Age & Music Priorities

[Bluewine]

12 hours ago, FinnDave said:

Doing OK, thanks, Blue. Had a couple of eye operations that stopped me from driving for a while, but there were no gigs to miss. Managed to get lifts from other band members (or my wife for local ones). Had a pretty decent summer, some good gigs - played 2 12 hours of Grateful Dead in a country pub garden and was asked to come back a month later and do it again! Also played in the grounds of an Oxford College for a professor's birthday and got paid well for that. Will resume gigging with the Wirebirds once we've got a new drummer - the previous one has moved back to St Helena (island in the middle of the South Atlantic).

Glad you're getting back into action, miss your posts about gigging in the States.

 

That sounds cool Dave,

 

Very nice that you had a nice summer with some good giigs.gigs. Same for me, I really got spoiled. Decent festival slots , we opened for a " Headliner" at Shank Hall" , just higher end gigs with short hours and good pay.

 

Plus, I didn't have to drive. They picked me up in the Maple Road van.

 

I'm sure reality will set in soon.

 

Are you still gigging the Gibson Thunderbird?

 

Blue

Edited November 29, 2021 by Bluewine

[Bluewine]

On 27/11/2021 at 13:48, BassBunny said:

Looking good Blue. Interesting post and really got me thinking.

In late teens I was still playing guitar in an 8 piece Soul Band all over the UK. Only semi-pro, but 3 of us worked  in the same building in Manchester and would often get picked up in the van Friday night and dropped off Monday morning and hadn't been home all weekend. Worst weekend was an Allnighter in Newcastle on Friday, followed by a late one in Brighton Saturday and ending up in Carlisle on Sunday.

When the band folded, 2 of us joined the House Band at a local nightclub.

Had a bit of a sabatical and came back playing bass and put the Soul Band back together with 4 original members.

Into my 60's we were regularly doing 60-65 gigs a year and I ended up playing with a typical Pub Rock band and a Jazz Fusion band as well.

Now the wrong side of 70 and after the enforced downtime of Covid, I've had time to ponder. We lost 2 band members over that period and I decided not to try and find replacements, I'd look for another band instead.

This time I am looking more for quality than quantity. Was asked to join a very busy band but really don't want 65 gigs a year anymore. 20 - 24 will be fine. So with a couple of auditions coming up, here's hoping.

 

 

Love your commentary.

 

I did the 65 gigs a year for a few years , probably 2009 - 2012. I couldn't do that now.

 

Hope your auditions turn into something good.

 

Blue

[Bluewine]

19 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

 

 

Yeah, I get it. I guess part of my problem is I'm retired and at 68 I look at things differently now. 

 

I talk big about getting away from dumps and 4 hour night gigs. However, If I can add $600.00- $700.00 dollars to my monthly income I'm going to do it.

 

68, some might say, time to give it up and others will say, thank God I can still do this.

 

Thanks for the content BassAce.

 

Blue

 

[FinnDave]

7 hours ago, Bluewine said:

 

That sounds cool Dave,

 

Very nice that you had a nice summer with some good giigs.gigs. Same for me, I really got spoiled. Decent festival slots , we opened for a " Headliner" at Shank Hall" , just higher end gigs with short hours and good pay.

 

Plus, I didn't have to drive. They picked me up in the Maple Road van.

 

I'm sure reality will set in soon.

 

Are you still gigging the Gibson Thunderbird?

 

Blue

Sounds you had some good gigs - and a band van - one band I am in rely on a bicycle and trailer for most of the gear, but playing in Oxford usually means there is a PA at the venue, and sometimes backline amps. Of course, the bass player has an SUV so can pick up the gear when he has to….

 

The Gibson T Bird is long gone - good bass, but I inevitably go back to my Fenders, currently using a couple of modern reissues of 60s Jazz basses and a 2012 Precision. Many the Jazzes, though.

 

Up far too early this morning as we are having a new shower fitted, the guy is coming before 08.00. At least the rest of the day will be free when he's done. 

 

 

[BassBunny]

10 hours ago, Bluewine said:

 

 

Love your commentary.

 

I did the 65 gigs a year for a few years , probably 2009 - 2012. I couldn't do that now.

 

Hope your auditions turn into something good.

 

Blue

Thank Blue. Here's hoping.

[mikel]

10 hours ago, Bluewine said:

 

 

Yeah, I get it. I guess part of my problem is I'm retired and at 68 I look at things differently now. 

 

I talk big about getting away from dumps and 4 hour night gigs. However, If I can add $600.00- $700.00 dollars to my monthly income I'm going to do it.

 

68, some might say, time to give it up and others will say, thank God I can still do this.

 

Thanks for the content BassAce.

 

Blue

You don't give something up because you get old, you get old because you give something up. An old but true saying.

[Bluewine]

8 hours ago, FinnDave said:

Sounds you had some good gigs - and a band van - one band I am in rely on a bicycle and trailer for most of the gear, but playing in Oxford usually means there is a PA at the venue, and sometimes backline amps. Of course, the bass player has an SUV so can pick up the gear when he has to….

 

The Gibson T Bird is long gone - good bass, but I inevitably go back to my Fenders, currently using a couple of modern reissues of 60s Jazz basses and a 2012 Precision. Many the Jazzes, though.

 

Up far too early this morning as we are having a new shower fitted, the guy is coming before 08.00. At least the rest of the day will be free when he's done. 

 

 

 

Great hearing from you Dave.

 

 Blue