Gigging & Public Transportation

[ahpook]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1504517693' post='3365318']
The last time I looked into buying a suitable vehicle for gigging, I found I could get a year's worth of taxis to rehearsals and local gigs before I had covered the cost of buying and insuring said vehicle let alone the other running costs.
[/quote]

Exactly what I've always figured, and exactly as you've said said it depends on your circumstances and what type of band you're involved with.

I've never had any problem not having access to a car, public transport and taxis have always done me fine.

Edited September 4, 2017 by ahpook

[blue]

In the US you can purchase a dependable used car for around 10k and insurance with a clean driving record would be about $50.00 a month.

Question, is the notion of being able to hop into your own car at anytime and going anywhere you want not apoealing in the UK?


How do guys take women out on dates without a car. Is this another cultural thing. You guys are aware in the States women judge men by the cars they drive.

Blue

Edited September 4, 2017 by blue

[peteb]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1504552636' post='3365660']
I'm starting to think we have more of a car culture here in the States. The only people I know that don't own cars live in NYC.

Without a car I wouldn't be able to buy groceries or even get to a doctor appointment.

Blue
[/quote]
The certainly is more of a car culture in the US but don't be misled - for 90% of musos over here a car is pretty much a necessity...!

[blue]

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1504553417' post='3365669']

The certainly is more of a car culture in the US but don't be misled - for 90% of musos over here a car is pretty much a necessity...!
[/quote]

Good to know, so most of these "no car needed" posts are probably from young guys that live in the city. They're the 10%.

Blue

[FinnDave]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1504552874' post='3365661']
I'm starting to think we have more of a car culture here in the States. The only people I know that don't own cars live in NYC.

Without a car I wouldn't be able to buy groceries or even get to a doctor appointment.

Again age is a factor and location. From the responses it seems like public transport is easier in the UK only if you reside in one of the larger metro areas.

Blue
[/quote]

Blue, there's big difference between people who live in London and have good public transport and few places to park, and the rest of country. Outside of the big cities, you really need a car.

[peteb]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1504553672' post='3365672']
Good to know, so most of these "no car needed" posts are probably from young guys that live in the city. They're the 10%.

Blue
[/quote]
Not necessarily young guys, but [b]mainly [/b]those who live in London

[NickD]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1504553295' post='3365667']

Question, is the notion of being able to hop into your own car at anytime and going anywhere you want not apoealing in the UK?
[/quote]

It's the London thing again... I do run a car, but barely use it, hardly ever for gigs around London.. By way of an example, We're in Harrow, NW London, My Brother In Law is in Kingston SW London (about 10 miles away), My Brother is in Leicester (about 100 miles away, but up the country. During the daytime I can get to my Brother in the same time as I could get to my Brother in Law.

RE Dating... Imagine being able to both get home and not having to keep your hands on the wheel!

[blue]

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1504553716' post='3365673']


Blue, there's big difference between people who live in London and have good public transport and few places to park, and the rest of country. Outside of the big cities, you really need a car.
[/quote]

That's sort of what I thought Dave.

And outside of NYC, I'm thinking your public transport is better than what we have in most US cities.

Blue

[BigRedX]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1504553295' post='3365667']
In the US you can purchase a dependable used car for around 10k and insurance with a clean driving record would be about $50.00 a month.

Question, is the notion of being able to hop into your own car at anytime and going anywhere you want not apoealing in the UK?


How do guys take women out on dates without a car. Is this another cultural thing. You guys are aware in the States women judge men by the cars they drive.

Blue
[/quote]

For me most of the places I would want to get away to, also involve getting on an aeroplane to get there, so owning a car is mostly irrelevant to me from that PoV.

Although car manufacturers would like car culture here in the UK to be more like the US it never will be. Running a car is expensive. Petrol (gas) is really expensive here in the UK compared with the US. At the moment we pay £1.16 a litre which by my calculation works out at $5.66 a gallon. Also I can get a taxi for me and all my gear from my house to city venue here in Nottingham, and back again, for less than it would cost me to park my car nearby while I played the gig.

As for dating - I doubt I'd be very interested in any woman who judged me by whatever car I did (or didn't in my case) drive. Plus if I drove I wouldn't be able to drink.

[blue]

[quote name='NickD' timestamp='1504554924' post='3365685']
RE Dating... Imagine being able to both get home and not having to keep your hands on the wheel!
[/quote]

Funny, however no self respecting Yankee Woman would date a guy with no wheels.😁

Blue

[blue]

$5.66 a gallon might put some bands out of business over here in the States.

So how do women in the UK judge men?

Something tells me I'm going to be sorry I posted that question.😁

Blue

[NickD]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1504555386' post='3365692']
Funny, however no self respecting Yankee Woman would date a guy with no wheels.

Blue
[/quote]



We both have wheels, and we both have motorcycles... but we're both smart enough to know when to take the Tube! It's clean enough, runs out to us into the wee small hours, and 24hrs at weekends, and once you get to know it is completely stress free. Maybe a cab from the station if we're feeling lazy.

As a rule gig-wise, if it's in from here (and there are lots of venues) it's public transport, if it's out from here we'll take cars.

