travelling for rehearsals

[christhammer666]

Morning,

 

What would you call a reasonable amount of time to travel to rehearsals ? at the age of 39 im getting bored of trapsing across London for 1hr+ each way and getting in at gone midnight. Ive triewd to find something where I am in south London but all musical projects seem to be either far north or west London.

Its grates me a bit as well when everyone else lives 10 minutes walk away and I have to get 2 tubes and a train.

Am I being unreasonable or am I being a miserable git

[Acebassmusic]

Personally I would only regularly travel an hour to play with a band if I was really enjoying the music and the company. Once it stops being fun then the travel starts to become a chore.

[FinnDave]

I live near Oxford and play in a band that rehearses in central Leicester, 90 miles/one hour 45 min each way. We don't rehearse too often, once every 6 weeks or so on average, and my journey to rehearse is not the longest in the band. As you say, it is worth it because it is a very good band and I love the music we play.

[Happy Jack]

24 minutes ago, christhammer666 said:

Ive triewd to find something where I am in south London but all musical projects seem to be either far north or west London.

 

I'm in NW London and I'm always struck by how many bands are looking for bass players in SE London ...

 

[SpondonBassed]

1 hour ago, christhammer666 said:

Am I being unreasonable or am I being a miserable git

Yes.

Heeheehee.  You've kind of shot yourself in the foot by leaving those two choices.

Personally, I think you are spoilt for choice in that there London.  You have a great network of public transport with multiple connection choices.  Oop North, it's a bit grim like, if you don't drive.

Edited September 21, 2018 by SpondonBassed

[Cat Burrito]

I travel an hour for my main band but we don't rehearse too regularly. I've travelled further in the past. The issue to me sounds like the effort isn't worth the band. I'm happy to put myself out for the right band. A lesser band would frustrate me over lengthy travel. Next week I have to cart an upright bass from Swindon to Camden for a gig that will barely cover my fuel costs. For me it's a complete non issue as I love the band, love the music and for the record I'm 45 and it'll be at the end of a long week at work.

[ambient]

Why do you rehearse? If it’s a new band and you’re getting the set together then fair enough. Many people seem to do it as a social thing.

Can’t you find a more convenient rehearsal space; more centrally located for you?

[Yank]

If the band's just getting going and everyone's working on their parts at home instead of using band practice for individual practice,  once a week for 2 hours should suffice to get up and running fairly quickly.  If you're a working man,  and need to get up early,  schedule the practice earlier so you can get home at a decent hour.  So,  in a well prepared band,  that travel would be doable,  but in a disorganized band,  going next door would be too much travel.

[Lozz196]

We rehearse every week, irrespective of gig schedules, unless one of us can`t make it for whatever reason. The drive for me is 15mins, but I`d happily drive 30/45, however what I wouldn`t want is to get in after 11pm, so that would be a big factor for me. Sensible punk rockers that we are we start at 5:30ish, often in by 8pm for tea and toast.

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited February 27, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[fretmeister]

Depends entirely on how often the rehearsals are, and how good the gig pay is.

And of course whether the other members actually prepare at home so rehearsals go smoothly.

 

That being said - at the moment I get annoyed I have to travel for 15 minutes!

But that's because rehearsal is on a Saturday morning and I'd prefer to be in bed.

[christhammer666]

thanks for the replies guys. I think the main issue is the time . by the time I get home its gone midnight and even though I could enjoy the music and company I just dread it as I know im gonna be a cranky sod the next day

[mikel]

2 hours ago, SpondonBassed said:

Yes.

Heeheehee.  You've kind of shot yourself in the foot by leaving those two choices.

Personally, I think you are spoilt for choice in that there London.  You have a great network of public transport with multiple connection choices.  Oop North, it's a bit grim like, if you don't drive.

+1.

Being in a band at all is golden. I spent 2 years trying to find a band or even a start up where I live, NE. To be in a band takes commitment. To practice, learn the songs, rehearse and for most of us, to travel. In the last band I was in the keys player had a 1.5 hour commute each way for rehearsals whereas I was lucky, I lived half a mile from the rehearsal room. The other two members had a 45 minute drive each way. You are lucky with regard to public transport

[LewisK1975]

45 minutes ago, christhammer666 said:

thanks for the replies guys. I think the main issue is the time . by the time I get home its gone midnight and even though I could enjoy the music and company I just dread it as I know im gonna be a cranky sod the next day

So, is it not at all possible to somehow start/finish the rehearsals earlier?

