Douglas James Band

  Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess. But that has absolutely nothing to do with this story. This story begins some 35 years ago with Elvis and Hank Williams Sr. on the radio. When I turned 13, my parents got me a guitar for Christmas. That began a 20 year love affair with the guitar. Eventually, though, I got restless and wanted to learn other instruments, as well. I played bass for some time and later added drums to my list of instruments. The final step was to really work on my vocal ability which, up to the late 90's, was not quite ready for primetime, and something that I continue to work on. Through the years I have had the privilege to be in bands with some very talented individuals and have very much enjoyed almost every step of the journey to this point. Every band, every musician, every club owner, every generous fan contributed to my musical views today. In 2004, frustrated with the current state of the rock music scene and the band as "a group of people making decisions or arguing about direction", I decided to take a chance and do something I had wanted to do for a long time: form my own band. I would be responsible for all decision making and the consequences as a result of poor decision making. There would be no argument about how much each band member would contribute to the cost of the PA system, and no argument over who got what when the band broke up. My philosophy is that the performing is about the audience, not the band. I have seen many bands who focused on technical ability and forgot that there was an audience. Many bands have a set list which they will not deviate from for anything. I want to make the audience part of the show. With that in mind, when you see a DJB show you are seeing something that is not the same as the last; each show takes its own form depending on the audience. The band started out as a competent 3 piece ensemble, but shortly after the first gig, I added a 4th member because the club owner did not want to pay a 3 piece band the same as a 6 piece band. This turned out to be a positive move and allowed me to be more of a front man, instead of trying to cover the guitar parts and front as well. I am fortunate to have found not only great musicians/people to work with, but friends who understand and buy in to my philosophy. This combination has turned out to be better than I ever expected and I look forward to bringing the show to you for as long as someone will listen. Long range goals for the band are to record and promote original music and, eventually, get a record deal with a major label. I would like to invite you to come on out and be a part of something great.

Douglas James