tracks for a compilation LP which is sounding very good indeed already. Watch out for a kickstarter campaign to raise extra money for vinyl pressing etc.

Here’s Velvet Crisis recording their tracks:

Vim Renault

November 7, 2022

Uncategorized

all female, all women, band, Leicester, music, women band
Recording the Unglam Bands October 2022

Yesterday, 30th October 2022, we started to record songs by women musicians in Leicester who have formed bands and created new garage art rock – many of them as beginners. There’s so much to say about this interesting music project and it’s been hard to document it all when everyone’s so busy with creativity and events.

But from our coverage in The Guardian today, we’ve suddenly had hundreds of views and followers, So I’m intending to post loads more information and photos about the eight all-women bands that have formed in Leicester as part of unglamorous, and are now about to make a compilation LP which is ground-breaking in that all the musicians and songwriters are women, with plenty of them being much older than the typical person starting out in music.

I shall sort this blog site out ASAP! Thanks for subscribing.

Ruth Miller

Vim Renault

October 31, 2022

Uncategorized