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By Diana “NoWay” Ungaro Arnos

You're tired and broke. But you keep going. Why? Because you truly enjoy what you do and know that's how you want to make a living

I don't want to repeat the same old story when people talk about this subject: conditions in Brazil are bad, the media doesn't support it, instruments and equipment are very expensive, recording is also expensive, the public cares more about foreign bands than the good Brazilian bands that are emerging, and so on.

Look, even without meaning to repeat myself, I've already written a whole paragraph of complaints. But what's it really like trying to survive in the underground? Among all the difficulties, I prefer to start with the great advantage that these problems bring (yes, a real advantage): the bands that persevere and continue are composed of musicians who truly love what they do and who have already overcome many hardships just to be able to make music. So you can expect, at the very least, sincere work. And, from those who really fight in the scene for a long time, the work is good. It may not be your style of music, but you have to admit when a sound is well done.

And to avoid mentioning others and causing problems, I'll talk about my own experience. And it's true, it's very difficult to continue.

You know (or if you don't, someone has probably told you) how difficult it is to study and work at the same time. How exhausting it is and how little money there is (after all, you practically work just to pay for college). Waking up early, working all day, studying all night, and going to bed horribly late. Every single day.

So you have a band. Not just a garage band to entertain your friends and play some covers. A band with serious plans, that intends to record, to sustain a career. And all musicians know: practice makes perfect. Therefore, just a 2-hour rehearsal during the week isn't enough. If you already work and study and have a weekend rehearsal, what's your free time? The early morning hours.

You won't find Brazilian heavy metal bands that are out there just because it's "trendy" or because it's easy. They're there on merit

And there you go, after a day of work and a night of studying, still facing at least 2 hours of rehearsal. Not once, but twice a week. Say "hello!" to accumulated fatigue and welcome to the life of a musician.

Oh yeah, besides those fewer hours of sleep during the week, there are also the weekends when you'll be playing, probably for free. That is, if you manage to get a gig, because bar owners want cover bands that attract a crowd, not some random band that hasn't even managed to release a proper album.

You carry, assemble, and disassemble equipment. And on your weekends, you end up getting little sleep. And remember, you have rehearsal the next day.

To keep your musical dream alive, you're already expending more energy than you probably have. But what about the money? Oh, that'll disappear too.

You need equipment. Are you going to do your own show? You need PA systems, monitors, a mixing console, power amps, and cables. Lots of cables. Do you play in more than one tuning? To avoid annoying tuning changes mid-show and to have no restrictions on your repertoire, you need two guitars or basses. To sing and move around, you need a wireless microphone that doesn't suffer from interference and has good pickup for your type of vocals (no, a microphone isn't "any old thing," and choosing one is as much work as choosing a new guitar. I, for example, don't like singing into some microphones that many people love).

Not to mention fuel, tolls, and whatever else the trip to the show venue entails. I don't even need to bring up the subject of "professional recording.".

You're tired and broke. But you keep going. Why? Because you truly enjoy what you do and know that's how you want to make a living. This effort isn't just for music, but for any dream a person wants to achieve. And that's where the advantage of the Brazilian underground comes in: that band with 10 years of experience that you see touring here or abroad is made up of people who truly deserve to be there, because they fought and worked hard to hear every fan singing along during the show. You won't find Brazilian Heavy Metal bands that are there just because it's "trendy" or because it's easy. They're there on merit.

And I'm ending this rather lengthy text here, at 2 AM, from a studio in São Caetano, finishing the first part of the voice recordings. I live in Osasco, I probably get home at 6 AM and leave at 7:30 AM to go to work and then straight to college (it's thesis time, by the way), heading towards another week in zombie mode.

But in the end, it's worth it. If you're a musician and want to continue with your band, this isn't going to make you give up.

*This text was written by a Wikimate and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the site's authors.