i don't gig (no band unfortunately)

[hagguy]

i'm currently in the horrible place of not having a band, or anyone
to jam with, used to jam alot with my mate but he is really trying to get
his band going and has alot of comitments to gigs and practice, which i couldn't pull him
away from, just for a jam. Ive been in a couple bands, first one i was filling in (which i didn't know)
and the original bassisit came back. second band folded after the guitarist went missing for a fortnight , and our
singer got poached by a cover band. i've never really tried to get into a band or anything, so looking for some advice
on how to get things going, for myself and how to go about it?

any imput appreiciated (excuse the spelling and grammer btw)

hagguy aka ian

[Kiwi]

I find a touch of perfume and little bit of cleavage helps.

[MIJ-VI]

There are a number of web sites similar to this one:

[url="http://www.indabamusic.com/"]http://www.indabamusic.com/[/url]

[Eight]

[quote name='hagguy' post='794809' date='Apr 3 2010, 04:14 AM']i've never really tried to get into a band or anything, so looking for some advice
on how to get things going, for myself and how to go about it?[/quote]
Currently trying to get some kind of jam thing moving (for the second time) since I'd like a bit more experience of playing with other people before joining a real band where they want to gig etc.

Anyway, it seems to me you just have to put ads on the web sites (like joinmyband.co.uk etc.), respond to ads, make arrangements, wait for people to drop out, get angry and frustrated, rinse and repeat...

After a hundred times maybe you find some people who aren't tw@ts and you actually get to the stage of playing something. Whoever said music was fun!?!

[OutToPlayJazz]

I originally got playing in bands by playing at the local jam sessions. By attending every week and showing people what I was about, work soon came flooding in when I was about 20.

Best of luck - I'm sure you'll find your niche soon

[DirkThrust]

Don't let your current situation discourage you. I've gone through periods like that when nothing seemed to go right and the only other musicians I could find were crap or arseholes or just timewasters. That's the nature of the beast unfortunately.

Keep checking all the sites like Partysounds and Musofinder and your local freeads. You probably will have to audition with people you don't know which can be a bit nerve racking at first but even that gets easier

[Bassassin]

I'd always recommend starting your own band. Be specific about what sort of music you want to play & what you want to do with the band, & try & recruit people with a similar mindset. And keep hold of the reins.

Jon.

[xgsjx]

Start your own band.

Have a look in a couple of local music shops for musician ads (maybe even place some) & don't rule out local areas such as Stirling & Kincardine, etc. Then audition them to see if they're suitable candidates.

You could move to Perth, they have a shortage of decent bassists & have loads of guits & drummers, but I already have 2 commitments as a bassist & one as a geetard. I'm planning on moving to Falkirk soon, so maybe a houseswap would suit you?

[TorturedSaints]

Here's what I wrote in an email to the guitarist from my first band, who recently got in touch:


***** died a death after a falling out precipitated by the lead guitarist criticising the rhythm guitarist during the recordings, who then left. Because we had a gig coming up, **** offered to play her Strat as a short-term stopgap solution, which was ok for the gig. **** then left and sold her drum kit, but then was persuaded to come back. The lead guitarist then had a general slagging off session aimed at ****, me and one of the vocalists (including having his wife swear down the phone at the vocalist!) so it all got a bit messy. Then we got 2 new guitarists in, there are some crackpots out there, auditions were great fun, although we ended up with 2 who didn't learn the set, and just wanted to play Status Quo 12 bar blues instead, so we put the band to bed there.

