bagsieblue Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Reading this got me thinking: http://basschat.co.uk/topic/202671-why-do-we-gig/ Started playing bass at 14 (I'm 35 now), played in (original) bands from age 16-22. Some good bands in the early and middle days, in my later gigging days too many abandoned projects, timewasters etc. As I'm sure a lot on here will have experienced - Some of the best times of my life have been related to being in and around playing in bands and some of the worst times of my life have been related to being playing in bands. I barely touched a bass from ages 23-33 but in the last couple of years have started to practice as much as is practical with a full time job and a young family. Sometimes I think I really want to get back into a band, sometimes I don't know if I do!! I do like practicing, learning and challenging myself at home. I've had a look at a few bands and they've had a look at me but nothing has sparked my interest. To spark my interest the band would ideally need to be playing originals, all musicians be of a good standard and trying to do something a little different than the usual middle of the road material. I suppose I'd rather be in no band than in a not very good band playing to small, unappreciative audiences, landlords/promoters trying to play games. I wouldn't say I wanted to get back into it for the money but being a little older and wiser I would not accept being taken advantage of and being consistently out of pocket for late nights lumping gear about to backstreet empty pubs. So maybe I'm just not good enough to be in the standard of band that (I think) I want to be in? Any input welcome.... Anybody else in the same situation?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 My reasons for currently not gigging are: [list] [*]STILL waiting for the right band to come along, (not messing about with time wasters or the obvious cover band); [*]Time is restricted due to my career, (career comes first); [*]The time off I do have is taken up with getting fit and socialising. [/list] I still have the desire to gig, 100%. I'm just being more picky. Most of us end up like this in our late 20s +. I'm 32 now, and still wanting to play my own music, so I'm going to hang on and keep advertising. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiltyG565 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 I don't gig because i can't. I've had offers, but i've had to turn them down For the same reason why i don't drive, or work, or do much at all really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperbob 2002 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 No problem with players who wait for the right band. Myself I would rather set one up myself. Plenty of good players around if you have a good network. Avoid th Internet and unknown musicians. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockfordStone Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 i don't gig at the moment mainly because ive been let down by people, and as such im a lot more picky about who i get in bands with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 [quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1363639241' post='2015190'] I don't gig because i can't. I've had offers, but i've had to turn them down For the same reason why i don't drive, or work, or do much at all really. [/quote] You mean lazyitis? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 [quote name='bagsieblue' timestamp='1363638094' post='2015172'] So maybe I'm just not good enough to be in the standard of band that (I think) I want to be in? [/quote] Having heard you noodling/playing I think the above is highly unlikely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 I think I must be really f***ing lucky or something All my bands are a delight to be in, I can exercise my creativity, get funky, get really challenged, all with ace musicians who are a total pleasure to be around. All playing original material of high quality and musical interest. A couple of the bands are old friends, and I found Kit advertising for a bassist on here. It can be done. But you have to look, and luck plays a big part. Just keep going, I'm nearly fifty and playing with the best bands I've ever been a part of. It's got better and better over 30 years. If music is your passion and you have some skills and a good ear, you won't give up, you'll get there eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 [quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1363646365' post='2015383'] I think I must be really f***ing lucky or something All my bands are a delight to be in, I can exercise my creativity, get funky, get really challenged, all with ace musicians who are a total pleasure to be around. All playing original material of high quality and musical interest. A couple of the bands are old friends, and I found Kit advertising for a bassist on here. It can be done. But you have to look, and luck plays a big part. Just keep going, I'm nearly fifty and playing with the best bands I've ever been a part of. It's got better and better over 30 years. If music is your passion and you have some skills and a good ear, you won't give up, you'll get there eventually. [/quote] Nig you don't look your age! Ay, I'm envious, but you have obviously worked at getting into those bands, so all credit to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 [quote name='thumperbob 2002' timestamp='1363643818' post='2015327'] No problem with players who wait for the right band. Myself I would rather set one up myself. Plenty of good players around if you have a good network. Avoid th Internet and unknown musicians. [/quote] This might be my approach. Find a good guitarist or vocalist and go from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurksalot Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 I stopped gigging when the band I was in lacked the collective enthusiasm to do so , I left that band , and found another , I need to go back to the other thread now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameronj279 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 A few reasons. The main two being I don't feel I'm very good by any standards and I havent found a band that I've really felt like things "clicked". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mog Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 I don't get the waiting for the right band thing. Reliable musicians don't just magically appear, you have to go find them. There's a real chance that you'll regret not being more active in a few years. Everyone has commitments to uphold but there's always ways to get a few hours playing in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismuzz Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 [quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1363646923' post='2015393'] Nig you don't look your age! [/quote] I thought he was younger than me, and I'm 25! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 [quote name='Mog' timestamp='1363651523' post='2015452'] ....I don't get the waiting for the right band thing. Reliable musicians don't just magically appear, you have to go find them.... [/quote] +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacker Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Gave up in my late 20s due to apathy and personal issues. Started again around 40 and loved it, playing in an alt. country band. But the old muso patterns of control-freakery, back-stabbing and suspicion slowly crept back in and, after an altercation on night, I left. Would like to gig again but am just a shappy rattling a few tunes out on the geetars n basses at home! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacker Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 [quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1363644900' post='2015355'] You mean lazyitis? [/quote] I think Milty has an illness or condition that may impede him from playing in a band. Sure he'll clarify, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 [quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1363646365' post='2015383'] I think I must be really f***ing lucky or something All my bands are a delight to be in, I can exercise my creativity, get funky, get really challenged, all with ace musicians who are a total pleasure to be around. All playing original material of high quality and musical interest. A couple of the bands are old friends, and I found Kit advertising for a bassist on here. It can be done. But you have to look, and luck plays a big part. Just keep going, I'm nearly fifty and playing with the best bands I've ever been a part of. It's got better and better over 30 years. If music is your passion and you have some skills and a good ear, you won't give up, you'll get there eventually. [/quote] I would agree with everything in this post. This is how lucky I've been - as well as playing in some fantastic creative bands, many of the musicians I've worked with over the years have become some of my closest friends, even though we are no longer band mates. As I've said before. I'm quite picky about the sort of music I want to play, I'm not particularly technically adept at any of the instruments I play, and compared with similar sized cities, Nottingham doesn't really have a massively vibrant musical scene, but I've never had any problem joining musically interesting, motivated and creative bands with people I can get on with on a personal as well as musical level. If I can do it, then I believe anyone who [b]REALLY WANTS TO[/b] can too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 I don't gig, not regularly anyway, and the reason is mainly that I just love making music and I don't really care that much whether there's an audience or not. An audience is nice, but I'd be happy in a log cabin in Montana making music. Because I teach voice and music privately for a living, I do get a wonderful sense of validation from my skills, as they are used for hours and hours every day. I have to keep my chops sharp and always keep moving forward with my own abilities, and have to demonstrate these to students. What limited 'validation' I might feel I otherwise would get from gigging, I get from my musical day job. There are other peripheral reasons, e.g. bands being hard work, unreliable members, etc, but the short and skinny is I am deeply satisfied musically doing what I'm doing without the need for gigs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiltyG565 Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 [quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1363644900' post='2015355'] You mean lazyitis? [/quote] ...yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiltyG565 Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 [quote name='Stacker' timestamp='1363675831' post='2015520'] I think Milty has an illness or condition that may impede him from playing in a band. Sure he'll clarify, though. [/quote] Nah, lazyitis, or lazytits, as i'm now calling it after reading it wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiltyG565 Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 [quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1363650580' post='2015444'] A few reasons. The main two being I don't feel I'm very good by any standards and I havent found a band that I've really felt like things "clicked". [/quote] You'll only get better in a band mate. Bass is pretty pointless and can be boring outside of a band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Dave Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 I do about 70 gigs a year these days as a singer/bass player (in that order which is how I view myself). I feel qualified to add the following to this thread though. As a singer/acoustic guitarist and occassional recording songwriter I choose not to gig. It's my hobby to be done when I want to - rather then the part time 'career' with it's committment - which has to be done when the calendar tells me. I also have nobody to 'please' but myself. One day I'll stop gigging all together - most likely for one of two reasons. I may start and feel too old and tired - or even too ill - to give it the energy I like to , that's one reason. I think it more likely, though, that my utter disrespect of the punters in front of me (along with my cynical distrust....more like hatred... of landlords and small time wannabe promoters) will finally get too much. I care not if anyone says I'm crap - water off a duck's back , and besides I know I'm a good craftsman - but I despise being told how brilliant I am by folk who wouldn't know a decent tune from a kick in the pods. It sucks the joy away for me. I often wonder why I gig at all when I feel so strongly about this - but somehow 'Dr Dave' is an alter ego that takes on a differring persona when he leaves the house with a bass in his hand and sees the gig as 'feeding time' for himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 [quote name='bagsieblue' timestamp='1363638094' post='2015172'] Reading this got me thinking: http://basschat.co.uk/topic/202671-why-do-we-gig/ Started playing bass at 14 (I'm 35 now), played in (original) bands from age 16-22. Some good bands in the early and middle days, in my later gigging days too many abandoned projects, timewasters etc. As I'm sure a lot on here will have experienced - Some of the best times of my life have been related to being in and around playing in bands and some of the worst times of my life have been related to being playing in bands. I barely touched a bass from ages 23-33 but in the last couple of years have started to practice as much as is practical with a full time job and a young family. Sometimes I think I really want to get back into a band, sometimes I don't know if I do!! I do like practicing, learning and challenging myself at home. I've had a look at a few bands and they've had a look at me but nothing has sparked my interest. To spark my interest the band would ideally need to be playing originals, all musicians be of a good standard and trying to do something a little different than the usual middle of the road material. I suppose I'd rather be in no band than in a not very good band playing to small, unappreciative audiences, landlords/promoters trying to play games. I wouldn't say I wanted to get back into it for the money but being a little older and wiser I would not accept being taken advantage of and being consistently out of pocket for late nights lumping gear about to backstreet empty pubs. So maybe I'm just not good enough to be in the standard of band that (I think) I want to be in? Any input welcome.... Anybody else in the same situation?. [/quote] I am afraid that you may be a little too demanding in what you are looking for in a band and a slight change in outlook might help. I stopped playing in original bands in my late 20s and started gigging in covers bands at your age. It was a revelation! No one was trying to 'make it' anymore, all the pressure was off, everyone's egos are kept under check and we were all playing just for the fun of playing. Oh, and I started making reasonable money out of playing as well, which went in my pocket rather than being reinvested in the band! I still knew good players from my originals days and all of the covers bands I have played in have been pretty decent (some very good indeed). Opportunities for playing originals to decent audiences (xilldix & BRX being the obvious exceptions) tend not to be too plentiful as you get a bit older, but after years, but over the past few years I have found myself playing in bands playing original material (well as original as blues rock gets) and doing gigs all over the country again. IME the people still gigging as they get older tend to be those who actually love playing for its own sake. Certainly I have had more fun in the latter part of my playing 'career' than the earlier 'original' dominated phase... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartelby Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 [quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1363678865' post='2015534'] Nah, lazyitis, or lazytits, as i'm now calling it after reading it wrong [/quote] I also read it as Lazytits! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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