TimR

This one from 2007? http://basschat.co.uk/topic/466-the-lightweight-cabs-thread

My brother spoke to his household insurers and they just extended his household insurance to cover everything. If you're paying a large amount for house insurance it's no real risk to them, even if you're doing it for 'hire or reward'. I know someone who had his van stolen with all the gear in it. I know a keyboard player who used to leave his keyboard on the back seat on the grounds it was too heavy for a casual their to carry away. It was eventually stolen and he had to give up gigging for a long time until he could afford to replace it. I think the biggest risk is when someone who gets friendly at a gig "is in a band. Knows what Theyre doing, helps coil up cables and carry stuff out" suddenly disappears with a hard case or bag of pedals. It's very easy to drop your guard at the end of a gig when the hard work is done. That's the point where I'll grab a pint while I'm packing down. .

I would give you a link to the page I designed but I left the band and the drummer took over and I don't like what he's done.

You're missing some tags on your contact page. The lemonrock link is showing <a .

[quote name='Mudpup' timestamp='1467469415' post='3083931'] Exactly what we want - its a quick brochure really. Dont want to be having to modify it all the time, its just something to ping over to someone who has expressed some interest in us for some reason and doesn't want to delve through the litter on the faceache site The face ache page is where all the daily stuff goes [/quote] Ok in that case I'd really favour a single page site. If you haven't got a single group photo, create a montage of individual action close ups. Set list is a bit redundant and will possibly need regular updates as you add and drop songs - we just list the most popular artists so ours reads something like "playing songs from artists like Rolling Stones/Hendrix/Led Zep" . Gives people an idea of what they're getting without being too specific. Then all fits in a one liner on the front page. Fair enough a USP is that you play songs that depart from the usual, but maybe just list those artists "as well as". Regardless to the endless belly aching that goes on here - people like familiarity. The problem with websites is they're often clunky and built round templates so you get drawn into using the standard base layouts and filling several pages. No one reads them. I had google analytics on our page and people look at few photos, maybe watch a video, go to the contact page and then run away. As the contacts page only contains 4 lines that can go on the front page. .

It's very easy to obsess over these things. IMO the website should be very simple introduction to the band to give you a web presence and an easy Google way to get followers to Facebook. A band Facebook page is the way to manage all your dynamic content.

[quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1467462432' post='3083849'] Tim, although I love playing with the band, I now mostly keep out of the PR/management and suggestion side of things and just play the bass [/quote] It's usually the best way. It can be a thankless task. I'm trying to adapt our running club website and bring it into the 21st century - there's a lot of inertia.

[quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1467450878' post='3083738'] Agree with Blue, I suggested the same for our home page, when the band website was being put together. So, the band went with my suggestion, which was great but then it very rarely got updated, definitely not so great. I've since argued, that if it's not regularly updated, then it should be removed. [/quote] Yes. There are widgets you can get that will pull the information directly from Facebook. You just have to update your events on Facebook and it'll automatically list your upcoming events.

In the about section you use 'they' and 'we'. You can also alter "around the m25, <list of counties> " to "London and the South East but are willing to travel further." and like WOT - keep it simple ditch the about page and stick the info on the front page. You should have a link to Twitter and Facebook on the front page.

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1467367219' post='3083108'] About 30 years back, In my early 20,s, I got fired from my first band ... I was told the band had folded, but discovered they had regrouped with the singers mate on bass. [/quote] A drummer of a band I was in did this to the singer. Without much discussion from the rest of us. It's a rubbish way of doing things and makes everyone look ridiculous. Call someone or go see them and tell them they're out, give real reasons and move on. Otherwise you're not doing anyone any favours.

