Band Forming Hassles

[ubit]

10 hours ago, StickyDBRmf said:

What is with these people that think there is life without music?

 

 

Well they could be in a position like me. Band going great. We could gig for a whole month every second month as I was working 28/28. Then someone reports me for sending a humorous email and I get sacked.

Back to the ad hoc squads where I work whenever I get called. I get told oh, you should be back in two weeks. Two weeks turns into three. After three weeks I am only entitled to a week off but they count the day I get back as a day off and the day I travel back to work as a day off so it's only five full days I can get off. Then in the Winter I can be off for weeks. Then there's other times I am told I am away for three weeks and I am back home after five days.

It means that I cannot even get the band together for rehearsals never mind gigs.

I know I could get another job that allows me to stay at home and get weekends off but I would have to take a massive pay cut and we just can't do that just now.

[tony_m]

Just reading through other people's experiences, looks like I've been luckier than most. Over the past five years, I've been in a number of false-starts which never went anywhere. Then a local bunch, who've all been in umpteen bands before and most recently were playing as an electro-acoustic trio + drum machine, advertised for a percussionist to fill out their sound once things kicked off again post-lockdown. Having found a suitable candidate, they then decided to go down the full rhythm section route so added a bass player they knew from a previous band. Sadly, said bass player fell seriously ill and passed away in a matter of weeks, but the drummer knew me from one of my previous false-starts so put my name forward, and the rest is history. So far we've managed a few rehearsals including a bit of recording, and things are going well. Unfortunately the festival at which we were scheduled to make our debut got cancelled, and the only gig we've got booked so far isn't until March 2022, but hey-ho. At least we're having fun getting a couple of sets of country-blues-rock covers together. Best bit is, the drummer has converted an old chicken shed into a tidy rehearsal studio, so we're fully self-contained and independent of any other facilities and the associated costs etc. Now, if we could just get the timing of the break-down in "Guitar Town" sorted...  🤪

[yorks5stringer]

1 hour ago, tony_m said:

Just reading through other people's experiences, looks like I've been luckier than most. Over the past five years, I've been in a number of false-starts which never went anywhere. Then a local bunch, who've all been in umpteen bands before and most recently were playing as an electro-acoustic trio + drum machine, advertised for a percussionist to fill out their sound once things kicked off again post-lockdown. Having found a suitable candidate, they then decided to go down the full rhythm section route so added a bass player they knew from a previous band. Sadly, said bass player fell seriously ill and passed away in a matter of weeks, but the drummer knew me from one of my previous false-starts so put my name forward, and the rest is history. So far we've managed a few rehearsals including a bit of recording, and things are going well. Unfortunately the festival at which we were scheduled to make our debut got cancelled, and the only gig we've got booked so far isn't until March 2022, but hey-ho. At least we're having fun getting a couple of sets of country-blues-rock covers together. Best bit is, the drummer has converted an old chicken shack into a tidy rehearsal studio, so we're fully self-contained and independent of any other facilities and the associated costs etc. Now, if we could just get the timing of the break-down in "Guitar Town" sorted...  🤪

Corrected this for you...

[Triumph_Rock]

On 10/09/2021 at 08:17, uk_lefty said:

I feel your pain. It doesn't take much to listen to a song and write down "4 times the intro riff... Verse (G C F, G C F, F#) Chorus..." on a bit of paper! 

 

I'm auditioning for an originals band next week where the EP was recorded with the guitarist playing all guitar and bass parts. He has recorded videos of him playing each song all the way through on bass and sent them to me. I have absolutely zero excuses for getting a note out of place, given its three songs and I have 2 weeks to learn them! If I turn up not having got the songs 90-100% then I don't expect to be asked back. It really is that simple! Yet I've had "band mates" not learn the chord changes, and even sit out whole songs saying "this works with just bass and drums, you don't need me" the song? Wherever I lay My Hat. It's a bit empty without any keys or guitar!! 

That wouldn't be for a band called Endea would it? 

[uk_lefty]

7 hours ago, Triumph_Rock said:

That wouldn't be for a band called Endea would it? 

Nope. 

[inthedoghouse]

Sounds all too familiar to me 😞  The (what should/could have been a) very decent originals band I was in folded just before the last lockdown due to the completely shite drummer and we were unable to find a decent replacement.

 

Fast forward to last week when I found a local-ish guy on FB who wants to form a band, who is a very good player and singer - even has his own PA.  Guess what we can't find?  Yep, a decent drummer who isn't already in about 20 bands.

 

Sometimes I really feel like calling it a day too 😞

Edited September 11, 2021 by inthedoghouse

[tony_m]

On 10/09/2021 at 23:41, yorks5stringer said:

Corrected this for you...

Good point, very well made! 🤣