When did you realise….. you weren’t going to “make it”?

[BigRedX]

4 minutes ago, SumOne said:

Things I still aspire to do to which I haven't given up on yet: Go on tour (even if just a series of gigs around the UK over the space of a week), have music released on vinyl, album or tour advert on a billboard, radio play from a big national station like Radio 1.  

 

These are easily achievable if your are prepared to spend the appropriate time and effort required and maybe throw a bit of money at it. Apart from the billboard thing I've managed all of them.

 

However, from recent experience unless you are supporting someone well-known a tour with mid-week dates is pretty pointless these days. All but the biggest bands tend to concentrate on weekend gigs with the occasional Thursday or Sunday for the right venue or event. My last "tour" (earlier this year) was 7 gigs over three consecutive weekends (including one Thursday).

[NikNik]

'86. Couldn't seem to find the right mix of musicians. Plus, the beaching and sniping that went on in bands and between bands became a drag. I remember going over to Glasgow to a Joe Hubbard clinic with our guitarist and my heart just wasn't in it anymore. The singer left, then the guitarist starting missing rehearsals and being a c***, so the drummer and I began playing bars with a female singer to keep our hand in, but my heart wasn't in it. Wrapped it up in '88 and the following year went out on the road learning production ropes and guitar teching (not the breeze some folk think it is). Spent 30 years at that, now an in-house video guy at a college. But from age 16 to 28 I was totally convinced I'd make a living as bassist. Well done to those who have.

 

EDIT: Actually, in the early '80s, a band I was in were offered a deal by Phonogram, on the strength of a demo. They put us back into the studio and arranged a showcase gig. But, during a short tour beforehand, several band members developed attitudes, and one - a lentil-munching Hippie -  I'm convinced to this day sabotaged the showcase gig. The band were shid that night, through nerves, tension, and a technical mishap. At the end, in the dressing room, there were massive verbals been us. It was the last gig we ever played. The label rep went back to London and stopped answering the 'phone. The self-appointed band leader eventually got through to him saying the label weren't taking up the option. That was gutting. Then again, maybe it was for the best, because I wouldn't have liked working with the c**ts some of the members suddenly became.

Edited September 13, 2023 by NikNik

[police squad]

I've been gigging since 1986. In about 1987/88 I was in a really good pub band. We wrote a couple of songs, has an exeptional front man (great singer too) and did 4 gigs a week, all over Kent and some in East Sussex.

Sometimes people would recognise me, whilst out shopping etc. It was quite a buzz for a 19 year old me.

 

I'm now slightly embaressed when people ask me if I'm that singer bloke from the 80s band Miami Vice! Someone even called me Mr Miami Vice (my mates don't let me forget it either )🤣😂

[NancyJohnson]

Early-mid 80s.  Band I was in had done two or three gigs, we played a lunchtime show at Richmond College, but did it right.  We hired in a decent PA and played a well rehearsed 45 minute set.  (I remember a girl in the audience deriding us - because we were doing it properly - shouting 'laser show' at every opportunity between songs.  Sheesh.)

 

By chance, there was an A&R guy there from Polydor, just scouting.  Polydor paid for us to do a demo in a strange house based studio in Surbiton (under £200) and we had a pre-signing meeting with the label; who said within a couple of minutes that they were only interested in our (female) singer.  We all decided that wasn't going to happen and walked away.  Band were effectively broken from that point on and we split up a few weeks later.  I do feel for the singer, even now, but she said 'no' straight away.

 

That was it really.  Never really came remotely close again.

[PaulWarning]

7 minutes ago, police squad said:

 

Sometimes people would recognise me, whilst out shopping etc.

 

 

I sometimes get recognised, (we're quite well known in about a 5 mile radius of where I live 😂) it's usually embarrassing because I have to try and pretend I know who they are when I haven't a clue, once when I been talking to a guy for about 5 minutes he said "you haven't a clue who I am have you?" I had to fess up, fortunately he found it amusing.

[police squad]

17 minutes ago, PaulWarning said:

I sometimes get recognised, (we're quite well known in about a 5 mile radius of where I live 😂) it's usually embarrassing because I have to try and pretend I know who they are when I haven't a clue, once when I been talking to a guy for about 5 minutes he said "you haven't a clue who I am have you?" I had to fess up, fortunately he found it amusing.

yep, that happens lots too. It takes me a while to put faces to places etc

[Lozz196]

17 minutes ago, PaulWarning said:

I sometimes get recognised, (we're quite well known in about a 5 mile radius of where I live 😂) it's usually embarrassing because I have to try and pretend I know who they are when I haven't a clue, once when I been talking to a guy for about 5 minutes he said "you haven't a clue who I am have you?" I had to fess up, fortunately he found it amusing.

