singer Raymond commented about other live acts on the scene. “Local bands just don’t have their shit
together most of the time.”

Ray, who co-founded the group with Brad a few years ago, finds that he can express himself through
his lyrics for the group.

Ray mentioned that playing live can often be difficult, and that “sometimes you just have to get
paid in beer if it gets you more gigs.”

Keeping time for the group is Jeevan, the small but mighty drummer for LSD. Jeevan’s opinion is
that metal is a lot more versatile than other styles, giving him a lot more creative options on how to lay
down a beat.

The most recent addition to LSD is bass player and Douglas College music student Brendan Benoit.
Brendan studies classical music at the college during the day, but outside the ivory tower, he chooses to
play heavy metal. Metal has a distinct structure and form to it, and these qualities attracted Brendan to the
genre.

“T find that having 18 years of musical education has helped me become a better player and member of
LSD,” Brendan added. He went on to acknowledge the influence of Bob Caldwell’s teachings on his playing
style.

“You have to have something different,” Ray continued. “You have to put in a lot of work and have
something to offer people in this industry or it doesn’t work.”

So what does Ray mean by having something different?

The first thing necessary to be successful is a cohesive band: people that you get along with, can musically hold your
own around and sound decent with. If this last element is missing, you might as well pack it up and go home because if the
clock ain’t tickin’, then you’re going to lose time.

The next important element is an image or style. This category includes pictures or videos promoting the band and what kind of
image or attitude you present. Most bands go for the bad-ass-rocker look because...well, come on, it’s just awesome! Other groups decide to wear makeup or
costumes to give them some kind of edge, in the manner of Kiss or Gwar. Most mainstream groups usually wear designer clothes or their own signature line of whatever.

Fundamental to selling your band is having a decent live show. How else are you going to hit up the hookers and blow if you can’t even impress anyone with your
live skills? Gigs don’t pay very well in this city, and usually it’s tough to get them unless you belong to a promotion company or know people who can line them up. This
can usually only happen if you have the next element in this list.

A good recording is probably the best thing that can happen to any band. When someone wants to know about your group without going to a show or looking at a
webpage, a recording is the only representation available. It should be a clear, high-quality, well-mixed track, something that you’d be proud to show a record executive;
after all, you will have to if you ever want to get signed.

The final necessary item that makes a good band is having quality gear. Some gig spots have faulty equipment or nothing at all, and this can seriously affect the
scrumtralescence of your live show. Trying to get people to listen to music that doesn’t sound good is about on par with repetitively poking a cat in the ear with a pipe
cleaner, and you’re not going to be well received.

With the release of their full length album, LSD seems to have all their bases covered; they’ve got a solid line up of musicians, a face-melting live show, an ass-
kicking attitude and the look to go with it. So what’s next for LSD?

The band is looking for more exposure, gigs and to infect North America by any means necessary. With a lot of hard work put in, Last Suicidal Decision is ready to
go big—keep an eye out for these guys, there’re on to something...

So turn off your MuchMusic and put down the iPods, blow up your radio if you must. Has the once respected and profitable profession of being a performing
musician become technologically obsolete? I choose to believe not. So get out there and support your local gigging musicians...or at least buy them a beer!

     

 

 

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