Leaving a band

[pete.young]

On 3/20/2018 at 19:33, Bluewine said:

Sometime I think I'm the only fool 65 year old with the same spirit for gigging I had when I was 12. I'd be in heaven if I had gigs 4 nights a week.

There's at least one more like you, I was watching him last night and his enthusiasm and powers are undiminished. Bloke called Nile Rogers.

[josie]

10 hours ago, neilp said:

Really?? Basslines to songs that aren't yours??? Why? What possible benefit is there for anyone involved if you take that approach? Just walk away.

It was fun (for a while), and I learned a lot. As Marc S said above, getting outside one's usual groove is good experience. And (because nobody else was playing anything very interesting for me to get in the way of) I got to develop some slightly mad ideas, two-octave jumps, a bit of high bouncy pop, a bit of low broody prog... using pretty much all the space on a 5-string 24-fret fretboard. I don't regret it for a minute, and life in a straight-up blues band may seem a bit boring by contrast.

[dmccombe7]

6 hours ago, Bluewine said:

We play the WI State Fair (I'm not sure we're doing it this year) 5 nights in a row, 4 hours each night. To be honest, it's my favorite and most fun week of the year.

Blue

4 hr gigs is a bit too much for me. Not sure i could play for 4 hours. all credit to any band that can. That's a lot of stamina.

Dave

[mcnach]

13 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

most of my gigs have been one offs in a weekend and usually reasonably local so was always able to get home after the gig.

Last year i did a Fri and Sat stint up at Nairn and Elgin. 2 different gigs. The Fri gig we drove up during day and set up for the gig that night. That was fine but following day we arrived at the venue lunchtime and were able to set up. That left us virtually from 1pm till 9pm to kill time. It was one of the most boring days i've ever had. Was glad i didn't tour professionally. I hadn't planned for it so not even a book to read.

Did a mini tour in mid 80's around England during summer holiday period but at that age it didn't seem to bother us too much altho we did have to travel between gigs so that took up a bit of time. I had a broken leg so wasn't able to lift anything heavy so roadies there to do all the hard work for me. 

I prefer a more local gig nowadays where i can get there 1 hour before gig set up in 30 mins and do a quick sound check. Play the gig pack up in 30 mins and head home at a reasonable hour.

Its an age thing i reckon. Think that's why its always just been a hobby for me. Taking it to the next level i'm not sure would suit what i'm looking for.

Dave 

 

Yup... I love playing in Stramash or Whistle Binkies here in Edinburgh... I can leave home, reach the venue in 20 minutes, chill a bit, have a beer, chat... set up and play. Then, even if the last note was played at 2.30am, in less than an hour I can be in my bed. 

[peteb]

7 hours ago, Bluewine said:

Women I meet I can tell, when it comes to gigging musicians they don't get it and don't like it. They want the guy that likes to camp, hunt, fish and attend sporting events. That's not me.

Blue

You're certainly meeting different women to those I used to come across...! 

[Bluewine]

2 hours ago, peteb said:

You're certainly meeting different women to those I used to come across...! 

Different than the women I use to come across too Pete. Key phrase, "use to".

When I was young there seemed to be plenty of women that went after guys in bands.

 

I blow a lot of opportunities too. Now that I think about it, at our St. Paddy's gig a female fan introduced me to a significantly younger attractive lady/lass as her single friend. I think all I said was;

" Hi, how are you."

I didn't recognize the opportunity. I think it's what happens to guys when you get older. I don't have any good lines.I was more hopped up over signing CDs and gig posters.

Just being "transparent" guys.

Blue

Edited March 23, 2018 by Bluewine

[Bluewine]

3 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

4 hr gigs is a bit too much for me. Not sure i could play for 4 hours. all credit to any band that can. That's a lot of stamina.

Dave

In the States we don't have a choice. If you play traditional bar gigs it's a 4 hour proposition. I'm just getting warmed up by the 3rd hour.

4 hours is all I know.

Sure, I'd love to play 1.5 hour headliner type shows, but that's not in the cards for me.

Blue

Edited March 23, 2018 by Bluewine

[bazzbass]

20 hours ago, neilp said:

Really?? Basslines to songs that aren't yours??? Why? What possible benefit is there for anyone involved if you take that approach? Just walk away.

assuming they are good basslines that make the song better

[SpondonBassed]

7 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

4 hr gigs is a bit too much for me. Not sure i could play for 4 hours. all credit to any band that can. That's a lot of stamina.

Dave

If there is a significant market for that length of pub gig in this country, I'd be surprised.  I would certainly not rule myself out for a go at it despite that.  It's a worthy goal of achievement.

