blue

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1493461578' post='3288491'] Well, I hope tonight's crowd aren't in the mood for an early night, we're scheduled to play from eleven nil half one, and expect to play on well after that! [/quote] I'll keep my fingers crossed that you guys have an exceptional evening Dave. We have an 8:00-12:00 tonight. I'm going with a positive attitude and will play my best. Blue

I'm not looking for a flipant response. On the subject on the direction of the players. Is going to be all guys playing 6 and 7 string bass guitars as if they were guitarists and shredding at lighting speed? Blue

[quote name='project_c' timestamp='1493461484' post='3288487'] There are a lot of things to take into consideration: - hardly anyone under 60 wants to hear classic rock any more. Especially on a night out. Why would they? If you're under 25, that's old people's music. Meanwhile the over 60s are getting to an age where going out to see bands is becoming less of a priority. - the music industry has killed itself. The big dream of becoming a famous and perhaps well paid musician is dead. There's much less to inspire young people to play in a band or even to pay attention to bands, apart from the sheer love of music. There are hardly any 'heroes' to look up to that play any instrument. People are posting stuff online because that's sometimes the only appreciation they get. - there are many other forms of entertainment and there are many other (better?) ways to hear music on a night out. Taking some MDMA and listening to perfectly produced electronic music on a state of the art sound system in an air conditioned venue full of fashionable people will understandably appeal to many people a lot more. (I am not condoning drug use, but it's just how it is). - young people have much less disposable income right now than old people. Getting a few beers and a pizza and hanging out at a friends house playing video games is a lot more affordable than paying to see bands and buying expensive drinks. [/quote] We'll put Project C. Blue

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1493460774' post='3288475'] Blue, I agree that there are fewer and fewer young bikers, the club I was in until recently considered this a major problem, as do other clubs. Bikers over here are definitely big time party and drinking animals when they are at rallies, as they camp overnight. I have been at rallies both to play and as a participant (not at the same time!) so have seen both sides of this. Bikers at bars can't drink much, as they have to ride home, and I suspect that the US is as tough as the UK on drinking and driving. Most bikers I know ride loud Harleys, and are a prime target for being stopped, so they take care not to make the cops' jobs too easy for them! [/quote] Dave, In the States a DUI could be a 10k proposition after fines and legal fees. The bikers we play to, well let's just say they're prime partying and heavy drinking days said "bye bye" years ago. Blue

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1493460428' post='3288469'] Fun hasn't changed. Fun was, is & always will be a purely subjective thing. Just because somebody is doing something you wouldn't enjoy doesn't mean that person isn't having as much fun doing it as you have when you are gigging. [/quote] Agreed, Playing alone in the bedroom has always been more fun than playing to a live engaged audience. Blue

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1493453770' post='3288390'] I'm nearly 60, I am completely out of touch with what teens and 20s are up to, and I don't give a damn. I listen to music I like, not stuff I feel I ought to like so people will like me. As for gigs, well, I have two today, each of them 2 1/2 hours long, both paid, in two different locations, and we'll be playing blues & rock to people who (hopefully) will enjoy it. The second gig should be particularly good fun, on stage at eleven pm at a biker rally...just after the burlesque show! A marquee full of drunk bikers, our sort of audience! [/quote] 64, that's cool.We play a lot of biker bars on a consistent basis. However, here are my observations; 1.There's no young bikers to be seen anywhere 2. Bikers are not the big partiers and drinkers I thought they were. At least not in my neck of the woods. Blue

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1493452303' post='3288375'] The bars I play are busy and have music 7 days a week. People still want to see live music and venues can make money if they invest in a good PA and make sure they hire good quality bands and sound engineers. These bars rely on music to exist. If they had no music they would be empty. And they're not full of grey hairs and nae hairs, they're full of young people in their 20s and 30s. [/quote] Respectfully disagree, in my part of the world those clubs would be the exception if they actually existed but they don't. In my part of the world when 20 something's walk into a club and discover a band is playing, they walk out no matter how good the band or what genre it is. And just so my observation is perfectly clear, I mean they walk out immediately and rather fast. End of story. Blue

All great stuff, but I'm at the point where I want to see this sort of stuff live in a club setting. Blue

[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1493388210' post='3288003'] All very talented, but I struggled to hear anything that didn't sound like I was in a lift. [/quote] Every thing is a lift and certainly nothing wrong with lifting. Blue

Completely different than when I started. You turned on the TV ,you saw tons of bands people playing rock and roll and you wanted to get in on it. You wanted to learn and most important you wanted to gig. Now you rarely see bands on TV and many millinials are perfectly happy jamming with friends or staying in the bedroom and in some cases for good reason. In someways I think the new players are smarter and more advanced technically than my generation. But keep in mind the opportunities for good live gigs have dried up for most. Used to be, if you wanted, you could gig 7 nights a week. I'm not sure if they're having much fun, but maybe fun has changed too. And these videos with guys playing the bass like a guitar that's a little different for me as well. Things have to change I guess.Me I'm staying with the joy of live gigging and the old 4 string world. I only have 10 years before I throw in the towel. Comments or thoughts on the new direction of bass. Blue