That happened to me a lot in Knock Off as I’ve a dreadful memory for faces. First few time’s was embarrassing, I then developed certain questions to bluff my way out of it. No, who the feck are you wasn’t one of them 🤣

[PaulWarning]

9 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

 I’ve a dreadful memory for faces. 

me too, trouble is I'm just as bad with names 😂

What were the question @Lozz196 I could do with some tips 😃

Edited September 13, 2023 by PaulWarning

[NHM]

For me, making it is playing 20+ gigs a year in a really fine local band with three others who have become trustworthy mates. 

I've had a very fulfilling and successful career doing non-music stuff, having the band as a very stimulating hobby now I am retired is the icing on the cake.

[gjones]

When I was told by a management company in Glasgow, that my band had approached to take us onto their roster, that they couldn't take us on because, even though they liked our music, myself and the drummer were too fat.

 

I was 23.

 

...and I'm still fat.

[Newfoundfreedom]

Just now, gjones said:

When I was told by a management company in Glasgow, that my band had approached to take us onto their roster, that they couldn't take us on because, even though they liked our music, myself and the drummer were too fat.

 

I was 23.

 

...and I'm still fat.

 

Bass players are supposed to be. It was the drummer let you down. 😂

[Lozz196]

56 minutes ago, PaulWarning said:

me too, trouble is I'm just as bad with names 😂

What were the question @Lozz196 I could do with some tips 😃

Things like:

 

Where was it I saw you last, followed by, is that where you come from or are you local to this venue

Elaborate about the headlining band that eve

You doing Rebellion this year

 

I`d usually get something from that that made it look like I had some form of clue about who I was chatting to. I find once I know someones name I can link them to things, Gary from Luton, Pam & Darren of Manchester etc.

[Cat Burrito]

I'll add my name to the "sometimes gets recognised" list that a few of you are on. When I met my missus again (we were at school together in the 80s), we went on a mini break down to the coast and I was stopped for being the bassist of the band I was in at that time. We'd not been together long and she was really impressed. I was recently having coffee with my Dad and I was approached again. I like it because it's not a regular inconvenience and when it does happen, it gives the day a bit of a lift. Admittedly it is rare that they know my name but it's fun. 

[BigRedX]

I get recognised quite a bit, but that's partly because I seem to be quite distinctive looking and partly because I've been gigging for almost 45 years now. Most of the time it's more of a "I know you from somewhere" and then I have to list all the bands I've been in before they recognise a name they know. However I did get specifically recognised as a Terrortone when I was at the HIM/Fields Of The Nephilim gig in London about 10 years ago. 

[Lozz196]

Strangest time I was recognised was at Hamburg Airport, by The Macc Lads of all people - we were playing the same venue that evening.

[fretmeister]

Early-Mid 1990s.

 

I was on guitar in a great band, playing a lot of places. Original metal with lots of twin harmony guitar stuff and we won some battle of the bands and got some local press.

It was going very well.

 

Then Grunge hit the UK in a big way and suddenly that was it.

 

 

[Rayman]

18 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Strangest time I was recognised was at Hamburg Airport, by The Macc Lads of all people - we were playing the same venue that evening.

Lol…… we supported them a number times…. I still see Tristan (Mutley) riding his bike around Macclesfield. He’s even more grumpy now than he was then.

[dmccombe7]

Nope its always been a hobby for me. As long as people enjoyed the gigs i've played then i'm happy and successful.

Always had a good paying job that i used to enjoy when i was younger so giving that up was a no brainer for me.

Had the opportunities in 80's to take things up a notch but said no as it meant giving up my job and moving South to either Midlands or London areas and i kept my sensible head on. The bands that made the offers never amounted to much more than i have now.

At the moment i'm where i want to be in life. Retired on my 56th birthday and enjoying both bands and getting more than enough gigs throughout the year. I get sell out gigs so must be doing something right 

No regrets.

Dave

[Linus27]

I never wanted the fame and fortune but I wanted to play music and make a living out of it. When I was 9 in 1979 and at school, I told my teacher I wanted to play the trombone so they gave me a test and then told my parents I will never make a musician as I don't have a musical bone in my body. Then skip to 1985 and I saw U2 at Live Aid and saw Adam Clayton strutting around the stage looking like the coolest dude on the planet and I wanted some of that. Went to college and met some friends and got myself a guitar and my friend got a bass. I wanted to play bass and he wanted to play guitar so we swapped but he gave up and I stuck with it.

