deepbass5 Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 Just wondering how many of you out there have lost the enthusiasm to lug tonnes of gear round the country of an evening. I have been doing this since 1974 and the last 30 years in the same band, with great enthusiasm but this New year was our last by mutual agreement. It has been great, no regrets well not many i can think of, But the drive and energy required to run a commercially competitive outfit is considerable. Behind the scenes there is the Web site to maintain with photos, recordings, insurance, PAT testing etc etc. Then there is the wear and tear on the ole body lugging PA speakers, monitors, lights and cable bags and bass gear up flights of stairs. Just looking forward to playing my bass in a couple of rehearsal bands for the love of it. Just me to worry about. Does the lure of the next Gig still drive you to carry on or do you long for quite nights in and summer evenings in the garden at home. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakester Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 I love gigging, it’s everything else that can be interminable! The endless rehearsing where the singer flaps about with printed sheets without ever learning the words, the half-hour pause where the guitards teach each other which part to play; lugging gear in and out of rehearsal rooms in pouring rain, the million texts/emails/WhatsApps about exactly what time we’re on, where it is, what we’re all wearing (for the tenth time). I do love it, though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newfoundfreedom Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 (edited) 30 years is pretty good going. I think I lasted about 2 months before i'd had enough. in fact, here's a thread I started a few months ago on the very subject. 😂 Edited January 2, 2020 by Newfoundfreedom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluewine Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, deepbass5 said: Just wondering how many of you out there have lost the enthusiasm to lug tonnes of gear round the country of an evening. I have been doing this since 1974 and the last 30 years in the same band, with great enthusiasm but this New year was our last by m Does the lure of the next Gig still drive you to carry on or do you long for quite nights in and summer evenings in the garden at home. Yes, as recently as NYE. Looking at the crowd , how great the stage looked with our lighting and gear knowing I'm a part of this. I know I sound like a broken record. I think very few of us hate being in a band or gigging. I think some of us hate the decisions we've made. Playing in bands with questionable people with no sense of direction, discipline or ethics. Face it guys, there are some folks out there that don't even know how to be in a band. I'm grateful I'm not the guy looking,wishing he had a gig. I love the attention. I love being approached by people that want to talk to me only because I'm in the band. However it's not easy keeping my spirit up after 50 years of gigging. Health issues and fighting to stay a live in a scene that's dieing. It helps that we cherry pick our gigs now. We know crap gigs when we see them and will not book them. And most of all, I play with good people. We're ego and drama free. Gigging is still a blast for me. While chronologically I'm 66, I still have the same spirit I had when I started gigging in public at age 12. Blue Edited January 2, 2020 by Bluewine 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger2611 Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 3 minutes ago, Bluewine said: Yes, as recently as NYE. Looking at the crowd , how great the stage looked with our lighting and gear knowing I'm a part of this. I'm not the guy looking wishing he had a gig. I love the attention. I love being approached by people that want to talk to me only because I'm in the band. However it's not easy keeping my spirit up after 50 years of gigging. Health issues and fighting to stay a live in a scene that's dieing. It helps that we cherry pick our gigs now. We know crap gigs when we see them and will not book them. And most of all, I play with good people. We're ego and drama free. Gigging is still a blast for me. While chronologically I'm 66, I still have the same spirit I had when I started gigging in public at age 12. Blue It's great to read that Blue, at 53 it gives me hope I can get back to regular gigging, I am slowly going out of my mind sitting around weekend after weekend doing nothing yet still apparently being in 2 bands! Between the two I have one single festival in August in the diary, yet I was pressured by both bands to give up the covers band because they had too many dates which meant the originals bands couldn't gig.....something that clearly worked out well then!! I am starting to go through the Join My Band experience again looking at hundreds of adds from dreamers, wasters and bands full of 17 year olds that want to play doom metal (whatever that is!) but hopefully "the one" I need will appear at some point Despite working full time in a stressful job the getting on stage and all that goes with it brings a balance to life that at the moment is sadly missing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooky_lowdown Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 Sounds like you need a little break from gigging. I blow hot and cold with gigging, every now and again I think why am I doing this, it's not fun. I've learnt it's at this time, I just need a break, focus on something different, forget about playing, then not long after my mojo comes flooding back, and I'm ready to go again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upside downer Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 In our covers band we only played a few times last year due to a violent and distressing incident at a February gig. It had been slowly going downhill due to a combination of the