Write a Review of John the Conqueror
Why would anyone want to write a show review? Well, there are numerous reasons, but I’d like to think that writing a review for a band you’re passionate about could be enough to grab someone’s attention that might have never heard of the band before. Honestly, what could be better than being able to personally stake claim on 15 new fans of your favorite band just because you said the music rocked harder than a hard-boiled egg on a glass plate in a car going 75mph down a dirt road?
Writing a review, whether it’s for music, cars, a play, a book, or whatever your passion the basic goal is always the same; you want to write something good. I know it sounds easier than it usually is, but it is possible and I’d like to share a few tips on how you can write a review to be proud of. And since this is about how to write a review for a John the Conqueror show we’ll focus on that. Let’s start with a couple of lists.
First, let’s make a list of all the “cool” things about what you just experienced at the show. Maybe you noticed Rich break a drumstick and still maintain the groove and Clayton played the hottest slide guitar solo you’ve ever witnessed. Those are great things to write about; put them on the list. Perhaps a fellow audience member flashed the entire band during the song “Open Road”. Now that’s something for the headlines.
Your list should include everything you can think of that was unique or just plain “cool”. It doesn’t matter how brief or lengthy the list is, you can always cross things off later if necessary. All you’re doing here is finding a few key elements of the show that might tip the scales from average to overwhelming in your review.
Oh, but I shouldn’t overlook the list of negatives. Many people try to avoid the negatives in a review. Why? What purpose does that serve? If the band sucked, say it. We’ll either learn from it or we’ll ultimately lose a dedicated fan. That’s the industry. It’s brutal, and being nice to the band all of the time even when we don’t deserve it only sets us up for failure somewhere else. It may hurt a little today, but tomorrow it could mean the death of JTC. Make a list of negatives too.
DECIDING ON A TITLE
Deciding on a title for your masterpiece could be the most difficult part about writing the entire thing. Generally, I’ll write the entire review before deciding on the title, but you might find it easier to write something once you have a working title.
You should have two lists in front of you. To keep it simple, we’ll call them the “cool list” and the “dead list”. Compare and contrast the lists. Which list is the longest? Which one makes you say “yeah, that’s pretty much how the night went”? That’s the list you’re going to primarily focus on from now on.
Let’s say you selected the “cool list” (Of course I chose that one… I’m in the band!). You have five “cool” things written down about the show. Look to see if any of them can be grouped together. Perhaps this was your list:
- Varis broke a string and his solo actually got better instead of worse
- Skip disappeared and showed up behind the bar during his solo
- Some guy got drunk and fell flat on his face on the dance floor
- Clayton played the best slide guitar solo I’ve ever heard
- Rich broke a drumstick and never lost the groove
You could easily group 1 and 5 together and also 2 and 4 together, leaving the drunken guy all by himself. So, you could title the piece JTC – The Band That Never Loses the Groove and Knows Magic. Yes, it’s a little longer than most titles, but again, once you write the piece you can always shorten it. The goal here is to give you and your reader a clear picture of what you’re about to paint for them.
Deciding on a title isn’t that hard after all, now is it.
OPENING PARAGRAPH
If they don’t make it past the first paragraph right now, will they ever? That’s the question you need to ask when writing the opening paragraph. Your opening paragraph should be the real kicker. You want people to read the entire review. You want people to know how you feel about this band. You want people to understand your opinion. You want people to respect the work you’ve put into this. Let’s go.
Generally, you want to tell people that you went to a John the Conqueror show and when and where it was in your first paragraph. Sometimes that’s the best way to start. “Last night I went to the Cola Club and out of nowhere the stage was swarming with people. They called themselves JTC.”
Bam, you’re well on your way. But, that’s only two sentences… now what? Look at your title, what information can you provide as teasers in two or three more sentences about this review. Maybe something like this: “These guys were awesome! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a local band that could actually play, and when JTC takes the stage there’s no question that they can play.” Opening paragraph done.
Notice I didn’t give away anything, but I did invite the reader to continue. I told them what this is about without saying something like “I’d like to tell you about a show I was at last night.” That’s the tricky part about writing; you HAVE TO grab your reader’s attention within the first 15 seconds of reading or you’ve lost them. Plan on the average reader seeing five or six sentences, that’s all you have time for, so make them count!
BODY
The body is easy once you get into the swing of things. All you’re really doing is telling a story. I suggest you always use Microsoft Word or a similar program that has spell-check built into the program, but it’s not a requirement unless you find yourself misspelling more words than you’re getting correct.
Include as much detail in your writing as possible. For instance, instead of writing “Varis broke a string and kept playing,” try writing “Varis was taking a solo during a song I can’t remember the title to right now (but that’s not important) when a string snapped on his guitar and flew crazily over his shoulder.” People will read that and visualize how that might have looked.
Keep in mind that this is your story, not mine, not the reader’s, and definitely not the drunken guy’s who is probably still laying on the floor at the Cola Club. Always use first person unless otherwise appropriate. You should be able to determine when and when not to stray from first person.
Quick Tip: Always proofread everything before uploading to the Internet or printing for release. Nobody wants to try to guess at the word; they’ll quit reading instead.
CONCLUSION
Never, and I stress NEVER say “in conclusion.” It’s lame, it’s over done, and it says nothing except, “I have no idea what else to say, so I’m ending here.” Find something else, anything else, PLEASE.
You could summarize what you’ve written about. You could end with promoting the next show. You might even end with a comment like, “I know one thing, next time I’m bringing my camera,” or “If you want to go with me next time send me an Email!” Anything is better than “in conclusion…”
I hope this has been helpful to you. If you have any suggestions of how it could be better please send me an Email! skip@jtcbluesband.com Thanks and we’ll see you at the next show.