[Dad3353]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1504555386' post='3365692']
Funny, however no self respecting Yankee Woman would date a guy with no wheels....
[/quote]

http://youtu.be/zxGpmp6URuk

[NickD]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1504555659' post='3365697']

So how do women in the UK judge men?


[/quote]

Girth!

[blue]

[quote name='NickD' timestamp='1504556015' post='3365703']


Girth!
[/quote]

That's kind of , no it's exactly what I thought.😁

Blue

[ambient]

I hate cars and driving.

I live in Birmingham, which is about 100 miles from London, but I do gig there fairly often. I've done a lot of gigs recently in Bristol, which is about 90 miles away from Birmingham. I can get to both places stress free, and quicker by train than by driving.

It does depend whereabouts you are though, and where your gigs are. If you're travelling city to city, then why not travel by train?

Next month I'm playing in Birmingham on the 8th, London on the 9th, London again on the 12th, and Bristol on the 14th. I'll be travelling to all of them by train.

I think we depend too much on cars, so much so that they've completely taken over our towns and cities, filling them with pollution.

[peteb]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1504555133' post='3365689']
That's sort of what I thought Dave.

And outside of NYC, I'm thinking your public transport is better than what we have in most US cities.

Blue
[/quote]
That's probably true, but generally our public transport is considered to not be as good as the other major European countries. And yes, most of us do want a car to have the freedom to go wherever we want. Having said that, I didn't own a car when I lived in London.

As far as dating goes, I'm not sure that English women generally judge a man by his car (although there will be plenty who do) but it certainly makes things easier. When I was 30 years old I used to date a girl living in Leeds (the next city from where I live - a 20 minute drive away) when my car was stolen from outside her flat and burnt out. We used to joke that one of us had to get two busses and a train whenever they wanted to get laid! I think that it is fair to say that both of us were glad when the insurance was sorted out and I got another car...

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1504556942' post='3365711']
I hate cars and driving.

I live in Birmingham, which is about 100 miles from London, but I do gig there fairly often. I've done a lot of gigs recently in Bristol, which is about 90 miles away from Birmingham. I can get to both places stress free, and quicker by train than by driving.

It does depend whereabouts you are though, and where your gigs are. If you're travelling city to city, then why not travel by train?

Next month I'm playing in Birmingham on the 8th, London on the 9th, London again on the 12th, and Bristol on the 14th. I'll be travelling to all of them by train.

I think we depend too much on cars, so much so that they've completely taken over our towns and cities, filling them with pollution.
[/quote]

Again it depends what your doing, I presume you won't be taking a full pa system, lights and all your kit on the train will you?

[toneknob]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1504555659' post='3365697']
So how do women in the UK judge men?
[/quote]

Every single minute of the day.

[Dad3353]

This what we take to gigs. On a train..? I don't think so, and anyway, there are none here. Fine for a privileged few with reduced needs, and good luck to 'em, but they're the rare exception, Id say.

[ambient]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1504558866' post='3365725']


Again it depends what your doing, I presume you won't be taking a full pa system, lights and all your kit on the train will you?
[/quote]

They're solo gigs, the London ones, Water rats everything is there, but most if not all venues have pa, which really is all I need. But I'll be taking my bass in it's gig bag, two PJB double 4 combos, large pedalboard, MacBook, interface, case containing cables, Ebow etc, and CDs. Which go in a padded bag on my trolley.

[Woodinblack]

Yes, London is very different from the rest of the country, it gets all the public transport. Not other city gets as much paid on its public transport or cultural events than it. Outside that and a few other cities, its much harder.
Out in the sticks in Somerset, gigging without a car is not an option, unless someone is going to ferry you around. In fact, the same would go for jobs.

I don't know anyone in london who drives a car to get round. I don't know anyone outside london who doesn't drive a car to get round.

[ambient]

[quote name='NickD' timestamp='1504528118' post='3365439']
Nice little setup there, did it a couple of weeks ago. Soundguy is pretty cool too, sound on stage and out front was great.

London is a bit of a special case I guess. particularly the central London Venues. There's pretty much nowhere more than an hour away on the Tube/Overground, and most have everything you need. I just need to take a gigbag and a smile!
[/quote]

Excellent .

It's an event called Mental notes, 9th October 2017.

Quite looking forward to it..........shameless gig plug .

[vantagepointrocks]

For a local gig in Edinburgh I have used public transport on many occasion, at the most I am taking instrument and combo amp, though usually will just be instruments. Is no more than a 100 metre walk to the bus stop at either end of the journey. We have a night bus service as well, so not a problem getting home if a late gig on the weekend, though there is always the option of a taxi I suppose. Gig in another city requires a car, or in the case of our last gig in Shetland, a car and then a 14 hour ferry ride.

As for dating, most likely just to meet at the pub/cinema/restaurant, that means we can both get public transport there. Or I have been in the situation where the female is the car owner and has come to pick me up – I didn’t judge them by the car they were driving though.

[thepurpleblob]

When did we (in the UK) become American and start saying "dating"? I'm not even sure what that is... I've been married too long