TimR

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1420973091' post='2655555'] Yes, that always make me laugh. Bands complaining about poor nights and nobody is interested in their scene but they don't gig much and they still don't support other bands...as far as I can see. I go to quite a few gigs per month and I never ever see some of them... and I've never seen the others check us out either. I'll support my muso mates bands but even so, they might not reciprocate... do they think we are sh**...or do they think we are a bit better than they'd like..?? [/quote] I go and see local bands. Are you using a music stand? .

No power to amp. Worked out I had blown a fuse in a mains lead that only had a 5amp fuse. The drummer was getting a bit frustrated and had come over. He took the 'broken' lead and threw it in the bin. I fished it out took it home and left it on the side with mental note to change fuse later. Next gig grabbed lead from the side, arrived at gig, plugged in, no power AGAIN! Now I carry spare fuses and change them straight away.

Excellent. Glad it all turned out ok.

The Chilterns is an absolutely beautiful area. Property prices, ouch, St Albans is steep too. Good luck.

Amersham and Chesham are in Buckinghamshire. Quite a distance from Watford and St Albans. Does the OP mean Amersham?

Welcome. St Albans has a huge number of live music venues but you need to be very good.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1420888704' post='2654552'] ... But like all these things...you charge what you can charge and you need to make the numbers work or your band model grinds to a halt.. [/quote] I'd be surprised if many pub bands were operating a business model.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1420816075' post='2653824'] Oh, ok, yeah, I agree entirely about that! I'm going to use my red cabs tomorrow. I hope they like the colour [/quote] Hope you all enjoy it whatever the outcome. I suspect the sound guy will just grumble a bit and mic the batter side. If it's the same kit all night he only has to do it once anyway...

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1420802261' post='2653530'] Try. [/quote] It's hard enough trying to get the drummer, vocalist and guitarist to agree on a 'Classic Rock' tune

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1420760255' post='2653266'] This is crucial, and if not being in a band or a band that doesn't gig is the type of band you want, don't be pressured to be in a band or gig. You won't have as much fun, but you will be happy. Blue [/quote] They seemed happy and I did stick around until the band folded a few months later, but by then I was already gigging with another band. Maybe Pub Rock and Classic Rock are similar things. I just differentiate it to be a pub (bar) band as opposed to a disco/soul/other/function type band. One band was playing 60s/70s light pop (Beatles etc), the other is very much more rock. It has a completely different audience. .

I suppose I like to listen to and play a range of genres. I'm using limiting in the sense of playing in a pub rock band means that I play pub rock. In a jazz trio I play jazz. I can't see these two crossing over.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1420747978' post='2653052'] Many of us are [i]"one band"[/i] guys and no interest in playing in multiple band. [i]"One Band, The Right Band"[/i] Blue [/quote] How often do you change bands then? Are you content with only one vehicle for your musical outlet? I'd feel very claustrophobic limiting myself to playing with the same people all the time. I played in one band for fifteen years, while playing in other side projects along the way. I don't think I could or should have left that band because I wanted to play in another band short term.

I've done well out of bands not out every weekend. It also gives you an opportunity to be in more than one band. My current band tends to play at least once a month.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1420731003' post='2652731'] It's the sound guy, apparently, who has an issue. Or the promoter. NOt the other bands. ... It's all a friendly arrangement. No band member is complaining about any of the equipment. [/quote] No. I understand that. The fact remains that it's the organisers who have a problem with the kit that they're getting the benefit of (indirectly) that are complaining about the kit. Maybe they should hire a drum kit in that meets with their requirements.

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1420713331' post='2652356'] There are practical reasons why the other drummer can't bring his kit, so we're supplying the drum kit for the whole night. We're not swapping the kit for one band. [/quote] That's even worse. Someone is borrowing his kit and then telling him how to set it up? It's like borrowing someone's cab and complaining it's not punchy enough. Some people need to grow up.

Be honest with yourself about what you want. Be honest with the other members about what you want. Hope they're honest with you. The only sticking point I've ever had with bands is; People who want to tell their friends they're in a band but aren't that fussed about playing in a band. After a couple of months with no gigs in one band I asked the question about gigs and the guitarist said "I just like coming down on Tuesday nights and jamming. It gets me out of the house." Kind of frustrating when you've joined a band and learned their material under the pretext of gigging at least once a month. That's me off then... .

In the old days before the internet we used to advertise in something called a newspaper small ad. One well know paper was known as Loot. You used to actually put your landline in the advert and people would phone you AT YOUR HOUSE. Then, get this! The person would come to your HOUSE, look at your gear, give you cash and take the gear away, there and then. Imagine that!

[quote name='Mickeyboro' timestamp='1420563231' post='2650686'] We had our first and only one this time last year. Nothing got decided, except some really bad song choices, and it was the beginning of the slippery slope towards splitdom. Don't do it! [/quote] Indeed. Join band. Learn songs. Turn up. Play. Go home. Job done.

With any meeting you should have an agenda before you start. If you don't have an agenda, what's the point of the meeting?

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1420155257' post='2646281'] Well, one or two seconds is the only figure I have found, but point taken. Thankfully nobody noticed last night. [/quote] I doubt anyone ever would.

Personally if a drummer reaches for a metronome I'm not interested. I like music to breathe. Speed up choruses etc. I agree, fighting with a drummer to keep the beat is very tiring and sucks the enjoyment out. In the end it'll make you doubt your abilities as a musician.

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1420031422' post='2644985'] BBC I-Player or a digital radio fed via the PA. Radio 4 is traditional for us us. [/quote] They're at least 5seconds late on a digital radio.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1420120032' post='2645730'] ... The only thing I didn`t like was the extra percussion, I thought that was mixed too high. [/quote] Indeed. What's the point of two hi hats and two snares playing exactly the same thing? Odd.

[quote name='Kevin Dean' timestamp='1420032168' post='2644991'] I think the main problem I have is that quite often I'm only about 1ft away from my cab , It's not so much volume it's not enough space for the sound wave to form , when I do a sound check it sounds great on the dance floor, Going through the PA Helps but it just can't get the same sound that the barefaced cab can , Yes I think I have been too loud trying to hear myself when it's just making it worse . I need to experiment with the band posistioning , just a couple ft would make a difference . [/quote] Ok. So you can't hear yourself unless you turn it up loud and then it's too loud out front. That's a slightly different problem. As suggested by JapanAxe, your ears are not in your knees so you need to tilt the cab back to aim it at your head.

At around 5-8 minutes to midnight the next song is "Mustang Sally" or some other easy blues tune that everyone knows and you can cut short or extent at a signal from the band leader. About one minute to midnight the band leader signals a stop. The band stops at the next turnaround. The singer then strikes up some banter until the chimes.