IzzyDunn

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1444829507' post='2886458'] Same here. its forced me to listen and learn music i probably wouldn't have bothered or known about if it wasn't for first dance requests etc. The 3 function bands ive been playing with over the years have always just split the money equally. Ive never been in a band with a band leader who calls the shots and pays a wage out, other than if ive been depping. I wouldn't say i enjoy every gig, but then i dont enjoy every day at work either. You take the rough with the smooth if you want to do this sort of thing. Knowing what you are getting in to is half the battle won IME. Its definitely not for everyone, but there are so many threads on here about this that i think any one who spends a bit of time reading them will know exactly whats the norm and whats expected. Then you can make your own mind up. For me its a case of playing (which i enjoy) and making money from it. I dont have the inclination to write any more, so learning a few new songs in a new style or songs i like listening to is satisfying to me, i then get paid to play it to others. Perfect :-) [/quote] +1 I love playing in a band and I'd happily play the spoons if I had to. You learn some crap songs and you put in some tunes you love as well. There can by loads of generic function bands and playing the stuff you want to and finding your group's style can be the thing that gets you the gig over another band. We know all the usual Van Morrison and Michael Bublé cheese and play loads of 12 bar blues and Rock n Roll that the audience just eats up. If it's something you enjoy doing then go for it. Have fun playing other people's songs and adding your own licks here and there. We probably know about 80 songs, abandoned about 20 that just never sounded great and on an average night we'll play approx. 45. With weddings they usually run over with speeches and dinner, then there's the 30 minute buffet and being in Scotland most couples want a 30 minute ceilidh as well. One night we managed a grand total of 16 songs which while being well received was awful for us. For a function we'll charge £650 for 4 hours including break and for a wedding we'll be around £1100 for up to 50 miles and cost up if we need to travel farther, hire a van (we use two cars) or do a sleep over. You can sign with an agency and maybe end up with lower paying but more regular work in the beginning, and it also lets you be hands off if you're doing it purely for money and want to do the bare minimum. We do everything ourselves and attend loads of fayres and exhibitions as we've only been at it properly for 18 months. If you start a band, make sure you trust the people you're in it with and you have a clear direction for what you are and are willing to do or be paid. We've had issues with that when there aren't any weddings and guys refuse to do pub work. It's a business at the end of the day and you don't want to be in business with halfwits or lazy folk

I used to get horrendous stagefright to the point where my right hand would shake away from the guitar and I'd miss strings and notes. Usually it would take me a song or two to calm myself down enough to take stock of where I was and what was going on! By that point you're midway through your third tune and time to play your slow song. After that you play your pre-final number and finish on the best tune. Honestly that's how quickly a 30 minute set goes by. Some fantastic advice above so I'll reiterate some of the things that've been said and some that helped me when I was starting out and playing originals as a nervous teenager as opposed to the 29 year old battle hardened wedding band guy I am now, cruising by on cheesy covers. [list] [*]You'll be nervous, just take some deep breaths and don't be afraid to look out at the crowd. They're not all staring at you or cringing at your fluffs! [*]Don't worry about mistakes. Only the band will notice them, even the horrendous ones! [*]Avoid drinking booze til after the gig [*]Don't let the adrenaline get to you so you play everything at double speed. Missing runs you normally hit with ease can be an indicator [*]Smile and look at your bandmates. Share a laugh. You'll maybe even forget you're playing in front of an audience [*]Make sure you're all comfortable with the beginning and end of every song. Intros and endings should be tight [*]If it's your first gig practice your set in order for a bit before it. See if you can get song transitions seemless. If you're planning on witty stage banter, plan it! Experienced guys say the same stuff every gig cos it works. You can always change it up on the night but having a starting point helps [*]If you're responsible for your own volume, figure out if you should be playing so people can hear themselves speak at the middle and back of the room. If so, walk out during sound check and see if you can. Really depends on the type of gig and we killed a few rooms by playing too loud for people who just got up and left [*]On the night just forget it all and have a good time [/list]

I've got a few terrible guitars that I don't want to part with for sentimental reasons, about four that I actually play, all with different feels and sounds. A few old acoustics I've donated to friends and family after getting a great one and four basses! The basses were acquired through purchases and trades when I was still trying to find what I wanted and what I wanted to sound like. I got a Tokai Rockinbetter that I hated, Retrovibe Vantage which I played for about 18 months happily til I bought my Reverend Thundergun (it's amazing), traded the RB for a MIM Jazz V (discovered it's not for me) and bought a Hofner Shorty bass as a backup that I can chuck into the car for gigs. The Shorty's surprisingly good apart from the neck dive. I've arranged to sell the Retrovibe, one cheap guitar and the jazz so I can buy either a MIM 50s Precision or possibly a Sandberg Electra VS4