Bluewine

I think the reason I'm so critical of my bands gigs are not so much all the fault of the band. Now that I think about it, it's more to do with the US 4 hour bar format.managing 4 hours of material is not an easy task. Blue

Yes, there's always a part of true historical sequence that doesn't work in a feature film. I think they changed and condenced how Mercury met and joined the band in order to focus more on the bands years as a group as oposed to the build up.I think Mercury went to school with the original singer from Smile and it was the original singer that introduced Mercury to the band. I also think Mercury was still wearing long hair when they performed We Will Rock You in 1977 at Madison Square Garden. It wasn't till later that he changed his look with the short hair and mustache. Blue

I thought that was really cool! Blue

Me too, I always enjoy playing music. But I don't play for enjoyment. I play for a fee. I've been there though. 40 years ago when I was a young guy, I played for free, money didn't matter. In hindsight it was a mistake. Blue

I really think for the few guys looking to be in a paid gigging band ( gigging 2-3 times a week) here are a few thoughts. Do you even live in an area where this sort of opportunity exists Do you have experience, relevant experience And then 3 questions after an offer has been made; How many paying gigs did the band play in 2018, how many paying gigs are booked for 2019 and what is the fee your band charges and what's the split. Here's another one and a crucial question. Are any key band members planning to leave the band this year. The loss of a key nember can bring a band to a halt. If you cover those bases you can make a decision if you and the band are a match. Blue

Would vyou play in a band with no social media presence? I would, if they had good paying gigs booked.😀 Blue

My FB page only contains; 1.Gig Schedule 2.Performance Pics 3.Videos 4. Personal Gear Pics There are no family or friend pics, holiday pics, pics of pets, personal opinions or political comments on my page. If I were scouting bands I could say with confidence, " Friend me on FB to see my resume" Blue

Loved it, and I learned a lot about them. Blue

Acoustic amps were break through technology in bass amps back in the 70s. Larry Graham used them back in the day. Blue

Sounds like you got involved with guys that perhaps like funk but can't play it. Funk can mean different things to different people. In my neck of the woods sadly no one is playing funk. It's not an easy genre and a lot of guys don't understand don't have the feel for it. IMO play a guitar solo on " Good Times" is an example of not understanding and removed from the genre. Blue

I'm sure that works for a lot of guys. Me, I can't afford to have anything taking precedence over an income stream. Blue

I saw it today. I loved it. It was a really good rock movie. Keep in mind I'm not real picky or critical about this kind of stuff. I went to the theater to be entertained and I was. Was it me or did the bass player Joseph Mazello look a lot like John Deacon? Blue

Can't wait, looking forward to seeing the movie tonight. Blue

I'm going to the 6:30 show tonight. Blue

I haven't heard a word about it on BC. Some of you know I'm into stuff like this. Going to see it tomorrow. My concern is ,I don't think it's an easy story to tell. Blue

Agreed Daryl

In the States at the local bar, fair and festival gigging level if you don't have a car you won't be hired. Blue

That's exactly what I'm talking about Thing is, alot of the time that band member that needs the money is never told that paying gigs were cancelled due to scheduling conflicts with band members that were booked with other bands. Again for me, if members of a band are in other gigging bands, I want no part of that. Blue

I'm a one band guy, if a band doesn't have paying gigs at least once a week I would never join. I would think being in multiple bands only works if none of the bands gig very much otherwise I would think there would be a lot of schedule conflicts. As a matter of fact, for those interested in gigging and dare I say "making money" and your auditioning, you might want to ask if any of the members are in other bands. Blue

I'm 65, gigging and making bill paying money as a weekend warrior. I'm also a lot more realistic than I was years ago. We don't play for free, we have a set fee for our bar shows if the owner can't afford us we decline. Festivals and Fairs are a different story and much more lucrative. I did see a gig booked for us in August 2019. It's a 2.5 hour drive. However they're paying us $1,000.00 plus hotel rooms for a 90 minute slot. It's still a pain to drive that far for me. Blue

I once lost an audition years ago because of distance. I was 1.5 hours away from where they rehearsed. They wanted someone who lived closer. I get it now,and understand where they were coming from. Even a half an hour commute would be a stretch for me. Obviously I'd make exceptions for a band that was making money. Blue

In my area finding an originals band or a start up wout not be that hard. Finding a working band with paying gigs would be impossible. Blue

Be careful when offered the job right after you audition. More than likely it's a " red flag" more than anything else. Blue

Auditions can be sad. The saddest is when you don't do your homework and audition for a band that's not a match. How many of you have showed up to an audition, professional, confident you know the material inside out and find the other band members are weak and playing at a lower level than you. Bad interpretation of the material, questionnable chords and notes, poor vocals. Blue

If I was 40 years younger and in your situation I'd probably feel and do the same way. Blue