I Hate Gigging!

[TimR]

18 minutes ago, FinnDave said:

I enjoy the fact that the  band and the audience know we are never more than a few seconds away from a complete train wreck, but still somehow stay on the tracks.

 

There are very few amateur musicians who can operate at this level. 

 

If you can, then that's the level of playing to aim at. 

 

It's the difference to playing Sex on Fire for the 1000th time and playing it for the first time.

 

I've never played it, and I'm actually still to hear any band play that intro as per the original recording, not that it matters. 😆

[Woodinblack]

26 minutes ago, TimR said:

I've never played it, and I'm actually still to hear any band play that intro as per the original recording, not that it matters. 😆

 

We don't, but as you say, it doesn't matter. 

[FinnDave]

I've never played it either, nor have I heard it, so I have no idea what it is like.

[leroydiamond]

2 hours ago, TimR said:

 

Yes. And still have to do the boring stuff. 

The boring stuff is alot more palatable, when you are getting very well paid to do it.

[Bassfinger]

4 hours ago, nilorius said:

How can You even compare Beethoven with primitive rock band.

Absolutely.  The Fountains of Wayne are far better.

[leroydiamond]

5 hours ago, TimR said:

 

Yes. And still have to do the boring stuff. 

And being well paid to do so unlike musicians

Edited April 16, 2022 by leroydiamond

[leroydiamond]

8 minutes ago, leroydiamond said:

 

 

Edited April 16, 2022 by leroydiamond

[nilorius]

5 hours ago, FinnDave said:

I hate not gigging. I have absolutely zero interest in recording, whether solo or with others, the only thing that lights my fire is playing live to an audience. I especially like gigging with material that has room for improvisation. I enjoy the fact that the  band and the audience know we are never more than a few seconds away from a complete train wreck, but still somehow stay on the tracks. The guitarist in my main gigging band will shoot me a certain look when he is about go way off piste - it's a kind of challenge he likes to lay down, and I enjoy following him into the unknown.

 

😍

[Downunderwonder]

7 hours ago, leroydiamond said:

Call out plumbers get paid substantially more that the 'weekend warrior's bass player playing the pub or club scene around these parts. 

If you were being called out to unblock drains you'd probably want all of the band's pay and a bit more.

[leroydiamond]

8 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

If you were being called out to unblock drains you'd probably want all of the band's pay and a bit more.

I would gladly unblock drains quicker than play 'Sex on Fire' and the like. 

[Downunderwonder]

Just now, leroydiamond said:

I would gladly unblock drains quicker than play 'Sex on Fire' and the like. 

Then you have missed your true calling.

[leroydiamond]

6 minutes ago, Downunderwonder said:

Then you have missed your true calling.

Though I would have a preference for one over the other, thankfully I have no need or desire to do either.  

[TimR]

It was an example. I used plumber because everyone keeps comparing musicians pay to call out plumbers pay. 

 

Could be any job, every job has some aspect that's menial and just has to be done. Some jobs are completely menial...

 

Edited April 17, 2022 by TimR

[oldslapper]

18 hours ago, ubit said:

We used to play Wagon Wheel. I despise that song and it's no challenge whatsoever but do you know what? Everyone loved it and sang along so it was worth it to play it.

No one complain how bigger it used to be back in the day? 

[Gothic]

I like gigging but had grown to hate it during the last few gigs, back in '20. Relationships between band members had become tense, recording new material brought about lots of issues and disagreements and the gigs themselves were disappointing at best. We were playing to very few people, making virtually no money and by the last one, it was honestly not worth the hassle.

In all honesty, I do miss the stage and the packed bars/clubs and the band hangouts and everything but the times have changed and even if I got back into it, it's not going to be the same and there are times when I fully feel that "I'm too old for this "$#@%" line. Plus, I am older, crankier and play way less nice with other kids. 😁

[ezbass]

17 minutes ago, Gothic said:

I like gigging but had grown to hate it during the last few gigs, back in '20. Relationships between band members had become tense, recording new material brought about lots of issues and disagreements and the gigs themselves were disappointing at best. We were playing to very few people, making virtually no money and by the last one, it was honestly not worth the hassle.

In all honesty, I do miss the stage and the packed bars/clubs and the band hangouts and everything but the times have changed and even if I got back into it, it's not going to be the same and there are times when I fully feel that "I'm too old for this "$#@%" line. Plus, I am older, crankier and play way less nice with other kids. 😁

I feel a sub thread coming on - I Hate Playing in a Band.*

 

 

*Been there - I quit.

