Optimism - Share Your Last 'This Is Why I Keep Doing It' Moment

[BenTunnicliffe]

Hello Everyone,

The music game is obviously a long and varied road and I thought it would be nice to hear stories from the forum's members about the last time you had a moment where you thought 'this is why I stuck with it', 'I'm so lucky to get to do this so regularly' or even your 'all of those hours put in are finally paying off!'

Revisiting those uplifting moments can only be a healthy thing and I'm sure I won't be the only one who'll enjoy reading about such heart warming events.

Have a decent weekend y'all!

[Gottastopbuyinggear]

I do get a bit fed up with everything that surrounds playing in a pub covers band - trying to park, lugging gear, setting up, managing the PA, starting our first set half an hour after I'm usually in bed, packing up afterwards, etc., but almost always as soon as we're a couple of songs in I think - yeah, this is why I do it.

The last specific moment that gave me an extra smile was probably our guitarist pulling off a particularly blistering (yet still tasteful) solo, complete with behind the nut bends, in the middle of... Mustang Sally.  

[BrunoBass]

11 hours ago, Gottastopbuyinggear said:

I do get a bit fed up with everything that surrounds playing in a pub covers band - trying to park, lugging gear, setting up, managing the PA, starting our first set half an hour after I'm usually in bed, packing up afterwards, etc., but almost always as soon as we're a couple of songs in I think - yeah, this is why I do it.

That’s me exactly, or it was at least until a couple of months ago. Increasingly those moments are rarer, to the point now that I’m feeling disillusioned and wondering if I want to continue, stop, or find another band. 
 

I feel generally unsatisfied and unfulfilled in my professional life too right now, this could well be connected.

[tauzero]

12 hours ago, Gottastopbuyinggear said:

I do get a bit fed up with everything that surrounds playing in a pub covers band - trying to park, lugging gear, setting up, managing the PA, starting our first set half an hour after I'm usually in bed, packing up afterwards, etc., but almost always as soon as we're a couple of songs in I think - yeah, this is why I do it.

The last specific moment that gave me an extra smile was probably our guitarist pulling off a particularly blistering (yet still tasteful) solo, complete with behind the nut bends, in the middle of... Mustang Sally.  

I'm the same. I periodically think I CBA with it any more, then get there, get all set up, start playing, and it's good again.

My most recent extra smile was on Tuesday, when we did a guest slot at an open mic night with an eye on getting a few gigs at the pub in question. Our percussionist normally does a harmonica solo in "Three little birds", but just as he came up to it, realised he didn't have the gob-iron in question with him, so I stepped in and did a kazoo solo.

[SICbass]

6 hours ago, tauzero said:

so I stepped in and did a kazoo solo.

Qualityyyyy!! 👍👍❤️

[SICbass]

Last week did an ABBA show in Belgium in a theatre bought out for the event (and they virtually filled the place - 2000 seater) by Belgium’s equivalent of Saga. Audience age 70+, about half of whom were well into their 80s. They went nuts! Big smiles all round.

[dmccombe7]

Any gig i turn up and its a full house just makes my day that people have paid to come and watch us as a band. I'll always appreciate that moment when i step out on stage to see it.

Also at the end of the night if someone comes over and still sober makes a good comment about either myself or the band in general. Just makes the night all worth the effort.

I do still enjoy playing in this band. We get a good laugh together and get along so well.

Dave

[chris_b]

Why do I keep doing this?

What else can I do.

Playing to an audience with great musicians is the biggest buzz I've found so far in this life. Getting it right just makes me smile inside and want to do it again and again. 

[Muzz]

Most gigs I love the audience reactions, and I'm lucky to be playing with the best drummer I've ever played with, so even the iffily-attended gigs are a joy. We've also got our gigging gear down to the absolute minimum carry for most gigs, so the heavy lifting and shifting is a thing of the past, too... 😁

That's the covers/function band, the originals band just did a 30 year anniversary gig which was bouncing and a whole different kind of joy. We've been picked up for a couple of big gigs next year, too 😁

[dmccombe7]

Forgot to add that with my current band a lot of people (women) want their pics taken because of the Glam outfits. This was something new to me and never been asked for after show pics before this band. I def like that part even if i am soaking with sweat they just love it.

