TimR

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1418775352' post='2633357'] I haven't read all of the reply's so sorry if this is redundant. I know some of you guys say,[i] " Oh, it's too smooth and polished for me "[/i]. Well I would bet there are some $100.00 a man bar band guys like me that would like a shot at this type of opportunity. You know, see how the other side lives, make some real money with better hours and working conditions. And were willing to play the game. Am I right? Thing is if your not networked, how do you get a chance at this type of opportunity.I would love the challenge. The function bands over here rarely announce openings to the public. Then for some of us, we have to expect that [i]"look"[/i] and age will come into play here. Much more than in the bar band world. Blue [/quote] [quote name='blue' timestamp='1418775352' post='2633357'] I haven't read all of the reply's so sorry if this is redundant. I know some of you guys say,[i] " Oh, it's too smooth and polished for me "[/i]. Well I would bet there are some $100.00 a man bar band guys like me that would like a shot at this type of opportunity. You know, see how the other side lives, make some real money with better hours and working conditions. And were willing to play the game. Am I right? ... [/quote] I'll try to clarify my comments. I suspect that bands like this rehearse a show. There's probably not a lot of shuffling the songs around, even the patter between songs will be rehearsed and the same each gig. You're effectively getting a West End (Broadway) show at your venue. There will be lighting cues and keyboard triggers and samples and some click track sequenced parts. You must have second call players. If the bass players granny dies you can't cancel a £10k gig. Maybe not in this particular band but in many others you have musicians who are playing Bob Marley reggae one minute and then Guns and Roses the next. Very few players can transcend styles convincingly. Most session musicians specialise. These bands are the next level up from function band.

I would go for attitude. Behaving in a professional manner. You might not be able to play blistering runs, but how often do you need to? A long as you know when and when not to use a stand. And how to put the thing up without taking the singer's eye out. .

There's loads in off topic that have run for decades...

No roof.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1418758850' post='2633064'] I wish I had a 5 week contract to play. Blue [/quote] PM AndyBob I believe he may have an opening somewhere.

Brings to mind images of the Circus Lion Tamer. Bass held whip like behind you as you use the music stand to fend off crazed drunks screaming "Dakota".

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1418744741' post='2632893'] Does the piano player need two pianos? [/quote] That's clearly two too many.

It's all about marketing and deciding what kind of people you want to your gig. Is Simon Cowell marketing X-Factor to as many people as possible and creating a bland content or is he targeting a certain market? Are middle aged bass players part of his target audience. What do we actually lose if someone walks out of a gig because we're using music stands? Who knows? Maybe ten other people stay because we are? Who do we want at our gigs? We're marketing to people who will jump about and drink loads of beer. Not to some muso nursing his one pint of real ale who comments on the bass player because he's not playing the exact line as played on the single even though he has the music in front of him. .

Out of the 20 of us who've contributed so far only 7 play Dakota. That's about 30%. We play less than 20% of the songs listed there. And Mustang Sally, the one song every says every band plays isn't even on the list. I'm wondering how true it is that "Every band plays the same old songs." It certainly isn't true here.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1418742155' post='2632863'] ... I found it all a little bit too [i]straight[/i]... the smart-dress/suit/get the audience going with fake bonhomie and patter, etc became a bit wearing... hard to explain, ... [/quote] Anyone who has done it understands.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1418741100' post='2632851'] Let's think outside the box and do a Venn diagram. [/quote] Venn diagram. We can add in if you use a spare bass to it as well.

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1418740595' post='2632842'] just wondering what everybody's reaction would be if an agent changed his mind about a series of gigs after the contracts had been signed [/quote] Depends how far down the line you've gone with it. We're talking about overnight. The agent has probably gone home and waited until he had the signed contract. Or should have.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1418731001' post='2632704'] One page about stands and eight pages of "no, it isn't" and "yes, it is". Just the usual. [/quote] It's a bit strange. No one seems to be interacting. Just giving their opinions. It's fairly typical of internet where one person imagines a certain scenario and then expects everyone to fit. I imagine most of us wouldn't use music stands or music to play a gig if we were confident with the music. Who uses charts for Mustang Sally? So from there on in it's up to the individual band leader to decide what he wants the band to look like on stage. We could just as easily be talking about blue jeans and trainers in a club. If the club owner wants the club to have a certain feel that his perogative. It's not up to the individual unless the band leader says so. As long as there's no arguments who really cares, there are a million and one reasons why people leave bars while the band is playing. Personally, as I said before, I like to make eye contact with the audience. I can't do this if I'm reading music or fretboard gazing. It's part of stagecraft. You are playing the part of a bass player. If the part requires a stage prop of a music stand then you use one. I've played gigs where we all had black music stands with the band name on it because that's the image the band leader wanted. I had no music on it though! Until this thread, no one has ever told me they left because we were using music stands. Maybe we should have a friend of the band doing exit polls of the audience to find out why they left early.