drummer struggling to balance two bands' and the singer's lackadaisical attitude to rehearsing, learning words (over-reliance on a music stand 🙄) and lugging the gear in and out, his catchphrase of the last two years being, "This is doing my head in". A friend since schooldays, his viewpoint had managed to wear me down so it was a relief when we finished in November, mojo well and truly redundant. I'd resigned myself to that being that, I'm 50 this year with a football team's worth of grandchildren (and a twelfth man/woman due in February!) and didn't want to do all the groundwork that is required to start up again. Might do the odd open mike night. That'll do. Then the singer rings me just before Christmas, he's desperate to gig again and wants to do some 'classic' tunes. That'll be wall-to-wall AC/DC and Led Zeppelin then. Oh no, not again.. Also, he's the size of Meatloaf and mentioned perhaps doing a Nirvana tribute act? Maybe we could do a twist on the genre. "Tonight at the Lamb and Flag, A Tribute to Nirvana if Kurt had lived, kicked heroin and discovered pasties and pies instead". I did point out all his foibles from our recent gigging experiences and he just asked me to think about it. I've thought about it. How does 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' go again? 😜 Bloody singers. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 Sadly for me I’ve just had to quit my band as gigging was taking its toll. We were doing 40 odd gigs a year which were Europe wide, though mainly in the UK. A typical gig would be leave at midday and get home at 3am the next day, for a 45min set. Although I love it I’ve got to the point where i just can’t do that every weekend, hold down a full time job, and look after myself & my flat. Bah! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepbass5 Posted January 2, 2020 Author Share Posted January 2, 2020 All the above ring true with me too Life events change your outlook, which you thought would not. Early retirement came three years ago, I now Love the garden and various building projects have been enjoyable to plan and complete. Two more grand kids arrived this year also. Still love music and the Bass but at certain times you reflect, and no longer want grief surrounding things that were once enjoyed. So you make changes, I now play for love and my input is appreciated, what more can you want. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Passinwind Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 2 hours ago, deepbass5 said: Just wondering how many of you out there have lost the enthusiasm to lug tonnes of gear round the country of an evening. Does the lure of the next Gig still drive you to carry on or do you long for quite nights in and summer evenings in the garden at home. Neither one really. 2019 was my first year without any gigs in decades and I'm fine with that, but eventually I'll probably at least start taking sub calls again. I typically get out of the house at least weekly for a long running house jam that suits me pretty well and I can just walk to that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odysseus Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 1 hour ago, Bluewine said: And most of all, I play with good people. We're ego and drama free. This is the crucial thing for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrunoBass Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 I love gigging but the last few years have been quite intense, and there were times last year where I was wondering how long I wanted to carry on. It’s not the playing, that’s the best bit, it’s the load in / out, the carrying equipment up stairs, trying to find somewhere to park, all the usual stuff. Coupled with having a young family and a job that takes me overseas it starts being a hassle. And when the hassle outweighs the enjoyment it’s time to go, right? I’m currently bandless, since just before Christmas, and was kind of relishing the prospect of a break for a while. But a new band opportunity has come along which is interesting, so if I get the gig I guess I’ll sign up for it but only if it works for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 I'm 56 shortly, I love gigging (I'm with the right people, and yeah, I guess I'm lucky in that), there's two originals bands (one's been going 30 years) which are very occasional but pleasant ones, and a busy covers trio with minimal gear to get a great sound, so it's all good. As is the money. Not gonna stop any time soon. 😁 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluewine Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 2 hours ago, odysseus said: This is the crucial thing for me! I've seen a few summers , so I've experienced the other side. Working with un-fun questionable people. That's always a losing proposition. Blue 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJE Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 I have wound down gigging with the covers bands I played in, I just got sick of so many aspects of gigging. 1. The same old crap covers that everyone expects at big function, sex on fire, brown eyed girl, anything by the bloody Beatles 2. Crap pay; no one wants to pay anything decent for a band unless it’s a wedding. I earned more playing gigs when I was 16 than I do now at 36. 3. Wedding gigs are just a massive pain in the derrière, they take all day most of the time, your crammed into a corner and have to put up with a DJ with an overinflated ego and sense of self importance who thinks he should be in the middle of the space assigned for the band. 4. Young people rarely want to watch bands in my experience, in fact to sum up a conversation I heard at work with younger folk than me ‘if they see a band of “old men playing old music” we just turn around and leave’. 