blue

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1418689292' post='2632459'] Prices start from £7980. That's $12500 [url="http://www.alivenetwork.com/bandpage.asp?bandname=Get%20Funked"]http://www.alivenetw...me=Get%20Funked[/url] [/quote] Then count me in, that sounds like everyone should get a generous chunk of change. Blue

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1418687740' post='2632445'] Oh, and by the way, I have no intentions on stopping gigging anytime in the near or distant future. Blue[/quote] Mainly because it's the only thing I know how to do. Blue

Great topic, I'll say it again. Imagine it's 9:00pm and everyone in your band is ready to start rocking and your standing there with a non working bass and no solution. Blue

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1418682741' post='2632391'] These them? Sound like a pro function band. Not 'raw' enough for me. Bit sterile...[/quote] I don't think this band is targeting those looking for that raw element. This is really what everyday people want to see. Blue

Guys, for me, at least from the video they are a top notch what you would call function band. Too many members and people on stage for me. I would go un-noticed and being seen and out front is really important to me. I guess if you have a good agency and everyone in the band wants to gig it's great. Look at the age of the members. Many times these people have young families and only want to gig once a month (that's not anywhere near enough gigging for me). Also what would the pay be after you pay the agency, sound and lights and divide it 13 ways? I really don't have a clue. Blue

Me,I'm 61 and started playing bass and gigging in 1964 and gigging in 1965. It was exciting and fun. Playing an electric instrument and being in a band was still a novelty. I had listened to some of the early Beatles albums and knew I wanted "in". The week after The Beatles played on the Ed Sullivan show on American TV to 70 million people, well my mom purchased my 1st electric bass for me that week. Back then all the kids were starting bands in my neighborhood, you could hear bands rehearsing in every other garage and or basement.There was so much competition you were forced to practice and get good. We all wanted girls and we wanted to gig. I consider myself so lucky to have started playing in the mid 60s because it was the start of one of the most prolific time periods for rock and roll in terms of the songs written and the bands playing. And being 15 minutes outside of Manhattan I had access to seeing all the great bands of the time. If it wasn't for what was coming out of the UK I probably would never have started playing. Unlike most guys my age I still have the same bright eyes, energy, enthusiasm, excitement and passion for playing/ gigging and continuing to learn as I had at 12 years of age. Oh, and by the way, I have no intentions on stopping gigging anytime in the near or distant future. Blue

[quote name='the boy' timestamp='1418678195' post='2632320'] Lol...... You crack me up. That's like a question a five y/o would ask. I thought the same but I didn't have the balls to ask. Go Wayne..... Ps nice pics Blue... You look awesome. [/quote] He he he, you'll never see any close ups. Blue

[quote name='Froggy' timestamp='1418673067' post='2632244'] This thread has started me thinking. I'm new to playing, currently I practice in my truck with a tiny 2w Marshall mini amp, perfect for the cab, but I'm looking at buying a proper amp for home, and eventually, gigging if I ever get good enough. [/quote] If your heart is in this and you have a high interest and passion to gig, you will gig. Most younger guys coming up now have little to no interest in being in a band or gigging. When and where I grew up being in a rock band was a way of life. I thought everyone was in a band. Blue

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1418633783' post='2631767'] I don't really get this 'it doesn't resonate because I am too old'. The earliest hiphop dates from the 1970s and even before that you could find similar elements in, for example, Caribbean toasting and in talking blues - so it seems to me more a case of what you were listening to than whether you are the right age. I am 62 but I was 27 when 'Rapper's Delight' was released. [/quote] I see your point. However, I'm 61 and by the time I was 27 my musical tastes had already solidified and I wasn't letting anything else soak in by that time. I evolved musically in terms of what resonated with me through age 9- 20 at best. I think were all probably different on this issue. My main point was, I don't dislike hip hop, I just don't know much about it. Blue

I should mention that booking and landing new business might be different for Originals operations than Cover. Blue

[quote name='Old_Ben' timestamp='1418661821' post='2632082'] We always tend to have an EPK Link that we send out to promoters and bookers to let them know what we've done and are doing at the moment, and give some background about the band, and what we can bring to the table with regards to ticket sales e.t.c. With that link goes an email with some blurb introducing ourselves and who / what referred us to that person in question. Sometimes works, sometimes doesn't, but we find showing that you have been recommended, as opposed to cold calling / emailing goes down better! [/quote] Cool, I would think promoters and bookers are better with email, facebook and links than the bar managers and owners over here. Blue

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1418650082' post='2631960'] who is time stamp? [/quote] Ooops, I meant to say thanks to Planer. blue

It's a tough thing learning songs. I know that many here on Bass hat are not in bands and don't gig. I think gigging has made me learn certain songs to the point of what I'm playing works. Blue

No, I don't love Hip Hop. However I don't dislike it either. At 61 I am too old for it to resonate with me. If I were younger I might love it. I think that's the best way to answer it as opposed to the 25 year old that says he doesn't like the Beatles, when he is actually to young to know. My position is if you weren't there you don't know if you like it or not. If your a baby boomer or over 60 and you say you don't like The Beatles, that's cool and acceptable. But not if your 25. I mean you can say it, I just wouldn't recognize it as an intelligent answer or opinion. Blue

Very cool place in West Bend Pillars Pub, it like this 1921 Church they turned into a club. Nice hard woods, lot's of pillars, stained glass small but cool stage with chandelier hanging over us. Place was packed even the balcony, lots of good energy , the band was on it's best musical behavior. We really rocked that place. Blue

