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If you like the stuff on this page, you'll find much more in-depth versions of Gary's articles in the "Cut the Crap" series of books from Artemis Editions. There are five in the series: one about surviving being in a band, one about doing stuff on the Net, one about putting out your own records, one about the various ways in which technology can help your tunes and one that tells you everything you need to know about guitars. Some of the books have been serialised in Future Music magazine.

Thanks to Artemis for letting us continue to publish bits and bobs on this site - most publishers would have demanded that we took this page down. You can find out more - and read extracts - on the official Web site.

Some of the articles on this page desperately need updating - graphics don't load, web links are out of date, etc - and we'll fix them as soon as we can. In the meantime, sorry for any duff links.

 

CDs: where the money goes

Ever wondered who gets your cash when you buy a CD?

The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle

Gary Marshall and Paul McGazz explain Pay to Play: what it is, how it works, and why it's killing live music.

The theory of songwriting

Craig Weldon (aka Pulsar) knows a thing or two about writing killer tunes. In this article he explains the secrets of successful songwriting.

Putting out a compilation CD

Paul McGazz explains how you too can risk your sanity by getting a bunch of bands to work together.

The bluffer's guide to low-budget recording

Studios? Pah! Alex Botten has a better way to get your tunes on tape.

Masters of the universe

Why do some records sound great, and others just suck? Gary discovers the black art of mastering.

Going Digital

Gary explains why you should turn your PC into a digital recording studio.

DIY Band Promotion

Derek Shanks suggests some cheap and cheerful ways to spread the word about your band.

Burn baby burn

Gary thinks you should add a CD-burner to your computer.

The Singer's Survival Guide

Donna Swabey and Paul McGazz show you how to prevent Lemmy impressions from killing your voice.

What the rock books don't tell you

Gary on gigging, television, indie ethics - and badgers.

Chicks (Don't) Dig Guitars

Gary explains that sadly, being in a band doesn't make any difference to your sex appeal.

Studio Survival Guide

A veteran of countless recording studio fist-fights, Gary suggests ways to get your ideas down on tape without beating the rest of your band to a bloody pulp.

Putting Your Band Online

Gary provides a crash course in getting your band - and your music - online.

Net Music

An in-depth look at online music. Originally published in Computer Music Magazine.

MP3 and the Industry

A look at A&R staff's opinions about Internet music. Originally published in .NET Magazine.

Pay to play

A look at how MP3 sites are moving from pay per download to monthly subscriptions (by Gary for .NET Magazine).

 

Other bits and bobs

The Manual (How to have a number one the easy way)

The KLF's legendary expose of the music industry. This link will open in a separate window (NB it's a big file, even in plain text format - 181Kb).

Advice from the Musician's Union

The links below will take you to the MU site and will open in a separate window. Please note that the information is from the UK Musician's Union and may not apply in other countries.

 When Gary Marshall isn't shouting for Kasino, he's a freelance music/technology journalist. You'll find him wibbling regularly for .NET, T3, MacFormat, PC Plus, PC Format and other consumer titles. He's also appeared on a few radio news programmes talking about MP3 and the music industry, and has written four "survival guides" for young musicians (and he's writing some more books just now).

Jo Reeves and Donna Swabey play in Squander Pilots. They have a record deal and everything.

Paul McGazz organised the Smoke compilation and is the singer in My Legendary Girlfriend.

Alex Botten plays in Thee Moths and kick-started the Littlest Album compilation.

Derek Shanks is the singer/guitarist in Glasgow band Aether.

Craig Weldon is the enigmatic Pulsar, and the various members of Kasino are trying to work out whether he's a genius or a lunatic. We suspect the truth is a bit of both.

We're always looking for new contributions - if you fancy adding your words of wisdom to this page, email Gary. Cheers.