[Sibob]

Why not alternate where the rehearsals are (assuming there's a decent place near you), so the travelling is fair between everyone?
I'm also at the age where I pretty much won't 'rehearse' unless it's a writing session or there's a gig coming up. Literally no point in running songs one already knows for no particular reason, paying for the privilege, then going home. And that's for originals only, never rehearse for covers unless it's something particularly in-depth (like I did a large choir gig around Christmas last year). Even if I do a dep gig, it's for the band to supply me with keys, arrangements (preferably in audio form), or at least be confident calling the arrangements on the night.

Si

Edited September 21, 2018 by Sibob

[NJE]

I have no interest in travelling hours for band practice. In fact now I only rehearse if there are gigs on the horizon that are financially worth it.

Even then I only expect to do two at most before gigging as everyone should have learn their stuff at home and should have gone over the band recordings for structures etc.

I just don’t have the desire to stand in a room for hours at my own expense with people who can’t be arsed to practice at home, week after week for a gig down the whore and trumpet for £40 each, life is too short.

 

[LewisK1975]

3 minutes ago, NJE said:

I have no interest in travelling hours for band practice. In fact now I only rehearse if there are gigs on the horizon that are financially worth it.

Even then I only expect to do two at most before gigging as everyone should have learn their stuff at home and should have gone over the band recordings for structures etc.

I just don’t have the desire to stand in a room for hours at my own expense with people who can’t be arsed to practice at home, week after week for a gig down the whore and trumpet for £40 each, life is too short.

 

This is also my biggest bug bear when it comes to rehearsals (I'm talking specifically for cover bands here)

IMHO Everyone should have learned their individual parts at home, the rehearsal is for getting the song(s) tight and perfecting any changes to the original recorded versions arrangements..

YMMV!

[Monkey Steve]

I live in Surrey, but work in London.  At one point I was in two bands that rehearsed every week:

Band 1 practiced in Surrey, always during the week.  I had an hour's travel to get to my local station, from where I was picked up.  This was really just my trip home, so it wasn't a hassle in itself and it was then a short lift home afterwards, but taking my bass and assorted kit to work with me during rush hour, both ways, was no fun.  Our drummer got married and moved to the Kent coast.  His job was originally half way between the studio and home, so he would drive in and then home again after practice.  He was then transferred to London, so he took to getting the train down with me and kipping on my sofa - every practice meant a night away from his lovely new wife.  In fairness, he was always clear about wanting to stay in the band, but what it did do was focus attention on another band member who was less appreciative, was always late to rehearsals, and seemed to think that we should all be grateful for his presence.  While it wasn't the defining factor that led to the sacking of the offending band member and the break up of the band, the oft repeated chorus of "I'm not making all this effort for that c#nt to leave me sat in the studio not rehearsing because he ca't be @rsed to turn up on time!" set the scene.

Band 2 practiced in London, two stops on the tube from my work...but we never practiced on a week night.  On the rare occasions that we did I made sure that we ended early enough that I wasn't getting home after midnight.  Instead we practiced at weekends, so I'd have a 90 minute + trip each way.  never bothered me - after all, it wasn't much different to what I did the rest of the week anyway.  One thing that did help was that we'd rehearse during the afternoon.  More often than not we then went drinking so it became a Saturday night out, and getting home, notionally from practice, at one in the morning with my bass on my back was fairly regular.  I doubt I'd have put up with it if it had been all practice and no drinking.

The key to all of it is how much we both got out of being in the band, that a couple of hours travelling is an OK price to pay.  YMMV so whatever makes you happy, and if it stops being fun, stop doing it

Edited September 21, 2018 by Monkey Steve

[Staggering on]

Looks like "reasonable travel time" varies a lot.I play in two bands that rehearse an hour away from me and both bands rehearse weekly.Gigs(15-20) are also also at least an hour away.I also have played  in pit bands for musicals that also require an hour each way.Unfortunately things always seem to be on different days/evenings due to work/family/other musical groups ,especially in the 7 piece swing band.

I live in Northern Ontario in Canada where nasty winter weather is just part of life and sometimes the drive to rehearsal is a bit more of an adventure than I would like but I'm smart enough now to know when to stay home on really bad days/nights.I'm 72 and still working part time as well as my band commitments but as was said above "being in a band at all is golden" and  even though I figure it actually costs me money to play in the bands  it is worth the time and money to me.I have gear(BG,EUB,DB,amp) that works for me and is paid for and currently have no GAS,well,nothing serious.