He recieved your confirmation at close of business? You don't know he's actually seen it? He may open both emails when he gets into the office today. If he's a decent agent he'll just accept what you've done as an error and offer you the Jan work. If he gets nasty, just remember, you're better off not working for idiots. Be polite and say no but you're still available in the new year. Turn down or accept that work as you feel fit, if and when it appears. Always talk to people and never wind yourself up about what they might say or do until they say or do something. Stress is mostly imagined.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1418717516' post='2632526'] I don't think they want those numbers from pub bands...that is just what they get because bands can be lazy and give the set no thought. Of course, there is a point of diminshing returns as pubs pay poor money.so players go after better gigs, ..but that doesn't mean at all, that function bands are always better as I know plenty- well, more than a few that wouldn't/couldn't get work elsewhere- it just means that a poor band is a poor band anywhere. And bands that take the easy way with 'classic' sets probably have no other cards to play anyway. I am always 'amazed'...well, again, not really, that bands don't put any effort in, go for the lowest common denominator set list and then still wonder why no one notices them... They are the bands that people should walk out on.... But it is funny... and I do take note of this... certain bands do ok in some towns and bomb in others and the main reason for that is the set... but bands that have more about them than just the set, get by most places, IME. [/quote] Judging from results so far in the BassChat ultimate top 40. We're not all actually playing the same songs. That's quite an outdated view. In fact we can only, so far, agree on 23 songs .

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1418713325' post='2632491'] A well rehearsed product, I'm sure it was amazing live, I don't like all the yo yo come on gee up vocals though Next year your company can save £5000 and we will get everyone dancing the stage and sound might be a bit emptier mind [/quote] You can bet that they paid a lot more than £8k for them the weekend before Christmas in Central London!

Prices start from £7980. That's $12500 http://www.alivenetwork.com/bandpage.asp?bandname=Get%20Funked

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1418685745' post='2632429'] ... don't want any of the people dancing waltzes tripping up because I've forgotten its in 3/4 lol!! [/quote] That brings back horrible memories when a band I was in learned it for a gig as a request. Car crash - drummer argued 3/4 was the same as 6/8 and insisted on paying it as a march. But without the swing.

WEEK 2. Top 23. One new entry - white wedding. 1. Teenage Kicks (7) 2. Superstition (6) =. Dakota. 4. Sex on Fire (5) 5. Mr Brightside (4) =. Pretty Vacant. =. Brown Sugar. 8. American Idiot (3) =. All the Small Things =. Valerie 11. All Right Now (2) =. Jumping Jack Flash =. Proud Mary =. Mercy =. Soul Man =. Time Warp =. Tommy Gun =. Can't Explain =. Rock Away Beach =. Hey Joe =. Substitute =. All Day and All of the Night. =. White Wedding. .

These them? Sound like a pro function band. Not 'raw' enough for me. Bit sterile... http://youtu.be/eoMlqobSKf0

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1418637451' post='2631810'] But as a sum of parts it is pretty important. It is pleasing when the audience tell you that the sound was very good..could hear everything etc etc .. and since I tape most of the gigs, I get a pretty good idea back as well. [/quote] It's the sum of the parts that is important not the individual sound. We see countless threads about people who get their sound at home but can't replicate it in the practice room. Extend this further from getting it right in a practice room (where the acoustics are still fairly controllable) to a pub gig and you face very similar problems.

I've only played at one venue who asked us for a receipt and to sign for the money. Everywhere else has dealt purely in cash.

Pub bands usually get the money at the end of the gig from the landlord/manager. The money is shared out during the pack down. We used to do the same at weddings. Band leader received the brown envelope discretely from the best man then counted it all out on the stage into 7 nice piles in front of all the guests...

[quote name='chaypup' timestamp='1418295996' post='2628852'] I think 'someone' has been playing a great big joke, that most here have missed. [/quote] I thought that was obvious from the start. BeardyBob joined in 2010 and only has 24posts, all in the last two weeks...

One guy I know, who had heard all the apprentice stories, then had a stand up argument when his boss asked him to get a knot of sash cord.