Being a hobby bassist is disadvantage enough.  My only two gigs were 35 years ago just before I quit to put in some serious effort with my apprenticeship.  I returned to bass much later as an alternative to taking up smoking again.  My age and general state of decay is a disadvantage to getting match fit without a good six months of graft to make it happen.

To put in the effort, I'd need a carrot dangling in front of me.  In other words, something guaranteed to make it worth the effort at the end of my fitness training.  I don't see a carrot and I am not the beast of burden that some bands require their bassist to be.  My hobby will never develop into a job, full stop.

I think that there are a few clubs that put on extended live musical presentations but even those don't run four hour sets by one band.  I believe it still goes that events of this sort are broken up between several acts.  If anyone knows of a British pub or club that does feature a band playing for three hours or more regularly please correct me.

[dmccombe7]

5 hours ago, Bluewine said:

In the States we don't have a choice. If you play traditional bar gigs it's a 4 hour proposition. I'm just getting warmed up by the 3rd hour.

4 hours is all I know.

Sure, I'd love to play 1.5 hour headliner type shows, but that's not in the cards for me.

Blue

I'm assuming its not continuous playing for 4 hrs and you take regular breaks for tea and scones kind of thing 

[dmccombe7]

40 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

If there is a significant market for that length of pub gig in this country, I'd be surprised.  I would certainly not rule myself out for a go at it despite that.  It's a worthy goal of achievement.

Being a hobby bassist is disadvantage enough.  My only two gigs were 35 years ago just before I quit to put in some serious effort with my apprenticeship.  I returned to bass much later as an alternative to taking up smoking again.  My age and general state of decay is a disadvantage to getting match fit without a good six months of graft to make it happen.

To put in the effort, I'd need a carrot dangling in front of me.  In other words, something guaranteed to make it worth the effort at the end of my fitness training.  I don't see a carrot and I am not the beast of burden that some bands require their bassist to be.  My hobby will never develop into a job, full stop.

I think that there are a few clubs that put on extended live musical presentations but even those don't run four hour sets by one band.  I believe it still goes that events of this sort are broken up between several acts.  If anyone knows of a British pub or club that does feature a band playing for three hours or more regularly please correct me.

Even in the club circuit i believe the bands will do 2off 1 hour sets maybe altho i'm not really in that scene to be honest. I know some wedding bands will play for up to 3 hrs so i'm told.

Are there any guys in UK doing long extended gigs. I'm kinda curious now to be honest.

Dave

[FinnDave]

5 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Are there any guys in UK doing long extended gigs. I'm kinda curious now to be honest.

Dave

I'll be gigging with a band I recently joined for the first time in a week or so, we are supposed to be playing from eight until midnight. I assume there'll be a break in there somewhere but not really sure. We play the music of the Grateful Dead in the style of the Grateful Dead, and their gigs would last for hours as well, so I think it is probably part of the deal. 

[SpondonBassed]

36 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

I'm assuming its not continuous playing for 4 hrs and you take regular breaks for tea and scones kind of thing 

While we're talking about them, how do Americans eat their scones?  Does the cream go on first or the jam jelly?

Although this is a link from 2014, the debate goes much further back than that.

[SpondonBassed]

29 minutes ago, FinnDave said:

I'll be gigging with a band I recently joined for the first time in a week or so, we are supposed to be playing from eight until midnight. I assume there'll be a break in there somewhere but not really sure. We play the music of the Grateful Dead in the style of the Grateful Dead, and their gigs would last for hours as well, so I think it is probably part of the deal. 

Hooray!

Sorry Josie, this has become a derailment from your OP.  I am happy that Dave has mentioned this however as it has been knocking around the forum for a good while.

I take it that you'd settle for any length of gig at this point...?

[FinnDave]

2 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

Hooray!

Sorry Josie, this has become a derailment from your OP.  I am happy that Dave has mentioned this however as it has been knocking around the forum for a good while.

I take it that you'd settle for any length of gig at this point...?

Not sure if that question is aimed at me or Josie, so I'll give my answer anyway! I'm a huge Dead fan, and to do their music full justice, the sets need to be long. Some of the songs last 30 minutes plus! There needs to be time and space to allow prolonged improvisation, or it simply won't be a GD experience.

Over to Josie...

[dmccombe7]

41 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

While we're talking about them, how do Americans eat their scones?  Does the cream go on first or the jam jelly?

Although this is a link from 2014, the debate goes much further back than that.

jam first then cream

[FinnDave]

I've been known to jam on a Cream song, but there were no scones involved as far as I know!

[MrDaveTheBass]

Is it better to jam on a Cream song, or cream on a Jam song?