 

I then spent two years learning to play and then joined a band and gigged lots but this ended after a few years. I then formed another band that eventually got signed in 1996 and actually did really well. We went on tour, photoshoots, recorded two John Peel sessions, did a Radio 1 roadshow, a live Virgin radio session and recorded an album with Mark Wallis who produced the It Bites album, Travis albums, U2 and many others. We released 4 singles, got lots of airplay including TV and cinema adverts. We made it, were signed, getting paid and living the dream but I was still not interested in any fame or fortune despite some of that coming my way. All I ever wanted was to have a song played on the radio, record an album and go on TOTP's. 

 

Now, my perception of making it is different but I still don't want the fame or fortune and if anything, even less so than before, I just want to play music and making it is all about how much you play and how much you can live from the income it brings rather than being famous. A few years ago I was playing in a club band that was earning great money and gigging pretty much every weekend. It was supplementing my day job income enough for me to buy a car from earnings and to be fairly comfortable so I considered myself to be semi-pro during that period as apposed to being pro when I was signed and it was my only income. 

 

If I look back over the 37 years of playing, I have been amateur, semi-pro and pro and I look at the wall with the albums I have played on and think that I have spent more of my days gigging, touring, recording and playing music that I have working for someone else so for me, despite being an unknown, but known to my friends and family as a musician, I identify myself as a musician more than anything else and to me that is making it.

Edited September 13, 2023 by Linus27

[Clarky]

I still live in vainglorious hope

[BlueMoon]

I had to read the op title more than once, since - at first - I thought it might be referring to putting on my socks each morning! Failed at that a few times when my back is out!

[MacDaddy]

47 minutes ago, Linus27 said:

I never wanted the fame and fortune but I wanted to play music and make a living out of it. When I was 9 in 1979 and at school, I told my teacher I wanted to play the trombone so they gave me a test and then told my parents I will never make a musician as I don't have a musical bone in my body. Then skip to 1985 and I saw U2 at Live Aid and saw Adam Clayton strutting around the stage looking like the coolest dude on the planet and I wanted some of that. Went to college and met some friends and got myself a guitar and my friend got a bass. I wanted to play bass and he wanted to play guitar so we swapped but he gave up and I stuck with it.

 

I then spent two years learning to play and then joined a band and gigged lots but this ended after a few years. I then formed another band that eventually got signed in 1996 and actually did really well. We went of tour, photoshoots, recorded two John Peel sessions, did a Radio 1 roadshow, a live Virgin radio session and recorded an album with Mark Wallis who produced the It Bites album, Travis albums, U2 and many others. We released 4 singles, got lots of airplay including TV and cinema adverts. We made it, were signed, getting paid and living the dream but I was still not interested in any fame or fortune despite some of that coming my way. All I ever wanted was to have a song played on the radio, record an album and go on TOTP's. 

 

Now, my perception of making it is different but I still don't want the fame or fortune and if anything more so than before, I just want to play music and making it is all about how much you play and how much you can live from the income it brings rather than being famous. A few years ago I was playing in a club band that was earning great money and gigging pretty much every weekend. It was supplementing my day job income enough for me to buy a car from earnings and to be fairly comfortable so I considered myself to be semi-pro during that period as apposed to being pro when I was signed and it was my only income. 

 

If I look back over the 37 years of playing, I have been amateur, semi-pro and pro and I look at the wall with the albums I have played on and think that I have spent more of my day gigging, touring, recording and playing music that I have working for someone else so for me, despite being an unknown, but known to my friends and family as a musician, I identify myself as a musician more than anything else and to me that is making it.

 

Don't be shy, what was the band?

[Elfrasho]

Pretty much from day 1 of gigging I knew there was no real prospect of going pro whether that was in a band or a working musician. I've been in many originals bands which I'd say only 1 did anything of worth but even that I knew was never going to be a career.

 

 

[Linus27]

24 minutes ago, MacDaddy said:

 

Don't be shy, what was the band?

 

Here you go,

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inter_(band)

[Barking Spiders]

Apart from daydreaming about being a rock n' roll guitar hero for a couple of days when I was 14 I always knew I was destined for obscurity. That and the dawning reality about life in a band after schlepping around skanky dives across Merseyside for 6 months. When I read about such and such a famous band doing 250 gigs a year decade in decade out (hello Rolling Stones"!) I knew I made the right call. Anyway that and the fact I no longer have any time for rock n 'roll guitar 'heroes'., possibly the most boring of musicians.