[quote name='Machines' timestamp='1467210128' post='3081959'] I have just qualified. Joined a band and had 3 rehearsals for a mix of covers and originals - all of us roughly equally skilled but I have possibly the most gigging experience as well as diversity in music. Everyone agreed a 3-4 week break due to holidays etc, I messaged the group to ask when we were reconvening and was told pretty much "we're changing the band with one guitarist now playing bass instead of you, sorry bye" I just hope he's better at bass than he is guitar. [/quote] I wouldn't all that being fired. I'd say you didn't complete your probation. Would be nice if you were told why and to your face. Even if it was just because you 'didn't fit the band dynamic'

You learn to recognise the difference between a drummer and someone who owns a drum kit. Although one drum kit owner I played with bout a two seater sports car and put a large sub in the boot making it impossible to transport his kit anywhere.

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1466873040' post='3079508'] My point is it is down to what you have agreed. If the other side screws up I'd still make every effort to go ahead. I can't imagine you would have taken such a booking in the first place. [/quote] My view is still that the booking was inappropriate for a full band. The two guitarists performed an presumably the bar and audience enjoyed it. Job done.

I think the important thing is that entertainment was provided. If the whole band had walked it definitely wouldn't have looked good. My take is they received what they were after. If drums we're going to be too loud add bass and you'd have problems that would have made you wished you'd walked anyway. Absolutley nothing wrong with doing an acoustic gig to promote your songs. I don't think you should be too worried about it. You made the best of a bad job.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1466290231' post='3074776'] Understood, If a agent can book 2k gigs, that makes perfect sense, but an agent for bar/pub gigs? Blue [/quote] Quite. In the UK some clubs will only book through an agent but bar/pub gigs at the lower level are done band to landlord. The instance I'm quoting is an agent who approached us last minute for a private party. The O/P is talking about a promoter. Traditionally these are very shady characters full of promises and lacking in delivery. There are good ones though.

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1465935451' post='3072309'] Ass hat ? Bum beret ? Maybe..... [/quote] Hemorrhoids. Bum berries. .

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1466281117' post='3074697'] @ TimR Are you a union rep? [/quote] No. And I try to avoid agents that approach me (now!)

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1466274735' post='3074623'] How is not getting paid not your problem? Blue [/quote] It's not my responsibility to chase non payment from a client. It's my responsibility to receive payment and pass the agent their %age of the fee. The agreement is between the band and the agent, and the agent and the client. Not directly between the band and the client. .

The big problem with handing over responsibility for this type of thing is its out if your hands and sometimes if you turn up and everything is wrong you have to make a descision. I think you made the right descision. Suitable entertainment was provided. I once did an Irish party for an agent. We wern't an Irish band and it got really quite scary at points with large drunken Irishmen demanding you play that song that goes diddly oi! You know the one. In the end we packed up early and they refused to pay us. That's the agent's problem as far as I'm concerned. Not good.

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1466252313' post='3074425'] Well that's another thing - weeding out the sh*tty gigs by making phone calls and asking questions i.e. making sure they are expecting you a few days before the gig, checking "suppied" equipment has been provided and is suitable, etc. [/quote] Unfortunately, the guy who was in charge of this aspect (call him a promoter if you like) didn't...

I think you've got a problem there with your experience with age vs their eagerness of youth. You may need to steer them a bit and 'sense check' the gigs they're getting offered beforehand for them. It's very easy to take everything and anything in desperation for exposure.

It depends what the songs are. The whole cover band thing fascinates me. You're playing a song originally written by another artist. Unless your singer is doing impressions of the original artist, you're going to sound completely different from the original anyway. You may get some narrow minded audience members being picky about what artists they'll listen to, but I doubt it. .

I'm still fighting with the software. My PC doesn't like it. I'm going to try some different software.

Every single Beatles tune. And actually quite a lot of the songs we play that I liked before we played them but can't bear to listen to. Maybe because I've heard us play then so many times. But that's not really what you asked. I suspect what happens is you're creating the music you're hearing it from a different position and you're also able to put some spin on the bits you don't particularly like. Depending on who is playing it; Mustang Sally can be a hell on earth boring drag-fest, or it can be a lively bouncing great tune. .

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1465827490' post='3071314'] ... Personally, I find the apostrophe more shocking than anything else, but there you go... [/quote] Quite. Seems very common though...