[SpondonBassed]

1 hour ago, MrDaveTheBass said:

Is it better to jam on a Cream song, or cream on a Jam song?

[Al Krow]

17 hours ago, josie said:

It was fun (for a while), and I learned a lot. As Marc S said above, getting outside one's usual groove is good experience. And (because nobody else was playing anything very interesting for me to get in the way of) I got to develop some slightly mad ideas, two-octave jumps, a bit of high bouncy pop, a bit of low broody prog... using pretty much all the space on a 5-string 24-fret fretboard. I don't regret it for a minute, and life in a straight-up blues band may seem a bit boring by contrast.

Early symptoms of seller's leaver's regret? - What you've written above, doesn't sound too bad to me and I'd trade that for not being in a band at all.

Must admit I'm with @blue on this. Making music is all about, well err...making music, whether that be playing live or studio recordings. For me bass was never intended to be a solo bedroom instrument; it was always meant to be in with a bunch of other musos, playing 'cos you all love making great music.

As long as some of us are engaging with the audience and they're having a good time, doesn't matter to me that a couple of band members are less extrovert / 'shoe gazers' than others.

Been plenty of times when I've got fed up with my bandmates (as I'm sure they have with me!!). But the fun / good times have far outweighed the bad. When that stops being the case, it will be time to move on, but until then the grass definitely isn't always greener, right?

Edited March 23, 2018 by Al Krow

[Skol303]

17 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Been plenty of times when I've got fed up with my bandmates (as I'm sure they have with me!!).

Didn't involve a discussion about use of compressors, did it Al?

I am of course pulling your leg...  

[Al Krow]

11 minutes ago, Skol303 said:

Didn't involve a discussion about use of compressors, did it Al?

I am of course pulling your leg...  

They (apart from one guitarist out of the two bands) wouldn't know what a compressor was even if they were hit over the head with one. Not really had a litany of comments (well ANY actually) along the lines of 'if only you'd compress your bass a touch, we'd be getting way more gigs'.

Actually, it's more usually about much more mundane stuff like they've not been around to help set up / put gear away, or left it all to others to be getting gigs. But the message seems to be getting home, folk are better at turning up on time and we've been booked to do as many gigs in the first half of this year as the whole of last year, so all good. Can't wait to see what a positive difference my Cali 76CB is going to make to general band well being - do you really think compression could make a difference? No don't answer that, I may just be pulling your leg in return 

Edited March 23, 2018 by Al Krow

[Skol303]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

Can't wait to see what a positive difference my Cali 76CB is going to make to general band well being - do you really think compression could make a difference? No don't answer that, I may just be pulling your leg in return 

Oh I'm sure it will be wholly transformative, as night becomes day. If not, just play with the settings a bit  

[josie]

3 hours ago, Al Krow said:

As long as some of us are engaging with the audience and they're having a good time, doesn't matter to me that a couple of band members are less extrovert / 'shoe gazers' than others.

Been plenty of times when I've got fed up with my bandmates (as I'm sure they have with me!!). But the fun / good times have far outweighed the bad. When that stops being the case, it will be time to move on, but until then the grass definitely isn't always greener, right?

If it had only been that, I'd still be there. There were differences in musical standards and in attitude, and failures of communication, that went too deep. I won't go into the many depressing details. But when the drummer booked us two gigs without checking with anyone else, and the band leader saw nothing wrong with that, it was the last straw.

Played a one-off gig with a scratch blues band on Weds which was simple high-energy huge fun. Cleared any doubts I might have had. 

As for length of pub gigs, the standard around here is a three-hour slot with 3 x 40 minute sets. SpondonBassed is right that I'll take what I can get, as long as (1) I can stand up that long and (2) I can remember that many songs :-)

[dmccombe7]

22 minutes ago, josie said:

If it had only been that, I'd still be there. There were differences in musical standards and in attitude, and failures of communication, that went too deep. I won't go into the many depressing details. But when the drummer booked us two gigs without checking with anyone else, and the band leader saw nothing wrong with that, it was the last straw.

Played a one-off gig with a scratch blues band on Weds which was simple high-energy huge fun. Cleared any doubts I might have had. 

As for length of pub gigs, the standard around here is a three-hour slot with 3 x 40 minute sets. SpondonBassed is right that I'll take what I can get, as long as (1) I can stand up that long and (2) I can remember that many songs :-)

Sounds lie you made the right move there. If you're enjoying the blues band even tho it was a one off gig then maybe that's where you should be.

Standard here for gigs would be either a full 2 hr set or two 1hr sets. Some places still ask for two 45min sets.

Dave