5. I’m sick of playing to seriously whizzed up older folks who think walking on stage with the band and trying to sing is a good idea and then later ‘dance’ so out of control that they fall over the floor monitors and knock over all the kit. 6. Drunk people asking over and over again for songs you don’t and can’t play. That’s just a few.....and sadly the thrill of playing and a little applause and a few quid at the end of the night doesn’t outweigh the crap above and being away from my family at weekends. I am sure I will change my mind and miss it at some point but for now I’m good. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluewine Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 5 minutes ago, NJE said: I have wound down gigging with the covers bands I played in, I just got sick of so many aspects of gigging. 1. The same old crap covers that everyone expects at big function, sex on fire, brown eyed girl, anything by the bloody Beatles 2. Crap pay; no one wants to pay anything decent for a band unless it’s a wedding. I earned more playing gigs when I was 16 than I do now at 36. 3. Wedding gigs are just a massive pain in the derrière, they take all day most of the time, your crammed into a corner and have to put up with a DJ with an overinflated ego and sense of self importance who thinks he should be in the middle of the space assigned for the band. 4. Young people rarely want to watch bands in my experience, in fact to sum up a conversation I heard at work with younger folk than me ‘if they see a band of “old men playing old music” we just turn around and leave’. 5. I’m sick of playing to seriously whizzed up older folks who think walking on stage with the band and trying to sing is a good idea and then later ‘dance’ so out of control that they fall over the floor monitors and knock over all the kit. 6. Drunk people asking over and over again for songs you don’t and can’t play. That’s just a few.....and sadly the thrill of playing and a little applause and a few quid at the end of the night doesn’t outweigh the crap above and being away from my family at weekends. I am sure I will change my mind and miss it at some point but for now I’m good. All valid points. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 If I have a couple of 3 gig weekends weeks in a row I get fed up with gigging but then after a couple of weekends without a gig I get pretty fed up! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krysbass Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 At nearly 57, gigging is still where it’s at for me. Rather, my problem seems to be in finding enough other people who genuinely love to gig and don’t join a band only to then throw up a constant stream of obstacles and excuses that prevent the band from accepting gig bookings.😯 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 My last gig was the Bloodstock festival in 2016. I knew it would be my last gig for the foreseeable future, at the time, due to impending domestic and work changes which I didn't want to bring into a band situation but, since then, I've had little interest in getting back into it.There are times I feel the itch but then I remember lugging gear around, sometimes lugging drunk bandmates around, countless hours on the motorway and the itch gets scratched. I still go to a lot of gigs, but purely as a civilian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassfinger Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 I have my Butler lug my gear and set it up for me. In fact, my female butler is a keen musician herself - I've heard that she likes a strum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepbass5 Posted January 2, 2020 Author Share Posted January 2, 2020 Yep Its all the peripheral stuff that sucks, NJE made me chuckle I will at some point try and find similar minded and scarred muso's who are putting a band together so we can grow together rather than try and launch into an established bands gig diary and bad venues with band politics that made the last guy leave. Just me and my bass I won't mention i own a PA and lights etc. ah Heaven 👌 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 It's not your age, it's the mileage. I was 63 last week, but I've only been a gigging musician for a dozen years so I still get a real buzz out of doing this. The fact that I'm retired means that, far from gigging being hard to fit into my life, I can build my entire life around gigging. Best of all ... Silvie feels the same way! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leschirons Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 (edited) 68 in two weeks so will have been doing this for 52 years. Hate the gigs that are too far, too late, too tiring when we take ALL the gear. Back gone, knees gone and both wrists shot to pieces so can't really play for a couple of months maybe longer, and get very frustrated with guitarists who constantly change guitars and retune, drummers who speed up and slow down and singers who forget middle 8s. So, what do I do? Ah yes, buy another bass and an Aguilar 4x10 that I won't be able to lift on my own. Being in a band and gigging. Moan about it constantly and hate everything about it but, the realisation that I may not be able to play any more if things don't work out health wise, has filled me with dread because........ it's what we do. Edited January 2, 2020 by leschirons 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 My first gig was on 20th November 1966 so next Monday's gig will kick off my 54th year of playing in bands. I haven't liked every gig, every song or every band member but for every negative there have been thousands of positives. Tell me tomorrow we're starting a 6 week tour around Europe living in the back of a van and I'll be waiting on the door step, passport in hand, when the van arrives. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 I like it when I’m doing it, but the faff surrounding it takes a chunk of the shine off of it. Oh for road crew and drivers, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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