Dave

[Maude]

40 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Forgot to add that with my current band a lot of people (women) want their pics taken because of the Glam outfits. This was something new to me and never been asked for after show pics before this band. I def like that part even if i am soaking with sweat they just love it.

Dave

We get this as well, signing setlists and CD's and having photos taken with people. All very strange if you ask me but enjoyable all the same. 

[franzbassist]

I love playing live: when you're playing well and the audience get it too it's one of the best feelings there is.

My 18yo daughter (vocals and guitar) and 16yo son (drums) joined the band I have been in since 1989(!) last year, and that's a whole load of new reasons to play

[Maude]

I'll just link this post from the 'How was your gig last night' thread that I posted a couple of weeks ago, it fits in with this topic I think. 

Another one was back in the summer, we played a Commrades Club and I wasn't expecting much as they are hit and miss but we had a really good night. Being a Mod band we usually recognise people from the scooter scene but there was a group up dancing that we didn't recognise anyone from. Speaking to them afterwards it turned out they were from Slough and had heard some of our stuff on a Mod radio show, they were down in Cornwall on holiday and saw the gig advertised so came to see us. Really made me feel quite pleased about our little band. 

🙂

[Maude]

17 minutes ago, franzbassist said:

My 18yo daughter (vocals and guitar) and 16yo son (drums) joined the band I have been in since 1989(!) last year, and that's a whole load of new reasons to play

Fantastic! 

That alone would make me feel so happy and proud. 😎

[dmccombe7]

1 hour ago, Maude said:

We get this as well, signing setlists and CD's and having photos taken with people. All very strange if you ask me but enjoyable all the same. 

I guess a lot of it is down to most people having smart phones nowadays.

 

[Silvia Bluejay]

On 09/11/2019 at 13:32, dmccombe7 said:

I guess a lot of it is down to most people having smart phones nowadays.

 

I think so too. While even simply 5-6 years ago the most likely thing our bands would be asked for was a signed poster, now you have punters coming to the band after the gig and asking for selfies.

I have a far better camera than their mobile phones, and could get a much nicer picture of the person with the band, if asked, but I always choose not to offer. The actual experience of getting close to the band and gathering them to pose for the pic is an important part of getting that selfie for the punter. And obviously, they can post it to Facebook or Instagram straight away, without waiting for me to photoshop it so it looks gorgeous, but it's two days late! 😄

Great thread, by the way.

[Earbrass]

I feel that I have fallen on my feet with my current gig. I play nyckelharpa for a highly bizarre and eccentric two-person border morris side. So there are just the three of us; I am the musician and the other two are the dancers. This means I have all the freedom of being a soloist, and pretty much get to choose the tunes I play, but am not the primary focus of attention, and enjoy all the camaraderie of being in a band with two (completely mad but) good friends. 

There is no heavy gear to lug (just my 'harpa and usually a tiny Roland cube amp), no turning up hours early to set up, or waiting around till late to break down. We can travel by public transport when it suits, or we can all fit in my ancient Nissan Micra (aka the Tour Bus). 

We get some great and interesting gigs. This year we have performed at a folk-metal gig in Camden, a major European folkdance festival in Germany (which included an arena performance in front of around 5000 people), a fetish club (lots of fun), and most recently a pagan samhain festival (All Hallows Dark Gathering in Boscastle), along with the usual morris gatherings and dance-outs. We have been interviewed twice by the press this summer (once for a local paper in Germany, and once for Dancing Times). We only do the gigs we all want to do - so it's quality rather than quantity. We've also made a shedload of (often strange) friends along the way.

All in all, it has been a blast. Long may it continue! 

[Bassfinger]

Mine is far from exciting.  Today the neighbours were out so I cranked up the volume a bit for my hour of practice.  To wrap it all up I slipped Sultans of Swing on the gramophone and played along with an imaginary John Illsley for a few minutes.  Note perfect,  well in the groove, and just enjoyed blasting through one of my favourite songs.  Chuffing marvellous.

[ianrendall]

Being told by a non bass player how nice my tone is. To date, this is the only compliment I’ve received on my sound in over 20 years of playing. Either I’ve been doing something very wrong or my audiences are utter philistines.