TimR

What came first? Have they drifted off to other bands, or were they in other bands and your band is an extra or a side project? If it's the first, then you have to ask them what is it you're not providing for them to be looking for extra. If it's the second, what did you promise them, and are you delivering that? What do you mean by thrive? How many gigs are you planning? Have you booked those gigs? In my experience, I lose a huge amount of interest if the band leader is waiting for the band to be gig ready, and waiting, and waiting... And probably a failing on my part, I'm not going to be putting loads of effort into a band that has no gigs on the horizon.

I have been in 3 bands several times. However, it is down to the individual to recognise if they have time to commit equally to all the bands. In my case the bands didn't each rehearse each week and gigs were few and far between in each of them. Which was what led me to find another band/accept an offer. Plus I would do dep gigs. So if these members are too busy to play in your band due to the workload from the other bands, then they really need to have a conversation as to whether they really do have time to be in multiple bands. Were they in your band first? ie is it lack of gigs that's made them look elsewhere. Did they join your band because you offered them gigs? OR do they just want to turn up and practice the tunes at rehearsals and are not that keen of gigging. If you're getting frustrated then speak to each one separately away from rehearsal and ask them what are they expecting from the band. Find out if you are aligned. If not, start auditioning new members and make it very clear what you're trying to achieve with the band, and what levels of commitment you want, how often you want to gig, rehearse and that you expect people to have *bare-boned the songs before coming to rehearsals. *Don't expect people to learn tunes at home and for the tunes to work straight away. Rehearsals are to iron out the arrangements.

You're not going to look like Arnie unless you eat loads of protein, lift massive weights all day. The farmers walk is the two handed version of the suitcase carry. I farmers walk my 2 cabs in, otherwise most of the stuff carried in is either a suitcase carry or 'box carry' - which is essentially a goblet squat and carry.

I usually spend at least an hour revising the set in the afternoon before a gig. So by the end of a gig day I will probably have spent close on 4 hours of playing. I'm wondering how many of us do 30minutes a day of practice.

Recovery does take longer. Making sure you get full 8 hours sleep each night in the week should help.

I run marathons - but don't like to talk about it... I'd suggest getting into kettlebells. You only need one to start with and there are loads of routines on YouTube. Something with a deadlift, a swing, and a clean and press. Those 4 movements will build core strength and give you a good cardio workout at the same time. Throw in a suitcase carry and at least a 20minute walk a day (although I appreciate you have breathing issues). We all need to have functional strength to carry gear, load in and out and stand for a few hours.

You can get a DI box for £20.

I assumed they were referencing the previous posters... from 8 years ago...

Try this thread.

This thread is 8 years old...

Great update. I read the first post and was sure it was familiar. 🤣 My motivation to play when I don't have a gig lined up is probably the same as most of us. I've been playing long enough now that picking up the bass after a few weeks off is no great shakes, certainly for the standard I play at. I think just playing along to YouTube with "following track autoplay" switched on is quite a good exercise in ear training. You get no warning what's coming up next, you may never have heard the song before. The first verse and chorus are finding the chords, the next time round, maybe parts of bass lines, etc. Then it's on to the next track...

...and you didn't play any music at all?

Blondie's Maria, and Madness's Baggy Trousers (and quite a few other songs I've played) have inversions of chords that will sound off if the Root note is played. Not wrong, just slightly off. A chord isn't a chord until the bass player says it is. 😉 Often guitarists will have downloaded tab that just includes the 1st inversion of the chord.

Quite. Even worse if you're depping. Hard to Handle is a standard. I suspect there are as many 'versions' as there are bands.

Doesn't the original have brass? To be honest, I can't be bothered to bring a brass section into the pub for a single song. So the bass and guitar will have to have a different arrangement to cover that song. Black Crowes arrangement, Otis Reding, Committments, or our arrangement. Most people are just listening to the singer.

Bit of an odd gig last night. The rain maybe didn't help and apparently there was some boxing on and a local music festival. Maybe 30 people in. They appreciated us anyway. Acoustics very difficult to manage and a few times I couldn't hear the guitarist clearly enough which led to a couple of very bad bum notes and a complete restart of one song - I can't actually remember ever having to do that with this band. I need another clip box for the lights. Carrying cardboard boxes across the carpark in the rain doesn't do them any favours, and I really need to reduce the number of trips.

In the 1920s Ford introduced streamlined production lines which meant that employees only had to work 5 days a week. This left them with free time at the weekends to play bass guitar or run around sports fields, etc. Currently most of us could work from home on a 3 day week and still be just as productive, but inertia is preventing that. A few companies will lead the way once the old guard have lost control and retired. In the 1980s we had computers that meant all those ladies in typing pools getting RSI could go and do more interesting and productive work. I think AI is just another tool that we will be able to use in the same way to make things easier. People will move even less and get fatter. The people with skills to operate the AI tools and repair the machines will earn more money.

The Rise of the Machines is already here. So far it's military targets. If someone wanted to remove specific people en masse, quickly, from the population without collateral or infrastructure dammage. They already can.

I guess a ton a bass lines I play are influenced by something I've already heard somewhere, I wonder what creativity AI will bring to the world of requirement for session players.

They flew 117 drones into an airbase and systematically targeted and destroyed specific individual planes carrying cruise missiles. Reportedly 34% of Russia's cruise missile capability was lost in that one attack. That's not setting off a bomb and hoping you do a load of damage and scare people. And while those drones were each piloted by an individual operator back home in Ukraine, you can bet there's a ton of AI being used to assist and identify targets.

There will have to be restrictions put onto the type of content it can produce. Or some kind of digital watermark put into all video content in order for anything to be shared. Looking at the drone attacks on Russia at the weekend, AI is the least of our worries. Imagine a lorry driving into central London on a busy day.

I'm finding more recently people are having problems directly talking to people face to face and discussing their problems and feelings openly. Resorting to messenger, WhatsApp, emails etc, where all meaning gets lost. I have recently fallen foul of someone who has been saying things like "Some people might feel..", unfortunately unless those people actually say they don't want to... directly to me, then it's a hypothetical "some people.". Now, that 'someone' has thrown their toys out of the pram, said they're not being listened to, and walked. If they'd said in the first place: "I'm sorry but I don’t want to...", we could have sorted it all out a lot soon.

I'd say the issue here was auditioning and accepting a new player without the whole band on board to agree. I got fed up with playing Rock/Blues to an audience who kept asking us to "Play something we know." and "Play something we can dance to." We now play modern pop with a rock edge and frequently get comments like "It's good to hear something different from the usual blues rock we get." and people actually get up and dance. Bands evolve, time to move on, although it's preferable to be the one making the decision to leave.

Maybe he's upping sticks and moving to the UK. Who would blame him?