ahpook Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 [quote name='blue' timestamp='1444707664' post='2885197'] [size=4][font=Arial]What do you think?[/font] [font=Arial]Blue[/font][/size] [/quote] I think it depends on the bands, the people, the location, a myriad other things... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gapiro Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 +1 to many of the posts above - it helps to have one busy and the rest less so. Ie, My Ska band are stupidly busy (5-6 a month most of the time) but if I can't make one I have several deps. The other three bands - one is full of other musos in same boat as me, we gig very rarely but we ahve an absolute blast and enjoy our company. One is no rehearsal gigging band that gigs maybe 5-7 times a year The final one is a new thing and they book gigs 12 months in advance - so easy to work calendar around . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 [quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1444738799' post='2885444'] I think it depends on the bands, the people, the location, a myriad other things... [/quote] Agreed Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 [quote name='gapiro' timestamp='1444739357' post='2885455'] +1 to many of the posts above - it helps to have one busy and the rest less so. Ie, My Ska band are stupidly busy (5-6 a month most of the time) but if I can't make one I have several deps. The other three bands - one is full of other musos in same boat as me, we gig very rarely but we ahve an absolute blast and enjoy our company. One is no rehearsal gigging band that gigs maybe 5-7 times a year The final one is a new thing and they book gigs 12 months in advance - so easy to work calendar around . [/quote] Yes. Any busy band must be open to having deps. I've been in several bands who think they're above using deps, the work dries up pretty quickly if you start turning down gigs because your singer can't get a baby sitter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesBass Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 [quote name='blue' timestamp='1444727169' post='2885317'] I don't know, I've never done it. However it would be an interesting challenge . My problem is there as 're only so many Friday & Saturday nights.If you are 2 busy bands, of those bands would have to (and I've seen it) cancel some of they're gigs. Blue [/quote] Scheduling is the only issue, but lots of my gigs luckily fall on alternative nights, so there's never that many clashes, maybe 5 a year? I work on the principal of what's in the diary first is what gets played. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 IME deps don't really work in originals bands. We've done it in the past to get around our revolving door guitarist and drummer problems, but it's never been ideal. They rarely look the part on stage, and we've had some spectacular f***-ups on stage with musicians who hadn't taken the time to properly learn the songs - on a casual listen our stuff sounds fairly straight forward but there's lots weird bar counts and added or missing beats in most of the songs. The worst one was a drummer who managed to f*** up the single both in the main set and again (in a different way) when did it as the encore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 To be fair though...that is probably because you don't pay them enough. The gig may be a LOT of work to learn for the money and they give it 'due respect' I understand this is not good enough from your POV..but they'll be thinking the money may not be worth what time it takes to work out the set. If you are paying £100 for the gig to the drums.. that is only 4 hrs work you can probably expect at £25 per hr. Bands may also expect a rehearsal in that... so the story cuts both ways. If we were paying £100 per seat... we'd get a good pro standard player..who may or may not be ideal... and they'd do 2 or so hrs on charts. It would only really be worth both parties while, if you had quite a few dates to spread the work and payments across. If we get a drummer down from London, which might be a 40 min drive minimum, we are having to pay £100 including travel. And as good as they are... the best we can get out of it, is that they are worth using again. Having said that..the drum seat is the most important as far as I am concerned so you'll have to pay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Which is exactly why deps don't work for most originals bands. If you could afford to pay a dep a decent amount for the time and effort they needed to put in to learn a set full of unfamiliar songs with non-standard bits in them, you could probably afford to employ someone full-time to do the job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leschirons Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Most I've been in has been four, plus helping out another two whilst they each sought a full time bassist. Luckily, both bands did find a replacement with about 4 months so it wasn't too long. No problem juggling the balls as none of the four main bands were playing more than once a week as a rule (sometimes twice, sometimes not at all) but what made it a lot easier was a fairly regular gig on a Thursday and another on a Sunday. I found it immense fun but wouldn't fancy it these days. Too old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongebob Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Our trio is for us, our only band. That was a necessity when we hired a new drummer - no second band'ers. It means no diary clashes, booking is simple, and the whole things run much more smoothly. As a gigging band, 2-3 times a month (more in recent weeks), I could not give my time to anything else - it would basically clash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted October 14, 2015 Author Share Posted October 14, 2015 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1444742173' post='2885509'] IME deps don't really work in originals bands. We've done it in the past to get around our revolving door guitarist and drummer problems, but it's never been ideal. They rarely look the part on stage, and we've had some spectacular f***-ups on stage with musicians who hadn't taken the time to properly learn the songs - on a casual listen our stuff sounds fairly straight forward but there's lots weird bar counts and added or missing beats in most of the songs. The worst one was a drummer who managed to f*** up the single both in the main set and again (in a different way) when did it as the encore. [/quote] I see your point. Some BCers are under the assumption that all bands have a huge stable or resources for deps or any kind of replacement. Not true. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted October 14, 2015 Author Share Posted October 14, 2015 (edited) [quote name='spongebob' timestamp='1444753491' post='2885637'] Our trio is for us, our only band. That was a necessity when we hired a new drummer - no second band'ers. It means no diary clashes, booking is simple, and the whole things run much more smoothly. As a gigging band, 2-3 times a month (more in recent weeks), I could not give my time to anything else - it would basically clash. [/quote] I think a lot of bands are like this. My band is. The band has been together for 10 years. Even at the local level our fans are coming to not just to see the band but the individual members they have gotten close with. They don't want to see someone else playing bass, guitar or drums. Blue Edited October 14, 2015 by blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted October 14, 2015 Author Share Posted October 14, 2015 [quote name='JamesBass' timestamp='1444741326' post='2885494'] Scheduling is the only issue, but lots of my gigs luckily fall on alternative nights, so there's never that many clashes, maybe 5 a year? I work on the principal of what's in the diary first is what gets played. [/quote] 5 a year might be a lot for some bands. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted October 14, 2015 Author Share Posted October 14, 2015 [quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1444726117' post='2885299'] One problem I found with being in only one band - you rehearse for a good while, get it all as best you can then someone leaves and the band falls apart, or someone gets disinterested.... I find, having several projects on the go keeps you motivated, as there's always more stuff to learn A pal of mine was bassist in the same cover band for years, doing the same songs every gig They were all bored of it for ages before they decided to pack it in[/quote] I think that is more true when your in one band in [i]"start up"[/i] status. I can see it happening with any band without many years under their belt. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 [quote name='blue' timestamp='1444797318' post='2886065'] I see your point. Some BCers are under the assumption that all bands have a huge stable or resources for deps or any kind of replacement. Not true. Blue [/quote] If you work on the assumption that anyone any good will be busy and will want to be, then all those job offers..which they have networked and cultivated will clash the diary at quite a few points. You will soon find deps... plus you know people in the playing pool and you know who can step into these occasions and make it work. The number one goal of a working musician is generally to get as many gigs as they can do...and they find themselves many many others who do the same. This will mean you might never know the line-up..unless you ask, and you may be meeting the guy for the first time at set-up. Players talk, suggest names that can do this sort of thing and it doesn't take long for you to be as busy as you want... kind of.!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted October 14, 2015 Author Share Posted October 14, 2015 [quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1444810456' post='2886169'] If you work on the assumption that anyone any good will be busy and will want to be, then all those job offers..which they have networked and cultivated will clash the diary at quite a few points. You will soon find deps... plus you know people in the playing pool and you know who can step into these occasions and make it work. The number one goal of a working musician is generally to get as many gigs as they can do...and they find themselves many many others who do the same. This will mean you might never know the line-up..unless you ask, and you may be meeting the guy for the first time at set-up. Players talk, suggest names that can do this sort of thing and it doesn't take long for you to be as busy as you want... kind of.!!! [/quote] I'm lost on this one. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 I play in a trio with a Rock/Blues guitarist and a few years ago I did about 6 gigs in 2 months where the band leader used a different drummer on each gig. All the drummers were good, had learnt the songs and played very well. No down sides at all. As you would expect, they all played with slight differences and it was very interesting for me to play with these guys. I met them, they met me, we exchanged numbers and I have since played in their bands and some of them have played in mine. A win win situation if there ever was one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 No originals band really wants to be in the position of needing to use a dep. However occasionally in order to take an important gig it is necessary to use one. These occasions IME are usually fairly isolated and almost always on pretty short notice. It isn't really possible to cultivate a relationship with the good dep players because if all goes well you probably won't be needing their services again and both the band and the dep knows this, and besides from my experience no matter how much you pay, they won't look right on stage despite having been informed about the band image and will make at least one horrendous error during the set normally on the most important song. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 (edited) I think originals bands are a special case. Even if the band are not being paid, they need to make it worthwhile for the dep to work for them. That will include not only some kind of arrangement over the additional practices but probably purchasing stage wear for them. Most deps (I include myself) will be happy to wear whatever is specified for the 'performance'. However haircuts are whatever they are so you'd be better building a relationship with a set of first call deps who know what is being expected of them. Edited October 14, 2015 by TimR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 I was asked to dep for an original rock and roll band. Then they told me I needed a haircut, quiff and a bucket of brylcreem. I declined that one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 You have a problem with buckets? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 I find vintage buckets sounde better than modern buckets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 I can't ever recall seeing an originals band (who I knew the line-up of, so I would know) using a dep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 I've see an originals band using a bucket Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 Then there's this guy. . . . [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptKIjo2oLBI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptKIjo2oLBI[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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