[Leonard Smalls]

17 hours ago, TimR said:

My point still stands, we can't all do something interesting all the time.

The way I see it is, if my job was to be a musician I would prefer to only play music I actually like and want to play - preferably my own. If that wasn't possible I'd play most things just to earn a crust.

However, my job isn't being a musician... It's one of the ways I have fun, which means only playing stuff I want to play - otherwise it's no fun for me!

 

[casapete]

45 minutes ago, Leonard Smalls said:

The way I see it is, if my job was to be a musician I would prefer to only play music I actually like and want to play - preferably my own. If that wasn't possible I'd play most things just to earn a crust.

However, my job isn't being a musician... It's one of the ways I have fun, which means only playing stuff I want to play - otherwise it's no fun for me!

 

Think you’ve hit the nail right on the head there. 

 

The difference between earning a living from playing and doing it as a hobby is exactly this. I think that’s why many bands from the latter bracket struggle to maintain members and momentum - the minute it stops being fun then understandably why would you want to devote your time to it? 

For people (like me) who do it for a living, you have to have a thicker skin, know when to keep quiet and learn to put up with stuff without throwing a showbiz strop! I’ve learnt to be able to do this (in varying amounts!) in order to continue working for nearly 30 years now. Fortunately my current band doesn’t mean I have to do this much, so am very lucky. When I dep for semi pro bands I’m sometimes surprised by how intolerant some band members can be to things that I’d normally just let go. Also envious of how much better gear they own too. 🤣

[Newfoundfreedom]

4 hours ago, Leonard Smalls said:

The way I see it is, if my job was to be a musician I would prefer to only play music I actually like and want to play - preferably my own. If that wasn't possible I'd play most things just to earn a crust.

However, my job isn't being a musician... It's one of the ways I have fun, which means only playing stuff I want to play - otherwise it's no fun for me!

 

 

This precisely. ^

[TimR]

I don't see how this is possible in a band of 4 people. Then in a bigger band it becomes more and more difficult to find music that every member of the band likes and that will engage the audience. 

 

No wonder so many of you don't want to gig and prefer to stay at home on your own. 

 

To me that's the opposite of why I play music. The sum of the parts and the socialising is what makes music fun. 

[Leonard Smalls]

44 minutes ago, TimR said:

I don't see how this is possible in a band of 4 people.

I tend to play with like-minded people! We don't always completely agree with each other, but we are broadly all coming from the same place in terms of what we want to do; I can guarantee, for instance, that nobody would suggest we did a cover of, say, Lady In Red or Heigh Ho Silver Lining! Though all of us come from completely different places musically we produce something together that we all like; so our singer and other bass player do the punk, I supply The Funk, our guitarist does psychedelic rock and our drummer is like lukewarm water in the middle. And unless we all like it, we don't play it!

Not only that, but we go out and gig as well, if anyone's daft enough to book us! (Morecambe Nice'n'Sleazy festival is our next gig)

[Dad3353]

1 hour ago, TimR said:

... and that will engage the audience...

 

What is this 'engage the audience' of which you speak..? 

 

...

 

 

[zbd1960]

23 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

In his 20s, Beethoven had a reputation as a vituoso pianist.

Agreed. Beethoven made his reputation first as a pianist, composition starting with piano followed after. 

[zbd1960]

I have just about zero experience of the types of bands and playing being talked about here. I have a lot of experience of performing in concerts, either as a singer in a choir, or as a instrumentalist on cello or sax in various sizes of orchestra/band/ensemble. 

 

The advantage of that is that such groups have a music director whose job it is to sort out and plan repertoire and to run the rehearsals and ultimately conduct the concert.

 

The downside of that unless you're part of the administration and involved in the decision making is that you get no say in what is to be performed.  It's a very different world, since you typically have 8 or 10 rehearsals on a programme and then one concert, and then you start all over again. You could go ten years and not encounter the work again.

[Bluewine]

7 hours ago, ezbass said:

I feel a sub thread coming on - I Hate Playing in a Band.*

 

 

*Been there - I quit.

 

Relationships between band members become tense?

 

That has never happened in my band. We only see each other at gigs and we don't talk to each other. Lol 😀

 

Blue