[quote name='Brother Jones' timestamp='1418603237' post='2631702'] It took me about two years to nail Rhythm Stick, and Sir Duke (or the horn break at least). This was way back before all the tablature was on the net, or people had phrase trainers, etc. There's a big difference between being able to play something on my own, as opposed to doing it on stage though. The thing I just can't figure out is all that double thumbing stuff... [/quote] I also think many of us should know is that some recordings guys are using weird custom drop tuning or what sounds like one bass track is actually multiple bass tracks. And yes learning and playing along with the record is not the same as playing live with musicians.This impacts auditions. It happens when guys learn playing to the record then go to audition and the dynamics are completely different. Blue

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1418493510' post='2630688'] There is a few technically or should i say physically easy tunes that i should be able to play but for some reason can't quiet get to sound right or just can't get my head around for ages then it will click. It's annoying me. And making me think maybe my timing or something is bad. Or is it a case of some types of rhythm suit different people. A lack of general experience maybe?. It is very frustrating when i can play something that on paper is a lot more difficult then something relatively simple comes along and it stumps me. Especially as ive been making some progress of late. I would be interested to know if any of you, get this. [/quote] For me, it's just the way at least rock and roll is and I have been playing bass since 1966. I can think I have learned a song from sitting down with YouTube headphones and an amp simulator then hear the same song in my car or in a club and hear something completely different and realize I wasn't playing the song accurately. Blue

[quote name='planer' timestamp='1418594581' post='2631621'] It works bud, I like your pictures. Now we know who you are and what you're about. It's a good thing :-) [/quote] Thanks Planer, I'm a working guy, a low level bar band guy, a hustler, an opportunist, a veteran player (since 1966) trying make a little dough and have a little fun. Blue

New business for bar bands, In many ways is like traditional selling. You have to network, find the right person ( the decision maker) at the right time and have an intelligent business message and the ability to deliver it. Blue

[quote name='Diablo' timestamp='1418593620' post='2631605'] Wow, in the States they have places that bands can drop off their bass players until required. We have those in the UK too but mainly for drummers, usually called "the bar". [/quote] That pic was from *SummerFest 2014,Each band gets 2 economy vans to take you to your designated stage, One for the band and one for your guitars. It's actually pretty cool. It's the only gig where I can actually feel like a "rock star" for s few hours. Blue [b]*Summerfest[/b] (also known as "The Big Gig") is a yearly music festival held at the 75-acre (30-hectare) [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Maier_Festival_Park"]Henry Maier Festival Park[/url] along the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Michigan"]lakefront[/url] in [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee"]Milwaukee[/url], [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin"]Wisconsin[/url], in the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States"]United States[/url]. The festival lasts for 11 days, is made up of 11 headliner stages with performances from over 700 bands, and since the mid-1970s has run from late June through early July, usually including the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_%28United_States%29"]4th of July[/url] holiday.[sup][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summerfest#cite_note-1"][1][/url][/sup] Summerfest attracts between 800,000 and 1,000,000 people each year, promoting itself as "The World's Largest [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_Festival"]Music Festival[/url]", a title certified by the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinness_World_Records"]Guinness World Records[/url] since 1999.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1418592807' post='2631591'] Yes, but it is a bit desperate to have to hussle..[/quote] The bar band business in Milwaukee is very competitive. It's actually all about the [i]"hustle".[/i] Timestamp, for bar business here, new and existing business, if you ain't "hustling" you will soon find that your band is out of business. I think some bands can sit back and just wait for the phone to ring and the business just flows in. That ain't us. Blue

[quote name='waynepunkdude' timestamp='1418592620' post='2631590'] Not sure what the pictures are for . [/quote] Hmmm, I like pictures and I sort of like people to have an image and vibe for who they're exchanging ideas with. It's a credibility thing I guess. Blue

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1418592304' post='2631582'] There are only a few gigs that we actively target...and we will have done so for the summer season by now. If they like the sound of us, they'll contact us... If we find we are a bit light for gigs in the winter, we get on the phone..but these are likely to be pub tick-over gigs, tbh. Generally we don't spend a lot of time chasing gigs....except the better ones which every one is tendering for. [/quote] Guess it depends on the band, new vs established stuff like that. We want to gig as much as possible. Glad you mentioned Fair & Festival season, there a short time frame to get those gigs and there's usually politics involved. You really should be hitting those people up as soon after the 1st of the new year as possible IMO. We lost a good existing county fair account last year. They found bands for the side stages that would play for free. I'm hoping they got just what they paid for. I hate to be harsh, but to me , that's pure [i]"bad business"[/i] Blue

New business, it's tough. You really have to put your [i]"selling shoes"[/i] on and figure out where it is and define what your selling. I think in today's market it has to be more than; [i]"Do you guys hire bands? Here's our card, take a look at our web-site"[/i] Blue

We discussed Re-Booking and there were a lot of good ideas and suggestions. But that's existing business, lets throw some ideas around that can be used to generate new business. Existing business is great, but most of you out there on the front lines and down in the trenches know that any band that is not developing and generating new business is headed for disaster.it's just a matter of when[list] [*]Is there new business to be land. [*]Where do you find new business [*]How do you approach new business, What is your message [*]Strategy [/list] Thoughts, comments and insights. Blue