They will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame this year Bkue

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1493075860' post='3285474'] We played a corporate dinner-dance thing in Brighton many moons ago for a company who shall remain nameless -- let's just call them 'Boyal Scank of Rotland'. They paid us handsomely and put us up in a very nice hotel for the night, and it would have been the perfect gig if not for the fact that by the time we went on, the bright young things had been sat on their arses for two hours first with dinner and then second with all the speeches etc... so of course, all they wanted to do was hit the bar. Which was in the room next door. We played our entire set to our WAGABAHs and maybe 3 or 4 of the dinner guests. I looked on it as a well-paid rehearsal and a free weekend away. [/quote] Rich, that's a good example of the point I'm trying to make. For those of us working out butts off in clubs and bars it's an unfortunate part of the business. Like they say, "it goes with the territory". Now, when bands hit touring headliner status playing dedicated showcase music venues you don't have to deal with the "separate room" delema. Blue

[quote name='Dan Dare' timestamp='1493032396' post='3284926'] It's important to be aware that the band is not the only or main attraction for a lot of people. Pubs, clubs and the like are not concert halls. People may wish to chat, have a drink, watch a bit of TV, etc, etc as well as listen to the music. [/quote] Ideally the type of bar and clubs bands should avoid. Blue

[quote name='LewisK1975' timestamp='1493048062' post='3285172'] One place I played with a former band a few years ago in Swansea had the strangest thing going on. Large pub split into 2 places, I think it actually used to be 2 separate businesses and they did a large doorway knock-thru type thing. Band played in the smaller room and in the larger room they had a separate DJ playing current music at a similar volume to the band. The strange thing was the only thing separating the two rooms was a curtain pulled across the wide open double door! Basically when you were between songs all you could hear was the disco from next door through the curtain. People only came into the band room if the main room was full!! [/quote] Been through the same configuration. 1. Separate room, no bar 2. Not really established as a live music venue. Again it's the "kiss of death" I hope no one says; "If your band is really good the punters will come into the separate barless room" No, they will not. Blue

[quote name='Dan Dare' timestamp='1493032396' post='3284926'] It's important to be aware that the band is not the only or main attraction for a lot of people. Pubs, clubs and the like are not concert halls. People may wish to chat, have a drink, watch a bit of TV, etc, etc as well as listen to the music. When I see a band in a club or pub, I don't listen attentively to every number. I may enjoy the evening overall and appreciate the band, but I'm not there solely to see them. Nothing wrong with that. We don't have the right to demand total attention from an audience. [/quote] We try and stay away from bars and clubs where the band is more like background music. We have bars where the patrons come there specifically to see the band. Blue

Not great, a private party a birthday party,however It was a decent paying gig and gladly accepted my pay. Lot's of walkers, canes and oxygen tanks. First time I experienced playing to an empty room. Oh well, it happens to most of us at least once. Blue

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1493006598' post='3284732'] sounds like you are ready to join a real band, playing your own music. nuthin like it [/quote] What's your definition of a real band. I'm not sure I have one. I would think what's a real band to one person might be different to the next. Blue

We play around 65 gigs annually. We play unique coverss of 70s hard, 70s Pop and originals. Blue

[quote name='acidbass' timestamp='1492969316' post='3284492'] Not everyone in a bar wants to hear a band tho. A lot of people want to be able to conduct a conversation without the usually deafening pub band drowning them out. For that reason, a seperate section of a bar usually works to keep both sets of punters happy. [/quote] Interesting, we really don't have that in my neck of the woods. My opinion, if your bar is in a separate room from the band it's not good. Whether your there for music or to chat with friends people are not going to leave that bar area. Now, there are some originals clubs where you pay a $5.00 to go into the back room ( no bar) where the band plays. Even then most bands are lucky to draw more than friends and family. Blue

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1492966132' post='3284455'] Yes, in the sense of being at the 'head' of the posters and flyers. The term in Europe does not imply anything special in status more than that. Our band (The Daub'z...) have often been at the top of the bill, but we're hardly the Stones or Springsteen..! [/quote] Yeah, there's a difference over here in the States. Headliners are national and international professional bands on tour. We've been at the top of bill and closed for some shows but we're far from what we would call a headliner. Blue

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1492964116' post='3284439'] Yep, one place we play occaisonally has a seperate room for the bands. Most of the people who`ve come to see the headliners stay fashionably out in the bar itself until the headliners come on.[/quote] Do headliners play pubs in the UK? Blue

While pub gigs in the UK are very different than our bar gigs in the States this still might be a common issue or problem. This more times than not can be "the kiss of death" for a gig. I'm talking about when the bar is in a different room or somehow separated from where the band is playing. In the States no matter how good the band is folks will sit and congregate at the bar and not pay much attention to the band. Does this happen in your pub gigs? Blue

[quote name='fleabag' timestamp='1492952166' post='3284312'] Obviously missed 2016 but there were no UK dates anyway, and only touring the USA again 2017 Jones and Goodsall the only two originals Sadly, no Phil Collins / Robin Lumley / Morris Pert [size=5][b][url="http://www.genesis-news.com/c-Brand-X-Reunion-Tour-dates-and-tickets-s630.html"]http://www.genesis-n...ckets-s630.html[/url][/b][/size] [/quote] Don't forget my high school friend Chuck Burgi. He's with Billy Joel now and I doubt he's involved. Blue

Depends on the band. If your out gigging every week then yeah putting the effort into getting songs right is the name of the game. However, if gigs are far and few in between there's really not much incentive to practice the songs. Blue

You should be happy with and be proud of the brand you play. Why be a pretender? My first bass back in 1965 was ordered from a Sears Catalog, cost $40.00 and 2 weeks shipping time. When it arrived I was on top of the world and I kept the Silver Tone logo on it. Blue