As I have said before, we are so lucky to have music in our lives and be a able share it with bandmates and audiences.I am fortunate at my stage of life to not have some of the responsibilities that many of you have but I also realize my time is running out and I want to use it musically as much as I can,I'm contemplating finding a DB teacher(also an hour away of course) to help me with my DB skills and augment the teaching vids on the net.I live in a very rural area so any type of public transportation is out of the question...remember this is Canada. 

I'm lucky I get to play lots of different types of music with very good musicians and at this point I'm willing to make time for it and my playing is improving as I try to keep up with them.Making music is magic.

 

[christhammer666]

2 hours ago, LewisK1975 said:

So, is it not at all possible to somehow start/finish the rehearsals earlier?

I suppose it will have to be an option I finish work at 4 so 6-9 would be better then 7-10

[uk_lefty]

Tough one. I guess it depends on your other commitments and priorities. I will do band one night a week, twenty-ish mins drive away. I won't do more. I have a busy work life with long travel a day or two a week which means very early mornings and tiredness. I also have a wife and a small daughter, as well as other interests and a recognition that I need to relax some nights, and should really be exercising on some nights too. I'm doing a dep tomorrow for a friend of the band, she asked if I could do it and I told her my rule, I have to be at home putting my daughter to bed at seven, then it's forty mins drive to the venue, so for me to play we need to be on at 8 or later. That's my priority now, and my choice.

[Guest aDx]

7 hours ago, Staggering on said:

Looks like "reasonable travel time" varies a lot.I play in two bands that rehearse an hour away from me and both bands rehearse weekly.Gigs(15-20) are also also at least an hour away.I also have played  in pit bands for musicals that also require an hour each way.Unfortunately things always seem to be on different days/evenings due to work/family/other musical groups ,especially in the 7 piece swing band.

I live in Northern Ontario in Canada where nasty winter weather is just part of life and sometimes the drive to rehearsal is a bit more of an adventure than I would like but I'm smart enough now to know when to stay home on really bad days/nights.I'm 72 and still working part time as well as my band commitments but as was said above "being in a band at all is golden" and  even though I figure it actually costs me money to play in the bands  it is worth the time and money to me.I have gear(BG,EUB,DB,amp) that works for me and is paid for and currently have no GAS,well,nothing serious.

As I have said before, we are so lucky to have music in our lives and be a able share it with bandmates and audiences.I am fortunate at my stage of life to not have some of the responsibilities that many of you have but I also realize my time is running out and I want to use it musically as much as I can,I'm contemplating finding a DB teacher(also an hour away of course) to help me with my DB skills and augment the teaching vids on the net.I live in a very rural area so any type of public transportation is out of the question...remember this is Canada. 

I'm lucky I get to play lots of different types of music with very good musicians and at this point I'm willing to make time for it and my playing is improving as I try to keep up with them.Making music is magic.

 

 

Respect!

[Nicko]

On 21/09/2018 at 07:48, Happy Jack said:

I'm in NW London and I'm always struck by how many bands are looking for bass players in SE London ...

 

I live near Jack and can confirm that this is my experience as well.

[josie]

Some earlier comments here:

 

[skankdelvar]

On 21/09/2018 at 08:57, SpondonBassed said:

Personally, I think you are spoilt for choice in that there London.  You have a great network of public transport with multiple connection choices.  

Having done the London thing for 30-odd years before decamping to the boonies I can assure you that rehearsing in London is a complete nightmare.

There may be a great public transport network but using it in evening rush hour (i.e. about the time you'd be on your way to rehearsals) is a Dante's Inferno of fat, sweaty locals and whining tourists. And it breaks down all the time, so you think 'F**k it, I'll drive', but road traffic moves slower than it did in 1900 so forget about sneaking out of work at five, home by six, studios by seven so that means bringing the car to work to go straight to rehearsals but there's nowhere to park your car on the street at work so you stick it in a private car park which costs you £20 and even if you set off on time there's a burst water main on Camden High Street and nothing's moving so you throw every back double you know and you're banging your head off the steering wheel and when you walk into the rehearsal room 20 minutes late the singer gives you the stink-eye and says 'Glad you could join us' in that sarky way of his and the next thing you know you've got your teeth in his windpipe and everyone's shouting and grabbing at you.

And anyway London's full of cockneys going 'Cor blimey, guv'nor, I can only get me tone by turning right up, strike a light, me old china'.

So think yourself f**king lucky you live where you do. It's grim down South.
 

Edited September 22, 2018 by skankdelvar
edit for speiling