Not gig? What do you mean 'not gig'?

[Grangur]

[quote name='Telebass' timestamp='1396684810' post='2416338']
Flyfisher, all I said is what works for me. How you read into that a downer on people who don't gig, I'm not sure.
Rhys P, I have sympathy for some of what you say also.
The point being that there's a good and bad side to gigging, no question.
[/quote]

Reading this thread I agree with Flyfisher. Most on this thread seem to be saying "if you don't gig, then why play bass at all?"

At 54 I'm a gigging virgin. I've never done it. I've not been playing that long. I came to it late. My full-time job is too demanding to give me time to commit to being in a band, so for the foreseeable it's going to have to stay that way. I've got 5 basses. They all sound different and I enjoy playing, but sometimes I do get demoralised.

I think if you CAN'T gig it takes more determination to keep going.

[4-string-thing]

I've always found gigs to be more trouble than they're worth.

Edited April 6, 2014 by 4-string-thing

[BigRedX]

Everyone has different reasons for choosing to play a particular instrument. However in my case bass playing is mostly aimed at playing live. If for any reason I stopped gigging, I'd focus far less on the bass guitar and concentrate on guitar, and synths instead.

Right now I'm playing more gigs and having more fun doing them that at any time since my early 20s. I can't see myself giving up playing live anytime soon.

[JTUK]

I think you need to start billing at £10 per hour for gigs from a min of £50.
( assuming a pub gig is 5 hours on the job but only about 3 hrs working it including set-up and break down )
No idea what bar staff get paid but ours is a more skilled job.
You are doing well if you can get £25ph..assuming that you'll get there earlier and away later but we don't actually play any longer.

Looking at it like this... I think the best we will this year do is £60 ph...

[BigRedX]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1396778246' post='2417137']
I think you need to start billing at £10 per hour for gigs from a min of £50.
( assuming a pub gig is 5 hours on the job but only about 3 hrs working it including set-up and break down )
No idea what bar staff get paid but ours is a more skilled job.
You are doing well if you can get £25ph..assuming that you'll get there earlier and away later but we don't actually play any longer.

Looking at it like this... I think the best we will this year do is £60 ph...
[/quote]

Is that per person or per band?

[flyfisher]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1396778246' post='2417137']
I think you need to start billing at £10 per hour for gigs from a min of £50.
( assuming a pub gig is 5 hours on the job but only about 3 hrs working it including set-up and break down )
No idea what bar staff get paid but ours is a more skilled job.
You are doing well if you can get £25ph..assuming that you'll get there earlier and away later but we don't actually play any longer.

Looking at it like this... I think the best we will this year do is £60 ph...
[/quote]

So, if things changed and gigs were no longer available, would you give up playing?

[JTUK]

That is per person.

If I never got out of the house with a bass, yes, I probably would because
the discipline and need to play would drop off..I would miss sessions and
run down my ability, which would all eat away at my enthusiasm,

[discreet]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1396776853' post='2417119']
I think if you CAN'T gig it takes more determination to keep going.
[/quote]

I think you're right. If there were no prospect of gigs I'd play a lot less bass and concentrate on EDM - a scene I was into for a few years a while back, so it wouldn't be too difficult to return to. But I'm very much enjoying my bass playing at the moment.

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1396778246' post='2417137']
I think you need to start billing at £10 per hour for gigs from a min of £50.
( assuming a pub gig is 5 hours on the job but only about 3 hrs working it including set-up and break down )
No idea what bar staff get paid but ours is a more skilled job.
You are doing well if you can get £25ph..assuming that you'll get there earlier and away later but we don't actually play any longer.

Looking at it like this... I think the best we will this year do is £60 ph...
[/quote]
If you gig as a hobby, as most of us do I suspect, well I do anyway, the money is a bonus, compare it to playing football, if say Wayne Rooney was just a very average player he'd probably turn out on a Sunday morning for nothing because he enjoys doing it. If anybody is gigging just for the money, it's a job not a hobby,

[JTUK]

Ok, it's a job... as I wont do a gig for no money.
We pay minimum for each gig and if that means we don't get that min, we have to cover it
from the kitty. Good payers supply the kitty.
This way we can afford deps and petrol money etc etc ..