Subsequently I played with a younger set of guys, which was good, got me into stuff like Foos and Chilis, but that stopped when the guitarist was having touble balancing work and family. I then played with another band which was going really well until the guitarist (there's a theme here . . . ) decided that as the vocalist and I didn't want to play country like 'Crystal Chandeliers' (because that's what they want in working mens' clubs apparently, that we weren't required). I then hooked up with that vocalist, her husband, had a tryout with ***, but she couldn't stand the singer's voice (actually in a rehearsal room she wasn't great), plus the guitarist husband had been on shift all night so played badly, plus the kit at ********studio in **** was rubbish (including electric shocks for the vocalist from the mic!) so she didn't fancy coming out of retirement for that. I then found another drummer and guitarist, but couldn't stand the guitarist (looked like a *********r to me) so made my excuses and left, having already found another guitarist who had a drummer but no vocalist. A few excellent rehearsals with them plus another outstanding guitarist, although to be fair all he wanted to play was early ZZ Top, Joe Bonnamassa and not much else (lots of guitar W**kery) and wasn't keen on getting a vocalist. He didn't bother calling either me or the drummer back after Christmas, so here I am. I've missed out the wannabee from *****, who wanted to rehearse in the Function suite at ***** airport, just because it was free and he worked there, although we got thrown out by security, and the subsequent tryout with that drummer in his soul band on alto sax, (good musicians but there were a lot of undercurrents). Also missed out the day's recording in *** with ****s for an abortive Musical theatre project.

So I'm still looking too. (Names obliterated to protect the innocent!)

[Sarah5string]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='794811' date='Apr 3 2010, 04:40 AM']I find a touch of perfume and little bit of cleavage helps.[/quote]
But I'm flat chested?

[JTUK]

You have to get out there... are there any open mic nights that will let a bass sit in..?
Do you have many muso friends..? if not you need to get some.
People need to know you are there and available so music shops and local gigs, all make a network..

You are a bass without a gig..there must be gtrs and drums without gigs...you just haven't met up yet..

One of the MOSt important abilities you can have is the ability to meet, get on and blag a position.
In the meantime get your playing capable of taking advantage of a position should or when it crops up.

[steve]

put your name about a bit, in manc, bassists seem to be in short supply and ones looking for bands soon get sorted. Dunno what the situation is in Falkirk tho

[Delberthot]

Unfortunately there are few places to even play, let alone meet other musicians in Falkirk.

I would say to put a flyer into The Bunker practice studio in Bonnybridge. There are loads of bands playing there. Speak to Panda who usually runs it to see if there are any bands he know of looking for bass players.

We used to have the Cottages jam session every sunday but that's closed down. They did try to revive it at a pub round from Polmont YOI but don't know if that ever took off or not.

As far as playing goes in Falkirk you have Behind the Wall, Full Stop have started putting bands on and The Brightons Inn.


My rock band plays maybe once or twice a month as we all have other stuff on but if we played any more then we'd have to start looking at gigs in Galashiels, Peebles and Inverness etc like we used to do when we played more.

Try getting an ad sorted out and get it round the practice places and into the 2 music shops in Falkirk. I've tried the online ads and got nowhere when I was looking at alternatives to current bands a few years ago.

[hagguy]

[quote name='Sarah5string' post='795500' date='Apr 4 2010, 09:27 AM'] But I'm flat chested? [/quote]

got some man boob happening but, don't think that'd help my chances

[hagguy]

[quote name='Delberthot' post='795934' date='Apr 4 2010, 07:42 PM']Unfortunately there are few places to even play, let alone meet other musicians in Falkirk.

I would say to put a flyer into The Bunker practice studio in Bonnybridge. There are loads of bands playing there. Speak to Panda who usually runs it to see if there are any bands he know of looking for bass players.

We used to have the Cottages jam session every sunday but that's closed down. They did try to revive it at a pub round from Polmont YOI but don't know if that ever took off or not.

As far as playing goes in Falkirk you have Behind the Wall, Full Stop have started putting bands on and The Brightons Inn.


My rock band plays maybe once or twice a month as we all have other stuff on but if we played any more then we'd have to start looking at gigs in Galashiels, Peebles and Inverness etc like we used to do when we played more.

Try getting an ad sorted out and get it round the practice places and into the 2 music shops in Falkirk. I've tried the online ads and got nowhere when I was looking at alternatives to current bands a few years ago.[/quote]


totally agree bud, btw and rialtos are the only places for a gig, but rialtos only has
estabished bands. as far as a jam goes, its murder there is nowhere to go. i think i might have to go back
to guitar to get involved with a band. tbh i am a guitarist only took up bass to help my mates band out, not
that i'm complaining, never thought much of bass till i had to do it, must admit bass filled a hole in music for me and
has gave me a better apprieciation of music, the bunker in bonnybridge, is a possible option, went there for a jam
when i was younger and it was music warehouse. whats your band? might come and see you check your riffage live lol!