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Do I Have To Become a Christian to Get A Gig


Chienmortbb

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Not a been churchgoer since I was old enough to not have to sit through school assemblies, but if you were offering regular paid gigs with no drunk audience and a guaranteed 1PM loadout then you can call me the Pope... Atheist in miraculous overnight conversion; Halleluiah, Halleluiah, it's a miracle.

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I assume it's important if you play in a worship band but generally their are plenty of scenes that don't require any kind of faith. I've never asked my band mates about their beliefs as it's not relevant to what we do. 

 

Small self sufficient bands seem to be getting bookings in local pubs at the moment. I have 11 dates in the diary for 2021 but won't be out live for the first time until Thursday. 

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I was asked a while back if I wanted to play in a pentecostal worship band. I'm not religious, though I do like a lot of classic gospel stuff. It wasn't quite said explicitly, but it was made known that the general vibe was that you had to have some kind of commitment to faith if you wanted to stick it out, so I passed. I felt it might be a bit hypocritical as well. 

 

That said, I've played plenty of weddings where I didn't like the bride or groom...

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I grew up playing drums in a church and played there until I left home and went to university at 18.   I have since occasionally played bass in the odd church over the years.

 

I do not feel I am personally religious.  My mother was, which is why I started out at church. 

 

In my experience, there are some lovely people you will meet at church, and it is a great way to meet people and be part of your community.  Those people will be happy you chose to attend their church and will accept you at your own pace/level of commitment to God etc etc.

 

However, also in my experience, there will be a minority who take it all way too seriously and will push you to find out your own beliefs and try and convert you if they think you don't believe enough.  There will also those that act as though they are more holy than anyone else and will relish the opportunity to shun or guilt someone like you who is not as anointed as they are. 

If you can deal with those people, then you can still have a great time, respecting the beliefs of others and letting them respect your position.  I have struggled to deal with self-righteous a***holes over the years, which is why I don't tend to last too long in church settings.  As others have said, I think that what I do or don't believe is my own private matter and no one else's business unless I decide I wan't to talk about it.

 

(P.S. - I am speaking of my experience in mainly C of E (but have also been involved in Catholic, Methodist. Baptist and Evangelist churches).

 

P.P.S.  - Mods - if this is too religious, please feel free to delete....

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1 hour ago, Chienmortbb said:

It seems to me that the main areas of gigging these days is with worship bands. Do all the musicians "believe"?

 

Do you mean musicians that play in worship bands? I suspect not.  However, I wouldn't have thought the main areas of gigging was worship bands in the UK. Most places in the UK church attendances are going down so it doesn't seem like something to do just for a career move!

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15 minutes ago, KevB said:

Wouldn't it be some form of discrimination if they were to turn you down just because your personal beliefs were different to theirs?

No. Schedule 23 to the Equality Act 2010 provides that a religious organisation does not contravene the Act if it restricts participation in the activities of the organisation to members of that organisation. As such, it would be legitimate for a church to limit members of the band to its own congregation or people of like-minded faith. 

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1 hour ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

You can join my death metal band. 

 

We play at the church of unholy Satan every full moon. 

I think you touch on a relevant point here.

 

Is Black Metal technically worship music?

Edited by Bassassin
No 'I' dea.
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22 minutes ago, KevB said:

Wouldn't it be some form of discrimination if they were to turn you down just because your personal beliefs were different to theirs?

 

No, churches and religious schools have always been allowed to discriminate.

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1 hour ago, Bassassin said:

I think you touch on a relevant point here.

 

Is Black Metal technically worship music?

 

I think Worship Music would specifically need to be music involved in the act of organised worship rather than just featuring religious content (so Hillsong are Worship but POD are just religious). I find very few of the Satanists I know are into the organised religion vibe, but it could be considered the equivalent of Christian Rock perhaps?

Edited by borntohang
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3 hours ago, KevB said:

Wouldn't it be some form of discrimination if they were to turn you down just because your personal beliefs were different to theirs?

The test will be whether you burst in to flames when you play the first note. 

 

In all seriousness the post that @Huge Handswrote hits the nail on the head for me. 

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4 hours ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

You can join my death metal band. 

 

We play at the church of unholy Satan every full moon. 

Amen brother. I feel the unholy power of Satan.

 

 

I can't lie. I believe in nothing but Satan has better music than Jesus. 

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24 minutes ago, Waddo Soqable said:

If you want to do the gig for a gig's sake, just pretend..( yeah, yeah, course I'm a Christine ) you know, lie, like all the esteemed politicians do ;)

 

I am not sure why you would want to do it if you weren't religious though. I am assuming it doesn't pay much and I can't imagine there is much flexibility in songs unless I guess you are an original band, do they have those? Sort of like a cover band, but with a thinner choice.

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4 hours ago, Cat Burrito said:

I assume it's important if you play in a worship band but generally their are plenty of scenes that don't require any kind of faith. I've never asked my band mates about their beliefs as it's not relevant to what we do. 

 

Small self sufficient bands seem to be getting bookings in local pubs at the moment. I have 11 dates in the diary for 2021 but won't be out live for the first time until Thursday. 

Whoopee. Two Gigs without a conversion.

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