[mrtcat]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1396784124' post='2417227']
Ok, it's a job... as I wont do a gig for no money.
We pay minimum for each gig and if that means we don't get that min, we have to cover it
from the kitty. Good payers supply the kitty.
This way we can afford deps and petrol money etc etc ..
[/quote]
This.
Much as I love gigging I always run the band like a business. Doing this has given us a professional approach which in turn has lead to better gigs and greater enjoyment. It has also allowed us to run better gear and pay deps when needed which again improves proffessionalism. Plus it's much easier to justify to the good wife when I'm out gigging weekends if I bring home good money.

[JTUK]

The thing is with deps... you need good ones and good ones can be expensive.
They want £150 on a sat night with a limited travel.... but they too, have to be flexible
and it is by no means a given that paying higher fees gets you a good enough player.
So, ..what does pro mean...basically nothing in terms of standard, but it means that
guys earns the vast mojority of his take-home from music, ,,and that is it, IMO.

And then some will do any old gig if the money is there...so it is not all about money, for sure.
The better currency would be that your name/salespitch has credence and you can get the
guys that you want.

[DaveFry]

I empathise with Bill Evans when he said : [color=#0040FF] "Perhaps it is a peculiarity of mine that despite the fact that I am a professional performer, it is true that I have always preferred playing without an audience."[/color]

[ubit]

On Saturday I got a real rock star moment. This guy came up and said " my girlfriend really likes your voice" I was like " oh, erm thanks" next minute he's back with her and she wanted a photo with me. I was gobsmacked and took great pleasure in bumming off to the rest of " my backing band".





If that doesn't make it worthwhile gigging, I don't know what does !

Edited April 8, 2014 by ubit

[JTUK]

was she hot?
I think you just got specc'd for a threesome... ???

[discreet]

[quote name='ubit' timestamp='1396974914' post='2419351']
I was gobsmacked and took great pleasure in bumming off...
[/quote]

What is this 'bumming' to which you refer..?

[Telebass]

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1396709693' post='2416658']
Some may find this a surprise but I know there'll come a time when I stop gigging - and I mean well before I get physically incapable. I've been gigging now for 35 years. That's thousands of gigs. I definitely don't enjoy it as much as I did. One of these days , probably sooner than later , I'll stop and move on to the next thing. Life's too big to do anything forever in my opinion. I often think I'd like to try acting in some form. Venues changing or vanishing and audience indifference don't concern me at all - I've never paid punters much respect and have always considered landlords and small time promoters a bunch of clueless tossers. I've always done it soley for my own enjoyment and the joy of playing with my peers. So when I stop it'll be for me alone , not because I feel driven to by others. I certainly don't feel too old. just the opposite. I feel young enough to say ' that was good...now , what's next? '
[/quote]
Great post.

[Telebass]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1396776853' post='2417119']


Reading this thread I agree with Flyfisher. Most on this thread seem to be saying "if you don't gig, then why play bass at all?"

At 54 I'm a gigging virgin. I've never done it. I've not been playing that long. I came to it late. My full-time job is too demanding to give me time to commit to being in a band, so for the foreseeable it's going to have to stay that way. I've got 5 basses. They all sound different and I enjoy playing, but sometimes I do get demoralised.

I think if you CAN'T gig it takes more determination to keep going.
[/quote]
That's an entirely fair position. I do hope you'll have the option to gig sometime, though.

[ubit]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1396980078' post='2419434']
was she hot?
I think you just got specc'd for a threesome... ???
[/quote]

Actually she was very hot, a little Polish bird and her boyfriend who was Scottish, was a good bit bigger than me.

[BigRedX]

As someone who plays multiple instruments, bass would be a long way down on my list of instruments to play simply for my own enjoyment.

[JTUK]

[quote name='ubit' timestamp='1397062320' post='2420300']
Actually she was very hot, a little Polish bird and her boyfriend who was Scottish, was a good bit bigger than me.
[/quote]

that explains it then... oh well.. !!

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1397063935' post='2420317']
As someone who plays multiple instruments, bass would be a long way down on my list of instruments to play simply for my own enjoyment.
[/quote]

As someone who only plays bass, bass would be a long way down on my list of instruments to play simply for my own enjoyment.

[ubit]

As someone who plays bass, I wanna play bass in my band! Gerrin!

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1397073193' post='2420459']
As someone who only plays bass, bass would be a long way down on my list of instruments to play simply for my own enjoyment.
[/quote]

I have to say at home I only play the upright. At the moment all my gigs are on bass guitar, but it hardly seems worth practising, it's pretty straightforward.

[discreet]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1397081342' post='2420570']
...all my gigs are on bass guitar, but it hardly seems worth practising, it's pretty straightforward.
[/quote]

That's because it's only got four strings.