Bluewine

I'll start. First of all there are not many places we've pulled out of and decided not to play. I can only think of 2 over the last 7 years.. 1. Jimmy's, we stopped playing Jimmy's because of the distance. Too far to drive ( an hour one way ) for what what we charge. 2. The Goose & Hog, we stopped playing there for several reasons. A. The hours, 9:30 - 1:30. B. We raised our rate and the owner could no longer afford us. C. To be honest the place was in a bad area. The neighborhood and clientele scared the hell out of me. Definitely not the kind of neighborhood you'd want your vehicle to break down in. Blue

Are there any venues ( clubs & pubs ) your band has decided not to play anymore. If yes, please share your story and why the band decided not to play a specific venue or venues. You don't have to reveal the venue name. I think it will be valuable to some, to learn why we pull the plug on some places. Blue

My position and comment, not so much of a comparison of me to others, more of a general point of interest. Blue

Very cool pic. Blue

So interesting how we all have different needs, wants and requirements. I couldn't afford to join a band that didn't have several months of weekly gigs booked. I'd even want to review the history of bookings from the past year. I couldn't afford to join a band that didn't own and manage there own sound and lights. It's always partially the fun and creative outlet but mostly commerce for me. I prefer it this way. I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority where I depend on the money. Blue

Even the Fender Bass was not a great instrument when it was introduced. Neck, action and intonation was a constant battle. However it was the best you could get at the time and was a huge innovation. Blue

Don't get discouraged, building business is not easy. Blue

Thats a great case for the 5 string. Blue

I love the smart phone. Never had any use for a 5 string bass guitar. 5 String Bass Guitars, Lots, actually most guys I see use them, personal preference, right? Pic, nice 4 string, I'm stuck in the 60s. Blue

Best pro bass players? For me there is no "best" anything. There are bass players I like and there are different types of bass players. 5 string bass guitars, when I started playing bass in 1965 there were no 5 string bass guitar to my knowledge, so the 5 string bass never resonated with me. Blue

In my neck of the woods your story is definitely the exception. There might be areas where "start ups" do well with booking gigs. I joined an established band with a nice book of business 7 years ago. We're still together and have good gigs booked. Even for joining an established band, my case is the exception. Blue

Kelly Clarkson American Idol first place winner on the first season of Idol finally got out of her contract a year ago. She has no regrets and owes her career to American Idol. It's not a great deal but probably better than playing pubs for $250.00. And for those not into money I guess it doesn't matter. I'd gladly give Simon his cut. Blue

People want different things.Gigs and money is only what some of us want. My question is, for those looking to gig on a weekly basis and make money, is a ,"start up" the best vehicle to get there? For those looking for a creative outlet and nothing else a "start up" could be perfect. Blue

That's a good point,however in my neck of the woods I can't think of an owner that's going to respond to an email, return a phone call or click on a link to hear a band. It's just not the way business is done here.

Agreed, at the local level here I've seen really talented musicians. But some don't have the gig bug or the ability to build a book of business. Blue

Your still going to need someone that can sell the band to a pub or bar owner. It's really not about how good a band is as long as you can generate new customers andvnew alcohol sales. Convincing an owner that already has a stable of bands in rotation to add your band to the list will not be easy. Blue

There are a myriad of reasons new bands can't get gigs. It might be they live in an area where there aren't any places for a band to play. Or, all the methods you mentioned is too much work. You might have a band of great Musicians but not one of them has any business sense. Sort of off topic, but I've also seen super talented pro like bands that should be playing to 500 + crowds but instead their playing to 35 people in a bar. That's poor management. Blue

With the same all due respect. Sorry if I've given the wrong impression, that's not my position or point. Blue

I joined a band once because their material was great in my opinion. Found out after a few months the band leader was only interested in playing the part of "rock star" in his basement. Blue

Agreed, age is a factor. If I was a young guy a "start up" would be fine. But at my age, too horrible to think about. Blue

I've been around for a while. A lot of these guys absolutely love the idea of gigging, but at the end of the day don't have what it takes to get gigs. Most start ups never see their first gig. Blue

In my area finding a band with gigs would not be easy, more like impossible. As a matter of fact when and if my band folds I'm prepared to step back from bands. Finding a band with weekly gigs in my area would be impossible. Blue

Guys, does this make any sense? If you want gigs don't join bands that don't have gigs booked and scheduled. Blue

Yeah, it's weird, I never see us the way he described. Blue

Found this today. "Marie and I had a second fun-filled day at Summerfest yesterday which was also the last day of Summerfest 2018. Bands we saw included Paper Holland, Soccer Mommy, Aleem, and Bad Boy. The day ended with Cheap Trick thunderously rocking the house filled with adoring fans. Surprisingly, they were not, in my opinion, the best band we saw yesterday. That was reserved for the local Maple Road Blues Band. https://www.facebook.com/Maple-Road-Blues-Band-181086306205/ We had never heard of them before, but went to see them because we had noticed that they hail from the same suburban/rural county north of Milwaukee where we live. They played to a much smaller venue than Cheap Trick with hundreds instead of thousands in the crowd. Yet their excellent musicianship and passion for their craft captivated the audience with both original music and standards. I think Stevie Ray Vaughn was smiling down. Sometimes the best is indeed right in your backyard." Nice, I don't see very many of those. I'll take it. Blue